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Personal Memories of Campaign 2008

gitell — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:12:27 +0000

I first met Barack Obama at a sparsely attended press conference for Deval Patrick in October 2006. I saw him electrify an audience at the JFK Library and witnessed his first big appearance in New Hampshire in early December. I was there in Concord when Obama stood by his vow to meet the president of Iran during his first year in office. “We don’t need Bush-Cheney Lite,” he said as the crowd erupted in cheers. Even when this became an issue in the debates with McCain, nobody told McCain Obama ever said that.

I heard him implore Massachusetts to vote for him with Caroline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy at his side the night before the primary. He lost but he did not lose his cool.

I saw his last appearance with foreign policy aide Samantha Power. Obama seemed to love her energy but his staffers kept reeling her in.

I was one of the few writers to spend an extended period of time with Joe Biden, who gave me time after a book talk at Borders in downtown Boston. In an odd juxtaposition from four years earlier, I waited for Biden with the BPPA’s leadership team.

I attended scores of Hillary Clinton speeches and watched her campaign of inevitability devolve into desperation. I saw her fight back as the NH primary approached. I was in the room when two goons got up during one of her speeches shouting “Iron My Shirt! Iron My Shirt!”

I covered the Pennsylvania primary before Obama had figured out how to capture the votes of blue collar whites (or before the economy entirely went south.) I saw a Bill Clinton, reduced to giving 25 minute speeches in out-of-the-way venues, rev up the crowd in Millvale, PA. I interviewed Senator Casey of Pennsylvania who assured me Obama would win over enough Catholic voters to become president.

On the Republican side, I began by following Mitt Romney around New Hampshire. I saw Rudy Giuliani take brief interest and lose it in the Granite State. While he started to resonate in July, his big tour across Southern New Hampshire was a bust. The lasting image is of his gaggle of stilettoed press aides shoeing away the media, including David Broder who subsequently slammed Giuliani in the Washington Post.

McCain began his presidential campaign in Portsmouth at a highly orchestrated event right on the river with just one problem. The t.v. cameras could not shoot over the big speakers McCain’s people had set up. I called around NH when McCain hit his low point. McCain would win NH on his own, his supporters said. And they were right. I was with McCain the night he won NH and killed the campaign of Mitt Romney. The campaign blared Chuck Berry’s “Go Johnny Go!” How is this guy going to compete with Obama and his U2 “City of Blinding Light?” I thought.

I was there in Denver when Obama made everything in his campaign bigger and pulled it off.

Presidential Memorials

TripCart — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 20:41:26 +0000

In continuation of our goal to promote the vote in our Political Orientation Month, we thought we’d highlight some of our nation’s memorial sites that celebrate the lives of past presidents. The question on hand now…in a hundred years from now, will there be a presidential memorial for Obama or McCain?

In the meantime, visit these sites to boost your political IQ and gain an appreciation for the men and women (though, really these sites are just of the men…) who have helped shape American political history.

Further Reading:

Political Orientation Month - Political sites in the U.S.

TripCart — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 22:02:19 +0000

It’s an exciting time in our nation with the upcoming presidential elections. I’ve heard this election called the most crucial ever—but don’t they say that every year? But with the crashing economy, Wall Street, the war in Iraq, gas and oil prices, Iran, terrorism, and increased healthcare problems, it really does become clear that CHANGE is in order. So wherever you think that change should come from, go out on Election Day and make your voice heard!

In preparation, we’d like to designate this time as U.S. Political Orientation Month. Now’s the time (if you haven’t already, of course) to get out there and start learning about the people and parties who formed this country and who keep it alive and running. Here are a few places in the U.S. that can help you orient yourself in U.S political affairs.

States are closing their doors for registration ANY DAY NOW…so register, educate yourselves, and VOTE!

Further Reading:

Our PUMA Anti-Convention

Lady Boomer NYC — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:54:48 +0000

Lady Boomer NYC as Miss Piggy Puma, courtesy of Gary and Mawm

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Our PUMA Anti-Convention

“So, how’d it go at the Democratic Convention?”

I get that a lot from my family and friends. They know I had been working the entire year to get Hillary Clinton elected President while “raging against the machine,” and that I was going to Denver to protest. I replied,

“Ummm . . . good. . . . I, I wasn’t really at The Convention.

We were like . . . the Anti-Convention!”

Post-Denver, although still mourning for what could have been, most hardcore, grassroots Hillary supporters have moved on — in one way or another. They know, or are deciding, what they will do with their votes and/or their efforts. Will they work for one campaign or other at the top, or just support down-ticket candidates? They are mulling over whether to: vote nothing on top, vote third party, write in Hillary’s name, stay home, or cast a protest vote for John McCain. For most, that would be their first Republican vote ever, and they do not take it lightly. The only reason they would do it is to protest Barack Obama and Democratic Party leaders who subverted the democratic process and 18 million voters.

But I can’t fully move on yet. This story is roiling around inside me, unwilling to be forgotten. One week plus is old news, past prime, but I keep getting these “little messages.” Last week I ran into my neighborhood Brazilian Café and struck up a conversation with husband and wife owners, Marcello and Juliet. I’d been socked away in my “Puma Den” for the last six months, making rich stove top espressos at home on the cheap.

Marcello asked, “I heaven’t seen you for a while. Where have you bean? What have you been doing?”

I hesitated protectively, having lived undercover using my handle for so long that I had to consciously produce my real name in my head before saying it. “Actually, I’ve been doing a lot of writing most of the year, political writing. Do you know what blogs are? I have a blog and contribute to other sites and efforts.”

They continued the conversation as they scurried about their business, “Oh really, and who were you supporting for President?”

My personal self gulped inside my political self having been so underground and divided, “Actually, I was supporting Hillary Clinton, working to get her elected. I still support her and believe she would make the best President.”

They both jumped to attention and gravitated back to the counter to face me, “Really? We’re for her too!”

(See why I can’t stop?) “That’s great,” I cooed, as I came clean, telling them about my blog and links to others, our efforts prior to and during Denver, and our work to ensure a roll call, a floor vote, and a record of the truth about this election.

They pointed out to me, “It’s just like 2000, Gore and Bush!”

“Right!” I answered, “and now from our own. It seems so much worse that way. Did you know that Democrats have a weird gene that makes them eat their own?”

They laughed. We talked about the delegates. They had seen the same things that Puma and Just Say No Deal Coalition members have been uncovering, observing, highlighting, and shouting about all year long: the subversion, bullying, and undemocratic processes. They could not believe when they saw the vote halted and delegates switched. “We voted. We went in and pulled the lever. Why should we even bother?”

“I KNOW. How do they do it in Brazil?”

“We vote. It gets recorded. Somebody gets elected. That’s it.”

“Wow, that simple. You mean one person one vote? I am committed to working for that in our country. And to think that our soldiers and young people, are dying in other countries to fight for a democracy that we don’t even have!”

As people began to line up, I moved to leave. They didn’t want me to go and would have continued.

Civic Center Park, Denver, CO

My Denver Surprise

The biggest revelation of my trip, despite everything we’d done all year and any possible outcomes we’d imagined, is that many people are only now becoming aware of the election. They have not heard the story of what really happened . . . or they saw something go by and didn’t quite believe their eyes . . . or they absorbed it and are slowly beginning to wake up.

To the young-looking 50 year-old Denver mom of two teens seated next to me on the outbound plane, who asked what I’d been doing there, and upon hearing it replied:

You know, my husband and I watched the Rick Warren town hall meeting with Obama and McCain. Did you see it? We heard Obama say something, and the day before he’d said the exact opposite. Well, we’re Christians, she intimated, implying they’re people of their word. I turned to my husband and said, ‘did you hear that?’

To the tattooed young performance artist, an Obama supporter, who listened respectfully as I carefully talked to him about what really happened in this election. To the young woman who listened intently, as we rode the uniquely silent electric shuttle.

To the Hillary delegate from a Hillary state, who was I “accidentally” seated next to after missing my connection due storms over Dallas. We chirped for the entire ride. She planned to cast her first ballot for Hillary, but then switch to Obama. I wonder now how she actually cast that ballot? She had a resolute personality, and, despite lots of grief from the black community, stood firm in her support of HRC. She did not agree, however, that the Superdelegates had endorsed too soon based on Party pressure. She thought they had merely done their jobs.

To the youth of all races and nationalities, whom I met traveling to Hillary events — especially the young African American women who had grown up in solidly Democratic households, their entire families dedicated to the Clintons, proudly displaying their photos on the wall. These strong young people felt bashed and abandoned by their peers and their Party, yet stood strong in their commitment, and decided to go work for McCain in early June before school started in the Fall. They did not tolerate well their heroes being thrashed.

If the media, blogs, the campaigns, and politicians have moved on, the electorate has not. The story isn’t finished — and to some, it hasn’t been told yet.

Maryland Puma and crew setting up headquarters

I’ll Meet You In Denver

I went to Denver to represent — myself, the movement, and you! Any of you who wanted to go but couldn’t for one reason or another, I was there for y-o-u. I hadn’t planned on going, but a friend encouraged me to do so, saying, “It’s an experience of a lifetime.” To tell you the truth, what with the pre-convention buzz about cages, warehouses, diarrhea-producing gas bombs, police in riot gear, and Recreate ‘68, (being old enough to remember Chicago in 1968), I was scared to go.

Puma PAC’s “Murphy” encouraged me to help with the live-blogger effort, lineup call-ins to the radio shows, protest, speak at The Beautiful Protest/The Rise, and contribute to our efforts in general — all my honor and pleasure.

No matter the immediate outcome, Pumas made a difference that is yet reverberating. We helped shape the conversation and message that played out in the media — locally, nationally, and internationally. I will continue to tell the stories that have not been told. I get why my bubbie (Yiddish grandma — yeah, Donna, I have one too), used to tell me bedtime stories of the Old Testament. Although I used to squirm like hell, by teaching them to me, they would not be lost.

Colorado State Capitol Building

Rocky Mountain High

Let me say that Denver is a beautiful city. I hadn’t been there, except to the airport hub. Well, unless I count the ride I got during the summer of 1970 when I was hitching and two cops picked me up. I was tripping at the time, but speaking well and remember it still. They asked me to describe what LSD was, why people took it, and why some kids were jumping out of windows. I did my best to describe things from my spiritual and honest 23 year-old viewpoint. They listened with interest and respect and dropped me off at my destination.

In yet another 2008 strange twist of fate, all my fears of being caged by the cops (sounds kinky, doesn’t it?) were allayed when the headquarters that Murphy found were directly across the street from Denver’s police station complex. They became our protectors, greeting us as we walked by, immediately realizing that we were not the ones they were looking for. Cops did confront some of the militant protesters at the Pepsi Center, trapping innocent bystanders in the fray. Due to hiring so damn many just in case, they seemed to have spent many stifling hours in riot gear in the midst of a heatwave.

Puma blogger pool

Puma PAC Headquarters: From Virtual To Reality

On Sunday, August 24, we were setting up headquarters, many of us meeting for the very first time after having been an active and energized virtual community on behalf of Hillary Clinton for the last six months. It was exciting! We were a busy beehive, with a plethora of media outlets looking to harvest honey. Bloggers set up their laptops into a computer bank, people made signs, set up and bought Hillary gear including, tee shirts, buttons, stickers, bracelets, and more. We talked about our upcoming events and schedules, and our ongoing efforts to have all the delegates’ votes counted properly at the Democratic National Convention. Isn’t that just an odd thing to have to write or say?

Puma PAC founder, Darragh Murphy, being interviewed

With news being produced so quickly, we were not watching it, we were making it! At any given time there were several media outlets from anywhere in the world at headquarters. We didn’t get to see the results of our efforts, but Charles Lemos at By The Fault captured some stories here. (Readers, please add links) PUMAS were the story of the Convention. How could we NOT be? We were the unpredictable — as Murphy says, “the ones no one was expecting!”

Sunday ended with the movie premiere of “The Audacity of Democracy,” which recounts the systematic corruption of the democratic process in the 2008 Democratic primary election. This fabulous Puma PAC event was attended by local, national, and international press, and Puma/Just Say No Deal coalition members.

Puma protester being interviewed on the march

Marching To MSNBC

Monday, August 25, we held our protest march through the 16th Street Mall, a beautiful outdoor walking mall lined with restaurants and shops. It was hotter than hell in Denver, and people were in for the Convention, so the place was packed like on a weekend. We were joined all along the route by dozens and dozens of reporters, who had to keep pace with us to get their story or photos. I was joined by a well-suited young man from WA. I’d handed him a Puma HQs flier and asked him to join us after he declared he was a Hillary delegate. He stayed with us all the way, never removing his jacket and tie despite the heat.

Hundreds of people rose out of their patio chairs, ran out of restaurants, and stopped whatever they were doing to jump up and capture our protest. Professional photographers and videographers appeared out of nowhere. Cars and trucks would honk ‘n wave. We were seen and noted. My sense was that no matter which side was observing us, we appeared as a force, a committed phenomenon, as if, “there go those Pumas we’ve been hearing about.”

MSNBC’s kiosk

As we reached our destination, MSNBC’s outdoor media stage at Union Station, they were preparing for Chris Matthews and Mike Barnacle to broadcast. We Were the Action and the crew began to turn around their huge camera and 10-foot boom to capture us, as we declared,

No more bullying! Count our votes! Stop delegate intimidation!

Although they were equal in people power and had some loud guy voices, Obama supporters were no match for us as they tried to shout us down. All they could do was insert a “get over it” or “he won” on the off-beat.

Pagan Power stirs up the heavens (yes, folks, Pagan’s a guy)

Speaking Our Purpose, Envisioning the Future

That evening “The Beautiful Protest/The Rise event,” was held in Cheesman Park. Sponsored by Puma PAC, it featured speakers, including Dr. Saharra Bledsoe, riverdaughter, and many others including yours truly.

In the 1960s, I was compelled to help build a spiritual community/commune, and devote my life to a vision and mission larger than myself, for sake of creating a better world. It was the only clear path I could choose. At the time I felt, how could I not? In this 2008 election year, I was also compelled in that same way — to speak out for Hillary and our country. How could I not?

People have died for democracy, for the right to have a voice in their government. When one-half of the maternal side of my family — everyone but my grandma and her aunt — was exterminated in Nazi Germany because people stayed silent in the face of injustice, how could I not speak up in a free country? How could I witness these present day acts and remain silent? I can no more support a stolen election perpetrated by my own party than I could in 2000.

Beyond Obama & Co.’s shallow, copycat, wavering policies, demeaning primary season conduct, and perpetration of misogyny, the source of my continued protest and conscientious objection is the complete subversion of Fair Reflection.

BJ, Sheri, and Robin

You Still Have Friends?

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us . . . that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

— President Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Nov. 19, 1863

I am not equating our struggle with the brave, momentous Civil War, nor suggesting that we freed slaves, nor that death occurred — unless you count the democratic process. However, the principles of our cause are serious, and we are dedicated to preserving our government by and for the people. Families and friends are similarly, painfully divided. I basically live in the closet with my leanings, avoiding mental-emotional reprisals from family and friends. My grown kids think I’ve lost half my mind.

We were in Denver to make sure that the winning candidate, Hillary Clinton, and the 18 million voters who cast their vote for her were represented. We were there to bear witness to the way our votes had been distorted and the people’s good will had been intentionally manipulated and discarded, and the way the winning candidate was abandoned and abused by her Party. And for what? Money? Power?

Can you remember any election — and I can’t in my baby boomer lifetime — when you were afraid to walk down the street for fear of being pushed, punched, stomped, shouted at, had a finger shoved in your face, your sign torn from your hands or your front lawn? For what? Because you wore a tee shirt, button, or carried a sign in support of a political candidate? I’m undercover, but many Pumas are not, and found themselves treated thusly. Can you remember when caucuses and voter registration drives were rife with coercion and pressure from within one’s own Party? Can you remember a woman, former First Lady, sitting Senator, or Presidential candidate who was treated with such disrespect?

WomenCount.org’s Jehmu Green

Honoring Women

On Tuesday, August 26, 2008, we had to decide between several events because Hillary was scheduled to be at a few leading up to her convention speech that evening. I began with the DNC Women’s Caucus, attended by thousands of women, and heard Donna Brazile praise Obama and talk about her momma, Clinton loyalist Tina Flournoy eulogize Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Emily’s List President, Ellen Malcolm, and the Catharine Harris-like, slithering, Alice Germond also spoke.

We left after hearing that Hillary would be speaking at two luncheons that day, reasoning that she likely wouldn’t attend the praise Obama Women’s Caucus. With four events at once, instead of donning white outfits for the Rise Hillary Rise 160th Suffragette Anniversary walk, we opted for the WomenCount.org luncheon with Hillary and other Democratic women leaders. Congresswoman, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, who had died suddenly the week prior, had helped conceive of the luncheon and was to appear with Hillary. Stephanie was remembered for her strong spirit and support of women.

Chelsea Clinton appreciating her mom

We were all delighted to attend, and those of us with tickets were allowed to bring in other guests, so all were accommodated. The mood was generous. To me, this spirit was a continuation of the embodiment of Hillary’s campaign. She received resounding appreciation and expressed hers to us. Women candidates, including Jean Shaheen and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, spoke, Chelsea appeared with Hillary. I connected with Sheila Jackson Lee, met Alice Palmer who got Obama into politics before he threw her under the bus, and introduced myself to Women Count’s Jehmu Green.

Several of us then visited the “300 Petition” suite, an effort by the energetic and committed Michele Thomas and John West. On top of that petition, they were now organizing a new 20% petition, (826 of delegates), whose signatures were needed to ensure a roll call vote according to DNC rules. Several of our group hit the streets with that petition, and I returned to headquarters to blog about it.

Hillary Clinton addresses the Democratic National Convention

August 26, 2008

Code Pumpkin: Hillary Makes History Again

That evening as we watched intently at Puma Headquarters, Hillary spoke eloquently and wore a pumpkin-colored silk pantsuit, the same colors as Women Count.org. It was the historic 160th anniversary of women’s suffrage. She quoted riverdaughter’s phrase “the sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits!” We delighted in that she’d been listening, and was responding and giving a h/t to our support and efforts. It was code.

On Wednesday afternoon, we ran down to the Hillary-friendly bar to watch the unexpectedly early, orchestrated, sham roll call vote on the Convention floor. We watched in amazement as CA, NM, and IL yielded, and Hillary threw her and NY State’s support to Obama. WTF? That evening, we again ran down to see Bill Clinton give his speech. My impression of the usually impassioned Bubba was that the words were there, but his characteristically pink face looked pale, his underlying demeanor was tepid.

What We Used To Call Home

Many Pumas left for home on Wednesday evening and Thursday, not wanting to subject themselves to the DNC’s Mile High spectacular embarrassment.

pieces of what

when the world has turned
paralyzed and wrong
cold blooded claws
never offered anything at all
past the point of love
shattered and untied
waiting to pick up the pieces
that make it all alright

but pieces of what
pieces of what
pieces of what
doesn’t matter any more

moonlight on my floor
shining through the roof
they got the city surrounded
as if I needed proof
i forgot my fear
feelings on the rise
burying all of the pieces
falling from the sky

but pieces of what
pieces of what
pieces of what
we used to call home
pieces of what
we used to call home

when i drank your tea
and shallow water still
at the belgian gates
i waited for my meal

Afterword

On September 2, 2008, I published Null and Void, a comparison and analysis of the 2008 Presidential delegate count vs. the roll call vote at the Convention. A delegate added a comment that the vote commenced an hour earlier than planned. There were some delegations and Edwards delegates that had even tried to change their votes to Hillary but were not allowed to do so, with deadlines being constantly changed. Alegre has cross-posted Part 1 from Ricki Lieberman’s Electability Watch email accounts by delegates and others. Sheri Tag on her 9/7/08 PUR (Puma United Radio) show, “No We Won’t,” and Riverdaughter also expose more of what the delegates were subjected to by the Obama campaign.

The hollowing out of what was formerly known as the Democratic Party was as complete as that of a Halloween pumpkin. The Party we used to call home had kicked us out, and only now are they beginning to notice they miss us.

Still Here

The thing is, like Hillary, we’re a bunch of fighters! Beyond a common goal to expose the unparalleled injustice, fraud, and misogyny of the 2008 primaries starting at the top, we are committed to reforming The System and MSM. (I can’t believe how Repub that sounds, but it goes for both parties.) Our diligence in Denver of purrs, prowls, pounces, and growls left their mark on the world, and are reverberating in the difficult descent of Obama. Hillary said all along that she was the one who could win the electoral college. History will show that she was right.

I am not bitter, I am better — Betty’s Chevie

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[cross-posted from The Confluence]

[h/t to V for his awesome audio assistance]

"Conflucians Say," Tonite & Thurs 10pm ET on PURrrrrrr

Lady Boomer NYC — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:22:52 +0000

September 9, 2008 — Join Riverdaughter and her feisty cohorts from The Confluence on Puma United Radio (PURrrrrrr), Sheri Tagg’s new blogtalkradio station! Listen in live every Tuesday and Thursday at 10pm Eastern.

Tonight’s installment features the premiere of Madama B’s one-act play, Election Runway, starring all your favorite Democratic characters: Obama, Brazile, Axelrod, and, yes, The Voters. Florida and Michigan will even be there, too! Tune in to see who’s in and who’s ah-oouutttt.

Be sure to call in and have your say. Call in number is: (347) 539-5420

A tribute to Mike Huckabee

thesomebody — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:36:08 +0000

Dear Mike~ I doubt you will ever read my words or come to understand what being one of your ardent s

Null and Void: Democrats' Roll Call in Retrospect

Lady Boomer NYC — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 02:48:59 +0000

[Bumped] This fabulous post has been bumped for your sleepless pleasure.

Suspending Rules and Winning “By Acclamation”

I am proud to call on the Senator from New York to make the following presentation, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton:

Madam Secretary, on behalf of the great state of New York, with appreciation for the spirit and dedication of all who are gathered here, with eyes firmly fixed on the future, in the spirit of unity, with a goal of victory, with faith in our party and our county, let’s declare together in one voice, right here, right now that Barack Obama is our candidate, and he will be our President. (yays and boos)

Madam Secretary, I move that the Convention suspend the procedural rules and suspend the further conduct of the roll call vote. All votes cast by the delegates will be counted, and that I move Senator Barack Obama of Illinois be selected by this Convention by acclamation as the nominee of the Democratic Party for President of the United States. (yays and boos — Hillary, Hillary, Hillary, chanting)

“Wuh Roo?” said Scooby Doo, “What Did I See On TV?”

This was bothering me. Many of you have moved on to whatever’s next in your PUMA/Just Say No Deal/Democrat or anti-establishment lives. But I’m not that way. I can’t move forward until I understand and sort out what I have witnessed.

What exactly did we see on the “Democratic” Convention floor last Wednesday, August 27, 2008? Why was the roll call halted halfway through? Why did state after state in which Hillary won the primary election and a majority of delegates declare their votes for Obama? Who and what do all those delegates’ votes represent? As each “Great State of” our Union called out its numbers, I wondered, what was the actual delegate count? I felt compelled to compare the roll call vote with the delegate count that we were supposed to get. After all, why pull the lever if it doesn’t even matter? Wow, now that’s deja vu all over again, ain’t it?

What About My Vote?

I will recap three points that we’ve been saying for months. I’m restating, because many citizens do not realize what happened right before their eyes: The delegate count in this election was not a fair reflection of the Democratic Party electorate. 1) Hillary Clinton WON the popular vote. (Resources and numbers nearly impossible to reconcile, based on FL, MI, and caucus votes) 2) There exists growing documentation, compiled by Lynette Long and ordinary poll and election worker reporting, that caucus fraud was rampant. This occurred in the form of systematic, deliberate suppression, misinformation, pressure, and bullying, mishandling of voter and caucus rolls, and ignoring basic caucus rules. 3) Each delegate elected from a district or region in a primary state represents approximately 12,225 primary voters, but only 2,110 voters in a caucus state. Accordingly, a caucus delegate represents about 5.8 times fewer voters than one elected in a primary. So, when Obama “won” a caucus, each of those delegates stood for far fewer voters. This is especially important in the general election in the red and swing states. Pat Buchanan called Wednesday’s spectacle a phony roll call vote in his op-ed, “And If Obama Loses.”

Why Is This Year Different Than Any Other Year?

Laying that aside for now, let’s talk about how the Democratic Party screwed Hillary Clinton and everyone who was connected to her around that roll call vote. At least that was my impression leading up to and viewing it on TV. Even the scheduled time was in flux. In my recollection, in every other election year, it had been held at night for everyone to view. But this year, Hillary Clinton, the person who won the most primary votes in history, had to negotiate for her right to be on the ballot and have a roll call vote on the convention floor. Her supporters wrote thousands and thousands of letters, emails, and blogs. They raised money, ran political ads, and spoke out in the media to help the delegates stick with the one that brung ‘em. All this, because the DNC leadership and Obama’s campaign were so afraid of Hillary’s success after saying they could win the general election without all of us old and new dedicated party regulars. All year they tried to strong-arm us in to Unity and make her quit.

Our dedicated coalition members worked tirelessly to have a full roll call vote and a nominating speech for Hillary on the floor during prime time. We appealed to delegates and Superdelegates with petitions, and petitions on top of petitions. We didn’t know what would happen until the last minute, although we suspected. The same with Bill Clinton’s speech: off on, off on, but not during prime time, after they edited him.

And Then It Happened . . .

All of a sudden the roll call was on, but many of us were unable to get the live-streaming on our computers, so we ran several blocks away to a “Hillary-friendly” Denver bar. We saw states yield to other states on their votes, then the Convention floor was all abuzz, as our candidate was introduced as a simple Senator, with no mention of her historic win — just one of the guys delegation. She was on the floor with her fellow NY legislators. Then they made her eat sh*t, while they had her turn around and f*cked her up the a**, while reading a “stop the vote, we’re all onboard” speech. (Oh, I should have warned you: XXX, not my usual sedate lady self, is it? I feel a little strongly about this.) Everything was orchestrated, as CA, IL, and NM yielded so that Hillary, in a great show of U-N-I-T-Y, could cast all votes of her own NY State for Obama, throwing the delegate totals over the top. Oh, right, she likes it like that, because she’s a politician. But I’m not.

Yes, we’re all good soldiers and must move on to the next front. Many already have and are considering both individually and as a group what to do leading to November and beyond. However, many people aren’t clear about what happened, and are incensed that the vote was stopped mid-stream. Below, I’ve compiled the number of delegates won by state and candidate, how the numbers changed during the roll call vote, total number of delegates, and total number of votes cast. This list is variable, depending on the source and date and because it contains Superdelegates. On the morning of the roll call vote, 10 delegates flipped back to Hillary, and the petition effort was contacted by several Superdelegates who wanted to switch to her as well, some under the lights of the press.

Fair Reflection? Arkansas, Florida, and Michigan

Just a few words about fair reflection: Arkansas flipped. The Chairman of their delegation and DNC party head, Bill Gwatney, had been murdered two weeks prior. Heard anything in the news about it? Word is that his entire delegation had signed the 300 petition to ensure that Hillary’s name be placed on the ballot. In a twist of irony, his wife delivered their state’s votes to the Convention: Unanimous for Obama, after Hillary had won their state of origin by the largest margin of the primary: 70%. Arkansas.

Florida and Michigan votes were denied and blocked by Obama, until the May 31, 2008 DNC RBC meeting when he became a charity case. The committee donated four of Senator Clinton’s Michigan delegates and all the uncommitted vote delegates, which had included votes for other candidates. Obama had removed his name from that state’s ballot, fearing a loss would taint his chances in Iowa. However, Clinton kept hers on, stating that although the votes wouldn’t count, the voters should have a say. She was smart and right.

The Rules and Bylaws Committee refused to tackle their problem of fully seating delegates representing 2.3 million voters in both states. Instead they made each delegate into half-votes, and referred an incensed Harold Ickes, attorney for Senator Clinton, to the more appropriate Credentials Committee to contest their ruling in Denver on August 24, 2008. On August 5, Obama wrote a letter to that committee, requesting that those delegations be seated and counted in full. On August 20, when they no longer had any effect on Hillary’s campaign, as they would have had they been counted when she won them, those delegations were seated in-full. I learned on August 24 that the Credentials Committee and the Rules and Bylaws Committee were comprised of the exact same people. So I guess they really meant: talk to the hand.

How Am I Driving? Pass and Yield

Lastly, how about that orchestrated roll call, pass/yield deal? It began like any other roll call. Hillary would have her due. It had been rumored for over a week that she might release her delegates before a roll call vote on the floor. This prompted a new 20% or 826 delegate petition requiring a vote. Then came word of a secret hotel vote, then a Wednesday meeting with Clinton and all her delegates in which she released them and advised they vote their conscience. She’d cast hers for Obama.

Back to the roll call: First, California passes on casting their 441 votes, of which Hillary won over half. As Barbara Boxer yields to Hillary supporter Art Torres to make the announcement, she gleefully turns to her delegation and giggles. It’s as if Boxer was saying, “Ooo, what a coup! Aren’t we clever!” Come their turn, Illinois passes. New Mexico yields back to Illinois, who yields to New York. Then a hustle bustle on the floor, so Clinton could deliver the perfect Unity blow, right into her own back. Gee, it just doesn’t get better than this, does it?

Is It Safe To Vote?

Exactly, why do we vote if “delegates” can just switch their votes, and on the first ballot no less? Why should Superdelegates be able to have a more influential vote than any ordinary citizen, enough to sway their state and an election, as perpetrated by a biased and corrupt political party? I am committed to reforming the system to one person one vote. If we don’t have that, what do we have as citizens? It’s our most basic democratic right.

The chart below shows by state the combined delegate/Superdelegate count awarded to each candidate, the first ballot floor vote, total number of delegates per state, and total votes each cast during the convention. I completed the chart for the rest of the states. By directing Superdelegates to declare their endorsements before the convention in a DNCC and DSCC letter, in press conferences and public appearances, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid nullified their original intent. The numbers, which include SDs seem less close than they actually were.

Democratic Delegate Count vs. Roll Call Count

Democratic Convention, August 27, 2008

STATE      HRC DELS  BO DELS  HRC ROLL  BO ROLL  TTL DELS  TTL CAST

AL           28        29        5        48        60        53
AK            4        14        3        15        18        18
AM SAMOA      6         3        0         9         9         9
AZ           35        31       27        40        67        67
AR           38         8        0        47        47        47
CA          232       200       PASSES             441         0
CO           23        45       15        55        70        70
CT           36        24       21        38        60        59
DEL           8        14        0        23        23        23
DEMS ABRD     4         7        2.5       8.5      11        11
DC           13        25        7        33        40        40
FL          104        78       51       136       211       188
GA           29        70       18        82       102       100
GUAM          4         5        3         4         9         7
HI            8        21        1        26        27        27
ID            3        19        3        20        23        23
IL            0         0       PASSES               0         0
IN           42        41        6        75        85        81
IA           17        35        9        48        57        57
KS           10        30        6        34        41        40
KY           40        16       24        36        60        60
LA           26        39        7        43        67        50
ME           10        21        8        24        32        32
MD           39        55        6        94       100       100
MA           66        51       52        65       121       117
MI           76        72       27       125       157       152
MN           27        58        8        78        88        86
MS           13        25        8        33        41        41
MO           41        46        6        82        88        88
MT            7        17        7        18        25        25
NE            8        22        3        28        31        31
NV           13        20        8        25        34        33
NH           12        15        0        30        30        30
NJ           71        55        0       127       127       127
NM           20        17       YIELDS TO IL        38         0
IL           49       133       YIELDS TO NY       185         0
NY          159       121        0       282       282       282
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           1321      1482      341.5    1831.5    2907      2174

NC           51        78
ND            5        15
OH           82        74
OK           25        21
OR           23        41
PA          101        80
PR           42        19
RI           21        10
SC           14        39
SD            9        12
TN           46        35
TX CAUC      29        38
TX           79        75
UT           11        17
VT            7        14
VI            3         6
VA           33        63
WA CAUC      31        61
WV           23        12
WI           34        53
WY            6        12
--------------------------------
            675       775
          +1321     +1482
--------------------------------
           1996      2257

Source, delegate count: CNN Primary Results Scorecard
Source, roll call vote: CSPAN live tape up top

Total number of delegates: 4234
Number delegates for nomination, including FL, MI: 2211
Chart numbers include Superdelegates: Obama 438, Clinton 236

Et tu, Brute?

So why did so many states flip? Sources say that on the morning of the floor vote, everything was complete. Many opinions say it was finished on or before the May 31, 2008 DNC RBC meeting. But not believing our eyes and ears, in service of democracy, we kept on to preserve our and the rights of our candidate. We’ve since learned that as late as August 27, during the convention, swing-state delegations were being threatened with loss of Party funding for their states and candidate campaigns if they didn’t vote for Obama. Evidently, Obama needed Hillary more than she needed him. Otherwise, they would not have had a sham roll call or a Mile High speech to prop him up.

Oh, and as far as going Repug, it ain’t me, babe, although I will never cast a vote for Obama. In my life, the means are absolutely as important as the end, and I cannot support a candidate who derives power “by any means necessary.” If I have to cast a protest vote, I will. However, remember who brung Brazile? Her info emails with Karl Rove beginning in 2003 helped him help her promote the most unelectable Democratic candidate. So, let’s not forget who’s still trying to pull the strings and who’s still laughing all the way to the bank. Criminal, ain’t it? Too bad, Dems still ain’t got a clue.

In conclusion, Hillary and Bill Clinton were in an impossible, lose-lose situation. Some supporters got disgusted and thought they caved. I don’t think so. In order to come out of this, being seen as having done everything possible to nominate and elect Barack Obama — a far more generous and political act than exists in his little finger — The Clintons did everything possible, Bill while holding his nose, and came out smelling sweet as a rose. Party people all the way, and on to the next challenge. Yes, I’m getting there.

["Evita," music Andrew Lloyd Weber, lyrics Tim Rice]

[cross-posted from Lady Boomer NYC]

addendum: Sorry, I had a columns formatting problemo, and while editing the post it went offline. Here ’tis again, hopefully all will stick. LBNYC

Pumas Are Slammin' In Denver: Don't Give Up!

Lady Boomer NYC — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 08:36:41 +0000

Hello All!

[This post is from our Sunday activities, and, gosh, it's Monday already --- in the wee small hours of the morning. I didn't have a chance to post it before the party, so thought I would now. Think Sunday when you read it, and stay tuned for more updates from your dedicated Puma blogger crew.]

Pumas are slammin’ in Denver. I’m telling you, our presence is AMAZING! Puma Headquarters are a beehive of activity. At least 300 Pumas, including several delegates, have been here today. They’re making signs, attending events in protest. Riverdaughter, BettyJean, danceswithpumas, joanofart, and Pagan — are all live-blogging, so stay tuned.

The press dropped by. We were interviewed by CBS, ABC, the French press, Japanese press, and The National (an emerging newspaper from the Arab Emirates that acknowledges the existence of Israel, although their host country does not.)

I’ve met so many Pumas in the flesh whose names I’ve seen online all year. What a great group of dedicated and passionate Americans we are. People who have sacrificed money, opportunity, and many, many things to make sure that the ideals our of country are upheld. What a fantastic opportunity to solidify and build our relationships for now into the future.

There’s been so much activity that it’s taken me all day to write this update!

Tonight is the movie premiere of the “Audacity of Democracy,” by filmmakers Brad and Laurie Mays, which will be attended by Puma and Just Say No Deal members and covered by the press. This documentary shines a light on the caucus fraud perpetrated by the Obama campaign that has plagued this primary election process.

Tomorrow, Monday, is the Beautiful Protest/The Rise event in Cheesman Park 2-6 pm march, and 6-10 pm speakers, featuring Darragh Murphy, riverdaughter. I’ll even be taking a turn at the mic to say a bit about how and why I was motivated to hang in there for Hillary, why I’ve been compelled to keep going.

Sheri Tag will be broadcasting this week, Monday – Thursday at 7:00 pm MT, so be sure to listen and call in. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/no-we-wont. Call in number: 347-539-5420.

I’ll be posting some pics during the week and will be reporting on each day’s activities and goings on, so be sure to return for the latest.

Pumas, Just Say No Deal coalition members, know this: Our voice, our Democracy — live on through all of you. We have just begun to fight for our cause and our country. Know that you all are strong, our movement is strong.

“Don’t give up, cuz you have friends..

Don’t give up, you’re not beaten yet.

Don’t give up, I know you can make it good.

I know there’s a place where we belong.”

Don’t give up, you still have us.

Don’t give up, we don’t need much of anything.

’cause somewhere there’s a place we belong. . . .

When times get rough,

You can fall back on us.

Don’t give up, please don’t give up.

Don’t give up, ’cause you have friends.

Don’t give up, you’re not the only one.

Don’t give up, no reason to be ashamed.

Don’t give up, you still have us.

Dont give up, we’re proud of who you are.

Don’t give up, you know it’s never been easy.

Don’t give up, ’cause I believe there’s a place,

A place where we belong.”

“Don’t Give Up” by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

PUMAs Are Slammin' In Denver: Don't Give Up!

Lady Boomer NYC — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:45:55 +0000

Hello All!

There’s been so much activity that it’s taken me all day to write this update!

Tomorrow is the Beautiful Protest/The Rise event in Cheesman Park 2-6 pm informal gathering, and 6-10 pm speakers, featuring Darragh Murphy, riverdaughter. I’ll even be taking a turn at the mic to say a bit about how and why I was motivated to hang in there for Hillary, why I’ve been compelled to keep going.

Sheri Tag will be broadcasting this week, Monday – Thursday at 7:00 pm MT, so be sure to listen and call in. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/no-we-wont. Call in number: 347-539-5420.

I’ll be posting some pics tomorrow and will be reporting on each day’s activities and goings on, so be sure to return for the latest.

“Don’t give up, cuz you have friends..

Don’t give up, you’re not beaten yet.

Don’t give up, I know you can make it good.

I know there’s a place where we belong.”

Don’t give up, you still have us.

Don’t give up, we don’t need much of anything.

’cause somewhere there’s a place we belong. . . .

When times get rough,

You can fall back on us.

Don’t give up, please don’t give up.

Don’t give up, ’cause you have friends.

Don’t give up, you’re not the only one.

Don’t give up, no reason to be ashamed.

Don’t give up, you still have us.

Dont give up, we’re proud of who you are.

Don’t give up, you know it’s never been easy.

Don’t give up, ’cause I believe there’s a place,

A place where we belong.”

“Don’t Give Up” by Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush

How Many States Are There Now, Sen. Obama?

Lady Boomer NYC — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:51:46 +0000

I went to Hillary’s website to leave a message of condolence for Stephanie Tubbs Jones’ family.

I thought I’d look around on Hill’s site a bit, as I hadn’t been there for a while, thinking I’d see what streamers and deflated balloons were still hangin’ around. So, I went over to her blog page and scrolled down, read some of the questions from her August chat. Someone asked about Florida and Michigan. Hillary said she’d worked to get them fully counted, and that Obama had recently written to the DNC RBC to restore those voters delegates to whole people.

Now, who sees what’s wrong with this letter, aside from that it’s just wrong? (It’s included below.) Okay, it’s not a tough quiz, say about 4th grade level or so. (Sorry, it’s been a while since even my kids were that young, but I think I remember the answer.) Wait, is this a tomato/potato moment? (see Dan Quayle) Will entire populations of our society begin thinking it’s true? Does “56 states and territories” equal a “tomatoe” or perhaps a “potatoe”?

I got so confused by the number of states and territories, stated by our once potentially future president in this important, official letter, that I began to doubt myself and had to look it up. There are, ta da, Senator, 50 states, 3 territories, and 1 district.

If I were a conspiracy theorist, I’d say that someone was playing with the O salute. Soooo, nobody in Obama’s camp OR in Hillary’s camp noticed this before sending it to the RBC, or publishing it on Senator Clinton’s website? Hmmm.

However, I will give Senator Obama the benefit of the doubt. Simon says: he’s getting closer. Back in early May, 2008, in Beaverton, OR, he said he’d visited 57 states, just like the ketchup. Right. So, it must be tomatoe! Dan Quayle was right, and even though he was about the potatoe, aren’t they both fruits? Not Quayle and potatoe, silly, tomato and ketchup. Oh now, silly me! That was Reagan, but way back then they made ketchup into a vegetable, just for the kids in school.

Miss Lady Boomer’s 4th Grade Class

Multiple Choice Geography Test

Number of US States

a. 48

b. 50

c. 118

d. 57

e. 56

I’ll be arriving in Denver just in time for that August 24 Credentials Committee Meeting. I don’t plan to attend. Will Harold Ickes? He said he would on May 31, when he lambasted the RBC for stealing Hillary’s votes. We were all waiting for the announcements challenging their decision during the following week, when Hillary was forced to shut down her campaign by what is affectionately known as the Democratic leadership. Obama says below that we “owe” Howard Dean our gratitude for his hard work in sabotaging and ignoring the will of the people helping those states figure it out.

Senator Obama is definitely committed to Florida and Michigan now, because he said he wants them to be whole and he wants them to know it. I think this must be another one of those faith-based initiatives, don’t you?

So, Florida and Michigan, just lie back and rest assured that Senator Obama doesn’t just love you back, he has your back. He even wants to reform the way we conduct elections. Now, doesn’t that make you feel better? I told you! He’s lookin’ out for you, babe.

Press Release from HillaryClinton.com

8/3/2008

Letter from Senator Obama to the Chairs of the Committee

Hon. Alexis Herman
1333 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005

James Roosevelt, Jr.
14 Meadow Way
Cambridge, MA 02138

Eliseo Roques-Arroyo
PO Box 190998
San Juan, PR 00919

Dear Credentials Committee Chairs:

In just a few weeks, our Party will convene in Denver for our National Convention. This will be an historic event that will showcase our vision for changing the direction of our country.

The delegates and alternates who gather on Monday, August 25 will reflect the talent, energy and rich diversity of our Democratic Party. The delegates will come from all 56 states and territories. As these delegates go about the important business of the Convention, I believe Party unity calls for the delegates from Florida and Michigan to be able to participate fully alongside the delegates from the other states and territories. Accordingly, I ask that the Credentials Committee, when it meets on August 24 to approve the delegates for the National Convention, pass a resolution that would entitle each delegate from Florida and Michigan to cast a full vote.

As a candidate for the nomination, I supported the DNC’s efforts to establish and enforce a schedule for primaries and caucuses that would broaden the opportunity for Democrats from all regions of the country and all backgrounds and walks of life to have a meaningful voice. An unprecedented number of voters participated in our Democratic nominating process. We all owe a debt of gratitude to Governor Dean for his principled leadership during this long and challenging process.

As we prepare to come together in Denver, however, we must be – and will be – united in our determination to change the course of our nation. To that end, Democrats in Florida and Michigan must know that they are full partners and colleagues in our historic mission to reshape Washington and lead our country in a new direction.

With warmest personal regards,

Barack Obama

Paid for by Friends of Hillary

Stephanie Tubbs Jones---I Hear A Symphony

Lady Boomer NYC — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:43:45 +0000

We do not yet know the fate of Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, as of 5:00 pm ET, August 20, 2008. We do know that she had an aneurysm last night and according to major news outlets was pronounced dead, then the news was corrected to report that she is on life support.

UPDATE: Rep. Tubbs Jones passed away this evening, Wednesday, at 6:12 pm ET, according to CNN: after her condition declined “throughout the course of the day and into this evening,” according to a joint statement from her family, Huron Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic.

The picture above was snapped at Baruch College in NYC on the eve of June 3, 2008, after the final primary totals were in, and Hillary had big wins in South Dakota and Puerto Rico. Terry McAuliffe introduced her as the Next President of the United States, and Hillary was defiant. It was less than one week after the Democrats slammed her at the DNC RBC meeting by awarding Obama Michigan votes that were not his. Through it all, Stephanie Tubbs Jones stayed strong, loyal, and true to the Clintons and Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

I feel like playing this Supremes song in honor of the song Congresswoman Jones has been singing through her passionate and dedicated service to Ohio and this country. I hope she’ll hear the symphony, the violins, and the music she’s made wherever she is. According to The Plain Dealer:

Joe Hewitt, a friend of Tubbs Jones’ family, said the congresswoman’s collapse followed a “full day of activity” including planning for a Sept. 4 forum on electoral reform at Cleveland State University.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

I Hear A Symphony

Whenever you’re near, I hear a symphony, a tender melody . .

I feel this joy within, don’t let this feeling end, let it go on and on and on and on.

Baby, baby, those tears that fill my eyes, I cry not for myself,

but for those who’ve never felt the joy we’ve felt. . . .

— A thousand violins fill the air —

Keep standing so close to me, so close to me, I hear a symphony.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Here’s a portion of her bio from http://tubbsjones.house.gov:

Biography — Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (OH-11)

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones is the first African-American woman elected to the United States House of Representatives from Ohio. Congresswoman Jones is a lifelong resident of the 11th District, which encompasses most of the East Side of Cleveland and parts of the West Side of Cleveland and includes parts of 22 suburbs.

Currently in her fifth term in office, the Congresswoman, a strong advocate for many issues, has championed wealth building and economic development, access and delivery of health care, and quality education for all. The Congresswoman chairs the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics). Additionally, she serves on the powerful Ways and Means Committee and is an active member of numerous Congressional Caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus.

Most recently, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones introduced the “Count Every Vote” Act of 2005 which seeks to provide an all-encompassing solution to a broad range of voting irregularities that occurred during the 2004 presidential election. She is an original co-sponsor of multiple significant pieces of legislation, including healthcare for low and middle-income families and community reentry for ex-felons.

Congresswoman Tubbs Jones has made a number of historic achievements in her distinguished career as a public servant. Prior to her election to the House, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones served as the first African-American and the first female Cuyahoga County, Ohio Prosecutor. She was the first African-American woman to sit on the Common Pleas bench in the State of Ohio and was a Municipal Court Judge in the City of Cleveland.

In Gratitude

Dear Stephanie: We thank and honor you and your lifetime of service. We are so sorry that you had to leave us way too soon, and we pray for your deliverance. May you continue your good works on your next assignment. I know you’ll be watching over us and pulling some strings during the Democratic Convention. Whenever I think of you, I’ll hear a symphony and hope you’ll hear it, too. Although you may be surprised to find yourself where you are now, may you find peace in your new home.

Delegates: Waste No Time, Make A Switch

Lady Boomer NYC — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 22:31:10 +0000

[I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair, Rodgers and Hammerstein]

[video by MissDiscipline]

How true are the words to this song when applied to our current “situation”!!! And how prescient are my old time heroes, Rodgers and Hammerstein in their 1949 broadway musical, South Pacific. Here’s a South Park-inspired version. This post was inspired by myiq2xu’s: http://myiq2xu.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/how-to-turn-win-into-whine/

The most difficult part about writing this was deciding which line to use as the title, because there are a plethora of appropriate choices. I began with the oh-so-eraser-friendly Denver ballot analogy: “rub him out of the roll call.” However, I carefully reconsidered in case it might be misconstrued in Soprano-like terms. Read the lyrics and see for yourself. What a choice for l’il ole Libra me to have to make! I did it, but pick a line, any line in the song, and you’ve got a winner — I mean a winner about a loser.

As for the two pinup men at the end: not up on these things and haven’t a clue — unless they’re the current or ex-boyfriends of the video producer. If they’re famous or sports stars, oops, sorry.

Personally, I’ve got the man I want to wash out of my hair clearly focused in my mind. Oh, no, guess not, he’s gone. Washed up and washed out! From my lips. . . .

I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair
from South Pacific by Rodgers and Hammerstein

I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair,
I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair,
I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair,
And send him on his way.

I’m gonna wave that man right outta my arms,
I’m gonna wave that man right outta my arms,
I’m gonna wave that man right outta my arms,
And send him on his way.

Don’t try to patch it up
Tear it up, tear it up!
Wash him out, dry him out,
Push him out, fly him out,
Cancel him and let him go!
Yea, sister!

I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair,
I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair,
I’m gonna wash that man right outta my hair,
And send him on his way.

If a man don’t understand you,
If you fly on separate beams,
Waste no time, make a change,
Ride that man right off your range.
Rub him out of the roll call
And drum him out of your dreams.
Oho!

If you laugh at different comics,
If you root for different teams,
Waste no time, weep no more,
Show him what the door is for.
Rub him out of the roll call
And drum him out of your dreams.

You can’t light a fire when the woods are wet,
No!
You can’t make a butterfly strong,
Hmm, hmm!
You can’t fix an egg when it ain’t quite good,
And you can’t fix a man when he’s wrong!
You can’t put back a petal when it falls from a flower,
Or sweeten up a fellow when he starts turnin’ sour
Oh no! Oh no!

If his eyes get dull and fishy,
When you look for glints and gleams,
Waste no time,
Make a switch,
Drop him in the nearest ditch!
Rub him out of the roll call,
And drum him out of your dreams
Oho! Oho!

I went and washed that man right outta my hair,
I went and washed that man right outta my hair,
I went and washed that man right outta my hair,
And sent him on his way.

She went and washed that man right outta her hair,
She went and washed that man right outta her hair,
She went and washed that man right outta her hair,
And sent him on his way!

And if you haven’t had enough, here’s a karaoke, slightly off-key version from Pequinito. Appropriate, ain’t it? Sing along, enjoy yourself. I hate to be redundant, but this wash bears repeating. In fact, my hair is so dirty from all this DNC, Nobama, Pelosi, Dean grime, that I’ll have to shampoo it twice in order to get it clean.

Normalizing Hillary: Connect the Vote Dots

Lady Boomer NYC — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:23:03 +0000

Besides PUMAs, Just Say No Deal Coalition members, and those who have been paying close attention to the 2008 primary process, everyone in the US and some people abroad think that: Obama won the Democratic Primary; therefore, he secured the nomination; and he is being gracious by allowing Clinton’s name to be placed in nomination at the Democratic Convention.

In fact, the Obama and Clinton campaigns issued a joint statement on August 14, 2008 about it, and we have achieved a small victory. Or as Heidi Li Feldman puts it, we’re where we were in the first place. (Oh, forgive me: as Barbra WaWa might say: Were where we whah in the furst pwace.) The MSM is all over the story, asking if we disgruntled old ladies, gays, and republicrats are satisfied now? They claim that we’re just sore losers, and that we want Clinton’s name on the ballot because of her historic win as a woman. They’re touting it as symbolic. It’s not symbolic; it’s normal!

In fact, we are sore winners! Neither candidate won the requisite number of pledged delegates. Instead (rolling eyes, PUMAs repeating themselves, ad infinitum), Nancy Nine Percent Pelosi and Harry Reticent Reed pressured the Democratic Superdelegates to endorse a candidate prior to Denver. This act in turn defies their true purpose: to nominate the candidate who can win POTUS in November. In 2008, there are 855 Superdelegates with FL and MI according to Connect-the-Dots. CNN says it’s 825. Over 200 are uncommitted. Any SD can change their vote through the first ballot in Denver, no matter who they or their state or district endorsed.

Didn’t Hillary run on the assertion that she was the only Democratic candidate who could win the Electoral College in November? The virtual Nobama/McCain dead heat in the polls proves that she wasn’t lyin’, despite Obamamoneys-raised, European jaunts, and a vacay away from the barely investigative, mostly fawning MSM spotlight.

The Obama/DNC presumption is that it’s all a done deal. To dispel any doubts, Invesco Field/Mile High Stadium was booked as the site for what our movement, (and back in the day, Jesse Jackson) calls a coronation. Let’s be clear:

From CNN’s count, we see that neither candidate had the requisite 2,118 pledged delegates as of June 3 to clinch the nomination. Obama had 1763, Clinton had 1640, a 123 delegate lead for BO. It is difficult to find an accurate vote count that shows Hillary Clinton won the most popular votes of any primary candidate in history. Why? Real Clear Politics has Clinton at 18,046,007, Obama at 17,869,542, including MI and FL, with estimates for IA, NV, ME, and WA. There, Clinton nets +176,465 votes.

1. Why does popular vote matter when everyone keeps hammering on the delegate totals? Delegate counts are inconsistent, uneven reflections of the will of the voters, because they include caucuses. Caucuses represent far fewer voters than primaries, yet delegates selected in that process carry more weight.

Worse yet is the impact on the delegate count. While [as of 5/31/08] 2549 delegates earned in the primaries represent an average of 12,225 voters, in the caucuses each of the 515 delegates elected represents a mere 2,110 votes. Each caucus vote, then, is weighted 5.8 times greater than each primary vote when it comes to allocating delegates.

2. Why don’t PUMAs admit that Obama won more caucuses, which is why he won and Hillary lost, and stop changing the rules? In 2008, there are substantiated reports of caucus fraud. Please read Dr. Lynette Long’s research who concludes: “the Obama campaign willfully and intentionally defrauded the American public by systematically undermining the caucus process.”

3. If Obama now has enough delegates when SDs are included, why isn’t he simply the nominee? Superdelegates are party officials — both elected and un-elected. They can vote for whomever they wish at their Convention, regardless of their states’ vote, to make sure the most-electable Democrat becomes the nominee.

4. Why am I still writing about this, when Obama and Clinton agreed on 8/14/08 that Hillary’s name will be placed on the Convention ballot and up for a roll call vote? Because, it should have been automatic, as in every election since 1884. None of the other candidates came anywhere near Clinton, yet it’s a “negotiation”? Look at all these guys who were nominated, without even coming close to their opponents in delegate count. Courtesy of EdgeOfForever:

1972: Ted Kennedy – 12 votes on first ballot
Kennedy had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

1976: Ted Kennedy – 1 vote on first ballot
Kennedy had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

1980: Jimmy Carter – 1981 delegates
Ted Kennedy – 1225 delegates
Uncommitted – 122
Kennedy had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

1984: Jesse Jackson – 465 votes
Jackson had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

1988: Jesse Jackson – 1218 votes
Jackson had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

2004: John Kerry: 2192.5 Pledged delegates
Howard Dean: 114.5 Pledged delegates
Dean had already dropped out, with no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

2008: Barack Obama: 1766.5 Pledged delegates
Hillary Clinton: 1639.5 Pledged delegates

5. Who are the delegates, and why shouldn’t they just go along with the DNC’s choice, Barack Obama? Delegates are elected by their grassroots supporters to go to the Democratic convention as representatives of the total votes cast in their state’s districts. Although they each may represent thousands of HRC voters, they can just change their votes as if we, the US voters, are not even in the picture! According to CNN,

Pledged delegates are not actually bound to vote for the candidate. Consequently, candidates are allowed on a state-by-state basis to review lists of delegates who have pledged their support and can delete anyone whose support they consider unreliable.

Surprise you? This could account for the DNC’s treatment of Clinton delegate, Sacha Millstone, or even what happened in Florida right after June 3, when Obama’s campaign began replacing his elected delegates with their own. I’m still not getting how someone who represents your, or my, or anyone’s vote could be intimidated into changing it and have that be part of the deal. Our deal. You know, the one we get as citizens. The deal, the one true thing we’ve got in this country that our guys and all those Iraqis are supposedly dying for and about. That democracy one person one vote representative thing.

6. How can the DNC represent the will of the people, if the delegates are pressured to support Obama as if he is the nominee, and they are afraid to publicly declare otherwise? How can there be “unity” if Hillary Clinton is allowed to be booed unchecked at even one of his events? DNC chairs and party officials, and delegates are being intimidated and threatened to not cast THEIR votes for Hillary Clinton. These are not THEIR votes. These votes are OURS. The delegates are merely our proxies. If not us, who DO they represent? How is this representative government?

Whether you agree or disagree, please learn about the process. Watch this three-part series, Democrats ‘08: CONNECT-THE-DOTS, with Host Leslie Stevens. The program is sponsored by The Educational Foundation for the Integrity of the Democratic Process, Asheville, North Carolina. Bloggers, please post it! Readers, email it to friends and family.

[Connect-the-Dots Part 1]

[Connect-the-Dots Part 2]

[Connect-the-Dots Part 3]

Have you connected the dots? That’s why we’re not satisfied. It’s about the process being fair and reflecting the will of the voters. And, you can help!!! Call or email your delegates or any that you know TODAY. Ask them to sign the 300 delegate petition to ensure that Hillary’s name is placed in nomination. This petition was created by and for delegates. Email: hrc300delegates@yahoo.com.

Still, we’re not ready to make nice. . . .

[160 Years and Still Waiting --- Rise Hillary Rise by DemocracyDame]

h/t to DemocracyDame for “Connect-the-Dots” lead and her video above.

(cross-posted at Lady Boomer NYC)

Normalizing Hillary: Connect the Vote Dots

Lady Boomer NYC — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 04:37:56 +0000

Worse yet is the impact on the delegate count. While [as of 5/31/08] 2549 delegates earned in the primaries represent an average of 12,225 voters, in the caucuses each of the 515 delegates elected represents a mere 2,110 votes. Each caucus vote, then, is weighted 5.8 times greater than each primary vote when it comes to allocating delegates.

1972: Ted Kennedy – 12 votes on first ballot
Kennedy had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

1976: Ted Kennedy – 1 vote on first ballot
Kennedy had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

1980: Jimmy Carter – 1981 delegates
Ted Kennedy – 1225 delegates
Uncommitted – 122
Kennedy had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

1984: Jesse Jackson – 465 votes
Jackson had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

1988: Jesse Jackson – 1218 votes
Jackson had no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

2004: John Kerry: 2192.5 Pledged delegates
Howard Dean: 114.5 Pledged delegates
Dean had already dropped out, with no chance of winning, but his name was placed in nomination.

2008: Barack Obama: 1766.5 Pledged delegates
Hillary Clinton: 1639.5 Pledged delegates

Pledged delegates are not actually bound to vote for the candidate. Consequently, candidates are allowed on a state-by-state basis to review lists of delegates who have pledged their support and can delete anyone whose support they consider unreliable.

[Connect-the-Dots Part 1]

[Connect-the-Dots Part 2]

[Connect-the-Dots Part 3]

Have you connected the dots? That’s why we’re not satisfied. It’s about the process being fair and reflecting the will of the voters. And, you can help!!! Call or email your delegates or any that you know. Ask them to sign the 300 delegate petition to ensure that Hillary’s name is placed in nomination. This petition was created by and for delegates. Email: hrc300delegates@yahoo.com.

Still, we’re not ready to make nice. . . .

[160 Years and Still Waiting --- Rise Hillary Rise by DemocracyDame]

h/t to DemocracyDame for “Connect-the-Dots” lead and her video above.

Breaking: Hillary on Ballot at Convention!

Lady Boomer NYC — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 18:03:41 +0000

The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder reported this morning, and now officially, that Hillary Clinton’s name will be placed in nomination, meaning on the ballot, at the Democratic Convention.

Of course, Obama decided it best to welcome her participation for the sake of the team — unity and all that, you know. Do ya think? How about: with the most sophisticated bulldog machine and millions of campaign bucks raised, his paltry self is statistically tied with John McCain.

From Ambinder and now from Hillary’s website: A joint statement from the Clinton and Obama campaigns:

Since June, Senators Obama and Clinton have been working together to ensure a Democratic victory this November. They are both committed to winning back the White House and to to ensuring that the voices of all 35 million people who participated in this historic primary election are respected and heard in Denver. To honor and celebrate these voices and votes, both Senator Obama’s and Senator Clinton’s names will be placed in nomination.

“I am convinced that honoring Senator Clinton’s historic campaign in this way will help us celebrate this defining moment in our history and bring the party together in a strong united fashion,” said Senator Barack Obama.

Senator Obama’s campaign encouraged Senator Clinton’s name to be placed in nomination as a show of unity and in recognition of the historic race she ran and the fact that she was the first woman to compete in all of our nation’s primary contests.

“With every voice heard and the Party strongly united, we will elect Senator Obama President of the United States and put our nation on the path to peace and prosperity once again,” said Senator Hillary Clinton.

Senator Obama and Senator Clinton are looking forward to a convention unified behind Barack Obama as the Party’s nominee and to victory this fall for America.

Well, madamab, The Confluence’s playwright-in-residence couldn’t have written this scenario better. Speculation’s a-flyin’ that Hillary will use the occasion to release her delegates to Obama. Hmm. It could happen, but naturally we PUMAs will do all in our power to keep her ROAR fierce and encourage the delegates, who are being systematically threatened, coerced, and pressured to go over to the O-side, to remain strong and committed to the candidate we elected them to support.

And of course after six months, now that Obama has just jumped on the seat-our-delegates train, he needs even more delegates than accounted for in order to clinch the nomination. Now that he’s recognized, well that’s too generous, now that it’s dawned on him that he cannot win in his current incarnation, he’s morphed once again into the candidate whose claim to a vision of change trumps the reality he’s actually produced.

From HillaryClinton.com:

8/5/2008

Senator Clinton Urges Credential Committee to Restore Full Votes for Michigan and Florida Convention Delegates

Senator Hillary Clinton issued the following statement in response to the letter Senator Barack Obama sent to the Credentials Committee urging that it allow the Michigan and Florida delegates to have a full vote at the 2008 Democratic Convention.

“During the campaign, I strongly advocated for the Democratic Party to seat the Florida and Michigan delegation with their full votes. The Democratic Party has always stood up for the principle of counting every person’s vote. Today, Senator Obama has requested that the Credentials Committee give Florida and Michigan delegates their full votes. This is the right position for the Democratic Party and for the country and I urge the Credentials Committee to restore full votes to Florida and Michigan delegates.”

So, now the “magic number” of delegates necessary to clinch the Dem Nom for POTUS is now 2118, according to RealClearPolitics. If you go there, of course, keep in mind that the Superdelegates can change their minds up through first vote on the convention floor.

Great job, PUMAs!!! Just Say No Deal! Keep up the pressure. Buyers’ remorse abounds. The Russia-Georgia conflict is an August surprise that is testing the Dems untested candidate. Call Now: How’s he drivin’?

Hell No, I Didn't Give Up: I'm Back, Madam President!

Lady Boomer NYC — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 15:26:49 +0000

Dear Readers,

To those of you who are still here after my 12-day absence: Welcome and Thank You!

I am still here! I did not give up. I am still fighting to elect the only candidate who can save our country’s sorry butt from its current slide into ruin, an extraordinary candidate who is the most electable: Our Madam President, Hillary Clinton!

Where have I been, anyway? What a long, strange trip it’s been. . . .

I was happily minding my own blogness — actually, I’m not so sure about happily. How many of us were going to do our part to help out with the campaign for just a bit? Raise money, make calls. I’d been a volunteer for over twenty years during Presidential campaigns and have worked at the polls, for the Democratic Party, and even for moveon.org since they started in Berkeley, CA. However, I can’t say that I’ve ever been as obsessed as in this season. Right?

I created Lady Boomer NYC blog after I wrote a letter to friends describing why I was supporting Hillary Clinton for President. In response, I received forwarded emails from longtime New Age, feminist, baby boomer friends demeaning Hillary in the extreme. In early March, a dear friend who was connected to Obama’s campaign told me that Hillary could not mathematically win the democratic nomination. After making about twenty voter calls to Ohio and Texas, and being hung up on and cussed out, I decided that I wasn’t cut out for it. I had no idea how Hillary could withstand it. I certainly had a much different experience calling Ohio for Kerry in 2004 through moveon.

As a published author, writing something motivational, inspirational, or informational was how I thought I could best contribute to the cause. Then look what happened: Hillary Clinton was attacked from all fronts, while her junior opponent was nary examined. We, the incensed lifetime members of the Democratic Party, began to hoot ‘n holler about how her opponents were gaming and defrauding the system with sexism, race-baiting, fear and intimidation. With each primary, we thought we’d be done, yet the attacks, her opponent’s outrageous claims and his abnormal friends kept emerging. We were constantly putting out fires.

The best thing, though, was that we could promote and work for a competent, qualified woman who had plans and programs for every segment of our society, plans that she could recite backwards and forwards, numbers included. The other best thing is that nobody said we had to do it. You could say we were called. How else can normal people have the energy to work tirelessly ’round the clock? The other best thing was that we began to create community for the sake of a cause. Yes, the second sixties-era for me. Nobody had to tell me to do it — I couldn’t do otherwise.

After the primaries, many blogs, websites, forums, organizations, artists, and individuals coalesced into PUMAs and the Just Say No Deal coalition. V, an online creative friend, said he felt the coalition’s voice needed to get bigger in the world and asked very nicely for my help in starting a radio station at No Quarter. I’d mentioned my radio station background, and the thought of new technology was exciting compared to the old radio days of two turntables and a microphone plus remote on-site broadcasts.

V, and his amazing technical, training expertise, artistic design dream coat, and I became producing partners and collaborators. In three weeks we had created NQR and aired shows, including: Larry Johnson’s “Security Corner” with guests Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame Wilson, “Morning Q” with Betty Jean and Pagan, “Reading Rezko” with Susan UnPC and Truthteller, “Meet Me in Denver” with Murphy and Friends, Bud White with guest Bob Shrum, DC Media Girl, Nocturnal Warrior, and more. After getting things going on the creative, logistical and training fronts, V and I left NQR to pursue other projects. I’m honored to have been part of that effort with him and NQR, and that the coalition’s voice is being broadcast on a larger scale going forward.

During our radio project, I was crazy busy and my blog suffered — I had no capacity to maintain my former writing output. However, during that time, I was still typing up a storm as I had for months in station emails, correspondences and documents, writing blog posts, reading blogs and news for research, plus personal and professional writing and correspondence. Basically, I’d been on my laptop for an entire year, from 10-18 hours per day, beginning when I began revising my 118-page book proposal in June 2007. Whole days passed into night, Summer into Fall, Fall into Winter. In Winter, as a recently transplanted Cali girl in NY, I could justify staying inside like David Mamet and never open the shades. But then, in our fervor to elect Hillary, Winter ‘08 turned into Spring, then Summer, and we’re almost at Fall. Like many of us, I work for myself and abandoned it to work on behalf of Hillary’s campaign. How important it was to get her elected and make sure justice was done!

During my last week at NQR, several tumor-like nodules mysteriously appeared in my right palm — overnight! And believe me, I pay attention to my body. Well, of course, I walk my talk, or try to. However, the writing habits I just mentioned would belie that statement! In fact, I was so far into it, that when one of my daughters visited, she said, “What happened to you?” My body was all curled up and I didn’t even know it! As a body-mind practitioner, healer, and author, to say that I was freaked out about my hand condition would be an understatement. I’ve also played piano, guitar, and done painting and drawing my entire life, plus am a gardener. As one of the 37 million uninsured, or is that 47 million, I began to explore my options. Ahhh, what’s 10 million here or there among the uninsured?

Working in complementary health, I have lots of colleagues with whom I consult. I checked with my friend who’s a Physician Assistant and likes to look up weird stuff; when she hit on Dupuytren’s Contracture, the bells of my symptoms went off. Overnight, my palm had grown lumps with adhesions over them, and the texture of my skin changed, growing calloused and swollen, with a red spot that looked like a photo of same. Turns out, it’s hereditary, my mom has it, along with other complications she tells me. In advanced stages, your hand can curl up. My suspicions of its seemingly rapid onset centered on having used a trackpad consistently for several years, especially during this intensive writing. Who knows, it could be tendons or cartilage, but like cysts I’ve had, they and my palm get bigger and smaller throughout the cycles of the day and with usage, sometimes it’s painful or uncomfy, but nothing intolerable. I’m just protecting it from further damage.

In case you’re about to offer a suggestion, I’ve tried various things, including: icing, heat, anti-inflammatories, acupuncture and Chinese herbs, Chinese chi-gung balls, typing only with my left hand (extremely frustrating for a 65 wpm typist), not typing, myofascial release on hand, arm, shoulders, back, favoring left hand in daily activities. I’ve consulted with a doc friend and an Occupational Therapist who gave me pointers on gentle management and acceptance. I could see a $500 specialist, plus xrays, who might give me a cortisone shot, suggest surgery, or say there’s nothing I can do. There’s an experimental needle procedure developed in France. So far, the self-deep tissue work, icing, and not using it have worked best. As you can tell, I go low-tech first. More than you’ve ever wanted to know, right?

All in all, I’d say that the Universe dropped a love bomb on me, as riverdaughter calls it. Love my body, my hands, make wise use of them, rest, develop/bring forth other parts of my life and work in areas of proficiency that I haven’t emphasized. In my intention, I’m morphing the emphasis of what has been a major part of my identity. One thing I find interesting is the change in my logical left brain, right hand hookup: it seems to be on mute. Yes, I can still compute day to day activities, and my list-making is alive and well. I’m just more likely to let things go by, or not care about using initial caps. I don’t care about every single outrageous breaking news story, although I still track many of them. You could say my perfectionism volume is turned down a bit.

Thank you for reading this far. You know I’ve always been honest, so have laid it all out for you. My new commitment is to begin writing here again, but in less quantity. I have about 100 unpublished drafts from before and would like to bring forth a few of those ideas. I have to be more picky about my hand usage and be more selective about what I write, instead of trying to cover it all! Although I hate to not post every single thing about our movement and the news, I’ll have to leave that to the other fabulous bloggers. I’ll leave you to read most calls to action and announcements on the other fantastic Just Say No Deal and Puma coalition blogs.

Lastly, I’ll leave you with this: I went to the Puma Conference in DC, helped a bit in the planning, and did a presentation about “Communication and Reaction: Embodying Community.” I met and jammed with so many dedicated and energized PUMAs whom I’ve met online or talked with on the phone. We were privileged to work, plan, and share ideas together about the short-term and long-term goals of our movement and the Democratic Party. I am in this for the long term. I am in this for exposing the injustices in this campaign, and more importantly for reforming the election system.

I uphold the vision of our coalition to nominate and elect our champion, the only Democratic candidate who can win the general election and navigate our country on its rightful course: Hillary Clinton, our Madam President!

Through our journey, and working together, we’ve formed alliances, and learned our strengths. Our friends, families, colleagues, and neighbors can’t understand why we keep on. Sometimes we can have those conversations, other times we just have to shut up. Many dear ones and partners in the struggle have fallen away or say they will if we don’t quit. Yet we keep going, giving our very best to the principles and underpinnings that form the heart and soul of the laws of this country.

[Bob Marley - No Woman, No Cry]

I remember when we used to sit in the government yard in Trenchtown,

Observing the hypocrites as they would mingle with the good people we’d meet.

Good friends we have, oh good friends we’ve lost along the way,

In this great future, you can’t forget your past, so dry your tears, I say.

No woman, no cry.

Everything’s going to be alright.

So, no woman, no cry.

Dear Superdelegates, My Vote Is Not For Sale

Lady Boomer NYC — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:33:47 +0000

[Dear Superdelegates, video by Boowitch13]

So what has and is to become of us die-hard Hillary Clinton for President supporters, who refuse to let the injustices perpetrated by the DNC, Obama, and the Democratic Party be swept under the rug and hidden from view? We continue to speak out and speak up to the world at large and especially to the Superdelegates, whom we urge to carry out their jobs in service to the voice of the People and electing the most qualified candidate as our President and Commander-In-Chief: Hillary Clinton.

Use the soundtrack to inspire you during today’s Puma Prowl. We may be broken-hearted — mostly due to the loss of truth and freedom in this election cycle — but we are NOT DONE taking action, bearing witness, and righting the wrongs that were foisted upon the voters of our country.

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

July 30, 2008
TO: Puma PAC Members
FROM: Murphy
Subject: Today’s PROWL

Hello Puma PAC,
Today we are holding accountable those Super Delegates who appear to have been for sale. After receiving donations from Barack Obama’s political action committee, the Hope Fund, these politicians endorsed him and pledged to vote for him as Super Delegates in Denver. EVEN THOUGH HILLARY WON IN THEIR DISTRICTS IN MARGINS AS HIGH AS 60 POINTS! Let that sink in for a moment. Barack Obama gave these Super Delegates LOTS OF MONEY and now they are going to OVERTURN THE WILL OF THEIR CONSTITUENTS IN DENVER.

FOR MONEY.

FOR SHAME!

Puma PAC, we MUST speak up! Fax the following document to the list of Super Delegates below. We will also be calling 3 of these Super Delegates today.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO MAKE NOISE PUMA PAC! IF WE DON’T TELL THESE POLITICIANS THAT OUR VOTES ARE NOT FOR SALE, WHO ON EARTH WILL??

Thank you and Good Luck,

Murphy.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR FAXING:
Print and fax the letter to each of these Super Delegates. There are 15 names on the list. This PROWL will take about 20 minutes to complete. PLEASE DO IT.

Rep. Baron Hill: 202-226-6886
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter: 202-225-5822
Sen. Jeff Bingaman: 202-224-2852
Sen. Frank Lautenberg: 202-228-4054
Rep. Ron Klein: 202-225-8398
Rep. Joe Donnelly: 202-226-6798
Rep. Gerald McNerney: 202-225-4060
Rep. Jason Altmire: 202-226-2274
Rep. Niki Tsongas: 202-226-0771
Rep. Dennis Cardoza: 202-225-0891
Rep. Gabriella Giffords: 202-225-0378
Rep. Jim Costa: 202-225-9308
Rep. Zack Space: 202-225-3394
Rep. Charlie Wilson: 202-225-5907
Rep. Jay Rockefeller: 202-224-7665

INSTRUCTIONS FOR CALLING:
Today, at 2:30pm, eastern, call the following THREE Congressmen and tell them YOUR VOTE IS NOT FOR SALE BY THEM! Be civil but firm. Call for 45 minutes, until 3:15pm eastern.

SUGGESTED SCRIPT FOR CALL: “Hello, my name is — and I‚m a Democrat and member of Puma PAC in your district. I am calling to voice my disgust that the Congressman/Senator is planning to overturn the will of his/her constituents as a Super Delegate in Denver. Did the congressman/senator decide to support Senator Obama before or AFTER he/she received the $11,500 check from Senator Obama?”
(use the correct amount of the donation from the information below.
For Rep. Hill, use Bloomington, Indiana — zip: 47401, area code: 812
For Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, use Portsmouth NH, zip: 03801 area code: 603
For Senator Bingaman: use Santa Fe NM, zip: 87501 area code: 505)

Rep. Baron Hill. Call 202-225-5315. ($12,500 from Obama. $2,500 from Clinton. Hillary won Indiana by 2 points and his district by 30 points.)

Rep. Carol Shea-Porter. Call 202-225-5456. ($11,500 from Obama. $2,500 from Clinton. Hillary won New Hampshire by 2 points and her district by 14 points.)

Sen. Jeff Bingaman. Call 202-224-5521. ($4,200 from Obama. Zero from Clinton. Hillary won New Mexico by 1 point.)

COPY AND PRINT THE FOLLOWING FAX; THEN SEND IT TO THE LIST ABOVE. (Print out the list so you can have it handy at the fax machine!)

DATE: July 30, 2008

FROM: Puma PAC Member

http://blog.pumapac.org

YOU RECEIVED UP TO TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM BARACK OBAMA. YOU NOW PLEDGE TO VOTE FOR HIM IN DENVER EVEN THOUGH THE VOTERS IN YOUR DISTRICT CHOSE HILLARY CLINTON BY MARGINS UP TO 60 POINTS.

YOU ARE OVERTURNING THE WILL OF AMERICAN VOTERS.

HOW DARE YOU?

I AM A MEMBER OF PUMA PAC, PEOPLE UNITED MEANS ACTION, AND MY VOTE IS NOT FOR SALE BY YOU OR ANYONE ELSE!

Money Influences Superdelegates, Apparently (Video)

Lady Boomer NYC — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:06:50 +0000

[Money Changes Everything --- Superdelegates Are For Sale]

GeekLove has made a new video in concert with Real Democrats USA and Lynette Long, PhD. The video points to the disparity between the candidate that some of the Superdelegates have endorsed for President and the candidate that actually won both the SD’s state and their district in the primary election. When Obama gave money to the candidates through his PAC, the candidates supported him despite what the vote was. When Obama gave money to the down ticket candidates, and Hillary didn’t or gave less, Obama got the endorsement.

So, this is Obama’s idea of new politics? Looks like business as usual to me. Counteract the madness with today’s Swing State PUMA Pounce for Tuesday July 29:

Between the hours of 9am – 5pm EST please call the following U.S. Representatives. These Representatives ‘represent’ Congressional Districts that Hillary Clinton won AND are in states that Clinton also won in the presidential primary – but they are endorsing Barack Obama. They also reside in swing states and are up for reelection.

Sample Message:

Hello. I am calling to urge (Representative ____) to endorse Hillary Clinton for President at the convention. Hillary won both your district and state. I encourage (Representative _____) to reconsider their endorsement, which is not written in stone until the convention, and to change it to reflect the wishes of their constituents.

(Then respectfully express why you support Hillary over Barack Obama.)

* Please note that Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz was formerly a strong Hillary supporter…please thank her for her past support.

Reps in Swing States in Clinton Districts and States – Obama Endorsers:

Rep. Joe Donnelly [IN] (202) 225-3915
Rep. Baron Hill [IN] (202) 225-5315
Rep. Bart Stupak [MI] (202) 225-4735.
Patrick Murphy [PA] (202) 225-4276
Rep. Robert Wexler [FL] (202) 225-3001
Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Shultz [FL] (202) 225-7931
Rep. Ron Klein [FL] (202) 225-3026
Carol Shea-Porter [NH] (202) 225-5456

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

* Video soundtrack: “For The Love Of Money” by the O’Jays and “Money Changes Everything” by Cyndi Lauper. Please rate and favorite Geeklove’s video here.

PUMA 08 Conference: Denver and Beyond

Lady Boomer NYC — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:18:15 +0000

Video by boowitch13

“Surrounded by Liars and Thieves” by Satellite Nation

PUMA is having a Pre-Convention PUMA Conference to prepare and train people for Denver and beyond. If you plan to go to Denver and can also make it to DC — GO!

I’ve included boowitch13’s fresh video, “Surrounded by Liars and Thieves,” for your viewing and motivational pleasure. Do I want to set the mood that the PUMA 08 Conference will be angry and vengeful like the twenty-four year old Obamamen who spew at me? No! But, we can’t forget why we are doing this, and why we are here! It’s because we were swindled out of our votes and our rights as citizens by “liars and thieves!”

It’s time for us to gather, meet each other and plan for the future. Remember: Dean and Donna ‘n them began building their organizations and planned takeover back in 2004. Actually, they began earlier, if you count from when Dean began his Presidential run.

PUMAs have written, blogged, emailed, protested, petitioned, and broadcast our message through the mainstream media, and our own shows on blogtalkradio. Now it’s time to meet in the flesh, plan, and build our energy, vision, and intention for the future.

What can you offer? What’s your skill set to contribute to the planned protest in Denver, getting Hillary on the ballot, or creating our own media messages? What can you add to the movement? Do you connect well with people and like to talk and organize at the grass roots level? Do you like to write letters? Raise money? Network people together? Are you a tech genius? Video producer? Graphic designer? How can you add your talents to the cause?

PUMA 08 PRE-CONVENTION CONFERENCE

August 8 – 10, 2008, Washington, D.C.

Wardman Park Marriott

What will be the message and purpose of our movement in Denver and beyond? At the PUMA CONFERENCE:

There will be workshops for those who are starting PUMA chapters, and other informative sessions on media training, fundraising, and boosting traffic to your blog/website during this election cycle.

At the end of the conference, each person will have a solid action plan for Denver and their potential plans through the November election for each possible scenario. They will have a clear picture of the PUMA movement itself, and how we will move forward.

Who Should Attend: Those who want to have an active say about the direction of the PUMA movement in Denver and the role of PUMA as it develops.

Who Should NOT Attend: Those who would need to choose between Denver and DC. Our conference is secondary and meant to act in a supportive role of the Convention itself.

COST: $250—Includes price of ENTIRE CONFERENCE and:

Lodging at FIVE STAR hotel – the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C. for THREE nights (Thursday, Friday and Saturday)
Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday
Lunch on Saturday

REGISTER NOW!!!

The Denver Group on MorningQ--Monday, 10 am

Lady Boomer NYC — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:08:49 +0000

NQR’s MorningQ with hosts BettyJean & Pagan airs MONDAY and THURSDAY this week! Tune-in live 10:00-11:00 a.m. ET.

Don’t miss today’s special guests: Denver Group founders, Heidi Li Feldman and Marc Rubin.

Find out: What is the Denver Group? What is their mission? Why does Hillary need to be both Nominated and have a Roll Call vote at the Democratic National Convention?

Call in number: (347) 677-0766.

TUNE-IN LIVE: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/morningq

You can listen to archives 24/7 at same location.

Don't Miss NQR Mon 7/14 10A ET: Host Larry Johnson--Guests Valerie Plame, Joe Wilson

Lady Boomer NYC — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:35:00 +0000

Washington, DC – NO QUARTER RADIO Live Internet Talk enters new territory with “Security Corner,” hosted by Larry Johnson. Larry joined the CIA the same day as Valerie Plame Wilson and spent a year with fifty other classmates in intelligence officer training. Larry subsequently left the CIA and served in the State Department’s Counter Terrorism Office and is an expert in counter terrorism.

Tune in to No Quarter Radio (NQR) live on Monday, July 14, 10:00-11:00 a.m. ET as Larry Johnson interviews Valerie Plame Wilson and Joe Wilson. They will be answering listener questions, and the call-in number is (347) 677-0792.

Valerie Plame Wilson is the author of Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House. Her identity as an undercover CIA operations officer was exposed by top Bush Administration officials after her husband, Ambassador Joe Wilson, blew the whistle on President Bush for misleading the American people in declaring that Iraq had obtained yellow cake uranium.

Valerie and Larry will chat about the revelations from former Bush press spokesman, Scott McClellan; progress on the upcoming movie about her life; and her thoughts on reforming the CIA. For more information about Valerie.

Joe Wilson is the author of The Politics of Truth: A Diplomat’s Memoir: Inside the Lies that Led to War and Betrayed My Wife’s CIA Identity.

Larry will get Joe’s take on the movie and pick his brain on the US’ next steps in Iraq as well as Obama’s changing statements on the Iraq War. Ambassador Wilson has written several articles at Larry Johnson’s blog, No Quarter USA. Read all eight of Joseph Wilson’s writings posted at No Quarter with his express permission.

Larry Johnson and other No Quarter writers have championed the cause of Valerie and Joe. The Wilsons are patriots who have served their nation honorably and suffered unjustly for trying to do their duty. We are honored to inaugurate No Quarter Radio with them.

An audio archive of today’s interviews will be available at NoQuarterUSA.net and at NQR immediately following the show.

Now Look What PUMA Did! Keep Going!

Lady Boomer NYC — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:23:05 +0000

Will Bower, PUMA Co-founder and Spokesman, appeared on Fox News July 10, 2008 with the exclusive announcement: In the week leading up to and during the 4th of July weekend, the $20.08 drive to help Hillary retire her debt was an overwhelming success. The initiative by members of the Just Say No Deal coalition yielded between an estimated $6 million conservatively and $10 million, according to Bower.

Hillary’s debt is less than $5 million away from being in the black. . . We did this in one week.

After making this final push through Friday, June 11, Bower says that Hillary’s debt will be finished! He is asking that everyone give $5 or whatever they can! There are 230 websites within the coalition, representing 2.5 approximately million people. About Barack Obama, Bower states:

We really don’t need him, we haven’t, and don’t plan to need him to pay down Hillary’s debt.

We don’t want the DNC to use her debt as a strong-arm tactic. They’re trying to silence her. They’re trying to use this as an excuse to keep her from having a voice at convention. At first they said she had until the convention, then July 15, then Friday (today). They’re trying to silence her supporters, they don’t want us to go to convention and have a voice. They don’t want the delegates to vote for her.

We’re calling for Hillary Clinton to come back in the race.

Cavuto: “If you can raise millions for a woman who has over $100 million, you can do just about anything, so I wouldn’t doubt much of what you say.”

That’s what it’s looking like.

Great job PUMA and JSND members. We’re almost there. Keep going!

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Wonder where I’ve been? Working on a new media project. Stay tuned for very exciting news.

Happy Independence Day, Volunteers Of America!

Lady Boomer NYC — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:18:35 +0000

Jefferson Starship, “Volunteers”

Commitment. What is it, and who’s got it? The founders of our country, and those who stood and fought for its principles, had it.

In the 1960s, we had ourselves a kind of revolution. Look at the photos that accompany Jefferson Starship’s anthem, “Volunteers.” You’ll sees thousands of citizens who had commitment. Volunteers passionately and concurrently self-organized. They were just ordinary people who committed to peace and freedom, and united in opposition to the government’s unjust, controversial, devastating war.

People demonstrated in the streets against war, and for civil rights and women’s rights. They shut down college campuses, showing their commitment over and over again as their numbers grew. Students, especially, were passionate about saving America from itself. Long before the next revolution of computers, internet, email, and cell phones, the calls to action were broadcast by college and community radio stations, posted on phone poles, passed out on street corners, and advertised in the free press.

The world has changed in many ways, but in the end, don’t things appear to be the same as always?

Who are We — this Just Say No Deal, PUMA coalition? We are volunteers of America. We are the people who stood behind the most electable, real candidate of change, and still believe in her candidacy. We are people throughout the United States and abroad who simultaneously saw injustice rewarded and furthered within our own Democratic Party.

This time, enough people “saw the UFO,” so to speak, to make its existence undeniable. People keep joining us, because they saw it too. Although others may doubt them, and they sometimes doubt themselves, we don’t. We all saw the same thing. Many of us had our memory intact afterward, and some of us are still regaining it. As people wake up and remember, they share their experiences with others, and in doing so find strength.

The fragile thread of trust that “governors” earn in a democracy has been frayed, and therefore it is imperative to mend it. On Independence Day, let’s remember that our commitments are what bind us together. Just Say No Deal and Puma coalition members are volunteers who are united in their stand for justice. The Declaration of Independence states:

Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed —

This time, the governed didn’t consent. Instead, Democratic Party leaders took power unjustly without their consent. If we don’t have one person one vote, what do we have?

May you enjoy yourself, your friends, and family, and have a fantastic, safe holiday! Perhaps, you will spend some quiet time in a peaceful setting. Although Hillary’s principled and detailed plans to energize our country are erased from her website, keep the spirit of her message in your mind’s eye. The reason that voters increasingly woke up to her substance is that Hillary’s policies derive from a compassionate understanding of the human condition. Ask anyone that she visited in a hospital, foreign country, or addressed at a conference, about Hillary’s commitment to boost their cause and honor their dignity. Hillary Clinton is the quintessential Volunteer of America!

This week and especially today, July 4th, Just Say No Deal and PUMA coalition members are concentrating their efforts toward paying down Hillary’s debt. Please join me and contribute $20.08 to help Hillary gain her financial independence! Click the Hillary donate button below:

PEOPLE UNITED MEANS ACTION!

Hackers 'n Hoodlums: Who's Zoomin' Who? (Video)

Lady Boomer NYC — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:03:25 +0000

Blogs and websites in the Just Say No Deal and PUMA coalition have been under a concerted, organized attack by Obama supporters. Coalition members have been threatened. It is not resolved.

Responsibility lies clearly in the hands of the Obama campaign, past, present, and current associates and surrogates, moveon.org, the DNC, and the DFA, who have set the tone of slander, sexism, hate, deliberate mis-characterizations, and malicious attacks against Hillary Clinton, her supporters, and centrist Democrats — the former lifeblood of the Party. “Dignity” is Obama’s shiny, new theme of the week, yet he never said one word to promote “dignity,” as Hillary was repeatedly booed during his large campaign rallies. Sir, have you no dignity? Recently, Al Gore, during his actual, supreme endorsement speech of The One, had to chastise the crowd for booing Hillary.

“Not coming from us,” wink, wink, nod, nod, we hear, as all the above parties stood and continute to stand idly by as free speech and honorable discussion get trampled. Does the symbolism of wearing a flag pin, and giving a speech in front of ten giant flags nullify your and their silence? What do they actually stand for, if not for free speech?

Reported on yesterday, June 30, 2008 by Miguel Helft at NYT Bits Blog.

It is still going on today. at Puma PAC, a Just Say No Deal coalition founding partner:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: murphy@pumapac.org

P.U.M.A. PAC Responds To Malicious Harassment and First Amendment Interference by Obama Supporters

Boston, MA – July 1, 2008

P.U.M.A. PAC, the Voice of the Voters in the Democratic Party, has been the victim of relentless, targeted internet attacks by Senator Obama’s supporters. In an attempt to silence our voices, we have been the target of a focused campaign of internet harassment, vandalism, slander and technological tampering.

On June 25, 2008, a multitude of false ‘spam blog’ reports, all occurring within one night, triggered Google to LOCK DOWN our Blogspot.com site. We still have not been able to access the blog or update our members. It has now been six days that we have had NO ACCESS to our private forum. Our blog is a private forum in which we exercise our First Amendment right to free speech. We use freely distributed software which is available to everyone, and pay the cost of web-hosting to a third-party internet service provider. We know by the email addresses and ISP addresses that these attacks were coordinated and carried out by Senator Obama’s supporters. It is a violation of our civil rights for Senator Obama’s supporters to try to prevent us from making public political statements in private forums – forums for which we pay significant costs.

Since June 13, our entry in Wikipedia has been the focus of repeated malicious attacks by Senator Obama’s supporters, who continue to add racist, sexist, and blatantly untrue statements, with the intent of slandering our reputation and infringing on our right to make political statements. Our entry has been repeatedly deleted against our will and in spite of our efforts to protect it. We know by the email addresses and ISP addresses that these attacks were coordinated and carried out by Senator Obama’s supporters. We have asked Wikipedia to investigate this obvious violation of its policies. Wikipedia has been less than helpful.

P.U.M.A. PAC is the Voice of the Voters. We are a legally established political action committee, protected by the laws and regulations of the Federal Election Commission and the Constitution of the United States. Political dissent is perhaps the most precious of all the rights we are entitled to as American citizens. It is a chilling thought indeed that the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for the Presidency of the United States, and the sitting Governor of one of our nation’s largest and most influential states would in any way, whether explicitly or implicitly, condone, coordinate, or seek to benefit from the illegal and unconstitutional actions of those un-American citizens who try to silence or intimidate opponents by attacking their right to publicly dissent.

We organize and promote lawful, peaceful, and effective civil action by US citizens. We never condone or support destructive, violent, or unlawful acts. We demand that our constitutional and civil rights as citizens be protected and respected by our elected officials. We call on Senator Obama, Governor Rendell and the leadership of the DNC to denounce those responsible for these malicious attacks on our organization, our property, and our members.

Help Puma PAC take action by writing to Barack Obama and Ed Rendell here.

The story began to surface on June 27, 2008, as reported at The Political Lizard Annex. Also reported here by HillaryOrBust, and here by UppityWoman, who has since moved her blog over to WordPress, like many others who value their right to free speech.

Additionally, Diane Mantouvalos, Just Say No Deal co-founder and prominent spokesperson, has been harassed and physically threatened, and the website has been also been under attack.

What principles and standards guide these zealots who would morph The Democratic Party into something that resembles an ultra right wing hit squad? Are they thinking that one person’s voice is more important than another’s, and therefore the opposing voice must be shut down? Their fear shows that they are hearing us loud and clear. Is this progressivism or fascism? “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” Don’t they know that their foolin’ will turn around and bite them in the butt?

The Just Say No Deal Coalition stands firmly upon democracy’s foundation of free speech. Here’s where we’re going with that, and beethovenqueen’s Puma paws will help you track the path:

Don't Get Mad, Get Active! PUMA!

Lady Boomer NYC — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:02:55 +0000

Okay, alright . . . you’re already mad! Disgusted at the thought of another stolen election, and another four years of — oh my . . . trails off in thought. Wait, not just a thought — did that happen? Tsk, tsk, tsk, shaking head, and this one, from our own team. But chin up, don’t take it so hard, there’s something you can do.

Just Say No Deal, Nobama, and PUMA members have coalesced their efforts to make it easy for YOU to participate. We’ve all been running around in circles, organizing at puma-speed. In three shortlong weeks, we have concentrated our efforts. You can now take action all in one place. Ta da!!

Announcing the Just Say No Deal Action Center!

The action center is co-produced by ClintonDems.com. You can click on the nifty buttons to call and write to Superdelegates, sign petitions, and organize. When you click on the Retire Hillary’s Debt button, you’ll get right to her site, where all contributions help Hillary pay off her debt. Choose one action, or do as many as you like.

Make your voice heard and roar to your heart’s content!

And on July 4th, let’s all honor Hillary by making a $20.08 donation. To do so, just click on the July 4th Hillary $20.08 button at top of page.

As inspiration, we end with GeekLove’s latest video in support of this week’s Just Say No Deal Call to Action, encouraging people to donate on the 4th of July to help Hillary reach financial independence!

Show GeekLove some love, too. Go to YouTube and rate, favorite, and comment on her video!

Don’t Get Mad, Get Active! People United Means Action!

Thank you and Onward!

LBNYC