Greetings Kossacks:
I don't post much these days, but as a longtime Dem Party activist something just icked me out way wrong regarding the recent DCCC dues post at Daily Kos. So what did I do? I got on the phone. And really, I swear, for the first time since my days as a Dean Meetup Coordinator. I drank the kool-aid, I got the t-shirt, I voted for the guy from Mass, he lost, we took back our party (literally with the good doc) and I've sat on my ass since Iowa. No More!
So, I live in California's 23 CD, home of Lois Capps (D-Santa Barbara), a safe seat and she's a well-loved incumbent by any measure you wish to apply. When I called her office to complain that her dues have NOT been paid (and I was friggin' angry) her "chief" staff guy called me back (slight intentional) and told me that the dues are "an ENORMOUS amount of money" to which I replied, well, screamed: "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?"
He didn't appreciate that response. When I mentioned that the media were coming next, he replied: "The media isn't interested in this story." I shit you not, he said that. When I said "they will be" he said "is that a threat?" and I said "I'm just responding to Roll Call and a post on Daily Kos, the WaPo and the NYT can't be far behind...." and then, suddenly, he got real. Folks I worked for her husband Walter who she replaced in Congress, I voted for her, I SUPPORT her. Does the GOP respond to their rank-and-file supporters like that? Shit -- I hope so.
To be fair, he stated that Rep. Capps has an agreement with Rahm and Nancy to "pay her dues in increments" and has already contributed payments of $50,000 this year, the rest to be paid during the remainder of the cycle. Again, to be fair (note: he didn't state this or imply it, just my opinion) why should members not pay over time considering how miserably the money has been managed previous to the current leadership?*
*note Gehphardt et al
So, as a former and longtime San Franciscan, I called Nancy Pelosi's office. The guy on the phone was much nicer, and referred my call to the DCCC itself. I did say, "why hasn't Nancy paid her dues?" and he replied "well, she has raised 16 million dollars" and I replied "even more reason, she's got the stick, where's the carrot?" and he must have been (in my view of course) nodding his head because he said "well call the DCCC and I'll pass your views along, I'm a former San Franciscan, too."
So, I called the DCCC, and I talked to Larkin (who was the sweetest of the bunch of staffers I ran into by phone) in the communications department. At first, she claimed not to know about the story on Kos. Ha! Finally she admitted to knowing the Roll Call bit and Kos piece after. I expressed my (our?) solidarity with their cause and gave her some advice (as I'm a media guy) that I won't type here as Bill O'Reilly has enough amunition.
Point? CALL YOUR DEMS!!!! CALL THEM!!! WRITE THEM!!!
The #1 thing we can do right now is to make sure that our caucus dues are over 50% in less than a week. Period. YOUR input makes a HUGE difference!
http://www.house.gov/
http://www.dccc.org/...
And hey, Markos: Deadbeat Dems? Critiquing our own is fine, but why give the Wall Street Journal headlines? For God's sake man.....