On Tuesday, in a break with tradition, our local Democratic group voted to open a headquarters in a rented storefront on the town square as a campaign headquarters.
Ordinarily, both Republicans and Democrats here rent a storefront only in Presidential election years.
It’s an unusually aggressive posture for the local Democrats, who are in the minority here, and generally very low-key and accommodating people.
Maybe this new attitude comes right from the top, as illustrated by this great catch by the always-funny Jim Newell:
Ohio’s Democratic party chairman, Chris Redfern, recently said at a campaign event what most Democratic chairmen dream of saying: He is sick of these Tea Party “fuckers.”
So he’s on board.
In the past, our headquarters has served not just as a place for people to pick up a yard sign or volunteer, but also as a place to go and vent.
I’ll make sure there’s no video available.
Pancake
LOL They should have saved their rent money; the latest polls out of Ohio reflect a disaster of Titanic proportions across the board, from the Governor to Senator and at least five congressional seats.
cleek
get some external video cameras so you can identify the patriots who throw bricks through your windows.
Violet
Awesome. I feel like sending a cookie bouquet to Mr. Redfern. I wish more Democrats had his attitude.
debbie
Ohio Republicans are already demanding punishment for Redfern’s swearing. Ooh, their poor delicate ears!
Cris
@Pancake: Are those the final official 2010 general election counts you’re citing? From the future?
ploeg
Yep. Time to unleash the ACORN stormtroops.
Poopyman
@debbie:
I hope Mr. Refern tells them to bite it.
Omnes Omnibus
I always liked Redfern.
Chat Noir
I agree completely with Mr. Redfern.
Kay
@Pancake:
Well, they’re not laughing. They resent the media and Republicans calling the race 5 weeks prior to anyone voting.
The arrogance seems to have pissed even these nice people off, and that’s saying something.
Mike from Philly
I think most of the non 20-percenters out there are pretty sick of the tea party right now. I’m with Redfern – screw these fuckers. This long overdue backlash probably won’t stave off losses in November, but once these moronic know nothings have access to the levers of power there isn’t much that is going to prevent the Republican party from looking like a nightmare.
I may rent a silo of popcorn.
Violet
He’s not apologizing, either. Good for him.
Kay
@Violet:
It’s completely consistent with how he is. He’s….blunt.
Bobby Thomson
I’m sick of those Koch Party Republican fuckers, too.
burnspbesq
Today’s comic relief.
http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/77887/the-collected-aphorisms-christine-odonnell?utm_source=ESP+Integrated+List&utm_campaign=09a32afc27-TNR_Daily_092310&utm_medium=email
Zifnab
More of this, please.
JGabriel
The idea of Teabaggers breeding is disturbing; the visual is horrifying.
.
slag
And I’m sick of all the ignorant fuckers who are going to let the Tea Party fuckers fuck America over!
ETA And I’m also sick of these “Congratulations, you won!” fuckers whoever they are. Why oh why are the talking ads back?
fourlegsgood
Me too!! Take no prisoners! that’s the attitude we need going forward. One thing I know for sure, americans do NOT like a pussy – and too many dems are caving, cowering and generally acting like beaten little twits.
Napoleon
So that is what the Dem chairman said that caused the Rep chairman to whine to a reporter on my local NPR station in Cleveland. Love it.
fourlegsgood
Why am I being moderated? that’s never happened before.
dww44
@Kay:
Thanks for this and I agree. No defeatism from this quarter. I too am angered by the calling of the elections at this point and I ain’t throwing up my hands yet.
Our state Democratic party just opened up offices in the mid to large cities in this red red state, something I don’t think they’ve done very often. In fact, their visibility has been slim to none and too often cede everything to the GOP. We have a good slate of Dem candidates and although all my all-too-conservative friends and relatives are already salivating at regaining power nationally, I embrace the possiblity they could be wrong on the morning of Nov. 3.
JGabriel
@fourlegsgood:
Because we are fickle and shallow.
.
Alex S.
The Dems have got to fight, FIIIIIIGGGHHHHT! They’ve got to realize what they’re up against. October has got to be their month.
BGinCHI
And……the Senate won’t vote on the tax cuts for the middle class bill.
The Senate: I hate those fuckers.
Brandon
@Violet
He has an even longer statement he sent to the OH Dem Party email list. It’s brilliant. The are the kinds of people that are needed. Moar please!
JGabriel
@Violet:
Good. I could never see any point in apologizing to a bunch of fuckers who are never gonna vote for us anyway. They are foul, immoral, unethical people who want to take from the poor and give to the rich. Their hatred is a badge of honor and an occasion for pride.
.
Legalize
@Alex S.:
Right. To bad they’re not going to fight:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/senate-dems-ready-to-shelve-tax-cut-vote-1.php
They don’t think they have the votes. Isn’t that precisely the fucking point? Jon Stewart is exactly right: we are run by fucking assholes.
fasteddie9318
Redfern should apologize for his callous remark. He should say, “At a recent campaign event, I referred to members of the Tea Party movement as ‘fuckers.’ I regret this unfortunate slip of the tongue. I am sometimes so impulsive that my mouth gets ahead of my brain. In hindsight, I realize now that I should have referred to Tea Partiers as ‘cocksucking motherfucking piece of shit piss-faced shitbag horse fuckers.’ I deeply apologize for my error and any pain it has caused those sub-human scum-eating teabaggers.”
Violet
@Brandon:
Yeah, it’s all on the blog post I linked. I just excerpted the “not apologizing” party. It’s an awesome statement.
@Alex S.:
Perhaps a surge by the Dems could be the “October surprise” of 2010? I realize I sound like I’m smoking something.
Of course they’ve just caved on voting on the tax cut thing. Biggest bunch of spineless wimps I’ve ever seen. They’ve got a voter-favorite issue just teed up for them and they can’t even show up. Pathetic.
Alex S.
@Legalize:
Yes, they should hold all the votes right now, even if they can’t pass them. It’s election season and nothing will pass – because the Dems only have 59 seats.
uila
Have you seen this mall in China that has a “venting store” where women shoppers can take the edge off by destroying household appliances?
Am I right to feel embarrassed that Americans didn’t think of this first? Now there’s a Luddite gap. I blame Obama.
artem1s
good for Redfern! It’s his job to take the media flack for the candidates. glad he’s willing to step up.
NobodySpecial
Well, there you have it. Now you can blame it all on the professional left.
fasteddie9318
@Legalize:
Obviously not, duh, since a “senior Democratic aide” who was so confident in the logical coherence of this message that he or she wouldn’t put his or her own name to it said that they “have a winning message now.” Why confuse the issue by forcing Republicans to actually take a position when you can leave everybody enough wiggle room to accuse everybody else of everything?
I’m going to do everything I can to help elect Democrats in November, but from a purely tactical standpoint they completely deserve to lose this election. Never before in American political history have we seen a major party assemble a collection of incompetent, tone-deaf, clueless losers quite like this one.
debbie
The Ohio Republican Party has been doing everything it can to besmirch Democrats, aside from policy differences. Just one example: They accused Cordray of illegally using campaign funds from last year for this year’s race. They called for an investigation. Two days later, it turned out John Husted had done the very same thing with slightly more money. A GOP spokesperson’s response was that this was “comparing apples and oranges.”
It’s funny to watch the Republicans almost taken aback whenever the Democrats respond, as if they had expected no response at all — which is how it’s been in the past. The Democrats are better and quicker at responding this election cycle. Whether it’s Redfern’s leadership or stuff they learned from watching the 2008 Obama campaign, it’s welcome and long overdue.
Omnes Omnibus
@Legalize: An unnamed “senior aide” is quoted as saying something? Oh no, let’s panic for it is surely correct.
Kryptik
@fasteddie9318:
This. I mean…christ. For all the fretting about Manic Progressives staying home, and giving up, it’s pretty goddamn obvious that the Dems in Washington gave up long before anyone else did.
NobodySpecial
@Kryptik: You’re not allowed to say that. 11-D chess and all. Plus, you know, the country just isn’t ready for liberal ideas. Our betters have been telling us that for how long now?
Legalize
@Alex S.:
Totally. Who cares if they don’t PASS right now. Hold the vote now and get the shit-heads on record as obstructing middle class tax cuts. It’s so fucking easy. The White House has been pushing it more and more, and now the fucking Senate lays down.
Seriously, what is the point of supporting these assholes? They won’t do anything productive even if they do retain power. They’ve got a hanging curve ball the size of a beach ball lobbed at them, and they’ve decided to keep their bats on their shoulders. Hey, maybe we’ll get a walk and the pundits will applaud our on-base percentage!!
I’m close to the point where I want the country to get what’s coming: Teabaggers at the wheel. It’ll suck for two years, but Obama will be able to run against something and the country will either FINALLY get the fucking point, OR we will hasten our own demise and get it all over more quickly, i.e. no blood-letting, just tent cities lit by the glow of iPhones.
Kryptik
@NobodySpecial:
Our betters can go choke on a salmonella egg. :/
aimai
@Kryptik:
Correct. At the very least if the message you want to send your voters is “The Republicans won’t let us make things better for you” you have to, you know, demonstrate this by forcing the Republicans to publicly refuse to make things better. Over and Over. Repetition is key here. I can’t believe how incompetent these people are. And they are probably paid for their expertise, too.
Fucking morons.
aimai
Legalize
@Omnes Omnibus:
Ok. You hold your breath. See if the Senate steps up.
Make that the House too:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/house-dems-punt-on-upper-income-bush-tax-cuts.php
jeffreyw
Venting? Haw! Dozergrrl Smash!
ruemara
I applaud Redfern’s ideas and would like to subscribe to his newsletter. Plus, fuck teabaggers and anonymous aides. If you care about the issue, then contact your House & Senate reps and tell them what you want.
Kay
@debbie:
I actually think it’s Redfern. He’s not a ‘nice’ Democrat. I mean, along with that personality type goes the possible downside: autocratic, impatient, controlling, etc, but as long as you’re willing to acknowledge that reality, that often all those things go together in one person, I think he does a good job.
NobodySpecial
@aimai: Interesting point: How many of the consultants/party guard who keep pushing these ideas are advisers from the great mostly-fail that was the ’90’s for Democrats? They lucked into Bill Clinton, but we used to joke all the time about Lanny Davis types being 0-for. Now they’re the trusted source for Democratic thought on the news.
Compound it with putting the bluest of Blue Dogs in the valuable committeships to ‘keep them afloat’ with their constituency, and then they turn around and keep pushing legislation rightward.
Violet
HOLY CRAP. I am SO ANGRY right now. I just tried to phone my Representative, just as I did during the health care debate, to urge my Rep to vote on the tax cuts (I know, I know, I’m probably way late in this, but figured I’d do it anyway).
I got some ultra moronic intern answering the phone. I said I was a constituent, and the intern didn’t even know what that was. Seriously! I had to explain what “constituent” meant. “I am in the Representative’s district.”
It must have been this intern’s very first day on the job or something, because every time I would say something (“I’m in the Representative’s district”) the intern would repeat it to someone else in the background to get advice on what to do. I finally asked to speak to the person in the background, and the intern told me I couldn’t.
They tried to get me to leave my contact information, but I’ve done that multiple times with my Rep and NO ONE has EVER phoned me back. So I declined that offer. What is the point?
I like my Rep’s voting record, but the office is a DISASTER. I’m so angry right now that as a constituent I can’t even speak to anyone higher than a doorstop. Heck, the doorstop would probably do a better job of taking down my thoughts on the tax cuts issue.
UGH. How in the heck can I in good conscience support someone like that? It’s awful.
EDIT: Alex at post 49 below: PLEASE FIX YOUR HYPHEN. It has messed up the thread.
Omnes Omnibus
@Legalize: Ok, and you go ahead and pre-panic. How about calling your senators and telling them that you have been hearing rumors that they are going put off a vote on taxes? Tell them that you care about the issue and that, while you support them, it will be very hard for you to talk others into voting this fall if the Democrats in the Senate are not seen as standing up for ordinary people.
Talk about rolling over…
Alex S.
@Violet:
The fundamentals are not THAT bad – which is ironic considering the unpopularity of the Democratic Party right now, but the Republicans are even less popular! And Obama’s approval rating is ….ok… considering the circumstances. I’m getting tired of the “enthusiasm gap”, but in this magnitude, it’s a pretty new phenomenon, and the polls that depend on enthusiasm might be easier to change than those depending on fundamentals. We’ve already seen a small improvement of the generic ballot in the past 2 weeks, from about -6 to -3.
Earl Butz
@uila: Americans did think of it first. Sadly, they’ve closed down. They opened sometime in the early 2000s.
Corner Stone
Maybe the Professional Left won’t let the Senate take a vote.
Southern Beale
Interesting. I just read this “starter map” for angry liberals which seems connected …
Poopyman
@Legalize:
Exactly! What is so difficult to understand about this? Why do we as Democrats continue to pay these people to lose for us? Why can we not find more Redferns?
Poopyman
@Violet:
Name names. Who’s your Rep?
merrinc
@Kay:
He sounds like my kinda guy. If he was female, he would be called a bitch. And has Tina Fey and Amy Poehler told us in one of my favorite SNL skits: Bitches Get Things Done.
You go, Mr. Redfern. Better to go down fighting than to just give up.
Lurked
@NobodySpecial:
I am inclined to believe that a lot of the structural problems we are discussing are due to Clintonistas having grabbed power during the 90s. Many of them are idiots, quite a few are completely beholden to special interests, and possibly idiots as well since those aren’t mutually exclusive, and they firmly believe in their triangulation strategy. This isn’t yet another wail against Rahhhm, but Obama choose several of them for his advisors and staff. It’s similar to the way Reaganites and even Nixonites keep reappearing in Republican administrations.
Once in power, their main objective is to retain their power and influence within the institution, not to help the institution. This is apparently a well-known effect common to most institutions.
Legalize
@Omnes Omnibus:
I can keep calling all I want, but I can’t force them to get their heads out of the asses at the last minute when they’ve been hiding from drawing a distinction between themselves and the GOP all summer long. When their staffers say that Senator X or Congressman Y believes that raising taxes on producers in a recession will kill jobs – over and over and over and over again, every time I call, I get the picture eventually. I got excited about the prospect of a vote. I got fooled again.
jl
Can Kay ask Redfern to visit Washington for a short attitude adjustment seminar, maybe with a large blunt object.
Jeez.
The deluded, cowardly, incompetent corporate Democrats in the House will be wiped out in the election and good riddance. Problem is they are missing an opportunity to focus the public mind. and we put off good faith attempts to adopt good fiscal policy. And they will be replaced by nutjobs.
Very irresponsible, cowardly, and stupid decision by Congressional Democrats today.
ruemara
Can we get another Tim F call to arms and phones? pls?
FlipYrWhig
@Legalize:
So, remember how, like, what was it, a day ago, there was a vote on the defense bill that included the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and it didn’t pass right now? What was the prevailing reaction to that one? Delight that the shit-heads were now on record as obstructing something the bulk of the public supports? Or Sturm und Drang about how Democrats were so awful and incompetent anyway?
I see the rewards of provoking a confrontation over tax cuts, and I see it as a winning issue. I want them to do it. But you have to admit that we _just had_ an example of the same dynamic, and the reaction among Democrats was not to chortle that the stupid Republicans had just fallen into our clever clever trap, bwahahaha, but to blame Democrats.
one two seven
Can someone explain to me again why it wouldn’t be great politics to just force the Republicans to actually filibuster a popular bill on the Senate floor right now instead of these 56-43 “losses” on cloture vote?
Take them off the campaign trail and let America see their Senate in action.
John S.
Speaking of venting…
FUCK YOU SHARRON ANGLE
I am the father of an autistic child, and I am seething with anger over this fucking imbecile of a woman and the idiots in the crowd cheering for her. Autism is REAL. My son not being neurotypical is REAL. Fuck you and your minions for implying otherwise.
jl
@FlipYrWhig:
You have any evidence for your assertion other than anonymous commenters bloviating on blogs?
Seriously, this is not snark. Provide some evidence, please.
Edit: also, the tax cut issue, with message that Democrats are taxers who will oppress the middle class, but too cowardly to say so, is already a centerpiece flim flam objet d’art of the GOP campaign. I think it is important that the Democrats make a clearcut action showing that this is not true, which will also expose Republican hypocrisy. A vote on a clean bill that addressed only this issue would have been a very good idea.
Plus, if all the Bush II tax cuts are extended, the US may be on a long term trajectory towards a real fiscal mess. No excuses for not trying to fix it asap.
Steve
@FlipYrWhig: Depends who you ask. The Never-Satisfied Caucus? Personally, I was happy they forced the vote.
Drive By Wisdom
Who wrote in the NYT in 2007?
1) Republican
2) Obama’s Chair of Council of Economic Advisors
You people, like that Ohio moonbat, blaming everyone else and never taking responsibility.
ruemara
@jl:
Really? Dan Savage. There’s a name. I love him, but I haven’t been able to visit the stranger for a while.
Legalize
@FlipYrWhig:
Then why vote on anything ever?
I didn’t see Dems blaming Dems for the failed DADT vote. I heard people calling Susan Collins all sorts of stuff – rightly so. I saw Dems slamming McCain and Graham – rightly so. DADT isn’t the same political winner as middle-class tax cuts are. It’s also an issue that Dems can raise over and over and over again and become more popular because of it. Eventually they would win.
Anyway, I was happy about taking a vote on DADT. It was the just thing to do, and I think the Dems made that case pretty well. I’ll always be happy when the Dems actually make a case and fight for the right thing to do. If you keep making the point, eventually the just position will win.
Nick
@Legalize:
Not that I disagree, but look what happened when we held the vote and put the Republicans on record opposing unemployment, opposes small business tax credits, opposing DADT, DREAM ACt and 9/11 health benefits.
Nothing, GOP base more energized while Dems are left going “WTF?”
I think they should hold a vote, but I’m not on any illusions that it’ll help politically. the GOP never gets punished for obstructing popular stuff, and I’m not 100% sure this is popular.
jl
@Drive By Wisdom: Your comment makes no effing sense. Please explain your point.
Cris
@one two seven: This is getting to be an FAQ, but it’s worth repeating. The cloture vote is written into the Senate rules. If you can’t get unanimous consent (i.e. everybody agrees to let the bill go to the floor without taking a tally) you have to pass a cloture vote. The system has been established since 1917 with the express purpose of making actual filibusters extremely rare.
Am I saying this is a good idea? Not really. I’d love to see the Senate agree to change the rule. They don’t wanna.
Nick
@Legalize:
Go back two days and look at the diaries about it. Look at some blogger responses to it. A lot of people were blaming the Dems.
Hell, just yesterday John discussed people blaming Dems.
Bob L
Running around flaming is no way to do politics, BUT there has been way to much wussing and hand wringing when the other side is throwing punches and talking Bullshit. Good for Redfern.
Nick
@one two seven:
These 56-43 losses are filibusters.
FlipYrWhig
@jl: Evidence that a large group of people were incredibly, righteously pissed off _at Democrats_ about the filibustering of the DADT-including defense bill? As far as big media people, Andrew Sullivan’s comments were rehashed on the front page here twice; Jon Stewart blamed Reid; according to the comments in this thread, Dan Savage did it too. That’s for starters. I can actually sympathize with people being pissed off; but the reason I brought it up here is that I haven’t really seen it play out yet that this tactic —
bring up something for a vote
dare Republicans to block it
when Republicans block it, get motivated to smash those Republican fuckers
— has actually increased Democratic or “base” enthusiasm. Instead, it seems to make people more frustrated and more tuned-out.
John S.
@jl:
Are you joking? Do you live under a rock?
http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/the-gaggle/2010/09/21/failure-to-repeal-don-t-ask-don-t-tell-could-hurt-democrats-in-november.html
It’s ALWAYS bad news for Democrats. ALWAYS.
Cris
That comment might as well be auto-generated whenever DBW posts.
Comrade Kevin
@jl: Drive by wisdom’s comments never make any sense. You won’t get an explanation either, he always drops one turd and then runs.
John S.
Here was the MSNBC headline that day:
Senate fails in effort to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’
Oh, well if the SENATE failed, then that means it’s the Democrats’ fault because they control the Senate! And if you needed further clarification, the sub-headline read:
Two Democrats join GOP against measure attached to military spending bill
Just so we are clear on whose “fault” it was.
FlipYrWhig
@Legalize: I saw David Corn and Keith Olbermann that night complaining that even though the Democrats did and said all the right things, they didn’t show enough anger about it, so, FAIL.
I just haven’t seen much evidence that holding votes that expose the depths of Republican obstructionism actually works to rally Democrats. It should, but I don’t think it has. One big portion of the audience says — like Jon Stewart did — that “Congress” sucks. Another big portion says that Democrats didn’t do everything they could have done to make it really happen. Those are probably both even _true_! But what it shows is that as a base-motivation tactic, which people keep saying it should be, forcing Republicans to block popular Democratic ideas isn’t proving to be particularly effective.
patrick
\
just did that on my lunch hour…..
ruemara
@patrick:
Just did that now! And gave a big rahrah to the Speaker. That House vote going through would make a dif.
Bulworth
Redfern is very shrill.
debbie
@ Kay:
I don’t think it’s that he’s not “nice,” but that he’s determined to make and keep his point of view on the table.
I’ve listened to Redfern when he appears with DeWine on local tv or radio. DeWine, like Bennett before him, expects to always get the last word (as if it were his due), and Redfern consistently takes that away from him. I believe he’s the first Democratic official to do that. I don’t the comparison to a pit bull, but Redfern’s definitely a scrapper.
JenJen
Didn’t have a chance to read through all the comments yet, but allow this Buckeye to say “Go Chris Redfern!”
This is weirdly encouraging news, Kay. Thanks!
Pancake
From Redfern through many of the commenters here, it’s all just a bunch of profane, foul-mouthed, uncouth swine. It should be added that most appear to be delusional if they really think the dems are going to salvage Ohio.
Phoenix Woman
@Pancake: Paul Hackett used “fatass drug addict” (his term for Rush Limbaugh) to come within four points of taking out Jean Schmidt in 0H-02 back in 2005 — AND boost voter turnout enough to get a whole bunch of important levies passed, including many that had been languishing on the ballot for years.
cleek
@FlipYrWhig:
Congress does suck. it sucks balls. it sucks as an institution, as a chummy club mindset, as a baffling procedural nightmare, as a way for lobbyists to subvert elections, as a way for people to be represented. it sucks at just about everything people want it to do and everything they expect it to be.
i might like my rep (go David Price!). but he has to work within a system that is held hostage by pampered, corrupt, ignorant, and beholden Senators, and crippled by inane parliamentary procedures, greed, short-sightedness, and the never-ending campaign, so i don’t expect much of anything from him; he just votes the right way on bills that eventually get killed by the Senate. BFD.
Congress is where good ideas go to be filleted, skinned, hung to dry and then mounted above the fireplace of some fat, lazy senile old white fuck from West Doucheberg.
Congress sucks.
JenJen
@Brandon: Just got a similar email from Redfern; kind of a clever fundraiser:
artem1s
you can donate to Redfern’s swear jar…
https://ohiodems.org/swear_jar/
I love it!
merrinc
@artem1s:
Thank you for posting the link. I’m in for $10. Tea party fuckers, indeed.
urbanmeemaw
I get calls every day about canvassing for Steve Driehaus in Ohio 1. I think he has a good shot at keeping his seat. His ads have been hard hitting (for a Democrat!)