MyDD :: the DLC sucks! so now what?

the DLC sucks! so now what?

by dayspring, Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 01:31:06 PM EST

I've been seeing a lot of posts about the DLC lately. Our blogoverse has been all abuzz about their Ohio meeting and has been ranting and raving about how the DLC undermines us and is the Republican wing of the Democratic Party.

They blame us for the losses Democrats endure, they blame us for the Dems looking weak on national security, they think liberals are the downfall of the party and think the only way to win is to cast off the liberals and progressives and become Hawkish (somehow wanting to go to war at the drop of a hat makes a Dem "moderate") and more "centrist" (whatever this means).

This BS about why liberals should support the War on Terror (newsflash to DLC dickheads, terrorism is a tactic, not a state you can declare war on) regardless of the ramifications.

But frankly, I'm sick of hearing about it. I want to know what we can do about it.

More ranting below

We are the grassroots! We are the warriors in the field! I find it hard to believe that we cannot exercise our influence on our elected officials to distance themselves from the DLC.

Why dont we outright say that we will not support any DLC candidates? Turn the ATM off so to speak.

Also, aside from all the complaining about the DLC I'd like to see OUR foreign policy.

I may not be a die-hard liberal on a few things (economic matters mainly), but I am very liberal on foreign policy. And I think, as a community, we can come together and craft a real solution to dealing with terrorism.

For starters:

stop supporting anti-democratic, authoritarian regimes in the middle east like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kuwait, etc
support and heavily fund that organization (drawing a blank on the name) that works and empowers the people in those countries (primarily the middle class) by spreading democratic ideals, creating organizing infrastructure and allows the dissemination of moderate Islam
listen to arabs and the people of the middle east, not the corrupt leaders, but the actual people
have a real, even-handed approach to Israel/Palestine. This, if anything, is the big source of the problem there.

Terrorism cant be fought conventionally. If you drop a bomb on a neighborhood with a terrorist, sure you'll get the terrorist, but you'll kill all the innocent people, giving legitimacy to the radicals that say Americans are killing innocents, inciting more people to sign up for terrorists, etc. = Vicious Cycle.

To stop terrorism (or greatly reduce it) you have to make it unacceptable within the community it comes from. Wesley Clark gets it.

Thoughts?

Tags: (all tags)

Permalink :: 11 Comments :: Post a Comment

Clark gets it? (none / 0)

Doesn't he want to make the war bigger, same as Hillary? Or was that a false rumor I read? I don't remember seeing him say any of the things you list here, although I'd like it if he did. If you have any links on his stances on these issues, I'd love to read them.

by peterbernard on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 02:10:12 PM EST

Re: Clark gets it? (none / 0)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-07-10-london-clark_x.htm

by dayspring on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 02:38:56 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clark is helping Hackett (none / 0)

To the best of my knowledge Clark is the only Democrat of national prominance that has lifted a finger to help Hackett. Swing State Project has the news.

Is Hackett getting any help at all from either the DLC or the DNC? They should both be pouring in resources to help Hackett.

by Gary Boatwright on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 03:06:37 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Clark is helping Hackett (none / 0)

Actually a whole bunch have including James Carville and Max Cleland.

by dayspring on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 04:38:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I know its not an official source... (none / 0)

but DFA is also supporting Hackett

McCain sucks!

by teknofyl on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 05:23:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Keep bitchin' and turn off the ATM (3.00 / 1)

There are really two problems. The DLC and the M$M. They both pretend the grass/netroots does not exist and their opinions do not matter.

Two very bizarre things happened in the last couple of days. First, there were seven Democratic Senators who did not show up for a confirmation hearing on Karen Hughes. Second, the Blueprint article which appeared the very next day after Hillary called for a truce. I cannot explain how or why either event happened.

The DLC and Harry Reid made it very clear Dean does not speak for the party on policy. The problem they have is that nobody speaks for the party on policy, but everybody wants to. It was bizarre how often Joe Lieberman went on cable shows speaking for the party on every single issue. Finally, somebody got Joe to shut up.

You would think Hillary would be somewhat influential with the DLC. Apparently the editor of Blueprint was not impressed with her call for a cease fire. Whoever cleared that article thinks they speak for the Democratic party and could care less what Hillary thinks or says.

Who's minding the store? Is anybody in charge? Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

It won't be easy to get an organized response to the DLC. They are an entrenched citadel of ignorance and corruption. Of course they think they are right. Al From and the Joe twins always think they know best. (I know Biden is not officially DLC, but if he isn't a DLC sockpuppet in lockstep with the DLC, I don't know who is)

I'm going to stay right here and keep pointing out how stupid they are until they figure it out for themselves. It will probably take a schism in the Democratic party that results in a more disastrous defeat than Bush's defeat of Kerry. I have no idea how many Senate and House seats were stolen in 2004 and neither does anyone else.

I have no idea how many elections the GOPERS will steal in 2006 and neither does anyone else. The Democratic party apparently does not care. The Republican party is heading for a complete disaster and the DLC Dems don't want to be left behind. They want a disaster in the Democratic party as well.

What is truely amazing is how little the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party is asking for. Any suggestion that the marching orders of the DLC are not being followed in lockstep is treated as high treason. The DLC shuns and locks out progressives at every turn.

I slam the DLC here at MyDD. So do a lot of other people here and on other blogs. Has there been any criticism of the DLC in a major daily or from any member of the Democratic party? Absolutely zero. I would hazard a guess that 90% of registered Democrats don't have a clue there is any dissension in the Democratic party, but the DLC is hyper-sensitve and refuses to acknowledge any different opinions or views.

by Gary Boatwright on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 03:03:04 PM EST

Re: Keep bitchin' and turn off the ATM (3.00 / 1)

But we have what the DLC does not - an army!

What about inundating Reid, Pelosi or Dean's office with phone calls telling them an agreed upon line like "I hate what the DLC is doing to the Democratic Party and will not support any candidate that are in bed with From and Reed" or something like that?

What about calling Hillary's office and saying the same thing?

There has to be accountability.

Also, I want to point out while I'm no fan of the DLC I also think we need an organization like them. We do need balance between the center left and hard left and the DLC could fulfill that role under different leadership. While I view NDN more in-line with that I know there are good people at the DLC who cant do shit because of From and Reed.

If we get them aside maybe they can get someone like Rosenberg in there who embraces the grass/netroots base instead of reviling it.

by dayspring on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 04:44:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Agreed. Turn off the ATM (none / 0)

The best thing we can do is support progressive candidates in primaries and make sure we do not fund the DLC and "their kind." Our concentrated efforts, energy, work, and money aimed at only progressive candidates can destroy the DLC.

Tennesseans for Russ Feingold

by schwompa on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 06:37:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

The DLC is doing nothing for Hacket (none / 0)

Bob Brigham has the story, Dems 2008: DLC Scandal Dogs HRC in WaPo. There's more to the story, but I'll have to pick it up later.

by Gary Boatwright on Wed Jul 27, 2005 at 03:10:51 PM EST

too damn bad (2.00 / 1)

If the DLC sucks so much, then liberalism ingeneral must suck an awful lot more.

by liebermanlives on Thu Jul 28, 2005 at 11:00:26 AM EST

Re: too damn bad (none / 0)

Hm, the diary is titled "DLC sucks...", yet when you post your opinion that "liberalism" sucks, you get a 2 rating?

I'll give you a 3 to counter the rating abuse. You're entitled to your opinion as is the diary author.

http://operationyellowelephant.blogspot.com/

by Vote Hillary 2008 on Thu Jul 28, 2005 at 10:09:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

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