I know that his new NPI groups includes Trippi and Kos. I just don't know which others.  I thought I read on here last night that Jerome was meeting with Trippi (this week-end?) Don't see it now.

I found this at Simon's blog recently, which led me to believe that this group was working with or perhaps for Wesley Clark as well...maybe part of the New Security Democrats. It looks like he met with NDN to discuss security. NDN meets with Clark

Howard's fundraiser tonight is nowhere mentioned at the Lousiana Democratic Party's website. Nowhere. YET, see this....Jim Dean's visit on July 9th is listed there!  Why would that be?  All over the news tonight there are articles mentioning the "lightly attended" LA fundraiser, and putting Howard Dean down.  

Well, hell, yes. If you don't list an event at your website...people may not know about it.  Also, was it really lightly attended?  

Also why the heck would the Louisiana Democratic Party list the Democracy for America event with Jim Dean on July 9th and not list that of his big brother, Howard...who is chairman of the party.  

Are they confused?  Am I confused?  
Beaucoup Blues: Featuring Democracy for America's Jim Dean

Jul 9, 2005 Beaucoup Blues: Democrats for a Blue Louisiana
FEATURING JIM DEAN Chairman of Democracy For America and brother of DNC Chair, Howard Dean JULY 9, 2005 1:00-6:30 p.m. NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA Come join Democrats for a Blue Louisiana for a workshop dealing with the future of the Democratic Party in Louisiana. Meet, learn, and share ideas with other grassroots advocates, and begin to Take Back Our Country!"
Update [2005-7-1 0:47:42 by concerned democrat]: Just saw at DU that the reason the DFA event is listed is that the party is a sponsor of the event. So now we only have to wonder, where's Howard's event?

He said it is all cleaned up now.  He said it was better to have them there than to send them to other countries where they would be treated less kindly.

I am paraphrasing, as I only walked through the room when he was speaking..on CNN I think.

It sounded like "our torture is not as bad as theirs", so we need gitmo.

My senator, Bill Nelson, says about the same thing.  He is a Democrat also.  I guess our Dems are OKing torture if they are up for re-election.  

This is part of an email I just received via our local Democratic group.  I don't see this in the news yet though.  It is from a Maddox staffer. There is a lot more to the email, but this should suffice.  Maybe it will hit the news sooner, or later, or never.

"Initial Reports About Party Finances Were Erroneous; All FDP Funds Are 100% Accounted For"

Initial news reports of a "missing" $900,000 were utterly incorrect, based on an error by a Party staffer tasked with completing the myriad of state and federal campaign finance reports required in a fast-paced presidential election year.

Bottom line: Over the past 48 hours, a more careful review of Florida Democratic Party records has confirmed that all FDP funds for 2003-2004 are 100% present and accounted for. The FDP's 2004 campaign finance reports are now being corrected to properly reflect that every dime of Party money during Scott's tenure as FDP Chairman is fully accounted for. This situation is not unique to Florida: Democratic Party organizations in several battleground states experienced similar reporting challenges in 2004, largely due to complexities arising from the brand new McCain-Feingold campaign finance law..."

He did an excellent job of not getting trapped by Gwen Ifill.  He complimented Durbin, made no judgement, and started talking about the issues.  Well done, Governor Dean.  

From the NewsHour transcript tonight:

HOWARD DEAN: I'm not going to handicap Senator Durbin. Senator Durbin is one of the most fantastic people in the United States Senate, an honest, decent person. Whether he apologizes or not is up to him; not up to me. It's up to him. But I think he's terrific. And I think he's right at the top of my list of great people.

All I'm going to say about this stuff is the Republicans want to focus on personal attacks. What we want to focus on is making sure Social Security works and isn't wrecked by people who can't balance the budget.

What we want to focus on is a defense policy, which includes watching out for things like Iran and North Korea and not letting them -- putting them on the back burner when they're more of a danger to us than Iraq. These are fundamental national security issues and economic issues, which are not being addressed by the Republicans and it's why they attack people like me and Dick Durbin....."

Transcript of tonight's Newshour segment with Howard Dean

Audio at the link, video also up at the website.

 

Someone at the Chattanoogan is noticing our outspoken Democrats.  I don't agree with him comments about a couple of our Democrats, but he is showing righteous outrage at Bush....good for him.

A Democratic Strategy Emerging

"It's getting harder and harder to stay ahead of the curve criticizing our current president these days. Even his fellow Republicans are joining the chorus of boos in greater and greater numbers. The defenses of George W. Bush that used to appear with great regularity in our local media are getting sparser and sparser.

Once upon a time, speaking out against George W. was a lonely occupation, particularly around here..."

"Now, the Democrats, after sitting on their behinds and licking their tiny wounds for years, have what appears to be a cogent strategy emerging to take back at least the White House..."

Some great comments in here. In response to Renee's post from yesterday.

Howard Dean stops to say thanks at the DFA blog

"I just read Renee's blog post from yesterday. First of all, thank you! Second, it's great to see the DFA community still out there and vocal in defense of America and the ideal of American community. Third, thank you for defending me personally. I suppose it is a victory for us when the Vice-President disses your mother (it shows what the Republican leadership's values really are) but it is a disappointment nonetheless.

The real story is that the Democrats are on the way back. At the DNC we are raising money, putting people in the field, learning how to frame the debate, putting together a message as opposed to a list of issues, and setting up a communications apparatus (inspired by the Rapid Response Network) where we can be on the air everywhere with a united message. Most of all, we are fighting back!..."

SNIP..."I really appreciate all the support you have given me in the face of the Republican attacks in the last few weeks. Keep using the net, blogs and paying attention to the Daily show (and to NPR as long as it can resist the President's attacks on content). Eventually we will develop a network of sources where the news becomes factual again, and focuses locally on things that matter.

See you in Texas this weekend--it looks like a phenomenal program!

Sincerely,
Howard

Posted by Howard Dean at 03:39 PM

He is getting better and better at getting his points out.  This is a pragmatic, sensible interview.  It is good to hear his common sense statements.  We need more of our Democrats to talk like this.

Just some random notes I typed from the interview.

NPRs Ed Gordon interviews Howard Dean

Dean's interview on NPR today

A Talk with DNC Head Howard Dean
 "News & Notes with Ed Gordon, June 13, 2005 · Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean has been busy doing what he proved in the last presidential race he does best: grass-roots organizing. But Republicans have attempted to chip away at one of the Democratic Party's most loyal voting blocs, African Americans. Dean discusses what Democrats are doing to stay relevant to their African-American base."