Some reflections now that I'm back home on the shores of the Monterey Bay:
- The Leno-Migden fight certainly reached a dramatic climax today, and the result was stunning. After the vote was finalized Eden James argued that it was a representation of the power of the grassroots within the party, and I think that analysis is absolutely right. Migden had pulled out all the stops and leaned on every party official she could find to get this endorsement, but the rank and file delegates overwhelmingly refused to go along. I wish I could have stuck around to interview some of these delegates and get a sense of why they voted as they did. If anyone did ask those questions, or if we have any delegates here who wish to discuss the vote, please weigh in with a comment.
- Migden's failed endorsement is also further evidence, along with the rescinded AD-40 endorsement and the split over Prop 93 earlier in the year, to a huge divide between the party grassroots and the Sacramento leadership in particular. Senate Democrats and their staffers had worked hard over the weekend to get a Migden endorsement and the delegates would not go along with it. To their credit, Speaker Núñez and his office have been reaching out more to the netroots, and a lot of the delegates are eagerly awaiting Karen Bass' speakership, so this divide may not be difficult to bridge. The Senate seems to have more work to do on this, and Darrell Steinberg's ascension to the leadership might well bring some welcome change.
- Speaking of the new speaker, Karen Bass is a rising star within the party - and someone who already has a lot of support from the delegates. She got a rapturous welcome at the Progressive Caucus Friday night, and her name was on many lips all weekend long. Her endorsement of and speech for Mark Leno today right before the vote may well have played a decisive role in denying Migden the party endorsement, which would be an interesting sign of how much respect she is already being given by party members. It's a shame that her term will be so short, but it may be a transformative two years.
- I also sense growing disapproval of the party making an endorsement in contested primaries. Nobody I talked to could remember the last time even one endorsement was pulled from the consent calendar and overturned by delegates, not to mention two - and there were a few other instances where the district endorsement caucuses overturned the pre-endorsement vote (such as in AD-80). The Progressive Caucus was exploring a motion to reduce incumbents' advantages in the voting process, and a lot of delegates I talked to felt that the party shouldn't be endorsing at all. Look for this issue to take a higher profile in the coming months and years.
- Overall I am left wondering whether the party convention is a good use of time and resources. Delegates seemed bored with most of the speeches and few paid attention to the party business. If endorsements were done away with, there wouldn't have been much going on at all, aside from the caucus meetings, which were popular and well-attended. That suggests to me that the party should explore ways to use the convention to spur activism and training - to help catalyze political action.
- On a personal level it was great to hang out with the California blogosphere, whether I'd met you before, hadn't seen you in a few years (like Dante Atkins) or met you for the first time (like Lucas). I want to give a special shout-out to the unsung but important and valuable Caliticians, such as soyinkafan and Caligirl, who were very active and engaged at the convention and helped bring some of those stories to your attention here; and to friends of Calitics such as Frank Russo and Dave Johnson. Matt Lockshin, Penny Denenberg, and Crystal Strait were all excellent hosts who helped make this first-time attendee feel welcome and supported.
I've been focusing on talking to as many challengers and elected officials as possible. And I get two almost contradictory opinions. The presidential primary is great because it brings new energy and attention to the party and new voters into the process; and yet at the same time, the downballot candidates find it difficult to raise money, secure staff and get attention, because it's all being forced upwards. This is particularly a problem in California, where we think we run the country, sad to say, and where we get hung up on national issues. We have to come back home and take advantage of these opportunities we have at the local level.
The encouraging factor is that we have won the budget conversation in the state legislature, and when I say we, I mean those of us who wanted a posture that finally said no to a cuts-only approach, that focused on the 2/3 requirement and the need to either overturn that legislatively or win at the ballot box. I had the opportunity to have dinner last night with a large group including Asm. Ted Lieu (AD-53), the chair of the Rules Committee, and he was able to designate those targeted seats where we can flip districts (AD-80, AD-78, AD-15) and talk about the oil extraction tax and the yacht loophole in a very direct way. This is the year we take back the conversation over the budget and call the Yacht Party out for their obstructionism. That is very exciting.
Obviously there are the endorsement fights. Outside of the Leno-Migden battle royale, let me just quickly talk about AD-40, which is near where I live: Bob Blumenfield is an associate of Rep. Howard Berman, who kind of runs Valley politics. He reportedly told Lloyd Levine that he had to support Blumenfield to get his endorsement in Levine's State Senate race (in my district of SD-23, against Fran Pavley). Stuart Waldman, who is also running in AD-40, was working for Levine at the time. So Levine fired Waldman and threw his support to Blumenfield. So it's all crappy machine politics of the most odious kind, and it's not limited to Sacramento. Our new leadership in the Senate and Assembly offers some opportunities to change that to an extent, but this is still how California is run for the most part. You're already seeing here the beginning of the 2009 State Party Chair race and the 2010 Governor's race.
That's transactional politics, and it bores me. I'm interested in a transformational politics that changes the conversation and inspires those who don't attend a convention. Getting single payer in the platform is an example. Talking about the 2/3 majority and splitting Prop. 13 is an example. Talking about the budget in a compassionate way, as a document that reflects our priorities, is an example. The rest is bluster.
As I said, we've talked to a number of candidates, and we'll have audio (and video) up in the next few days with Charlie Brown (CA-04), Russ Warner (CA-26), Bill Durston (CA-03) and Debbie Cook (CA-46), who we're interviewing this morning. But I wanted to give the line of the night that I overheard, in a conversation between Russ Warner and Rep. Diane Watson. She was talking about David Dreier's shameful conduct as chair of the Rules Committee under the DeLay machine, where he blocked nearly all Democratic amendments and ran the committee with an iron fist. Watson talked about an anti-terrorism bill the Republicans wanted to pass, and she said to a Republican colleague, "You guys can't tell me from Maxine Waters, how are you going to tell what Middle Easterner is a terrorist?" Classic.
Manuel Perez may not have the money nor the local poohbah incumbency, but he definitely had the mojo this weekend. I stand in awe of the union members who are my fellow delegates in Manuel's corner. Wizards with lists and cell phones, truly incredible.
The endorsing caucus for the 80th AD was pretty intense, and the days preceding it packed with manuevering, accusations, threats. Greg Pettis had put out press releases pre-announcing his endorsement after his March 13th PreEndorsement meeting victory, so he had a lot to lose here. Greg managed to place every proxy he could, plus switching one of our votes. But it wasn't enough to reach 60% of the vote, as Manuel Perez also had strong support from delegates, and Rick Gonzales found proxies for his folks, too. So, no endorsement until the primary is over.
The real winner is the district, as we have an abundance of Democratic talent in this race. Manuel Perez just won the endorsement of many more legislators, met with Karen Bass, the new speaker, won the endorsement of Alice Huffman- President of the California State Conference of the NAACP, also won the California Nurses Association (which is a huge plus), also the California Medical Association, the California Teachers Association, SEIU State Council. I truly believe that Manuel is not only the best progressive in the race, but that he'll win the primary and the general. He's a proven advocate for immigrants, students, and impoverished communities in the eastern end of the district, and a true progressive who stands up for gay rights, the environment, and a women's right to choose, the major issues on the west end of the district. Greg is great, so is Rick, but neither cover all the bases that Manuel does, nor do they have his charisma and passion for change. He's inspiring.
I continue to be very impressed with Manuel Perez; he is a transformational and not a transactional candidate, someone who doesn't just check the boxes of the single-issue groups and vote the right way, but really changes the conversation and fights for progressive change.
I wish I were still there, but my son's tenth birthday begins in a matter of hours, so that's that. It's good to see the Calitics crew always, and particularly fun this time to talk to kid oakland and Caligirl, as I hadn't had the chance before.
• I truly think that the governor's mansion is Jerry Brown's if he wants it. I always aprreciate a guy who's been marginalized and demonized by the right for so long, and just keeps going, shoving it right back in their faces. Brown's speech at the convention, delivered without a teleprompter, was great for red meat but also reflected an agile mind that has been right about so many issues for so long. I like a guy who takes "Governor Moonbeam" as a compliment. I really think that if he wants to be Governor again the seat is his. Outside of President I don't believe he's ever lost a political race. (Plus I still remember that Joe Trippi ran his campaign against Bill Clinton in 1992.)
• I don't have a connection to the Leno-Migden fight outside of what I read on Calitics and what I hear from my friends on the site. But I have to say that, looking at it from the outside, this is the biggest waste of resources I've ever seen in my life. What would happen if these hundreds of volunteers walked precincts in the district, instead of providing "visibility" while fighting for an endorsement in a high-information area that won't ultimately matter much? The battle is swamping the entire convention, and it's clearly become a giant pissing contest between the Assembly and the Senate, with each side taking up for their colleague. As you've read here, Migden is nuts, and I have pretty strong opinions about who should serve, and in particular the principle of the unbalanced endorsement process, where an incumbent needs a lower threshold to get the party endorsement than a challenger. That's ridiculous, and in fact Joye Swan of the Progressive Caucus is leading an effort for a bylaw change to address just that. But this is a waste.
• Relevant to that, I think Bill Clinton has NO IDEA what he's about to step into on Sunday. The Leno-Migden thing is sucking up most of the oxygen out of this convention. Clinton and San Francisco DA Kamala Harris are speaking for Hillary and Barack Obama tomorrow, but there's going to be less focus on that than he'd expect.
• We are doing several interviews with Congressional and legislative candidates. So far we had a good chat with Bill Durston, a candidate in the rapidly purpling area of CA-03. We have interviews with Charlie Brown (CA-04), Hannah-Beth Jackson (SD-19) and Russ Warner (CA-26) later on. We will be posting the audio as we get it in. We also had a nice chat between bloggers and Mayor Gavin Newsom. His effort to sue for restoration of Medi-Cal reimbursements is a very strong stand. What I didn't get a chance to ask him about is why he's trying to curtail free speech when the Olympic torch relay comes to San Francisco on April 9.
What is exciting to me is that convention delegates here are passionately attending to the concerns of this state. You would expect a political convention in this charged time for the Democratic Party to have at least some focus on the Hillary-Barack pie fight. However, I was pleased that many of the speakers at the Progressive Caucus, when they weren't talking about superdelegates, were keying in on the $16 billion dollar budget deficit and the ridiculous 2/3 requirement that keeps lawmakers from being able to do their job. Susie Shannon, who heads up the poverty committee, argued that the state not balance its budget on the backs of the poor and the needy, as is de rigeur. Karen Bass put this at the top of the list when she addressed the Progressive Caucus, too. This state is in trouble, and we need the energy and effort of these attendees to be harnessed and focused on that. For too long the needs of the state have been abandoned by people who could be working to ameliorate it. I'm seeing a real change in the air.
In addition, the fact that the platform committee accepted a single payer healthcare plank is ENORMOUS news. I can't say this for certainty, but does any other Democratic platform in the country include single payer? This sets a goal for California progressives to shoot at, and now any meaningful healthcare reform is just a way station to that ultimate goal. With the right governor in 2010, we may even see a single payer system signed into law, although of course what happens at the federal level will inform our choices here. But this gives some momentum nationally for a comprehensive solution to the healthcare crisis.
I hope to catch up with some of our challengers who have a chance to take out Republicans at the state and federal level in November. So far I've chatted with Bill Durston (CA-03), Mary Pallant (CA-24), Nick Leibham (CA-50), Charlie Brown (CA-04), Hannah-Beth Jackson (SD-19), Greg Pettis (AD-80) and Manuel Perez (AD-80). I continue to be very impressed with Manuel Perez; he is a transformational and not a transactional candidate, someone who doesn't just check the boxes of the single-issue groups and vote the right way, but really changes the conversation and fights for progressive change.
There are a bunch of speakers in today's morning session, but the interesting stuff happens off the convention floor. We'll keep bringing it to you.
I've been to many a convention, but this one was the most interesting. You've read about most of it by now. This is my Blog post from www.sfgate/community/blogs
I wanted to give everyone an opportunity to see this comment left at the bottom of my first post titled "Setting the Record Straight". Thank you John for coming by to clarify. I will be the first to admit that I do not have a very nuanced understanding of the resolutions process and indeed there were some inaccuracies in my post. Most of us are very new to this process and we are learning.
Obviously, this is happening in a very public way, but one that will lead to greater understanding. It seems to me that the amount of misinformation is a direct result of poor communication about the process. Given the vast turnover within the delegate population, I think it makes sense to rethink how you communicate the process to the delegates in an ongoing manner at the convention.
I've been to dozens of state Democratic conventions over the years, and the one this weekend was among the most interesting. You can read my extensive comments and analysis here. Scroll down to start at the beginning.
2.5 days is an awfully short time to propose, gather signatures for, amend and pass a resolution. What if we did that on a web forum in the week or weeks leading up to the convention?
(I have some updated information and want to make sure everyone gets a chance to see it. - promoted by juls)
And the rest of the resolutions they did not want to have heard...
I learned a lot about the process of how resolutions are dealt with at California Democratic Party Conventions this weekend. It is not particularly democratic, which is not surprising. The party leaders decide what has a chance of getting approved and use the process to push off to the side any other proposed resolutions.
Take for instance the net neutrality resolution, which one would think should be heard in front of the Computer and Internet Caucus. Instead we learned upon arriving at the convention that it has been, along with a bunch of other resolutions, referred to another caucus, thereby eliminating any potential avenue for its viability at this party meeting. There is no process whereby you can appeal this move by collecting signatures, or any other appeals process.
So how and why did it get referred to the Labor Caucus?
(Yes, let's support the students! What's the point of preparing for college if we can't afford it? - promoted by atdleft)
Hi, I'm Charlie Carnow, a freshman in Urban Planning at USC, and a first time delegate from the 40th Assembly District introducing my first resolution, supported by the California Young Democrats, San Fernando Valley Young Democrats, and Valley Grassroots for Democracy as well a college Democratic chapters throughout the state. Together, we are urging the state party to take a firm stand on an issue crucial to our state, and especially to young voters: college affordability.
(This event is TOMORROW, and I hope to see many of you there! : ) - promoted by atdleft)
What do you have to say to YOUR Democratic Party about ending the Iraq War?
The Laguna Woods Democratic Club wants to give Orange County Democrats a chance to tell their representatives to the state party how they feel about ending the Iraq War. On March 31, the club will be hosting Defining the New Direction: Orange County Democrats Voice Their Views on the War in Iraq. This will give Democrats from throughout Orange County a chance to talk to the delegates who will be representing them at the CDP Convention next month about how, when, and why they want to see the Iraq War end. As the delegates prepare to vote on resolutions regarding the war, this is a chance for local Democrats to tell the delegates what they think.
Follow me after the flip for all the details on this important forum...
(More on this soon, but start working towards getting on the State Central Cmte. Also, check out DFA's Powerpoint presentation available here. - promoted by SFBrianCL)
Well, the 2006 election is over, but there is little time for us to sit on our laurels. We accomplished a lot, and we need to continue the momentum. I think we should go to the 2007 California Democratic Party Convention as delegates.
(For those that watch the video linked above, about 2/3 of the way through, the camera swings around and for a little bit is pointing right at me -goofy guy with green shirt, my 15min of fame- with a banner above me that reads "I am the margin of victory." That represents what we all are. WHO we are. Every bit of ourselves that we put into it makes a difference.)
(A more balanced perspective on Arnold's speech at the CRaPpy convention. - promoted by SFBrianCL)
OK, maybe not crashing so much as buying a ticket and attending, but hey, I spent the weekend with Republicans so you don't have to.
Arnold spoke to GOP activists (umm…and me) at the California GOP Summer Convention in Los Angeles yesterday. You can follow my adventures at the convention this weekend over at The Courage Campaign including what I discovered about their grassroots efforts, their election integrity fears and just how much common ground I found there.
I apologize for any typos,but I'm on my cell. This morning started off with a typical Willie Brown speech. You gotta give it to the man, he does outrage really well.
The convention continued with a panel of Karen Bass, Barbara Lee, and Diane Watson speaking about the future of black Californians. It was an interesting discussion about a lot of issues that are frequently ignored.
Here's a couple of the MOMocrats along with one of the KIDocrats.