Blackwater Potrero Recall an Unbelievable Success

Unbelievable is an understatement (8.00 / 1)

I'm not given to hyperbole ;-), but...

To me, this feels almost as significant as our grassroots and netroots-powered victory over Richard Pombo in CA-11 last year. And that's saying a lot, since I threw myself into that campaign for 100+ hour weeks working online communications for McNerney for almost the entirety of 2006. And I know many of you threw down as well for the cause.

Our commitment to defeating Pombo was similar and yet totally different than what the people of Potrero have done together. They did it for free, using (to borrow a phrase) mouse pads, shoe leather and hope. The did it because they care so much about their community and don't want it sullied by the likes of Blackwater. They did it from the bottom-up. Totally and completely.

Carl Meyer, the new Chair of the Potrero Community Plannig Group (as a result of the recall of pro-Blackwater Gordon Hammers) is just one amazing example.

No fancy campaign mailers. No billboards. No TV ads. Just neighbors talking to neighbors.

David vs. Goliath? Nah. Bugs Bunny vs. Godzilla.

Their victory is, as Julia points out, as people-powered as it gets.

Unbelievable? That's an understatement.

Disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign. These opinions are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.  

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by: Eden James @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 03:28:48 AM CST

One more thing... (0.00 / 0)

Here's just one reason why it feels as significant to me as Pombo's defeat did one year ago.

Think about it. Bush won Potrero by 25.8% in 2004. And now Blackwater, Bush's cowboy cronies raking in $500 million+ (no-bid, BTW) while murdering innocent Iraqis, just got hammered by...

Republicans (mostly)
Independents.
Democrats.

Progressive patriots all.

Oh, and don't think Blackwater didn't put up a fight. Their 8-page propaganda "newspaper" mailer, sent to Potrero registered voters, is just one example of the dirty tricks that Potrero's residents rejected. By a more than 2-to-1 margin.

Can't wait to see Blackwater try to put lipstick on this porky pig.

Disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign. These opinions are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.  

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by: Eden James @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 03:40:44 AM CST

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Color me shocked... (0.00 / 0)

and thrilled!

My ramblings...

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by: cali_girl_in_texas @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 06:22:16 AM CST

Woo! (0.00 / 0)

That is excellent news to wake up to this morning!  

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by: tface1000 @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 08:06:02 AM CST

Now what? (0.00 / 0)

I concur with Terry, great news to wake up to...

So where does this go next from a process standpoint?  I thought I saw somewhere or heard the SD Board of Sup's will be involved?  How do people in San Diego who live outside of Potrero get involved?

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by: Jesse Rubin @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 09:47:49 AM CST

it goes to the board of sups (8.00 / 1)

And the sad thing is that even the NEW! (yay!!) Potrero planning commission will vote against Blackwater, their vote is only advisory to the Board of Sups. And it would be hard to find 5 people in the entire United States who take more delight in wanton development than our SD Board of Sups.

Disclosure: I think Courage Campaign rocks! and I would totally work for them :-)

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 10:05:04 AM CST

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should be "even though the NEW"... (0.00 / 0)

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 10:05:50 AM CST

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I LOVE (8.00 / 2)

your disclosure line. :D

And I am damn proud to work for Courage.  It has been so much freaking fun, if a lot of work these past few months.

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by: Julia Rosen @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 13:12:33 PM CST

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Work? (8.00 / 1)

I just pulled an all-nighter.

And, last night was so wonderful, I wish there were even more hours in the day.

:-)

Disclosure: I work for the Courage Campaign. These opinions are my own and are not necessarily those of my employer.  

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by: Eden James @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 13:19:58 PM CST

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Blackwater's view on Potrero's view (8.00 / 2)

There official response to the thumping isn't so neighborly:

Brian Bonfiglio, a Blackwater vice president, said the recall would not affect the company's plans in Potrero. He said company executives in North Carolina whom he talked to yesterday had no interest in the recall.

"I don't care one way or the other," Bonfiglio said.

Maybe not the best message when a major complaint about Blackwater is that they do whatever they want to do, everyone else be damned.

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by: Bob Brigham @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 10:25:13 AM CST

what a jerk (0.00 / 0)

But I have to concede that he's right to some extent. It is really all in the hands of the Board of Supervisors. So as long as they feel confident that they've bought earned the support of the sups, then I'm sure they couldn't care less what the locals think.  

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 12:13:06 PM CST

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Clearly (0.00 / 0)

They're responsible and interested prospective members of the community.

I'm proud to work for Barbara Boxer

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by: Lucas O'Connor @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 16:33:13 PM CST

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huge margins (0.00 / 0)

What is so extra fantastic about this news is that the margins here are extremely important. With these enormous margins of victory, it will be much, much more difficult politically for the board of supervisors to go against this. Nobody, Republican, Democrat, independent, whatever, like a big outsider bully telling the locals what to do when they are CLEARLY strongly against it.

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 12:20:35 PM CST

YES!!! (0.00 / 0)

Great News.

I sure wish I had KLSD to listen to tomorrow!

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by: paida @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 20:42:50 PM CST

Filner's congressional block (0.00 / 0)

Hey sorry I just can't stop myself from more posts in this thread...

Does anyone know what is up with Filner's attempt at blocking this from the federal level? Seems like this vote gives him some political backing on getting that done, right?

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by: CarlsbadDem @ Wed Dec 12, 2007 at 23:54:21 PM CST

Courage Campaign's Getting Serious Off-Line Exposure (8.00 / 1)

It's so great to see!  Warren Olney's radio show on KCRW out of Santa Monica (public radio) had Rick Jacobs on tonight to cover the victory and it was great.  

They had one of the guys who was recalled on as well.

It's just so awesome to see that Courage Campaign is reaching well beyond the blogosphere and without doubt picking up supporters who don't read blogs.  Since that population still vastly outnumbers us, that's pivotal to growing...

Congratulations to you all.  

Need a contact # for a CA Legislator? Check here

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by: PeteB2 @ Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 00:54:43 AM CST

thanks! (0.00 / 0)

It is great that the media is finally picking up this story they have been thoroughly outclassed on this story by the Guardian, NYT and even the local paper where Blackwater's main base is locate.  Hmm this sounds like a diary.  Perhaps i will write one.  

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by: Julia Rosen @ Thu Dec 13, 2007 at 10:11:50 AM CST

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