Shakeup at Democratic National Committee, Longtime Officials Ousted

[brooklynite]

Source: NBC News

WASHINGTON — A shakeup is underway at the Democratic National Committee as several key longtime officials have lost their posts, exposing a still-raw rift in the party and igniting anger among those in its progressive wing who see retaliation for their opposition to DNC Chairman Tom Perez.

The ousters come ahead of the DNC's first meeting, in Las Vegas, Nevada, since Perez took over as chairman with a pledge earlier this year that he would unite the party that had become badly divided during the brutal Bernie Sanders-Hillary Clinton 2016 primary.

Complaints began immediately after party officials saw a list of Perez' appointments to DNC committees and his roster of 75 "at-large" members, who are chosen by the chair.

...snip...

Those who have been pushed out include:
-Ray Buckley, the New Hampshire Democratic chairman and longtime DNC official who ran against Perez for chair before backing Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minn., lost his spots on the Executive Committee and DNC Rules Committee;
-James Zogby, the president of the Arab American Institute and prominent Sanders backer, is no longer co-chair of the Resolutions Committee and is off the Executive Committee, a sport he has held since 2001;
-Alice Germond, the party’s longtime former secretary and a vocal Ellison backer, who was removed from her at-large appointment to the DNC; and
-Barbra Casbar Siperstein, the first transgender member of the DNC who supported Ellison and Buckley, was tossed from the Executive Committee.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/elections/shakeup-democratic-national-committee-longtime-officials-ousted-n812126

[mdbl]

1. Great way to unite Perez

not too bright.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

51. IKR!! Maybe it's time for Keith Ellison to "buck up," as he likes to say?!?!

[elleng]

2. 'Thanks.' Have to think about this.

I liked Buckley. (I liked some of the other 'also rans' too.) So 'largely' harms pro-Ellison folks???

[Purveyor]

4. Team building indeed.

[onit2day]

33. The party must be inspirational.Who you are determines what you do.

No matter what you say.

[Not Ruth]

5. "Barbra Casbar Siperstein, the first transgender member of the DNC"

Put them back on the Executive Committee now. The optics are horrible.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

52. I'm worried this is gonna backfire... BIG TIME!! Sure seems like a dumb move to me!

[BootinUp]

6. Good. Lol

[Bradical79]

8. Why?

[BootinUp]

11. It's complicated.

If I had a lot of time to share my opinions I would. Basically we need people who recognize party unity as a priority.

[Purveyor]

18. Oh yeah. This is going to build "party unity"... Good grief. eom

[BootinUp]

22. Just curious

R U someone that thinks the party needs to change?

[Purveyor]

23. I'm one that thinks the healing "was" going along nicely post 2016 and somebody

decided it was best to rip that scab right off the healing wound.

I don't understand it. Nope.

[Control-Z]

30. The question is, whose wound was ripped open?

And by whom? I can only half way agree with you without more information.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

53. Nailed it!

[onit2day]

31. One thing's for certain.Can't unify if ignore half your members

Only discussion and debate should settle disagreements but effort and commitment are leading traits. One person's opinion is just that an one should not assume everyone should or does feel the same way. Still if someone like trump started calling himself a democrat I'd tell him to go fuck himself and get lost. This is supposed to be the people's party and not chasers after banksters, Wall streeters, corporate lobbyist's donors. Progressives vs the DLC will have to be debated and discussed. So far the party was changing to be more progressive...every since Sander's push for income equality. The country always prospered more when there was a high corporate tax rate with a high wealth tax. Always.

[onit2day]

32. Yes, never rock the boat or change the status quo

Party unity worked right up to election day when the votes were stolen. If we don't have a fair voting system (paper ballots, no voter suppression) party unity plays second base.

[benld74]

7. WHY?!?

[Sunlei]

9. Good to change old 2001 positions around, revitalize & add newness & life to DNC

Americans need to hear from DNC, all we hear about DNC is who's pushed out, who's divided. and bunches of emails asking for money to fight some republicans crazy headline statement.

[TexasBushwhacker]

17. Considering we've been losing ground in the states

I would appreciate a DNC that isn't only focused on the presidential election.

[Still In Wisconsin]

21. Exactly this.

We're getting our butts kicked all across the country (and especially here in the Midwest) because the Republicans are running the table in state-level elections, thereby allowing them to institute all manner of voter suppression techniques and union-busting rules (which of course hurt our side much more than theirs), to say nothing of the gerrymandering.

[Sunlei]

24. These DNC people need to be out in States to help win 2018. No R should run unopposed!

Every D running for Congress & Senate needs a team of experienced DNC backing them. Get these committee members out of their offices. They need to research the Rs and publicize the dirt, Rs squander taxpayer money on special interests. That needs to be exposed to voters.

[mountain grammy]

10. I'm disappointed, and didn't expect this from Perez..

We'll see.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

55. I won't say I expected it, but it doesn't shock me either...

Can't wait to hear Keith Ellison' response.

[Fiendish Thingy]

12. Meet the new boss

Same as the old boss.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

56. haha! Now I can't get that Who song outta my head! Thanks.

[Squinch]

13. So is the "old guard" of the DNC a good thing now? Long term members of the DNC aren't

the hated "establishment" any more?

So confusing.

[Hoyt]

26. It really is confusing. My guess is the same people would be critical if there were no changes.

[JHan]

54. ++++++++++++++++

[pangaia]

14. Why am I not surprised. Although, I am surprised.

[Ccarmona]

15. Cant comment, DU rules forbid it.

[ancianita]

16. To cooler heads than mine: what does this all mean??

Just when I thought it was the other party that was falling apart, splintering "complaints" begin?

Being reactive to "complaints" -- not cool.

What the hell is going on?!

[harun]

25. It means a complete Corporate takeover of the DNC

[ancianita]

28. You're kidding me. Right? Why the hell would that be happening. Seriously.

[harun]

41. So they get more campaign contributions

from their corporate sponsors.

Can't go in to any more of it my post will get deleted.

(My apologies if that is a rhetorical question or just sarcasm)

[Demsrule86]

48. Why not see what happens...I understand how quickly some here are to bash Democrats...but

didn't work out so well for us in 16...maybe we could just...oh I don't know focus on elections and remember vote Democratic...or lose it all...all progressive policy for the last 100 years is on the table.

[harun]

50. I don't think we can afford to wait.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

57. No, you're right, this has the potential to have devastating consequences.

[Demsrule86]

62. The most important thing is to vote...all the rest is just bullshit spread around by trolls to help

the GOP. When the house is on fire ...not need to sweep the floor.

[yurbud]

43. the rich demand final word & obedience from their politicians. Pols have latitude on gays, guns...

immigrant rights and a few other issues, but on core economic issues like trade, foreign policy, Wall St. regulation, wars, and prosecution of Wall St execs and war criminals, their only leeway is how they do what they are told not whether.

[harun]

49. Couldn't agree more, well said.

[snooper2]

46. LOL

[SCVDem]

19. I'm confused.

Did we want change at the DNC or not?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

59. Sorry, not funny, if that's what you intended... guess I'm just pissed.

[Ford_Prefect]

20. Looks like the purges are back. Smart move to piss people off so early in the season (not).

Guess we won't have to wait long to see what this means in terms of party "direction".
Should we practice our marching in order now or wait until we get our orders from on high?

If this is an example of how we are enabling party unity I think 2018 may turn out to be a very long year.

[rogue emissary]

34. hilarious to see so many DU members now angry that long-term members have lost power.

Last edited Fri Oct 20, 2017, 12:32 PM - Edit history (1)

While every week there are two or three threads about Pelosi and Feinstein stepping down to let new blood lead.

From the below article. It appears the very thing many have wanted the DNC to do, Perez is attempting to carry out.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/355954-dnc-chairman-aims-for-diversity-with-delegate-nominations

. . . A Democratic source told The Hill that Perez’s nominees would double the number of millennials and Native Americans currently represented at the DNC. It will also increase the DNC’s LGBT presence and representation from Puerto Ricans, at a time when Trump has been criticized for his response to the hurricane that has devastated the island territory. . . .

[murielm99]

38. +1000

[yurbud]

44. It is not the ethnicity or sexual orientation of the members but economic & who has final say:

the rich or the rest of us.

[get the red out]

58. Agree

I'm getting whiplash.

[question everything]

36. We need a fresh direction

and if this shows that he knows what he is doing and has a plan - food for him.

[ucrdem]

37. Let's call it a noble experiment that failed. Big time.

That last ACA maneuver was probably the last straw. Actually I can think of several last straws but never mind, this had to happen and the sooner the better.

[SergeStorms]

39. Wait....

there was a rift between the Hillary and Bernie camps?

...."he would unite the party that had become badly divided during the brutal Bernie Sanders-Hillary Clinton 2016 primary".

Who knew? I'm certainly glad there hasn't been any discord between Hillary and Bernie supporters here at DU.

[KPN]

40. Hmmm. Either this is no big deal or here we go .... again.

Guess we'll have to wait and see how it plays out.

I am concerned that some of the key changes were to membership on the Rules and Bylaws Committee. Optically, there's certainly room for skepticism.

[elleng]

42. and there's THIS: Democrats Plan to Name Lobbyists, Operatives as Superdelegates.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029728437#post2

[yurbud]

45. If Centrist Democrats wanted to shore up support, they'd cut those people loose & end their

privileged role.

If lobbyists and other party insiders cared more about the party and the country as a whole, they would demand that the superdelegate system end.

[elleng]

47. YES, yurbud!

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

60. Here here!!

[Scoopster]

61. SMFH...

You know, I look up & down this thread and I see people talking about this official being removed for supporting Perez' opponent, people talking about people who supported Bernie being removed, people who are progressive being removed....

These would have been the same people who have for OVER A YEAR constantly complained that the DNC needed desperate change. I see ALMOST NO ONE talking about how these folks have been in senior executive positions within the party for years, in some cases over a decade, and how shaking things up & bringing in some new faces with new ideas would be A GOOD THING FOR THE DNC.

But nahh.. never mind that stale leadership that we've been complaining about the whole damn time. That's second fiddle to ideological purity!

(In case you didn't notice, my pet peeve is fuckin' hypocrites).

[Eliot Rosewater]

64. All I care about is vote for any democrat in every election.

There doesnt need to be any fucking unity or getting along or kumbaya, there needs to be adults agreeing that until we get the NAZIS out of the WH, we vote for any democrat in every election

period

[HeartachesNhangovers]

65. I can't get too worked up, since I normally can't

name a single DNCer. I'm sure in a week, I'll have forgotten who was kicked off and who was installed.

Does that make me a bad Democrat, or a normal one?

[sandensea]

66. A very normal Democrat - or Republican for that matter.

I bet there aren't 1,000 people between the two major parties who can name even 5 national committee members at any given point (I certainly can't).

But we do certainly remember news like these. And team building this is not.

[Rollo]

67. I can think of a few platitudes that may apply here:

1) "If it ain't broke, then don't fix it."

Well, it's pretty obvious from the dismal congressional and presidential results that it IS broke, and needs fixing.

2) "To make an omelet, you have to break some eggs".

Self-explanatory.

[sandensea]

68. Right.

Let's just hope Perez is a better cook than I.

[Rollo]

69. You would, perhaps, prefer the fare as served up by Debbie Wasserman Schultz?

Bon appetit!


.

[sandensea]

70. Hardly!

I mean, I like Debbie and all (especially the way she went to bat for Gore during the recount, which is where I first saw her in action).

But we need someone who can help unite the Clinton and Sanders wings of the party. Pérez looked like the man for the job - until this mass sacking of left-leaning committee members.

[Rollo]

71. I'm reserving judgement on Perez until I see who he puts in as replacements...

and, more importantly, what kind of results he gets.



.

[sandensea]

72. Hear, hear.

There's nothing quite like results - and Lord knows we need some right now.