Decision time

While children drowned

Nicco Mele
by kos
Thu Aug 24, 2006 at 04:35:40 PM PDT

I used to consider Nicco Mele, a top former Dean webhand, a friend until his rabid desire for regulating the blogosphere led me to write him off.

He is now joining the McCain team.

He claims it has nothing to do with his firm EchoDitto, where he is CEO, but that's bullshit. The expertise and intelligence he is gathering from the following clients can and will end up as part of the McCain arsenal in 2008. These organizations should consider finding new technical consultants.

This what TAPPED had on Mele and EchoDitto

MORE McECCODITTO. Following up on Ezra's post, here's the official EccoDitto statement on their CEO's reported flirtation with John McCain:

"EchoDitto was founded to further a progressive agenda online, and we are proud of the partners we've worked with over the past three years and the record we've built doing so.

As a firm, EchoDitto is committed to progressive campaigns and organizations. We do not now, nor will we in the future, support candidates or organizations that are not aligned with our social mission. Because of that fact, we do not now, nor will we in the future, support Republican campaigns. We have turned down such requests in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

Individually, the members of our team are free to support politically whomever they want -- such is the right of anyone in a democratic society.

Here's what the man himself had to say about McCain on his blog this morning:

A lot of people are asking me about John McCain. When I worked for Common Cause, I worked on the McCain-Feingold bill and worked closely with Sen. John McCain’s office. After Sen. McCain lost the Republican primary in 2000, I traveled with him as part of a group of campaign finance reform staffers as we criss-crossed the country working to secure support for the McCain-Feingold bill. I have long admired Sen. McCain’s work on campaign finance reform and his independent streak. If Sen. McCain runs for president, he’s got my support.

EchoDitto, the company that I co-founded and am CEO of, has not in the past, does not now, and will not in the future do any work for Sen. McCain in any way.

Right now, I’m involved in many projects that have nothing to do with presidential politics. While I currently don’t know what role I’d like to have in 2008, if Sen. McCain runs I hope to be helpful. This is a personal decision for me based on my own first-hand experience. I like Sen. McCain -- I think he should be president!

You know, we call that an insult to our intelligence in New York

He wants to work with McCain and get money from progressive groups? Who the fuck is he kidding?

For some reason, the Dean campaign got some very fucked up people involved. Idealists who had no clue on how to run a ground game, and who quickly turned on progressives when they got the chance. There was that Teachout woman, now this.

I can't see giving a dime to anyone who hires EchoDitto for any reason. If I wanted to give to McCain, I would.

But I don't make these decisions. I don't run a 527 or think tank. I think the people who do have to make a decision about who gets their contracts and who doesn't.

I'm tired of "so-called progressives" who say one thing and do another.

However, I'd like to hear some other opinions. I plan to post them on another thread.