MyDD :: Feel the Love

Feel the Love

by Jerome Armstrong, Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 08:26:04 PM EST

DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel issued the following statement on recent "Use It or Lose It" efforts by Democratic House Members and grassroots activists to support the DCCC and Democratic candidates:

"Throughout the cycle, the remarkable grassroots movement for change has buoyed Democratic efforts to expand the playing field, support our candidates, and ultimately win a Democratic majority that can take our country in a new direction," said Rahm Emanuel. "The recent unity shown between grassroots activists and Democratic Members to ensure that we can compete in dozens of newly competitive districts is heartening to the DCCC and all of our Democratic challengers."

Tags: Chris Bowers, Rahm Emanuel, Use It, DCCC (all tags)

Permalink :: 35 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: Feel the Love (3.00 / 0)

Jerome....I think he's smiling....

This is just freakin' me out...

by palamedes on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 08:27:45 PM EST

Feel the Love: the Love of Money (none / 0)

Rahm loves money and power. He loves the netroots because we have delivered money and power. Good work!

Children, have you any fish?

by FishOutofWater on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 02:12:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (3.00 / 1)

He's not smiling, he's covering his ass...

by Karatist Preacher on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 08:33:02 PM EST

Re: Feel the Love (3.00 / 2)

We're telling other Dems to give Rahm more money and he's covering his ass by saying he likes this? I think his affections just might be genuine this time.

by Mullibok on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:07:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Genuine? (none / 0)

Maybe for 20 minutes. I hope one day soon the beltway boys begin to realize that we want a place at the table and won't stop until we get it.

Follow the money

by dkmich on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 08:26:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (3.00 / 1)

I just wanna know if Chris Bowers will still have a beer with us little people once he is a high-paid political consultant?

by global yokel on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 08:34:29 PM EST

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Dude, I want a beer

by beeswax49 on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 08:35:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Ha ha. Hopefully he will.

Blogging politics and life in general at jimmy.bouma-holtrop.com

by forecaster15 on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 12:43:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Rahm is stating the obvious (netroots rocks) - and he really DOES appreciate what the netroots has meant! He knows we're not going away either!

Nope - the netroots movement is here to stay! The netroots movement will continue to have a sway!

by keenekarl on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 08:41:36 PM EST

Wow. That's awesome. (none / 0)

I glanced at the title and first sentence and thought you were being snarky and Rahm said something dismissive like that jerky Representative in Massachusetts. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was nothing of the sort. Hat tip back at Rep. Emanuel. Boy, the enthusiasm is just swelling these days, isn't it? I sure hope we can make it happen... I for one will have enough back pats for EVERYONE involved if we can, and that includes Rahm and his fundraising kung fu.

by tjekanefir on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 08:41:46 PM EST

You were right first time, surely! (none / 0)

Not so much feel the love as no love lost!

Rahmbo's been pretty regularly badmouthed by the lefty sphere over the campaign, and his tone is, to put it mildly, strained.

Note he uses the term grassroots - apparently not wishing to be quoted as specifically thanking his online chums.

And how about that recent unity?! Implying that we're a renegade faction only recently brought to heel, and still suspect.

If Jerome or any of the boys is reading this as some kind of welcome into the bosom of the Dem alphasoup family, I can't help feeling they'd be deluding themselves.

(And - what a strange MO if this really was intended as an olive branch? Why didn't Rahm post one or two diaries at DKos and here, say?)

by skeptic06 on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:33:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You were right first time, surely! (none / 0)

I dunno, I think that's stretching a little. Older Democrats almost always use the word "grassroots"; "netroots" is a neologism that only young folks and the really wired use. I'm happy with "grassroots." I consider myself part of the grassroots. :-)

I don't think it means Rahm wants to involve us in policy more, I think it means exactly what he said: he appreciates our fundraising efforts. And I appreciate his. There's no subtext there, IMHO.

by tjekanefir on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 08:09:55 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: You were right first time, surely! (none / 0)

Yeah, sometimes I unleash: usually, I have to say, in reaction to an excess of Polly from our esteemed FPers!

I suspect you're right: Rahmbo is genuinely grateful for the grassroots/netroots contribution to the campaign, just not terribly expert at dealing with us, technically.

by skeptic06 on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 12:45:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

...we can't deny the fact that he likes us, right now, he likes us!

Or, as popular cultural memory would have it: "He likes us, he really likes us!"

543,895 votes

by Michael Bersin on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 08:58:39 PM EST

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Feel the fear is more like it. Ramit has heard Kos's footsteps and he don't like the sound ay tall!

He shouldn't as he is #1 on the list of members of the 'Democrat' Party who needs to go.

Well...

Except fer Liarmann.
.

by Pericles on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:04:13 PM EST

Re: Feel the Love (3.00 / 3)

Yeah, great idea. The chair of the DCCC, the guy who has raised enough money to put us into contention, to give us our first chance at winning the House in 12 years--he needs to go. Not that he gets all the credit for the emerging Pelosi speakership, but holy shit people, give him some credit for what he's done right. He's done a lot more right than he's done wrong. Name one other Dem congressman who could have raised as much money as Rahm has for the D-trip. If it had had the same lackluster fundraising it has had under previous chairmen, retaking the House would look like a longshot at this point. Just because he hasn't always backed our preferred candidates doesn't mean we should talk about throwing him under the bus in the future (as if bloggers could ever do that to him).

"I do not support Roe versus Wade. It should be overturned."--John McCain

by lorax on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:15:48 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (3.00 / 1)

The Lorax is right. We need to work with our friends, semi-friends, "fellow travelers", and the single issue groups, when we agree with the issue.

We don't march in lock step, but the famous Democratic/Progressive circular firing squad gets us nowhere.

I'm just sayin'

by genwah on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 10:36:15 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It only makes sense (none / 0)

Would we expect the leader of the DCCC to be unhappy with grassroots efforts to get people to give his organization more money? I think not.

by Mullibok on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:05:35 PM EST

Re: It only makes sense (none / 0)

Actually, yes, considering how often he's bitten us.

by Kimmitt on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 11:58:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Détente. What's next? Bush flies to North Korea to meet personally with Kim Jong Il?

John McCain will privatize social security.

by gunnar on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:06:49 PM EST

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Judge Dinkelacker
is a bad man

What, off topic? Oh I'm sorry.

Take Back Cincinnati

by belili on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:09:16 PM EST

bowers power (3.00 / 1)

we all owe bowers a big thanks for his efforts this go round. Some would call what he has been saying is common sense. But common sense seems to be very different from DC conventional wisdom.

Nice work, Bowers. If we take back the house and we don't bomb Iran...i'm not sure how that looks on a resume but its something to be damn proud of.

PS. I still think i can beat him in arm wrestling.

by democracyinalbany on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:14:26 PM EST

Group hug (3.00 / 3)

OK, as much as Rahm might irritate us on occasion, can we hold off on the self-righteous chest-thumping, please?

I'm very heartened to hear these words from Rahm. I have no reason to doubt they're sincere. Can we all please put our stupid internecine squabbles aside and focus on maximizing Democratic victories on November 7th?

We want that. Rahm wants that.

Let's get that.

by Master Jack on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 09:20:37 PM EST

Re: Group hug (none / 0)

Great point. At this point in the game all we really should be focusing on is November 7. Earlier in the year (read: primaries, Ned Lamont) and also after November 7th are the times we should try to push the party to be all it can be, but right now our sole focus should be on November 7th.

Blogging politics and life in general at jimmy.bouma-holtrop.com

by forecaster15 on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 12:49:57 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (3.00 / 1)

Sounds like begrudging acceptance of effectiveness, a sign of a fair-weather friend to me, but I'll take it, as it draws him in closer regardless.

I'm sure he'll push us aside like he did Cegelis if he thinks it's for the best. Then again, seeing how much money there is in being netroots-friendly, maybe netroots support will start to count for something in his mind.

end the occupation of Iraq

by aip on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 10:06:54 PM EST

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

I'm really happy to hear this too. If we can learn to work with the more mainstream Dems, we'll become an even stronger force all around.

by jnfr on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 10:07:24 PM EST

Beware (3.00 / 0)

Emanuel's a smart guy. Now that he gets the netroots' power, he'll make room at the table. But then we'll be expected to go along in order to get along. And he's got a leadership election next month, probably running for Whip if Hoyer runs for Majority Leader. That's what this is all about, not some sudden admiration for netroots power.

There's nothing in it for us to have the ear of a man who got where he is playing the insider game. It's just what the Republicans did when they turned their party over to Rove.

by Ron Thompson on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 10:34:49 PM EST

Re: Beware (3.00 / 1)

I agree. A few words of appreciation does not mean a seat at the table. This guy wants to be Speaker.

by aiko on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 10:53:24 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (3.00 / 2)

Bless his stone heart.

by Bush Bites on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 11:20:06 PM EST

That's super gracious! (3.00 / 1)

Can Rahm be our friend now?

Seriously, I think he's just interested in winning, and getting the money to win. After this cycle, I wouldn't be surprised if Rahm starts thinking of us netroots guys as part of the solution, rather than just a bunch of gadflies.

After we take out the next-worst democrat to Lieberman in the 2008 primary cycle, we'll be back to being gadflies for a while. Hehehe. :)

blogs:1 2 3

by Mark Wallace on Fri Oct 27, 2006 at 11:44:36 PM EST

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Of course Emmanuel is interested in winning, that's his job. It is up to us, too, whether we're part of the solution or not, if the House returns to Dem control (or, maybe let's hope, the Senate too), There's a risk of winning now, and that' providing cover to attack the Dems in '08. Strange bedfellows are made in politics, and as anyone who's married knows, no spouse is perfect. We have to plan to be responsible in governing, not just effective in getting elected. That doesn't mean we have to go along with everything, but it does mean that you can't expect to get our way in every detail as one member of a coaltion. And without the coaltion, we're going nowhere.

by kekavala on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 12:00:42 AM EST

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Well, this makes me feel better about the $20 I gave to the DCCC this afternoon.

Blogging politics and life in general at jimmy.bouma-holtrop.com

by forecaster15 on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 12:52:59 AM EST

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Quote:
If we can learn to work with the more mainstream Dems, we'll become an even stronger force all around...

Or perhaps this is foreplay to internecine date rape, in the sense that Grover Norquist used the term "date rape." Trust, but verify when our Progressive issues come up to bat. It's worthless if we get nothing in return...

by johnalive on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 01:06:45 AM EST

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

It seems to me that it's all about getting something done, not so much getting power. As they say in the nonprofit world: focus on the mission.

by kekavala on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 01:46:48 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Feel the Love (none / 0)

Rahm is a street fighter. He may be an SOB but he's our SOB. He is fanatical about his goal and has done a fine job. That said one can't say enough about Chris.

by Jano on Sat Oct 28, 2006 at 07:19:39 AM EST

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