I am no lawyer, do not pretend to be very knowledgeable on the topic. But I can read and understand when an organization has the courts on their side.  This new insistence on seating Florida delegates is not even using common sense.  It is divisive, it is causing resentment, and the DNC has the courts on its side.  

Tampa activist lawsuit against DNC to be appealed in Atlanta appeals court

TAMPA - The first legal challenge to the Democratic National Committee's refusal to seat Florida's delegates to the party's national convention next year was thrown out of federal court Friday.

Calling the matter "an intra-party dispute," U.S. District Judge Richard Lazzara concluded the arguments made by Tampa-based Democratic voter and political consultant Victor DiMaio contained no legal basis for challenging the national party. Lazzara wrote, "The Supreme Court has consistently recognized that national political parties have a constitutionally protected right to manage and conduct their own internal affairs, including the enforcement of delegate-selection rules and the decision as to which state delegates it will recognize ... ."

or fix their sewage systems. Then he asks how else he can help them.  What a stunning statement coming from a sergeant in the US military which is occupying Iraq.

Through two wars on their country we destroyed their infrastructure, and now we say we can do nothing for them about fresh water or electricity? Nothing about the raw sewage in the streets?

It makes the title of this US News article even stranger.

Putting a Human Face on the American Military Presence in Baghdad

BAGHDAD -- Michael Duquette speaks with the slow and methodical cadence familiar to most old New England Yankees. He sports a salt and pepper mustache and uses silence as a soft cudgel to manage a conversation. While some of the more impetuous young infantry lieutenants will badger people into telling them something, even to the point of putting words into their mouths, Duke holds back. He lets the Iraqis fill the intervening silence with their thoughts and worries. It's an old trick--pause long enough, and someone will step in and say something, say anything to break the uncomfortable silence.

Florida Democrats are emailing members to stop donations to the DNC.  This is just wrong.  They have not been honest about their primary efforts, and they are wrong to try to break down the DNC.  

In Florida, Democrats laughed their own primary amendments off the floor.  On the floor of the Florida Senate a few months ago, a Democratic senator introduced an amendment to move the primary to Feb. 5 where it would have kept all delegates for Florida.  It followed the rules set down by the DNC.

That Florida Senator in May wrote Governor Dean about the amendment he had offered.  There is an "out" for states with Republican majorities who "try" to fight back.  

The DNC had the transcript from the floor that day and knew better.  They knew the offer had not even been taken seriously by the senator who proposed it, Steve Geller.

I guess when there is not much you can say, and you know you did not come across with strength, honor, and integrity...then you bring out the spin.  

You take words and twist them into a whole new meaning.  Because if you are Harold Ford and the DLC that is all you can do after his showing this morning.  

Ford spoke tentatively and lacked conviction.  Markos spoke clearly and passionately.  What a clear difference.

Bob Herbert's column in the New York Times contains an amazing statement by the police chief in Avon Park, Florida.  

"The student became violent," said Frank Mercurio, the no-nonsense chief of the Avon Park police. "She was yelling, screaming — just being uncontrollable. Defiant."

"But she was 6," I said.

The chief’s reply came faster than a speeding bullet: "Do you think this is the first 6-year-old we’ve arrested?"

Remember these words?

"What I want to know is what in the world so many Democrats are doing supporting the President's unilateral intervention in Iraq?"

You said them in March 2003 in Sacramento, California.

I don't hear words like that much anymore. Why?

I thought of them again today when I watched the peace march in DC.   We did not get to go to the one locally because hubby felt bad. So it was special to see it on TV.  It was cut off before the march, though, but that's another story. Another Democrat needs to answer to that.

The largest conservation land area in Florida is called "Bombing Range Ridge.".  I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that name they have given.  It is really is a bombing range, designated as one of our main ones since we stopped bombing Vieques, Puerto Rico.  Instead we are dropping 500 to 2000 pound bombs in Avon Park, Florida, and using live ammo to boot.

Bombing Range Ridge

A short distance away, seven Florida scrub-jays hop along the ground looking for acorns before returning to the stunted scrub oaks containing their nests.

This guy was just elected to be 3rd in line of Republican power in the House.  We who have him as our congressperon are appalled he would talk like this.  Betcha if one of our Democrats said anything at all similar it would be all over the news.

From Hotline on Call:

Putnam Wants To Know: Where Were The Rednecks?

"White rednecks" who "didn't show up to vote for us" partly cost GOPers their cong. majorities, Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL) told fellow Republicans today. And Putnam, seeking the post of GOP conference chair, chided ex-Chair J.C. Watts (R-OK) for ruining the conference's ability to serve its members.

Three Republicans in the room independently confirmed to the Hotline the substance and context of Putnam's remarks. But Putnam's chief of staff insists that the remarks were taken out of context.

Examining the 2006 midterms, Putnam blamed the GOP defeat on "the independent vote, the women vote, the suburban vote." He said that "heck, even the white rednecks who go to church on Sunday didn't come out to vote for us."

As Iraq descends into deeper hell, I think of Dean's words last December.
For years now many of our Democrats of all levels have worried so much about how we say things.  I was thinking of this as Iraq descends into deeper hell.  About how careful with words some Democrats have been without regard to what we were doing. Without regard to the lives lost and bodies maimed.  

But let one outspoken Democrat say the truth too clearly, too soon,in a way that is painful...and the same ones who are so careful so cautious condemn that person.  It became all about words, all about being correct.  All about never daring to say we were losing, even back then.

This was last December. It was a radio station in San Antonio, Texas. Look at the time wasted and the lives lost.  What he said was true, but it was not politically correct...so it took longer for others to speak out openly.  

It is no surprise that Rove and others in the White House are treating them with a lack of respect now.  I was listening to Countdown tonight, and it reminded me of these statements about George W. Bush from someone who knew him and worked with him as governor.  Keith Olbermann was reviewing a book coming out called "Tempting Faith" by David Kuo.

It should be no shock that this administration holds the Christian right in contempt, just as they do most everyone and everything else.  This statement is from a book that came out in 2004 in the fall.  

There is no link, as it is transcribed from the book called "You Have the Power."

Thank you, thank you, Bill Maxwell of the St. Pete Times.  Sounds like you have been saving up those words for a while.  I thank you for saying them this week, they are much needed.  Since you are not much for compliments, I consider them high praise.

Democrats Need to Grow a Spine

But first let us get back to Dean. As far as I am concerned, he has told the truth about the GOP and Bush. If he has erred, it has been on the side of harshness, not dishonesty or hypocrisy.

Lt. Governor Toni Jennings was campaigning for Charlie Crist recently in Lakeland.  She attacked Jim Davis in a meeting with school children and their parents.  She was so sneaky about it, and actually lied by omission using words of propaganda.

I took time to scan the picture from the print edition, as only a thumbnail is online.  The picture just tells such a tale of how easy it is to tell school kids anything and have them believe.  Standing face to face with an innocent, sweet student and not telling the truth.

Lincoln Academy is a School of Choice in this area.  Students don't stay there unless they do well and unless parents are totally involved.  I know some parents with children at that school who will be alarmed when they read this article in the paper because they know Jim Davis is very strong on education.  And they will know Toni Jennings was spreading propaganda.

Well, thank you very much, Marshall Wittmann, for that slap in the face to a very good Democrat named Ned Lamont. And for a big slap in the face to CT Democrats who voted for him and supported him.  

I must assume since Bullmoose is one of the official DLC bloggers that this is not a position that group objects to Wittmann having and presenting so loudly on his blog today.  

 

Inverting the pyramid.

Sometimes an article or statement just clicks, and things fall into focus. I was reading this link at DFA and followed it through to the article.  I thought yes! this is what we have to do, it is what we have been doing throughout the 50 states.  

Turning the party on its head

J. Scott Christianson of the Columbia Daily Tribune has an analysis of how local DFA groups fit into the inverted pyramid of the Democratic Party structure.
..According to Scott, our success depends, literally, in turning the Democratic Party on its head

Almost two years ago in October 2004 Rheta Grimsley Johnson, a favorite columnist, wrote this about George W. Bush.  It was scathing in its simplicity, and it was absolutely brilliant in its ability to define this mean little man.  

The article needs to be brushed off every now and then and reread and appreciated all over again.  

Thanks, Rheta, for this column way back then.  It was not very popular to say such things then....much thanks.  

It is quite shameful what we have done to our truth speakers in this country, and even by our own party. The Bush administration used so many glittering generalities, so many talking points that pandered to the least among us intellectually.  We did not hear the truth at all.  Everyone was trying to be more patriotic than all the others, and they fell into the pattern of not even recognizing truth when it was told.  

Two things lately have been sticking in my mind about things that Howard Dean said that were perfectly obvious. He was roundly attacked for saying them, though we all knew they were true. Just simple everyday sensible truth was attacked.  There was so much of that, even from his fellow Democrats.  When they attacked Dean as they did, it made others think twice before speaking up.  Very unfortunate.

The first one that comes to mind was was his remark about being no safer with Saddam captured. He was giving a speech on foreign policy, December 15, 2003 to the Pacific Council.  You would have thought the world as we knew it ended that day.

On June 4 Howard Dean was on a New York Times Magazine forum with Matt Bai. It was the first Sunday With The Magazine.  They finally have the audio on this appearance up.  It is a very good interview,  but there does not seem to be a transcript anywhere.   Well worth listening.

Some of it has been transcribed in part elsewhere, but it is very long.  Here is a little of it.  So Howardly overall.   Been a long time since we have heard him speak this candidly.  And candid he is.

Matt Bai and Howard Dean interview in New York.

Download mp3 by right click for WMP. Also in Quicktime if you left click, at least that is what I get.  

Watching the gubernatorial debate tonight. Kind of hard to take, knowing that Davis is presumed winner. The debate on BayNews9 is excellent, but there is no comparison in the sincerity of the two. I guess this is true in so many states, that the party leaders have a pick.  However in Florida they usually get their way.  Hard to actually provide proof of this, just that I know who has been campaigning here quietly.  

The way things work here is different.  Howard Dean believes in primaries making a difference.  A top party leader here passed the word to discourage primaries. Sort of unofficially, but it was done.  In a conversation that person said just discourage some of the primaries.