Around the same time that Howard Dean came to town and asked people to support Bryan Kennedy, the DCCC apparently has their own agenda - to re-elect Jim Sensenbrenner. Look at what Kennedy's Campaign Manager (my replacement on the campaign) had to say in a blog entery:
http://www.soapblox.net/...
DNC vs. DCCC - up close and personal, MKE style (3.80 / 5)
Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Howard Dean when he came into town for the LULAC convention here in Milwaukee. He also attended the kickoff for the party's Hispanic caucus and a rally with Governor Doyle and my candidate, Bryan Kennedy.
What an incredibly NICE GUY, very easygoing and down-to-earth. He got up and stumped for Bryan at both events and then went a step further.
There are a series of big donors in the area who have not gotten behind Bryan's race despite being solicited on a regular basis. Dean asked Bryan how he was doing with these people and Bryan told him the story. Dean said he'd see what he could do. Apparently, later on that evening there was a private dinner with all this big donors and Dean. Dean got up and said "I know for a fact that there's only ONE of you who has done the right thing and got behind Bryan Kennedy", Dean said, speaking of one of our biggest supporters. He then went on to tell them all that he wanted them to stand behind Bryan 100%. Our big supporter (the lone big donor) told us the whole story.
So there's that, then there is my experience with the DCCC.
Yesterday I got 3 calls from volunteers who live in the same neighborhood in Shorewood, WI (If you know anything about the Northshore of Milwaukee, you know that Shorewood is the staunch, liberal stronghold of the area suburbs). Apparently, the DCCC had a canvasser out in Shorewood raising money. Money that Bryan's campaign will never see, but ANYWAY, that's not the best part. Apparently this little girl, a snotty college kid hired by Grassroots Campaigns for the DCCC, was going door-to-door telling our volunteers that they shouldn't spend their money on Bryan's race because it is a "lost cause" and their money is better spent on the DCCC targeted races. This girl actually said this when these people told her that they would rather give what they could to Bryan's campaign! Now it's one thing to send people to raise money in a district that you deem "a lost cause". It's QUITE another to send people in that trash the Democrat busting his behind to unseat one of the WORST Republicans in Congress (Jim Sensenbrenner!).
If this is the way our organizations treat people who distrupt their lives to try and affect positive change in our government, how will we ever WIN? Who the hell would WANT to step up to the plate and run when we perpetually EAT OUR OWN?
Since this foolish little girl had just been to one of these folks' homes 10 minutes earlier and the office is right around the corner, I hopped in my car and cruised down the street until I found her (we walk these streets all the time, so it took 5 minutes tops). I gave her my card and told her what happened, that I had received numerous calls informing me of her behavior. I told her that we have a tough battle ahead and have worked very hard to cultivate a strong volunteer base and financial support. I asked her to please stop trashing my candidate and that if she didn't have anything nice to say to please not say anything at all.
Her response was "this is so weird!" at which point I told her that it is not weird at all that we are VERY plugged in to the district's Democratic base and that we would be concerned about nipping this behavior in the bud ASAP. In fact, it shows that we are doing our job pretty well that we have such a strong network in place.
Today I made calls to the appropriate parties voicing my displeasure at such an unfortunate occurrence. The most responsive and helpful by far was the DNC!
I have had nothing but great experiences with the DNC on this campaign thus far.
by: bridgetdooley @ Fri Jul 14, 2006 at 00:37:18 AM CDT
Now if that doesn't make you want to support Bryan Kennedy, I don't know what will!