3/20/2008
Unilateral disarmament
One of the reasons I'm not a registered Democrat is the party's refusal to run candidates against Republican incumbents. If they don't care about giving me a choice, why should I help them? And if you think 2006's 50-state strategy represented an end to this attitude within Florida's Other Political Party, think again.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Kendrick Meek say they like Mario Diaz-Balart and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen too darn much to oppose their reelection. Just business as usual for Florida's Other Political Party's congressional delegation.
Except this time, party activists and bloggers are getting actively unhappy.
+ Democratic Underground: She cannot roll up her sleeves for a fellow Democrat for fear of offending her Republican friends. And the DCCC does nothing about it.
Is anyone surprised at the terrible mess they have made of the primary in Florida? I'm not. This is why they feel no guilt at throwing a monkey wrench into the state primary system. They don't seem to feel any kind of loyalty to their own party.
+ Blast Off: While I respect her reasons for her decision not to campaign against her friends, and I appreciate her sincerity and candor in telling me about it, I believe that if Rep. Wasserman Schultz's friendships mean that much to her, she should step aside and allow someone else to lead the Red-to-Blue effort.
+ Daily Kos: She took on her job at the DCCC knowing it's a partisan position that entails targeting the districts of fellow colleagues. If she can't do that job, that's fine. Most of us won't hold that against her. But she then needs to resign her position. She has no business holding that title if she cannot faithfully discharge its duties.
+ Discourse.net: If she has a leadership role in the DCCC, not to mention senatorial ambitions, this just won’t do.
+ Huffington Post: Wasserman Schultz Abandons Florida Dem Challengers.
+ Matthew Yglesias: Representative Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, a Florida Democrat who co-chairs the "red to blue" program aimed at picking up seats won't get involved because she's pals with the Republicans in question. Which is nice for her, but obviously the role of someone in her position is to try to beat Republican incumbents, not protect them.
+ Swing State Project: Attitudes like Meek's and Wasserman Schultz's were one reason the Dems languished in the minority for twelve years - and, if they aren't curbed now, will be a reason we don't expand our majority.
+ Overbreadth: If you have the time, writing an email in your own words explaining why you feel the co-chair of the Red-to-Blue program should endorse the Miami Democratic candidates or step down.
Update: At Miami-Dade Dems.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Rep. Kendrick Meek say they like Mario Diaz-Balart and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen too darn much to oppose their reelection. Just business as usual for Florida's Other Political Party's congressional delegation.
Except this time, party activists and bloggers are getting actively unhappy.
+ Democratic Underground: She cannot roll up her sleeves for a fellow Democrat for fear of offending her Republican friends. And the DCCC does nothing about it.
Is anyone surprised at the terrible mess they have made of the primary in Florida? I'm not. This is why they feel no guilt at throwing a monkey wrench into the state primary system. They don't seem to feel any kind of loyalty to their own party.
+ Blast Off: While I respect her reasons for her decision not to campaign against her friends, and I appreciate her sincerity and candor in telling me about it, I believe that if Rep. Wasserman Schultz's friendships mean that much to her, she should step aside and allow someone else to lead the Red-to-Blue effort.
+ Daily Kos: She took on her job at the DCCC knowing it's a partisan position that entails targeting the districts of fellow colleagues. If she can't do that job, that's fine. Most of us won't hold that against her. But she then needs to resign her position. She has no business holding that title if she cannot faithfully discharge its duties.
+ Discourse.net: If she has a leadership role in the DCCC, not to mention senatorial ambitions, this just won’t do.
+ Huffington Post: Wasserman Schultz Abandons Florida Dem Challengers.
+ Matthew Yglesias: Representative Debbie Wasserman-Shultz, a Florida Democrat who co-chairs the "red to blue" program aimed at picking up seats won't get involved because she's pals with the Republicans in question. Which is nice for her, but obviously the role of someone in her position is to try to beat Republican incumbents, not protect them.
+ Swing State Project: Attitudes like Meek's and Wasserman Schultz's were one reason the Dems languished in the minority for twelve years - and, if they aren't curbed now, will be a reason we don't expand our majority.
+ Overbreadth: If you have the time, writing an email in your own words explaining why you feel the co-chair of the Red-to-Blue program should endorse the Miami Democratic candidates or step down.
Update: At Miami-Dade Dems.
Labels: Elections, FL-18, FL-20, FL-21
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Much of this started on my blog www.miami-dade-dems.blogspot.com, where there's a fresh post today that also went up on DailyKos.
With all due respect to my good blogfriend Larry, my sucky blog had a little something to do with this as well. ;)
I'm entirely in agreement with sinfonian. I just noticed that my blog wasn't on the list of those active on this topic.
Unlike Larry and Sinfonian, I can't claim I broke this story, but I appreciate the work you guys have been doing in this area! (And thanks for the shout out to overbreadth.)
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