Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere

by BooMan
Tue Apr 4th, 2006 at 10:59:46 PM EST

I've written about this before, but the progressives in Philadelphia have been involved in an insurgency to take over some of our Wards and to throw out some of the machine politicians. Our very own front-pager here, albert, is on the ballot for committeeperson. Representative Bob Brady rewarded his commitment to the Democratic Party by sending out a letter to local Democrats accusing him (and the greater movement) of being closet Republicans.

Apparently, the Democratic machine sees the blogosphere as their enemy. And now they are raising money to counteract our influence.

I write about this more later. But here is an article from the Philly Record:

Party Chairman Congressman Bob Brady announced the formation of the new Finance Committee earlier this week. It will be a PAC chaired by Councilman Michael Nutter, with its treasurer, former Democratic City Committee Chairman Martin Weinberg.
Included in the Finance Committee are Gov. Ed Rendell, Mayor John Street, State Sen. Vincent Fumo, Rep. Frank Oliver, Ed Coryell, Ed Keenan, Attorney Frank Canty, David Cohen, Mitchell Rubin, Carol Campbell, Sen. Anthony Williams, Michael Choi, Esq. Tom Kelly, Lynn Fox, Ernest DeNofa and Richard Maccarone, who will be the Committee's accountant.(...)
Helping organize the PAC was Party Secretary and Ward Leader Carol Campbell. She noted the Democratic City Committee's finances have been heavily taxed over the past year, resulting in some "no pay weeks" for its staffers.(...)
Carol Campbell noted, "This meeting was a reaffirmation of the commitment of many to the role held by Congressman Bob Brady. Never before in party annals has a former chairman stepped up to the plate to help a present chairman. That's the kind of affection and loyalty our chairman has generated."
Campbell believes the Finance Committee's operation will help move the party into the future. "We need to understand the Internet and to teach our people how to use it. We need to battle the bloggers on their own turf. This takes additional resources."

So, this is how it works. Young Democratic activists get involved and run for office, and the Old Guard decides that the left leaning blogosphere is their enemy and they raise money to counteract our influence.

Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere | 23 comments (23 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (4.00 / 2)

So it would appear that things like information flow and public will are not anathema to just Republicans, eh?

Tengo un sueño.

by ejmw (ewitham (at) umich (dot) edu) on Tue Apr 4th, 2006 at 11:02:00 PM EST

Booman (4.00 / 2)

Any idea if Michael Nutter is actively supporting this? I liked what I heard tonight at Penn, but I'd be gravely disappointed if he was allying himself against the netroots.

P.S. I really enjoyed my conversation I was able to have with you. It was a pleasure speaking with you.

by PsiFighter37 on Tue Apr 4th, 2006 at 11:09:19 PM EST

Re: Booman (none / 1)

Actively supporting this? How about sitting as the Chairperson. He's going to be organizing an attack on us. Don't you go think too highly of him because he showed his face at one stinking event.

--
Albert Yee
Philadelphia, PA
http://dragonballyee.com/blog

by albert (dragonballyeeATgmail.com) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 01:13:17 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Booman (none / 1)

I didn't say I thought so highly of him - to be honest, I don't know all that much about him. He was a good speaker, but I don't necessarily associate that with being a good politician - hell, John Street made a hell of a speech at the Kerry rally held on campus in September '04, but he obviously isn't the best politician in the world.

This will make me rethink what I think about him, however. It's disturbing that the Democratic Party can't simply embrace the Internet, which has been utilized far more effectively by the left than the right.

by PsiFighter37 on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 02:07:40 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (4.00 / 2)

HOLY FUCKING SHIT. This is just so fucking angering I can't think straight right now. "Fight the insurgency!" They cry out to each other when their seats are endangered. "Get out the vote you minions!" They cry out to us when they need to be reelected.

What a fucking crock of fucking bull fucking shitfuck.

I really hate these fuckers and it just makes me want to unseat them one by one even more.

I can't wait to get the email blast asking for money to fight the insurgent bloggers trying to rip apart "their" party. Fuckers. Fuck you.

--
Albert Yee
Philadelphia, PA
http://dragonballyee.com/blog

by albert (dragonballyeeATgmail.com) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 01:16:35 AM EST

A randy remark full of cynicsm. (4.00 / 2)

Back in the old days when Americans ate greasy, fatty foods, drank a lot more, and smoked with abandon and freedom, dinosaurs like your old guard croked and allowed the younger ones to fill in their places. Nowdays, all that hippie health food and lifestyle coaching have allowed the dinosaurs to hang on to their roles for much longer than the pace of culture. They are a ball and chain on progress. Why shouldn't the new progressives and liberals invigorate the party that will fulfill the continuing democratic promise of the Constitution? (A rhetorical question, really.)

I say let people smoke in bars and drop the price of alcohol and get rid of the persnickity naysayers, and then we'll have a chance to make change and progress. :) :)

Share. Share resources, share delight, share burdens, share the healing. Sharing will bring us back from mass suicide. www.share-international.org

by Isis on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 01:21:28 AM EST

Of course they're fighting back (4.00 / 3)

You guys are disrupting the status quo -- a status quo that gives them power, and perhaps wealth. At any rate it gives them continuity in their situation, and we all know that after a certain point, whatever it started out to be, the purpose of any organization evolves toward perpetuation of the organization.

They are going to fight you tooth and nail, dirty and dirtier. Count on it, plan for it, and be ready when it happens.

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 03:40:17 AM EST

Uh, BooMan, (none / 1)

Apparently, the Democratic machine sees the blogosphere as their enemy. And now they are raising money to counteract our influence.

This just made my case for supporting third party candidates.

"First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

by Street Kid on Tue Apr 4th, 2006 at 11:13:11 PM EST

Au contraire (4.00 / 2)

I think this makes the case for taking over the Democratic party and making it better.

And let me tell you, in most places it is very easy to move into leadership positions in this party. They're dying for volunteers. I haven't even completed a national election yet as a precinct captain, and I already could have been an area leader. I declined because I figure I should figure out how it works first.

by Emma Anne (emma_anne -at- mac.com) on Tue Apr 4th, 2006 at 11:24:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Exact opposite where I live! (none / 1)

dem party says one thing and does another, except when they want donations. Then they tell you what they think you want to hear, and go back into the same old mode. Long story behind that, let's just say, I've been burned by the local dems in the past. But, now they want something, and I'm sorry, not after the phone call I got yesterday concluded! (And I was willing to try, but I don't need that crap.)

"First, they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win." Mahatma Gandhi

by Street Kid on Tue Apr 4th, 2006 at 11:36:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Uh, BooMan, (none / 1)

I've stuck to my guns as a Green for several years now, because I believe that we've got to speak our minds, and I don't mind being excluded from the Democratic Primaries. Some of us have to think in the long term. You really think that putting in Democrats will make that much of a difference on the domestic side? No. It won't. Look at Bill Clinton/NAFTA/"rogue states".

Now in terms of international affect, I truly hope and pray that Democrats will withdraw some of this country's imperial ambitions, and at least take the heat down a bit so the global pot doesn't boil over into disaster. But again, not a belief, only a hope.

I would be a Dem if they weren't DINO's, like Hiliary Clinton and Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden. (Let's not even go there with Lieberman!) I have to be a Green not only because of personal integrity to that party's goals, but because someone, somewhere has to begin a foundation of what is the future. The Dems are hollowing out as fast as the Republicans can seduce them into imperialism and feudalism.

Share. Share resources, share delight, share burdens, share the healing. Sharing will bring us back from mass suicide. www.share-international.org

by Isis on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 01:32:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Uh, BooMan, (4.00 / 2)

There's been a great deal of discussion about the Greens lately here in Seattle, due to their choosing Black Panther and community activist Aaron Dixon as the Green candidate for Senator against Maria Cantwell (D-incumbent) and Mike McGavick (R-insurance lobbyist). His entire stand seems to be to try to draw attention to Cantwell's non-opposition to the Iraq War.

The local media has been having a field day with Dixon. Not only does he have numerous unpaid tickets for traffic and parking violations, he apparently has never registered to vote. Ever. The consensus is that participation in the political system would seem to be a bare minimum requirement for a Senator.

Maybe none of this will matter to the black community here in Seattle where it is assumed he will get most of his votes (assuming he stays on the ballot after all this). But it seems like if the Greens are ever going to be taken seriously as a political party in this country, they are going to have to field serious candidates, not just candidates who want to "punish" whatever Democrat they are running against.

I like the Greens' platform and I wish they could get their act together as a coherent political force, but I got activated by my desire to stop George Bush by any legal means necessary, and sooner rather than later. I came to the conclusion that it will be much easier to reanimate the shell of a moribund party than to try to create a new party out of essentially nothing.

After we make our way out of the current crisis, that could change. Always in motion, the future is.

I for one welcome our new Twitter overlords. @Omir55

by Omir the Storyteller (omir.the.storyteller -CAT- gmail -DOG- com) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 03:36:35 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (none / 1)

Booman,

For those of us living in a different state, what is a committeeman? Or a Ward Leader? What do they do, how are they selected and how much power do they have?

I assume that they are party positions, right?

Proud Democrats do not appear on FOX News!

Visit Whiskey Tango Foxtrot - over

by Rick B2 (jayray21athotmaildotcom) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 01:22:31 AM EST

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (none / 1)

more info on what committeepeople do here

--
Albert Yee
Philadelphia, PA
http://dragonballyee.com/blog

by albert (dragonballyeeATgmail.com) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 01:39:07 AM EST
[ Parent ]

This surprises you (none / 1)

Tell me why you expected anything else?

by Whitey OFay on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 02:09:51 AM EST

Re: This surprises you (none / 1)

it surprises me that they are so stupid.

by BooMan on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 09:01:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (none / 1)

I find it sad that the Democratic Party is so concerned about keeping losers in power that they thwart the advances of grass roots politics every chance they get. Shame on the repugnant lite dems in control of the party!!!

Doing My Part For The Left

by refinish69 (refinish69 at gmail dot com) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 05:41:43 AM EST

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (none / 0)

BooMan...

Do you actually think that you can win this battle on a high enough level to be able to stop this country's continuing tailspin into nuclear confrontation before the nukes hit the fan?

Helll, man...at this rate it would take you 20 years just to have a chance at gaining control of the DemRat machine in Philadelphia.

We need a new party.

The Democratic Party is done.

Too much old, dead, rancid flesh still hanging onto its McDonald's-infested arteries.

Go AROUND it.

It's like a big, old, fat heavyweight fighter. Fighting on instinct but still able to plod through 15 rounds. And the judges are in on the fix.

Don't even waste your time getting into the RING with it.

It's a lost proposition.

It's their ring.

Their rules.

Go around them.

AG

Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West

by Arthur Gilroy (arthurgilroy<at>earthlink.net) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 09:16:47 AM EST

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (none / 1)

AG-

I'm doing about all I can at the moment. If your beef is that it will take 20 years to take over the Phiily machine, all I can say is that it will take an eternity to replace one of the big two parties with a third one.

I don't like to harp on my distaste for third party strategies for two reasons. First, I respect people that consider themselves Greens or Independents and second, I don't like apologizing for the Dems inadequacies (after all, I am working to improve the party).

But, the problem is that I have a number of people like you that are constantly lobbying for people to abandon the Dem Party. I can't unilaterally disarm under those circumstances.

In Philly, there really is no Republican Party. Or, there is, but it is really just a different name for "white-guy ruuning for office against the Dems black candidate".

In my old voting precinct, Anna Verna, the white Italian Democrat for city council received 85% of the vote on the same day that Sam Katz, the white Republican candidate for mayor received 85%.

In other words, race matters, party doesn't. That's Philly. Philly is a little different. We may have an ugly bunch of factions within the Dem Party, but at least we don't have to worry about any stinking Republicans winning anything, virtually ever. No Guiliani, no Bloomberg.

We can't use Philly as much of a template for the rest of the country. Pennacchio beat Casey here in the white Democratic party activist endorsement race 37% to 18%. But I'm not predicting that will translate to a win over all, in the city, the county, or the state.

If you really want to help out progressives with a third party, get in touch with Pat Buchanan, and see if you can interest him in making a strong run in 2008.

by BooMan on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 09:35:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (none / 0)

You write:

'We may have an ugly bunch of factions within the Dem Party, but at least we don't have to worry about any stinking Republicans winning anything, virtually ever. No Guiliani, no Bloomberg. "

Just stinking Democrats.

Unbelievable.

And why do "white people" win?

Because the "minorities"...who in my experience do NOT comprise a minority...in Philadelphia know damned well that BOTH sides are rotten and will have little or nothing to do with EITHER side.

As is the case with the entire rest of the United States.

If someone (INCLUDING Pat Buchanan) would only stand up and let people know that we are ALL a "minority" here in the eyes of the corporate powers that rule us...that we are all destined to be one big underclass, that minimum wage is the SOLE GOAL of the corporation (the corporate nation)...then the various minorities would coalesce into a landslide-sized majority.

The working class white "minority", the middle class white "minority", black and hispanic "minorities" of EVERY class, the female "minority", other sexually defined "minorities", the "minority" of the young...just about everygoddamnedbody in America who is not upper management or corporate service (lawyers, accountants, high-level media and advertising workers, high level academics and "health-care"...what a joke THAT name is...workers) is a "minority' in the eyes of these people.

To be played against one another just like the field slaves and house slaves were played against one another in the classic slave-holding south.

We are ALL their niggers, now.

BET on it.

Dems?

Ratpubs?

Both owned by Massa.

"... at least we don't have to worry about any stinking Republicans winning anything, virtually ever. No Guiliani, no Bloomberg. "

No.

Just people like Lieberman and...say...wasn't Frank Rizzo a Dem?

You bet your ASS he was.

Stupidity, graft, racism and sexism know no political boundaries, and when one party becomes corrupt after the only OTHER party is proven to be wrong like a motherfucker...a Pol-Sci technical term, University of the Streets...then there really are only two options that any intelligent person can take.

1-Drop out of politics. The "apathy" of the American electorate is NOT apathy. It is a simple reaction to an unsolvable problem. The "Fuggedaboudit it!!!" option. (Another U. of S. technical term.)

2-Start a new party.

"Fuggedaboudit it!!!" ain't working.

On the evidence.

Time to open the second box.

AG

Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.-Mae West

by Arthur Gilroy (arthurgilroy<at>earthlink.net) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 04:08:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (none / 1)

And they wonder why the democratic party is dying. Attacking people who should be your core volunteers isn't particularly bright. This is an obvious dagger in the back for those who believe that accepting politicians like Casey and Lieberman is a necessary evil to regain the majority. The establishment is going to waste resources fighting us regardless of what we do, so we might as well use our resources on candidates we actually believe in.

by Shalimar (srbaxley@yahoo.com) on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 09:24:14 AM EST

Re: Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere (none / 0)

Two things came to mind after reading this.

Number one:

Will Bunch, are you listening? You need to write about this.

Number two:

The mainstream, whether it be media or politics (in this case), is going to wake up and try to co-opt the blogosphere for their own purposes. I do not think they'll be successful, but they'll sure as hell try.

After reading recent remarks by Rupert Murdoch, seeing the NYT redesign their online presence to include a section of "Most Blogged" links, etc., I'm not surprised to see politicians coordinate a money-backed attempt to counteract the netroots.

If we grow too much, the Establishment's gravy train is going to be disrupted or stopped. Expect more of such opposition in the relatively near future.

by wanderindiana on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 09:59:00 AM EST

It's so weird right now because the Democratic (none / 0)

Old Guard doesn't want to serve it's constituency and the Republican Old Guard doesn't want to serve it's constituency and then they take all the nation's wealth they can all get their hands on spend it on.......of all things......trying to silence their own constituency. This is the most bizarre political climate I have ever witnessed with my frontal lobes fully functioning. I tried to get a transcript from a radio talk show that I heard on Monday on my way to Pensacola again for my son, but they are so small they don't put out transcripts. It serves Southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle and they have radio church on Sunday and they air Hannity. I had my radio on scan to find a station and it hit that station while they were interviewing the guy who wrote Attention Deficit Democracy. I listened to the first 15 minutes and I swear it was so freaky I couldn't believe it.....I thought I was having coffee in the cafe on here as they went over all the laws and rights being violated and corporations with their money deciding who our candidates will be and how they will vote. I'm not kidding! These guys were the spitten image of us until they hit THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. That was when I snapped out of my reverie.....but exactly what they said was that as far as they were concerned the only thing they even remotely liked about the Bush Administration was it's stand on protecting their rights to own weapons. That was it and everything else they were really really pissed off about! They were even hoppin mad about Iraq Lies! The host would throw out there at times that he hoped that he didn't upset too many of his listeners out there too badly talking like this, but we have some very serious problems and some very serious rights violations that President Bush has brought about.......well, they did say that Clinton started it though. They said that Clinton started the Presidential power grabbing and Bush has built a skyscaper on that now. I really couldn't believe it though listening to this small right wing radio station speak this much truth in the Alabama Florida Panhandle Bible Belt! I hope nobody burned any crosses in their yard Monday night, but then the book author claimed to be wearing his "bedsheets" for a photo shoot so maybe he's used to burning crosses. I couldn't tell if he was being snarky or half serious. I'm not familiar with him.

PMS Purchase More Shoes

by Militarytracy on Wed Apr 5th, 2006 at 12:25:24 PM EST

Philly Machine vs. Lefty Blogosphere | 23 comments (23 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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