Jim Burn: Democratic Committee = "a paramilitary operation"

According to a source who attended Tuesday night's Democratic City Committee election meeting, Jim Burn, Chair of the Allegheny County Democratic Committee, let it be known that the Democratic Committee is a "paramilitary operation" with a clear chain of command and no room for dissent (even in a Democratic primary).

He also compared supporting someone other than an endorsed candidate to crossing a union picket line. If you follow Burn's logic, the late Pittsburgh Mayor Dick Caliguiri was a scab.

Nice one, Jim!

Looks like they're back to marching in lockstep (guess we should forget any previous musings from Burn on the possibility of ever having an "open primary").

Ugh!

The Ideal Committee Member (according to Burn):

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Lockstep

Earlier this week Chris Potter over at his Slag Heap blog wrote about some proposed changes to the Allegheny County Democratic Committee's bylaws (link on this page).

As Potter put it:

And the key question to be discussed is:

Should Democratic committee people be required to support the party's endorsed candidates?

As he notes, they already are required to do this but the bylaw revisions would now include punishment for those who do not march in lockstep.

I'd also like to point out this proposed change in RULE IV Conduct:

e. Determine that said committee member is ineligible for endorsement at one (1) or more future endorsement meetings for which said committee member seeks office;

If I read this correctly -- and from what I've heard about proposed changes from committee members over the last couple of years -- this means that if you are a committee member and you have the temerity to run for office against an ACDC endorsed candidate, you will be punished by being ineligible to even be considered for future endorsements. Many, if not most, candidates for local office are committee members or ward chairs.

To sum up:

1) If you are a committee person and you don't get ACDC's endorsement and you run anyway in an election (I don't see any exception even in the case of special elections when there is no primary or primary elections themselves) you may be blackballed from one or more future endorsements, and

2) If you are a committee person and you don't support the endorsed candidate in an election, there will be a trial and if found guilty, you will be punished (reprimanded verbally or in writing/or censored/deactivated/removed from office/be ineligible for future endorsements).

There is no indication as to what crime merits which punishment. (Written warning for a button, but deactivation for a yard sign?)

Under these proposed rules, City Councilman Bruce Kraus (for example) would have been punished by ACDC for running (and winning).

Why even bother to have primaries?

Hail Victory, ACDC!
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Pittsburgh City Council District 2 Special Election TODAY

It's not hard to agree with everyone that special elections aren't a big draw in general and today's in particular -- add temps in the 20's, snow, and a big frickin' Steelers Super Bowl Champions parade to the mix -- and you're likely looking at an exceptionally low turnout today in District 2.

That doesn't mean things haven't gotten heated in blog world, but I'm more concerned with this postcard from Allegheny County Democratic Committee (ACDC) Chair Jim Burn.

Let's agree from the get go that it's Burn's job to get endorsed democrats elected. Fine and dandy. But, I would like to think that he would want to do that in a way that is honest and does not demonize candidates other than his own.

The postcard reminds voters that Theresa Smith is the only candidate (currently) running as a Democrat. Fine and dandy and true.

However, it also states this:

She is running against a Republican and two third party fringe candidates.

Words have meaning. Here's the meaning of a couple:

THIRD PARTY
2 a: a major political party operating over a limited period of time in addition to two other major parties in a nation or state normally characterized by a two-party system

FRINGE
3 a: something that is marginal, additional, or secondary to some activity, process, or subject b: a group with marginal or extremist views.

1) Georgia Blotzer, candidate for Pittsburgh City Council, is running as an independent (small "i"). Running as an independent means that you are non-affiliated. It does not mean that you belong to a "third party." Additionally, most people know that Blotzer has been a Democratic Committee member who has long campaigned for Democratic candidates and who chose to run as an independent in this race which -- while having no democratic primary election -- could only have one candidate listed with a big D beside their name.

2) Georgia Blotzer both far outstripped her opponents (including Smith) in fundraising and she received the endorsement of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. This means that she is not "marginal" or "secondary."

3) Given that Smith and Blotzer have nearly identical issues (Smith: "She plans to advance her efforts to develop programs to unite communities, maintain a strong police presence and reduce neighborhood blight." Blotzer's issue page: Safe Streets, Viable Housing, Responsible Development and Campaign Finance Reform.), Blotzer's views seem neither "marginal" or "extremist."

That is, unless of course, the ACDC -- being the only game in a one party town and clinging to their death grip on the purse strings -- believes that campaign finance reform is extremist.

Barring that, perhaps they can use their monies to buy Jim Burn a dictionary.

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Obligatory Disclaimer: As mentioned before, I've been paid by the Georgia for Council campaign to create and maintain her web site: www.georgiaforcouncil.com
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