After Howard Dean’s candidacy was eradicated in large part by the Democratic powers-that-be, I was despondent. Unable to bring myself to do any more than vote for Kerry, I looked around for a candidate I could believe in. I didn’t have to look very far. One congressional district away from mine, a smart, progressive ballsy woman had the audacity to challenge Henry Hyde for the congressional seat in the 6th District. This woman had great ideas about energy, about workers, about foreign policy. She opposed the war when 70% of the public supported it. She was unbought and unbossed. She was Christine Cegelis and she got almost 45 per cent of the vote against a 30 year incumbent. She did this with a small army of passionate, progressive volunteers with minimal political experience.
There’s more…
Chris knew she was fighting an uphill battle, but she knew it was a battle worth fighting on principle. She gave up her nice suburban life and threw herself into the political fray. She also made a commitment to her district and to her supporters to run a second time if necessary.
One would think that the Democratic Party of Illinois would have been thrilled. A smart, committed courageous candidate with a passionate cadre of supporters was in place and ready to go. So did the beltway crowd support her? Nope. They discouraged regular donors from donating to her. They then accused Christine of being unable to raise funds and they recruited a woman from outside the district to run against her. It is truly disappointing to see the darlings of the progressive movement in Illinois, (Obama, Durbin, Schakowsky) dancing to the tune of the decidedly unprogressive Rahm Emmanuel and the DCCC.
One of Christine’s hardest working supporters, Sandra Verthein, described the situation in Il-06 most eloquently.
This is an area that has been written off for decades as “solid Republican.” They really do run rampant out here, and Christine’s campaign was the first little flowering of a true,grassroots, Democratic organization in this area. All the local
township organizations and other local activist groups are behind her. They have put their own blood, sweat and tears into this effort. And again, this is an area were just a few short years ago Democrats were
afraid to march in parades because they would be jeered at by the crowd. But Christine stood up, and inspired people to stand up with her, and what was their reward? The local groups are completely
ignored, marginalized, and trivialized. That is NOT how you build a party, that is not how you restore people’s faith in the political process, and that is not how you help people realize that “they have
the power.”
I know the treatment Christine has received is not unique to her. The DLC and DCCC types are pouring herbicide on the grassroots in state after state. Kerry and Clinton are out raising money for Christine’s anointed opponent. Why? Why is Casey the fair-haired child in Pennsylvania? Why does the Democratic Party fear us so much?
Could it be that they are more concerned with keeping their power rather than using it in a beneficial way? Could it be that they have forgotten what it means to take a principled stand? Could it be that they are just pissed as hell that we haven’t kissed the rings (or their butts) and asked permission to be involved in politics?
I don’t know. What I do know is that we are at a turning point and we need to stand up for the candidates we feel most passionate about. For me, Christine heads the list. No matter who it is for you, please take this seriously. The DLC would like to prove that we are nothing more than annoying gnats and that they can ignore us at will. Donate your time, your money, your talent to a good progressive candidate. This is our short term priority. After the primaries, we need to develop long-term strategy. Some groups such as PDA and DFA are already working hard to reform the Democratic Party. In the short term, though, do everything you make the great progressive candidates successful in their primaries. Do it for them. Do it for the grassroots. Do it for your country.
ain’t it the sad truth? dean, hackett, cegelis. fuck the fuckers.
Thanks.
Dean and Hackett are out of the electoral picture at the moment. Cegelis still has a chance. The primary is three weeks away.
Totally agree with your last sentence though.
same thing I thought, with a title like that the diary just had to be a great one.
Lately, I’ve been saying we have a 50/50 chance at taking the House in ’06. No doubt that’s optimistic.
If we do not have a significant change of paradigm (towards HD thinking) at the DLC level, and soon, I wouldn’t bet a wooden nickel on the Ds accomplishing anything in ’06.
An insight in and of itself.
FWIW, I recently wrote a letter to a staffer for my local rep (well, they THINK I’m in their district, hee), about why it would be NICE if they’d stage events for the grassroots.
Not the rich elite.
I have one reply, then replied to him… we’ll see where we end up. I don’t plan to be quiet, I’ve been talking to him about this for a couple years.
Isn’t it ironic that people like Kos say we are destroying the party by not backing their golden boys and girls? This is yet another perfect example of how our own party is destroying itself, despite our best efforts to keep it alive.
within the Senate about the Alito Filibuster to just sit there unanswered, all I ever have to say is Fuck Kos. If it’s true, he never wanted grassroots anything! He wanted a following to take to the “Elite” hoping that they would let him in the door with his little cult and make him one the “Elite” too!
Glad I’m not the only one who noticed that.
Doesn’t surprise me at all. To kos, Alito’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not only do their views on most major issues align perfectly, but Alito will be a constant and predictable source of outrage (and, thus, hits) for at least a decade.
kos has no interest in making things better. Making things better would kill his revenue and power.
surprised. How many people here were reading Daily Kos when he reacted to a complaint by snarling that Terry McAuliffe takes his calls? How many were there when he published an anonymously-authored hit piece on Donna Brazile?
It’s been obvious for a couple years.
That said, Stirling’s pronouncements must be taken with more than a grain of salt, IMO, though I believe that he believes he could have engineered an alliance between bloggers and the Senate.
Posted by Kos yesterday: The big Democratic Party’s biggest guns come out for Tammy Duckworth in the IL-06 Democratic primary. I know there’s a lot of hostility toward her amongst much of the district’s grassroots, and Chrstine Cegelis is a great, great person. But Duckworth wasn’t recruited by Rahm and the DCCC. She was recruited by Barack Obama and Dick Durbin after they worked with her on behalf of Walter Reed Hospital’s amputee community. Among people fundraising for Duckworth are Barbara Boxer, Wes Clark, Ambassador Joe Wilson, and Nancy Pelosi.
Speaking of destroying the party, how much sense does it make to heavily back someone when you admit there is “a lot of hostility toward her amongst much of the district’s grassroots”? Isn’t this someone who claims to be a big grassroots guy, or does only the netroots matter now?
This kind of thing pisses me off. How effective is someone going to be representing their district in Washington if they get there despite lukewarm district support because of an overwhelming advantage in money raised elsewhere? Is this really the kind of party Kos wants?
No.
You have all got it wrong.
The Washington Generals (vs. the Harlem Globetrotters)…the team that loses. the tomato can, the Black Sox…are SUPPOSED to lose.
When the fix is in this deep…even the dedicated FANS don’t know.
The fix is IN, baby.
Las Vegas rules.
BET on it.
(Where is Reid from, again? Check it out. Do you honestly think that ANYTHING from Las Vegas is straight? Please. They can’t even make ICE CREAM without cheating.)
When a contestant that has EVERYTHING going for him…and you must admit, the Ratpubs’ record over the last 6 years is nothing if not stinking up the joint…loses over and over and over again?
When the fix is literally PROVEN to be in (the vote fraud in 2000 + 2004) and the hapless “opponent” just goes home, paycheck in hand, to be an opponent again in some OTHER fix?
And the audience buys it?
Over and over and over again?
Well then…I guess you’ve got to blame the audience.
Right?
Wake the fuck up.
You’ve been had.
YOU are the mark.
Please…see this diary for more.
Blog pioneer maps political strategy for 2008.
When the co-author (Along with the ubermeister of the biggest so-called left-wing blog on earth) of a book ostensibly about the ROOTS of the grassroots,,,the force which through the green fuse drove the flower of the Dean candidacy…ups and starts spinning for the likes of Mark Warner?
Sorry, baby.
You been HAD.
Big time.
AG
Yeah. It stinks that we have to unfix things before we can fix them.
I’ve frequently thought that the only thing to do was give up, sit with my feet propped on the coffee table and sip a martini as long as I could afford at least cheap gin.
Well this evening my feet may be up and I may be swilling cheap gin, but I’m not giving up.
able to say this week. I’m just so tired of it and sick of it…….I have reached a sort of insane intolerance of it where I just start swearing and I can’t stop. I don’t think I can even trust the “Dems in power” to end the war in Iraq if they happen to finally get a foot in the door. The way they currently act I think they may attempt to exploit all involved in some fashion to suit their selfish desires exactly as Bushco has done.
I just excerpted and linked to your diary over at Howard-Empowered. I’m sure it will resonate for a lot of people.
Please check out the post Uniting for Impact if you get the chance.
the middle of the Alito Filibuster we had attempted to make some Democratic Senate contacts on our own here. I hadn’t even thought of it. I sent an email to Ted Kennedy and company once asking them if they would check out Booman and consider posting here also along with other blogs but I felt sort of foolish sending it. I think I’m done with feeling foolish requesting such things from here on out.
we might be a drop compared the numbers at Kos, but activism is central here. It pisses me off to no end that the Senator outreach went unanswered from Kos.
on this site is pretty exceptional. We have a multitude of really talented voices in the blogosphere who are real boots on the ground activists. I think a little more pestering/emailing is in order.
it’s the truth 🙂 I’ll join you in that pestering and emailing.
Thanks, Renee.
You’re welcome.
Could someone please fill me in on the business with Kos and the filibuster that is being mentioned here?
I don’t know the anwer to your question. I have been avoiding Kos like the plague.
“Why is Ralph Nader running? To take our democracy back from the corporate interests that dominate both parties.”
http://www.votenader.org/why_ralph/index.php?cid=3
by Cindy Sheehan
I am beginning to wonder what it is that such “Democrats” like Rahm Emanuel (IL), Chuck Schumer (NY), and Nancy Pelosi (CA) are protecting in Iraq. What is it that they have at stake in keeping the occupation of Iraq going? Their constituents in every case are solidly anti-war and anti-Bush. They all come from the bluest of states and/or districts. Yet when faced with the chance to defend and promote antiwar candidates who agree with the majority of Americans that it’s time to get out of Iraq this year, they go into overdrive to try to destroy their candidacies.
Take the case of Christine Cegelis. Cegelis opposed the war before it started. She supports single-payer health care and a strong transition to renewable energy.
She’s pro-choice, and anti-CAFTA. And she has a strong grassroots following in her district. In short, Christine Cegelis is exactly the kind of candidate that the Democratic Party needs.
On top of that, in 2004 Christine took on the thankless task of running against arch-conservative Henry Hyde (R-IL). You remember Henry Hyde–the man whose name is on key right-to-life, the man who led the impeachment fight against Bill Clinton, the man who now chairs the International Relations Committee in the House and routinely buries antiwar Democrats’ attempts to investigate the lies that took us into the Iraq War that then took Casey.
Surprisingly, Christine racked up 44% against Hyde, despite being outspent by 4-1. She immediately announced that she would run again, and faced with her continuing strong grassroots opposition, Hyde decided to retire.
What was her reward for this service? Not an infusion of money to help her win an open seat against a former Tom DeLay aide–No! Instead, DCCC head Rahm Emanuel went out and found a candidate to run against her, a woman who did not even live in the district. Then, led by Emanuel, almost all the prominent Democrats in the country–John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and many others–have weighed in on behalf of Cegelis’ opponent.
http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0303-20.htm
was a huge banner that said “Jesus Wept”. I’m not a Christian, but practicing Buddhism doesn’t mean that that banner didn’t hit me full force and I didn’t get it. Even the angels are crying. If these big names do not cease and desist whatever it is that they are up to there will be a price that they will have to pay somewhere along the way. It isn’t just the GOP way out of line doing unethical and perhaps even illegal things anymore! I think they had all better take a real close look at Vietnam and understand that we are heading to the same place socially and politically within this country, and they had better decide very quickly where they want to end up in it all. John Kerry and Vietnam can seem a little muddled when the GOP gets a hold of it. Is he going to muddle his personal platform and stance again when he could be crystal clear this time?
I agree with everything you’re saying here. Still, there are some details to consider. Several intelligent voices have been silenced not because of fear, but of cautious foresight. Patterns of behavior can be seen while watching the watchers and one of the patterns is the setting up of innocent people to later be prosecuted for any dissent. Nobody seems to listen when comparisons are drawn to questionable prosecutions now and similarities to events in the past.
The difference between link analysis software surveillance and humans engaging in blog/internet research is the ability to perceive information through senses and not strictly logic.
Source: Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Sentient Sen”ti*ent, a. [L. sentiens, -entis, p. pr. of sentire to discern or perceive by the senses. See Sense.]
Having a faculty, or faculties, of sensation and perception.
Specif. (Physiol.), especially sensitive; as, the sentient extremities of nerves, which terminate in the various organs
or tissues.
In the same way that sarcasm can be lost in internet text communication, that same gap can be filled in with flimsy allegations of wrongful intent. It could be an innocent mistake by a well intentioned analyst performing illegal surveillance or it could be a deliberate set-up to threaten dissenters later on. Recent patterns of concepts concerning the prosecution of any third party, anti-system or non-RepDem poltical activism cause serious doubt as to the intentions of some other patterns in the blogworld.
I’m sure not accusing any blogleaders of purposely setting up any potential competition to be squashed but the coincidences are hard to ignore.
How true! I watched Tucker Carlson bash the Clintons the other day because he couldn’t make the black and white out of the things they said that he wanted. Living day to day heading in a distinct direction often doesn’t appear black and white and the honest truth about the day has been criticized by many GOP supporters as being wishy washy and flimsy. The same people really seem to like being told that we are winning in Iraq, even if we aren’t winning anything that can be specified….and they like being told that the “economy” is growing even though more people are going hungry. I guess they prefer the firm absolute lie to the functional truth!
Tracy,
You are always so clear and to the point.
However, I have not heard anything about Kos receiving communications from the Senate during Alito. Is there a link? What kind of communications? I am really in the dark on this-HELP!
Afraid I have to disagree with you a bit on the Vietnam thing. I was part of all that – yup getting old. Anyway then there was HOPE – we were convinced that our acting out could and would and did change things, albeit temporarily.
Where we messed it up in our naivety is that we “assumed” (boy do I really know how to dissect that word)that once it was fixed, government and corporations would realize that had limits. Congress people were joining our marches – our calls and letters meant something then. So being the trusting fools we were, we didn’t root out the rot from Nixon, and we didn’t put into law what corporate good citizens MUST be, and we didn’t take control of Congressional “ethics” and actual criminality when we could have.
Now they simply ignore us or send out obfuscating “statements” that don’t mean squat. Never before have I seen people so deeply angry – and all generations -and never have I experienced such a hopeless sense of doom from people as I do now.
I like what Boo had to say about working without and within. Experience proves we will really have to organize very well – long term – not short term. Yesterday’s vote on the UNpatriot Act proved that, as did the Paul Hackett thing, the Christine Cegelis and Chuck Pennachio treatment, and yesterdays killing of an independent ethics oversight group.
We have to pick between 1-3 areas and focus all our energy on that for ACTION! We cannot let the “event flavor” of the day distract. Once we get things in WRITING – then and only then do we move on.
And Tracy, please know I am with you and am as angry at what is happening to our country as you and everyone else is!
and that is how this allegation has come to light. I have been attempting to feel it out gingerly because it could be a very nasty truth or a very nasty untruth. Here’s the link to BOP where Stirling claims to have attempted to facilitate a “meeting” of sorts. In any case it has caused me to do some serious reevaluating about where I will be placing my time and energies. I don’t go much over to the Big Orange since the pie wars, and everybody has always provided enough spillover so to speak that I always had an idea of what was happening over there. As issues have further matured I am even less inclined to spend time or energies at Big Orange because I happen to be a woman and now we have South Dakota and Georgia removing women’s rights! I was very depressed after reading Stirling’s words pertaining to Kos and the Alito Filibuster. I have taken a few days to digest it all, and even had a crying fit over it. I have met Booman in person….and I really gave him the third degree too, I wanted to know why he chose to do what he does and what he was all about and I wouldn’t say that I held back on the questioning. Now I have come to a much firmer place for me and that is promoting this blog in a much more decisive way. I don’t think I would ever need to question Martin/Booman about an allegation of not feeding the roots what was coming his way. It would be one of his top priorities if not the top priority of the day. From here on out I am going to be more carefully and decisively spending my energies doing more specific things to empower the netroots/grassroots. I’m not looking to create a new kind of “Elite”. I want to be a part of creating a real grassroots netroots and I think that individuals like Booman displaying the drive, time, energy, and above all integrity ought to probably be able to make a living at that too! I also think that a lot of the infighting that has occurred of late her at the frog pond was about feeling so powerless…..for all of us, such an overwhelming feeling of powerlessness. I know that we all don’t agree here in any form of perfectness, but we all have an agreed upon progressive direction here that we have clearly displayed and has united us to undertake important issues and we have shown up to different spots on the map strangers to each other in the flesh to do what we came to do! We will always have growing pains but this is a pretty special place. One of the possibilities that kind of hurts me to think about (oh bullshit, if it happened to be so it mind blowingly squeezes my heart out of me) over the Stirling allegations is if emails weren’t answered because the ground work for fighting the Alito confirmation was done by many small blogging people, and somebody wasn’t willing to share access!