According to TPM's morning roundup, this chipper spot is set to air in Colorado, New Hampshire, Montana, and the DC market.
"Health insurance reform means your family's care comes first -- not insurance industry profits," the announcer says. "Call Congress. Tell them when it comes health insurance reform, there's something in it for all of us."
Colorado Party Chair Pat Waak, and 1st Vice Chair Dan Slater are in California at the annual Association of State Democratic Chairs Executive Committee meeting.
Dan is being a bit mysterious about what is happening behind closed doors, but has been dropping a few hints at his blog DemNotes:
Because it was a closed meeting, I don't want to reveal too many details. But I think it is safe to say that we have a lot of questions about what the DNC will look like in the near future, and what the partnership between the DNC and the state parties will look like. We'll get those answers in the next month or two, but for now, that uncertainty has led to a lot of discussion among the state parties here in San Diego, and it is likely to dominate the conversation in the coming couple of days of meetings.
I hope that during those conversations, the idea strikes them that Democratic values would be better reflected if they decided to at least let the rabble know the nature of their deliberations about our future, rather than coming to decisions in secret and then handing the word down.
I can't think of a better spokesperson for that message than Mr. Slater. I hope he uses his place inside the room to encourage them to crack open the door. After all, caste systems are not a good way to build participation.
In a small but significant development that virtually no one would notice without the blogosphere, Chris Bowers is drawing attention to impending layoffs by the Democratic National Committee of 200 state-embedded field operatives. These operatives are the beating heart of Howard Dean's famous 50-state-strategy. You can read Chris' post yourself, but it seems the DNC assumed all along that the field staff would be terminated immediately after the election. And ironically, Chris' contact at the DNC hastened to reassure him that they were trying to get the embeds jobs in Washington, as though the whole program were nothing more than a DC internship network.
That's a distressing throwback to the past habit of thinking of state party organizations as nothing more than adjuncts to campaign organizations. Anyone who's worked with state parties over the years, especially in smaller and/or "red" states, probably shares my impression that they were largely either completely moribund, or served as dumping-grounds for incompetent castoffs from specific campaigns or even from state governments. The idea of the 50-state-strategy, or so I thought, was to encourage steadier year-in-year-out state party infrastructures, staffed by professionals with a particular expertise in field organizing.
...
I realize this issue is dwarfed in significance by the separate question of what happens to the large and well-trained Obama field organization. If that organization is ultimately folded into the DNC/state party apparatus, then the problem of state party infrastructure may be solved for the immediate future. But if it's not, we may be back to square one.
Let us fervently hope that the Obama organization here is folded into the DNC and CODems.
DENVER (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union says undercover police officers posing as protesters staged a violent confrontation with another officer during the Democratic convention in Denver.
The ACLU said it obtained a police document
showing the undercover officers pretended to struggle with a police commander so they could be removed from the crowd without blowing their cover.
The ACLU says another officer thought the commander was being attacked and pepper-sprayed the undercover officers.
This is just pathetic and if verified, I think all the higher ups should be fired. Someone had to approve this idea.
I just can't understand people who could get pleasure from beating others.
Though I am happy that the undercover officers got pepper-sprayed. Serves 'em right.
It's a glorious day in the high country of Colorado. Even though it's 24 degrees outside with a few inches of the traditional "GOTV-time" snow, there is nothing that's gonna stop Colorado. We may be going door to door on snowshoes this week, but that's ok. We are determined to change our country and make history in our state.
And you ask why GCD are you so certain that Colorado is going to add nine electors to the win column for Barack Obama? The answer is because of the organizers. People like the young man that wrote the poem and put it to video that I share with you to share with the world.
The people have spoken
Our leader is the one whose ears are large
Because he hears the voice of this nation
You don't want to miss this one. I guarantee that you will want to share it with the world.
See the video and read the poem on the flip. Flip it good.
(Help this go viral at GCD Daily Kos.)
DENVER -- The Denver police union is selling T-shirts that poke fun at protesters at last month's Democratic National Convention, but the main target isn't laughing.
The back of the shirts reads, "We get up early to beat the crowds" and "2008 DNC," and has a caricature of a police officer holding a baton.
Because stomping on people is, you know, hilarious!
Things that make me die a little inside:
Detective Nick Rogers, a member of the Police Protective Association board, said police often issue T-shirts to commemorate big events.
Rogers said each Denver officer was given one of the shirts free and others are on sale for $10 each at police union offices.
He said the union expects to sell about 2,000 of them.
Rogers said he hadn't received any previous complaints about the shirts.
The image in question:
Should I lighten up? Dunno. I guess it is hard for me to find the humor in authoritarian beatings.
Well hi everybody and welcome back to Trivia Tuesday. Today I'm going to take you in the wayback machine all the way to the just concluded DNC and RNC.
Republicans tell me that a worker at Invesco Field in Denver saved thousands of unused flags from the Democratic National Convention that were headed for the garbage. Guerrilla campaigning. They will use these flags at their own event today in Colorado Springs with John McCain and Sarah Palin.
If it is false, then we need to counter it in a very big way.
"All of the flags at Invesco were picked up and put in bags and into storage, along with the unused flags and campaign signs. The flags were going to be donated, and the signs were going to be sent out to be used elsewhere," the official said, speaking anonymously since he was not authorized to talk to the press
To begin with, there is NO evidence that the Democratic Party arranged for the flags to be thrown out in the garbage instead of disposed properly by burning. More likely, the flags were left behind after the event and the Invesco Field staff collected them for disposal. This is the sort of thing that, if unrebutted, assumes the form of truthiness that never dies. Just like claims that Al Gore said he invented the internet, etc. We cannot let these slurs stand unchallenged, and we have to reveal the Republican Party for their lying hypocrisy. This is especially true with lies like this focused on Colorado, which is in play and may make the difference this year. We have to kill the Patriotism meme and call them out for just making stuff up. And don't say it's not a big deal. It is.
We need to correct this false rumor spread by the Post's blogger quickly, and we need to demand that Fox retract this falsehood before its frame is imprinted.
Had enough yet?
UPDATE II: The Rocky reported it straight with the DNC challenge and noted "unidentified" Republican sources. Really, doesn't someone need to get to the bottom of this? If the flags were stolen, whoever took or accepted them needs to be brought to the public bar. If not, then the Repbulicans can have their fun.
(Some great shots of the protests - promoted by johne)
The first amendment to the constitution in the Bill of Rights states very clearly the rights of American citizens. It has always stood as our first and most guiding principle.
" Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. "
On Sunday August 24th, 2008, anti-war demonstrators gathered in various parts of Denver to protest the war.
Several small groups converged from different parts of the city at the State Capitol building in Denver to hear speeches, listen to some hip hop and provide a loyal opposition to the status quo.
The following pictures were sent to me by my photographer friend, Paul Winner. All images are his copyrighted materials. He gave me permission to post a few of the amazing images he shot that were missed by the main stream media.
I've known these kids since they were little. What a cool shot!
(Well done! Now will the local traditional media have on a bunch of democrats to counter the RNC? Ha! I'm holding my breath. - promoted by johne)
Summary: Colorado media outlets published numerous
falsehoods, provided misleading commentary, and uncritically parroted
Republican talking points during the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Will media figures
such as 630 KHOW-AM's Dan Caplis and KCNC CBS4's Raj Chohan correct
their inaccuracies, as The Gazette
of Colorado Springs
did after Colorado Media Matters
pointed out an error in one of its editorials?
Colorado Media Matters documented
numerous falsehoods, misleading commentary, and uncritical repetition of
Republican talking points during the local media's coverage of the
Democratic National Convention, held August 25-28 in Denver.
For example, as a guest columnist in the Rocky Mountain News and on his 630
KHOW-AM radio program, Dan Caplis smeared Sen.
Barack Obama four days in a row by distorting his positions on abortion, energy issues, foreign policy, and funding for the armed forces. In
addition, Newsradio 850 KOA, KDVR Fox 31, and The Denver
Post all disseminated or promoted
conservative misinformation during the DNC.
Did I hear something about a GOP VP choice? Hoo-humm. Who cares! I'm still psyched about this past week.
I was in section 525 at just about the top row available, just beneath one of those huge screens. This is about what our view looked like of the convention floor without a zoom lens or binoculars.
Seriously, I did. All that walking, I imagine, since the food was great everywhere I went up there in Denver. (Hi, Carol!)
I had the time of my life, but it's still great to be home. Sure, it means sleeping with a dog practically in my EAR all night, and getting used to not being stopped for an interview 3-4 times a day, and having to catch up with all the little jobs and crises that piled up over my 10 day absence...but there really is no place like home. Especially not MY home.
Without intending to, I kind of dropped off the grid Wednesday, posting-wise, and I didn't even log on again until I got home Friday evening. So much for all my live blogging plans. However, I made lots of notes, so I guess I can just do undead-blogging instead.
I'm sitting beneath one of the big monitors. Only the secret service are higher up. About 30 minutes ago I had a temp floor pass and said hi to Aaron sitting next to Morgan Carroll. I'm blogging this from my iPhone.
I was able to snag what was supposed to be a real swanky seat with the Denver Dems, but it turns out that section is directly behind the stage. Whoopie!
The most fun on the floor was speaking briefly with rep Degette and delegate Anthony Graves. I wanted to ask about rumors of his next move, but got kicked off the floor as I didn't have a seat. What rumors he asked? Apparently the ones Aaron is spreading.
How do we look on cspan or where ever you're watching?
In 1983 at the beginning of the oil shale bust, when seemingly overnight the oil companies and their legions of carpet baggers left Colorado, a young hispanic State legislator named Federico Pena ran for Mayor with the campaign slogan of "imagine a Great City". Many scoffed at his campaign slogan as not having substance and only an election gimmick. Republicans and critics howled as they labeled the articulate and energetic Mexican Mayor and his coalition of progressive supporters as "Feddy and the Dreamers".
Our wildest imaginations have become our fallen aspirations in Denver. Thank you Mayor Pena for imagining a great city with hope we could believe in and the commitment to get it done.
George Bush was Vice President and his son Neil Bush was a member of the board of directors of Denver-based Silverado Savings and Loan during the 1980s' infamous Savings and Loan banking crisis. Silverado's collapse cost taxpayers $1 billion and devastated the Colorado economy into a deep recession that many old timers still call: The Denver Depression.
3:30 There is going to be a full delegation tonight, and the word isn't completely out about what this blogger is doing here. Trying to explain that sitting near the DSL plug is what I am supposed to be doing.
Senator Clinton's name is being put into nomination.
Next to me they are setting the camera and microphone height to fit Pat Waak. It looks like she will be answer to the roll call. I am told to expect Colorado to be called "in the C's". We'll see if American's Abroad and American Samoa get their spots or if they jiggle that around at all.
Senator Obama is being nominated. Anyone want to take bets on the outcome?
Senator Salazar is seconding the nomination. After the jump there will be more including a picture of him with a large animal.
This is going to be a steam of consciousness blog, aka live-blog, from my experiences on the floor, not 30 feet from the podium seated with the colorado delegates
9:30 And it's over. We had Adam Burke from Colorado NPR interviewing me and Aaron throughout the day, asking us about our experiences. A story should be playing on NPR tomorrow morning.
9:11 Korean Methodists from Aurora are speaking now. i really don't get it.
9:06 Getting bigger... And now the big finish. Everyone is one their feet. She clearly wanted to bring everyone together. There was a lot of purpose behind her words, but I didn't really feel it was the speech of her lifetime.
8:55 Mrs. Clinton's speech is hitting all the points, but there better be a big finish.
8:46 Everyone is on their feet. This is my view
First I was for Edwards, then Obama, but this preview and stuff and the music is getting to me -- in a good way. Chelsea just introducer her as her hero and mom.
8:36 I think Hillary Clinton is next, or this video is just a teaser. Some Clinton signs are coming out, but it seems each delegation has a "handler" who's telling people not to hoist those yet.
8:27 A bit of stage crafting, that I'm falling for. When Schweitzer mentions how McCain is more of the same, there are a bunch of red signs that delegates raise that read, "More of the same". At first I didn't say anything during the first wave and was criticized. The delegate said to me that I'm in trouble, so I raised an angered fist the next time.
Gov Schweitzer talks about not having four more years of petro-dictators. I had to stand for that. YES WE CAN!
random thought A few more years than I'd like to admit to, then first lady Hillary Clinton spoke at my graduation. (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign). To be honest, I didn't pay too much to her speech then, as I was looking forward to a whole new stage of my life. I'm waiting in anticipation for what comes.
(thanks again for the seat Debbie! - promoted by johne)
As a delegate to the National Convention, it has been a very busy time. This morning began with our Colorado delegate breakfast. I couldn't stay very long since I had to rush off to a special event - in my car (ugh).
Michelle Obama's Womens Issues Town Hall: Sen. Obama's campaign called me last night to invite me to a round table on women's issues with a focus on health care. It was a very movng morning with stories from working women that have families and struggle to make ends meet and live in fear that they will have a serious medical emergency in their family.
From this article at the Denver Post's Politics West:
Republican National Committee Chairman Mike Duncan said the team of nearly two dozen staffers at the opposition headquarters will be "fact-checking" statements made by the Obama campaign and by speakers during the convention.
"Just consider this the Ministry of Truth," quipped Dick Wadhams, chairman of the Colorado Republican Party.
Uh...guys? Did you ever actually read1984? (Cheat Sheet for those of you who didn't. And you really should.)
a young hispanic State legislator named Federico Pena ran for Mayor with the campaign slogan of "imagine a Great City". Many scoffed at his campaign slogan as not having substance and only an election gimmick. Republicans and critics howled as they labeled the articulate and energetic Mexican Mayor and his coalition of progressive supporters as "Feddy and the Dreamers".
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