Bill Burkett: Steering Committee, Van Os for Texas Democratic Chair 2002

The Kerry Fairy ^ | 09/20/04 | Becki Snow

[dandelion]

Admin, I do not believe this information is found anywhere else yet. Please pull if you do not think this belongs in breaking news.

Soliciting your thoughts, pajama people...

[ArmyBratproud]

BUMP FOR GREAT INFO.

Good Job!

The dems are connected to the memos

[Jenya]

[ArmyBratproud]

Great pic.

[Petronski]

I don't think Burkett should be smeared as some kind of psycho, when the fact is, he is a 21st century Donald Segretti who knew exactly what he was doing.

But the lone nut theory is the only thing that will save Dan and the DNC now, so here we go.

[Phyto Chems]

The dems are connected to the memos

It should read:

The RATS are connected to the memos

[ArmyBratproud]

yep,

they suckered Burkett in. they knew of his hatred...and manipulated him with it.

now he is a scapegoat.

Still....whether he is not a loon..ar is a loon...does not change the fact that there are way too many connections to the Democrats...and the Kerry campaign on this issue.

Van Os worked on both the Howard Dean and John Kerry Campaigns.

[Phyto Chems]

The dems are connected to the memos

It should read:

The RATS are connected to the memos

[ArmyBratproud]

my bad.

both use four letters.

both spell the same thing.

[dandelion]

PING in the night! You were interested last night - perhaps this little tidbit will interest you all further...

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

Excellent job piecing things together.

You can probably be assured that Burkett is the author of those letters. I know both Burkett and the Texas PPC caucus were not happy with Molly Beth Malcom as the TDP chair. They endorsed Van Os, who ultimately bowed out of the race.

Van Os has sent e-mails in Burkett's name, who he listed as a "West Texas Grass Roots Activist" on the Texas Democrats yahoo group.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Texas-Democrats/message/2757


Also of note is that Molly Beth stepped down in September of 2003.

There's absolutely no doubt that Burkett is a player in Texas Democratic politics. He also claimed New Mexico governor Bill Richardson as an "old friend."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Texas-Democrats/message/4470

You should be congratulated for your work with piecing together how pervasive Burkett's links to the Democrats are. Truly excellent work IMHO.

[dandelion]

Wonderful finds on these links!! Please make sure to grab these for posterity - I'm going to place them in the article...

Thank you for pointing me to these... please keep me updated on anything you find.

[datura]

Haven't I read that Burkett had trouble running down someone from the Kerry staff to give his 'reconstructed' records to, and eventually got them to Cleland? This was before CBS got the documents, so they must have gotten them from Kerry's losers.

Also, Van Os is ineligible to run for office in the state of Texas. Van Os is a member of the CPUSA, which disqualifies him as a candidate for public office in Texas. It's too bad that Kerry can't be pulled from the ballots in Texas due to his being certified by the CPUSA - certified to the point that they didn't even bother to field a candidate and are relying on Kerry.

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

Here's another gem posted by none other than Van Os on behalf of Burkett: I am bad with my acronyms.. what's SDEC in the grand scheme of Texas politics. Burkett kinda hints he's a part of it. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Texas-Democrats/message/2803 From: "David Van Os" Date: Mon Dec 23, 2002 4:05 am Subject: RE: A Letter from Molly Beth Malcolm ADVERTISEMENT Forwarded comments from West Texas Democratic Party activist Bill Burkett Subject: Re: A Letter from Molly Beth Malcolm Without making this in to a debate about a letter, I would like to make a few observations that continue to add more questions rather than answers to the issue of Molly Beth Malcolm's tenure as Texas Democratic Chair. I have read the referenced letter from two indirect sources. I did not receive a copy of the letter. Which leads me to ask, who was the letter sent to? Was this just addressed and sent to 'selected' Democrats or to all Democrats? Without being able to confirm the address list, I would have to surmise one of the following: ~ Ms. Malcolm does not have a complete list of Texas Democrats, yet all members of the SDEC, as an absolute minimum should have received this letter, OR ~ Ms. Malcolm again used TDP time and influence to selectively address a letter which had a single intent of shoring up personal support for her position. I therefore had to ask if this was meant as a policy letter. While the timing for a policy letter was a few weeks late, such a letter has been hungered for for several years; a letter which lays out a vision, plan and detailed objectives for the legislative session is part and parcel of the job that we expect of the Democratic party Chair. But when I read the letter, I simply get a few election carryover soundbites from the campaign, without clear and measurable approaches, plans or anything that you can sink your teeth in to. Excuse me, but I think that is exactly what most of the critics and media said was wrong with the Democratic campaign in 1998, 2000 and 2002: it provided no planned and detailed alternative to the current leadership. It was a voice without a message and a message without substance, I believe is how the Dallas Morning News said it. But in order for there to have been a legislative session planned approach, someone would have had to call a meeting of the SDEC, I would think - to broach the subject. Was there such a meeting on such a subject as the legislative session? I'm not on the SDEC, but I haven't heard of it. Please correct me if I am wrong. Now of course, sometimes, the plans are not made by the appropriate body - the SDEC, or with their input; so did some other group make such a plan, and if so, where are the details and marching orders? And who made the plans? Once again, I am troubled that we end up without a professional approach and therefore end up with little more than whining and complaining. If we plan to ever win back our voice in Texas politics and policy, then we have to start by developing an alternative message with some depth - and a focus. Bitching and complaining gets old even amongst each of us. So I'll shut up my bitching and leave you to your own thoughts. Even though Molly Beth had told about everyone except me that she was resigning effective June 1, and was efficiently trying to select her replacement without as much as input from the SDEC, I might even join others and say lets wait until then, if I saw anything in the way of product or progress. As it is, I tend to say - Just get a hook. Bill

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

Stupid formatting... here it is again.. I somehow doubt that Burkett is part of the SDEC.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Texas-Democrats/message/2803

From: "David Van Os"
Date: Mon Dec 23, 2002 4:05 am
Subject: RE: A Letter from Molly Beth Malcolm

Forwarded comments from West Texas Democratic Party activist Bill Burkett

Subject: Re: A Letter from Molly Beth Malcolm

Without making this in to a debate about a letter, I would like to make a few observations that continue to add more questions rather than answers to the issue of Molly Beth Malcolm's tenure as Texas Democratic Chair.

I have read the referenced letter from two indirect sources. I did not receive a copy of the letter.

Which leads me to ask, who was the letter sent to? Was this just addressed and sent to 'selected' Democrats or to all Democrats? Without being able to confirm the address list, I would have to surmise one of the following:

~ Ms. Malcolm does not have a complete list of Texas Democrats, yet all members of the SDEC, as an absolute minimum should have received this letter, OR

~ Ms. Malcolm again used TDP time and influence to selectively address a letter which had a single intent of shoring up personal support for her position.

I therefore had to ask if this was meant as a policy letter. While the timing for a policy letter was a few weeks late, such a letter has been hungered for for several years; a letter which lays out a vision, plan and detailed objectives for the legislative session is part and parcel of the job that we expect of the Democratic party Chair. But when I read the letter, I simply get a few election carryover soundbites from the campaign, without clear and measurable approaches, plans or anything that you can sink your teeth in to.

Excuse me, but I think that is exactly what most of the critics and media said was wrong with the Democratic campaign in 1998, 2000 and 2002: it provided no planned and detailed alternative to the current leadership. It was a voice without a message and a message without substance, I believe is how the Dallas Morning News said it.

But in order for there to have been a legislative session planned approach, someone would have had to call a meeting of the SDEC, I would think - to broach the subject. Was there such a meeting on such a subject as the legislative session? I'm not on the SDEC, but I haven't heard of it. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Now of course, sometimes, the plans are not made by the appropriate body - the SDEC, or with their input; so did some other group make such a plan, and if so, where are the details and marching orders? And who made the plans?

Once again, I am troubled that we end up without a professional approach and therefore end up with little more than whining and complaining. If we plan to ever win back our voice in Texas politics and policy, then we have to start by developing an alternative message with some depth - and a focus. Bitching and complaining gets old even amongst each of us. So I'll shut up my bitching and leave you to your own thoughts.

Even though Molly Beth had told about everyone except me that she was resigning effective June 1, and was efficiently trying to select her replacement without as much as input from the SDEC, I might even join others and say lets wait until then, if I saw anything in the way of product or progress. As it is, I tend to say - Just get a hook.

Bill

[dandelion]

SDEC - State Democratic Executive Committtee

He sure does mention them alot, doesn't he!

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

I don't think he was on the SDEC, that's an elected post.

It would be SD24 if he was though.

I know he's not one of the SDEC 24 reps now.

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

And of course, he says he is not in the e-mail itself, which removes the issue.

I think the highest rank Burkett could have ever achieved in the party was a precinct chair, but it's more likely he was just a lowly activist.

[dandelion]

He says he not on the SDEC, but he is very active in inner circles - on steering committees for candidates for state office, and actively involved in the far left wing of the party. That in and of itself makes him possibly as or more influential in the inner workings of the Democratic Party than many "elected" offices (ie precinct chair, delegate, etc). His influence is mainly felt "through" candidates, rather than directly on the party rolls.

[dandelion]

Interesting about CPUSA and Van Os!

Monitor is getting blurry. Must sleep, or consume an entire liter of Diet Lime Coke again...

I shall catch up in the morning. By the time I wake up, this will all be old news with you guys around!

Thank you!