I appeal to my fellow long-term Democrats to put out the welcome mat for the new, excited and energized citizens who have joined our ranks recently. 

The historic primary season we just finished brought many new members to our party, who will prove to be a critical part of our victory in November.  And a crucial part of our party for decades to come.  These new voters who joined to support Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in that primary process deserve not only our gratitude, but the sort of respect that, too often, the old-time rank and file Democrats have neglected to extend to "new blood."

I've seen this now, very personally, in six states, in my staff and volunteer work for candidates in California, Iowa, Missouri, Texas, New York and Kansas, situations where the established party folks were either negligent or downright exclusive with their local and county party organizations.  Too often, the new members who join expecting to be welcomed and included and invited and involved, are ignored, shut-out, resented and disrespected by the entrenched rank-and-file.

There are many reasons for this chummy club  phenomenon, but typically, as with all organizations, it comes down to the protective, territorial egos of the status quo, and nothing to do with the party itself.  In the same way Republicans do not want to relinquish power in the White House, these local Democrats can't cut lose of their little bits of local power.

In terms of inclusiveness and exclusion, I've seen both good and bad over the years.

Our people here in Kansas' "Big First" Congressional district, for instance, are very accommodating and make an effort to provide an experience of kinship and membership to the new voters who come aboard.  But I have also seen the opposite elsewhere, where the existing local, county, district and state officers and operatives jealously guard their positions, their authority and their territory, often to the detriment of the party. Too often, these groups have diminished over the years to include only a die-hard few, who tend to convert their party meetings into personal bridge clubs that revel in exclusivity and discourage new people from participating in order to assure their own continued personal ownership.

The Democratic Party can not afford to be a private club, if we intend to erect that big tent we all say we believe in.  People need to feel welcome and involved, they need to know their ideas and enthusiasm are appreciated. And they need to know their votes will be counted, both in the local party process and in the actual elections. These new people need to be co-opted by the party old-timers, and those with the time and interest should be given working titles and tasks, to make them even more a part of the ever-growing Democratic Party.

It's time for long term Democrats to put out the welcome mat, no, roll out the red carpet, sound the trumpets, bang a gong, strike up the band, stand together at the doorway and cheer them on as they enter our fold. Anything less would be unacceptable.

We should do everything in our power to make these new Democrats feel like they are a valuable and appreciated part of our party, if we hope to enter the next decade as the party of change, the party of  hope, the party of the future, ... and the party of The People.

Lets welcome these new members with open arms, unbridled enthusiasm and unquestionable inclusion, and then lets join together to change the future from one we fear into one we will all be proud to pass on to the next generation.  We have never had a better opportunity than the one we see today.

...the definition of what will happen when McCain finally loses it on camera!

(had to bring that little chuckle up from raider99's "is McCain going senile" thread...)

So why is the threat of such a war being amped up in Israel AND here in the US by our complicit media?

I realize the Iranian Shiites aren't exactly bubbas with the Arab Sunnis, and their holy lands are in some ways in different places But considering the earth's rotaton, prevailing winds and likely fallout scenarios, surely the Iranians realize that any nuclear attack on Israel would not only poison their own holy land, (which they seem willing to die to protect) it would make them the ultimate middle-eastern pariah, none of their neighbors would be spared the radiation and other repurcussions of an attack on Israel.

The zealots, both here and there, will swear that the Shiites are ready to martyr the whole region, but I would guess the Ayatolah and his mullas aren't as eager to join the dead as we are being told, and they really pull all the strings, not Mini-Jab.

Which leads me to believe that the war posturing we are watching Cheney promote in the waning days of Republican rule, really hides a profit motive and a blackmail threat; they are in some sort of "leave us alone   (i.e. impeachment and prosecution for lying about the WMD in the first place) or we will attack Iran" mode.

The last time the heat was on to draw down troops, they invented the surge.

When Congress threatened to force troop removal and a timeline, instead we got more young soldiers sent there, stretching our military resources to the breakng point.

Every time we call their bloody bluff, they double down, betting the lives of our precious children as their poker chips, going all in, in a deadly game of Texas holdem.

My point is, it is not a case of there being a real threat that Iran will nuke Israel.  They would cause untold and long-term destruction to the entire region, and themselves, by doing so. So I just don;t see it on the table.

This is really just high stakes blackmail, and Cheney's team of lever pullers and button pushers is raising the stakes again, to keep the hounds of justice at bay and guarantee thier no-bid bubbas even more of that warbucks gravytrain.

His entire impeachment speech sounds like one of Josh's weekly updates at Muckraker!

and making a great case for impeachment.

Considering McLellan's book and the Phase Too Late senate report, there is so much more evidence of The Big Lie, maybe Dennis has that jugular-throat instinct.

Wexler's hot on their hineys' too, maybe we will see thye seeds of justice sown sooner than later?