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Congressman Harold E. Ford, Jr. of Tennessee is the current Chairman of the DLC - Democratic Leadership Council. Remember his keynote address at the 2000 Democratic National Convention? He and other DLC disciples - the Clintons and assorted US Senators, Congressmen, Governors and state legislators - are advocates “for an activist government” but one that is reinvented “so that it is both more responsive and more accountable to those it serves and to the taxpayers who pay for it.” Sometimes they are  referred to as “third way” Democrats. Even though Barack Obama is not a DLC member the DLC leadership and members like Congressman Rahm Emanuel and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius - a possible V. P. nominee - have now embraced Obama as the Democratic nominee. Do they have influence on Obama? Will there be a new coalition with the DLC and Obama-believers? Check out their website to brush up on who they are and their broad-ranging views on economic opportunity, security, values, reform and other elements of their activities in regional, state and the national government. While on the DLC Home page look for the story on our Massachusetts State Senator Marc Pacheco of Taunton - the New Democrat of the Week for August 6, 2008. Find information at: http://www.dlc.org/.

Note: Regarding possible DLC influence on Barack Obama - Indiana Senator Birch  Evan Bayh an apparent leading contender as the VP nominee was chair of the Democratic Leadership Council for four years.  mps

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Hillary Clinton is blogging and chatting today. In an opening statement for participants (my bold) she says:

I want to thank everyone for joining me here today for our live chat. I’m so grateful to all of my online friends for the amazing support you continue to show me. Your kind words mean so much to me, and you have been instrumental in working to help retire our campaign debt. I’ll never forget all you’ve done for me.

It has been great getting back to work in the Senate for the people of New York. And now that the Senate is in recess, I’m very excited about getting back out on the campaign trail to help elect Barack Obama and grow our Democratic majorities in Congress. With the Democratic convention coming up, the excitement and curiosity is certainly starting to build. I want to assure you that Senator Obama and I are working together to make sure it’s a big success. We will ensure that the voices of everyone who participated in this historic process are respected and our party is fully unified heading into the November election. While no decisions have been made yet, I will make sure that we keep you up to date and involved with all of the Convention activity.  It means so much to me to know that no matter what the coming months and years bring, you’ll be working right by my side. With your help, 2008 is going to be a great year for Democrats.

Clinton supporters should check out http://blog.hillaryclinton.com/ It seems that Senator Clinton has moved forward in this 2008 campaign season. What do the PUMA-types think of this approach and how will they respond?

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Globe “City and Region” columnist Kevin Cullen landed a hit today on local State Representative Colleen Garry of the 36th Middlesex District which includes the communities of Dracut and Tyngsboro. Garry who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee generally flies below the political radar. She is considered to be conservative - she is for heterosexual marriage only, against in-state tuition for the undocumented and against stem cell research. What’s curling Cullen’s non-partisian hair? It seems that Colleen Garry is a whiney “HillBillie” who is pouting over a decided lack of “Barack Obama outreach” to her and other HRC supporters. She’s looking for more than e-mails and wants a more personal contact from the campaign. I guess that Garry’s pique was noted in a Herald article which focused on the recent 5 million-dollar Obama haul at a Boston fundraiser. I’m sure an Obama operative will be in touch with Garry soon! Will she answer?

Cullen aside - Garry and other Hillary supporters are at a political crossroads. Crushed that HRC’s nearly 18 million votes weren’t enough to pull-off a win for the Democratic nomination for President against a less-experienced guy from Illinois and angry that the historic moment for a woman (particularly this woman) becoming President  won’t happen in 2009, they must make a choice. Will they stay home? Will they disrupt the Democratic Convention? Will they pull-out all the stops to bring Obama down? Will they vote for John McCain? Are they PUMA-nistas? Will Hillary Clinton herself be able to bring them into the fold for the November election? Will conversion to Obama-olgy only come with HRC on the ticket as VP? Stay tuned.

On another note - with credentials as a solid Hillary Clinton supporter in the primary I’ve purged the whininess and tucked away the pain. Perhaps it’s age and innate pragmatism - but changing the focus, mentality, philosophy, morality and bureaucracy of the current administration to a new agenda is far too important for the future to hold onto personal angst. I’m on the train - if only in the cheap seats.

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This morning Congresswoman Niki Tsongas renewed contact with over 50 women constitutents as she hosted a breakfast meeting at Cafe Paradiso in downtown Lowell. This - after all  - is what being back in the District is all about for a member of Congress. The 20+ Republicans waging that crazy “sit in” in the dark back in DC should also go home and get in touch with their constituents or at least their families! But I digress. Tsongas began her remarks with an homage to the late 5th District member of Congress Edith Nourse Rogers (R) who served from 1925 to 1960 - the longest reign for a woman in the House. Her example was extolled by Tsongas as paving the way for other women to follow.

Tsongas talked about her Armed Services Committee activities and her service on  the Military Personnel and Strategic Forces subcommittees. Armed Services Chair Ike Skelton recently honored a Tsongas’ request with a coveted appointment to the Board of Visitors of the US Air Force Academy. She spoke of the dynamics of member-to-member relationships and the barriers caused by philosophical differences and physical separation. But she noted that the recently passed stimulus and housing packages proved that with a common goal bipartisan work can be done. Her insight on the importance of  holding and expanding the Democratic majority in the House was enlightening.

Audience concerns included questions about student loans, renewal of the Medicaid waiver for Massachusetts, Title VII funds for allied health care worker job development, green energy, the energy crisis, LIHEAP and a postage stamp. Former Mayor Rita Mercier requested help getting the first day issue of the Bette Davis stamp celebrated here in Lowell - her birthplace. When asked about the upcoming Democratic Convention and race for the White House (by me), Tsongas focused on the larger issue of “change” - not just as embodied by Barack Obama but for the Congress as well.

Niki Tsongas seems quite comfortable in her role as a member of Congress. She was articulate, focused, relaxed, knowledgeable, down-to-earth and maturely-sensible.

The ladies who joined Tsongas this morning from academia, business, the arts, politics and the professions - included Martha Mayo, Brenda Costello, Eileen Donoghue, Kay Doyle, Joan Ross, Nancy Donahue, Molly Sheehy, Carol Cowan,  Suzanne Frechette, Dorcas Grigg-Saito, Maria Sheehy, Effie Dragon, Maria Cunha, Kay Petruziello, Diane Earl, Mary Jo Griffin, Jeanne Osborn, Ashley O’Neill, Beverly Woods and many more. Yesterday Tsongas hosted similar groups in Lawrence and Concord.

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The Commission on Presidential Debates has confirmed the 2008 schedule (posted on DemConWatch) of four debates and the probable Moderators. For additional information check out http://www.demconwatchblog.com/

First presidential debate:
Friday, September 26
University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS

Moderator: Jim Lerer

 

Vice presidential debate:
Thursday, October 2
Washington University in St. Louis, MO

Moderator: Gwen Ifill

 

Second presidential debate:
Tuesday, October 7
Belmont University, Nashville, TN

Moderator: Tom Brokaw

Town Meeting Format

 

Third presidential debate:
Wednesday, October 15
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY

Moderator: Bob Schieffer

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Perk-up your day by checking-out a story on the Huffington Post that recount’s Congressman Bill Delahunt’s end run around the Bush administration’s long-term US/ Iraq security negotiations. It seems that Delahunt was being continually stone-walled by the Bush folks as he attempted to get information especially about whether the administration planned to get Congressional approval of any agreement. Finally at a recent hearing he was told by Ambassador Satterfield that “no” - there’d be no seeking of Congressional approval. Disturbed that this could mean a U.S. presence without end in Iraq, Delahunt went directly to members of the Iraqi parliament with a little primer on an article in their Constitution that might throw a monkey wrench into plans for a long-term security agreement before the Bush reign ends. In Delahunt’s interpretation of the Iraq constitution - which ironically US advisors helped write - that Parliment needs to view and approve any long-term security agreement with the US. According to news reports in Arabic Press, his views have apparently gained traction with the Iraqi Speaker .

President Bush is reported to have wanted a signed agreement by July in order to boost Sen. John McCain’s presidential bid. If he is to succeed, it now seems he will need to push past the objections of not one, but two legislatures.

Read Seth Colter Walls full story at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/14/congressman-goes-over-bus_n_112564.html

Timing is everything! Stay tuned.

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Following a successful meeting in Andover last week, organizing continues for Barack Obama - this week in the Greater Lowell / Merrimack Valley basin area. Local campaign co-ordinator  Alex Buck of Chelmsford has scheduled a meeting to discuss what steps are needed to “help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States.” 

Lowell Area Organizational Meeting

Wednesday, July 16 at 6:30 PM Life Alive Urban Oasis & Cafe

194 Middle Street 01852  

RSVP at http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/meeting/445cc

Or to Alex Buck aebuck@comcast.net

The Andover meeting included many Hillary Clinton supporters and activists ready to join the Presidential-Co-ordinated campaign. Up and down the Merrimack Valley look for lots of campaign activity - neighbor-to-neighbor talking, phone-calling, door-to-door canvassing, voter registration, voter identification, working events and other visibility opportunities. This area’s closeness to Southern New Hampshire also allows activists many occasions to help with the New Hampshire Jean Shaheen Senate run and both Congressional races. The summer and fall political activity in the Vally which includes local Rep and Senate races as well as those for the national scene will keep the appetites of political junkies well-fed.

 

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In response to public demand that employers be held accountable for hiring illegal immigrants, the Federal government has become much more aggressive in conducting work-place raids and other enforcement actions.  The same is true in many states where legislative frustration with Federal inertia caused state-specific laws that would penalize employers to be enacted.  Well, all of these enforcement efforts are being severely undermined by that pillar of the liberal establishment - the business community.  That’s right, as the New York Times reported in a front page story yesterday, corporate America is fully mobilizing to not only neutralize the new laws but to curtail the enforcement of old ones.  Why?  Because these businesses do not pay a high enough wage or provide sufficient benefits to attract workers who are here legally.  We’re not talking about picking lettuce, either, but all manner of employment, especially in the electronics industry.  And we all know that when the business community sets its mind to something, it also devotes its collective checkbook to the same cause.  Once the campaign contributions start flowing in, even the most rabid anti-immigrant legislator will clam up and the status quo will persist. 

Here in Massachusetts we’re fortunate because we know where our elected leaders stand on this issue.  Most (at the state and Federal level, at least) are moderates and none of them are demagogues who play to people’s worst instincts in public but do nothing in the relative privacy of the legislative chamber so as not to offend their campaign contributors whose businesses rely on illegal labor.

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Senator John Kerry will be in Lowell this morning for a walking tour of the Hamilton Canal redevelopment district which will be led by State Senator Steve Panagiotakos.  The tour will begin at the Edward Early parking garage at 135 Middlesex Street at 10:15 a.m. in case anyone want to join in.

At noon, the Senator will greet supporters at the Cedar Crest Restaurant in Lawrence, so if you have anything to say to the Senator, there’s your opportunity.

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One of the participants at last Saturday’s New England News Forum was Howard Schneider, the Dean of the School of Journalism and Director of the Center for News Literacy at Stoney Brook University (which is part of the SUNY system and is on Long Island).  Schneider, who spent his pre-academic career as the editor of Newsday, explained that when he started the program, he failed to realize the extent to which students required instruction not just in learning the tools of journalism but in becoming a reasonable consumer of news.  He said that every year, one-third of the students struggle to find news sources they can depend on, one-third believe everything they hear, and the final one-third don’t believe anything they hear and are riddled with cynicism. 

 My guess is the entire country falls into those three categories in roughly the same proportions.  How else would things like questioning the war records of John Kerry, Max Cleland or even John McCain gain traction with anyone, let alone sizable chunks of the American public.  All along I thought the Swift boat strategy was some ingenious Karl Rove authored strategy to attack Kerry, not on his weaknesses, but on his strengths.  The one-third rule brings us to a different conclusion.  It says that when attacking an opponent, throw out the most outrageous, outlandish, slanderous lies you can imagine and, as long as you say them with a straight face, a big chunk of the public will buy it no matter what.   

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