Taylor begins: "Unlike the Tea Party on the right, the Occupy Wall Street protests have thus far lacked any supporters in Congress. But with labor unions and the Working Families Party getting on board, that may be about to change - and with it their ability to shape the agenda on Capitol Hill."
Former Democratic National Committee chairman and former Gov. Howard Dean speaks at the Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, DC. (photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Howard Dean, Dems Back Occupy Wall Street
05 October 11
nlike the Tea Party on the right, the Occupy Wall Street protests have thus far lacked any supporters in Congress. But with labor unions and the Working Families Party getting on board, that may be about to change - and with it their ability to shape the agenda on Capitol Hill.
"I think it has become a vehicle for people to vent their frustration with the economy," Senator Kirsten Gillibrand told The National Memo on Tuesday. "Everywhere I travel across New York State I meet with every day families and small businesses, and they are deeply worried about the economy. I share the frustration at how broken Washington has become in forging solutions. We must act and I hope we can rally around the bipartisan ideas I've outlined today to get people back to work."
Off-the-record conversations with other members of New York's congressional delegation suggest sympathy for the cause, though few have gone on record backing it as of yet. More on this as it develops.
But if Democratic members of Congress remain hesitant to express public backing, some party stalwarts do not.
"I've been waiting for something like this to happen," Howard Dean, former Democratic National Committee chair and governor of Vermont, told The National Memo. "Wall Street is an institution that is not serving the country well. Because of their financial practices, money's not getting invested in the long-term creation of jobs. They basically have turned Wall Street into a gambling casino. Credit default swaps, about 95 percent of that is speculation. So I'm glad to see all these young people on Wall Street."
He suggested the protesters were law-abiding citizens who deserved to be heard, and that we might see additional Democratic Party backing in the future.
"I think it depends on the tactics. This group of demonstrators is not interested in violence. But since no one knows exactly who they are, there's going to be some reticence. But the principle of standing up of for the 99 percent is a really important one."
The Wall Street protests speak to the massive and growing gap between rich and poor in this country, Dean argued, and the political class ought to take notice.
"I think this country's in a lot of trouble and I'm glad someone's finally standing up and talking about it. The danger of having a situation where the gap between the top and the bottom is so great is that people stop believing in the system. There are a lot of young people who I'm not sure believe in America anymore. That's a very dangerous place to be. This is about unfairness, about society becoming an unfair place."
He insisted this is a youth-based struggle for justice that defies traditional political typology, and is fundamentally concerned with fairness and equity.
"I don't consider it to be a political movement, which is why I think they have trouble articulating their demands. What they want is an America that's fair to everyone again, where there's really equal opportunity."
Dan Cantor, executive director of the Working Families Party (WFP), which supports progressive Democrats in New York through fusion voting (a vote for a Democrat on the Working Families line is just as useful as one on the Democratic line), expressed support in advance of a solidarity march where the WFP and unions would join the Occupy Wall Streeters.
"This is the more established progressive movement following the youth of America," he told The National Memo. "And it’s a good thing, too. I think people understand that we owe the Occupy Wall Street people a huge debt of gratitude. Because they have shined a light where it needed to be shined. We are no longer talking about whether poor people caused the subprime crisis. We’re talking about people who committed fraud and have thus far escaped responsibility. They’re changing the atmosphere. You don’t get better outcomes until you do that. You can see that in reverse. The Tea Party changed the onversation from banks are irresponsible to Obama wants to kill your grandmother."
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Comments
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By the way, wikipedia says, "Boiga is a large genus of mildly venomous, rear-fanged, colubrid snakes typically known as the cat-eyed snakes or just cat snakes. They are primarily found throughout southeast Asia, India and Australia, but due to their extremely hardy nature and adaptability have spread to many other suitable habitats around the world."
I didn't immediately get the reference, even though used Wimpy in my analogy.
I agree with most of what you said.
I do not agree that it takes all the money to get elected. Statistics heavily correlate with money and winning, but that would not be the case without vertical integration (consolidation) of the media -- thanks to Clinton's Tele-communications Act of 1996 -- and other election-related issues; you mentioned Diebold; and another is Dem Party's hierarchical politics and corporate affiliation, which besides dispensing money to their preferred candidates -- regardless of non-progressive ideology -- includes (poor) strategy and consultant advise.
The answer, of course, is Primary Elections... getting rid of incumbents.
If Obama has a shred of decency, he'll bow out before the Democratic Primaries, which should help non-incumbent Congressional Democrats and turnout for the General Election.
The light shining is on the question... the question of fairness and equality -- in regard to prosecution rules of law and adoption of fair laws that represent the peoples' interest, accountability for greed-driven economic crimes and environmental devastation, and honest, clear -- no excuses -- political representation... ... ... in essence, sanity.
And the question for the light is WHEN.
... and how much? ... for the balance and peace of mind of justice.
The OccupyWallStree t movement has the potential of shaking the whole system up and making it perfectly clear that it isn't just change that is needed, but the application of the laws and justice that keep things equitable for all.
more later.
While businesses and businessmen and women do have basic civic and societal responsibilitie s related to their doing business, as long as they follow the law, how they serve society with their profits is their business.
People aren't interested in being punitive, for the sake of punishment pleasure or to introduce pure socialism, it is to bring justice to those who took a chance on criminal greed.
In regard to short-selling, if you are talking about curbing insider-trading or taking away advantages that large-scale traders have over regular traders, that is fine; insider trading is all ready illegal and there are no good reasons to disadvantage smaller traders.
Since only the Progressive-Democrats and Democratic-Socialist Bernie Sanders (& maybe Ron Paul) are not corrupted by Wall Street, they are the only elected federal officials not being protested against.
And because he was so effective, they just go la-la-la when he talks. We just have to hope that the mainstream corporate Clintonian Democrats, in office, out of office, and just plain folk will understand what is going on.
They didnot advise him or oppose his signature on NAFTA which benefited GOP and the Clinton Family also.
There is very little left of Democratic Party, and a shadow of Republican Party.
The only thing I see are the Puppet Masters, these tyrants were given free reign in the early 70's, now they are the Monsters we were all warned about.
Problem is our parents didnot recognize them any better than people today.
We are Marching, Protesting, signing Petitions and I believe this is just a beginning. If Democrats want to prove something, perhaps they better realign Homeland Paranoia. When they put the demons back in their place, perhaps the Corporations will see that we will either win or bury them.
When I say bury, I mean we will put our money in other Countries that do not depend on them. So Europe, perhaps this is a time to look at the Future of America,new generation of Investing.
Wall Street is hollow like an Chocolate Easter Bunny,they have nothing. They have debt, property no one pays for or can afford. Housing is down, Corporations are selling out to Asia, Middle East so Europe where does that leave you? Time we remind GOP the True Meaning of Tea Party "Let's sink their Ship'. Buy Organic. Buy American.
Critics say they are not focused, how can a movement like this be focused on one specific thing when the problems to fix are so numerous. Wall Street is a perfect place to start.
Tonight they can sleep tight. There are some very brave and incredibly bright protestors here and running things very Democratically.
Interesting to see how they've had to form a mini government within. See, we do need a government, it just has represent the people.
At this point the movement is progressive and inclusive.
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