California Democrats,
I offer this observation for discussion...
Party Unity?
Consider the unfortunate situation our candidate for Governor, Phil Angelides, has found himself in the last few weeks.
First, three long time Democratic Party major donors decided to bail on Phil. Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Haim Saban have switched sides and endorsed Schwarzenegger. Other prominent limousine liberals quickly followed them. From the L.A. Times, "It starts with a personal relationship. They are friends," said Andy Spahn, a spokesman for both Spielberg and Katzenberg.” But wait, they were also Phil’s friends, right? So, now it’s OK to support Republicans if you’re a big donor? Will they be welcomed back to Dem functions when the election is over? Sadly, they are not the only fair weather Democrats abandoning our Party or sending a message, consider these incidents that followed their “Et tu Brute?” moment.
Next, there was the repudiation of Clean Money Proposition 89 at the Executive Board meeting in San Francisco, on August 4th and 5th. On Friday afternoon Angelides proudly announced his firm support for Clean Money Prop. 89. On late Saturday afternoon, forces, inexplicably led by some unions, successfully defeated a vote to endorse Clean Money. Instead they engineered a “neutral” stand on the issue. Of course there is no neutral in politics. This was a clear slap in the face to both Clean Money and its supporters like Angelides. In a surreal moment, union members even showed up to lobby against Clean Money at the Progressive Caucus meeting on Friday before the vote. The Progressive Caucus obviously voted overwhelmingly in favor of Clean Money. It was difficult to tell whether these union members represented rank and file union members or union leadership. Some unions seem to be for Clean Money and some against.
The facts are that nothing would be more advantageous to the union rank and file than Clean Money. They could finally put forward candidates of principle who could run without raising obscene amounts of money from the usual sources. A level playing field would be to the advantage of unions versus corporations merely by the number of voting union members as opposed to corporate board members. We are left to ask, who is opposed to public financing of campaigns? More importantly, why are some unions opposed to Clean Money? At any rate, it was another vote of no confidence for Angelides by a major player in the Democratic Party.
However, the most outrageous public humiliation our candidate for Governor, Phil Angelides, has been made to suffer just appeared. The California Majority Report, led by Jason Kinney, Publisher, Steve Maviglio, Publisher and Roger Salazar, Publisher, has just been launched online with what appears to be the blessing of the California Democratic Party. It touts itself as, “We intend for this site to fill a genuine need within the Democratic community, serving as a virtual roundtable for the best and brightest political professionals working in our state and the millions of Californians who care about progressive issues and causes to 1) come together, 2) communicate, 3) strategize and 4) organize.”
So, right there in the middle of their first edition is a poll, “After Phil Angelides, who is most likely to be the next Democratic Governor of California?” Then they list the horses in the race, “Jerry Brown, John Garamendi, Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa.” Oh my, Phil hasn’t even run in his race and these “insiders” are handicapping the next one. You might think that this is just smart politics, you know, thinking ahead, preparing for the next battle. However, if Angelides wins and wins again it will be eight long years before these fellows (no women are put forward as possible candidates) get on the track. On the other hand if Angelides looses, a very bad message to telegraph, then these are the politicians who most benefit from that loss. Maybe this wasn’t intentional but the perception has left a bad smell on the substance. The Internet has laid bare the machinations and smoke-filled rooms of the past. The whole world is watching. The jockeying for the future should have been kept in the paddock and not on the same track our candidate, Phil Angelides, is running on. By the way, insiders are not organizing the “Progressive” Democratic Party. The Progressive movement has been organizing outside of the party and moving in.
On that note, let me say that as a Progressive Liberal Democrat, I am supporting every Democrat in every race here in California and around the nation. That’s what a Party should be, a robust debate of ideas and principles, followed by a fair and un-manipulated show of hands and then every member backs the candidates, resolutions and platform of the party. It appears that we have a ways to go to achieve that, just ask Mr. Lieberman. For that matter, I refer you to the platform of the California Democratic Party, which has endorsed Clean Money for some time now.
I’m no cafeteria Democrat, picking and choosing which Democratic candidates, resolutions and platform planks I will endorse in the general partisan elections. I’m an old yellow dog Democrat. Unlike Mr. Spielberg et al, I will not vote for any Republican, especially so that another Democrat can win later on down the road. I insist on every Democrat’s right to fight, by the rules, inside the Party, for the principles they believe in. After that we go out and defeat the Republicans. I have no respect for any Democrat who has abandoned their principles and is left to meander the cautious hallways of “just get elected”. I have unlimited respect for all Democrats who can stand the heat in the kitchen and come out with their principles intact. All candidates should remember that it’s not just getting elected that matters, it’s putting your principles into action after you get elected.
I am four square behind Democrat Phil Angelides for Governor and Clean Money Proposition 89. I can’t for the life of me understand why these other Democrats I have mentioned are not but I’m sure that someone out there reading this can. I invite your comments.
I offer this observation for discussion...
Party Unity?
Consider the unfortunate situation our candidate for Governor, Phil Angelides, has found himself in the last few weeks.
First, three long time Democratic Party major donors decided to bail on Phil. Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and Haim Saban have switched sides and endorsed Schwarzenegger. Other prominent limousine liberals quickly followed them. From the L.A. Times, "It starts with a personal relationship. They are friends," said Andy Spahn, a spokesman for both Spielberg and Katzenberg.” But wait, they were also Phil’s friends, right? So, now it’s OK to support Republicans if you’re a big donor? Will they be welcomed back to Dem functions when the election is over? Sadly, they are not the only fair weather Democrats abandoning our Party or sending a message, consider these incidents that followed their “Et tu Brute?” moment.
Next, there was the repudiation of Clean Money Proposition 89 at the Executive Board meeting in San Francisco, on August 4th and 5th. On Friday afternoon Angelides proudly announced his firm support for Clean Money Prop. 89. On late Saturday afternoon, forces, inexplicably led by some unions, successfully defeated a vote to endorse Clean Money. Instead they engineered a “neutral” stand on the issue. Of course there is no neutral in politics. This was a clear slap in the face to both Clean Money and its supporters like Angelides. In a surreal moment, union members even showed up to lobby against Clean Money at the Progressive Caucus meeting on Friday before the vote. The Progressive Caucus obviously voted overwhelmingly in favor of Clean Money. It was difficult to tell whether these union members represented rank and file union members or union leadership. Some unions seem to be for Clean Money and some against.
The facts are that nothing would be more advantageous to the union rank and file than Clean Money. They could finally put forward candidates of principle who could run without raising obscene amounts of money from the usual sources. A level playing field would be to the advantage of unions versus corporations merely by the number of voting union members as opposed to corporate board members. We are left to ask, who is opposed to public financing of campaigns? More importantly, why are some unions opposed to Clean Money? At any rate, it was another vote of no confidence for Angelides by a major player in the Democratic Party.
However, the most outrageous public humiliation our candidate for Governor, Phil Angelides, has been made to suffer just appeared. The California Majority Report, led by Jason Kinney, Publisher, Steve Maviglio, Publisher and Roger Salazar, Publisher, has just been launched online with what appears to be the blessing of the California Democratic Party. It touts itself as, “We intend for this site to fill a genuine need within the Democratic community, serving as a virtual roundtable for the best and brightest political professionals working in our state and the millions of Californians who care about progressive issues and causes to 1) come together, 2) communicate, 3) strategize and 4) organize.”
So, right there in the middle of their first edition is a poll, “After Phil Angelides, who is most likely to be the next Democratic Governor of California?” Then they list the horses in the race, “Jerry Brown, John Garamendi, Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa.” Oh my, Phil hasn’t even run in his race and these “insiders” are handicapping the next one. You might think that this is just smart politics, you know, thinking ahead, preparing for the next battle. However, if Angelides wins and wins again it will be eight long years before these fellows (no women are put forward as possible candidates) get on the track. On the other hand if Angelides looses, a very bad message to telegraph, then these are the politicians who most benefit from that loss. Maybe this wasn’t intentional but the perception has left a bad smell on the substance. The Internet has laid bare the machinations and smoke-filled rooms of the past. The whole world is watching. The jockeying for the future should have been kept in the paddock and not on the same track our candidate, Phil Angelides, is running on. By the way, insiders are not organizing the “Progressive” Democratic Party. The Progressive movement has been organizing outside of the party and moving in.
On that note, let me say that as a Progressive Liberal Democrat, I am supporting every Democrat in every race here in California and around the nation. That’s what a Party should be, a robust debate of ideas and principles, followed by a fair and un-manipulated show of hands and then every member backs the candidates, resolutions and platform of the party. It appears that we have a ways to go to achieve that, just ask Mr. Lieberman. For that matter, I refer you to the platform of the California Democratic Party, which has endorsed Clean Money for some time now.
I’m no cafeteria Democrat, picking and choosing which Democratic candidates, resolutions and platform planks I will endorse in the general partisan elections. I’m an old yellow dog Democrat. Unlike Mr. Spielberg et al, I will not vote for any Republican, especially so that another Democrat can win later on down the road. I insist on every Democrat’s right to fight, by the rules, inside the Party, for the principles they believe in. After that we go out and defeat the Republicans. I have no respect for any Democrat who has abandoned their principles and is left to meander the cautious hallways of “just get elected”. I have unlimited respect for all Democrats who can stand the heat in the kitchen and come out with their principles intact. All candidates should remember that it’s not just getting elected that matters, it’s putting your principles into action after you get elected.
I am four square behind Democrat Phil Angelides for Governor and Clean Money Proposition 89. I can’t for the life of me understand why these other Democrats I have mentioned are not but I’m sure that someone out there reading this can. I invite your comments.
posted by Brad Parker at 1:57 PM
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