Peace Loving Democrats Shake Up State Democratic Convention
Alex S. Gabor
May 13, 2007
After a long political season which included electing Julia Brownley to the California Assembly, electing a 100% progressive 41st Assembly District delegation to the California Democratic Convention, demonstrating for an end to the war in Iraq at Congressman Waxman's office and co-hosting a thank you luncheon for Fran Pavley, members of the Topanga-based Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica Mountains (PDSMM) and the Topanga Peace Alliance (TPA) took their acts to the State Democratic Convention to shake things up.
Contingents paraded around the huge "Out of Iraq, "Don't Bomb Iran" and 'Impeach Bush and Cheney" banners while other members were inside listening to speeches and voting in the caucuses. All the delegates from Topanga wore the "Impeach" and "End the Occupation" stickers furnished by the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) whose president, Tim Carpenter, was an ""honored guest".
Dorothy Reik, President of PDSMM and a member of TPA was greeted at the San Diego Convention Center by Topanga Peace Activists David Troy and Barbara Gluck who were holding a huge "Impeach" banner, Marcy Winograd, Executive Board member from the 41st AD and President of Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and Kathy Green, a PDSMM member and delegate from the adjacent 42nd AD and Sherry Bohlen from PDA who was handing out Impeach stickers.
The mission of the group was simple. Show the party establishment that Progressives are not going to be denied their rightful place as a force to be reckoned with inside the Democratic Party. Their most important mission critical objective was to get a new, strong impeachment resolution passed by the Resolutions Committee - a group hand-picked by State Democratic Party Chair Retired Senator from California Art Torres.
After much wrangling during which the Resolutions Committee tried to reaffirm an older outdated version of an impeachment resolution, the members of the committee, looking out at the packed room, with delegates waving impeachment signs and holding banners, thought better of that decision. It agreed to work with Tim Carpenter (PDA) to craft a new resolution.
The Progressive Caucus was packed with more than 500 Progressive delegates and observers in the "Great Hall" where more than 3,000 Democratic delegates and observers visited exhibition booths and listened to hundreds of speeches.
Demonstrating a tremendous surge in energy and enthusiasm, 2,264 of the 2,801 CDP delegates registered for attendance at the Party's annual gathering. In addition, the CDP registered 450 guests and 700 volunteers for a total of 3,414 attendees. The CDP also registered more than 400 applications for press credentials.
Among the speakers were Fabian Nunez, 46th District Assemblyman, who along with former California Attorney General Bill Lockyer are backing State legislation aimed to crack down on price gauging by big oil companies who have been raising gas prices for more than two years and CDP Chairman Art Torres, who also heads up the State’s Insurance Committee and has been chairman of the California Democratic Party since he took over from Bill Press in 1995.
Hillary Clinton spoke to her huge cheering section. Some delegates took her signs and added “Anybody But” above Hilary’s name. Some Progressive delegates remain upset about her stance on supporting the war.
Barack Obama, the U.S. Senator from Illinois running against Hilary for President, is supporting the Homes for Heroes Act, a bill that would expand housing and rental assistance for homeless veterans., but who opposes continuing the war in Iraq because it was a mistake in the first place, “was very charismatic but let on that he would give the health insurance companies ‘a seat at the table’ when discussing universal health care coverage”, according to Reik.
Dennis Kucinich gave a rabble rousing speech about “one world” as opposed to the nationalistic America first rhetoric. His “Impeach Cheney” resolution has tremendous support among Progressive delegates. In her speech, Nancy Pelosi not mentioning if impeachment was off the table, focused on her political campaign slogan which is “A New Direction for America”. She supported an early end to the war in Iraq and vowed not to give in to George Bush.
Other locals there to support TPA and PDSMM were Susan Beeftink, Marianna Palmer and Jan Elfman. Mimi Kennedy of Greg and Dharma fame, Chairman of PDA Advisory Committee, as well as the head of the Progressive Caucus congratulated everyone on all their hard work. Media critic and author Norman Solomon spoke about “Buying the War”, a Bill Moyer’s documentary that examined media coverage prior to the Iraqi invasion. Topangans Kevin Crey and Toni Pezone Crey filmed the event, doing interviews and filming the speeches. Former United States Senator John Edwards, after an enthusiastic standing ovation, spoke about ending poverty, the war and global warming.
The list of speakers over the three day event was nothing short of stellar. Governor Bill Richardson, Attorney General Jerry Brown, Congressman for the 51st District, Chair of House Veterans Committee, Bob Filner, Senator Diane Feinstein, Congresswoman Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Maxine Waters and dozens of others.
At the end of all the grand standing, political rhetoric, and enthusiastic support for change, the impeachment resolution based mainly on allegations of subversion, intentionally disseminating and propagating knowingly false and fabricated "evidence" was boiled down to the following words:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party supports vigorous investigation of these charges by the Congress of the United States, including the full use of Congressional subpoena power authority to completely disclose the actions of the Administration to the American people and to take necessary action to call the Administration to account with appropriate remedies and punishment, including impeachment.
PDSMM meets the third Tuesday of every month at 7:30 upstairs at Abuelita's. TPA meets the third Friday of every month at 7:15 at the Community House where the music starts at 6:30 pm.
Dorothy Reik contributed to this story originally written exclusively for the Topanga Messenger and the Topanga community. For more information and updates visit www.pdsmm.org and www.topangapeacealliance.org.
Contingents paraded around the huge "Out of Iraq, "Don't Bomb Iran" and 'Impeach Bush and Cheney" banners while other members were inside listening to speeches and voting in the caucuses. All the delegates from Topanga wore the "Impeach" and "End the Occupation" stickers furnished by the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) whose president, Tim Carpenter, was an ""honored guest".
Dorothy Reik, President of PDSMM and a member of TPA was greeted at the San Diego Convention Center by Topanga Peace Activists David Troy and Barbara Gluck who were holding a huge "Impeach" banner, Marcy Winograd, Executive Board member from the 41st AD and President of Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles, and Kathy Green, a PDSMM member and delegate from the adjacent 42nd AD and Sherry Bohlen from PDA who was handing out Impeach stickers.
The mission of the group was simple. Show the party establishment that Progressives are not going to be denied their rightful place as a force to be reckoned with inside the Democratic Party. Their most important mission critical objective was to get a new, strong impeachment resolution passed by the Resolutions Committee - a group hand-picked by State Democratic Party Chair Retired Senator from California Art Torres.
After much wrangling during which the Resolutions Committee tried to reaffirm an older outdated version of an impeachment resolution, the members of the committee, looking out at the packed room, with delegates waving impeachment signs and holding banners, thought better of that decision. It agreed to work with Tim Carpenter (PDA) to craft a new resolution.
The Progressive Caucus was packed with more than 500 Progressive delegates and observers in the "Great Hall" where more than 3,000 Democratic delegates and observers visited exhibition booths and listened to hundreds of speeches.
Demonstrating a tremendous surge in energy and enthusiasm, 2,264 of the 2,801 CDP delegates registered for attendance at the Party's annual gathering. In addition, the CDP registered 450 guests and 700 volunteers for a total of 3,414 attendees. The CDP also registered more than 400 applications for press credentials.
Among the speakers were Fabian Nunez, 46th District Assemblyman, who along with former California Attorney General Bill Lockyer are backing State legislation aimed to crack down on price gauging by big oil companies who have been raising gas prices for more than two years and CDP Chairman Art Torres, who also heads up the State’s Insurance Committee and has been chairman of the California Democratic Party since he took over from Bill Press in 1995.
Hillary Clinton spoke to her huge cheering section. Some delegates took her signs and added “Anybody But” above Hilary’s name. Some Progressive delegates remain upset about her stance on supporting the war.
Barack Obama, the U.S. Senator from Illinois running against Hilary for President, is supporting the Homes for Heroes Act, a bill that would expand housing and rental assistance for homeless veterans., but who opposes continuing the war in Iraq because it was a mistake in the first place, “was very charismatic but let on that he would give the health insurance companies ‘a seat at the table’ when discussing universal health care coverage”, according to Reik.
Dennis Kucinich gave a rabble rousing speech about “one world” as opposed to the nationalistic America first rhetoric. His “Impeach Cheney” resolution has tremendous support among Progressive delegates. In her speech, Nancy Pelosi not mentioning if impeachment was off the table, focused on her political campaign slogan which is “A New Direction for America”. She supported an early end to the war in Iraq and vowed not to give in to George Bush.
Other locals there to support TPA and PDSMM were Susan Beeftink, Marianna Palmer and Jan Elfman. Mimi Kennedy of Greg and Dharma fame, Chairman of PDA Advisory Committee, as well as the head of the Progressive Caucus congratulated everyone on all their hard work. Media critic and author Norman Solomon spoke about “Buying the War”, a Bill Moyer’s documentary that examined media coverage prior to the Iraqi invasion. Topangans Kevin Crey and Toni Pezone Crey filmed the event, doing interviews and filming the speeches. Former United States Senator John Edwards, after an enthusiastic standing ovation, spoke about ending poverty, the war and global warming.
The list of speakers over the three day event was nothing short of stellar. Governor Bill Richardson, Attorney General Jerry Brown, Congressman for the 51st District, Chair of House Veterans Committee, Bob Filner, Senator Diane Feinstein, Congresswoman Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Congressman Maxine Waters and dozens of others.
At the end of all the grand standing, political rhetoric, and enthusiastic support for change, the impeachment resolution based mainly on allegations of subversion, intentionally disseminating and propagating knowingly false and fabricated "evidence" was boiled down to the following words:
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the California Democratic Party supports vigorous investigation of these charges by the Congress of the United States, including the full use of Congressional subpoena power authority to completely disclose the actions of the Administration to the American people and to take necessary action to call the Administration to account with appropriate remedies and punishment, including impeachment.
PDSMM meets the third Tuesday of every month at 7:30 upstairs at Abuelita's. TPA meets the third Friday of every month at 7:15 at the Community House where the music starts at 6:30 pm.
Dorothy Reik contributed to this story originally written exclusively for the Topanga Messenger and the Topanga community. For more information and updates visit www.pdsmm.org and www.topangapeacealliance.org.
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