archived: 29 Jan - 4 Feb, 2006         Back                 Next

UPDATED:  February 2, 2006 

                        DEAN, DURHAM, DEMOCRATS & DOLLARS
                        [Authored by P. J. Puryear] 

In the spotlight of national cameras and before the glowing faces of party activists, DNC Chair Howard Dean came to Durham and did what he does best: called it like it is.  From the culture of corruption, to the gross inequality in incomes, to the stubbornness of our foreign policy, Dean highlighted the need for change and how the Democratic Party’s vision would begin to right the wrongs of the current administration.

Democrats are going to do all they can to push the message of corruption and dishonesty moving toward the 2006 elections (I’m fairly sure I heard the ‘L’ word dropped on Tuesday night by more than one person on stage).  With Bush polling low and the Republicans behind by 12 points in a generic ballot, Dean and the party are making a point to hit the Republicans where they are weak.  It seems the Democrats may be figuring out how to play out the politics (and failures) of 2005. 

While Jack Abramoff and Tom DeLay have put the ball in the Democrat’s court, Dean and Co. still have an uphill fight.  Republicans have been able to convince the talking heads that the Democrats hands are dirty as well, and Bush will continue to hammer away at the importance of national security.  That was made clear from last night’s address by the President (I can only begin to imagine how many beers it would take to play the State of the Union drinking game as Bush said ‘terror,’ ‘freedom,’ and ‘security’ innumerable times.)  As 2004 proved, it is very hard to unseat a wartime president; as the Republicans are polling behind in every other area, expect them to do all they can to make this a 9/11 election.  They may be down, but they are not out, and Democrats will have to hope the country remembers the disasters that the corruption and cronyism of this administration have caused. 

Dean did another important service to the party last night: he asked folks to step up to the plate.  Fitting for a man who raised money with ‘the bat.’  Our country’s democracy has been bought by the powerful, Dean said, and until we see true finance campaign reform, the only way to win is to dig deep and pitch in.  At www.democrats.org, you can buy Democracy Bonds with a small monthly contribution.  Being a fundraiser for both issue advocacy groups and now a Congressman, I can tell you that small donations add up quick.  If party activists continue to come through and fulfill Dean’s request, it can and will make the difference.  Sign me up, Governor Dean. 

And while I’m on fundraising, I’d like to say a word about the nameless accusations that surfaced this week.  Here is what Roll Call, the DC paper carried: 

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.

 

Several well-informed Democratic sources said 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. 

For someone who has written under guise before, I have some sympathy for ‘private bristling.’  This is not the first time, however, party leaders have attacked Dean and my patience is growing thin.  A wise man once told me that Democrats often form a firing squad by standing in a circle, and this is just one more example. What’s worse is that when party leaders are busy eating their young, it fulfills the stereotype that our party is too fractured or misguided to lead.  For those of you who would slip into ‘private bristling’ over Dean’s decisions, let me give you some smelling salts… 

1. The Democratic National Committee raised more than $51M in 2005, a record for an off-year and twenty percent higher than the comparable period in 2003.

 

2. More than 30,000 Americans have invested in the future of the Democratic Party through the Democracy Bonds program. At an average contribution of $20 a month that's roughly $7 million a year in recurring small-dollar contributions.
    

3. To date, the DNC has hired talented, experienced, diverse political professionals in 43 states, including North Carolina (full disclosure: my fiancé is one of those hires).  30 of those states have sent their staffers to Washington, DC for several days of training from top Democratic operatives about how to effectively organize Democrats in their communities.
    

4. Governor Dean and the DNC invested more than $7 million to elect new Democratic governors Jon Corzine in New Jersey and Tim Kaine in Virginia. Democrats also reaped important ballot box victories at the local level in places like Mobile, Alabama, St. Paul, Minnesota and King County, Washington.
    

5. Governor Dean has traveled to 34 states and territories during his first year as chairman to talk about Democratic values and raise money for the local parties. Those states are red and blue, not just swing.

With such signs of strength, what do party leaders do?  Illustrate the negative.  Privately bristle. Party leaders may be frustrated, but it is out of their lack of a long term vision for the party.  The decisions by Dean are building a ground game that the party has been lacking.  And in a low turnout election like 2006, a solid ground game can make all the difference. 

Party politics requires a balance between winning the next election and building strength for the next decade – not to mention standing up for what you believe and living by your convictions.  Giving Dean the chance to complete what he has started is the best opportunity the party has to reclaim the ground it has lost.  While that means some of the highly paid Democratic consultants (who I am sure are privately bristling) are seeing their paychecks cut, the Democratic Party is growing stronger, and in the end a stronger party means better electoral chances, not only in 2006, but 2008, 2010, and so on.

_____________________________________________

                        DEAN COMING TO DURHAM 

Chairman Howard Dean is coming to Durham Tuesday.  It is a wonderful opportunity for Democrats across the State to come and meet Chairman Dean. 

Here are the details: 

Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean has confirmed that he will be . . . in Durham on Tuesday night, January 31st at Satisfaction Restaurant for a pre-State of the Union Address get-together. As a result, the time of the party has been moved up to 8:00 PM to give Governor Dean time to address the gathering.

There will be a lot of media present, so please be sure to RSVP for this event (see below) and please spread the word to other Democrats who would like to meet Howard Dean. Details on the event also appear below. . . .

Info on the Watch & Take Action Party:

Join Precincts 8 and 9 as well as other Durham Democrats and our county, district, state and national party leaders for a Watch & Take Action Party on Tuesday, January 31st. At 8:00 PM, we will meet in person with Democratic National Committee Chairman Governor Howard Dean, then we will watch the State of the Union address on large screen TV's at Satisfaction Restaurant, 905 W. Main St. here in Durham -- home to great pizza, cold beer and the best french fries in all of Durham County.

Democratic Precincts 8 & 9 are hosting this fun Democratic event -- and they would love for you to join them. After hearing from Howard Dean then watching the State of the Union Address and the Democratic official rebuttal, we will discuss ways to take action and distribute information on how and where you can to respond effectively to the president's speech -- from the letters to the editor column to the water cooler.

PLEASE R.S.V.P. FOR THIS EVENT.  You can do it right now by visiting:

R.S.V.P. FOR TUESDAY NIGHT

Or manually cutting and pasting this URL into your browser:

http://www.democrats.org/page/event/detail/stateoftheunionwatchparty/4jvwb

MORE ON WHAT WE HAVE PLANNED:

-- Enjoy a game of Lingo Bingo from a Democratic perspective during the speech. Heckle if your tablemates allow it.... or sit with the more serious crowd, if you prefer. There’s room for us all!

-- Besides connecting with your friends and neighbors and meeting Howard Dean, following the address we will join in the nationwide conference call with Dean, Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi to discuss ways we can response rapidly to Bush's misguided priorities and elect more Democrats come November.

-- We also want to provide an opportunity for Democrats of faith to discuss their values as it relates to the State of the Union Address. Following the conference call, Durham Dem Karen Gray will lead an optional discussion in a nearby room that focuses on the most important moral priorities for our nation in the years ahead. This discussion is co-sponsored by Sojourners State of Our Values Watch. Democrats of all faiths are invited to join in and share ideas on how we can all work together for social justice with compassion. You can RSVP for this discussion below, or simply join in at the time.

ONE MORE TIME, BECAUSE WE REALLY WANT YOU TO COME:

Tuesday, January 31, 2006
8:00 PM until 11:00 PM
Satisfaction Restaurant
905 W. Main St. Suite 37
Durham, NC 27701

Directions: Brightleaf Square, Corner of W. Main St. and Gregson

Thank you!

                        A BLACK DAY?  

The State Board of Elections has announced that it will conduct formal hearings into Democrat Speaker Jim’s Black acceptance of contributions from several groups:  

The State Board of Elections will convene a formal inquiry Feb. 8 to investigate contributions to House Speaker Jim Black's campaign, elevating the controversy to a new level of public scrutiny.

 

Bob Hall, whose nonpartisan watchdog group prompted the elections board investigation, said the hearings will reveal the hidden cash flow in N.C. politics.

 

"We're about to witness, on a new level for North Carolina, the scope of corruption and illegal activity tied to the private system of financing public elections," said Hall, research director for Democracy North Carolina.

Black, a Democrat from Matthews, said he hasn't received any details on the inquiry.

 

"I have not been contacted by the State Board of Elections about these hearings, and I have not been told what they are investigating," Black said in a statement. "We will fully cooperate."

 

Board officials on Thursday would not say whether Black will be called to testify at the hearing, a rare proceeding. His office already has turned over hundreds of documents demanded by a federal grand jury in a separate investigation.

 

Democracy North Carolina's 2003 allegations led to a lengthy probe by the elections board's staff and the hearings. In its original complaint, the group examined campaign contributions in the 2002 election cycle that appeared to involve "political corruption, money laundering, and a possible conspiracy by members of the (video poker) industry to violate campaign-finance statutes."

 

Gary Bartlett, the elections board's executive director, said the hearings would focus on Black's campaign, the video poker industry's political action committee, the state optometrists' committee and the campaign of former Rep. Michael Decker, a Black ally for whom the speaker created a state job.

 

• The inquiry is expected to look at allegations that people in the video poker industry illegally funneled campaign contributions to Black and other legislators. Black has more than once blocked legislation that would outlaw video poker, saying a ban would eliminate jobs.

 

The report accused donors tied to video poker of violating campaign laws such as exceeding the $4,000 contribution limit, making donations in the name of another or anonymous donations, using corporate money for political donations, reimbursing individuals -- "straw donors" -- for donations, making donations in cash in excess of $100, and making donations in exchange for material benefits.

 

The contributions went to members of the N.C. House of Representatives, especially Black. Hall's report, though, said there was no evidence that Black knew of or was involved in the contributions. 

TPJ has learned that a number of groups, including those controlled by educators, are attacking the law sponsored by Speaker Black to require eye exams of children before they enter school.  The News & Observer featured an article that reflects the positions of the various players that can be found at this hyperlink:  News & Observer. 

TPJ will be following the hearings as they could have a profound impact on the Democratic Party’s ability to hold onto a majority in the State House.  

Stay tuned.

TAR HEEL DEM CELLAR