No Love for Howard Dean
Now this is pretty damn terrible.
Barack Obama is set to host a press conference with incoming Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine on Thursday in what will ostensibly mark the beginning of a new era for the party and the committee.
Noticeably absent from the affair will be the individual who symbolized the old regime.
Former Gov. Howard Dean is not on the list of attendees for the event, a noticeable nonattendance for someone largely credited with revitalizing the Democratic Party ranks and contributing - whether politically or through his 50-State Strategy - to major electoral gains.
It is unclear whether Dean's absence reflects a snub or a scheduling conflict. An Obama transition official said it was their understanding that Dean was traveling. But a source with knowledge of the proceedings said that Dean was not asked to attend and suggested that he would have changed prior plans.
Either way, he's not attending tomorrow's presser when the DNC torch is unofficially passed to Kaine. The Virginia Governor officially takes over the post on January 21.
Howard Dean led the charge on the 50-state strategy that paved the way for Obama to take the election. He was ridiculed by the Beltway weenies and Villagers over it, but he had the last laugh.
He was also the netroots' choice for DNC chair and it worked out brilliantly.
This is interesting: Democratic National Committee chair Howard Dean, who was greeted with intense skepticism by the party's big-money donors at the outset of his tenure, appears on track to bring in far more cash this quarter from those top fundraisers than many expected.
I don't know who is at fault here, but this is not cool.
My friend Steve Benen writes:
For what it's worth, I don't think Obama is deliberately snubbing [Dean]. From what I hear, the two get along very well, and Obama has said more than once that Dean's 50-state strategy laid the groundwork for his own bottom-up presidential campaign. For that matter, I can't think of a reason why Tim Kaine would harbor any animosity towards Dean.
So, what explains today's Dean-less event? I'm at a loss.
let me guess
does his name rhyme with palm?
..
..
Palm was too busy playing with his Blago set to assasinate Dean. (Or was he?)
rahm called the 50 state strategy, absurd
when dean was shown to be right, rahm tried to take credit
i have a feeling that this may be payback
i could be wrong...but i dont think so
and the last thing the dems need is infighting
i think dean knows that, and that is why is he keeping very quiet
why Obama would diss him.
Obama is DLC.
Some stuff you can't make up!
It's a damn shame too...Dean worked hard for this win...
I have to ask this question, because it's starting to become Obama's MO. Does Obama enjoy kicking his supporters in the teeth? First he did it to the gay community with picking Rick Warren. Now he's dissing Dean? The guy that not only made possible his election, but gave him a congressional majority to work with. Obama hasn't even been sworn in yet, and I'm already sick to death of him.
...And the Clintonistas have completed the purge.
Howard, you deserved better.
I wouldn't stand in the same room with Kaine either.
He is a neoliberal bitch.
Damn. Howard Dean was the best thing to happen to the Democratic Party. He prevented the Republican-lite DLC Dipshits from taking our Party over and failing like they did with Gore and Kerry. Those advisors and organizers were piss poor at doing anything except losing and making the Republicans look good. Dean put in and fought for solid progressive reform. He kicked ass basically. I hope all the Progressives know the importance of Dean to the future of the Party. We need people like him in the key positions if we are going to succeed. Peace. Damn.
and now, with the yuppyish people Obama is surrounding himself with, I feel that the voices of labor and progressive causes have been ignored and rejected. Shit.
Dean crashed the DLC party, and he showed them how it is done. So now the DINOS must have been fuming, I was told that for all intents and purposes, Rahm Emmanuel hates Dean's guts. So it makes sense the complete snub of the good doctor.
Dean was also the one who (via Joe Trippy) introduced the idea of grass roots internet fund raising to the Democratic party, without which the Dems would never have won the last election. This is a terrible snubb for somebody who deserves to be able to name ANY JOB HE WANTS in the Obama Administration.
Well, Sanjay Gupta is being treated well.
He's seems to have a few people that aren't fans of his...at all!
!!!!!!
Some stuff you can't make up!
The first thing I thought when I heard this was, "What a fantastically symbolic move on everyone's part."
Think about it - Dean visited all 50 states and all American territories except American Samoa in his time as DNC chair. He is visiting that territory instead of attending the conference, to help welcome the new governor there. His work with the DNC has been admirable, and the good doctor who rolled up his sleeves and went to work is, well, still at work.
Maybe I'm just not a conspiracy theorist or a pessimist, but I think it's a nice symbolic send off for Dean.
Tad Devine, Bob Shrum, and those guys might as well have been working for an arm of the republican party as much good as they've done for the Democratic Party lately.
Check out their work in "Our Brand is Crisis"
Dean is a hero and personally responsible for the turn around in the Democratic spirit, party, and ability to fight.
I voted for him in the Connecticut primary, but not the general (where I voted for Nader, for the third time).
Those who voted for Obama voted for change.
I voted for change too, knowing I'd lose.
How long will Obama supporters take to realize they've been screwed?
look at Carter's body language.
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/George-HW-Bush-...
n/t
I was too busy looking at those idiots Bush I and Bush II trying to shoulder the "colored boy" upstart out of the picture to notice Carter's body language.
Doris Kearns Goodwin says that Carter doesn't like being too close and that's normal for him. Though he and Clinton definitely don't get along.
I was looking at Obama's virgin position (hands protecting crotch) and was reminded of Bush's first visit with Clinton. Must be a bit intimidating, but you can see the ex (and not soon enough ex) presidents commanding and confident.
We'd be screwed if Texas froze over and nadir won.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
With regards to Dems, I think of the Clintons as 'old regime'. If anything Dean, with his 50 state strategy and first success using the internet to drum up financial support and enthusiasm is the precursor to the new regime. They should all thank Dean.
Still, as spineless as the Dems are, who cares?
hopefully this is much about nothing. i would be very surprised if either OBAMA or kaine snubbed h.Dean but to be sure i'm guessing dean will be asked.so let's wait and see.
Is it too late to fix this up? Image is everything and Obama should realize this. Do whatever you can to not look like you're in the Bushes. Don't they realize that everything they do will be hyper-analyzed?
ljmel
Image isn't everything. Bush tried to skate through 8 years based on image. Remember those backdrops Rove always had behind Bush whenever he spoke. They always tried to portray the image of competence but they couldn't coverup the ineptness of Bush's terms.
If Dean is being dissed for Emanuel's bloated ego it will be one more question of whether Obama is who he really says he is. He's not President yet but he sure seems to be awfully concerned the Republicans don't get their feelings hurt.
My guess is that the unelected influence that abandoned the Bush regime 2 years ago is sinking its poison hooks into the new one.
Dean is probably pissed that Obama didn't give the Secretary of Health and Human Services job to him, and gave it to Daschle instead. He has a RIGHT to be pissed over that, it was rightfully his. (And frankly, I think he'd have done a much better job of it than Daschle will, given that he got public healthcare working very well in Vermont.)
Dr. Howard Dean?
No.
Sanjay "Doctor Tool" Gupta.
Fuck.
To some degree it matters who's in office, but it matters more how much pressure they're under from the public. - Noam Chomsky
At least he didn't offer the job to "Dr. Phil" or "Dr. Ruth." The way things are going, I wouldn't have been surprised.
the surgeon general is a relatively symbolic office.
Probably as other posters have said, Dean would have been an ideal choice for the Health and Human Services office.
Unlike Daschle, Dean is an actual doctor.
Unlike Daschle, Dean is not married to one of Washington's top lobbyist.
Unlike Daschle, Dean has a track record of building a viable political platform.
Unlike Daschle, Dean actual has an actual track record in implementing successful health care reforms.
But I guess, Obama has some sort of secret voodoo plan that us mere mortals can't fully comprehend yet.
Once Obama takes office he's going to reverse the center right postitions he held before the election, ignore the center right appointees in his administration and not implement the center right policies that he's announced and become a die hard librul.
I'm guessing you didn't get the memo...
. . Obama is considering Howard Dean as Surgeon General, especially with the letter coming from Conyers saying Gupta does not have the experience.
Can you imagine how ridiculous Howard Dean would look in an ADMIRAL'S UNIFORM?
Let's see...Howard Dean has been the most successful DNC chair in ages. I hope the Obama and Clinton people (and the rest of the party) never forgets this. As we all well know, Dean led the Democratic resurgence that resulted in the most successful Democratic election (especially at the presidential level) since 1964. This man should be honored and respected by all Democrats.
Sorry, I could never get all that excited about Obama, and I feel somewhat vindicated in that.
Congress has defaulted to the same BS as well.
Dean was the best thing that ever happened to the Dems. The establishment hates him for it.
Why bother with either party. Support real progressives, not dem progressives.
"We expect that discussion around entitlements will be a part, a central part" of efforts to curb federal spending, Mr. Obama said at a news conference. By February, he said, "we will have more to say about how we're going to approach entitlement spending."
After all of the moaning from the conservatives how Obama was a trojan horse who would turn this into a socialist muslim nation, it turns out that just the opposite is true. Turns out he's a conservative, and the liberals and progressives who worked so hard to elect him are, once again, well and truly fucked.
I'll trust we can attribute this "snafu" to inexperience and confusion, and we should just add it to the other small snafus that have recently been attributed to Obama's inexperience. But after too long it becomes a pattern.
Watching Dean on Matthews last night was really inspiring. Nobody in my lifetime has done more to ensure Democratic victories around the country than has Dean. Nobody should forget that...especially Obama.
After Vilsac, Richardson and Dr Gupta is there really a place for the good Dr Dean? I hope there is some capacity for him to continue to ply his trade within the party. We still really need him.
Mr. Dean quit fundraising. It seems that even AFTER the election, I'm getting emails like crazy asking for money:
Yeppers... and it was signed Barack Obama...isn't that special? You should come to the ceremony...for a fee. Nice.
you still preserve your right to bitch.
I get quite a few every week. I don't even have political parties in my own country begging me for cash weekly. What did they do with the BILLIONS already raised? Is it not ironic, that a group that is telling the nation that they have to borrow over a trillion, and things are gonna get rough, are begging people they think are voters for more? I find it very odd to say the least.
the republicans are going to try to obstruct any and all bills so there will still be a huge battle in 2012.
I've been on "the internets" since the beginning, and I've only had to turn on the e-mail spam filter twice...the most recent occurrence requesting to block all incoming from "Obama" begging for funds. I must have received 30 since the election.
I know he thinks he's found the golden-egged goose with his mailing list. Time will tell.
my spam filters catch almost everything except these weekly begging campaigns.
Since we're talking about this, I'm curious where these funds are reported and are the reports available to the public? Do the regular campaign financing laws apply, or are these types of fund-raising activities covered under some other category?
I find it interesting that if they require funds for the next election, that they'd need them starting now. Or are they trying to squeeze as much out of their grassroots before they totally lose them?
I haven't donated nothin to anyone since right before the election...can't friggin afford it..
No Love for Howard Dean
________________________
I don't know what love has to do with it
But I really really like his sausages.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Come see Howard Dean at DemocracyFest! http://www.DemocracyFest.net
Where is Wes Clark? Where is Michael Moore. Where is a gay cabinet member? Where is the left wing. Is Obama too busy making kissy face with the right? Is he?
Candideinnc
but there's a good chance that some of the republicans chosen for his cabinet are gay.
Good point. Amendment: Where is a self respecting Democratic gay cabinet member?
Candideinnc
I thought his choice of pastor for the inauguration was a pretty big middle finger to the gay community. Does he need to turn it up higher?
It is going to be up to us as the netroots to give Dean the love at EVERY opportunity we can. On every subject. Something like, "It was nice the way Obama created world peace and thanks to Howard Dean Obama was elected" or "It was nice the way Obama saved the world. Howard Dean did a good job of getting him elected."
Rahm Emmanuel.
Was Dean that much of a threat for the DINO contingent?
Maybe there's a wikipedia entry on "The Dean Campaign, 2004". If not, it surely needs to be created.
It's totally cool if you were not "activated" then, and got involved in the 2008 election cycle. That's a good thing.
Because anyone who would ask that question has no knowledge at all of "The Dean Campaign". It's not even close.
Actually I volunteered for Dean in 04, we organized one of his meetups at a friend's place.
I only knew from hearsay the vitriol between Emmanuel and Dean. If that is the case, it makes perfect sense his complete snubbing.
I don't think he expected a cabinet position, he is probably burned out as it is. And I believe his wife put conditions on his political involvement. What I found interesting was the complete lack of mention, or reference regarding his contributions to the 06 and 08 campaigns by the people who benefited the most from them: namely the Obama team.
Frankly I gave up on any hope for a liberal agenda for the Obama presidency as soon as he announced Emmanuel as his chief of staff.
Another member of Obama's inner circle, his press secretary Robert Gibbs, a former Kerry operative, was heavily involved in that secretive 527 that ran the despicable Dean-morphs-into-Osama ad slamming Dean on foreign policy.
used to be then the site that was founded under his name sake
raisingkaine.com had a following out.
The did not like how he governed.
Typical political behavior. Use someone for what you can, then toss them aside once you achieve what you were after.
BHO is an ungrateful, disrespectful, wildly disappointing tool.
Rick Warre, the SELLOUT of the gays, and now Dean.
Look out, ladies. You're next.
May BHO never have a days rest -- or a second term.
"admirable"?
That's kind of like saying "Pavoratti could hit the high notes decently".
Knowing Howard, his huge generosity in sharing credit, and his modest tendency in describing his own contributions, a more valid explanation for all of this is that Dean probably, on his own, figured, before such an event like this was even planned, "I served my time, and now it's a new DNC Chair, and he deserves to have the full spotlight. Come January 1st, 2009, I don't need to be seen doing some kind of handoff. I'd rather get things done. I plan on encouraging Kaine to take the reigns from the start."
Howard's such a model of common decency that one can picture him saying such a thing to his wife Judy, and Judy probably saying all the things we're saying here "But Howard, this is your moment too, you made all of this happen", with him shrugging it off "I'm fine, I'm very satisfied with the job I did, very proud of it, and we accomplished a lot. I don't need anyone to validate that for me. I'm a big boy" ...
Now, all of that said: IF it turns out that Howard really was snubbed as being suggested here, then that runs a cold mainline to my heart, shooting out all the way to "Fuck Obama, that ungrateful piece of shit".
I certainly hope it's the former. If the latter, the whole Dem Party can just go take a collective dump together and congratulate themselves on their brilliance. Even give Al From a citation.
2016!
F-ing DINOs DLCers again.
By the way, everybody should write Tim Kaine and demand that he reinstate the 50-State Strategy.
Not to mention be supportive of the pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-stem cell "wing" of the Democratic Party
...spineless, wishy-washy politicians. I imagine Dean is way too outspoken for Barack's delicate post-partisan sensibilities. He's probably afraid Howard will "scream" and ruin everything.
Obama seems a lot more comfortable hanging out with real Democrats like Harry Reid, Tom Daschle, and other staunch invertebrates.
He represents the people.
He DOES NOT represent moneyed interests, or other well-entrenched village backslappers. His operational agenda has been to reach out to the people. Not because it's a cool campaign slogan, but because H.Dean is genuine. He truly believes its the people's government, not the special interests' government.
A return to the Terry McAwful or Kane is sickening. The democrats are going to lose seats next election because they think they are sitting in the catbird seat and nothing can touch them now. They are wrong, wrong, wrong.
I was an independent (Non-Partisan) for 20+ years, but registered as a Democrat in 2004 to vote for Dean. He dropped out prior to California's primary, but I realized that being out of the party is essentially a useless voter. Republicans are criminals and I cannot vote for them. Democrats play up the average guy, but most of them are millionaires spouting popular slogans to sound like they actually care.
Does anyone actually believe Dianne Feinstein is a real democrat? Come on, she's a multi-millionaire with pure delusions of grandeur. She doesn't compare to Barbara Boxer. Feinstein confirmed Alberto Gonzales. Give me a break. There are just too many high-and-mighty "Democrats" that simply aren't. Had Dan White not murdered Mayor Moscone, Diane Feinstein would still be a lowly San Francisco supervisor.
who has always been, and always will be, worthless to SF, CA, America.
btw, I have exactly the same party affiliation as you. I have never liked our 2-party system, I don't think it works, it's clear it did not work at all in the past 8 years.
I too had been non-partisan for 20 years... and exactly as you did, I too registered Dem for first time in 2004 in order to vote for Dean.
Then, after the CLinton DLC-ers character assasinated him and took out his candidacy, I re-registered non-partisan, where I will stay.
I am liberal, and no one represents me. Pelosi is my congresswoman, and how she gets re-elected in SF is beyond me. But it must be money -- and machinery... as well as the strange fact that despite the most visible liberal surface-coat of San Francisco -- the Dean Progressives -- a hell of a lot of Democrats in San Francisco are about as clueless about what happens in the world day-to-day as are Fox News viewers.
I see it and hear it all the time -- most SF'ers couldn't even tell me what "that FISA thing" was, and they didn't even know that the NSA spying principally took place in San Francisco itself -- a mere 6 blocks from DiFi's office -- at SBC/ATT building on Folsom.
I voted for Obama, of course, and I will continue to vote for the least-worst candidates. What I woulda given for Russ Feingold to have stayed in the race for 2008... But he was "too damn conscientious" about doing his real job -- as as US Senator after Dems won that slim majority in Nov 06 elections. He went to work, and Obama and CLinton and others took to the road to run for President. Yippeee!
Now we're in bullshit "post-partisan" lah-lah land.
Meanwhile Howard Dean lit up San Francisco every time he arrived... as he will continue to do. Great man.
No place at the table for DR. DEAN and Emmanuel and Reid taking all the BOWS that belong to Dr. Dean. I will be wating to see where DR. DEAN leads, in the NEXT Election. I and MANY others are FINISHED with the DEMOCRATIC PARTY, Emmanuel and KAIN can have it.
hate to say it but it's coming. there will be a major split in the democratic party. One faction will be led by obama and his supporters and that party will be milk toast. they will play a fairly conservative middle of the line, don't alienate anyone approach. the other faction will be led by those who are not afraid to alienate and who will speak their minds. unfortunately, the milk toast faction will in the end win out. they always do. why not, they haven't alienated anyone, nor have they really done anything nor do they stand for anything. so once again, i am left in a position of supporting a losing cause with losing candidates. but it ain't so bad when you know that cause is the right one. we need a champion to lead us.
Why not make it mean something and let the Progressives leave the Dems and form a third party on the left that actually represents what the people want.
and the right could split from the GOP too...the more parties, the better I say.
Howard Dean Shunned by Team Obama. WTF? Dean Paved the Way for the Obama Campaign and He Fought Off Rahm Emanuel and Chuck Schumer to Achieve a 50-state Strategy. Obama Wouldn't Have Won with a Schumer/Emanuel Blue State, Blue Congressional District Strategy. Show Dean Some Respect and Appreciation, President-elect Obama.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090108/ap_on_go_...
http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/index.html...
Some stuff you can't make up!
did anyone like any of obamas picks? they are all just so fucking boring when not down right sinister.
The person obama, dean, the democratic party should be thanking for their newly acquired dominance is george w bush.
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