I'm pretty angry right now. Outraged, you could say. And this time my ire is directed at my fellow Democrats, who also just happen to be my neighbors.
If you were doubtful that "Crashing the Gate" would scare the pants off those in the Establishment, even the Establishment Democrats, you need no further proof then the story I'm about to share. And while it's not a high-profile story about, say, Ned Lamont and Joe Lieberman, it is a personal story that should get you mad and emboldened to fight all at once.
Earlier this week I told you
that I was running for Democratic Central Committee in my county. I received nearly universal "huzzahs!" from the DKos community, for which I am grateful. One commenter
did say that it wasn't really "running for office" because it was Dems vs. Dems and really an "inside game".
Well, I'm here to tell you that in my county, that "inside game" is damn serious to a few people...so much so, they are willing to threaten - and possibly commit violent acts - to retain power over their little fiefdoms.
This story isn't about me, however. As you may have found out in my diary about running for office, I'm running on a "slate" in Maryland with another individual. She just happens to be the spouse of another Kossack and a good friend of mine, docciavelli. I woke up this morning to a voice mail on my cell phone from my friend indicating that she had an interesting evening at the local Democratic club picnic. I'll let docciavelli's words fill you in with the rest:
My wife, running in another district in the County for one of three seats on the Central Committee against three older incumbents each with 8 or more years in office, was approached by one of them at the meeting tonight of the local District Democratic Club (actually, she was told that "they needed to sit down and talk"). She was pressured to take an "alternate" spot on the Committee--a non-voting position which carries no weight in the decision-making of the county party.
When my wife noted that Republicans have used their Central Committee positions to get their next generation of electeds started early (we're 28), the response was more pressure to take the "alternate" spot so that the established "slate wouldn't have to spend any money" protecting the incumbents. So, politely, my wife said that she would take it under consideration.
A quick note here on "slates" in Maryland politics: A "slate" is a list of candidates, usually encompassing the establishment candidates for each of the local offices up and down the ballot (for example, County Exec./State Senator/Delegate/County Council). Many times, in places where Central Committee members are directly tied to elected politicians, they'll be added to the slate in order to discourage challengers.
So here's where it gets interesting: During the conversation which followed between myself, my wife, and two of the incumbent members, they started asking increasingly probing questions which seemed at the time harmless. "So where exactly do you live on XXX Avenue?" "How long have you lived there?" "Where do you work?" We probably should've been more careful about that first question in hindsight.
At about 10:45 last night (an hour after getting home), my wife was sitting on the couch beside the front window of our living room with the mini-blinds mostly closed. All of a sudden, the sound of glass shattering came from the window--someone fired a pellet gun at the window directly behind her head. Luckily, the pellet apparently hit the blind and dropped harmlessly.
Now, I'd usually chalk this up to idiot kids in the neighborhood, but here's the interesting thing--when I looked outside at the window, I noticed that there were two other holes in the vinyl siding next to the window where they had apparently taken shots that missed. We live on a semi-rural road next to a patch of woods, so it's not like there are a lot of little jerk-offs in the area that would randomly choose to walk a half-mile to fire three pellets. You'd really have to want to hit our house to come out there to do it. It's safe enough that I usually leave my car door unlocked in the driveway.
Now, I'm not saying someone deliberately targeted us because my wife is challenging the establishment Central Committee members, but I am saying that when you put two-and-two together it seems pretty likely that someone's cousin or kid decided that they were going to get back at the newcomers crashing the gate. And the fact that they aimed specifically for the window she was sitting at? We got the message.
The problem is, my wife and I aren't the kind of people who back down when threatened. Ergo, she's now more determined than ever to win a seat on the Committee, and she will definitely not be accepting an alternate position before the election.
Along with wmtriallawyer, we're looking to make a change in how the old Democratic Party operates at its most crucial level--right here at home. We need other active Democrats to stand with us in saying that we won't stand for being pushed out. We're willing to take harassment and threats in order to make a difference. But we need help. We've setup a separate slate for the two of them (and any other Young Democrats running for Central Committee), and we'd like to send a letter to every primary super-voter from 2004 in their districts asking voters for support to get new voices involved in party decision-making. We're not going negative on those who currently serve in those seats, but we're asking that we be given a small chance to inject new ideas and energy into the party.
Astounding, isn't it? I thought so. Make no mistake about it, Kossacks, we're in for a fight. I'm hoping by next week we'll have a website up for you to visit so that you can help us out with your time and your cash, if so inclined.
We're not going away. The Establishment better get used to it. We will outraise them, we will outmanuever, and we will win.
CTG. Connect the party. Train the party. Grow the party.
We're a threat, and for good reason. We stand for reform.