Posted on 07/09/2006 12:46:51 PM PDT by ncountylee
WASHINGTON - Four months before the midterm congressional elections, Democrats are mired in a ferocious battle for control of the House and Senate.
Among themselves.
A feud within the ranks of party leaders is creating concern and consternation about Democrats' ability to capitalize on the bountiful political advantages the GOP has dealt them. Democrats are beset by competing messages, quarrelling messengers and conflicting visions for the future of the party, all of which could complicate and impede their fall election strategy.
In Washington, the fingers of blame are wagging largely at Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who has pledged to rebuild the party in all 50 states and U.S. territoriesrather than solely concentrate on the next election. But outside of the capital, party officials praise Dean for taking a longer view and devoting attention to Democrats everywhere, from Alaska to the Virgin Islands.
"They can say what they want, but we've been doing it the old way for a while and it's time for a change," Dean said in an interview. "To find out if the 50-state strategy is going to be successful, you'll have to wait for a couple of presidential cycles. It won't be deemed a failure, because I'm going to keep doing it."
That is precisely what worries Democratic leaders such as Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who heads the party's congressional campaign committee. More than one month after a strategy meeting between Emanuel and Dean ended in an explosive dispute, the two men have not directly spoken. And Emanuel said he is beginning to doubt whether the party's nuts-and-bolts operation will be ready to compete in key districts.
"Will we have the resources to run an effective ground campaign for this election?" Emanuel asked.
(Excerpt) Read more at duluthsuperior.com ...
Naturally, who in their right mind would want to talk to either?
(((sigh))) and only a month ago, Nancy was picking out the drapes for the Speakers Office.....
What a load of BS. They have to actual come up with an excuse as to why they don't have a plan. It must realy suck to be a Democratic.
Did Emanuel hit Dean with his purse during their "explosive dispute"?
Cue Nelson Muntz...
So we'll know it's working when they lose the next two presidential elections, and if they win any elections in the next 10 years or so, Dean's plan will have been a failure?
Wow, he IS a Rove plant!
LOL...most today just need to hand out the Communist Manifesto...that's the true direction of this party. Shhh...they don't won't us to know.
Note to DarkWolf: Notice how no one has ever, ever, ever claimed that Rove must be a Dean plant. :)
It won't be deemed a failure, because I'm going to keep doing it.
To the liberals, something isn't a failure if they keep doing it. It's how they cope with a reality-based world where reality is diametrically opposed to their world-view.
Reality setting in Ping!
"It won't be deemed a failure, because I'm going to keep doing it"......does'nt a definition for insanity involve keeping doing the same thing expecting different results.....
There, fixed that typo.
Is this DBM/dem party STUCK ON STUPID, or what?!
"They have to actual come up with an excuse as to why they don't have a plan."
Surely, the Democrats at least have an exit strategy. It seems that they do.
And, as a point of interest: The brutal battle in Connecticut between Senator Joe Lieberman and his Democrat Primary challenger, Ned Lamont, is not helping the Dems either. It is just further widening the rift between the two factions in the party.
YA GOTTA LOVE IT!!!
Their leadership is nuts, and their base is bolting. Or is it that their base is nuts, and their leadership is bolting? It is really hard to keep up with these yo-yo's. (it is really FUN, though) ;-)
Nuts and bolts? More like nuts and dolts.
Oh, I think the Dems have plenty of nuts available.
I don't actually see this as an excuse for not having a plan. I think Dean believes that a 50 state strategy will work. The idea does seem to have some legitimacy, or at least I think so.
That said, I haven't seen any semblence of a plan from the DNC, at least not one that they would admit to.
I love how they keep saying that the Republicans have no plan for the economy and still keep pretending that things aren't going well. It's amusing, really.
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