Archive: Democratic Party
Bayh's Centrist Gambit
Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh has emerged as a leading Democratic critic of President Obama. AP Photo by Alex Brandon Evan Bayh's announcement this morning on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that he and 14 other Democratic senators had begun to meet...
By Chris Cillizza | March 18, 2009; 02:57 PM ET | Comments (21)
Changing of the Guard at DCCC
Jon Vogel, who oversaw the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's massive independent expenditure effort in the 2008 cycle, will take over as executive director of the organization, according to sources familiar with the move. Vogel replaces Brian Wolff, a confidant of...
By Chris Cillizza | March 9, 2009; 02:45 PM ET | Comments (4)
Woodhouse to DNC (Again)
Brad Woodhouse is the new communications director at the Democratic National Committee. Photo by Bill O'Leary of the Washington Post Brad Woodhouse, the head of Americans United for Change, is leaving that post to take over as communications and...
By Chris Cillizza | February 23, 2009; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (8)
NJ-Gov: Can Republicans (Finally) Win?
Is Gov. Jon Corzine vulnerable this fall? AP Photo/Mel Evans New Jersey has been fool's gold -- or, in the Fix's favorite metaphor, the equivalent of Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown -- for Republicans for more than...
By Chris Cillizza | February 4, 2009; 03:27 PM ET | Comments (21)
Liberal Groups Assert Role In Stimulus Fight
Sens. Dick Lugar (Ind.) and Kit Bond (Mo.) are the targets of new ads from a handful of liberal interest groups. A cadre of liberal interest groups is ramping up its persuasion efforts on the economic stimulus package proposed...
By Chris Cillizza | February 2, 2009; 01:40 PM ET | Comments (18)
Can Bloomberg Be Beaten?
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks at the annual winter meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors earlier this month in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Official Washington may be winding down from the 2008 campaign and subsequent transition,...
By Chris Cillizza | January 28, 2009; 04:10 PM ET | Comments (15)
NV-Sen: Hammering Harry
The National Republican Senatorial Committee is up with a television ad taking Nevada Sen. Harry Reid to task for his support of President Barack Obama's economic stimulus bill, the first of what promises to be a series of attacks against...
By Chris Cillizza | January 28, 2009; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (37)
Burris Backs Reid Into a Corner
Lost amid the scads of cameras and scrambling reporters seeking to get a glimpse or a word from former Illinois Attorney General Roland Burris over the last 24 hours is one simple fact: Burris -- and, by extension, embattled...
By Chris Cillizza | January 6, 2009; 04:30 PM ET | Comments (142)
Tim Kaine and the Future of Obama For America
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine will be the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee. (Photo by Linda Davidson of the Washington Post) Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's installation at the head of the Democratic National Committee sends a strong signal...
By Chris Cillizza | January 5, 2009; 10:56 AM ET | Comments (20)
Blagojevich: Animated
Think you've had enough of the juicy details contained in the 70-plus page criminal complaint filed against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich last week? Think again. Check out this jib-jab-esque re-creation of "Pay-Rod" put together by post.com videographer Akira "Aki" Hakuta....
By Chris Cillizza | December 20, 2008; 09:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Blagojevich's Defiance Complicates Democratic Strategy
The decision by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to -- in his words -- "fight" charges that he was seeking to sell an appointment to the U.S. Senate badly complicates state and national Democrats' efforts to quickly dispose of the...
By Chris Cillizza | December 19, 2008; 03:55 PM ET | Comments (27)
The Denouement of Howard Dean?
Democratic National Committee Chairman, Howard Dean talks about health care reform at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center December 17, 2008 in National Harbor, Maryland. Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, the man regarded...
By Chris Cillizza | December 18, 2008; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (54)
DSCC Senior Staff Stays Put
New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez, the newly-chosen chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, has convinced the committee's top two staffers from the 2008 election to stay on for another election cycle, according to party sources familiar with the decision....
By Chris Cillizza | December 17, 2008; 02:45 PM ET | Comments (7)
Blagojevich Criminal Complaint: The Best of the Best
The arrest of Rod Blagojevich this morning coincided with the release of a 78-page criminal complaint by the U.S. attorney's office detailing the allegations against the Illinois governor. While the entire document is a must-read, the Fix, as always, aims...
By Chris Cillizza | December 9, 2008; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (142)
Bill Jefferson Loses
Scandal-tarred Louisiana Democratic Rep. Bill Jefferson was defeated in his bid for a tenth term tonight by a little known Republican named Joseph Cao. With 80 percent of precincts reporting, Cao led Jefferson 53 percent to 43 percent and the...
By Chris Cillizza | December 6, 2008; 11:28 PM ET | Comments (35)
Jordan Signs on With Saul Shorr
Democratic strategist Jim Jordan In the first of what undoubtedly will be a slew of realignments in the consulting world, Jim Jordan, a prominent Democratic strategist, has decided to join the media firm of Shorr Johnson Magnus as a...
By Chris Cillizza | December 4, 2008; 02:30 PM ET | Comments (5)
Dunn Stays Out of White House
Anita Dunn, one of Barack Obama's closest political advisers, is returning to her media consulting practice -- bypassing the chance to serve in the first Democratic White House in nearly a decade. "After the privilege of participating in this historic...
By Chris Cillizza | November 20, 2008; 11:43 AM ET | Comments (6)
HRC for Secretary of State: Crazy or Crazy Like a Fox?
President-elect Barack Obama and his future Secretary of State? Photo by Emmanuel Dunand of AFP/Getty Images The news that Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama huddled yesterday at the president-elect's transition headquarters in Chicago has set off another round...
By Chris Cillizza | November 14, 2008; 02:10 PM ET | Comments (169)
Obama To Resign From Senate, Who's Next?
The news that President-elect Barack Obama will resign from the Senate on Sunday is sure to amp up the pressure on Gov. Rod Blagojevich to pick a replacement as well as heighten the speculation about the identity of the next...
By Chris Cillizza | November 13, 2008; 03:51 PM ET | Comments (35)
The Lieberman Conundrum
Will Joe Lieberman's endorsement of John McCain cost him politically? Photo by Matt Rourke of the Associated Press Nine days after a presidential election in which he actively supported Republican John McCain, the fate of Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman...
By Chris Cillizza | November 13, 2008; 12:18 PM ET | Comments (286)
Obama Lays Out Ethics Rules
President-elect Barack Obama today released a series of ethics guidelines for those working in the transition operation, a continuation of the anti-lobbying policies adopted by the Illinois Senator during his primary and general election campaigns. The ethics rules -- no...
By Chris Cillizza | November 11, 2008; 03:00 PM ET | Comments (99)
Dean To Step Down as DNC Chair
Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan, left, watches as Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, speaks to a journalist at the National Press Club in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2008. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) UPDATE, 4:00 pm: Two other...
By Chris Cillizza | November 10, 2008; 01:48 PM ET | Comments (97)
FixCam Week in Preview: The Cabinet Parlor Game
Play Video VIDEO | FixCam Week in Preview: The Cabinet Parlor Game The election may be over but the silly season has begun again as speculation runs rampant about who President-elect Barack Obama will choose for his Cabinet. List...
By Chris Cillizza | November 10, 2008; 08:50 AM ET | Comments (29)
Torricelli's Anniversary: A Speech for the Ages
Six years ago today, former New Jersey Sen. Bob Torricelli gave us all a speech to remember. It's been six years to the day since former New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Torricelli resigned his seat, delivering one of the...
By Chris Cillizza | September 30, 2008; 05:55 PM ET | Comments (16)
Brian Schweitzer Eyes the Future
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer's address at the Democratic National Convention in Denver overshadowed several other high-profile pols. (Keith Bedford/Bloomberg News) From the moment Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer left the stage following his wildly well-received speech in Denver at the...
By Chris Cillizza | September 10, 2008; 04:15 PM ET | Comments (38)
The Fix Heads to Denver
Starting today, The Fix will take this show on the road -- first to Denver for the Democratic National Convention and then to St. Paul for the Republican National Convention. In addition to trying to provide the latest and...
By Chris Cillizza | August 22, 2008; 01:50 PM ET | Comments (80)
She's Back!
UPDATE 8:40 p.m. ET: A "joint statement" from the Clinton and Obama press shops says: "We are working together to make sure the fall campaign and the convention are a success. At the Democratic Convention, we will ensure that the...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | August 6, 2008; 07:59 PM ET | Comments (240)
Democrats Try to Close 'God' Gap
Burns Strider, a former senior aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential campaign, has opened his own consulting shop with the goal of bridging the gap between faith and values voters and the Democratic party. "By communicating shared values and delivering...
By Chris Cillizza | June 24, 2008; 05:04 PM ET | Comments (38)
Democratic Media Group Ditches Ad Effort
Progressive Media USA, the group organized to be the main soft-money advertising vehicle for Democrats in the fall, will dramatically scale back its efforts in deference to the wishes of the party's presumptive nominee. "Progressive Media will not be running...
By Chris Cillizza | May 15, 2008; 10:38 AM ET | Comments (0)
Elizabeth Edwards Joins Center for American Progress
Former senator John Edwards (N.C.) remains on the political sidelines but that isn't stopping his wife, Elizabeth, from rejoining the fray as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. Elizabeth Edwards will be dealing with health care issues...
By Chris Cillizza | April 7, 2008; 08:50 PM ET | Comments (26)
Re-Live the Clinton Years, Hour-by-Hour
As reported by Peter Baker and Karen DeYoung in the Washington Post today, the 11,000 page schedule of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's days and hours as first lady shows a clear change in her portfolio and responsibilities after the Clinton...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | March 20, 2008; 04:55 PM ET | Comments (0)
Bush vs MoveOn
Just when the hubbub over MoveOn.org's "General Betray Us" ad appeared to be receding into the political background, President Bush unleashed an attack on the group -- and the Democratic Party -- during a just-concluded press conference. Bush called the...
By Chris Cillizza | September 20, 2007; 12:14 PM ET | Comments (221)
Tooting Democrats' Horn
For the last few months Democratic strategists have been privately fretting that a relative dearth of legislative accomplishments over the first six months of the 110th Congress could damage their electoral prospects next November. Enter Americans United for Change, an...
By Chris Cillizza | July 19, 2007; 09:53 AM ET | Comments (78)
PostTalk: Bob Shrum on the '08 Contenders
No political consultant is more revered or reviled in Democratic Party politics than Bob Shrum. To some, Shrum is a visionary -- helping to guide the party's agenda through election after election. To others he is a blight, the man...
By Chris Cillizza | June 18, 2007; 07:45 AM ET | Comments (93)
Third Way Study Revisited
Last week, The Fix wrote up a new study by Third Way, a centrist Democratic group. The study examined the 2006 electorate and considered how voter turnout might explain durable trends that could stretch through 2008. In that post we...
By Chris Cillizza | May 21, 2007; 02:56 PM ET | Comments (61)
Red, White and Voting Blue -- Where Dems Made Gains in '06
The Fix is a firm believer that only by understanding past elections can we hope to make accurate predictions about future contests. Third Way, a centrist Democratic group, has produced a study of the 2006 electorate that goes a long...
By Chris Cillizza | May 14, 2007; 10:30 AM ET | Comments (0)
Parsing the Polls: The Democrats' (Generic) Edge
Every once in a while a polling number jumps off at the page at The Fix. Such was the case with the most recent Diageo/Hotline poll in which the sample was asked whether they would support a generic Democrat or...
By Chris Cillizza | April 11, 2007; 05:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Battling for Netroots Support
Trying to figure out the preferred presidential candidate of the so-called netroots is a difficult proposition. The quick growth of this loose conglomeration of online progressive activists has made it a powerful interest group within Democratic politics but, unlike 2004...
By Chris Cillizza | February 26, 2007; 08:55 AM ET | Comments (53)
Harold Ford Jr.'s Seat at the Party
The new chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council hopes to follow in the footsteps of a former leader of the centrist group, a man who bounced back from defeat in a statewide race to go on to much higher political...
By Chris Cillizza | January 29, 2007; 09:15 AM ET | Comments (148)
They (Better) Work For Us
A handful of heavy hitters in progressive politics have formed a new organization aimed at forcing congressional Democrats to vote and act more like Democrats on economic issues. The group, which includes a political action committee called Working For Us...
By Chris Cillizza | January 23, 2007; 10:43 AM ET | Comments (38)
Dems Offer Olive Branch to Bush?
On the eve of President Bush's State of the Union address comes news that the commander-in-chief will address the House Democratic retreat next month in Williamsburg, Virginia. Bush was invited to the gathering by the Democratic leadership -- spearheaded by...
By Chris Cillizza | January 22, 2007; 03:55 PM ET | Comments (35)
RNC Adds Staff Talent
The Republican National Committee is staffing up in anticipation of the handover of power from outgoing RNC Chair Ken Mehlman to its new leader, Sen. Mel Martinez (Fla.) The latest hire is Lisa Camooso Miller, who will serve as communications...
By Chris Cillizza | January 9, 2007; 02:11 PM ET | Comments (29)
A Look at Leadership Changes at the Parties' Campaign Committees
Analyzing the results of election 2006 will surely continue for months, as journalists and political pros argue about just what it was that drove the Democrats to congressional majorities. But The Fix is forward looking by nature, so we'll turn...
By Chris Cillizza | November 28, 2006; 04:45 PM ET | Comments (19)
Hoyer Win a Blow to Pelosi
In a blow to incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) beat out her chosen pick -- Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) -- for House Majority Leader. Hoyer's victory was considered a certainty as recently as...
By Chris Cillizza | November 16, 2006; 12:21 PM ET | Comments (138)
Democrats Choose Hoyer as Majority Leader
In a Democratic caucus vote, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland defeated Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania in the race for majority leader in the U.S. House. Hoyer won decisively, 149 to 86. Click here for coverage from the Washington Post....
By washingtonpost.com Editors | November 16, 2006; 12:13 PM ET | Comments (0)
Congressional Countdown: Beyond the Top 35 House Races
A Key Race Scorecard -- Oct. 30, 2006 House (35 contested races) Leans GOP 5 Toss-Up17 Leans Dem 13 Senate (9 contested races) Leans GOP0Toss-Up4Leans Dem5 » Full Analysis For the past week, our Congressional Countdown has focused on...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | October 30, 2006; 09:17 AM ET | Comments (46)
Aug. 8: Winners and Losers
The day after the most exciting primary night so far this cycle, political observers of all types are sifting through the results to understand the lessons learned. While Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman's (voting record) defeat at the hands of wealthy...
By Chris Cillizza | August 9, 2006; 05:44 PM ET | Comments (44)
CT Senate: The Five Questions
MARLBOROUGH, Conn. -- Today's the day Connecticut Democrats will choose between Joe Lieberman and Ned Lamont in their Senate primary -- all under the watchful eye of a slew of national political operatives and reporters. There have been hundreds of...
By Chris Cillizza | August 8, 2006; 08:03 AM ET | Comments (102)
2008: The Case Against Barack Obama
A post filed earlier this week made the argument that Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois should seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008. Today, The Fix makes the counter argument: Given that Barack Obama has the advantage of youth, should...
By Chris Cillizza | July 27, 2006; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
2008: The Case for Barack Obama
At this time two years ago Barack Obama was not yet a household name. He had won the Illinois Democratic Senate nomination in a romp but had yet to deliver his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic convention -- a...
By Chris Cillizza | July 25, 2006; 07:35 AM ET | Comments (0)
