Day One of the California Democratic Party Convention
Uh... did I mention exuberant? Enthusiastic? Energized? Before I describe the scene today, first things first:
Favorite tee shirt slogan: "2006: Mission Accomplished"Favorite button slogan: "A Woman's Place Is in the House... As Speaker!"
Most surprising 2008 candidate pairing: Gore-Obama in 2008
Most revved up caucus group: the Progressive Caucus rocked the house!
Day One of the California Democratic Party Convention
The day began with a number of workshops, including the one I attended along with 800 others, a workshop for new delegates.
We were addressed by Art Torres, Chairman of the California Democratic Party (CADEM), and other top party officials, on what to expect over the weekend. Torres briefed us on his new 58-county grassroots plan, modeled on DNC chair Howard Dean's highly successful 50-state strategy in 2006. And he led us in a moment of silence for the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, who passed away last week.
Next was the time I enjoyed most today, registration... but not because of the long, friendly, unruly, joyous lines, or because of the delegate goodie bags of buttons, bumper stickers, pens and a cool baseball cap, but because of the people I met, and the warm, challenging discussions that ensued.
Among the politicos I chatted with were Millard Larkin, a staffer for former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, now a consultant for the City by the Bay's Mayor Gavin Newsom. I enjoyed meeting Bob Mahlowitz, a candidate for the Palm Springs City Council. And I had the opportunity to briefly talk, and have my photo taken, with Congresswoman Diane Watson of Los Angeles.
But my favorite conversation was with two other women about my age. We debated the merits of Hillary and Obama, Edwards and Richardson. We confessed our feelings about partial birth abortion (detest it), immigration reform (secure the border, but allow those here to stay here), and, of course, the Iraq War.
The Iraq War at CADEM
If there's one issue that seems to unite every Democrat attending this convention, it's opposition to the Iraq War. From pastors and professors to soccer moms, internet execs, students, retirees, small business owners and school teachers, I couldn't find one person who agreed with the Bush administration's policies in Iraq. Not one.
Anti-Iraq War banners were splayed everywhere, both inside and outside the convention center. And the people parading the banners weren't half-crazed refugees from the Haight or young students hastily recruited from nearby colleges. They were senior citizens who looked like your parents or grandparents. And they were middle-class middle-agers of all ethnicities, angered over the "ridiculous, illegal war."
Caucus Meetings
In California, caucuses are special interest sub-groups of the Democratic party that band together to draft an agenda and planks, and propose resolutions for consideration by the party's central committee. As I write these words on Friday evening, the central committee is poring over about 110 finely-tuned resolutions to decide which will be presented to the delegates for a Sunday afternoon vote.
CADEM's 20 caucus groups support seniors, women, children, veterans, disabilities, college students, LGBT, computer/internet, environmental issues, labor, rural, and business/professional. Ethnic interest groups include Irish-American, African-American, Arab-American, Chicano-Latino, Asian and Pacific-Islander and Filipino-American.
And Progressives, which atrracted about 600 energized liberals, including me, of course.
The Progressive Caucus submitted resolutions demanding an end to Congressional funding of the Iraq War, and urging endorsement of single-payer universal healthcare insurance for all Californians and all Americans. (And for good measure, the crowd heartily endorsed articles of impeachment for President Bush, Vice President Cheney and Attorney General Gonzales.)
Half a dozen speeches roused the fed-up intergenerational crowd that ranged in age from 18 to over 90 years old. Caucus officers were elected for the next year, and the Progressive Democrats of America were recognized and thanked, before the meeting adjourned.
Agendas, Tonight and Tomorrow
The formal program ended with a Chairman's cocktail reception featuring remarks by renegade 2008 candidate former Sen. Mike Gravel.
Hospitality suites tonight feature several bashes & buffets, Funk Fest 07 hosted by 3 Sacramento lawmakers, a 007: Democrats Are Forever party co-hosted by California Young Democrats and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, and... I'm serious... a 1970s-style folk music hootenanny hosted by Dennis Kucinich.
Tomorrow, the California 2007 Democratic Party Convention is called to order, and we will listen to... gulp... 21 speakers, including Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Christopher Dodd and Dennis Kucinich, plus former Governor Jerry Brown, 3 House members, and the President of the California Teachers Association, perhaps the most powerful union in the Golden State.
In my post tomorrow evening, I'll give you my distinct impressions about who (age, gender, ethnicity) seems to back which 2008 candidates, and an intriguing critique of the campaign workers for Hillary, Obama, Edwards and Kucinich. And, of course, a complete rundown of the day's events.
Right now, I need some sleep... :)
Related Reading
Day Two of the California Democratic Party Convention
Final Day of the California Democratic Party Convention
Comments
WHAT DID GRAVEL SAY? I think he won the debate in South Carolina.
That was me inside that shirt. It’s the back of MoveOn’s Call For Change shirt. Thanks for mentioning it.
My personal favorite button was this: Satan asks, “What would Cheney do?”
The “cool baseball cap” promoting AB 266 was provided by the Morongo band of native Americans, who are lobbying for the most recently negotiated tribal compacts. Those compacts will allow 22,500 additional slot machines in California and, more importantly, aren’t fair to casino employees, according to organized labor. 4 of the 5 contracts “lack any meaningful worker protections,” according to the California Professional Firefighters. (Read more in “State Senate to vote on gaming compacts,” The Desert Sun, 4/17/07)
I was one of the more than 2000 delegates at the convention, and I noticed that the label in my cap, as well as all the others I saw, had been cut out to make it impossible to determine where the caps were made.
Pretty obviously, they were attempting to obscure the fact that they ordered those caps from non-union labor overseas, which is a big no-no in Democratic circles. (They were labeled as “KC Caps.” On the KC Caps website, it says “KC Caps offers custom overseas embroidery programs,” meaning non-union non-US sweatshop labor.
So think twice about wearing that “cool baseball cap,” since it represents regressive, bottom line-focused, non-Democratic values.
I’m trying to figure out what to do with mine. I’ll probably give it to a homeless person on a particularly sunny day, because at least then it will serve a reasonably noble purpose.
Jason-
Thank you for raising my, and our, consciousness, about this issue. I will
not wear my hat, but will likely also donate it.
Deborah White