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Archive: Democratic Party
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 (72)
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 (103)
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 (73)
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 (3)
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 (147)
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 (195)
And the Winners Are: Clinton, Edwards and Nevada
Democrats' effort to bring more geographic and racial diversity to the presidential nomination process took a large step forward over the weekend, with a key party committee approving the addition of two states to the first weeks of the 2008...
By Chris Cillizza | July 24, 2006; 03:24 PM ET | Comments (41)
Insider Interview: Third Way's Matt Bennett
The lasting image of the 1988 presidential race is of Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis (D) riding on top of a military tank clad awkwardly in a too-big helmet and jumpsuit. Bennett says Democrats "have got to win not just a...
By Chris Cillizza | July 24, 2006; 08:00 AM ET | Comments (103)
Mark Warner Lands Another Top Campaign Recruit
Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner continues to recruit top national operatives for his presidential campaign-in-waiting, inking Jonathan Epstein as a consultant to his Forward Together PAC. Epstein has deep experience in presidential politics. He ran John Kerry's Citizen Solider Fund...
By Chris Cillizza | July 20, 2006; 12:52 PM ET | Comments (31)
Evan Bayh's Pitch Down the Middle
Sen. Evan Bayh (Ind.) yesterday touted himself as a voice for the middle class in a pair of speeches, delivering a message intended to distinguish himself from the crowded field of Democrats considering a presidential run in 2008. Sen. Bayh...
By Chris Cillizza | July 18, 2006; 03:20 PM ET | Comments (53)
Leadership PACs and the Early Line on 2008
The Fix tends to view leadership political action committees more and more as a thing of the past when it comes to presidential politics (more on that in a future post), but they remain the best window into watching the...
By Chris Cillizza | June 22, 2006; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (34)
Democratic Committees Hold Fundraising Edge
For the first time in recent memory, the Democratic Party's House and Senate campaign committees currently have more money to spend on races than their Republican counterparts -- a milestone reached just five months before the critical midterm elections. The...
By Chris Cillizza | June 20, 2006; 05:55 PM ET | Comments (14)
Dean Defends the 50-State Strategy
Borrowing a page from his goal-oriented fundraising during his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination (who can forget the bat?), Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean launched a two-week cash-collection campaign, Wednesday, aimed at answering critics of his 50-state strategy....
By Chris Cillizza | June 14, 2006; 04:45 PM ET | Comments (42)
Campaigning in the Kos Primary
Anyone wondering whether the netroots will influence who winds up as the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential nominee need only have looked at the attendees at last weekend's Yearly Kos convention in Las Vegas. Four potential White House candidates attended in...
By Chris Cillizza | June 13, 2006; 05:17 PM ET | Comments (29)
John Edwards's Iowa Surprise
Most Democrats involved or interested in the early moves of the 2008 presidential chess game spent the weekend focused on the Yearly Kos convention out in Las Vegas, where progressive bloggers and activists from across the country gathered to hear...
By Chris Cillizza | June 12, 2006; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (77)
Sunday's Post: More From Yearly Kos and What's Wrong With the Dems?
The Fix's Chris Cillizza adds a few more details about the Yearly Kos conference in the The Post's Sunday Politics column. Take a read here: "Conservative Mormon a Darling of the Kos." Meanwhile, Post reporter Dan Balz weighs in with...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | June 11, 2006; 12:36 PM ET | Comments (18)
Mark Warner's First Date (with the Netroots)
LAS VEGAS -- Mark Warner didn't break much new rhetorical ground during his address today at the Yearly Kos convention, delivering a stump speech that was politely, if not passionately, received by the crowd of liberal activists. "In Virginia we...
By Chris Cillizza | June 10, 2006; 08:03 PM ET | Comments (22)
Howard Dean's Call to Action
LAS VEGAS -- Howard Dean came home today. The Democratic National Committee chairman delivered a call to action this morning at the Yearly Kos convention, urging attendees to avoid slipping into partisan attacks and rather to focus on broadening their...
By Chris Cillizza | June 10, 2006; 03:31 PM ET | Comments (13)
Russ Feingold: Bucking Convention All the Way to the White House?
"Cautious" is not a word that comes to mind when writing about Russ Feingold. Feingold is tired of what he says is Democrats' softness on issues. "[W]e lost because we were perceived as unable to take the tough stands," he...
By Chris Cillizza | June 5, 2006; 07:55 AM ET | Comments (134)
Democracy Alliance Follow-up: Iraq War Dust-up
The Fix can now identify the liberal campaign donor who engaged in verbal fisticuffs with former President Bill Clinton last weekend at a private gathering in Texas -- Guy T. Saperstein, a civil rights attorney from Oakland, Calif. (See this...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | May 25, 2006; 02:18 PM ET | Comments (33)
Clinton Crashes Democracy Alliance
The behind-the-scenes group of elite Democratic donors known as the Democracy Alliance met in Austin, Texas, last weekend to discuss plans to finance the construction of a progressive political infrastructure. Former president Clinton (Reuters) The highlight of the gathering (or...
By Chris Cillizza | May 25, 2006; 09:36 AM ET | Comments (67)
Chris Dodd's White House Surprise
Catching much of the political world by surprise, Sen. Chris Dodd said Monday he is taking the steps to run for president in 2008, a move that makes the Connecticut Democrat the sixth senator from his party to float a...
By Chris Cillizza | May 23, 2006; 04:29 PM ET | Comments (56)
Top Democratic Consulting Firm Sold?
In a move that could echo around the Democratic consulting world, international advertising giant WPP is taking steps toward acquiring the Dewey Square Group -- one of the top firms in the business. WPP is the second-largest advertising services company...
By Chris Cillizza | May 16, 2006; 10:15 AM ET | Comments (20)
RNC Doles Out Cash, DNC Goes Door to Door
With almost $43 million in the bank at the end of March, the Republican National Committee is the looming giant on the 2006 political landscape. For months, Democratic strategists have privately fretted that the RNC will begin to dump millions...
By Chris Cillizza | April 26, 2006; 01:30 PM ET | Comments (21)
A look at Leadership PACs -- The Democrats
It has become de rigueur in recent election cycles for aspiring national politicians to maintain a leadership political action committee. Leadership PACs provide a campaign bank account that a candidate can use to fund his or her relentless travel around...
By Chris Cillizza | April 25, 2006; 03:30 PM ET | Comments (30)
2008: The Case Against John Kerry
If my Tuesday post making the case for a second presidential bid by Sen. John Kerry proved anything, it was that The Fix's readers feel strongly about the junior senator from Massachusetts. In the interest of keeping the debate going,...
By Chris Cillizza | April 20, 2006; 03:23 PM ET | Comments (113)
2008: The Case For John Kerry
When the 2004 presidential campaign started, Sen. John Kerry (Mass.) was widely acknowledged to be the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. A decorated Vietnam veteran, Kerry was seen as the right man to take on President George W. Bush during...
By Chris Cillizza | April 18, 2006; 09:38 AM ET | Comments (189)
Counting on Sen. Clinton
Candidates running for reelection this November filed financial reports with the Federal Election Commission over the weekend, and, once again, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) emerged as the big winner. Sen. Clinton addresses the Economic Club of Chicago on April...
By Chris Cillizza | April 17, 2006; 01:45 PM ET | Comments (62)
Democrats Keep Up Security Push
Update, 5 p.m. ET: As an astute observer pointed out to us this afternoon, the Democratic National Committee is also working to neutralize the traditional Democratic disadvantage on security issues. Today, the DNC unveiled the Democratic National Veterans and Military...
By Chris Cillizza | April 5, 2006; 01:43 PM ET | Comments (27)
Focus Grouping the 2008 Dem Field
Frank Luntz, the on-again, off-again Republican pollster, has released the results of two recent focus groups he conducted in Iowa and New Hampshire aimed at gauging voter sentiment toward the potential 2008 Democratic presidential candidates. Luntz said that his firm...
By Chris Cillizza | March 31, 2006; 06:13 PM ET | Comments (44)
Crying Foul, Netroots Note Some Big Wins
In a post yesterday, The Fix wrote about Virginia Senate candidate Jim Webb's (D) potential to be the first candidate backed by the Democratic "netroots" to win an election. The word "first" prompted several of the most prominent members of...
By Chris Cillizza | March 30, 2006; 04:04 PM ET | Comments (27)
Insider Interview: John Edwards -- Not Dwelling on 2004
A lot has changed for John Edwards since November 2004 when he and John Kerry were defeated at the ballot box by President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards (D) says he's...
By Chris Cillizza | March 13, 2006; 06:00 AM ET | Comments (54)
Iowa's Tom Vilsack at the Press Club
In a speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack (D) talked about the importance of community -- offering a glimpse of his likely message should he decide to run for president in 2008. Vilsack addressed...
By Chris Cillizza | March 2, 2006; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (16)
Democrats Revive Soft Money Efforts
After watching the two largest progressive soft money organizations either close or contract their operations in the first half of 2005, most Democrats were pessimistic about their chances of re-creating a shadow party as they did in the 2004 presidential...
By Chris Cillizza | February 16, 2006; 04:05 PM ET | Comments (14)
2008: The Case for Al Gore
For Al Gore watchers, it's deja vu all over again as the former vice president is being talked up as a presidential candidate by the Democratic Party's chattering classes. Is Al Gore the only Democrat capable of beating Hillary Clinton...
By Chris Cillizza | February 14, 2006; 10:40 AM ET | Comments (137)
