Elections 2008

Wow, what a night! From Sherryl Crowe to Stevie Wonder to Al Gore…all played extremely well as this stadium built for around 70,000 was quickly filling to more than 80,000. The bar was being set very high for the main event, el presidente-in-waiting, Barack Obama. He began a few minutes after 8pm mountain time with a load of thank you’s–Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, and his two daughters, Sasha and Malia…nice touch.

The constant theme of the night was how American can you be…he went through his story–Kenyan dad, mom from Kansas, grandpa served in the military and benefitted from GI Bill, grandma worked her way up from secretary–he called it “the American promise” more than once.

The high notes…the standing ovations…Americans are not “whiners” (which Texas Republican Phil Gramm had called them earlier in the campaign acting as McCain’s surrogate) Obama responded: “They work hard. They give back. These are the Americans I know.” Next, “It’s time for them (the Republicans) to own their failure” since they are so big on the ownership society. He also added, the American promise, “a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.” Next rousing ovation came when he talked about individual and collective responsibility, “I am my brother’s keeper” (and in Santa Cruz anti-sexist language he came through) “I am my sister’s keeper.”

Tax and spend liberal? “I will cut taxes for 95% of working families.” Continue dependence on oil from the Middle East? “In 10 years we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.” Money for education? “Michelle and I got a chance to get a good eudcation. I will not rest until every child has that chance.” (bigger than usual applause) Community service for a college education expenses received a loud applause as well. Bin Laden was next…Remember John McCain said he would follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell, “John McCain won’t even follow him to the cave he lives in.”

A divided America? “They (US troops) have not served a red America or a blue America. They have served the United States of America.” (Big ovation) Striking back at McCain’s Paris Hilton/Britney Spears celeb comments: What the naysayers in Washington don’t understand “this election is not about me, it’s about you” the American people.

Maybe some of the biggest applause came when Obama recognized that 45 years ago to the day he was giving this speech, Martin Luther King jr. led the march on Washington and put forward the speech that will live on, “I Have a Dream.” Obama invoked the “Our destinies are inextricably linked. We cannot turn back, we must hold to that promise.”

Whatever else you read the punditocracy say about this speech what I noticed is how united the Democrats are, how Obama continues to just strike the right oratorical chords consistently, and through out the speech he kept coming back to the heart and human words:  respect, empathy, kindness, spirit, “imagine what it is like being in somebody else’s shoes,” change, family history…” Some amazing stuff. Probably not stuff you will hear in Minneapolis (RNC site).

Next…what might progressive Santa Cruzans take issue with in Obama’s speech? or, the low lights…

It is 7:15 and the stadium is 3/4 full. They move all the people in here pretty well…crowd is incredibly jovial, high spirited, so nice to each other, so apologetic if they bump into you…Stevie Wonder just about brought the house down…and now it’s Michael McDonald (somebody said…) The stadium seats over 70,000 for football…there will be many more than that tonight with the whole field filled with media and delegates, that’s well over 10,000 more.

Al Gore received a standing ovation for the same amount of time Hillary Clinton did, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. His line about recycling was his best line: “I believe in recycling [McCain for Bush] but that’s ridiculous. The war in Iraq is seemed to be Inconvienient Truth Al Gore’s biggest issue. “Take it from me, if I were elected we would not be bogged down in Iraq.” He said this BEFORE talking about the environment, and believe it or not. It was his first policy issue in the speech.

Obama, Hottest Ticket in Town

August 28th, 2008 · Add a Comment

It is 1:15pm and a frenzy to find Obama tickets for tonight is underway here at the Sheraton Hotel  in downtown Denver where California delegates are staying. People who do not have tickets–friends and family of delegates–are frantically looking for tix to the big show…others are boarding buses for the ride to Invesco-Mile High stadium where Barack Obama is scheduled to speak at 8pm Denver time, 7pm Santa Cruz time. The program starts at 3pm though. Most likeley the same pleas are going out for tickets all over this town for tonight’s speech.

These forums happen all over Denver…Last night Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez held one…this afternoon Congressmember John Conyers from Michigan is conducting another. But in fact, there are dozens held during convention week.

Rep. Mike Honda and former Army Chaplain James Yee discuss civil liberties

The “American Muslim Taskforce on Civil Rights and Elections” Forum
(note: AMT has have gotten five congress people this week to address the concerns of American Muslims at a variety of forums at the Sheraton Hotel.)

Wow, this is a powerful presentation. Powerful because of  Yee’s description fo being railroaded, jailed then exonerated and placed back in his former position at Ft. Lewis. It was too much for Yee though and he wanted out. In the end, he was given an honorable discharge.

Yee’s story is that he was stationed at Guantanmo Bay U.S.military base. He was assigned as a Muslim Chaplin. “I used the chain of command to raise my concerns. Many people did not know about the abuses that are taking place down here. They got me out of there as soon as possible and placed me in a South Carolina brig. I was not only found NOT guilty I was also given an honorable discharge,” and a medal. “At Guantanamo I was putting forward American values, Yee said, “humane treatment of prisoners and justice.”

Yee is in Denver telling his story, “For God and Country, Faith and Patriotism Under Fire.” He also is a delegate from Washington State. If you know nothing about the accusations of torture against the US gov, or give little credence concerning the abuses that have taken place at Guantanamo, Yee’s story may just turn your head.

Then it was Mike Honda’s turn. Honda is a congressmember in Santa Clara county. He said, “I think quite frankly he’s (Yee) been framed.” Honda went on to say, “The Japanese community was the first one out there after 911 because we knew what was going to happen.” We were out there for Muslims and others. Honda went on to talk about Pat Tillman’s case. Why did they lie? We had hearings and that’s how we found out there’s 180,000 Blackwater…”mercenaries” in Iraq. “The Patriot Act is the most Unpatriotic Act,” Honda believes. He also mentioned the prosecutions of Wen Ho Lee and Aaron Watada as further examples of civil liberties abuses.

Honda was asked what he expected from an Obama Administration. He said, Given the past eight years [of civil rights abuses] it’s time to develop a Department of Peace. We did it with energy and education…the power of example, it’s what Bill Clinton talked about last night, stated Honda.

Antonio Villaraigosa ended on why he’s supporting Barack Obama: 1) to get us out of this war, 2) he (Obama) sees healthcare as a right and not a priviledge, and 3) education is the civil rights of our time.

The importance of these conventions as I have mentioned before is getting all of these electeds who don’t see each other much if at all, and to get them together with regular folks (many of the delegates). Today is no different. Along with Villaraigosa, Gavin Newsom, Leon Panetta, Judy Chu (State Board of Eqalization), Steve Westley (former state Controller), Willie Brown (former SF mayor) were all schmoozing, mingling, and just plain mixing it up with delegates and the press.

Leon Panetta just took the stage…used to be Director of the Office of Civil Rights in another life time…it was not easy to break 200 years of segregation, he said and 40 years since he was trying to desegregate southern schools… it all came together last night in the nomination of Barack Obama. “We can’t blow this moment,” he said. “If we are unified, nobody beats us,” according to Panetta.

In the last 40 years, Panetta reminds us, we (democrats) have only won 3 out of 10. This election is about the “soul of America,” says this son of immigrants. Why did my parents come? My Dad told me “they wanted to give their children the American Dream.” (I am still not sure exactly what that means any more…it has become an amazingly loaded political term.) “We govern in this country by leadership or by crisis. For the past eight years we have governed by crisis.” This is not just about winning it is about governing Panetta says. We are not going to give away the future of our children by undermining our constitution. And we will never allow drilling off the California coast. Leon Panetta said that.

Campaign Consultant and CA state director for the Obama campaign, Mitchell Schwartz talked about organizing the state.  McCain was in town and he said he is going to spend money in this state according to Schwartz. Polls are tightening a little bit…Oakland and LA offices will open Thurs. Sept. 4th officially. (California has 55 electoral votes.) (Polls have Obama 9 in the state, down from 22, according to Art Torres, the convention should give him a bump.)

Now questions are being answered about how the rest of the day will go concerning the move from the Pepsi Center to Invesco/Mile High stadium.

How do we get i? Two entrances, one for general public and one for delegates. Questions?

Where do we sit? They misprinted the delegates ticket and the seat numbers are all wrong, ignore seat numbers.

Is there a way to walk to Invesco from here? Not sure, ask concierge.

What time should we go? Shuttles run from 2pm-4p f Downtown Sheraton. Doors open at 1pm. It is first come, first served for seating at the stadium. Alternates and delegates are seated on the field around the 50 yard line. Everybody (delegates) will be seated on the field.

Will there be food there? Yes there will be concessions. You can bring empty water bottles in but no umbrellas. Yes backpacks.

Barack Obama speaks at 8pm.

MLK b-fast, who’s who in the civil right struggle

August 28th, 2008 · Add a Comment

Today is 45 years to the day since Martin Luther King jr.’s march on Washington, LeVar Burton the actor started off the program reminding his audience, as if they had to be reminded. The who’s who included: 2 of King’s children, Elder Bernice KIng, and Martin Luther King III, Pres. of the Urban League Marc Morial, Congressmemeber from Georgia John Lewis, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Joseph Lowery, Actors Louis Gossett and Cicily Tyson…and on and on. Rev. Charles Steele reminded the crowd that even after an Obama victory, “The victory has not been won. We still have to fight, march, demonstrate. We must all stick together–red, green, black and white–to make the dream come true.” Really nice, historic gathering.

As a side note to this, they had recycling bins for plastic, paper and COMPOSTING!

Okay, sorry about yesterday folks…some overload and political fatigue setting in…I shall post regularly today. On the protest front, “Iraq Veterans Against the War” led the first really large march here yesterday, about 5000 marched to what protesters call the “freedom cage” and the Denver police call “free speech zone,” which is located about 200 yards from the Pepsi Center and out of earshot and eyesight of delegates. The cage/zone was abandoned in favor of a spot closer to the Pepsi Center. The vets, numbering around 40 from what I could see were at full military dress, standing at attention in front of about 150 riot police in front and another few dozen behind, looking at the Pepsi Center in silence and only asking that their letter be given to a delegate from the Democratic Party. It was a tense standoff because of the hyper-control the Denver Police have sought to maintain. This moment, with  several thousand protesters and Iraqi war vets standing at attention was a very tense moment. But the letter was received and the crowd millied and felt it had achieved a victory. More to come. I am off to the MLK Breakfast, California Delegates breakfast and briefings form Mike Honda and John Conyers (Michigan House member)…and that’s only the morning. Stay tuned.

Sam Farr’s comments on Day Three of the Democratic National Convention.