When it comes time for 'us' to target 'them', we take on the weakest and the most undesirable among their peers. The ones they welcome to the club for their vote, but quietly wish wasn't among them...or come right out and say they would rather left the fold.
While they use our leaders, best and brightest as targets of hatred and angst, they rarely mount serious challenges to those leaders until we have crippled those leaders from within.
As we pick off the Mark Foley's, George Allen's and maybe Jim Bunning with the focus of our resources, they are getting us to take out one of our best for them, so they can target our weak and vulnerable with their limited resources, but gain more ground through our own filleting of our best.
As we laugh at Linda McMahon on the front page of DailyKos and other places around the blogosphere, it is outnumbered by Democrats throwing Chris Dodd under the bus...repeatedly.
Calls for him to retire, blaming him for his current standing in polls, and a circular situation of questioning the accusations against him and positioning headlines and titles in neutral or negative tones to provoke interest and intrigue. The "neutral" media has also enjoyed using the story long past it being discredited. The man was cleared of all wrong doing, the source of the initial accusations exposed as a self-interested lobbyist for the corrupt business trying to use Senator Dodd as a distraction from their own misdeeds.
When Republicans, like Tom Delay, are accused of wrong doing, allies line up to remind people of all the "good things" that person has done in their career, and that they question the accusers motives, etc etc. On our side, the higher a person ranks in the hierarchy, the more likely their colleagues are to thrown them under the bus.
Follow the recent history of our current US Senate Democratic Caucus...back in the 90's, Tom Daschle - Midwestern moderate pushing a more centrist, "new Democrat" style and agenda, defeated northeastern liberal, Chris Dodd by one vote. That vote was cast by Ben Nighthorse Campbell who switched parties hours later. Later, Daschle's failed re-election led to a new organizing vote which put Harry Reid forward as the "tough leader" from a red state, the pundit driven profile of what the Democrats needed, his only serious challenge was again by Chris Dodd, who didn't actually run for the post, but was considered as the alternative if he could "whip enough votes". Is it any wonder that Reid would shy from Dodd's defense, would hang him out to dry on FISA, on TARP mishandling accusations, but what about the rest of the party?
Obama and Biden have made it absolutely clear they will do everything possible to defend Chris Dodd in Connecticut.
I think we need to talk more about why. Why is Dodd so valuable, to Democrats of all stripes, to the Nation and of course to Liberals.
As the quality of Senators has declined over the decades, the workhorses, the legislative talents that find a way to work with members of the other side and carve out common ground in important arenas to deliver real quality change for the people, these are the members we need to cherish and honor. We lost Ted Kennedy this year, the other side has lost several of their best legislators in recent years, it is time to stem that tide and start raising the bar for new admissions much higher. Do you believe there is a Senator today, other than Chris Dodd, who could have delivered the Family Medical Leave Act in to law? Even through two Presidential vetoes as he faced? Childcare block grants, Fire and Safer, nearly every good piece of health care and education related law since 1981 except the abomination that is No Child Left Behind. People really think that there is someone else, anyone else, that would be able to step in and deliver for the people of Connecticut, the people of this nation on that level in his seat?
Let's talk about ramifications. If Chris Dodd loses his seat in Connecticut, whether it be due to retirement or defeat, what are the impacts? The HELP committee loses one of their best members and most prolific legislation builders, that will certainly leave a mark. The Senate floor loses a bold champion who delivers speeches and takes on the hypocrisy and dishonesty of the right.
Both of those suck and are reason enough to keep him, but here is the 'game over' play...Senator Tim Johnson (D-South Dakota Finance Industry) becomes chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. A committee already stacked with pro-banking/finance weak Democrats gets a leader who opposed nearly every reform and regulatory proposal Dodd has put forward. Senator Johnson was one of the biggest factors in the weakening of the recent Credit Card reform bill and has generally obstructed or hindered any real reform of banking at the committee level. We can't afford this change. Not even for two years or the four years that will remain in Senator Johnson's term.
Chris Dodd is one of the very few progressive leaders we have in the US Senate, and having such leaders is necessary even for those who wish for more moderate legislation to emerge. If you start from just left of center, the bills end up right of center before passage. If you start farther left, or at least have strong advocacy for that farther left position (Public Option, DADT Repeal, Equality) you have a much better chance of producing a final bill that is at least slightly left of center. So the solution is not letting Chris Dodd slip away, it is finding 5 or 10 more Chris Dodd's and putting them in the Senate with him. Not perfect on every issue, but a champion where we need it most.
My point is, we need to get Chris Dodd's back, remind people that troll out the smear attacks against him that they were just that, smears of no basis. He is our champion and we need him right where he is.
Destroying Linda McMahon may seem fun now, but my math says her staying in the race longer is better for Dodd. The more Republicans that support her publicly, the better. Yes, her free spending style and early media are going to hurt Dodd in the polls, expect that. And give your $20 or more (EMPHASIS ON MORE!) to Chris Dodd to rebuild his falsely damaged reputation.
Am I thrilled with the campaign Chris Dodd for Connecticut is running right now? No, I'd certainly like to see him be more of the Chris Dodd I got to know in western Iowa, relaxed, brilliant and charming. Comfortable with groups of people small and large, informal and unafraid of speaking his mind. No suits and no podiums. Just Chris being Chris. I am thrilled that he is focusing on being a Senator and continuing to get the job done and fight for every inch, that is why I have always been proud to support him. Everyone should dig in and give him whatever they can in recognition that he has opted to put our future ahead of his re-election, working hard in DC when he is being urged to spend more time in Connecticut.
From the comments:
Thanks for proving my point.
I am proud to have worked for Senator Chris Dodd during his Iowa Presidential Campaign. It was an honor and a privilege. I am not a resident or voter in Connecticut, though I was born and raised there and miss New Haven Pizza very much.