Sitting back, and relaxing

a different perspective than Alexander's and Alter's (0.00 / 0)

After reading this article, I think that I can confidently tell Mark Alexander and Jonathan Alter to take their remarks and shove them up their collective asses.

If I were you, Rosi, I would try to get Mark Alexander's class schedule at Seton Hall, publish it here at Blue Jersey, and invite the membership of DFA-NJ and any other progressive in the state to audit one of them and tell him what the grassroots thinks of his remarks.

As far as Jonathan Alter is concerned, I think that progressives should flood his Newsweek e-mail address with our thoughts about his remarks.

And while we're at it, we should do whatever it takes to get Tim Kaine removed from his position at the DNC and replaced by Steve Hildebrand.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 22:54:31 PM UTC

oh my (0.00 / 0)

...just after we complained about the sheriff crashing class. Let's please not publish anyone's class schedules.

ps. Hildebrand told activists to shut up and trust Obama so I sure hope he's not out there complaining now, and I don't see why I'd try to get him a job.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 23:31:57 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

huge difference (0.00 / 0)

There is a difference between an elected official, especially a sherriff with big, burly deputies at his disposal, barging into a professor's classroom and intimidating him and everyday people auditing a professor's class and politely telling them what they think of him.

Not familiar with Hildebrand telling activists to shut up and trust Obama.  I got a different impression from him in the above article.  If I remember correctly, I believe that he led an effort in the fall with fellow Obama campaign staffers placing a full-page ad in the NY Times, calling for the Obama administration to fight for the public option.

If I am wrong about Hildebrand, that's fine, but I stand by what I said about the progressive grassroots letting Mark Alexander know what we think of him and his remarks.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 23:52:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

on Hildebrand (0.00 / 0)

I think you are generally right, which is why the post telling liberals to shut up was so memorable, although it was actually in December 2008.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

As you say, by September 2009 he was frustrated enough to speak out:

http://www.politico.com/news/s...

So, I'm just saying maybe he would be a good choice anyway.

Frank LoBiondo Record and Jon Runyan Watch

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by: Hopeful @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 02:10:59 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

So not going to happen, rachael'sdad (0.00 / 0)

I'm rough, but there's no way I'm disrespecting student/professor time publishing any such thing. Much less, barging in to confront the professor at work.

Don't you dare post Mark's schedule, either, rachael'sdad. That would be cause for immediate banning here.  

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 00:17:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

so not surprised, Rosi (2.00 / 1)

Auditing is not barging and a collective expression of anger from the progressive grassroots could be as much of a teachable moment as anything that he is offering his students right now, but I guess that a blog diary will have to suffice.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 01:56:12 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

rachael'sdad (0.00 / 0)

Nobody here is quite good enough for you, it would seem.

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 06:14:17 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Rosi (0.00 / 0)

I just expressed my opinion about what I would do if I was a progressive grassroots leader in NJ and the former campaign manager of Barack Obama's Presidential campaign in NJ said what he said about the progressive grassroots.  Isn't that what the comments section is for?

To say that nobody here is quite good enough for me presumes that everybody here has the same relationships and resources at their disposal that you have to be able to take the kind of action necessary when the progressive grassroots and/or our issues of concern are as disrespected as they have been over the last few years.

You have the opportunity that very few others have to stand up for the progressive community and lead us, especially when we and our issues of concern are disrespected as they have been.  It is great that you were able to bring what Mark Alexander said about us to our attention, but why not take the next step and organize a response so that people like him know that there are consequences for disrespecting us in the way that he did.

Blue Jersey is a great forum for sharing ideas and DFA-NJ is a fantastic vehicle for organizing, but for some reason, despite being in a leadership position in both, you don't seem willing to bring the two together to combine words with actions.  Why is that?

Were you at the Blue Wave event that Mark spoke at?  If so, did you respond as you did above at the time?  Did anybody who was there?  Did Marcia Marley?  If progressive grassroots leaders are not going to stand up for the progressive grassroots when they and their issues of concern are being disrespected, then there is little, if any, point in them being leaders other than their own self-glorification.

You can frame what I am saying any way that you want, but that doesn't make it true.

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 15:06:08 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Did you? (0.00 / 0)

I assure you, you need not over-rely on me, or this site, or DFA-NJ, or anybody else to take up your best activism.

I can't be everywhere, nobody can.  

It's not a particularly snappy signature, but here's what I think we need in the next NJ Democratic State Chair.  

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by: Rosi Efthim @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 17:43:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I would have to be able to rely before I can over-rely (0.00 / 0)

I don't think that I have ever asked you or anybody else to be everywhere.

All I am asking is for you to actually be the leader that you present yourself to be as well as the leader that we all know that you can be.

Once again...

Blue Jersey is a great forum for sharing ideas and DFA-NJ is a fantastic vehicle for organizing, but for some reason, despite being in a leadership position in both, you don't seem willing to bring the two together to combine words with actions.  Why is that?

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by: Bertin Lefkovic @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 20:04:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Arm twisting (0.00 / 0)

"The President has to use his tools and power - which is to make like LBJ and twist arms and drive strong legislation."

For better or worse the days of the imperial presidency have been gone since Watergate.  

Besides the internet, talk radio and other media access make it impossible to effectively twist arms and even break legs without everyone knowing about it almost instantaneously. When I was growing up we only had newspapers and a handful of columnists like Drew Pearson and Jack Anderson to expose these shenanigans.  Nowadays you have the "Cornhusker kickback" and "Louisiana purchase" and everybody finds out about it.  And when you have democrats like Joe Sestak going around telling people that Obama tried to pay him off with a job if he would not run against Specter, it makes it even more difficult to conduct business.

And if a handful of Republicans try to forge a bipartisan compromise on HCR the peebaggers find out immediately through the internet and raise the wrath of holy righteous indignation.  Just ask Scott Brown.

Unfortunately this is the price we pay for transparency in government.

http://christiegonewild.blogsp...

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by: ken bank @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 00:17:41 AM UTC