Pelosi Surrenders-- Agrees To Allow Democratic Members A Vote On DCCC Chairmen-- Will Anyone Good Run?

No more of this choreographed failure

After a decade of abject failure-- in strategy, tactics, messaging and, of course, results-- House Democrats will no longer allow Pelosi to select her pets to chair the DCCC but will elect the chair of their campaign arm, just the way the Republicans do. One progressive congressman told me she worries that this will mean whoever bribes the most members will get the gig and she suggested that if Wasserman Schultz wants it, being the sleaziest plausible member of the caucus, she could have it. Another member just sent me this e-mail:

It's not a real election. Pelosi promised it to some dissidents but pushing immediate vote. Inside BS.

Thanks, believe it or not, to Sean Patrick Murphy and Joe Crowley, there won't be an immediate vote, since they agreed that an alternative candidate needed a chance to identify himself or herself and make a case for change. Like Steve Israel, Chris Van Hollen and Rahm Emanuel, the latest incarnation, Ben Ray Luján, who is already running for the job, has been a complete disaster, entirely not up to the job on any level. So far the progressives haven't come up with an alternative. I spoke with a dozen people since the decision was announced and no one wanted to take on the task. I'm sure that behind Crowley's and Murphy's decision is a plan to make sure the job goes to a New Dem. Mark my words.

But so far no one is talking about a contract-with-America type messaging effort. No one is talking about mastering the intricacies of new online advertising opportunities. No one is talking about a 24 month, targeted voter registration drive. No one is talking about how to root out the endemic revolving door corruption that literally defines the last decade of DCCC failure. And no one is talking about the dangers of Rahm Emanuel and Steve Israel's diktat that the default situation for recruiting candidates is easily corruptible, self-funding Republican-lite dullards.

Instead, one congressman told me, "this is going to be another damn personality contest unrelated to vision... [or] ability to get a very serious, difficult job done." There was also a "battle" for Caucus vice chair that was won by Linda Sanchez (D-CA) over Barbara Lee (D-CA). Why the relatively unaccomplished Sanchez over the heroic and iconic Lee? "The CBC doesn't see strong progressives like Barbara Lee or, for that matter, Keith Ellison or Donna Edwards, as part of their crowd. The CBC didn't back Barbara," a congressman told me after the vote, "not the way the Hispanic Caucus got behind Sanchez. She just sits around and plays video games on her cell phone all day. I couldn't believe that vote! I heard Nancy let it be known to her closest supporters that with Becerra leaving the leadership, she wanted a Hispanic. That's the way she plays. More of that identity politics bullshit that's burying the party."