I am not keepin it a secret that I support Jeff Rammelt for Chair of the State Party.

It looks like Ed Garvey just might agree with me:

http://www.fightingbob.com/weblog.cfm?PostID=1007

GarveyBlogby
Ed Garvey

December 11, 2004

Dems want two for one?The Wisconsin Democratic Party has many strengths, but nearly all of them reside at the county level--Price, Rusk, Douglas, Washburn, Dane and others. But the top-down, insider-ruled state party is the scourge of those who seek office.

The state party is little more than a conduit for in-state and out-of-state campaign contributions. The party does little in terms of recruitment, training and funding for non-incumbent candidates, but they love to have lots and lots of meetings. Just try to reach one of them on the phone.

It has been more than a decade since Dems picked up more legislative seats in an election cycle than they lost. Even this year, with all the enthusiasm of the presidential primary and election, the Republicans gained seats. Now the Assembly and Senate are dangerously close to being veto-proof, and that means concealed weapons, reduced services, and more.

There has been no grass-roots strategy, no involvement in battles to save our environment or to stop Wal-Mart, little tolerance of outsiders in the heady atmosphere of the state party headquarters. The closed atmosphere surrouding the governor's office is a reflection of the closed party which has been dominated for 20 years by Madison incumbents.

The anwer to this problem? Lobbyist and former legislator Joe Wineke and current chair Linda Honold will run as a team. Whoa Nelly! Where can we get the yard signs? When things are going badly, why not more of the same?