Who's Your Daddy

As the Republicans struggle against the reality that they are no longer in complete control of the government, it seems a certain faction within the Democratic party is suffering from a similar delusion. The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) does not seem to recognize that the party base is not what it calls "centrist," translating from media/political speak as center-right corporatist, but is far more "progressive" than the DLC or mainstream media wish to recognize. The DLC still believes it is calling all of the shots and is, apparently, plotting behind the scenes as if it was business as usual.

The DLC was begun by the Clintonistas and, while Clinton's fiscal conservatism was, generally speaking, beneficial overall during the '90s, DLC-style corporatism also led him to join Rethuglicans in passing attrocious bills such as NAFTA. The DLC today still champions corporate-friendly, anti-consumer initiatives and functions more as a socially moderate wing of the GOP than a wing of the Democratic party. It uses this position to gain access to the mainstream media.

We the people are now bombarded daily with the message that Hillary Clinton is, by gosh, the certain frontrunner for '08. In fact, according to the mainstream "news," Hillary has been the frontrunner since even before the Congressional elections. It seems unlikely the media would make this claim before being sure of the future, but why bite then? While being Bill's significant other, a woman, and a senator doesn't hurt, it's also nice to have the DLC, Richard Mellon Scaife and media baron Rupert Murdoch on your side. The point here is not to bash the senator (who, truth be told, needs to hear more criticism from the base), but to raise questions about who owns the Democratic party's soul, the people or the corporations?

According to a continuing poll at Democrats.com targeting likely Democratic voters, Al Gore is leading the race not Hillary. As the "press" keeps calling DLCer Liebermann a Democrat when it was Rethuglican voters in Connecticut who gave him a victory over Ned Lamont, one should assume that mainstream polls do not represent Democratic voters and the media has an agenda in pushing Clinton.

The soup gets thicker however. It was not very long ago that political strategist and DLC Clintonista James Carville lashed out against insurgent DNC Chair Howard Dean. Not only was the attack completely unexpected, it came after the '06 election where it was widely agreed upon that Dean's 50 state strategy was incredibly effective in picking up Democratic wins, especially in areas considered GOP strongholds. Since group think becomes rampant among political cliques, it must be assumed that Carville's antagonism towards Dean, especially considering Dean's anti-big business money position, is prevalent within the DLC and among other Washington Democratic elites.

Now come rumors, as yet uncorroborated, that there are definitely movements within the party elite to oust Dean from the DNC. It seems Mr. Dean has planned the 2008 Democratic convention for Denver, CO. But suspected plotters are said to have desired to hold it New York. Currently there is scant evidence for this, but stop and put two and two together. Hillary is magically the frontrunner (with no input from the voters). The media is already pushing the idea that it's a two-way race between Hillary and Obama from which it seems Hillary has already been decided the winner. Hillary is a senator from New York. The simple syllogism suggests that this is a made for TV movie, another anointing of the presidential candidate by the unseen hands of the party inside circle in collaboration with their media lackies. The people's will be damned.

If we get no say in the party then there is no party. It's time to send, yet another, clear message to the DLC and any other Democrats who believe their political agendas are bigger than the voters. When you align with corporate interests over the interests of your constituents, you choose to oppose the people and the people will oppose you.