Vodkapundit - The DNC's Year Of The Long Knives?

The DNC's Year Of The Long Knives?

Posted by Will Collier · 31 January 2006

Remember yesterday's Drudge blurb about DNC fundraising?

Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill are privately bristling over Howard Dean?s management of the Democratic National Committee and have made those sentiments clear after new fundraising numbers showed he has spent nearly all the committee?s cash and has little left to support their efforts to gain seats this cycle, ROLL CALL reports.
Congressional leaders were furious last week when they learned the DNC has just $5.5 million in the bank, compared to the Republican National Committee?s $34 million.

Senate and House Minority Leaders Harry Reid (Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), along with the Senate and House campaign committee chairmen Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), have made their concerns -- directly or indirectly -- known to Dean, claims the paper.

Emanuel was particularly upset last week upon seeing the latest DNC numbers.

Well, now. Like Paul Harvey says, wait 'til you hear the rest of the story. Check out this bit from "The Prowler" at the American Spectator's site (second item):

According to knowledgeable DNC sources, Dean about ten days ago was shown opposition research documents generated by the Republican National Committee more than three years ago, which laid out facts regarding Reid and his family's lobbying and ethical conflicts.
Dean, according to the sources, was fascinated by the details, and asked that his staff research and independently confirm everything on the documents. "Basically he oppo'd a member of his own party," says a DNC source loyal to Dean.

"Basically, we were looking at three- or four-page documents that made Jack Abramoff's lobbying work look like that of a rank amateur," says the DNC source. "Between the minority leader's past in Nevada and here in Washington, and the activities of his sons and son-in-law, there probably isn't anyone in this town with more conflicts. The Reid family is the symbol of what's wrong with Washington; it's their behavior that enabled the culture that spawned people like Abramoff."

Dean then went public over the weekend, saying that Democrats with an Abramoff problem would be in trouble, not only with voters, but with the Democrat Party. But why attack a senior member of his own party?

According to Democrat Party watchers and DNC staff, Dean has grown increasingly frustrated at how he is treated by the likes of Reid, Sen. Dick Durbin, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who leads the House Democrat candidate recruitment effort. "They treat him like a lackey, not as an equal," says another DNC employee. "Just last week, they were all badmouthing his fundraising activities, when clearly he's done a good job. What this comes down to a fight for the soul of our party, and if the chairman has to draw a long knife on a few of his colleagues, he's more than willing to do so."

Ego, paranoia and power make an ugly combination. But it ought to be fun to watch...

Comments

Wait, you mean Dean isn't doing his job but is fighting his party?
Whodathunkit.
You know, except for his master, Karl Rove.

Posted by: Veeshir at January 31, 2006 05:26 AM

TO: Stephen Green
RE: The Democrats

What can you expect from a bunch of ego-maniacs who have nothing greater than themselves to serve? It's every-man/woman/child for themselves.

Sure, there are Republicans like that too. But I'll wager that they are fewer in number. And why is that? Something about moral underpinnings that suggest they'll be held accountable. Maybe not this side of the pale, but sometime.

RE: Dean

Who knew he was an operative of the Darth Rove?

Regards,

Chuck(le)
P.S. And, yes, it is going to be fun to watch.

Posted by: Chuck Pelto at January 31, 2006 06:13 AM

Ya know, I had never pictured Dean as a follower of the Carlo Gambino school of management. Dean needs to read up on John Gotti and think tactics.

Posted by: ed in texas at January 31, 2006 06:16 AM

If a conservative wrote a script like this, depicting the self-destruction of Democrats, people would have laughed themselves sick and called it a bad joke.

Apparently there is no one in that party who has either a clue or the stature to stop this nonsense. On one hand, I'm happy to see these pompous, all "caring", egoists destroy themselves. On the other, lack of a reasonable opposition isn't a prescription for sober political progress.

What an era to witness. The total implosion of liberals.

Posted by: JAG at January 31, 2006 07:00 AM

I love it when the dems begin to devour their own. Let the games begin!

Posted by: Tim P at January 31, 2006 07:18 AM

IF this unsourced report is true, the Democratic Party already has imploded. The scramble now is to divide the spoils.

Posted by: jack white at January 31, 2006 07:18 AM

The sooner the better. America won't have a two-party system again until the Democrats stop circling the drain and finally head down it.

Posted by: byrd at January 31, 2006 08:23 AM

The knives are out at the Politboro. (sp).

Who would have thunk?

The undertaker does know where all the bodies are buried......

--Ego, paranoia and power make an ugly combination. But it ought to be fun to watch...--

Can it last 2 years?????

Posted by: Sandy P at January 31, 2006 08:45 AM

And it's not like Pelosi'nephew and Murtha are clean, either.

Posted by: Sandy P at January 31, 2006 08:46 AM

"Dammit! Don't those damn Senators and Congressmen know who they work for?! YEEEEEARGH!"

Posted by: richard mcenroe at January 31, 2006 08:52 AM

While the circular firing squad gets set up at the DNC, I hope the Congressional Republicans can take advantage of the situation (which they hardly have a track record of doing) -- and elect a true reformer as the new Speaker of the House (i.e., someone like Shadegg, rather than the status quo blunt).

Posted by: Aggravated DocSurg at January 31, 2006 11:20 AM

why believe the American Spectator about Reid? I mean its not like they have an agenda, no. Id go with the Roll Call story instead.

Posted by: liberalhawk at January 31, 2006 12:30 PM

Hmm. Interesting if true. That would make some sense out of Dean's appearance on the talk circuit on Sunday, too. I kind of wondered what that was about since it was a markedly different tone from his past performances.....

We'll have to see if anything more comes out.... Like knives....or guns....

Gaius

Posted by: Gaius Arbo at January 31, 2006 04:24 PM

I'm torn between wanting to laugh my head off, and wanting to cry. Watching the Democrats cannibalize themselves is entertaining, but it is definitely not good for the country. It's a mystery to me why the few remaining moderates haven't packed up and gone off to form a new party, one of sanity and reason.

Posted by: RebeccaH at January 31, 2006 04:58 PM

I have to laugh because this is the classic case of the chickens coming home to roost. Dean is the crazy uncle of the Democratic party, the one you hate to have around but the kids love him so he always gets invited to the party. Hence, his being propped up as DNC Chair. They figured he'd appeal to the moonbat base of the party while they planned their White House coup.

I think we're witnessing what very may well become a split in the Democratic party.

Posted by: Imperator at January 31, 2006 05:31 PM

Or, uh, yawn?

Sure, this is good news for the GOP in 2006 and just maybe even 2008, but not exactly, or even in any lunatic's wildest dreams, in any way indicative of the end of the Democratic party.

Come on - these guys are politicians! If they weren't infighting, we wouldn't be looking hard enough.

Its equally possible that this will pan out well for the Democrats - after all, what canned them as much as anything else last time was not working out what they stood for. What if this means they go into 2008 unified behind a strong candidate? What if Dean does take action against Read and the public calls the latest batch of scandals a win for the Democrats?

By all means, be happy about this kind of nonsense - but leave the getting carried away on a wing and a prayer cuss-word for the koskids.

Posted by: patrick at January 31, 2006 05:54 PM

Pls read 'prayer' as struck-out:)

Posted by: patrick at January 31, 2006 05:55 PM

JAG, the far left (which appears to be the same as the moderate left) brings up that thesis every time a Dem stumbles, or for that matter whenever Mother Nature gets rowdy (Katrina, tsunami).

Okay, say it with me... "Isn't the timing of this suspiciously convenient?"

Posted by: Steve Skubinna at January 31, 2006 06:34 PM

Didn't say end, said split. There is a difference. You have moderates out there, like Lieberman who are hopelessly lost among the Kennedy, Kerry Hillary wing of the party which seems to be the voice of the Democratic party. I mean even Daschel never came off as shrill as these nitwits.

Think about it, where do the moderates go when Dean is the DNC chair and Pelosi is Minority Leader? Let's face it, these the the people that are the face of the Democratic party and I don't believe that sits well with many of the blue dog Dems across the country.

Politics? Sure. There is infighting and there is canibalism. This looks well to be beyond infighting.

Posted by: Imperator at January 31, 2006 07:46 PM

Fox's Major Garrett asked Reid in an interview yesterday, "Who is in charge of the Democratic Party?" Reid sputtered and said "That's an unfair question". He never answered the question,

Gee, you'd think the Senate Minority leader would know. Yes?

Posted by: Pat A at January 31, 2006 08:32 PM