While Republicans struggle to get on track, Dems have problems of their own

Republicans are in disarray, but the Democrats are having problems of their own, too. And once again, they center around how DNC Chairman Howard Dean is spending party money:

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and the leader of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee have clashed angrily in recent days in a dispute about how the party should spend its money in advance of this fall’s midterm elections.

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (Ill.), who is leading the party’s effort to regain majority status in the House, stormed out of Dean’s office several days ago leaving a trail of expletives, according to Democrats familiar with the session.

The blowup highlights a long-standing tension that has pitted Democratic congressional leaders, who are focused on their best opportunities for electoral gains this fall, against Dean and many state party chairmen, who believe that the party needs to be rebuilt from the ground up — even in states that have traditionally been Republican strongholds.

Emanuel’s fury, Democratic officials said, was over his concern that Dean’s DNC is spending its money too freely and too early in the election cycle — a “burn rate” that some strategists fear will leave the party unable to help candidates compete on equal terms with Republicans this fall.

Emanuel declined to talk about his meeting with Dean but was blunt about his concern that the DNC is not managing its resources wisely.

“This is a historic opportunity, and we can’t squander it,” Emanuel said.

Although Dean has proved to be a more impressive fundraiser than some skeptical Democrats once thought — the DNC has taken in $74 million since the start of this election cycle in 2005 — he has also been a prolific spender. Disclosure forms for the first quarter of this year showed the party with about $10 million in cash on hand. The Republican National Committee, by contrast, has raised just under $142 million this cycle and has about $43 million on hand.

Many Washington Democrats think Dean is unwise to spend on field organizers and other staff in states where House and Senate candidates have little chance of winning. Dean has maintained that the party cannot strengthen itself over the long haul unless it competes everywhere.

Hat tip: Betsy Newmark

On a related note, Lorie Byrd from Polipundit has an opinion piece up at Townhall.com that discusses what a Democratic Congress would look like. Thomas Bray at Real Clear Politics sounds off on a similar note.

*shudders*

PM Update: Dean’s woes continue as the National Gay And Lesbian Task Force denounces him for a supposed ‘misrepresentation’ of the DNC’s platform. Oops.

8 Responses to "While Republicans struggle to get on track, Dems have problems of their own"

PCD says:

May 11, 2006 at 10:46 am

A Democrat Congress would put tax increases, property confiscation, persecution of religion, except Atheism and Islam, and destruction of the free, non-liberal press into maximum overdrive. We’d become French surrender monkeys.
Severian says:

May 11, 2006 at 11:09 am

The party won’t be able to strengthen itself over the long haul until it realizes that it’s far out in moonbat leftist territory, it realizes that people don’t want more taxes, less security, etc. etc. etc. The Dems are so far out of touch with the middle money and “getting their message out” aren’t the problems. The problem IS the message, or the complete lack of one. They don’t have much of a message, and what they do have is scarey and hard to sell. The only reason they’re showing any signs of picking up seats is that the Republican’s are giving them to them by screwing up as well, and even then it’s not sure that they won’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory yet again.
sanity says:

May 11, 2006 at 12:03 pm

While Democrats may have problems of their own, they may not actually need a message to win if the Republicans don’t start pulling their heads out of the sand.

This Illegal Immigration debate has really polarized the base, and if the Republicans do not start listening they will find that the base will not be voting for them, or at least be looking for new blood.

Now we have the possibility of DHS (Dept. Homeland Security) is giving minutemen location information to mexico….

This does not look good, and the base is seeing this and not happy because, at leat for me, feels like this undermines both our border security, endangers our private citizens that are helping (minutemen) and is compounding the problems in dealing with the illegal aliens crossing our borders, instead of doing something about it.

It just feels as if the States and private American citizens are doing and supporting the law, while getting blocked and hassled by the Federal Government while they do this.

It does seem this way, and for myself I am starting to really get ticked at both parties for not taking this seriously.

As for the Amnesty, this was done one time before and it did not help, so why are we revisiting a failed solution?
Baklava says:

May 11, 2006 at 1:50 pm

Sanity wrote, “While Democrats may have problems of their own, they may not actually need a message to win if the Republicans don’t start pulling their heads out of the sand.”

Yet drive by folks like CB come and act like we as conservatives never criticize Republicans or don’t have a problem with how they are governing or legislating. We do have problems and have been saying what you are saying Sanity for a long time. Also, Republicans need to gain enough #’s to have an acting conservative majority. Until that time Republicans need to point out the reason for the government increases for over 6 decades and point out who is responsible for the increases in spending. If it is 50% of the Republicans point them out. Point out to the American people all of the over spenders. Also point out to the American people more forcefully that social service or veterans benefits or health services spending has gone up by large amounts and that the 50 Billion in supposed cuts that the media dishonestly and dishonorably alleges aren’t actually cuts by decreases in the amount of increases from something like a 7.9% increase to a 7.4% increase.

Just YESTERDAY, Arnold gave in to the Unions AGAIN and increased education spending over the next couple years by another 5 Billion and putting to bed the unions FALSE allegation that Arnold CUT Education spending by 2 Billion dollars. So the Union’s argument is put to rest. But will it be? And was the Allegation correct? No. Education spending has gone UP EVERY YEAR under Arnold’s leadership. If and when there is anotehr recession this state is in a tough tough position financially. Revenues will go down and the state’s obligations have permanently gone UP.

It is something he had to do I guess during an election year where Phil Angelides and Steve Westley were alleging (just like the Unions) that Arnold wasn’t funding education and cut education spending, etc.

Lesson to Republicans !!!!! No matter how much you increase spending you will never be thought of as compassionate or caring or for the people by liberals and Democrat leaders. The liberal rank and file will continue to get their message from the press and Democrats and believe that Arnold is against people and uncaring. The state workers I work next to STILL believe Arnold doesn’t care about people. It’ll go on that way until the press is made to anser for their false allegations by the people.
benning says:

May 11, 2006 at 10:25 pm

Republicans are still governing as if they have lost election after election. They kow-tow to democrats and liberals as if they had won.

Thus, by failing to lead, or listen to the voters, republicans have not earned re-election.

The funniest part of the equation is that democrats will see it as a victory of their ideas (which don’t exist) and their plans (which they have never articulated publicly). And so they will once again alienate the normal Americans who will gladly toss out idiots who piss them off. And they will lose again. And not understand why.

Republicans may lose the next election, even the next two. But the Democrats will not be the winners. Americans will be.
Big Bang Hunter says:

May 11, 2006 at 11:28 pm

– From what I’ve seen of the democrats for the last 6 years, as enept at times and listless as the republicans seem to be right now, in view of the Me situation and the WOT, I just don’t think the country could weather another 8 years of Clintoneque/Liberal government.

– But then I don’t believe we will have too. the Dems may win a few seats in Congress, but I think 2 1/2 years down the road Iraq will be in some sort of resolution, good or bad, and Iran will be the soup dejur’ problem, and someone like Guiliani will win the day.

– I just do not see anyway the Dems can field a candidate that will have broad enough appeal to win a National election, given their core values and “All Socialism all the time” credo’s. The majority of Americans kick Socialism to the curb every time they vote on it.

– Bang
Leaning Straight Up says:

May 12, 2006 at 2:37 am

Howard Dean was against gay marriage before he was for it…maybe.

Uncle Howard* continues to crack me up. If ever there was a poster child for the lack of clear agenda and consistent principles, it’s him.
The little faux pass he just made is a perfect example, and even as it shows him to be trying to pand…
benning says:

May 12, 2006 at 11:30 am

Bang: I hope you are correct!

Comments are closed.