CELEBRATE - NOT - DENIGRATE

REPEAT AFTER ME:

T H E R E I S E N O U G H C R E D I T T O G O A R O U N D.




Quite simply, it was a great effort by many folks of different beliefs and political persuasion. Together we took back the House and the Senate without utilizing any consistent message other than we are not Bush. IMHO, there were so many shades on Iraq, that there was no consistent talking point used.

This is what we all worked hard for, what we blog for, what we pay attention for, and what, at tiimes, we may have been even too scared to hope for,

In the aftermath of a great Tuesday Night - Midterm Election - there was a quick lob of a hand grenade into the united Democratic Front by the ragin cajun himself, James Carville. Now, IMHO there are probably some necessary institutional challenges (think Murtha v. Hoyer for House Majority Position) that do not denigrate but make our party better, but challenging the good Doctor in wake of this victory is assinine.

The 50 state strategy somehow seems to still need defending:

A 50 state strategy that had solid candidates across the board; and candidates that were in a position to win when the page scandal and other Republican black marks broke.

A 50 state strategy that had a candidate challenging the FL-Foley Seat,

A 50 state strategy that had a candidate challenging PA-Sherwood seat (the prior 2 previous elections he ran unopposed)

A 50 state strategy that had us pick up a seat in (what's the matter with) Kansas.

A 50 state strategy that had Dick Cheney and the RCCC spending time and money in Nebraska and Wyoming.


Netroots: remember we have a big tent, that is how we won , how we will continue to win. We supported DEM candidates that maybe were not our first choice and perhaps we didn't agree with on issues we considered important. THink of candidates like

a. bob casey
b. Harold ford
c. Heath shuler



Now i know that it may be difficult to swallow, but Rahm Emanuel is a master politician who we should be thrilled is a DEM and not a Republican. I mean, come on he is JOSH LYMAN, his brother is ARI GOLD.

Do we not at least respect someone who was elected to Congress just 4 years ago, but now has headed the DCCC when they took back the house and just maneuvered into being given the majority whip spot,
Remember, the Use it or Lose It campaign??? That NETROOTS campaign pushed money to the DtripleC, not the ACT BLUE PAGES. And apparently, RAHM HAS DISTANCED HIMSELF from the CARVILLE CRAP.

How 'bout the respect given to us by another master politician, Chuck Schumer. : politically, do we at least not respect someone who was finally able to retire Alfonse D'Amato, have his #1 mentee win his Congressional seat and become poised to be an early favorite to be the next Mayor of N Y C (Anthony Weiner), a Senator who was one of the only bright spots in the 2004 election with his 71% reelection, largest win in N Y Statewide Political History and who raised enough money to help the ad buys late in the election cycle for the netroot fave Senator Tester (emphasiszing that the MSM believed Burns' Tester is a Taxer Ad was a big fat misrepresentation). Senator Charles Schumer is a great politician, a term usually associated with Republicans. Let's not challenge his ascension to a postion of power in the Democratic Hierarchy,

Let's work with Senator Schumer.

He has set out a a 3 Point Agenda

How 'bout, we don't attack him, but we work with him, starting by asking him some tough questions:

* Controlling the hires of candidates' top campaign staff.

who do you mean? Bob Schrum? Let's get hims some names of top campaign staff we like, we believe in.

* Giving $1 million off the bat to vulnerable incumbents in red states to scare off Republican challengers.

let's give him some thoughts on who the vulbnerable incumbents are and who we like to run against them

* Signing off on campaign ads and requiring candidates respond within 24 hours of an attack against them.

isn't this what we want? don't we agree with this strategy?

So, let's enjoy our victory, Let's gear up for 2008 and let's work with our BIG TENT TEAM and our supertar politicians and realize that means that they may take more credit than we want to give them, but they are politicians. We have been accepted at the dance, we are part of the in crowd now, let's use this to push our agenda and the DEMS, and not take our eye off the prize.