From the NY Daily News gossip page, via Wonkette:
I hear that Hip Hop Summit honcho Russell Simmons, a loyal Democrat, met in Washington yesterday with Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, but not with Democratic Party chief Howard Dean. "When it comes to reaching out to poor people and minorities, I think there’s no enthusiasm on Howard’s part, while Ken shows a real willingness to listen," Simmons told me.
Yikes. Let us all hope that the DNC is not taking minority voters for granted. It’s all well and good to try to get the NASCAR dads to vote Democratic again, but if we start losing the base we’re sunk.
Please share widely!
the-troll says
You guys know of course that Dean is a joke and will do much damage to party.Please tell me you know this!
the-troll says
Tell me you guys know Dean is a joke and will do much damage to our party. Please tell me you know this!
the-troll says
sorry, double post
frederick-clarkson says
Simmons is politically complicated. He is a longtime backer of Louis Farrakhan. He also was a major sponsor of the Million Family March, which was co-sponsored by Rev. Sun Myung Moon — no friend of the Democratic Party. I don’t know what Simmons game is, but he is not to be confused with “the base” of the Democratic Party, nor is his political eccentricity a reflection on anyone but himself.
lynne says
How is Dean a joke?He’s out there raising unprecidented amounts of money, (for an off-election year) from small donors, to rebuild the party from the ground up – in the states that need it most. He’s staying off the radar because he’s working on shit. There’s a reason his primary campaign went as far as it did – Dean knew how to hire the right people to get the job done. He’s taken what he’s learned and applying it to a long-term strategy for the DNC, and from what I’ve seen so far (it’s fairly early in the process though) is that he’s kicking some righteous ass.We’ll know when state legislatures and governorships start becoming blue again, though. Til then, please hold off on the uninformed generalizations.
brittain33 says
Russell Simmons has been trying to become a major political player for years and has worked with Republicans before. Over the past several years, he has tried to get the Rockefeller drug laws revised or repealed in his own state of New York, and that required him to build bridges to Gov. Pataki and the Republican Senate Majority Leader to broker a compromise that would be acceptable to everyone. The plan fell apart, but not for lack of effort by Simmons.Simmons is not leading a bloc of voters to the Republicans. He’s looking for people to discuss issues with and hoping they will listen. Ultimately, the Republicans won’t be interested in delivering on what Simmons would like. It can’t hurt him to ask, though.
the-troll says
Lynne, are you high? Dean staying off the radar? My god girl. Are you high? All I do is see Dean making rediculous comments which lead nowhere. Disd you see him with Tim Russett? An embarressment.
mfox says
Brittain,Either you are so emotional about Dean that your fingers aren’t working, English is not your first language, or your command of spelling belies your lack of critical thinking skills. You have certainly embarrassed yourself with your spelling as much as any Dean scream did for him.I like Dean. He got me involved in Mass Politics.
david says
mfox: I think you meant to address your comment to the troll, whose misspellings are legendary.
the-troll says
I didn’t say he was a bad guy. He justs sucks as chairman of national committee. And for your information it is more then misspellings. There are mixed homanyms, mixed metaphors, misstakes of facts, misstake of meaning of others post and comments too. To mfox; You may get me to start editing and doing drafts so as to correct my mistakes resulting from this debilitating dyslexia.You atack me for my disability.Where is the love and understanding and willingness to accept others regardless of their handicap. FDR was handicapped. Meanspiritedness like yours is what people like me have to face everyday.Please be more understanding.