With the primary race still going on and all the national attention on Hillary Clinton vs. Barack Obama, sometimes we forget just how out of touch John McCain really is.
He doesn't understand the economy, he wants to cut social programs, defense spending, and foreign aide by about 30%, and he wants to stay in Iraq for another 100 years.
The DNC is releasing its first ad highlight John McCain's complete ignorance of our economic woes.
With such a horrid candidate at the top of the ticket, it gives us even more hope that we can elect Rick Noriega, Larry Joe Doherty, and take back the Texas House.
ed. note: I'm really glad to see this post by Texas DNC member David Holmes. I support his suggestion here 100%. As Texas' youngest delegate to the national convention in 2004 (not the same as a DNC member), I concur there is much value in this seat becoming a "youth" seat. (Don't worry, I'm not running...this year!) -KT
Twelve years ago this June, at the Texas Democratic Party State Convention, I ran for a position on the Democratic National Committee and lost by one vote.
When I first ran, I did not expect to win; I simply wanted to make a statement: Young people should be in leadership positions in the Texas Democratic Party. When I lost by one vote, I realized that a large number of Democrats in Texas agreed with me.
So, four years later I put together an effort that was much more than a statement and won a seat on the DNC.
Having few prescribed duties other than attending a couple meetings a year, each DNC member is free to find their own way to fill their time on the DNC. When I first won the seat, I decided my goal would be to bring young people into the party. But during the last Presidential cycle I saw so many new activists showing up to meetings who were not necessarily young, that I change my goal to: Bring New People into the Party.
To do that, I held trainings on how to navigate Democratic Convention process and more trainings on how to organize precincts.
My friend TG Caraway and I started a podcast covering Texas Politics and Music in part to keep Democrats across Texas appraised of the actions of the DNC and the State party. SDEC member Michael Wilson and I continue that today. The DOT Show.
One factor that helped me win a seat on the DNC was that Texas Party rules state that an attempt should be made to include young people, among other groups, in the leadership of every level of the party. The National Rules do not carry the same goal so I and a number of others across the country led an attempt to change that. We failed the first time, but it will pass when it comes back up.
Texas has 10 seats elected directly to the DNC. By tradition, five of those seats are set aside to ensure diversity among our delegation: 2 seats go to the Black Caucus, 2 to Tejano, and one to Labor.
The other five seats are considered at large - again by tradition - and I hold one of those seats.
We have all seen the increasing importance of young voters on the national level and I want to point out to you that Texas was actually ahead of the curve when it came to youth leadership: When Texas Democrats elected me to the DNC, you made me the youngest member ever elected by any state up to that point.
Young Democrats are generally defined as those under 35.
I am asking the leaders of our party and all of you who become delegates to the next convention to help me start a new tradition. The seat I currently hold should be designated a youth seat in the same manner in which the other seats are designated. Youth participation is too important not to make that happen.
And since I will not be under 35 for very much longer, I will not be running for this seat again.
The time I have spent on the DNC has been a great period of growth for me, and I believe I got some good things accomplished while I was there. I thank all of you for your support during that time. I look forward to continuing to work with you to get Democrats Elected.
Hat-tip to Muse for pointing out this story. The Dallas Morning News really strikes the right tone in their reporting.
There's no way to sugarcoat it. Texas Democrats got stiffed when the party's convention planners issued hotel assignments Tuesday.
The convention is at the Pepsi Center in downtown Denver. Texas' delegates will be staying in ... Aurora.
Yup, because of Texas's past inability to qualify as a swing state (which is as much the presidential campaign's fault as our own), we get screwed once more in hotel site selection. Back in Boston in 2004, I got to chill with the Texas crew at the Airport Hilton- not bad but across the river where it's a bit of a trick transportation wise. But that doesn't really compare to getting stuck 10 miles away in Aurora.
"We had three choices. It was the second choice on our list. We're happy with our choice," said state party spokesman Hector Nieto. "It could have been worse."
I don't want to think what the 3rd choice was exactly. Then again, we will get to spend some quality time with the lovely delegation from... American Samoa.
On the bright side, the Texans will get to hang with delegates from American Samoa. They'll have lots to talk about with the territory's representative in Congress, Eni F.H. Faleomavaega. He got his law degree from the University of Houston in 1972.
"We usually get fairly good assignments. But 10 miles is pretty far," said Fagafaga "Danny" Langkilde, chairman of American Samoa's Democrats, reached by phone in Pago Pago. "Naturally we would like to be placed in as convenient a place as possible."
Hopefully next year we'll be able to earn a bit more respect when we take back a certain John Cornyn's U.S. Senate seat.
I love transformational politics. But sometimes you have to take transitional to get there. I'm glad to see things like this move in the right direction. Plus it's just really cool sounding.
Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean said Thursday the days of the $60 million political convention coronations are numbered and he's studying ways to make them more relevant to average people.
Dean said politicians need to find more ways to connect with voters, going door to door, instead of depending on television to deliver their messages. He said next year's convention in Denver will be different.
"We've got to change the way we do conventions in this country. I'm looking to try to make this a transitional convention, in the sense that the day of the $50-$60 million convention is coming to a close. The day of one-way campaigns where we do everything on television, and we don't listen to people before, is coming to a close. We need to be knocking on doors, talking to them directly, asking their opinions," Dean said during an interview on the Aaron Harber show on KDBI-TV.
(Mr Holmes keeps us informed. Here is Day 2. - promoted by Matt Glazer)
The 2nd day of the Winter DNC meeting brought more candidate speeches and more campaigning. We heard from the remaining candidates and handled a little business.
One bit of business was the Young Democrats' attempt to get "youth" included as a required target in each state's delegate selection plan for the National Convention as nearly any other constituency you can think of is already included.
The attempt failed, but each state will be pressured to add youth targets anyway. Texas will have it.
(From one of our own on the Democratic National Committee, David Holmes! - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Sitting in the Washington Hilton in DC this weekend, the Presidential Primary race appears to be in full swing. There are stickers and buttons everywhere and speech after speech about the ails of the country and some of the hopeful solutions. But some of the candidates are more "present" than others.
The presidential candidates who have announced or indicated strong interest in running were all invited to have a presence and give a speech at this DNC meeting. We went through this process last cycle too, and it can be fun.
Each of the candidates sets up a table full of materials. Some of the candidates gave their speech today, the others will speak tomorrow (Saturday.) After the speeches, each of the candidates are supposed to go to a small hotel room and talk with and get to know the DNC members. Most of them do that and do it genuinely.
I'll touch briefly on each of the candidates who spoke today in the order they spoke:
(Don't miss this event! - promoted by Matt Glazer)
You may have seen the wonderful ad on your left, but in case you haven't, what are you doing tomorrow night for Democracy? Show your support for the 50 State Strategy and say "Thanks, Howard!"
GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN
Chairman of the Democratic National Committee for a Grassroots Reception Tuesday, September 26, 2006
5:00 - 6:30PM Scholz Garten 1607 San Jacinto Austin, TX
$50 per person ($20 for Students - Student I.D.'s will be checked at the door) or Become a Democracy Bond Member To RSVP and contribute, or for more information, please visit the site or contact Jen Gonçalves at: goncalvesj@dnc.org or (202)863-8195.
Austin, Texas--There's been a lot of talk on the blogs lately about Howard Dean and the 50-state strategy and the already-successes that are taking place in the strangest places for Democrats around the country like Wyoming, Mississippi, Idaho, and Montana. Well, you can add Texas to that list as well.
(Via Capitol Annex, 6 TX Congressman were among those that voted against the VRA reauthorization. Here's how the TX delegation voted on the amendments. (Thanks, Vince) - promoted by Phillip Martin)
Considering the Supreme Court's decision, I think the VRA is especially critical for Texas Democrats. This is cross-posted at KickingAss and at DailyKos where it could use your support!
It's pretty unbelievable that legislation as critical to our democracy is being attacked, even dismantled.
Today the House considers the Voting Rights Act reauthorization. Despite the promises of the Republican leadership to bring this bipartisan, bicameral bill up under suspension of the rules – with no amendments - the House will consider four extremely dangerous amendments.
These amendments should be defeated. They each chip away at the protections of the Voting Rights Act, weakening it. When we allow that to happen we weaken our democracy. The Voting Rights Act was aimed at preventing tactics like literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation, threats, and violence, which kept many Americans from exercising their freedom to vote. Today the danger of discrimination still exists, which is why the Voting Rights Act is critical.
(In the flurry of posts last week, I missed this one here. A great Q&A. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
If you like what you read about John Courage, be sure to vote for him as a MapChanger -Damon
Before I landed at the DNC I was a working in the TX-28th and I met John Courage at an Austin DFA meet-up. A few things were apparently evident: he is a favorite of his District's activists (who are some of the best I've ever met), he is working hard and he's got the right stuff.
You all know that John was DFA's first Grassroot's AllStar, he won Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriot Award and yesterday he made it into the Top-5 of Mark Warner's Mapchangers Contest. Today MyDD profiles him as their latest addition to the netroots list. Clearly he has momentum.
This week, John took the time to answer a few questions for the DNC blog, and I am crossposting it here.
