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I like Debbie Wasserman-Shultz. But if she wants to stay neutral in Flordia races because she’s friendly with Republican House members there, she ought to give up her job on the DCCC’s Red-to-Blue program.
Just for the record, I’m not in favor of knocking out all Republicans either — so perhaps I have a bit of the Wasserman Schultz sin in my own file. I was for instance supportive of Maryland Eastern Shore anti-Iraq war Republican Wayne Gilchrest who lost his primary battle recently.
But the Diaz-Balart brothers and Ros-Lehtinen are not moderate in any sense of the word, are embracers of Bush’s wars, and have been responsible for sustaining a counter-productive embargo of Cuba by the United States that 183 nations of the world voted against us on this past year in the United Nations.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz is helping to defend the political turf of not the best in the Republican Party — but the worst.
Joe Garcia, the Democrat who is running against Mario Diaz-Balart, has the accompanying YouTube — which asks the Republicans to stop the demagoguery about Cuba. Why isn’t Wasserman-Schultz supporting him?
As Howie Klein says, her responsibilities at Red-to-Blue are not ambiguous:
Her job at Red to Blue is clear: to help Democratic challengers beat Republican incumbents. Simple. But she says "she doesn’t want to stab GOP members of her own delegation in the back." Odd, since in 2006 she led the battle to oust Republican Clay Shaw– who was far more moderate than the 3 right-wing whackos she won’t help Democrats defeat. In fact it was her work to help get rid of Shaw that landed her the Red to Blue co-chair job! Florida Democrats are furious, dismayed, appalled.
Rahm Emanuel and I may have vastly different ideas about what constitutes a good Democrat, but as DavidNYC notes, in his tenure at the DCCC he was (rightly) uncompromising about this kind of stuff.
If you feel like raising a wee bit of a stink about this, you can do so here:
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (campaign office):
E-mail: AskDebbie@DWSforCongress.com
Phone: 202-741-7154DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen (campaign office):
E-mail: chris@vanhollen.org
Phone: 301-942-3768DCCC Headquarters:
Contact form
Phone: 202-863-1500
The chummy, good-buddy incumbency protection program is in large part the reason that we continue to utter the words "Senator Lieberman." Some boundaries really need to be set, because Wasserman-Shultz is clearly crossing the line.
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Zed?
Say No to the GOP, and say YES to electing a candidate who will appoint Supreme Court Justices that will support our rights and the Constitution.
quick fingers there doc!
I sense it’s their support of Israel. I think she has a thing for Israel and I bet she represents a lot of retired jews from NY.
Aren’t the Miama Cubans very pro Israel?
This is not just being friends with her neighbors. Something else is at play.
Glad you’re on this one, Jane.
I like Debbie too, but she’s offbase here. Rahm needs to talk to her, with lots of swearing. Her friendships are getting in the way of doing her job for the DCCC. That’s cronyism.
And these three are very bad GOPs — BushCo rubber stamps on SCHIP, Iraq, FISA. They need spirited Democratic challengers well-supported by our party’s leadership. Do your job, Debbie, or give it to someone who will.
Emails sent!
Nice piece Jane and so right on!
Jane, your’e definitely ready for prime time!
our theme song should be one SCOTUS away from theocracy
She must think it’s better to stab Dems in the back than Repubs – she should be told to decide which party she belongs to.
in 2006 she led the battle to oust Republican Clay Shaw-
OT and sorry, ’cause I’ve asked this before. Does anyone know if that particular Clay Shaw is related to the Clay Shaw of the Kennedy assassination investigation?
This is the problem…she has GOP friends, and she is putting her friendships above the best interests of the country.
“she doesn’t want to stab GOP members of her own delegation in the back.”
Debbie’s drifting further and further from the left. I really, really liked her up until recently
Following the links backward, from here to Steve Clemons to the WaPo, we find this little gem buried at the end of the WaPo story:
I think perhaps someone needs to have a word with Mr. Wolff. If this is “customary,” it’s a very new custom — as Rahm’s comments noted by DavidNYC make clear. One might even go so far as to say “custom-made” for Wasserman Schultz.
another photo, eh Jane?
It appears they are not related.
wiki on Clay Laverne shaw of JFK infamy
US News profile of Congressman Eugene Clay Shaw, Jr.
1,791 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Hamsher and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
This situation with Wasserman-Schultz (and Meeks) pointz to the larger problem of the Democratic Party leadership since the Clinton sponsored purge of 1994. With the exception of the humiliation of Representative Stark, the Democratic leadership in the House has been unwilling or unable to get anyone to follow anything like a shared strategy…I’m afraid we’ve got a lot bigger problem within the Democratic Party than jest leadership that is politically or ideologically behind the rank and file.
Can any of the FDLers from Florida give us some idea of what’s goin’ on down there?
KEEP THE FAITH, NOBODY SAID DEMOCRACY WAS EASY!!
thank you – couldn’t find much other than the wiki of the infamous Clay Shaw. Seems unlikely now.
Appreciate it.
Is Debbie really drifting? I kinda doubt it…
Imagine having a soft spot in your heart for the treason, the boys of treason, and the gains of treason? Must give someone a woody for all the wrong reasons. There is no surrender, and there is no room for quarter. Turds, even dressed up in fine waistcoats, are still spoor. Forgive me if it has been said before. There is now no further room for compromise. For those of you too old to remember the turmoil, or too young to know, there was this decade when everything correct was turned into a commercial. No one has cared since.
there can be no compromise with people that must violate any law that restricts their power due to their being in the minority of voters, but winning elections. figure it out, it is defined as “cheating” and it ends, or the country ends. It’s as plain as floating rocks on water with no oxygen content.
I seem to remember Rahm working rather hard to get Tammy Duckworth elected in a 2006 race against Dennis Hastert — a rather powerful member of Rahm’s IL delegation.
Brian Wolff (or his boss Chris Van Hollen) might want to explain the difference between Rahm working to get Duckworth elected against Hastert and Wasserman Schultz giving the FL GOP a pass. Or he might want to simply admit he’s lying through his teeth.
The Balart Bros and Ros-Lehtinen are the rightwingnuttiest of Congresspuds.
They should be driven from electoral office poste-haste.
I like Debbie W-S too, but this is to much to take.
Lead, follow or get out of the way.
-G
Betcha Scooter Libby thought the bloggers were “much ado about nothing” too.
We need to hear from Chris Van Hollen on this, not some executive director staff tool.
What Greg said.
Jane and Teddy,
I guess I’m missing something here, since you two “like” DSW. I just read the post of Howie’s before popping over here, and she truly sounds like a traitorous snake in the grass. What redeeming qualities does she have? Past good acts? Has she gone over to the dark side? This may flavor my contacts.
Who are the other two Democratic candidates (other than Garcia)?
1,791 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Biodun:
“Is Debbie really drifting? I kinda doubt it.”
Please clarify…do you mean to imply that she’s never really been that close ta the progressive end a things? And if that’s so, what about Meeks? There’s gotta be somethin’ really rotten goin’ on here and I don’t like from where the odor seems ta be emanating.
KEEP THE FAITH AND KEEP THE HEAT ON THE BASTARDS!!
She did good work with the Republican Rubber Stamp campaign:
http://www.crooksandliars.com/…..n-schultz/
But this incumbency protection racket has got to be broken.
Never mind, found it. Raul Martinez and Annette Taddeo.
Cuban/American constituents….that is also part of the problem. The Cubans in Florida are angry and want Cuba back. That is Ileana R-L’s whole schtick, and she’s willing to do it violently if she can…just like Iraq. IRL is an angry person, reflecting the anger of the Cuban/Americans and Wasserman is her friend.
I’ve always wondered who among them would give up all here to return there.
This is unfuckingbelievable.
Cheney says that america is blessed with families willing to sacrafice their sons and daughters- but reminds us that the dead volunteered. He says that the BIGGEST burden falls not on those families, but on Clusterfuck!! Yeah- I shit you notIn an exclusive interview with ABC News, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked what effect the grim milestone of at least 4,000 U.S. deaths in the five-year Iraq war might have on the nation.
Noting the burden placed on military families, the vice president said the biggest burden is carried by President George W. Bush, who made the decision to commit US troops to war, and reminded the public that U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan volunteered for duty.
.
OT: MSNBC just showed the McCain debates himself flash!
ciao
DENVER — Federal authorities are investigating how a pilot’s gun accidentally discharged in the cockpit on a US Airways flight from Denver to Charlotte, N.C.
Airline and federal officials said flight 1536 was not in any danger as a result of the incident, which occurred about 9:50 a.m. MDT on Saturday. There were 124 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants on board the flight at the time. No one was injured.
Officials say the unnamed pilot was allowed to carry the weapon as part of the Transportation Security Administration’s Federal Flight Deck Officer program. It was created after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks
New photo? I think it’s a new haircut! Smart and cute. Wonder if she can cook? …ducking…
George suffers so.
You could see the pain on his face as he danced his way around Africa a few weeks ago.
He smiled on the outside, but the pain showed through nonetheless.
Even Dick Cheney was suffering this weekend while he was taken out fishing by the billionaire monarchs running the Arab gulf states.
-G
I don’t think they want to return there to live per se, other than the older people who actually lived there as adults… maybe, but they want their old homes back and fantasize about the past. Their homes are occupied by several generations of people who remained behind. Cuba is a place…it is an island…the “Cuba” they remember is not nor ever will be the same as it was. It’s really very sad.
I think you are correct to mention the name Lieberman under these circumstances and everyone wise to remember the connection — no matter how much affection one has/had for DW. Every time I see Lieberman accompanying John McCain I get sick, well, mostly pissed off.
DWS was the star of the “Thirty-Something Democrats” in the 109th Congress. Minority Leader Pelosi would give them time, after 11pm, to sound off. DWS participated in our “rubber stamp rebellion” among other heartening actions during our dark time in the House minority.
fwiw
The Cuba that they “remember” never was. They’ve romanticized it into a fairy land that could never have supported Castro in the first place if it was the land they “remember.”
Politically, South Florida is belong to Miami Cubans. Central Florida is a mix of crackers and retirees from the Northeast. North Florida is an extension of Georgia. Northwest Florida, the panhandle, is an extension of Alabama.
I wonder if McCain asked Petraeus to run as VP on his ticket when he was in Iraq….
Feel safer now that you know that Clusterfuck is allowing cowboy pilots to carry shootin irons? I know I do!!
She used to be on our side: http://www.crooksandliars.com/…..n-schultz/
Lower taxes and make sure everyone has a gun- that’s all ya need ta know ta be a gooper!!
It’s the same problem with Democrats in many other states. They are loyal to the party, therefore, empathize with Republican loyalty, and forget that it’s not about parties. It’s about the Constitution and the Rule of Law. Evidently, this is too difficult a concept for the DCCC to understand. Party Loyalty is the one area of commonality between the two parties so I guess bipartisan is built on this foundation. Democrats capitulate on party loyalty even at their own expense. It seems to be a one-way street.
Debbie Wasserman-Shultz needs to put a sign on her wall that reads: It’s the Constitution stupid!
I’m sorry, but I have to disagree. My ex-mother-in-law lived there for years prior to Castro, and loved it..in spite of the politics at the time. It was the culture…the music…the art…the food….
In my longish tenure as political observor- I have noticed that sometimes politicians are on my side and sometimes they are not. This rule appears to be universal.
Cuba—the precursor to Las Vegas, it greatly missed by those lookin fer a good time.
I understand but many of the Cuban-Americans have created a pre-Castro Cuba that has as much touch with reality as the fantasy land created by a lot of unreconstructed southerners. It exists only in the mind and was never a reality.
Cuban americans who actually remember Cuba are reaching the age where they don’t remember anything anyway.
This last cop-out clause is monstrous. As if the commanders don’t have any responsibility for their troops. It could only be said by some weiner who has never served in military uniform. Do we need any more evidence that Cheney regards our troops as cannon fodder, and as worthless proles who can be used up and tossed aside? Of course, the Republicans have the same attitude in general towards our labor force, so I guess they’re being consistent.
But look here. It’s all of a piece with the BushCo. attitude towards responsibility: Yeah, Preznit Bush is “responsible,” but the troops volunteered, so that excuses the Preznit’s grind-em-up and throw-em-away attitude. The US death toll is now past 4,000. And never mind how many Iraqis have died. They don’t even count– literally, are not counted. No attempt is made to distinguish actual combatants from civilian casualties.
Disgusted at the depravity of our ruling goons,
Bob in HI
yes rwcole, but this is a big switch. From being co-chair of red to blue to enabling three seats at risk. Three potentially key seats.
The big thing with Miami Cubans has been the wet foot – dry foot policy and the continued and ongoing treatment of Cuban immigrants as Political Asylum Seekers. No other hispanic group is entitled to this important status. It means that any Cuban that makes it to shore can stay legally and is entitled to a myriad of benefits. Medicaid, Food Stamps, Subsidized Housing are the major benefits.
The Republicans have maintained this arrangement in exchange for votes. Whenever a Democrat talks about opening up Cuba, the old guard cringes. Everybody else in the US thinks its a fine idea, but the Miami Cubans hate it.
The only ones that actually know what it was like are pretty old now, and I’m sure that many of the people fighting to go back, etc., have never even been there….but the influence of the stories told within families, etc., are powerful.
agreed.
sad and frustrating. Personally I’ve always resented the preference Cuban refugees were given above others, specifically Haitians. I lived in South Florida (’84) when the bodies of 34 Haitians washed up on the Hillsborough Beach. They died desperate to reach our shores. Even if they had stepped foot on American soil, they may very well have been returned to the hell that was Haiti.
Nice new avatar, Jane.
Drive by:
This is Wasserman-Schultz’ friend, Ileana Ross-Lehtinen. from wikipedia:
Also:
Sure. No reason a Democrat wouldn’t want to support her.
Yes!
OT – just watching David Gregory’s new program for the first time – annoying as hell.
Although he *does* have Katrina V. on…. if MSNBC keeps at it, double-teaming the odious Pat Buchanan with Katrina and Rachel Maddow – well, there may be a fairly spectacular YouTube coming in the near future…
She makes me sick every time I hear her, of her, or see her….she took out her anger on the Iraqis because she could get her way with Cuba. She supports a terrorist.
Spit.
Two Diaz-Balarts and One Ros Lehtenen will go along with anything Bush asks of them. Brother JEB had great success in Miami with a Cuban Business partner. They borrowed a lot of money from a bank, built an office building, defaulted on the loan and never had to pay it back.
I stood in my sisters kitchen in 1972 with a Cuban-American Nam Vet Marine. I voiced my opposition to the war and he went ballistic. I told him, “damn man, if you can handle someone who went to the war and thinks it’s wrong, I don’t know what to tell you”. His response was that he’d go anywhere in the world to kill a communist.
Interesting info. Ya got links with thtat?
When you are under thirty, live in America, you have no idea what you are signing on to, especially in a military under this administration. Your brain isn’t fully developed until age twenty-five. These are kids.
My solution is send older adults into battle like those old geezers who make policy and love to send young men into war. Cheney needs to put his body where his twisted mouth/brain is.
As for the good citizen, don’t volunteer for anything connected with this untrustworthy administration and their NeoCon cabal.
I’ve never met DWS, and hence can’t say I like or dislike her as a person.
I sure despise the Rethug incumbents she supports out of delegation loyalty – did she support Katherine Harris, too?
Has she taken a good long look in the mirror and asked herself who – and what – she is supporting?
Gee, when Debbie goes looking for her party loyalty, perhaps she’ll find her Oath to uphold the Constitution.
And her concern for public health
And her oppostion to terrorists who blow up civilian airlines.
And her oppostion to Luis Posada – who targeted the civilians on the airline:
And her oppostion to the three Florida Rethug Congressmen who embrace Posada and called for his freedom from prosecution:
And once she stumbles over all that, perhaps she’ll have gathered together enough shards of our common humanity to be able to listen to her conscience without screaming.
And if she doesn’t want to stab the GOP thugs in the back, stab ‘em in the front – and say she learned from Bosch and Posada at Alpha 66’s training camps in Florida.
Unlike Posada, Bosch, and the domestic US terrorists of Alpha 66, I trust DWS’ “stab” reference is strictly metaphorical. I know mine is.
Dubya’s Poppy, GHWB pardoned Orlando Bosch. Bosch killed a group of Cuban students on that flight whom were headed to an athletic competition. Bosch was a hero to many Miami Cubans.
During the last election cycle Doris Matsui, Sacramento Dem. Congresswoman, refused to endorse Bill Durston (D) who was running against Dan Lungren. She knew that Durston would not win that time and wanted to protect her “relationship” with Lungren. It drove me cwazy.
Durston is doing much better this time. I don’t know what Matsui’s position for this election.
http://www.amazon.com/Cuba-Con…..0385720521
Just from my memory from reading this book by Ann Louse Bardach
Emails sent.
dear dick c – somehow your intended “chic” came out “cute” and you may want to find yourself a compassionate moderator to fix this before our founding genius notices. ;~)
npb
I haven’t been happy with Debbie Wasserman Schultz since I read this about her back in November:
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/….._1109.html
- Tom
Seconded.
I remember this nasty piece of history. Long afterwards the cheers from the Miami Cuban community rang through my head. It was disturbing to see the grotesque celebration of the death of these young Cubans. People do self-reveal.
((((((((((marymccurnin!))))))))))
So sorrry to miss you last week! Come back to the coast soon.
1,791 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen TomR:
Thanx for the link to Raw Story…I think we’re gettin’ a real good picture of what the “Lieberman Syndrome” looks like in a dress.
Like I said earlier, this smells and it doesn’t get any better when the wind shifts.
KEEP THE FAITH AND WATCH THE BEDFELLOWS!!
Floridians do the darnedest things…
Jane’s upstairs with a Bill Richardson thingy.
1,791 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
These CIA shill Batista foot soldiers need to be taken out of government…there is a new generation of Cubanos in South Florida and they need to be given the opportunity to replace these fascists.
KEEP THE FAITH AND BE CAREFUL WHERE YA STEP…THERE’S A LOTTA SHIT EVERYWHERE!!
Hey hey ho ho debbie has got to go.
This woman lies down with dogs. How can you support a delegation of fascists?
I shall know you by the friends you keep.
Dear Debbie,
Been nice knowin you. Start packing.
SanderO
What part of the word “election” does Ms. Wasserman Shultz not understand? She was not elected to membership in her PTA, the local United Way chapter, or a board of directors for a Fortune 500 company. She is a Democratic member of Congress, elected to defend progressive interests during the most partisan time in American history since Reconstruction. Moreover, she has sought and won a position of leadership in aggressively selling those priorities to her home state and the country at large via electing Democratic challengers to traditionally Republican districts.
What would she do if she were on the Texas Schools Commission or the Dover, Pennsylvania, School Board and debating whether to impose the teaching of creationism as part of the science curriculum? What role would her collegial loyalty play if she were chair of a military tribunal on Guantanamo Bay?
Her job is to defend and advocate progressive priorities. If she likes her GOP colleagues, persuade them to cross the floor to the Democratic side. If she doesn’t like the Democratic challengers for their seats, she had an opportunity to push for other candidates. This is not about “playing dirt”. It is not about engaging in ruthless personal attacks about their policies or their personal sex lives. It is about preferring Democratic priorities to demonstrably failed Republican ones.
Her continued resistance to doing her job means she is unqualified to do her job. Remove her. What part of that does her leadership not understand. Ms. Wasserman Shultz should have until noon to start doing her job or find another one. We already have CongressCritters who put fealty to the president and party loyalty above the national interest: they’re called Republicans.
There’s a quid pro quo going on with these Cubans. Find the money… find the deal…find the votes… Look for votes where she votes with the Cubans.
Jane – What are the qualities of Wasserman-Schultz that you like?
Not wanting to offend “Cuban” voters in Florida may be a political reality; it’s not one Wasserman Shultz didn’t know was a challenge when she lobbied for her leadership position. If she wants a free ride, she should buy a bus pass.
Better late than never … you all may be interested to read the interview I did with Rep. Wasserman Schultz last week. This was the interview in which she implored me to “please help get [the bloggers] off [her] back,” which got picked up at Daily Kos, WaPo, and TPM, among others.
Anyway, here’s the original source. Enjoy.
(Jane, I’m looking forward to meeting you at Eschacon. I’ll be the guy emceeing the Saturday night festivities. :) )
“Repeat After Me: “Just Say No To the GOP””
Does this admonition include Democratic politicians who state that Ronald Reagan was a better President than Bill Clinton, or that the Republicans had better “ideas” than the Democrats? ;-)