Government Shutdown

Shutdown Averted As Dem, GOP Leaders Hash Out Payroll Tax Deal

Brian Beutler | December 15, 2011, 9:52PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)

House and Senate leaders have reached an agreement on a deal to avoid a government shutdown, and are nearing a separate deal on legislation to renew a soon-to-expire payroll tax cut, unemployment benefits, and a "doc fix" measure to prevent a steep, automatic pay cut to Medicare physicians.

The breakthrough comes just over 24 hours before funding for the government was set to run out, though the principals continue to squabble over policy measures and payfors attached to the payroll bill.

Democrats have officially dropped their push for a small surtax on millionaires as one means of offsetting the cost of the bill. And it's unclear what they got in return, aside from a pledge from Republicans not to jam Democrats with their partisan payroll tax bill.

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Mitt Romney

DNC Mocks Romney's 'Corporations Are People' Claim With Streisand-Scored Video

Benjy Sarlin | August 11, 2011, 8:52PM

Well, that was quick. Several hours after Mitt Romney told an Iowa heckler that "corporations are people, my friend" the DNC is up with a video lampooning the quote. Featuring the smooth sounds of Barbara Streisand's "People," no less.

2012

DNC, Huntsman Condemn Shadowy $1 Million Pro-Romney Donation

Benjy Sarlin | August 5, 2011, 6:05PM

Mitt Romney Holds Campaign Event In Front Of Valley Plaza Mall in Los Angeles, July 20, 2011

A mysterious corporate donor to a Super PAC supporting Mitt Romney has already drawn the full attention of campaign finance watchdogs, who suspect the barely-existent firm, W Spann LLC, was created to conceal the origins of a giant $1 million contribution. Now Romney's political opponents are taking notice as well.

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Latino voters

Democrats Court Hispanic Vote With New Ad

Benjy Sarlin | July 22, 2011, 9:44AM

DNC TV Ad "En quien confiar"

The DNC is up with a new Spanish-language ad in several states highlighting President Obama's record on issues related to the Latino community.

The spot, which focuses on Obama policies like an expansion of SCHIP to legal immigrants, will run in Reno, Las Vegas, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, Denver, Albuquerque, and Washington, DC. It includes a dig at Republicans as well, over the House GOP's proposal to end guaranteed Medicare benefits.

Debt ceiling

Democrats See Tide Turning In Debt Ceiling Fight

Benjy Sarlin | July 20, 2011, 3:50PM

President Barack Obama

Democratic officials are crowing over a string of recent polls showing public opinion rapidly shifting towards support for a debt ceiling increase.

In a memo obtained by TPM, DNC Communications Director Brad Woodhouse, wrote that he sees growing support for President Obama's proposal to include both spending cuts and increased tax revenue in a final deal. In addition, Americans give Republicans low marks for their intransigence on the issue.

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Allen West

Wasserman Schultz: Not Surprising That Allen West Would 'Crack Under The Pressure' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | July 20, 2011, 2:45PM

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

DNC Chair and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) is responding to Rep. Allen West's (R-FL) Tuesday e-mail, in which he attacked her for her criticism of his vote on the House Republicans' budget proposals. West declared that she has supposedly "proven repeatedly that you are not a Lady, therefore, shall not be afforded due respect from me!" Appearing Wednesday afternoon on MSNBC with Andrea Mitchell, Wasserman Schultz said that with West's position on Medicare, he clearly isn't able to deal with her response. Also, she noted, West is in fact one of her constituents, rather than living in his own district.

Indeed, considering West's having built his political career on his time in the military -- which ended due to an incident involving the torture of an Iraqi policeman -- Wasserman Schultz's response could possibly be viewed as questioning West's own vigor and stability.

"Well, I have to tell you I was unfazed by his e-mail. It's not surprising that given the pressure that the Republicans are facing," said Wasserman Schultz. "I mean, they're defending ending Medicare as we know it. Congressman West represents thousands of senior citizens, which is what I was pointing out, and they would face significant increased costs due to the Republicans' Medicare plan and the Cut, Cap and Balance Bill.

"So it's not really surprising that he would crack under the pressure of having to defend that."

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Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

DNC Chair: Sorry Russ, Dems Are All-In On Anonymous Campaign Funds

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 17, 2011, 3:20PM

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

MINNEAPOLIS -- Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) laid out a passionate case for Democrats to stay away from so-called Super PACs in his keynote address at the Netroots Nation conference Thursday night. On Friday afternoon, Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz made it clear members of her party will not be heeding his advice.

"Progressives shouldn't be unilaterally disarming," she told TPM.

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DNC

New DNC Chair Showers Howard Dean With Praise, Says She'll Ask Him For Ideas

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 17, 2011, 12:54PM

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

MINNEAPOLIS -- Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), who was named chair of the Democratic National Committee in April, praised Howard Dean for his tenure leading the party and told progressives gathered here at Netroots Nation on Friday that she intends to turn to him for ideas.

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Anthony Weiner

DNC Chair Explains Why Clinton Got To Stay But Weiner Has To Go

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 15, 2011, 10:07AM

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), the newly-crowned chair of the DNC, explained to a Washington audience Wednesday why she's called for embattled Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY) to resign after he lied about sex while Bill Clinton and other politicians have been allowed to keep their jobs for doing the same thing.

The answer, Wasserman Schultz said, comes down to effectiveness.

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Debates

Democrats On GOP Debate: What The Hell Was That About? (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 14, 2011, 10:55AM

GOP Presidential Candidates Debate, Jun 13, 2011

Democrats have found their response to last night's big Republican presidential debate in New Hampshire.

"Really??"

The DNC put out a web video this morning highlighting what was not said in last night's battle of the Republican stars. What was said, Democrats say, was less than impressive.

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2012 elections

DNC Chair On Top 2012 GOPers: 'I'm Concerned About Their Commitment To American Exceptionalism'

Evan McMorris-Santoro | May 26, 2011, 10:42AM

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

Speaking to reporters today, DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz took a page from the Republican playbook when talking about three of President Obama's top potential rivals in 2012.

Speaking of former governors Mitt Romney, Jon Huntsman and Tim Pawlenty, Wasserman Schultz said, "I'm concerned about their commitment to American exceptionalism."

It's a line you hear often from Republicans on the trail when they're speaking about Obama, and it's usually read as a thinly-veiled attack on the president's patriotism or his respect for "traditional American values" and the like. Responding to a followup question from TPM, Wasserman Shultz said that's not exactly what she meant.

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VA-SEN

Tim Kaine Launches Senate Bid In Virginia (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | April 5, 2011, 1:31PM

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine (VA)

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine, who served as governor of Virginia from 2006-2010, has officially kicked off his much-expected campaign for Senate, for the seat held by retiring Dem Sen. Jim Webb.

In a YouTube video, Kaine touts his accomplishments as governor, saying he attracted business to the state and was praised for his fiscal management.

"I'm running for the United States Senate because America has big challenges," says Kaine. "And I'm convinced that Virginia has answers to help strengthen our nation."

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VA-SEN

DNC: Kaine 'Increasingly Likely' To Run

Eric Kleefeld | March 14, 2011, 1:55PM

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine

The Democratic National Committee is responding to online reports that DNC chairman Tim Kaine said he would run for Senate in Virginia, where he was previously governor and where Dem Sen. Jim Webb is retiring -- saying instead that it is "already widely known" that Kaine is "increasingly likely" to make the race.

Earlier on Monday, Larry Sabato tweeted that Kaine had told a class at the University of Richmond, where he teaches a class on law and leadership, that he would run for Senate.

"In response to a student's question, Governor Kaine told his law school class today what is already widely known which is that he is increasingly likely to run," said DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse, in a statement.

"However, no final decision will be made or announced until the governor has had a final round of consultations with folks about how he can best serve the President, the people and the causes he cares about; he is assured that the Democratic Party will be in good hands should he choose to make the race and leave the DNC; he has the support that would be necessary to mount a successful campaign and he completes commitments for travel and fundraising he has made to the Party and the President through at least the end of the month."

VA-SEN

PPP: Virginia Senate Still A Toss-Up -- And Kaine Tests Well Against Allen

Eric Kleefeld | February 9, 2011, 2:25PM

Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and DNC chair Tim Kaine

So does the retirement of Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) increase the vulnerability that Democrats might face against Republican former Sen. George Allen, who narrowly lost to Webb in 2006? Perhaps not, so argues Public Policy Polling (D) -- and Allen doesn't seem like any sort of sure thing.

Back in mid-November, a PPP survey of Virginia found that Tim Kaine, the current chairman of the Democratic National Committee and formerly the governor of Virginia, tested just as well or perhaps even better than Webb. Against Allen, Webb led by 49%-45%, while Kaine scored 50%-44%.

PPP's Tom Jensen writes today: "24 hours ago Virginia looked like a toss up. And Jim Webb or no Jim Webb, I think it still does."

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Pres '12

Obama And DNC Gearing Up For 2012 With Staff Reshuffling

Eric Kleefeld | January 20, 2011, 2:49PM

President Barack Obama and DNC Chair Tim Kaine

In some big news, President Obama is running for re-election. Well, we knew that already -- but his campaign is gearing up with some important staff reshuffles.

As the Chicago Tribune reports, Obama has made the much-anticipated decision that Chicago will host his campaign headquarters. This is a departure from recent history, compared to presidents in the past few decades who based their re-election campaigns in the D.C. metropolitan area. It is believed that an anti-Washington climate may have contributed to the decision.

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Steve Israel

Blue Dogged: Meet Steve Israel, The Incoming Chair Of The DCCC

Brian Beutler | November 23, 2010, 9:23AM

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)

Long Island Democrat Steve Israel, the incoming DCCC chairman isn't a typical Nancy Pelosi ally. Among other things, he's a former Blue Dog who voted for the Iraq war and the 2001 Bush tax cuts. But last week, after urging his fellow Democrats to support Pelosi's continued leadership of their party, Pelosi nominated him to head the election committee over the perceived favorite, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.

Wasserman-Schultz and Pelosi have clashed in the past, but the former's fundraising acumen is unquestioned and, in a challenging environment for Democrats, she was seen as a natural choice.

But Israel didn't come out of nowhere.

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2010 elections

Defeated Dems Call It A Night

Brian Beutler | November 3, 2010, 12:30AM

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., House Education Chairman George Miller, D-Calif., House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Transportation Chairman James L. Oberstar, D-Minn., and House Appropriations Chairman David R. Obey, D-Wis., during a news conference.

Democrats are closing up shop, both at DNC headquarters and at their party ("party") at the Liaison hotel. No dog and pony show. No speeches.

That difficult task will be left to President Obama, who will speak from the White House tomorrow morning.

Numerous Democrats who worked on this campaign have described the night -- particularly from the point of view of House races -- as a bloodbath. There's no way to spin that at an election night party. So they're not going to try.

2010 elections

Democrats Call On Michelle Obama To Help Push Early Voting (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 26, 2010, 5:20AM

First Lady Michelle Obama

The DNC is hoping First Lady Michelle Obama can drive Democrats to the polls before Election Day. The party is pushing Democrats to turn out early nationwide with a web initiative and video starring Obama.

Early voting has become a potential ray of sunshine in the Democrats' cloudy electoral forecast. Early results have shown Democrats turning out in decent numbers so far, giving the party and its supporters hope that it might upset the narrative of big GOP gains the polls that the media have pre-written this year.

With the new Obama video and accompanying RaiseYourVote website, Democrats appear to be hoping to build on their early vote momentum.

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2010 elections

Democrats Take On Secret GOP Money In New Ad (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 20, 2010, 5:15AM

Karl Rove

Democrats don't plan to let Republicans and their allies off the hook for using anonymous donations to fund thousands of campaign ads this cycle.

In a new ad set to air on national cable starting today, the DNC calls out "Republicans and their corporate buddies" for relying on "millions" from "secret donors" the Democrats allege is "being spent by right wing groups to buy an election."

The DNC makes it clear it thinks the message will shake up an electorate still hurting from the 2008 economic collapse.

"The debate over the secret money Republican-aligned groups are spending to win the election and the economy is inextricably linked," DNC spokesperson Brad Woodhouse said. "If Republicans win, they are going to reward this special interest backing by returning to the economic policies of the Bush era that cost eight million Americans their jobs."

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DSCC

Outside Groups Dominate Campaign Ad Spending In 2010 (CHARTS)

Brian Beutler | October 18, 2010, 10:04AM

Karl Rove

Anonymous outside interests have gone from being a relatively minor source of funding for campaign-season television ads to being the dominant player in 2010, according to figures compiled by the Sunlight Foundation.

A new (and effective) Democratic messaging strategy -- criticizing Republicans and their conservative backers for letting outside, anonymously funded groups run ads attacking candidates -- isn't an example of a party desperately looking for a new bogeyman. It's backed up by data, freely available from the Federal Elections Committee.

The sea change is largely the result of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, overturning a ban preventing pressure groups and corporations from running so-called independent expenditure ads for or against a candidate (these are distinct from issue ads, which only mention candidates vis-a-vis their policy positions). As a result of that shift, the official party committees and candidates face direct contribution limits and must disclose their funders. PACs have a bit more leeway -- they still face disclosure rules, but no donation limits and can make unlimited independent expenditures. Groups organized as non-profits, though, are unencumbered: they can take in as much money as they want, without having to disclose any of their donors.

The result has been extraordinary.

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2010 elections

Kaine Says Dems Can't Take Delaware For Granted

Christina Bellantoni | October 14, 2010, 12:44PM

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine said this morning he won't help Democratic candidates with no chance at winning or those who will knock it out of the park with ease, but even though Delaware's Democratic Senate nominee Chris Coons is ahead by nearly 20 points in the TPM Poll Average, President Obama and Vice President Biden will hold a major rally in the state tomorrow.

Kaine told reporters at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor that his philosophy is, "I'm not going to give a courtesy gift to a person who is going to win and I'm not going to give s sympathy gift to a person who is going to lose."

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WV-SEN

Kaine On Manchin's Rifle Ad: 'I'm Not Wild About It'

Christina Bellantoni | October 14, 2010, 11:37AM

Joe Manchin and Tim Kaine

DNC Chairman Tim Kaine said this morning he doesn't love West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin's much ballyhooed Senate ad featuring the Democrat firing his rifle at the "cap-and-trade" climate bill, but the gun isn't the problem.

"I'm not wild about it," Kaine told reporters at the Christian Science Monitor breakfast this morning.

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2010 elections

New Obama TV Ad Aims At '08 Voters: 'We Cannot Sit This One Out' (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | October 14, 2010, 5:30AM

President Barack Obama

President Obama stars in a new national television ad to boost get-out-the-vote efforts, a 30-second commercial that the Democratic National Committee hopes lays out the stakes for the midterm elections next month.

"If the other side does win, they will spend the next two years fighting for the very same policies that led to this recession in the first place," Obama says in the ad.

TPM obtained a copy of the ad which you can watch below. It's aimed to run along with Obama's planned town hall forum on BET, MTV and CMT tonight.

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2010 elections

New DNC Ad Targets Karl Rove's Election Spending (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | October 10, 2010, 9:24AM

The Democratic National Committee will go up on television with a new ad targeting Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie for their political activity during the midterm elections through groups which don't need to disclose their donors.

TPM obtained a copy of the ad, which hits the GOP on a point the Democrats have been hammering of late -- corporations getting involved in elections thanks to the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision.

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2010 elections

Plouffe: Christine O'Donnell's Tea Party Will Push GOP Presidential Field Far To Right

Christina Bellantoni | October 7, 2010, 3:49PM

David Plouffe

Top Obama adviser David Plouffe told reporters today that the extreme positions of Christine O'Donnell, Sharron Angle and Rand Paul have had a measurable effect on improving Democratic voter enthusiasm and will make a "pronounced impact" on the 2012 presidential battle.

Plouffe said Democrats initially thought candidates like Angle and Paul would be "unique situations to their states," but when O'Donnell splashed onto the national scene with her ideas, the tea party extremism became a national force.

"She was ... the icing on the cake in terms of this," he said.

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2010 elections

Obama To 26K Cheering College Kids: I'm Going To 'Fight As Hard As I Can' (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | September 29, 2010, 11:45AM

President Obama rallied college students in Madison, Wisconsin last night, returning to his fiery 2008 campaign rhetoric and telling young voters he needs them "to stay fired up."

You can watch the full speech below. It's part of a big push from the Obama White House to rekindle the campaign energy from two years ago in hopes of saving the House for the Democratic Party.

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2010 elections

Obama Aims To Rekindle Youth Starpower For Midterms

Christina Bellantoni | September 28, 2010, 6:00AM

July 26, 2007

In 2008, Barack Obama somehow proved wrong the skeptics who swore up and down that young people can't be motivated to vote in large numbers. His campaign aggressively targeted college campuses, enticed 17-year-olds who'd be just old enough to participate and asked school-age children to convince their parents he was the best candidate.

And Obama needs them now more than ever.

Cue this week's big education push, which Democrats say aims to respark energy and voting enthusiasm among young people.

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Fundraising

DNC Outraises RNC By $3M In August

Marc Kilstein | September 21, 2010, 3:58PM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

With elections approaching, the national Democrats can perhaps find some comfort in being ahead of Republicans in at least one aspect of the campaign -- fundraising.

The Democratic National Committee out-raised its GOP counterpart, the Republican National Committee, by approximately $3 million in the month of August. The DNC raised $10.9 million last month, whereas Republicans raised $7.9 million. This gives the DNC around $13.4 million in cash on hand; the RNC has about $4.7 million cash on hand. It should be noted, however, that the DNC has $8.4 million in debt, versus the RNC's debt of $1.2 million.

As we reported yesterday, last month the DCCC out-raised the NRCC on the House side of the campaign, and the DSCC outdid the NRSC in fundraising for Senate races.

2010 elections

Dems Tell Nation's Voters: Boehner Speaks For Lobbyists (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | September 14, 2010, 8:26AM

New DNC ad targets John Boehner

The Democratic National Committee today is going on television with a second ad pushing general election themes you'll see this November, attempting to define Minority Leader John Boehner as lobbyist-friendly.

"He wants to be Speaker, but we all know who John Boehner really speaks for," the narrator states as the screen flashes: "John Boehner: A Speaker for Big-Time Lobbyists."

The citations in the ad are from this yesterday's New York Times story suggesting Boehner is tight with lobbyists. Boehner's office strongly pushed back on the piece, which ran over the weekend.

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2010 elections

Dems To Slam Boehner As Anti-Jobs In New Ad (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | September 12, 2010, 6:00AM

House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

The Democratic National Committee will be hammering Minority Leader John Boehner on television this week with a new ad designed to paint him as corporation-friendly and not valuing U.S. workers.

The ad, which TPM obtained for an early preview, features pictures of Boehner and highlights his opposition to a Democratic bill raising taxes on companies that ship jobs overseas.

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2010 elections

Obama To Campaign For Reid, Other Top Senate Candidates

Eric Kleefeld | September 9, 2010, 3:22PM

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and President Obama

President Obama will be hitting the campaign trail for the home stretch of several top-tier races this fall -- including for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Nevada.

The Democratic National Committee today announced a series of Obama events. The appearance with Reid will be held October 22 in Las Vegas.

Other appearances on tap are: September 28 in Madison, Wisconsin, where Sen. Russ Feingold is up for re-election; October 10 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak is facing Republican former Rep. Pat Toomey for Senate; and October 17 in Ohio, where Democrat Lee Fisher is facing Republican Rob Portman for Senate.

Late Update: As Greg Sargent reports, Feingold will not be at the event in Wisconsin.

Fundraising

Obama Sends $4.5 Million To Dem Committees

Eric Kleefeld | September 9, 2010, 12:00PM

President Barack Obama

President Obama has spread some more campaign wealth around the Democratic Party -- using $4.5 million that was left over from his mega-successful 2008 campaign operation to infuse the party's national campaign arms.

Politico reports that the money has come from funds that had been set aside for legal expenses to shut down the campaign: "As soon as it was determined that these funds were no longer needed for the shutdown of the campaign, the president directed that $1.5 million be transferred to each of the following committees: DCCC, DSCC and DNC. Obama for America earlier in the cycle had transferred $8 million, which was split between the DCCC and the DSCC."

2010 elections

RNC's Financial Picture Even Worse Than It Looks

Christina Bellantoni | August 24, 2010, 2:21PM

RNC Chairman Michael Steele

As if a bad fundraising report released in the dark of night on Friday wasn't bad enough for the Republican National Committee, a closer look suggests the party's financial picture is worse than it appears.

By the numbers, the RNC brought in $5.5 million in July, compared with $11.5 million for the DNC. But only $4.6 million of the haul actually came from donations -- tucked inside the RNC's July report was a $900,000 insurance payment.

The payment came from Illinois National Insurance, a subsidiary of AIG. But Democrats are exploiting the bigger picture of their own financial health and made sure reporters knew about the insurance settlement and that it came from AIG, which received bailout funds.

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DNC

DNC Ad Features Bush: 'You Can't Get Fooled Again' (VIDEO)

Eric Kleefeld | August 20, 2010, 11:41AM

A new ad from the Democratic National Committee.

The Democratic National Committee has a new cable TV ad up that brings back the image of the man that Dems have tried to use as their great bogeyman: Former President George W. Bush.

"This fall, America faces a big choice," the narrator says. "Do we continue to move forward like Democrats are doing: Investing in education for every child, manufacturing right here at home, clean energy powering a new economy. Do we put Main Street ahead of Wall Street? Do we hold big business accountable when they've gone too far? Or do we go back to the same Republican policies that got us into this mess?"

The ad then shows old video of a verbally bumbling Bush: "You fool me, you can't get fooled again."

The announcer then says: "This fall, our choice is clear."

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Fundraising

DNC Raises $11.5M In July

Christina Bellantoni | August 19, 2010, 6:00AM

Tim Kaine, DNC chair

The Democratic National Committee raised $11.5 million in the month of July and has nearly $11 million the bank with less than three months to go before the crucial midterm elections. TPM has learned that DNC Chairman Tim Kaine will announce the fundraising figures later today at the party's meeting in St. Louis.

A Democratic official offered an early preview: $11.5 million raised, $10.8 million cash on hand and $3.5 million in debt. It's the second best month of the cycle, and the official believes it will be the fifth consecutive month the DNC outraised the RNC.

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2010 elections

DNC Sends Cash To Campaign Committees And State Parties

Christina Bellantoni | July 28, 2010, 6:13PM

President Barack Obama and DNC Chair Tim Kaine

The Democratic National Committee has transferred piles of cash from its campaign account to the Senate and House campaign committees and several states, investing big in hopes of retaining the party's seats and majorities during the November elections.

The DNC gave $833,333 to the Senate campaign arm the DSCC and $833,333 to the House campaign arm the DCCC. The DNC also gave $100,000 to the Maryland Democratic Party, $400,000 to the Florida Democratic Party and $333,333 to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.

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2010 elections

Dems To Define GOP With 'Republican-Tea Party Contract With America' (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | July 28, 2010, 6:00AM

Tim Kaine, DNC chair

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine today will announce a new party initiative aimed at defining the Republicans who want to win control of Congress as tea partiers who want to repeal everything and abolish federal agencies.

A Democratic official offering TPM an early preview of what Kaine would say during an 11 a.m. press conference today with members of Congress framed the push as "a preemptive strike" against the Republican plans to roll out a new "contract" with America for the fall elections.

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