I’m getting slightly conflicting reports about exactly where the decision to “prune” the delegate list came from. One report put it the decision in Chicago’s hands, another says that it was a California decision. But at this point, the most reliable information that I have was that this was a decision made by the California staff, and a decision that perhaps even angered the Chicago staff.

I don’t want to make a huge deal of this because I’m only 90% sure of this, but the signs are pointing to a case of overzealousness.  They wanted to a) make it easier on themselves for the running of the caucus and b) ensure that there weren’t any hidden Clinton fans.  I think they now understand the reaction that this decision has caused and the reasons for that reaction, and even that they made a mistake.

I think we can chalk this up to a more decentralized campaign than we are used to.  That’s generally a good thing in that it empowers local activists if the local campaign staff has some authority and flexibility. It is nice to be able to talk to a decision maker.  But, the down-side of this is that occasionally you get some rookie mistakes.  Look, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that you would cause more problems than you would solve by pruning the list so dramatically. It’s a double-edged sword, but I think I’m ok with that.

As Dave pointed out, it is a good thing that the campaign corrected itself.  It is a good thing that the campaign heard the grassroots speaking. Mistakes happen, and for the last seven plus years we had a president who wouldn’t admit mistakes and wouldn’t correct mistakes.  I’ll be glad to have a an administration who knows and acknowledges that they are fallible.

One thing I’ve noticed about the Obama campaign is that it reflects the candidate, in that they actually bother to listen and respond.

And so:

David Plouffe just sent out this email…

There has been an extraordinary outpouring of grassroots support for Senator Obama among Democrats and Independents in all 53 California Congressional districts.

In recognition of this tremendous enthusiasm, our campaign has asked the California Democratic Party to allow all persons who have filed to be a district delegate candidate for Senator Obama at the Democratic National Convention to participate in the caucuses this Sunday, April 13, 2008.

We are confident that delegates elected from this pool will reflect the Senator’s commitment to a diverse and unified delegation at the National Convention.

An overwhelming number of supporters have signed up to run for delegate, so there will likely be lines and tight space at the caucus locations. We ask for everyone’s patience and cooperation.

Most of all, please enjoy this opportunity to meet other Obama supporters and elect delegate candidates to the Convention in Denver.

If you have any questions, please contact Daryl Sprague at [email protected].

Thanks for your interest and active participation in Barack’s campaign to change politics and change America.

David

David Plouffe

Campaign Manager

Obama for America

In the end, the weird randomness of the pruning and anger from sections of the grassroots necessitated this.  I didn’t have as big a problem with it as everyone else, but I’m glad it reached a good resolution… until Sunday, that is 🙂

(I was happy to co-host this event last night.  After a day where there was a lot of sturm und drang among the grassroots, what I remember about this week is the incredible events I’ve been fortunate enough to witness, both with Tim Goodrich and last night with Darcy Burner.  The grassroots is strong when we are all working for incredible candidates who can bring about progressive change. – promoted by David Dayen)

I met Darcy Burner for the second time last night.

It was pretty exciting, meeting a future president.  If you have to ask why I would say that, why, then, you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Darcy Burner.  

Darcy is running for Congress in Washington’s 8th District against Republican incumbent Dave Reichert.

The first time I met Darcy was at YearlyKos last summer. Kossack maeve raved to me about this woman I had to meet – maeve assured me that she was going to be president someday. I was afraid of what would happen if I ran into maeve again and hadn’t managed to meet Darcy, so I tracked her down.

Darcy and I exchanged only a few words in a crowded, noisy bar/restaurant in Chicago, where she had ventured with some other Kossacks/constituents, but I was immediately struck by her directness and complete lack of “veneer,” as some would say. She has that ability shared by the greatest politicians of putting you at ease and making you feel as if you are the only person in the room. She is approachable and engaging. And teh smart.

Even at that brief encounter, I sensed that here was a person who would do in politics whatever she put her mind to.  

That was the first time I met Darcy Burner.

I was fortunate enough last night to attend a little fundraising event organized by Dante Atkins (hekebolos), David Dayen and Courage Campaign‘s Rick Jacobs, among others, in Los Angeles. Darcy was the featured guest at the event; two other netroots congressional candidates, Ron Shepston of CA-42 and Mary Pallant of CA-24.

Darcy told the story of how she came to be involved in politics: In 2003, around the time her son was born, her brother was being shipped off to Iraq.  Darcy thought about the state of the country and the state of the world, and realized that no matter what choices she might make for her son as he grew up, unless a dramatic change took place in the direction the nation was heading – well, she did not like her choices.

So, as she likes to say, she did what any responsible American parent would do: she decided to run for Congress.

She started with zero name recognition, but ran a textbook campaign and almost toppled Republican incumbent Dave Reichert.

Although Darcy came up short in her 2006 bid – but only by a little; five voters per precinct, to be exact, as she will remind you – she put a very big scare into the Republican Party.  So much of a scare, in fact, that George Bush and Karl Rove both have visited Darcy’s district in an effort to raise money for the Republican incumbent, Dave Reichert.  (She also will remind you, with a smile, that when an online counter-fundraiser was held last fall to offset the Bush $1,000-a-plate event for Reichert, 3200 donors contributed $123,000, outraising the president himself.)

Heh.

The Republicans have good reason to fear Darcy. She is truly formidable. She is smart, funny, personable, smart, down-to-earth, disarming, humble, smart, compassionate, self-effacing and smart.

Even though Darcy lost her congressional bid in 2006, she was excited by the fact that the Democrats had taken control of both houses of Congress.  She looked forward to a rapid end to the occupation of Iraq, given that so much Democratic rhetoric in the election campaign had been about the Democrats’ intention to make that happen.

But once the 110th Congress had been in session for a few months and it became evident that, in fact, the Democratic majority lacked the political will to actually bring an end to the illegal occupation, Darcy, in her customary way, decided to take matters into her own hands.

She came to realize that the Democrats, despite their good intentions, lacked an actual plan to end the occupation; none had ever put forth by the majority party. Darcy, possessing the logical mind of the computer geek that she is, correctly reasoned that the without such a plan, the likelihood of an end to the occupation was extremely remote at best.

And this is where she and the Democratic incumbents parted ways: She was thinking rationally; they were thinking politically.

Which is why the Democratic majority in Congress has never had the courage to put forth a specific, sensible plan to end the illegal occupation of Iraq.

But Darcy – a Democratic challenger to an incumbent Republican – does have the courage.

Which is why she decided to write a plan – it seemed the obvious thing to do, as obvious as her decision to run for Congress. In her usual, sensible way, she consulted with some of the top minds available regarding the occupation of Iraq, including retired General Paul Eaton.  She brainstormed and consulted and discussed and pondered.  And then she sat down to write.  

The result of her work is A Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, a 36-page manifesto that lays out in detail the “how” of extricating the United States from the morass that it has created for itself in Iraq.

Our plan will:

1. End U.S. Military Action in Iraq

2. Use U.S. diplomatic power

3. Address humanitarian concerns

4. Restore our Constitution

5. Restore our military

6. Restore independence to the media

7. Create a new, U.S.-centered energy policy

If you haven’t read it, you should.

So far, 54 courageous Democratic congressional candidates have shown the courage to endorse The Plan, including Ron Shepston (happy birthday, Ron!) and Mary Pallant.

These people are serious about getting the United States out of Iraq.

They have the courage of their convictions.

And they have The Plan.

And we have Darcy.

I feel really good about that.

UPDATED: To reflect David’s hosting of the event! (Mea culpa, David – please forgive me!)

On the web:

Darcy Burner for Congress

Blue Majority ActBlue page

Race tracker wiki: WA-08

Ron Shepston for Congress

Mary Pallant for Congress

Cross-posted from Big Orange