Southwestern US state Dem leaders assail McCain

One thing's clear to me after sitting in on a conference call with four Democratic Party state leaders  from the Southwestern U.S.: Maria Weeg has a much better gig today than she did at the beginning of 2007.

Weeg, who worked for the Idaho Democratic Party for five years - the last three as its director - took the same job in Arizona last March. She now presides over the party in a state that has a Democratic governor; four of its eight congressional seats held by Dems; and a reasonably narrow 50-40 GOP hold on the state legislature. In other words, real two-party government. What a concept. Maria, we miss you, but you can only spend so many years in the wilderness. We're glad you have more fertile ground to plow these days.

The purpose of yesterday's call, organized by the Democratic National Committee, was to show a united Western front against the region's native son, GOP presidential candidate John McCain, who has served Arizona in Congress since 1983 - and whom Weeg called "Bush's foot soldier" for his support of the president's Iraq policies and fealty to free-market, trickle-down economics. Noting McCain's own admission that he doesn't really understand the economy, she added, "That's going to drive voters to the Democratic ticket this year."

Weeg and three of her Southwestern colleagues (Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak, Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Travis Brock, and Utah Democratic Party Executive Director Todd Taylor; New Mexico wasn't represented) pointed out just how unpopular McCain is in the region. He managed just 47 percent in his home state's Republican primary, and he came in a dismal third in the Nevada GOP caucus. A big reason for the latter, Brock noted, is McCain's support for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste depository.

Waak of Colorado blasted McCain's decision to hold a Denver fundraiser at the Petroleum Club, saying that he is indifferent to Colorado conservationists' calls against excessive drilling on the environmentally sensitive Roan Plateau. Weeg added that McCain - formerly a moderate on immigration - gave into his party's extremist wing in order to garner the nomination. Taylor from Utah said some people in his state remain miffed about anti-Mormon comments made by the candidate's 96-year-old mother, and question how McCain has pandered to fundamentalist Christians in order to get their votes. Swamped by Mitt Romney, McCain got a mere 5 percent in Utah's  GOP primary.

Of course, the state leaders did their best to insist that there will be complete party unity in the Democratic tent, no matter what the outcome of our nomination contest. That remains to be seen, especially if the battle drags on to Denver and/or the voters' will is overturned by superdelegates. Pointing to McCain's weaknesses, record Democratic primary and caucus turnouts, and robust party registration and fundraising, the leaders made the case that it will be a good year for Democrats no matter who tops the ticket (though many Dems - this one included - say it's time to cut the crap and be ready to rally round a nominee by the time voting ends in June).

I tried to ask a question on the call, but I didn't get the chance. So here's what I wanted to ask, and if Maria is reading, I'd love her answer: What has she learned in a year in Arizona that could help hapless Idaho, where we are barely managing to run as many Democrats as we did in 2006, where too many quality Democrats are passing on races or picking the wrong ones, and where the man who took her job decided to leave his post less than a year later?

Comments

[Jill Kuraitis]

Great post.

[Julie in Boise]

Thanks, Jill.

Note to "Janet Reno" (uh huh, right): Your comment was deleted as much for its excessive length as for its toxic spew. Not on this blog, thanks.

[Julie in Boise]

Here's a NY Post column from today on how the West is looking increasingly grim for the GOP:

http://www.nypost.com/seven/03282008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/gop_achilles_heel_103897.htm?page=0