John Edwards at the CA Democratic convention

Finally! Video of John Edwards speech at the California State Democratic Convention.

I've heard from several sources that the Edwards campaign was the winner, if there was in fact a winner, at the convention. He grabbed the most converts. To tell you the truth, he already had me.

Dagnabbit!

And in other Dagnabbit News, I missed my chance to get into the convention again today because I didn't check my cell phone until late this morning. I could have heard Edwards and Richardson.

Crud.

That's what I get for trying to balance my personal life, work life and political life.

Obama's Turn the Page Speech in San Diego

That man does know how to talk, and he's got the "vision thing" down. The delegates just ate him up. It's one thing to know that Barak Obama is charismatic. It's a different thing to see it in person. He's got It. His supporters were very active and involved in his visit to the convention yesterday, and he got the rock star reception.

I haven't decided who to really support yet in the 2008 but I could end up supporting him in the end. He ranks above Hillary for me, but Edwards is pretty high on my list too. The way they play out w/r/t Iraq is probably what will tip me toward one or the other at this point. If either of the two get the nomination I could work for their campaigns in good conscious.

Here's a link to the text of his speech at California Progress Report.

And here's the video:

Democratic women are the life of the party

I say that because it's my new bumpersticker, and it's true. Woot!

The last couple days have been filled with CA State Democratic Convention type activities here in Sunny San Diego.

Last night I went to the fantabulous Blue House at the Brew House fundraiser for Jerry McNerney and Charlie Brown. Big fun. I met some great folks that were only names on a screen to me before, but now they have faces and voices! I lurves the Internets.

As a side note, in traditional convention-goer fashion, I had three beers for dinner. (::hic::)

This morning (early...oh my god so early) we had a press conference to discuss the status of the resolution that Raymond Lutz of the East County Democratic Club introduced at the convention regarding Blackwater West, which has apparantly been shot down. Big picture, that's ok...there are other roads to take.

After the press conference was over, I made my way to the volunteer room. I had the thrilling task of guarding a door for about a half hour, then I filled in at a delegate registration table for about a half hour (no one came to see me at all!) After that, I made my way to the Leadership Luncheon where once again I guarded a door. Exciting stuff, eh?

As a bonus, there were a couple tables vacant around the edges of the room, and once things got started and there was no longer any need to guard the damn door, we were told to have a seat, eat and listen to the speeches. Cool! At the orientation they'd told us we'd probably have to leave the room once the luncheon got going because it was sold out, but we got to stay. Hurrah for free food. Art Torres, Fabian Nunez and Zoe Lofgren were the speakers. Unfortunately, I'm a bad blogger so I didn't take notes or live blog. I just ate the free food, listened to the blahblahblah and drank their coffee.

Zoe was pretty cool though. I liked her.

After lunch, I scored a floor pass to the general session. The only presidential candidate I missed was Clinton, but I got to see Obama (wow), Dodd (poor fella had to follow Obama) and Kucinich (who knew his wife was such a hottie?). Edwards and Richardson speak tomorrow, but I won't be there. I'll be at a Padres game instead. I won a pair of tickets at the Blue House at the Brew House fundraiser for Jerry McNerney and Charlie Brown last night.

This afternoon when the general session was over, I walked across the street to a humongous and enthusiastic impeachment rally. I was planning to walk back over to the convention center when they moved to the other side of the street, but I was right next to the trolley station and that leg that likes to remind me of my age hurt like mad, so when the train arrived, I jumped on and came home. And still, my feet are killing me.

In the interest of full disclosure, the score of the general session floor pass was obtained by pimping myself our for the Kucinich campaign. I know his SoCal coordinator and told her that I wanted to hear the speeches, but hadn't volunteered enough hours to get a pass, and she handed me one. All I had to do was join her, and the bazillion other legitimate Kucinich supporters in a sign waving frenzy when he spoke.

Ok. I can do that. I certainly haven't jumped on the Kucinich 2008 bandwagon, but I like him. He's got cojones, and it's fine with me if the other candidates see genuine progressive issues getting an enthusiastic reception.

I figure it was my Good Karma Gift of the Day, because I was a good girl and turned in a found press credential instead of using it myself.

I'm a fool, but I'm an honest fool.

I'm volunteering at the convention in San Diego this weekend (Saturday at the Leadership Luncheon to be precise) but I'm not working a long enough shift to get a freebee observer pass, so I probably won't get to hear ANYONE speak.

Boo hoo. :-(

I might get to show Jerry Brown to his seat for lunch, but somehow that's just not the same.

Well, they'll have closed circuit tvs around the convention center they said tonight at the orientation, . . . but that's just not the same either.

Say No to Blackwater and war profiteers in California!

The Courage Campaign is an organization of California progressives who's mission is to "activate and enable the grassroots and organized leadership to take on the problems that have held back our state for the past 30 years." The founder of Courage Campaign is Rick Jacobs, who is also the co-founder of Brave New Films with documentary director and producer, Robert Greenwald.

As they say on their blog today:

Courage Campaign has joined forces with the folks in East County to spread the word about Blackwater West and organize people on a statewide level against the project. To that end, we've launched a petition campaign targeting Governor Schwarzenegger, Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein to pressure them to do whatever is in their power to stop this dangerous project.

Please sign the petition today. Say No to Blackwater and war profiteers in California!

ADDITIONALLY

Todd has posted information further information at Calitics this evening about a resolution that Raymond Lutz will be proposing at this weekend's California Democratic Convention in San Diego.

In addition, we are going to do whatever we can to support Lutz in his latest endeavor: passing a resolution on the floor of the CA Democratic Convention in San Diego this weekend. Please spread the word to all the delegates you know to support this resolution. Lutz is going to present it to the resolutions committee on Friday and hopefully it will make it to the floor without having to get 300 delegates to sign it, but if we need to do that, we'll do that. Proposed text of the resolution is as follows:

WHEREAS, Blackwater USA, a North Carolina-based private security firm under contract to the Pentagon to supply armed personnel for duties in the Iraq War, proposes to build a large mercenary and paramilitary training compound called Blackwater West near Potrero, in San Diego County, on an 824-acre parcel that includes Cleveland National Forest acreage, borders a proposed wilderness area adjacent to the Hauser Wilderness, and is both an important watershed and an environmentally sensitive habitat for wildlife; said mercenary and paramilitary activities are inherently dangerous and pose serious risks--including severe fire danger--to surrounding communities and wilderness areas, will deplete groundwater, substantially increase traffic, increase noise from shooting ranges, driving track, and helicopter activities, among many other environmental concerns.

WHEREAS, Blackwater USA and other private contractors are not subject to an effective system of oversight and accountability with respect to their operations and government contracting activities, and are the subject of ongoing hearings before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee regarding allegations of waste, fraud, and abuse; Blackwater USA has resisted attempts to subject its private soldiers to the Pentagon's Uniform Code of Military Justice, claiming they are civilians, and has simultaneously claimed immunity from litigation under civil law in the United States, asserting its forces are part of the Pentagon's "Total Force."

AND WHEREAS, the "John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007" (H.R. 5122), which was signed into law by President Bush in October 2006, seriously weakens two bulwarks of liberty--the Posse Comitatus Act and the Insurrection Act of 1807--by expanding the power of the president to declare martial law and use troops as a domestic police force in response to a "public emergency" or any "other condition"; and Blackwater troops (which were deployed domestically in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina) or other private mercenary and paramilitary forces pose a severe threat to the civil liberties of the American people and now could be deployed to quell public dissent, put down popular uprisings, or even to stop opposing points of view through intimidation or outright force.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party opposes mercenary training by private concerns anywhere in the State of California, including the Blackwater West project.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all military, paramilitary, or related security/law enforcement training operations in California, whether private, governmental, or some combination of the two, will be conducted on, and only on, secured U.S. military bases or other established government-regulated facilities designed for that purpose.

It's a draft and still subject to change, but spread the word to support this resolution when it comes up for a vote.

Blue House at the Brewhouse on Friday

In other weekend fundraiser event news: Come on over to the Blue House at the Brew House on Friday night at the Karl Strauss Brewery. This event is sponsored by the by "the CA Blogsphere" and is a fundraiser for Charlie Brown and Jerry McNerney.

Who: Charlie Brown, Jerry McNerney and friends
What: Give $40 min. (20 bucks each) on this page
When: 8:30 PM Friday April 27th
Where: Karl Strauss Brewing Company, 1157 Columbia Street San Diego, CA 92101
(parking available, location is less than a mile from the Convention Center)

It's also very close to the One America Plaza trolley station, if you don't want to walk or drive from the Convention Center.

It's Kucinich Tuesday at terryfaceplace

Rep Dennis Kucinich announced impeachment charges against Cheney today, and the resolution and documents are available on his website now.

I'd model my impeach shirt, but it's in the laundry.

Congressman Kucinich will be at the California State Democratic Convention in San Diego this weekend, and I know that his supporters here have a busy weekend planned.

From Jeeni Criscenzo:

The California Democratic Party Convention is coming to San Diego next weekend, April 27 - 29. I'm wearing four hats for this event - as a delegate, as VP of our North County PDA chapter, as the Southern California Coordinator for the Kucinich for President Campaign and as an activist for peace & justice! Here are a few of the highlights of things happening here in San Diego around this Convention. Please join me in as many as you can.

Thursday, April 26, 2007
5:00 PM - 7:30 PM -- Kucinich Volunteer Organizing Party
Kucinich Rooms at Handlery Hotel and Resort, 950 Hotel Circle North, San Diego, CA 92108
Meet fellow Kucinich supporters and help prepare for the Convention by making signs & Issues Arm Bands, getting your volunteer assignments and planning the weekend. Later, we can carpool to the PDA event (see below) 2.5 miles away. MAP

7:30 PM - 9:30 PM - PDA (Progressive Democrats of America) Event
Scottish Rite Center, 1895 Camino del Rio South - San Diego CA 92108
Meeting the Historic Challenge: War, Peace and the 2007 California Democratic Party Convention. Hear from Medea Benjamin, Norman Solomon, Jeff Cohen, Steve Cobble, Mimi Kennedy & Tim Carpenter. Find out more about what PDA is doing at the convention at www.pdamerica.org.

Friday, April 27, 2007
San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA92108
PDA will be pushing for several resolutions to be passed at this convention, including:

* End the Iraq occupation
* No Attack on Iran
* Nonprofit Single-Payer Health Insurance for All
* Clean, Transparent Elections
* Fair Trade, Not Corporatist "Free Trade"
* Investigations of the White House (with impeachment on the table)

Please stop at the PDA table to find out how you can help make this happen and pick up your colored armbands to wear on your sleeve the issues you support.

And come to the Kucinich table to pick up your T-shirt, bumper stickers, signs etc.

10:00 PM -- Midnight - Kucinich Campaign Folk Festival Room 10 (Upper Level)
An old-time hootenanny -- join folk singers Peter & Betty Anderson, Kathleen Beck & Jim Lydick and others singing those songs that galvanized the Vietnam era peace movement and some new songs for today. (If you're a folk singer and would like to perform, please contact info@SoCal4Kucinich.com.) Enjoy organic tortilla chips and locally grown, organic salsa fresca and guacamole. Hear from the Kucinich campaign about what Dennis Kucinich is doing now and what he'll do when he's in the White House. Meet the next First Lady, Elizabeth Kucinich. All are welcome - no convention registration is necessary for the hospitality suites. We hope to have a late visit from Dennis Kucinich.

10:00 PM -- Midnight - PDA Action Center
Meet fellow activists and find out what you can do to make the convention a success for progressives!

8:00 AM - 7:00 PM - Tables open to the public
Volunteers are needed to help PDA get their resolutions passed - stop at their table to offer your help. It is not necessary to be registered as an observer or delegate to visit the tables in the exhibit area.

9:00 AM - 11:30 AM - General Session - Only open to delegates and those with observer passes

2:00 AM - 3:00 PM -- A-28 Beach Impeach
North Beach by Tower 6 - Torrey Pines State Public Beach. Put your body on the line! For more information go to http://beachblogger.net.

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM - General Session - Only open to delegates and those with observer passes

3:30 PM (approx) -- Dennis Kucinich Addresses the Convention
San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92108 - Exhibit Hall. Dennis Kucinich will address the General Session. Only delegates and observers will be permitted in the hall. Be sure to bring your Kucinich signs and wear your Kucinich T-shirts.

4:00 - 6:30 PM -- Impeachment Rally
MLK Park - across the street from the convention center. Also many other groups will be demonstrating throughout the Convention at this location.

7:30 - 9:30 PM -- Tribute Dinner to Nancy Pelosi
If you have a ticket to this dinner and would like to join me in presenting a petition to Nancy Pelosi, please send me an email at jeeni1@criscenzo.com.

10:00 PM -- Midnight - Kucinich Campaign Red, White and Blues Jam
San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92108 - Room 10 (Upper Level) Calling all blues musicians to make some music. Bring your instrument & rig and let's see what happens when people get together to make something good happen! Not a musician? - come to hear the magic happen. Enjoy locally-grown, organic strawberries with organic yogurt dipping sauce (That's the Red & White part of the party). All are welcome - no convention registration is necessary for the hospitality suites.

Sunday, April 29, 2007
8:00 AM - 2:00 PM -- Tables Open to the Public
San Diego Convention Center, 111 West Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92108 - Exhibit Hall
Volunteers needed to staff the table and tear-down at the end of the convention. It is not necessary to be registered as an observer or delegate to work at the tables in the exhibit area.

9:00 AM - 2:00 PM - or later -- General Session and voting on resolutions

4:00 - 5:00 PM -- PDA Post Convention Wrap-up
5:30 - 8:30 PM -- Kucinich Fundraiser in OB. Jeeni Criscenzo, Southern California Kucinich Campaign Coordinator, invites you to Meet Elizabeth Kucinich at a fundraiser for Kucinich for President 2008 at the home of Ted & Nelisse Muga 1865 Froude Street, Ocean Beach, San Diego, CA 92107 (map) (SW on Sunset Cliffs, left on Newport, right on Froude - 3rd house on left) A perfect way to top off the California Democratic Convention! Come meet fellow Kucinich supporters and hear from Elizabeth why Dennis is our only chance to turn this country around. $20 minimum contribution

Also Meet Special Guests: Medea Benjamin & Col. Ann Wright. RSVP tmuga@aol.com or 619-222-2120.

Things to do in San Diego while you're here for the convention.

If you'll be in San Diego for the California Democratic Convention April 27-29, here are a couple items that may be of interest to you.

Progressive Democrats of America will have a significant presence at the convention, and they're kicking off the weekend with a PDApalooza on Thursday, April 26 at 7:30 pm.

PDA San Diego is hosting, “Meeting the Historic Challenge: War, Peace and the 2007 California Democratic Party Convention”

With Medea Benjamin, CODE PINK and PDA Advisory Board member; Norman Solomon, author; Jeff Cohen, author, PDA Communications Consultant and Advisory Board Member; Tim Carpenter, PDA Executive Director; Steve Cobble, Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and PDA Board member; and Advisory Board Chair, actress, and author Mimi Kennedy at the Scottish Rite Center, 1895 Camino del Rio South in San Diego.

Personally, I'm bummed because overlaps with the MANDATORY volunteer orientation, and I'm volunteering at the convention. No matter how I try I just can't overcome that time/space continuum thing.

Next up! Off the table but on the beach!

As it happens, April 28 (A26)is a day of protest to demand impeachment, and some folks here are putting on their very own Beach Impeach at Torrey Pines State Beach. Gather near lifeguard tower #6 at 2:00 pm, to join in spelling out impeach on the beach.

The PDA California April '07 Tour

Progressive Democrats of America is starting a tour of California....kind of a roundabout trek to the state Democratic Convention that will be held in San Diego April 27-29, 2007. Tomorrow (4/9) they'll be in Los Angeles to join Rev. Lennox Yearwood's Make Hip Hop Not War National Tour.

It looks to me like PDA is planning on having a major presence at the convention. Good! I'll be there and I'm looking forward to it!

The night before the convention begins (4/26) there will be a PDA Metro San Diego Meeting -

Pot luck with Medea Benjamin, CODE PINK and PDA Advisory Board member; Norman Solomon, author; Jeff Cohen, author, PDA Communications Consultant and Advisory Board Member; Tim Carpenter, PDA Executive Director; and Steve Cobble, Associate Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and PDA Board member.

Stay tuned for further details....

Candidate Mobilizes for Marcy Winograd During California Democratic State Party Convention

Intresting stuff, eh? Kudos to Jeeni for standing up for her principles, and supporting other progressive candidates. Woohoo!