Ed Schultz made a good point about money to Hillary diverting $$$ from this year's election

[Armstead]

Listening to Eddie, and he made a good point about the current drive to fill Hillary Clinton's 2016 War Chest now. (Something I hadn't thought about until he mentioned it.)

This year is a big election for the House and Senate, and Democrats are facing Big Bucks from the Big Guns on the Right.

Therefore, it will be necessary for Democrats to get every bit of change that can be scratched to avoid a Right Wing GOP Takeover of both houses of Congress.

How much money that is being diverted into a presidential primary campaign down the road could be better used at this point to try and hold on this year?

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Some of us have made that point in the past

people are forgetting the 2014 election.

I am glad that now that somebody with the megaphone points it out...

(Seriously, why all this Hillary for Prez posts starting in mid 2013 bother me so much)

[1StrongBlackMan]

9. Me thinks ...

To divert money from 2014 Democratic candidates that will be facing big moneyed opponents.

[bemildred]

2. +1. Let's fight one war at a time. nt

[L0oniX]

3. Oh boy...

[Armstead]

4. Didja bring your butter?

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. here

[Armstead]

22. Looks like a specimin cup

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. It is clarified liquid butter

the best if you are going to pour it on that popcorn



And other photos would not play nice

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Ironically, people who claim to want to "get money out politics" keep giving money to politicians.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

14. to do so would be to unilaterally disarm which would be stupid when the other guy is arming up.

can't effect policy change without first getting elected.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

16. And, you expect politicians you give money to are going to stop you from giving money to them?

[okaawhatever]

24. Yes, it will take a Democratic majority in all three branches to make that happen. It may even take

a constitutional amendment. I know 15 or 16 states have already voted on overturning Citizens United. Maybe with some new Democratic Governors we can see a few more states pass similar bills.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

26. that would be terrific if we can get the Constitution amended

because this should be one area most of the body politic under the $5 million net worth should be able to get behind.

[okaawhatever]

28. My concern is coverage from the media if the issue comes close to having enough states to ratify.

The media is the one making obscene profits from all of this. Why on earth do they want to promote the issue?

[arthritisR_US]

6. I think that is a good point because the urgency is imminent. nt

[DURHAM D]

7. Total BS - Ed is not keeping up with the news. nt

[bvar22]

35. Oh?... and what "news" are you keeping up with?

Hillary Clinton fundraising launched in US for 2016[/font]

Barack Obama's former campaign chief has thrown the financial muscle of the biggest liberal fundraising group behind Hillary Clinton in a move that marks the beginning of the money race for the 2016 presidential election.

Jim Messina said that Priorities USA Action, which played a key role in Mr Obama’s election success in 2012, has started start raising funds for a prospective presidential run by the former First Lady.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10593411/Hillary-Clinton-fundraising-launched-in-US-for-2016.html

‘Ready for Hillary’ campaign fills war chest for 2016 run

The shadow campaign to support a Hillary Clinton run for the White House has stepped up a gear, with organisers appealing for donations from supporters of her 2008 presidential bid.

The unofficial Ready For Hillary group, which has been cheerleading and amassing a database of grassroots supporters for almost a year, said that as a result, it had enjoyed the biggest online fundraising day in its short history.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/americas/article3967616.ece

[DURHAM D]

36. Looks like you are not keeping up either

given the dates of your links.

I hope by now if you have read the rest of this thread and figured out you are buying into the blathering of right wing magpies, not to mention the Democratic malcontents (read that unemployed campaign consultants and wannabees) who are frantically looking for a candidate, any candidate, to give them a job.

[bvar22]

38. LOL.... Ahh yeah...

The London Telegraph
and the London Times...

"blathering of right wing magpies, not to mention the Democratic malcontents"

Got it.

[DURHAM D]

40. Good.

[DonViejo]

10. Maybe not...

Priorities USA will also take steps to ensure its Clinton fundraising operation doesn’t interfere with the party during the midterms, according to a Wall Street Journal report this week. The group, the article said, is discussing a system in which it asks donors to hold off on making larger contributions until after 2014.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/rubycramer/key-democratic-group-will-sit-out-midterms

[Armstead]

20. Well that would still siphon money on a delayed basis

"Hold on to your checks until after the election."

Maybe they ought to be focused totally on the Congress races until they're over

[loudsue]

11. I quit giving to the Democratic party years ago, when they started trashing the base.

Now I just give to the candidates that are leaning the correct way on issues...screw the republicans who are running the DNC.

And Hillary sure as hell won't be getting any $$ from mwa.

[DonViejo]

21. Governor Dean and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz...

are Republicans? Who knew!?

[bvar22]

39. Debbie Wasserman Schultz?

Isn't she the one who refused to support Democrats and in favor of REPUBLICANS in the last election?
Yeah,...thats the one.

[DURHAM D]

41. No.

[DonViejo]

42. What Democrats did she refuse to endorse, bvar22? ...

please educate me!

[bvar22]

43. Debbie Wassrman-Schultz refused to endorse these 3 Florida Democrats in the 2008 elections:

Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chair Joe Garcia

Former Hialeah Democratic Mayor Raul Martinez

Democratic businesswoman Annette Taddeo

All three had won their local Democratic Primaries, and were challenging Hard Core Republican incumbents with whom Wasserman-Schultz had become cozy.
Not only did the head of the DCCC Red to Blue Program REFUSE to endorse these Democratic challengers,
but she appeared in person at at least one (possibly more) Campaign/Fundraiser for their Republican opponents.

FL-18, FL-21, FL-25: Wasserman Schultz Wants Dem Challengers to Lose
by: James L.
Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 7:15 PM EDT
<snip>

Sensing a shift in the political climate of the traditionally solid-GOP turf of the Miami area, Democrats have lined up three strong challengers -- Miami-Dade Democratic Party chair Joe Garcia, former Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez, and businesswoman Annette Taddeo to take on Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, respectively.

While there is an enormous sense of excitement and optimism surrounding these candidacies, some Democratic lawmakers, including Florida Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Kendrick Meek, are all too eager to kneecap these Democratic challengers right out of the starting gate in the spirit of "comity" and "bipartisan cooperation" with their Republican colleagues:

But as three Miami Democrats look to unseat three of her South Florida Republican colleagues, Wasserman Schultz is staying on the sidelines. So is Rep. Kendrick Meek, a Miami Democrat and loyal ally to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. [...]

This time around, Wasserman Schultz and Meek say their relationships with the Republican incumbents, Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart and his brother Mario, and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, leave them little choice but to sit out the three races.

"At the end of the day, we need a member who isn't going to pull any punches, who isn't going to be hesitant," Wasserman Schultz said.

Now, you'd expect this kind of bullshit from a backbencher like Alcee Hastings, but you wouldn't expect this kind of behavior from the co-chair of the DCCC's Red to Blue program, which is the position that Wasserman Schultz currently holds. Apparently, Debbie did not get Rahm's memo about doing whatever it takes to win:

The national party, enthusiastic about the three Democratic challengers, has not yet selected Red to Blue participants. But Wasserman Schultz has already told the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee that if any of the three make the cut, another Democrat should be assigned to the race.

http://www.swingstateproject.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1537

The bloggers also are furious with Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-Fla.), who similarly refuses to endorse the Democratic challengers to the three Cuban American Republicans.

They are calling for Wasserman Schultz to step down from her leadership role at the DCCC. And they're not letting up, even after one Florida liberal blogger reported that the congresswoman seemed "frustrated" by the blogs and had asked to "please help get them off my back."

This prompted even harsher reaction from perhaps the most influential of the progressive political bloggers, Markos Moulitsas, a.k.a. Kos, founder of Daily Kos, who wrote on his blog Wednesday: "On so many fronts, the Republicans are standing in the way of progress, on Iraq, SCHIP, health care, fiscal responsibility, corruption, civil liberties, and so on. Those three south Florida Republicans are part of that problem. And she's (Wasserman-Schultz) going to be 'frustrated' that people demand she do her job?"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/19/AR2008031903410_3.html

Here are Kos comments on the Wasserman-Schultz betrayal of the Democratic Party:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/03/20/480511/-DCCC-Says-Uproar-Over-DWS-Recusal-Much-Ado-About-Nothing



A lot of time has passed since 2008, but I don't take these kinds of betrayals lightly,
and don't forget them easily.

---bvar22
cursed with a memory

[DonViejo]

44. Wow and damn bvar22!

WTH was Wasserman thinking? Thanks for all the work you put into answering my question. Much appreciated!

[bvar22]

47. The Wasserman-Schultz betrayal of the Democratic Party got overlooked by the National Media

and most of the Democratic Party because, of course, the focus was on Obama and the national election in 2008.

Only political nerds that have the luxury of spending the time to keep up with local politics were even aware of the events in South Florida, but I have never been able to stomach watching Wasserman-Schultz on TV complaining about "not having enough votes" since 2008.

[loudsue]

48. Yes. DWS is a tool.

Howard Dean on the other hand, is 100% democrat. I'd give money to his campaign any day of the week.

[TheMathieu]

12. If true, it would be pretty stupid.

But I've seen no evidence of that happening.

[Armstead]

18. See article posted below

I'd think Priorities USA would be better focused on 2014

[Pretzel_Warrior]

13. not even remotely true. Ready For Hillary raised $4 million in all of 2013. In 2010 Midterms

the politicians spent over $4 BILLION. And that doesn't count other money spent on ground game, printed material, and the like.

So I think your concern is a tad unwarranted.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1327814/Mid-term-Elections-2010-Politicians-spent-4-2bn-adverts.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/01/07/ready-for-hillary-raised-more-than-4-million-in-2013/?tid=hpModule_f8335a3c-868c-11e2-9d71-f0feafdd1394

[Armstead]

17. That was before the current campaign kicked in

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/24/us/politics/biggest-liberal-super-pac-to-fund-possible-clinton-bid.html?_r=0


On Thursday, Priorities USA Action, a “super PAC” that played an important role in helping re-elect President Obama, announced that it was formally aligning itself with Mrs. Clinton and would begin raising money to fend off potential opponents for 2016.

The group — the largest Democratic super PAC in the country — also named new directors, appointments that will cement the group’s pro-Clinton tilt and thrust veterans of Mr. Obama’s political and fund-raising operation into the center of the post-Obama Democratic Party.

The move is perhaps the earliest start to big-dollar fund-raising in support of a nonincumbent presidential candidate, providing a fund-raising portal for wealthy Clinton supporters eager to help her White House prospects — and to the legions of others eager to ingratiate themselves with Mrs. Clinton and her inner circle.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

19. the money isn't going to get into her coffers in a big way until she announces something

like she is forming an exploratory committee or other significant action.

It seems like a stupid effort to say voters savvy enough to donate to political campaigns aren't also savvy enough to see it would be better to focus on midterms right now.

They could raise TEN X what they did in 2013 and it would still be a drop in the bucket to what is raised and spent in midterms.

[TBF]

15. I think it's a little more complex -

I love in Texas so my overwhelming concern in 2014 is for Wendy Davis. I'm not likely to turn down requests from other Texas dems either. But not every state has a race like that going on so I think some of this will depend upon where folks live.

[msanthrope]

25. How concerning. nt

[Pretzel_Warrior]

27. yep. I am going to go light my hair on fire and run around outside

because big bad mean Hillary is taking $$ from local races.

[Armstead]

29. Nobody's asking you to light your hair on fire

Just pointing something out.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

31. in your OP you seemed to be in stage 1 freak out mode. Republicans got WAY more SuperPac money than

DEMS in 2012 and the Dems wiped the floor with them because of the issues and the candidates. If the Dems get solid candidates and stick to the issues that were winning in 2012, the GOP can raise twice the money for their anti-regular people policies and be defeated. And people can donate to their local candiate as well as Hillary if they choose to do so.

[Armstead]

32. I don't go into freakout mode (usually)...But I am more than a little nervous about 2014

The right wing has got its sights set on taking over Congress and more states.

Seems like it ought to be an all hands on deck kind of situation to prevent that.

[Armstead]

30. I guess we should just leapfrog over the 2014 election?

Seems like all the energy and effort of the biggest Democratic PAC ought to be aimed at the tree right in front of us, rather than that mountain off in the distance

[msanthrope]

33. Indeed...that is concerning. Who, pray tell, did you have in mind? nt

[Armstead]

45. Trees...

a veritable potential forest, or at least a small woodlot.

You can do your own research, and do the math.

I'm not being a "concern troll" either. It is possible for Dems to hold their own and even gain some headway, if lucky.. But I do kinda think chances will be much improved if focus is kept on this year.

[Snotcicles]

34. As POTUS, with both houses of Congress being a Republican majority.

Hillary could fold like Origami. I think thats why she is doing the ole wait see.

[Enthusiast]

37. No worries from this quarter, Ed. She won't get a cent from me.

My candidates don't support bad trade deals and deregulation.

[flamingdem]

46. Yes, really good point

This year matters when the Kochs are dropping billions on congressional candidates.