Censure of Sen. Feinstein fails: Party staffer Bob Mullholland calls bloggers and activists "worse than Bush" and "pre-nursing home"
By John Amato Monday Nov 19, 2007 4:45pmGuest Post by Julia Rosen. Julia is the Online Political Director for the Courage Campaign. She is also an editor at Calitics.
Let's start with the good news first, even though there is plenty of bad to come later, given the disgraceful behavior of California Democratic Party staffer Bob Mullholland, caught on video. In just five days, over 33,000 Americans, 90% or more Californians, joined the Courage Campaign call for the California Democratic Party (CDP) to censure Senator Dianne Feinstein for her pivotal votes to approve Judge Michael Mukasey as U.S. Attorney General and Judge Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals. These Americans were joined by the Courage Campaign, MoveOn.org, Progressive Democrats of America, CrooksandLiars.com and over 40 Democratic Clubs and progressive organizations from across California. With a week of non-stop organizing, this movement changed the conversation of the entire meeting of the CDP Executive Board.
Party Chair Art Torres spent about half of his speech on Saturday praising Senator Dianne Feinstein, acknowledging that people within the Democratic Party are upset with a few of her crucial votes. Of course, these weren't just any votes. They were votes contrary to core Democratic (and democratic) values like opposing torture, racism and homophobia. Despite the party chair's call not to censure Sen. Feinstein, the censure resolution was endorsed by the Women's Caucus, the Progressive Caucus and the Irish-American Caucus at the E-Board meeting. Unfortunately, it was never formally taken up or addressed by either the Resolutions Committee or the main body of the Executive Board. Members of the Resolutions Committee objected to hearing it, which meant it could not be brought to the Executive Board -- which was within their prerogative, given that it was a late resolution.
This is indeed what CDP Senior Advisor (read: paid party staffer) Bob Muholland said would happen.promised to the Huffington Post:
"It is going to be thrown out and rejected," said Bob Mulholland, a veteran party strategist in Sacramento. "Sometimes people can't anticipate or can't understand the big picture."
We knew this was going to happen. We knew that, even backed by over 33,000 people and some 40% of the CDP as represented by the caucuses and clubs that voted for the resolution, there was little chance that it was going to pass. The rules were stacked to kill such a resolution, without hearing. But we respected the process and accepted that action. The next day, members of the Progressive Caucus made an official, respectful request to the Executive Board general session within the bounds of parliamentary procedure to have the rules suspended so that the resolution would at least get a hearing. This motion -- which would have expressed no confidence in the chair of the meeting rather than dealing with the substance of the censure resolution -- failed to nobody's surprise. You can watch all of that in the following video. Admittedly, it is a bit rough; Jethro Rothe-Kushel, our videographer, was up all night cutting it. A good portion of the video is focused on Bob Mullholland's actions during the weekend, from his intentional attempt to block our camera when Jo Olson moved to have the resolution heard, to repeatedly calling Courage Campaign Chair Rick Jacobs and East Bay for Democracy's Chair Janet Stromberg "worse than Bush". According to the account provided by Courage's Rick Jacobs on the Huffington Post, Mulholland also disrupted the Resolutions Committee meeting the previous day:
When the resolution was brought up late in the session, the Party's senior advisor and long time chief spokesperson, Bob Mulholland, stood and shouted from the side of the room, "Object, and object!" There were other shouts from the room as committee members joined in. Committee Co-Chair John Hanna objected and then others objected and then, as if to make sure that we got the point, everyone who wanted to join the chorus of objections demanded that their objections be counted, too. It was a sort of pile on moment, in which one veto simply would not do. It all happened within about a minute.
You can watch it all in the video. Mulholland's total disrespect for openness and accountability of the CDP to the party membership -- the very people who pay dues and donate to pay his salary -- is appalling. But it gets worse. On Friday, the first day of the convention, Mullholland made the following comments to the Guardian (UK) about the movement to censure Senator Feinstein:
For Bob Mulholland, a campaign adviser to California Democrats who has known Feinstein since her time as San Francisco mayor, the backlash against Feinstein amounts to a betrayal rather than a defence of the party's core principles. Mulholland blasted the bloggers and activists supporting the censure resolution as "fringe" and "pre-nursing home". "The Democratic party's purpose is to remind armchair activists that the duty is to elect a Democrat to the White House so we can end the Iraq mess", he said. "Nothing should get in the way of that."
Ironically he was attacking his employers: The members of the California Democratic Party. The delegates who brought up the resolution. The caucuses and clubs who endorsed the resolution. The tens of thousands of grassroots and netroots activists who are registered Democratic Party members that signed on to the call to censure Dianne Feinstein. Mullholland's intent was to depress the hard work by thousands of activists who have been toiling successfully for years within the party structure to elect Democrats and make the party more open and accountable. They have been crashing the gates, only now to be told by Mullholland that the gates are closed and to bide their time until entering a nursing home. This is not the kind of Democratic Party I want to build. And it is not the Democratic Party that I know staffers, leaders, delegates and members want to build. It is, however, emblematic of larger problems within the political consultantocracy that the netroots are working to change. There are many who do not want to see our dirty laundry aired in public. To that I say, don't make the laundry dirty in the first place. Don't let people like Bob Mulholland speak for the Party and denigrate its members. Don't predetermine the outcome of the democratic process. Don't discourage people from wanting to get involved in party politics. Don't push energetic people out of the party or you'll continue to lose registration as is happening in California. Don't be defensive when new blood floods into the system. Do find ways to tap that energy and learn new tactics for the 21st century. Do apologize when you screw up. Open up the lines of communication. Don't say STFU you DFH. Bob Mullholland is not the party. All of us are the party.
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Wow they love the blogs when they are working for them, interesting how quick their opinions can change. True colors is all I have to say.
www.hyerstandard.com
Bloggers worse than Bush? I call bullshit on party sniffer Mullholland.
Feinstein is a Bush-enabling piece of shit, and the truth hurts. If you would do her damn job and actually oppose corporate power-grabs and limit the scope of government involvement in our liberties, then no one would have a problem with her. She is not a Democrat, she's a war profiteer's wife and corporate lackey.
Sorry you don't like us Bob but we're not going to be silent while clueless schmucks like you compromise the Democratic party with your arrogant and selfish acts. Go join the Republicans if you can't come up with a better response than childish name calling. We don't need you---but YOU do need to listen to the voters for once.
Thanks for having me graces these pages again John. Looks like a few of my paragraph breaks are missing, small matter.
Please pass on the video and join us in discussing what it means to be a Democrat.
There are too many closet REPUBLICANS in the Democratic party.
They run as Dems to dilute the Majority's voice.
Our Washington State Senators try to tell us they are
"Conservative" Democrats when they vote Republican.
Please let us have mr. mullholland's email address so we can this a-hole know how we feel about such behavior.
The “pre-nursing home” insult by Bob Mulholland is age-ist.
He's implying that seniors over a certain age lack the judgement to assess Senator Dianne Feinstein.
You mean Windbag "There will be no surrender in this state to this Taliban element of the California Republican Party." Bob Mulholland.?
This reaction by the Democratic bosses reveals the REAL reason we are still in Iraq. The Democratic Party thinks getting into office is more important than anything, including the Constitution or the will of the people.
Feinstein is a poster for the disgusting, self serving, craven politics that Bush has made de riguer. I am a life long democrat and feel betrayed and belittled by Mullholland, Torres et. al.
Contribute to the party again? No very likely.
Ron Paul, anyone?
*sighs* The CDP can go straight to hell then.
An involved vocal constituency is the worst enemy of "party advisors".
This is what is frustrating! We have an opportunity to change the direction where this country is headed an we have the likes of Bob messing it up. He is the one who does not get the big picture. The big picture is....we, as a country, are screwed by the disastrous policies of this administration. The subject of Torture will haunt us for a long time, and Bob does not see that.Shame SHame and more Shame.
What would the effect of a censure resolution be? I think this effort got the message through, and that's something. Mulholland knows the rules, and the rules allow a late resolution to be killed by a single objection. No big thing. Feinstein will think twice the next time. She already did with the telecom immunity. We just have to keep a close eye on her.
The least they could have done was brand her forehead with an 'AR'. (For Ass*ole Republican)
So what's Mulholland's cut in this deal? What's in it for him?
I just emailed the Calif. Democratic party that until they shit can that arrogant little prick Mullholland, they lost the 4 votes from my family, and any other Dem friends I can convince. Fuck both parties.
No. The censure hasn't failed. WE THE PEOPLE have censured her. What some body of politicians does is another matter...
Ooh! Ooh! Please don't shout and be all angry at us, Bob Mullholland! We'll give in and behave ourselves! Oh wait, sorry, that's your job.
Oh yeah. We're so fuckin stupid.
:roll:
I don't know. But it must be a huge sum of money for him to blatantly give a large group of democrats supporting censure the proverbial "bitch slap" across the face. The nerve of this son of a bitch is beyond reprehensible!..
I know someone who's going to get in a whole lot of trouble in the future for corruption! His first name is Bob, and his last name is Mulholland.
Absurd.
Did they just learn that Feinstein is a thug? Where were they during the last election. Senators are state wide elected officials and in Az, state wide elected officials can be recalled. Why dont they start a grass roots recall.
We didn't elect this asshole. He's a lowlife staffer. He's in our way. He's a nobody with delusions of grandeur. Just like our president, whose tactics HE tends to emulate. We should mobilize to stomp this cockroach republican mole. There's one of him. Maybe two with Torres. There are at least 30,000 of us. Post his email address ASAP.
rj godin @ 10:
That figure of 33,000 citizens calling in only five days is such good news. If the Internet didn't exist, I can't imagine we would ever know a tenth of what goes on in our government. I don't think the politicians realize what they are up against, let alone how to deal with it.
I love it when a fool stands and declares himself an enemy of the best. We know you now Mr. Mulholland. We won't forget you.
We need a third fucking party.
The operative thought here is the description used to describe "them".
We call them "THEY".
Just like the Republicans, they're "them".
Not US.
Pretty much says it all doesn't it.
How long are we going to sit here and take this kind of DISRESPECT and keep voting for these SHITTY TURKEYS?
Why can't we overrun them and take back our party?
Thank You Rick
Thank you Julia
And Thank you Jethro
WE truly appreciate your efforts. We are here for you as needed.
Let's start another censure effort! Lord knows Senator Feinstein has made enough bad decisions to keep us busy for thea long time. Is there a way to censure Bob Mullholland as well? I am a California resident and with leaders like those two it may not be a Democratic state long.
Well, screw Bob Mulholland and the CDP then! If this how they're goihg to treat the rank-and-file, this is NOT the party I want representing me! I'm tired of giving money to this party and getting my views ignored. I'm switching my party affiliation to "Independent" and don't want to be associated with these embarrassing thugs any longer. So, Bob, if you come around begging for my money and my vote at some point in the future, I'm going to give you the same finger you just gave to me.
Thanks Che's Lounge. This whole thing has been as uplifting, as Mullholland's response has been troubling. To have now 34,000 people sign on to censure Sen. Feinstein in such a short period of time has been amazing.
Thanks to John and others for blogging about this and helping get the word out.
Here is a blog page where you may post comments to "pre-nursing home" Bob:
http://blog.cadem.org/partyline/2007/11/a-veteran-remem.html#comments
"Members of the Resolutions Committee objected to hearing it, which meant it could not be brought to the Executive Board..."
Aaahhh, they used the old ostrich defense.
IMPEACH.
Mullholland hates how democratic the California Democratic party has become lately.
He much preferred it when just he and Gray Davis spoke for the state party.
Those days are over, fatboy.
We have to replace the 10 to 20 percent of the democrats of our elected party. Most of these democrats are the ones controlling the "bad" policies and actions taken by our party. We have our leaders of the democratic party acting in the same manner which Bush and the republicans have been for 7 years, and we are not going to keep taken it.
Instead of our elected democrats censoring their democrat supporters like moveon.org, Pete Stark and other democrats using "FREE SPEECH" to condemn Bush and his administration's policies we have to start censoring "them permanently".
Check the policies and stands that your representatives are voting and taking our important matters and the ones that are voting along side of the republicans stop donations and vote them out in the democratic primary so we will have true democrats running for our party.
No more Lieberman, Feinstein, Schumer, Hoyer, Pelosi, Reid and other democratic republican supporters.....
What in the hell was he talking about.
Hey Mullholland, instead of slithering away like a worm, why couldn't you look these people in the eye and answer their questions.
Don't you dare tell me what my "duty" as a Democrat is. One of my duties as a Democrat is to get rid of fake Democrats like you and your friend Feinstein, and I'll do everything in my power to support MoveOn and The Courage Campaign to get it done.
I don't see any difference between Mullholland and the gooper swine I despise. I guess he needs to be retired, as the anachronism he is.
The Green Party. Yeah, their small time like Kucinich, but we have to start somewhere.
Fuck you. Sit down and shut up. You're too stupid to understand....and Oh by the way vote for us!
How did this idiot comes to the conclusion that we are no better than bush, when SHE is the one enabling him?
goatsage @ 33:
Thanks, I expressed my feelings.
Peace.
daveboy @ 3:
Could not have said it better myself. Most of congress is just a complete sell out. At least now we have blogs, and "true" organized opposition.
Ron Paul 2008
It is nice to see that the Dem leadership considers their constituency to be "worse than Bush."
It certainly puts the actions of the Dems in the past few years in their correct context; with the Dems constant enabling of Bush while at the same time, doing anything in their power to undermine their very own base.
This news, together with Biden's foopah stating how the Dems don't trust the people... certainly makes me glad I am no longer in any shape way or form will be wasting any of my time with a party that considers the common folk the enemy while trying to suck it up to a bunch of elitist sociopaths who long to bring back the "glory" days of the Robber Varons.
So, Dems... please keep on pissing on your very own drinking well. I am looking forward to yet another defeat snatched from the jaws of victory. Another GOPer in the WH will most certainly be the end of this country, however when the choices seem to be GOP or GOP-lite for 2008, I must say that "good riddance" will be most definitively in order come 2009.
Since Nader won't be around, I wonder who the Dems will blame this time around for their defeat. Obviously, it could not possibly be the DLC scheme of trying to cozy up to people who would rather take a shower with molten lava than vote for them (conservatives), while doing anything to piss off their very own base (liberals). Genius!
Oh, and btw: F*ck Feinstein. That war profiteering whore has been using death to not only make the big bucks but also to get her way politically ever since she took over the seat of a murdered major in SF. I guess crime does indeed pay for these bunch of degenerates...
the Democrats abandoned their base a long long time ago in favor of playing footsie with neocons. The Dems are really just neocons with a human face
This effort was worth doing, look at the fallout!
Almost no one in California pays any attention to the state-level Dem party organization. Most of those 25,000 or so who were in CA have EVER engaged the CA Dem party dinosaurs before. I applaud that increase in public attention.
However, the commenters here who think that the CA Dem party is somehow linked to the national party are stringing pearls on spagetti. This is why Howard Dean had such success in 2006, because the party apparatus under the DLC (Feinstain, Emanuel, etc.), which is mainly an East Coast operation, is just about garbage, especially in the West.
So, good work, and nevermind the ugly discoveries about the party wonks who run the CA Dem party. Not news to me, but you could poll Californians, 99.99% of whom could not name Art Torres or this fellow Mulholland.
And it's even worse if you're from Los Angeles, because California is pretty much split in half. Back when LA Mayor Tom Bradley was running for Governor, I informally polled people in both SF Bay Area and Sacramento, and failed to find a single person who a) knew who he was, b) knew he was running. So these problems at state level go all the way back, and this latest effort to confront the state party wonks is all to the good, IMO.
Pretending it has something pertinent to say about the national party is ridiculous, and hearing people who have never done ANYTHING to develop the state party organization pretend that it is a good reason to vote for war crime supporting Ron Paul is just the cherry on the tart.
The CDP is the same group of corporate lackeys that forced Phil Angelidies for the Democratic choice for governor on the voters instead of supporting Steve Wesley. So we wound up with Sad Sack versus The Terminator for our last election. No wonder we're stuck with Schwatzenegger. Maybe this Electoral Vote split is just what this party deserves.
Big John @ 44:
If that makes you feel better, then I understand why you think that. But you have given no evidence.
Most people don't know that the Dem party is at least three components, nationally. There is the Progressive wing (that's what most of us Democrats support), then there is the DLC (which is where these CA party wonks are from), and then there are the Blue Dogs (which are DINO on key issues). There is not 'one' Democratic party, there are at least three. Anyone active in the party or in major politics knows this, but to a lot of commenters it is ignored, in favor of bigoted overgeneralizations that would relate well to anti-jew or anti-gay logic. Just jumble everyone together into one bag -- they are so much easier to despise.
The real shame is that with the Dems pulling shit like this and undermining their own constituents, we all lose. Every American of every political, social, and economic stripe. GOoPers, Dems, Greens, pot-smokin' Libertarians: WE ALL LOSE.
Fuck it. I'm going surfing. I ain't quitting, but I need to blow out some of these bad vibes and recharge the batteries. But I am eyeing that Green party membership again...fucking Dems...
You know, we need to clean out our own party, really.
Dear Dianne;
Thanks for all those Twinkies. Good luck in your political career.
Much love;
Dan White
Bill T. @ 46 "The CDP is the same group of corporate lackeys that forced Phil Angelidies for the Democratic choice for governor on the voters instead of supporting Steve Wesley."
Wesley wouldn't have won either. The election was rigged.
"Maybe this Electoral Vote split is just what this party deserves."
It has an extremely small chance of succeeding.
Dan White @ 49:
Ouch..
Paul in LA,
I am encouraged by your thoughts! I CANNOT forget that one of the nice things about being a progressive Dem is that ours is NOT a lockstep party. Getting us to agree on anything can be like trying to herd cats. But that's an example small-d democracy in action, innit???
Grrrr! Let's roll up them sleeves!
Bonkers @ 48:
It's nothing like that tragic. These are conditions that have been around for quite a while, as a general result of APATHY.
Wow, Paul in LA. Seriously, are you a staffer or intern for the DNC? You can not possibly do all the shilling you do for the Dems for free. And if you do it for free, I must say that you are getting gipped.
BTW, some of us worked for the 2000/2002/2004 and 2006 campaigns. We poured sweat, money, and plenty of time and effort. And the actions of the Dems in return speak louder than words. And your constant "who are you going to believe you or our lying eyes" is just too condescending to be taken seriously, and it is starting to get not only irritating BTW.
In any case, it is ironic that you consider the people who see the actions of the Dem leadership and feel betrayed to be the enemy. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree I gues...
Not a freakin' penny more from this former Green Party member who changed back to the Democratic party as a show of solidarity and a vote of confidence. I've never been to an official Democratic organizing meeting without coming out slightly uneasy and feeling left out (and I'm in San Francisco!!!!). But I swallowed the bile and soldiered on, because no matter what, HalliBush,INC is and will always be so much worse. But Feinstein - how shameful. What an embarrassment. What a polluting pit of opportunism degrading this great state. Ah, fuck the Dems. I remember going to an organizing meeting and tried to get a conversation going about approaching progressives and Green Party members. I got that look. Youuuuuuu know the look I'm talkin' about. But even then, I stayed. Goddamit, Kucinich for President for all the CORRECT reasons.
On the other hand...once we get a Democrat in office... there'll be so much time to rebuild. And who knows, 8 or 16 years from now, the country will be ready for Dennis Kucinich, or a protege.
Bonkers @ 52:
No, the actual picture is that the state is far more progressive than the CDP.
As I tried to say above, they are a DLC-spawned group. Feinstain is their girl.
And yet CA supplies a great number of hardcore Progressives, such as Pelosi, Boxer, Waxman, Waters, Watson, Woolsey, etc.
We do need to 'progressivize' the state party committee, and this was a good first step. But to blame the national party for the state party is inside-out. Apathy has led to many of our current problems, and when people refuse to acknowledge their own responsibility, and even talk of supporting an anti-progressive like Ron Paul -- well, that is just hiding from the facts.
Dr. Who @ 54:
The gypsies wouldn't like to hear that.
I'm a proud Democrat, period. I don't work for any politician or political group for pay.
And as a Californian, I have been troubled by the CDP --forever--. The CA political system is quite poor, as the terrible Angelides race just proved again. We have a new AG (Jerry Brown) who is mostly twiddling his fingers looking to feather his cap with another governor's run, after doing basically nothing (other than suing the Feds over CAFE standards that should have doubled decades ago).
Yesterday, Democratic SecState Bowen sued ES&S for $15 Million over the vote-fraud. So it's not all darkness. But there is a lot of work to do, and the people pretending that the failure of this censure effort (of a Senator just reelected by 22% of the vote) is some sort of fire alarm is HILARIOUS.
Feinstein had been carrying water for the right wing for a lot longer than most California Democrats want to admit--glad to see them finally turn on her.
A lot of states that have two Democratic Senators seem to get one fairly progressive and one more conservative.
In WA, we have Patti Murray, who is pretty good on most progressive issues, and Maria Cantwell, who is from the Business Wing of the Democratic Party up here-The MicroSoft and Boeing wing.
Interestingly enough, the Republicans are always trying to take out Patti, and she always just crushes whom ever they run against her.
Maria has a much tougher time but they seem to run weaker candidates against her?
I wonder if that's true in CA, that they try to take out Boxer, who seems much more aligned with the base, and leave Fienstien a weaker challenger?
Bob Mulholland, translated:
Notice how the Dem party leadership have far more spine when they are telling their own DFPs to STFU?
Red flag # 1:
Elect a democrat to end the war on Iraq? BS, big time
Clinton (this guy's choice?) is only going to continue the occupation. If anyone thinks that an occupation of Iraq by a Democrat transforms it from a crime to a noble endeavor simply supports the other wing of the WarParty!
Strike/Boycott 08!
rj godin @ 10:
Sorry, I don't vote for paranoid anti-choice goverment-hating racists.
I can't vote Lieberman or Schummer out, but; I can vote against Fienstein and I along with others belittled by these bunch of full of themselves democrats; will vote this party traitor out; and I challenge California Democrats to move to outs Mullholland.
Bloggers will not stand idle anymore especially with arrogant disrepectful democrats that forget who they represent.
Fienstein is off my voting list as I am sure millions others.
Damian:
I don't either, but there seem to be a helluva lotta people in this government with those credentials.
How about a little proportional representation?
I haven't had representation for the last 7 years (to include the last year with a Democratic majority).
Bob Mulholland speaks on behalf of Democrats every Wednesday night on the Al Rantel show (on KABC 790 here in Los Angeles) and usually debates a representative from the California Republican Party. As much as the republican nutcase shows how arrogant and ignorant she is, Mulholland comes off as a psycho-babble-idiot (Rantel loves this...because he makes Mulholland into the voice of the modern day democratic party). Every Wednesday night I scream at the radio because of that idiot Mulholland. I've tried contacting the show to tell them how he doesn't represent me, but have never gotten through.
So, to all those in the SoCal area: listen to Al Rantel tomorrow night from between 6pm-9pm to try and listen to the segment he has with Mulholland. Maybe if we can get enough, we can call and get through to Rantel to tell him how much we disagree with Mulholland. Rantel would love to hear from democrats about how much of an idiot Mulholland is.
WashStateBlue @ 59:
No. Neither Boxer nor Feinstain has had any significant opposition for a decade at least. Senator Boxer just broke the US record for incumbent Senator percentage win (in 2004). She received the third highest number of votes in the 2004 election (after Kerry, and Boy Wonder).
if i worked for Madame Bechtel, i wouldnt be using the term "nursing home".
Nice work. Spread this around folks.
I heard this clown Mulholland on talk radio yesterday. Total party apparatchik, who couldn't give a rat's ass for values, ethics or the Constitution. It's all about winning. Well guess what Bob- a lot of people like me are repelled by that philosophy. If the democratic party stands for nothing, then I'll throw my support to helping build a third party. You don't speak for me or my values, and you sure as hell aren't guaranteed my vote.
You will never knock the Hero of 9/11 Meme out of the stilted
brain's of the Republics OR the MSM.
What you do to win against Rudy in the general is, show how FAR
he is gone to kiss up the crazy base, and make him eat all the
nutty things he is saying out there to win in the primaries?
He's winning a lot of Republic votes by claiming only he can
fight Hillary in CA and NY...
When, in fact, he can be torn to shreds with his primary stances
on all those issues Republics eat for breakfast.
But, sadly enough, this will not work. The base will just think
it's George Soros and Move On attacking Rudy.
Faux news will recoat their brains with the soft white milk
of fear and terror....
I saw this comment from a 48 years old factory worker, ONLY
RUDY is tough enough to stand up to...OsamaSaddamAmadenajhadPutenboogieman-2008!
Republics simply reject these kind of attacks, and the media
just shrugs and lets them go.
But, if a Democrat drops a wad of gum on sidewalk, FRONT PAGE
NEWS for a week, even in the NY Times.
Left wing Bias, my dying ass......
Gordon @ 6:
You ever wonder if this is part of what the Repubs meant when they said that the Repubs will have a permanent majority? That they have infiltrated the Dem party such that even if the Dems win, the Repub agenda will still go through?
the resolution failed as we knew that it would. that's not important. what is important is the process. the process went through and there was strong statement that was presented to feinstein and her camp. what did it say. basically it stated that when she opts to go with the bush camp in any aspect, her constituency will not tolerate and though it did not pass this time, if it happens again, there is a better possibility of it passing. there is a direct correlation to the censure resolution and an impeachment resolution, neither would have a chance to pass, but it would strengthen the democratic faithful.
Nohobear @ 69:
excellent and i agree completely.
So we are all crazy for wanting to have Democratic values.
If this is the best they can come up with then this DINO can just join lonesome Joe Liberman.
Next time the CA Democratic Party calls me to help in any way with any campaign, I'll remind them how I'm worse than Bush and to Cheney themselves.
Bet Lady Di runs as a repuke next time around...
P.S. Even the youngest child is "pre-nursing home". So basically he just said 'fuck you' to everyone not already in a nursing home. This should realy help Di's re-election next time around....
Democrat progressives are just like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football, only to have it repeatedly yanked away by Lucy. When are you people going to learn that the Democratic Party is Tweedledum to the GOP's Tweedledee. And you're shocked because Mulholland didn't offer you a reach-around? C'mon.
What needs to happen is for Kucinich supporters to get their man out of the DP and start building a true progressive party. There is no other way. The DP is finished. Over. Done. Bye bye. The Party of DiFi, Schumer, Pelosi, and on and on and on. Tools one and all.
So, less than 1/10th of 1 percent of Californians, including a few special interest groups, support a measure to censure Feinstein and they lose.
Perhaps those groups should listen a little harder to what's best for all Californians.
Cry babies.
Paul in LA @ 47:
Paul, I respect your position and commend your political activism even though I think it is naive. Nevertheless I find your arguments tiresomely technical and not compelling to the electorate at large. I am not here to debate, I just want to add my two cents, it is just a blog after all, not a caucus.
I am a liberal, but I do not feel a speck of loyalty to any Democratic politician. Especially I despise ones like Dianne Feinstein who betray the stated principles of the party by backing military corporations and BushCo policies.
Dianne Feinstein must go.
Anyone who votes for this piece of shit in the primary resembles her.
Paul in LA @ 45:
So, if I understand you correctly...
... you're saying for the Dems it's time for some kind of... California love? Because ... California knows HOW to party? For example, in the city of L.A.? That it's currently the wild, wild west from Diego to the Bay?
I would suggest that you pimps be on a mission for them Greens, and wary of lean mean money-makin-machines serving fiends. For we all must keep it rocking, and (of course) shake it, shake it mama... on the west coast...
This is revealing as to what the true nature of most democrats is, as Dennis Perrin have repeated, they're tribalists and they think once members of their specific tribe will be elected, everything will be just fine.
Also, apparently the best way to get elected is to cast wrong votes long enough, if you wanna get a chance. It's important to get the votes of the right-wing too on election day.
Bob Mullholland appears to not have an adequate response to the effort to change the DNC leadership. On the table are the following, which Bob Mullholland appears to have not adequately "staffed" for:
1. Speaker Pelosi's Removal, Clearing Way For Impeachment
Here are Summary links of the sample proclamation and precedents for this to happen. You'll see -- as with the State effort to call on Congress to impeach, or the "House 603 effort" -- the DNC leadership apparently has no legal basis to thwart any state legislature from calling on the House to formally discuss removing Pelosi, to make way for impeachment.
2. Congressional Candidate Support for Pelosi Removal
You'll notice at this link the Speaker and DNC have a problem: the public can well digest, respond, and field candidates who support the Removal of the speaker -- now, before the 2008 election. Mullholland has no strategy to dissuade any Member of Congress from joining the calls to have the Speaker ousted, and replaced with someone marginally more interested in the rule of law. Arguably, Mullholland is an alleged co-conspirator in an effort to engage in alleged unlawful rebellion against the rule of law; and has allegedly no plan to defend the Constitution against his alleged co-conspirators on the Congressional staff.
3. An entrenched, already organized group behind these proclamations to call on Congress to remove Pelosi
Here is the list of groups which are extremely knowledgeable of the House Rules, and power of the States to Pass Proclamations calling on the House to act. You'll note that there are a majority of states who well understand the power of the State to openly discuss removal of Pelosi as Speaker. More than half of the States' citizens have well researched, acted, and have openly discussed proclamations.
Big Clue For Bob Mullholland And the Alleged Lazy DNC-GOP Congressional Staff
5 USC 3331 oath of office compels all Members of Congress -- and their professional staff -- to fully assert their oath, use all lawful options to defend the Constitution, and have no mental reservations about defending the Constitution against domestic enemies. The Speaker and DNC well heard the 2006 voter mandate. That mandate was clear: Hold the leadership to account. This Congress -- both the DNC and GOP leadership -- have defied We the People. There is no requirement for We the People to remain loyal to a Congress which puts "something else" before its oath to the US Constitution.
We the People have options. Congressman Kucinich made it very clear that the House had a duty to act. For whatever reason, the House -- the majority of the Members of Congress in the House of representatives -- voted to support Kucinich, and forward the resolution to the House Judiciary Committee. There it sits. The DNC-GOP leadership in Congress are but one faction. We the People are the sovereign, and we have the lawful power to deploy, use, and lawfully use other faction to assert Our Will. Bob Mullholland and others in the Congressional Staff office must decide: Whether you are for the rule of law and accountability now; or whether you wish to have the rule of law -- as a principle -- imposed on you later. Either way, Our Will shall prevail.
On the table are serious allegations related to the laws of war, prisoner abuse, FISA violations. The issue -- at this juncture -- is not to count the votes in the senate before they are cast; but to ask whether the leadership who took the oath will permit any vote in the senate to occur. We the People would be pleased if there was a vote in the Senate. Soon. To get there, Bob Mullholland and others can either cooperate; or they can watch their leadership challenged. Openly. The issue is simple: Whether the Speaker, as an elected Member of Congress, will permit fact finding; or whether she will refuse to ensure all obstructions to that fact finding are cleared from the table. The Speaker appears to be part of the obstruction, not the fact finding. That is her problem to reconcile with her legal counsel. She knows the law, her oath, and her legal o