Category Archives: Democratic Party Chatter

How’d you spend Inauguration Day today?
I got up, watched the Big Speech by El Presidente, which was fine. Said all sorts of nice things about freedom, democracy, and whatnot. Funny how in other countries buying off the press, lying about wars, and screwing up the economy are bad things, but here, it’s all about helping those donors that got the Ruling Party into office.
Ah well. It’s their day. Let them spend 100 million dollars of Homeland Security Money on the festivities. God forbid the corporations that will get billions off this administration actually pay for security!
Fine. Onward.
I actually spent a strange day today. It started with a lovely afternoon working in one of my favorite Internet cafes, Golden Gate Perk in San Francisco. I’ve written about them before – since my last visit they’ve improved the seating and the computers, while still keeping that great plasma screen TV showing movies while I work. Today I got to see “X Men United” once again – a movie I never get tired of seeing.
But you’re not reading this to hear about my exciting day. Now, for those of you who lead normal lives, you may not be aware that the major political parties have actual elections amongst their hierarchy for “Chair” (once known as Chair-man) of their national party committee.
Normally such proceedings don’t earn more than a handful of mentions in the national press in the DC edition of the paper. More to the point, 99.99% of Americans don’t know who a particular party chair even is, much less give a hoot about what some arcane party platform says. As I’ve said before I’m sure most people think a “party platform” is what the candidate stands on when he or she speaks.
This time around, though, on the Democratic side, there’s an actual election for this position. No less than six candidates, representing different ideologies, styles, and views on just what a “party chair” is, are running. This evening in San Francisco, I had a chance to attend a fund-raising party for Simon Rosenberg, the executive director of the centrist New Democrat Network.
Now, I’ve been to way too many Democratic party candidate events. That said, I have to say now, that very rarely have I been at a fundraiser this well catered, and with this well-mannered a crowd in..well, ever. Held at the Old Federal Building downtown, even, and when I went to the bar to get a Coke I had a momentary gasp at the drink prices. Then I was told that beer and wine were comped. I almost fainted.
When you consider that the “normal” price the house caterers charge was over $5 for a lousy Miller Lite (please people, can’t the party of the working man get Pabst Blue Ribbon instead of this South African owned crap?), and here they were giving away Heineken, well you knew that you weren’t in Kansas (or some other red state with lousy 3.2 beer) any more.
That was just the bar. Then there was the food. Free brie. Free bleu cheese. They even had egg rolls and other good stuff. Free. Free, I tells ya! It was a Homer moment. I had to resist the urge to just say “screw it” to covering the event and just tip the bartender a buck a pop for beers and be a freeloading journalist, but good sense, and decorum (as well as the fact that I knew people at this thing!) kicked in and I had my perfunctory beer and moved on, so to speak.
Again, you have to understand, that in a normal universe, NO ONE cares about these things to begin with. So when you attend an event that has the San Francisco City Attorney, Dennis Herrera and San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, as well as all sorts of political movers and shakers, donors, and the wannabes, hanging out waiting to listen to a speech for DNC chair, you realize that something’s up.
Both Herrera and Harris spoke. As it turns out both City Attorney Dennis Herrera, his spokesman Matt Dorsey, and Simon Rosenberg go way way back, having worked together for some time in the Clinton Administration, and in politics. City Attorney Herrera spoke first about Rosenberg’s DNC candidacy, praising his ability to create and direct a message, and in particular Rosenberg’s work doing effective outreach to Latino voters.
Harris also spoke, reinforcing the theme that Simon’s focus was on building the tools, infrastructure, and whatnot to get the word out. Harris has been an effective communicator and campaigner in her job as D.A. so far. Both Harris and Herrera did something else I rarely see at these kinds of events – they kept their remarks short and to the point so people weren’t standing around too long. Wow.
Simon Rosenberg addressed the crowd at the end. He talked briefly about the process of the DNC race, making the point that unlike John Kerry, who only competed in 17 states, he has to run in 56 states and jurisdictions, but less than 500 people in all those areas will vote. “It’s kinda like the way they pick a Pope,” joked Rosenberg.
Then he went over his basic plan for reactivating the party. His focus was not so much ideological, or driven by his desire to take office some day – it was more on how to talk to people effectively about Democratic ideas, how to modernize the party structure so it could be competitive, and how to find ways to work with the many new people and organizations sprouting up online and offline, instead of just trying to ignore them or keep them out.
This last point was one of interest to me. For years I’ve seen party organizations do their damnedest to keep “new” people with different ides out because they somehow feel threatened by anyone who wasn’t working on this stuff back in the Truman Administration. It was nice to see so many grassroots groups in places like Washington State and in California, to name a few, buck this trend and show tremendous growth.
However, the enthusiasm for these new people does not extend to all party officials and offices in DC, state capitals, and elsewhere. Right now it sounds like only Rosenberg, and maybe Gov. Dean (haven’t interviewed him yet), are even talking about this as an issue at all.
But what impressed me the most was the fact that after laying out his points (which you can read at his web site and blog he didn’t spend a lot of time talking in fro t of a crowd – he spent most of his time talking to people in small groups, or one-on-one. I talked to several of his supporters, including Alice Carnes, and Amy Everitt, who both pointed out this as one of Simon’s strengths.
All in all, an interesting evening, and not at all what I expected. I’m going to try and make it up to the DNC Western Conference in Sacramento on Saturday to try and talk to some of the other candidates for chair, and find out more about what’s going on.
My day ended with an “only in San Francisco” moment…a long parade of anti-Bush folks, of all types. Most notable was the nice young man decked out in pink leather “elf battle gear” (his words, not mine!) and an assortment of folks in costumes that would make a typical Burning Man attendee feel like Ned Flanders.
I channeled comedian Patton Oswalt, who I saw recently on Comedy Central, and his criticism of hippies. For some reason, I made the mistake of saying “Wow, that’s an effective way to reach the voting public…”
I was besieged from all sides by folks, who suddenly felt the need to lecture me on how I “didn’t do anything” to “stop Bush.” Now, in another era, I would have happily gone to war with these PC partiers, but I was in no mood to spread more ill will. I shouted “Stick it to the Man!” and went on my way.
All in all, one heck of a way to spend Inaugural Day. Well, the drinks were free, and I got to meet some people who seem committed to doing something about the state of affairs that doesn’t involved pink elf armor. Woo hoo!

Once again, I find myself on the road on behalf of Progressive Majority, this time on the road in Southeast Pennsylvania, one of those “swing states” you hear so much about. I’ve been so busy with my training sessions here I haven’t had a chance to update here as much as I’d like. However, I’m enjoying an evening at the West Chester Holiday Inn which features free high-speed internet access, so I can post updates once again.
I’ve been on the road seeing two targeted candidates a day, and it’s been a great (if busy) time out here. I’ve learned a lot about how things are really going down on the grass-roots level out here, and it’s been an interesting experience to say the least. As with my trip in Seattle, the best part (aside from sampling Yuengling Beer which I can’t get back home in L.A.) has been working with some really energetic and honest people who remind me why it is I like working in politics (as opposed to the four-day infomercials both parties have propped up like a dead guy on stilts under the guise of “party conventions”).
Rebecca Wall is running for Pennsylvania State Representative in the 150th Legislative District (yes you read that right, the 150th District!) Too often when you find a young person running for office, you find a wannabe politico more well-versed in shenanigans and smarminess instead of issues and substance.
Thankfully, Rebecca does not fit this sad cultural stereotype. Instead, I met with an enthusiastic and intelligent person who is interested in public service and helping her community – yes you heard that right. In an era when we immediately dismiss anyone involved in politics as a self-serving apparatchnik, it’s time to realize that some people put themselves in the arena because they want to stand up for something, not just against something.
More importantly, it was clear after my meeting with Rebecca that I was not dealing with someone who would tell me what I wanted to hear to earn my support – she was someone willing to tell the truth, regardless of the consequences, because she  has this idea that politicians should be honest.
In an era when too often we equate “honesty” with “being offensive”, Rebecca reminded me that there are people who can speak truth to our political system, and provide a voice of reason and compassion that can include respect and a sense of decorum we don’t usually get in politicos these days, and quite frankly, it was a nice change from politics as usual.
Many political pundits in Pennsylvania may accidentally overlook Rebecca’s candidacy, and it’s to their discredit that they do. Polling and the grassroots sense I get from talking to actual citizens indicate this is a race where a young, intelligent, and engaging person may just snatch a seat in the state House from an incumbent who barely won her seat in 2002 (by only 63 votes!) Pundits would be wise to keep an eye on this race, and people who profess to care about Democratic politics and progressive values would be wise to get involved. Now.
I also had the chance to meet with another great candidate, who is standing up for progressive values in a decidedly non-Californian region of the country, Christian Muniz, a veteran and legislative aide in Cumberland County, PA.
Those not intimate with the politics of Pennsylvania may not know just how non-Democratic Christian’s part of the world is. When “President” Bush made a TV appearance at the GOP convention earlier this week, it was in Christian’s district. To be an honest Democrat in this area takes more than political courage – it takes the will to win along with the courage of the convictions a Navy veteran and legislative aide to put oneself forth as a candidate. More importantly, he is a genuinely likable person, a rare quality in political candidates these days.
But best of all, it was his enthusiasm, unconfined by any sense of political “correctness” that infects Corporate Democrats these days that made Christian one of my favorite people to work with in politics, and more importantly someone who can win.  He is someone who I would gladly encourage readers to support, along with Rebecca Wall and others I’ll be talking about later this year.
I’ll have more commentary on “swing state” Pennsylvania and the Kerry campaign once I return to Los Angeles (and on my way to San Francisco and Wisconsin). Until then, stay tuned, and enjoy the myriad of fiction that is the GOP Convention. Especially the parts when Governor Doofinator claims to be a principled individual who does not engage in coin-op government!
© 2003-2006 Greg Dewar | All Rights Reserved | Originally Published at www.schadelmann.com

I’ve been so busy on my trip here in Seattle that I didn’t realize until recently that July 21st marks the one year anniversary of Schadlemann.com!
I suppose some sort of profound reflection would be in order for said anniversary, but to paraphrase Col. Jack O’Neill when they were about to detonate a nuke on Goa’uld ship…nothing comes to mind.
For fun here’s my VERY FIRST entry…

This is a TEST of Journalspace.com
posted 07/21/2003
Category-
Testing to see if this kicks Blogger’s backside…

Ok, not that profound. But it has been fun to use this site to develop and expand upon my work and have a good time getting to know people like Nancy Rommelmann, Tiffany Stone, and other cool bloggers I’ve been reading. It is also nice having folks like A Fly on the Wall, the Queen of Sky, Cinema Minima, LAObserved.com, and many others post links to this site too. There are many others I’ve talked to or who have linked to me since starting this site up – so many in fact that any list I make will inadvertently leave out someone, and I hate doing that. It’s kinda like an Oscar speech….
I am due to attend a special screening of The Hunting of the President with Governor Gary Locke as one of the many honored guests in attedance so I’ll be posting more later. Until then, browse the archives and feel free to email suggestions and comments on the one year anniversary of Schadelmann.com!
UPDATE: The special screening of The Hunting of the President held at the newly restored Cinerama Theater in Seattle was a lot bigger than I’d expected.
Gov. Gary Locke and his wife Mona Lee (a former TV news anchor) addressed the crowd. It was unusal to see the usually placid, non-partisan Locke fire up a very partisan crowd in one of his last appearances as Governor. Also in attendance were filmmaker Harry Thomason, Susan McDougal, and the producers of the film.
The audience featured many Democratic candidates for office, including former state Insurance Commissioner Deborah Senn who is now running for Attorney General, as well as nationally reknowned political advertising creator Frank Greer, who served as media consultant to President Clinton, South African President Nelson Mandela, Senator Barbara Boxer, and others. Currently Greer is working on the gubernatorial campaign of Christine Gregoire here in Washington State.
It was definitely an interesting gathering, and I had fun talking to folks in the audience as well as various candidates for office.
The film itself was interesting, if a bit predictable. Many people like to malign Sen. Hillary Clinton’s “vast right wing conspiracy” comment for fun and profit. Such people tend to ignore that there may not be a “conspiracy” but there were a lot of people who peddled a lot of nonsense far less truthful than that Michael Moore movie the other side whines and cries about, who made a lot of money.
The combination of partisan Ken Starr’s’ $80 million fishing expedition, and the millions and millions made off of crank conspiracy books and videos dwarfs any money that Fahrenheit 911 made. And yet, the other side caterwauls on and on about how “negative” Moore is. Whatever.
This film wasn’t so much about the “conspiracy” in the end as it was more about how people who claim to be reporters tend to be more interested in “the story”, regardless of how true it is, and how feeding the 24 hour news cycle is more important than thinking things through and making sure that if you’re going to go with some big story, the ducks are all in a row.
It was also interesting to see how Peabody award winning news people were tagged as “Clinton apologists” the minute they did not report 100% what was expected of them by folks like Richard Mellon Scaife, Jerry Falwell, and the like. In other words, you’re only objective if you report what Those Who Know Best want you to say.
It’s also clear that the wacky 90s gave us the Post Truth era we have today. It amazes me still that snarky, chain-store sponsored, faux bloggers who make up stories and freely admit it are called “witty” and get to report for MTV.  
It’s definitely interesting to watch, although I’d’ suggest it’s a better DVD rental than theater film, if only because I’d rather go to the theater to escape current events instead of watch them. When is that new Stargate movie coming out?
© 2003-2006 Greg Dewar | All Rights Reserved | Originally Published at www.schadelmann.com

When I first decided to do some investigating of the CDP convention it was with the idea I’d find a lot of bizarre, interesting, or humorous things to exploit for the sake of a good story. True, there were the funny incidents, and there were plenty of parties to attend and people to meet. Yet throughout the proceedings, even as people committed themselves for the work ahead, you could feel the sense of uncertainty amongs folks when one asked them how they thought things would go this year.
This year is going to be a very difficult year for the political system in general, and a tough one for Democratic partisans no matter what happens this year. The McCain-Feingold laws, changing economic divisions, and changes in technology make it clear that even if somehow a Clark or a Dean, or whomever manages to win in 2004 up against CNN, FOX News, and a half-billion dollar re-election effort, they’ll still be stuck with a GOP Congress (thanks in part to gerrymandering in Texas and Colorado) and the incredible burden of debt and ongoing administration in Iraq and elsewhere is going to make the next four years very tough for anyone.
It’s also clear that most Congressional Democrats (with some notable exceptions) still seem to concentrate on re-electing themselves, and despite talk and money for “taking back Congress”, folks like Sen. Joe Lieberman and assorted similar insiders are more worried about keeping their niche, doing what it takes to stay in, and really don’t have much incentive to change things. And frankly they’d rather see a non-DC insider lose to Bush than risk a win with Clark, Dean or someone else who isn’t beholden to the DC culture of risk aversion and personal profit.
It just kills me when Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who has the fighting spirit and the organizational and fundraising skill to pull off some wins is demonized by the press and the DLC Democrats as “too liberal” and paint her as some kook from San Francisco. This charge is usually made by people who write “paint-by-the-numbers” hit pieces and news articles – if they’d ever met Rep. Pelosi in person they’d realize she’s probably one of the few politicians in DC who has this habit of telling the truth and keeping her word. That’s a rare trait that deserves to be praised, not attacked by hack politicians from the Old Confederacy.
Certainly the changes in the party and the electorate needed to really change Congress would mean that the DLC status quo would need to be moved aside, or at least have to power-share with others. And to pro-corporate interests, that’s just unthinkable. Work with people they may not agree with 100%? Bah! Better to demonize them and kick them out of the “Party” (whatever that means) and then whine when they vote elsewhere. Such is the “logic” of the DLC/DC insider crowd.
I suppose the real story coming out of the CDP convention isn’t that the “Democratic Party” is in a state of flux but rather the whole political system is in a state of flux, and whether there is a Democratic (or even a Republican) party in 10 years is highly debatable. Moreover what does survive will have to bear little resemblance, organizationally, to the parties of the past.
It may be that the Dean, Clark and Kucinch folks may be able to find a way out of the wilderness just yet with the new people, tactics and ideas they’re bringing in to the system. There is certainly more hope there than with than the corporate, pseudo-middle politics of a bunch of DLC insiders who do not know, and could care less about what regular people really need and do not need in their day to day lives.
I’ve lived in one-party systems before and they’re not good for the majority apparatchniks nor for the people who have to live under such a system. It also is incredibly boring to write about! Besides, we’re in too much trouble as is to devolve into Brezhnev-like stagnation brought on by right and left wing ideologues with no clue as to what to do to actually run things in this country today.
Monday’s column will be posted late as I will be spending all day in meetings up north – but we’ll post something a bit more lighthearted for y’all to check out!