More On How The DCCC Is Destroying Progressive Hopes For America

Why is the DCCC empowering this enemy of working families?

Yesterday you had the opportunity to hear, first hand, from a former Democratic candidate in Florida, Carol McLean, when she explained how DCCC operatives at the highest levels disparaged the Democratic grassroots-- which they feign support for-- while sabotaging her run in favor of a reactionary Republican sex predator they recruited to run as a "Democrat." Today, I want to introduce you to someone else who has come to similar conclusions about the DCCC, but from another perspective.

Jason Sugg was one of the first 100 generous contributors to Blue America's ActBlue campaign, Send The Democrats A Message They Can Understand. We sent him a thank you note on behalf of the 6 candidates he decided to support with a hefty recurring contribution that will automatically kick in every month from now until September. Jason responded with an e-mail of his own and I asked him if I could share it with DWT readers. Jason's a 35 year old dad in Austin with a two and a very young daughter. He told me that 9 months ago he left his corporate software job to go back to school and "the day I got out of corporate America was one of the best of my life. I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter-- and for me this is really more about her than anything else. I don't want her to grow up in an ecologically-devastated world; I don't want her to grow up in a world with these insane extremes of wealth and poverty; I don't want her to grow up in a culture that thinks spending how many thousands of lives and several trillion dollars on overseas wars is okay but balks at a deficit-neutral health care reform plan. Is it too much to ask that she grow up in a culture with a basic respect for all people?" Here's the note Jason sent us in response to our "thank you" e-mail:

Thanks for the note. For the last 5 years, ever since Howard Dean became DNC chairman I have been sending $50 a month to the party. But this last week-- after watching the Dems bow to the bankers for a year, after watching them with their huge majorities fail to enact even moderately progressive policies, after the ridiculous loss in Massachusetts, and after watching them fall to pieces because their 60 vote majority in the Senate was now only a 59 vote majority-- well, I just couldn't do it any more. So it's going to you guys, because this type of plan is the only way I see of creating any sort of possibility of real change in the political culture of our country.

I have become increasingly convinced that while the loony Republicans and the corporate media are real headaches, the true root problem with America's direction is the Democratic caucus. Their steadfast refusal to use the institutional power thrust on them by the American people is appalling. There seems to be nothing they're really willing to fight for outside of some generic, muddled, "why can't we all just get along" middle ground. And I'm tired of my choices lying between the clinically insane and the clinically impotent.

So kudos to you guys for spearheading this, I'm happy to be a part of it. I very much appreciate everything you guys do, both with your writing and your initiatives.

Digby, John and I are hearing messages like this all day every day from our readers and from Blue America donors. It's why we're helping raise grassroots contributions for the Senate race in Ohio pitting a tepid Establishment Democrat-- Lee Fisher, the embodiment of the kind of stands-for-nothing-much career politician who will have no chance whatsoever against the faux populist GOP/teabagger revolution this year-- against an effective and proven progressive leader, Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner. And it's why we're suggesting 5 outstanding progressive grassroots leaders-- in Hawai'i, New Hampshire, Georgia, Florida and California, each running against a reactionary or out-and-out Blue Dog for a seat in Congress. I hope you'll take a look at our appeal and consider making a donation. Thanks!