All posts by nicthebrick

Governor Brown & the University of California’s Enron Playbook

At the University of California’s request, the Governor’s budget proposes to:

1. Shift $2.5 billion of existing state-supported debt onto the University of California’s books for capital projects paid for through State Lease Revenue Bonds.

2. Let UC take on more debt without legislative oversight in the future.

UC management’s proposal would kill essential state oversight of borrowing and take unnecessary risks that would leave taxpayers and students on the hook.  By rolling $2.5 billion of existing state-supported debt into UC’s budget, UC’s Wall Street management executives claim they could use the University’s superior credit rating to refinance the debt and save money this year.  In fact, UC’s credit rating is only a notch higher than the State of California’s.

Under this proposal, UC would be allowed without Legislative approval or even notification, to use General Fund dollars for any capital projects, not just to pay debt on the restructured bonds.

That hotel UC is pushing for at UCLA? Paid for with your tax dollars!

An additional financial burden of $2.5 billion in outstanding debt would put a squeeze on UC’s budget at a time when programs and jobs are being cut. It would also allow UC to take on even more debt without Legislative oversight. Transferring repayment of state-supported debt currently paid by the State to UC would not shield UC from future market volatility. Higher interest rates could increase debt service costs and divert already limited funds away from normal operating costs and core academic programs.

Runaway Debt Creates Pressure On Budget

Greater debt, future market volatility, and rising interest rates could create pressure on a limited pot of money. Higher education debt service costs in CA have already doubled in a decade, from $516 million in 2000 to $1.1 billion in 2010. Without adequate Legislative oversight, UC would be at risk for runaway debt.

If this is so bad for California’s taxpayers why is this still on the table?

This is a good question for Governor Brown and his staff. His office is the only current entity pushing this privatization bill. Anyone with any policy sense who reads the proposal sees immediate red flags. Anyone who remembers the Enron scandal or who has suffered at the hands of Wall Street over Main Street can see that this is a bad idea for all of California’s taxpayers.

Call the Governor and tell him no to UC’s debt privatization 916-445-2841 Tweet him at @JerryBrownGov #CABudget  

San Francisco Board of Supervisors Restores Due Process to Immigrant Children

Today the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in a resounding vote with only two nays restored due process to immigrant youth. Facing a full audience of over 100 immigrant right supporters, clergy, community members and high school children, only Supervisor’s Sean Elsbernd and Carmen Chu voted no. Despite their lack of support, it looks as if the board will have a veto proof majority when it reaches Mayor Gavin Newsom’s desk.  

Back in July 2008 Mayor Newsom instructed the Juvenile Probation Department to immediately begin reporting youth to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation at the moment of their arrest for a felony allegation. Under this new policy, juveniles would receive no hearings, no trial and no due process. Anyone taking a Civics 101 class could see how draconian and dangerous this new policy was for any juvenile regardless of their citizenship. Under this policy youth who were merely suspected of being undocumented are immediately taken from their families and sent to detention centers across the country while deportation proceedings are initiated. Since July, over 160 children have been referred by San Francisco to ICE.  

Through the leadership of Supervisor David Campos, a total of eight Supervisors introduced a balanced resolution to restore due process rights to the children. The proposed legislation which was approved by the City Attorney’s Office, many prominent law professors and civil rights organizations, amends the current policy to ensure that juveniles are not reported to immigration authorities until after they receive a fair trial and due process.

Even though Mayor Newsom’s office leaked the SF City Attorney’s memo legal experts from prominent civil rights organizations were quick to unveil a key legal brief that responded to City Attorney Dennis Herrera’s memo. The legal brief found that the proposal passed by the Supervisors was legally defensible and would save San Francisco from costly civil rights violations lawsuits and models good public policy.

Angela Chan, staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus, one of the authors of the brief explains, “The reference to possible legal challenges in the memo, however, should neither be overstated nor dissuade the Board from exercising its policy making role.”

Angie Junck, staff attorney at Immigrant Legal Resource Center, another co-author of the brief said “The proposed legislation does not change our legal position with regards to any of the issues the City Attorney memo raises. We cannot continue with an unjust policy for the sole purpose of ‘looking tough’ on immigration, especially when San Francisco has a vibrant immigrant history and community that we are proud of.”

By passing this amendment today, the Board of Supervisors ensured that San Francisco’s sanctuary law which celebrates its 20th anniversary this month remains a critical tool to build trust between City officials and immigrant communities. They also ensured that San Francisco’s children remain with their families without the threat of abuse or intimidation that the new policy had exacerbated. The final vote on this issue is going to be October 27th at 2 pm, stay tuned to see if Mayor Newsom is forced to sign since he has threatened to veto this measure.

Update:

According to the San Francisco Chronicle Mayor Newsom plans on ignoring the legislation. According to his Press Secretary, Nathan Ballard:

“The Campos bill isn’t worth the paper it’s written on – it’s unenforceable and he knows that. “We are not going to put our law enforcement officers in legal jeopardy just because the Board of Supervisors wants to make a statement.”

Mr. Ballard obviously has not read the federal law because as the Legal Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights, Robert Rubin, who helped write San Francisco’s Sanctuary ordinance in 1989, said:

“Federal law does not require state or local authorities to report on anyone’s immigration status.”

Professor Bill Ong Hing at UC Davis Law School states that:

“Local officials are not required by law to expend limited local resources on federal immigration enforcement.”

B, a friendly 16 year old who lives with his single father is one of the 160 children who have been reported to ICE. He is charged with tagging the word “calm.” He’s currently facing deportation to a country where he has no family who can care for him. The felony charge he received for tagging is just one of the grossly inappropriate illustrations of the abuse that is occurring with Mayor Newsom’s stance that children be reported to ICE before they receive due process. All youth have a right to their day in court if they are accused of a crime. Juvenile court judges are experts in evaluating which incidents are felonies and which are misdemeanors. With out due process, Mayor Newsom is robbing the youth of the checks and balances that the juvenile justice process provides. If children are a danger to society they can be dealt with in Juvenile court, turning them over to ICE before even being convicted, is against the fundamental basis of our society. Each and every person is innocent until proven guilty.

Supervisor Campos said it best when he said,

“The fact that you’re undocumented doesn’t mean you’re not a person under the United States Constitution. If we can’t stand up for the Constitution in San Francisco, then where can we stand up for it in this country?”

I hope Mayor Newsom who is currently running for Governor of California remembers the Constitution if he wins. There are plenty of Young Democrats and older Democrats in the state who would be appalled at his current stance against a fair policy.

Due Process for immigrant children

Latino In America San Francisco Edition

Last night I attended the advance screening and panel session of Latino in America a CNN produced series that will be airing tomorrow October 21 and 22nd.

By 2050, the U.S. Latino population is expected to nearly triple. This October, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien explores how Latinos are reshaping our communities and culture and forcing a nation of immigrants to rediscover what it means to be an American,” is the statement on CNN’s website to entice potential viewers. CNN has been working hard to market this four hour series by hosting advance screening parties across the nation. It’s obvious that the series is a serious effort to capture a larger share of the Hispanic market.

Despite their efforts, CNN which pledges itself as the ‘most trusted name in news’ is also the home of Lou Dobbs one of the most vitriolic anti immigrant voices in the media.  Presente.org  a national online advocacy organization has been running a very strong campaign to highlight the blatant lies Lou Dobbs spreads on his program. He has claimed that “Just about a third of our prison system is made up of illegal aliens.” But the Department of Justice reports that immigrants (legal and illegal) make just 6% of the prison population.  

After the screening there was a panel discussion led by CNN en Espanol’s anchor Gabriela Frias and a Q & A session with the audience. The panelists included a reporter from the San Jose Mercury Newspaper, one of the reporters who put together the series and retired Senator Art Torres. One of the more interesting questions asked, was about the hypocrisy of CNN promoting Latino in America while simultaneously hosting Lou Dobbs. Ms. Frias and the reporter from the series sidestepped the issue by responding that their job was to get good stories out and that Latinos in America have to be heard but they suggested contacting the powers that be of CNN to make the questioners view point’s heard. Sen. Art Torres responded that he felt Dobbs’ view points had marginalized him.

I asked the panel what they thought about the current California water policy issues and how Glen Beck and the Republican Party were using the Central Valley Latino community for their astroturf campaign. Sen. Torres said that

If they (the Republican Party) thought the Latino community was that stupid then they were in for a rude awakening akin to ‘Pee Wee Wilson’ and his disastrous Prop 187 campaign.

I was happy to hear Sen. Torres say this because that particular fight put many Latino boots on the ground in California for the Democratic Party. It was during the Prop 187 and 209 campaigns that I myself became more politically active and I see that time period as a defining point in my life for the path that I would eventually follow working full time in politics. As the Comprehensive Immigration Reform issue comes up in Congress it will be interesting to see if CNN ultimately chooses Lou Dobbs and his hate speech or Latinos in America. America’s Voice and Media Matters planned to run an ad targeting Dobbs during the broadcast of Latino in America, but CNN refused to air it.

America’s Voice says it plans to run the ad on a competing network.

Rebecca Barrett for DCCC – Contra Costa 4th District

My friend and young woman I’ve been mentoring, Rebecca Barrett is running for Democratic County Central Committee in Contra Costa. I first met Rebecca when she was in high school and volunteered for me at the Contra Costa United Democratic Campaign in 2006. She impressed me immediately with her dedication for Democratic Party values and her tremendous work ethic. Her high school friends even named a Facebook group after her entitled ,“Everything I know about Politics I learned from Rebecca”.

After the campaign was over, we remained friends and at my new job for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, I helped her get an internship with the congresswoman in the district office where I work. While she was interning in my office we started talking about the DCCC. Since I had worked in Contra Costa and had a good handle on the politics in that county I knew Rebecca would be a tremendous asset to the Party. I advised her to run for Central Committee and she accepted the challenge! So it’s my proud pleasure to introduce her to the Calitics community and ask that everyone reading this votes for this amazing Young Democrat and please tell all your 4th District Contra Costa friends to vote for her too. Take a look at her first speech and you’ll agree with me that it’s the right thing to do. I know that we’ll be seeing more of Rebecca Barrett in the bright future that is ahead of her.

Wasted Talent & Broken Dreams

In July of 2007 I had the opportunity to meet would be Doctors, Architects, Engineers, Lawyers, Nurses and for the majority, non-profit Executive Directors. The day that I met them they were all Advocates taking part in America’s most honored tradition of Free Speech.  

The group of 24 students that I met that day were on a week-long fast aimed at urging the House of Representatives to move forward immigration reform that includes citizenship for hundreds of thousands of undocumented youth through the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act (“DREAM Act”). The fast began July 2nd, and took place in five cities across the state: Santa Ana, Los Angeles, Bakersfield, San Jose, and San Francisco.

The students met with many members of the Bay Area Congressional Delegation during the July 4th recess, including Chairwoman Lofgren who expressed support for their efforts and appreciation for Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s support and understanding of their struggle.

The students’ stories were at the same time tragic and inspiring.  They ranged in age from high school to late-twenties.  Some recently graduated from top-notch institutions such as Stanford, UCLA or Berkeley, but were unable to secure work in their field of study because they lacked documentation.  They spoke of hardship their families faced putting them through college, with fathers working in the fields, mothers working overnight shifts in factories, and the students themselves working two or three jobs to cover the cost of attendance.  Others were unable to go to college, and felt destined to suffer the same lives of insecurity and low wages as their parents.  Many worried about their younger siblings, and all lived with the daily fear that they or their family members would be apprehended in raids and deported.  They were all impressive and determined individuals who wanted to contribute to their community and the American economy.

As undocumented students reach college age, they harbor the same dreams of continuing their education and contributing positively to our society as many other students do.  These young adults had no choice in being brought to the U.S. at a young age, yet they face colleges and universities requiring documentation of legal status, prohibitively high tuition rates, and no chance of obtaining federal financial aid for higher education.  They face a future filled with uncertainty, in which they are unlikely to work in professions for which they have trained, and are confronted with the specter of deportation at any moment.

Our nation would be stronger if these determined young men and women are given the opportunity to continue their education and realize their full potential.  Legislation such as the DREAM Act provides a clear path to legalization for these students and recognizes the immeasurable contributions immigrant families make to our country and our economy.

If Congress does not pass the DREAM Act, America will waste these students’ valuable talents and the chance for economic gain, as well as risk sending young people back to countries of which they may have no memory. America would also lose the initial investment that has already been made in their primary educations. Numerous studies demonstrate that legal status brings fiscal, economic, and labor market benefits to individual immigrants, their families, and U.S. society.

In these economic times, can we really afford to waste such a valuable national resource?

Please join with me and Brave New Foundation’s campaign on the struggles and aspirations of immigrant families in America. Read more at A Dream Deferred.

Field of Dreams: A Californian in Iowa for the Harkin Steak Fry

I knew we were close when the bus started crawling along at 5 miles per hour and candidate sign wars stretched out as far as my eyes could see. I was fortunate enough to have caught a ride from my Drinking Liberally friends so when the bus slowed to a crawl most of us decided to disembark and walk the rest of the mile down the road to the Indianola Balloon Field. The excitement was palatable as Fry attendees 15,000 of them according to the Des Moines Register, streamed through the parking lot at times dodging candidate volunteers as they tried to hand you stickers much like the perfume spritzers you have to dodge in department stores. As I walked along I was happy to see a piece of Bay Area art, the Topsy Turvy bus was there espousing budget priorities.

Once inside the main gates I decided to visit the candidate and issue tables that were set up along the perimeter. Every table had swag to give away, from buttons to bumper stickers to placards and cowbells. I remarked to my friend that it was like a Democratic Christmas. As I was inspecting the goods a ripple of excitement ran through the crowd, the first candidate had walked through the gates. There was Senator Barack Obama surrounded by his supporters as they were chanting “I-O-W-A, Barack Obama all the way!” This is what I had been waiting for, the opportunity to see Presidential candidates up close and in person practicing retail politics. Unlike in California, where candidate events have price tags starting from $250 and up here in Iowa, if you’ve caucused before and are undecided, getting a personal phone call from a candidate or their spouse is not unexpected. And for only $30 you can see and shake hands with all the candidates at Harkin’s Steak Fry. I came to Des Moines to see candidates engage with Middle America and hopefully come away with my own choice for President. Senator Obama did his part by working his way through the crowd with the help of his Secret Service agents and a few staff members. Throughout the process he was genial and would happily stop for a photo, an autograph and plenty of handshakes.

My next stop was over to the food tents to get a plate of Iowa steak, beans, potato salad and a bread roll. I was disappointed to see all the food being placed on thousands of Styrofoam plates. I hope next time around Senator Harkin will consider using a more environmentally friendly option. The steak itself was very well done and after a few tough bites I decided that I’d be better off sparing my digestive system. Luckily enough at the same time another ripple of excitement was coursing through the crowd and I looked up to see boom mikes, cameras and supporters surrounding Senator Hillary Clinton. I proceeded to hustle my way to the throng of folks to snap a photo. Her supporters were chanting “H-I, H-I-L, H-I-L-L-A-R-Y, Hillary our nominee!” They were brandishing Hillary for President placards and ringing their blue cowbells. Unfortunately for the attendees Sen. Clinton did not walk through the crowd because there was a 3-foot plastic fence separating her from everyone else. The fence had been erected earlier for the photo opportunity by the grills where the candidates had a chance to greet volunteers and flip a steak. I thought it was an odd choice for her to make and an unfortunate one that differentiated her from how the rest of the candidates were able to network with the Fry crowd. She spent about 20 minutes working the line till she was escorted away by her staff and Secret Service agents.

Senator John Edwards came through the crowd next, his supporters were brandishing placards and more than a few handmade signs some of which read “Iowa Loves Edwards” “Labor for Edwards” and “Iowa is Edwards Country.” Much like the other candidates, he seemed happy to be there and would stop to take photos, sign autographs and of course shake plenty of offered hands. 

By this time it was around 2:30, the scheduled time for the candidates to start making their speeches so I cut through the field and made my way to the stage for a good view. Suddenly, cheers and chants from all the campaign supporters and staff rose up from the crowd of viewers. All of the candidates and Senator Harkin and his wife Ruth were making their way towards the stage. Edwards, Obama and Richardson were walking side-by-side behind them were Dodd and Biden and behind them were Clinton and the Harkins. An attendee told me that Mrs. Harkin was endorsing Senator Clinton while Senator Harkin had decided to remain non-committal. Once all the candidates made it to the stage, the National Anthem was sung and then the candidates took their seats on stage in the order that they would be speaking which had been decided earlier by a random draw. This meant that on stage right it was Obama, Richardson and Clinton and on stage left it was Dodd, Edwards and Biden. It was an inspiring visual to look at all the candidates on the right. It made me proud to be a Democrat to see an African American, a Latino and a Woman vying to be President. All of these candidates represent change in American politics just by virtue of their birth.

Each candidate was allotted 15 minutes of time to make their case for why Iowans should caucus for them. Ruth Harkin was the first speaker and she stepped to the mike to introduce her husband. After Senator Harkin said his piece he welcomed Senator Obama who took the mike and made his case. Some of his key quotes include, “Fundamental change, that’s why I’m running for President.” And most importantly, “We are going to bring an end to this war and I will fight hard in the United States Senate to make sure we don’t pass any funding bill that does not have a deadline.” This was his most important statement to me and it helped distinguish himself from Clinton who has remained silent on the issue. As far as I’m concerned if you are in a position to lead against the war you should. Obama also came out strong in the visibility wars, his staff turned out 2,000 people and a marching band. 

Governor Bill Richardson was next and made the most impressive and electric speech of the day. He crammed as much policy as he could in his 15 minutes as he outlined what he would do if he were President. Highlights include: no residual troops in Iraq, 50 mph fuel standards, a Hero’s Health Card for Veterans to use any medical facility if their VA hospital is too far, $40,000 minimum salary for all teachers and a 1-year community service requirement for graduating college students so that their loans would be offset. He also gave the best joke of the day when he said that he is the Presidential candidate who offers caucus goers both change and experience, a riff on Obama and Clinton’s tedious speeches that focus on “experience” versus “change”.

Senator Clinton went third and hinted at the health care policy that she would reveal the next day. She also spoke about the mothers and daughters that she saw on the campaign trail and how she was happy when the mothers would tell the daughters that they too could be President one day. Her best line that afternoon was when she said that if she was elected in November she would immediately send envoys with both party members “around the world with a very simple message: The era of cowboy diplomacy is over. America is back.” She was also the first candidate to reference the Field of Dreams movie, when she spoke about “What we’re doing today is building a new ‘Field of Dreams'”. Chills ran up my spine when she said that line because as I looked at all of the qualified candidates on stage, I realized that they do represent a ‘Field of Dreams.’ The dream that hard working American’s will take their country back in 2008.

Senator Chris Dodd was next and unfortunately I felt like he spent half his time talking about how great Senator Harkin was, he even mentioned as he was wrapping up “Now having successfully pandered to Tom Harkin..” It seemed like a waste of a good opportunity to distinguish himself from the top tier candidates. He did have a good line when he said, “Politics of fear is what destroys our country. And the other side engages in it every day, and we need to fight back.’

Senator Edwards took the mike next amid chants of “Go John Go!” After the crowd quieted down he gave a shout out to his wife Elizabeth who was in attendance and said, “I don’t know about you, but I kind of enjoyed it when she went after Ann Coulter.” This of course erupted into another loud cheer from the crowd. He continued on his populist message and came out strong for working families and union labor. Some of his best lines of the day started with “You can’t sit at a table with lobbyists, drug companies, ect., and come away with a good health care plan. If you give them a seat at the table, they’ll take all the food!” He also said that we couldn’t replace ‘corporate Republicans’ with ‘corporate Democrats’.  On healthcare he said he would “Outlaw pre-existing conditions,” and asked “What man, woman or child is not worthy of healthcare?” He mentioned unions explicitly and he also called organized labor “the single best anti-poverty movement in history.” He thanked Congress for raising the minimum wage but said it wasn’t enough and as President he would raise it to $9.50 an hour and have it  indexed to rising inflation. He closed with stating, “You can’t just declare yourself the change candidate,” and asked caucus goers to “trust your heart.”

Senator Joe Biden was on last and opened with a joke, “I’ve also seen Field of Dreams and if I’m not mistaken, this has taken longer than 9 innings.” He went on to say that this “election is as serious as a heart attack folks.” He stated that it is obvious to him that Bush is not going to end the war and that the “responsibility is going to fall on one of the candidates sitting on stage and that is deadly serious.” After listing his foreign policy goals he wrapped up his speech by calling for an end to “the obscene amounts of money that is being spent” and advocated for public funding for elections along with a “Supreme Court that recognizes individual and civil rights.”

As the day came to an end the PA system blasted out September by Earth, Wind and Fire. Each of the candidates clasped hands and raised them in celebration as the crowds cheered on their choice. I walked away from the field knowing who I would vote for in February and proud that each of the individuals that spent their Sunday afternoon in that balloon field did so because they love America.

Field of Dreams: A Californian in Iowa for the Harkin Steak Fry

I knew we were close when the bus started crawling along at 5 miles per hour and candidate sign wars stretched out as far as my eyes could see. I was fortunate enough to have caught a ride from my Drinking Liberally friends so when the bus slowed to a crawl most of us decided to disembark and walk the rest of the mile down the road to the Indianola Balloon Field. The excitement was palatable as Fry attendees 15,000 of them according to the Des Moines Register, streamed through the parking lot at times dodging candidate volunteers as they tried to hand you stickers much like the perfume spritzers you have to dodge in department stores. As I walked along I was happy to see a piece of Bay Area art, the Topsy Turvy bus was there espousing budget priorities.

Once inside the main gates I decided to visit the candidate and issue tables that were set up along the perimeter. Every table had swag to give away, from buttons to bumper stickers to placards and cowbells. I remarked to my friend that it was like a Democratic Christmas. As I was inspecting the goods a ripple of excitement ran through the crowd, the first candidate had walked through the gates. There was Senator Barack Obama surrounded by his supporters as they were chanting “I-O-W-A, Barack Obama all the way!” This is what I had been waiting for, the opportunity to see Presidential candidates up close and in person practicing retail politics. Unlike in California, where candidate events have price tags starting from $250 and up here in Iowa, if you’ve caucused before and are undecided, getting a personal phone call from a candidate or their spouse is not unexpected. And for only $30 you can see and shake hands with all the candidates at Harkin’s Steak Fry. I came to Des Moines to see candidates engage with Middle America and hopefully come away with my own choice for President. Senator Obama did his part by working his way through the crowd with the help of his Secret Service agents and a few staff members. Throughout the process he was genial and would happily stop for a photo, an autograph and plenty of handshakes.

My next stop was over to the food tents to get a plate of Iowa steak, beans, potato salad and a bread roll. I was disappointed to see all the food being placed on thousands of Styrofoam plates. I hope next time around Senator Harkin will consider using a more environmentally friendly option. The steak itself was very well done and after a few tough bites I decided that I’d be better off sparing my digestive system. Luckily enough at the same time another ripple of excitement was coursing through the crowd and I looked up to see boom mikes, cameras and supporters surrounding Senator Hillary Clinton. I proceeded to hustle my way to the throng of folks to snap a photo. Her supporters were chanting “H-I, H-I-L, H-I-L-L-A-R-Y, Hillary our nominee!” They were brandishing Hillary for President placards and ringing their blue cowbells. Unfortunately for the attendees Sen. Clinton did not walk through the crowd because there was a 3-foot plastic fence separating her from everyone else. The fence had been erected earlier for the photo opportunity by the grills where the candidates had a chance to greet volunteers and flip a steak. I thought it was an odd choice for her to make and an unfortunate one that differentiated her from how the rest of the candidates were able to network with the Fry crowd. She spent about 20 minutes working the line till she was escorted away by her staff and Secret Service agents.

Senator John Edwards came through the crowd next, his supporters were brandishing placards and more than a few handmade signs some of which read “Iowa Loves Edwards” “Labor for Edwards” and “Iowa is Edwards Country.” Much like the other candidates, he seemed happy to be there and would stop to take photos, sign autographs and of course shake plenty of offered hands. 

By this time it was around 2:30, the scheduled time for the candidates to start making their speeches so I cut through the field and made my way to the stage for a good view. Suddenly, cheers and chants from all the campaign supporters and staff rose up from the crowd of viewers. All of the candidates and Senator Harkin and his wife Ruth were making their way towards the stage. Edwards, Obama and Richardson were walking side-by-side behind them were Dodd and Biden and behind them were Clinton and the Harkins. An attendee told me that Mrs. Harkin was endorsing Senator Clinton while Senator Harkin had decided to remain non-committal. Once all the candidates made it to the stage, the National Anthem was sung and then the candidates took their seats on stage in the order that they would be speaking which had been decided earlier by a random draw. This meant that on stage right it was Obama, Richardson and Clinton and on stage left it was Dodd, Edwards and Biden. It was an inspiring visual to look at all the candidates on the right. It made me proud to be a Democrat to see an African American, a Latino and a Woman vying to be President. All of these candidates represent change in American politics just by virtue of their birth.

Each candidate was allotted 15 minutes of time to make their case for why Iowans should caucus for them. Ruth Harkin was the first speaker and she stepped to the mike to introduce her husband. After Senator Harkin said his piece he welcomed Senator Obama who took the mike and made his case. Some of his key quotes include, “Fundamental change, that’s why I’m running for President.” And most importantly, “We are going to bring an end to this war and I will fight hard in the United States Senate to make sure we don’t pass any funding bill that does not have a deadline.” This was his most important statement to me and it helped distinguish himself from Clinton who has remained silent on the issue. As far as I’m concerned if you are in a position to lead against the war you should. Obama also came out strong in the visibility wars, his staff turned out 2,000 people and a marching band. 

Governor Bill Richardson was next and made the most impressive and electric speech of the day. He crammed as much policy as he could in his 15 minutes as he outlined what he would do if he were President. Highlights include: no residual troops in Iraq, 50 mph fuel standards, a Hero’s Health Card for Veterans to use any medical facility if their VA hospital is too far, $40,000 minimum salary for all teachers and a 1-year community service requirement for graduating college students so that their loans would be offset. He also gave the best joke of the day when he said that he is the Presidential candidate who offers caucus goers both change and experience, a riff on Obama and Clinton’s tedious speeches that focus on “experience” versus “change”.

Senator Clinton went third and hinted at the health care policy that she would reveal the next day. She also spoke about the mothers and daughters that she saw on the campaign trail and how she was happy when the mothers would tell the daughters that they too could be President one day. Her best line that afternoon was when she said that if she was elected in November she would immediately send envoys with both party members “around the world with a very simple message: The era of cowboy diplomacy is over. America is back.” She was also the first candidate to reference the Field of Dreams movie, when she spoke about “What we’re doing today is building a new ‘Field of Dreams'”. Chills ran up my spine when she said that line because as I looked at all of the qualified candidates on stage, I realized that they do represent a ‘Field of Dreams.’ The dream that hard working American’s will take their country back in 2008.

Senator Chris Dodd was next and unfortunately I felt like he spent half his time talking about how great Senator Harkin was, he even mentioned as he was wrapping up “Now having successfully pandered to Tom Harkin..” It seemed like a waste of a good opportunity to distinguish himself from the top tier candidates. He did have a good line when he said, “Politics of fear is what destroys our country. And the other side engages in it every day, and we need to fight back.’

Senator Edwards took the mike next amid chants of “Go John Go!” After the crowd quieted down he gave a shout out to his wife Elizabeth who was in attendance and said, “I don’t know about you, but I kind of enjoyed it when she went after Ann Coulter.” This of course erupted into another loud cheer from the crowd. He continued on his populist message and came out strong for working families and union labor. Some of his best lines of the day started with “You can’t sit at a table with lobbyists, drug companies, ect., and come away with a good health care plan. If you give them a seat at the table, they’ll take all the food!” He also said that we couldn’t replace ‘corporate Republicans’ with ‘corporate Democrats’.  On healthcare he said he would “Outlaw pre-existing conditions,” and asked “What man, woman or child is not worthy of healthcare?” He mentioned unions explicitly and he also called organized labor “the single best anti-poverty movement in history.” He thanked Congress for raising the minimum wage but said it wasn’t enough and as President he would raise it to $9.50 an hour and have it  indexed to rising inflation. He closed with stating, “You can’t just declare yourself the change candidate,” and asked caucus goers to “trust your heart.”

Senator Joe Biden was on last and opened with a joke, “I’ve also seen Field of Dreams and if I’m not mistaken, this has taken longer than 9 innings.” He went on to say that this “election is as serious as a heart attack folks.” He stated that it is obvious to him that Bush is not going to end the war and that the “responsibility is going to fall on one of the candidates sitting on stage and that is deadly serious.” After listing his foreign policy goals he wrapped up his speech by calling for an end to “the obscene amounts of money that is being spent” and advocated for public funding for elections along with a “Supreme Court that recognizes individual and civil rights.”

As the day came to an end the PA system blasted out September by Earth, Wind and Fire. Each of the candidates clasped hands and raised them in celebration as the crowds cheered on their choice. I walked away from the field knowing who I would vote for in February and proud that each of the individuals that spent their Sunday afternoon in that balloon field did so because they love America.

Behind the Orange Curtain and On the Front Line, 2008 here we come!

(Nic is doing some great work down in the OC. I love to see these campaign updates. – promoted by juls)

The election of State Senator Lou Correa in Orange County has marked yet another shifting of tides for OC Republicans. What was once thought to be a Republican stronghold in California is now facing erosion much like Southern California’s seaside cliffs. The Democratic Party, bolstered by Howard Dean’s 50 state strategy of leaving no county behind has taken root here in the O.C.

The Democratic rising tide started in 1996 with the election of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez and has become stronger throughout the years with the ’98 election of Joe Dunn to State Senate and Lou Correa to Assembly. In the last election cycle, the biggest fight in Orange County was the Senate District 34 battle, Lou Correa v. Lynn Daucher.  On election night the outcome for this race was divided by a mere 13 votes, ultimately after every vote was counted it was decided in Correa’s favor by only 1392 http://www.ocvote.co… votes. This race had high visibility not only because it was the most important legislative race in the state but also because it was subjected to two different Republican voting scandals. The $13 voter registration scheme and the Latino community targeted voter suppression letter by Loretta Sanchez’s opponent Tan Nguyen. When I asked about the Correa race Edgardo Reynoso, Correa’s Field Director stated, “elections like this are simple, in highly contested races we can not be talking to mid and low-propensity voters the same way we talk to high-propensity voters, micro targeting and narrow casting within communities of interest gets Democrats to the polls. This is what put Lou over the top and what will work long term countywide.”

The SD 34 victory for the OC Democratic party http://www.ocdemocra… is a small sign of things to come. Frank Barbaro, Chairman of the DPOC is now working to strengthen the current infrastructure so that in 2008 Orange County will be the battleground to watch in California. He’s hired an elite team that consists of Mike Levin, as the Executive Director, Melahat Rafiei, as the Political Director and Edgardo Reyonso as Field Director.

Right now, priority number one for the team is to win the Special Election and retain the only Democratic seat on the Board of Supervisors. Come February 7th though, the team will in the words of Levin be working to “field an army aligned with labor, community leaders and Democratic clubs that support viable candidates at all levels.”

After working here as an organizer for the Special Election and meeting the young leaders that have been recruited, I predict the races to watch in 2008 will be the 68th and 70th AD’s and the 35th SD. 

If you’d like to be a part of the wave and meet the team, join in the GOTV effort. Phone banks and precinct walks take place Monday – Sunday at the DPOC headquarters.