you’re such a pushover — i know its HARD work bein’ a dem 🙂

John Rapf wrote:

Too much for one reading.  I cut to the end.  I agree.   Off to the bar! – JR

—– Original Message —–

From: Becky Curry

To: John Rapf ; [email protected] ; [email protected]

Sent: Saturday, July 19, 2008 3:42 PM

Subject: Re: L’ affair du Singh and Feinstein Censure

i agree w/the whole gabriel thing  – he is doing nothing to foster party building — he’s really mad about something, and feinstein just happens to be the target d’jour.

ooooh more french 🙂

however, while i think that we get distracted sometimes by the resolution of the moment and I think  this feinstein thing is the biggest waste of time i can imagine,  (at times i feel like it’s a way to distract us about where to put this word or that word in order to keep us from focusing on the big picture and allowiing people get lost in the minutiae of the process)

People are losing focus. Feinstein has a good record on most of the practical stuff I care about.

If we are not faulting Obama for sliding on this one, what’s the percentage in getting our knickers twisted over her  unsurprising  and predictable positions regarding ‘national security’ and ‘terrorism’?

However, I diverge from John about being an activist regarding issues and the policy that results.

I believe it is extremely important for local dem clubs to be activists about issues – issues and policy are what make us Democrats, not candidates who are nice and make us feel good.

And I believe it is up to us to let our elected people know where we stand on issues – we elect them, this is not a feudal system.

Those issues drive our candidates  and drive the activism behind a candidate,  you know, that stuff that gets them elected?

Our job is to reach out and carry the democratic message and policies to the peeps and put candidates forward who will

embody our policies and provide solutions to what we know are  the issues that need addressing.

We have been working in LC on single payer health care for close to two years, we have followed legislation, written letters, we have gone to rallys with our labor folks, we have  hosted forums, networked w/retirees, other dem groups, we called big time b.s on the ‘compromise’ that our State Dem leadership tried to cram down our throats early in the year.

We have instigated a campaign that is spreading out, to have citizens call upon their local elected jurisdictions to actually DO THE MATH, and see what the savings would be to taxpayers if California passed single payer.

Sheila Kuehl walks on water as far as i’m concerned (and i bet she’s nice and she does make me feel good 🙂 )

We have written numerous ltte to the local media, staking out our ground as dems on the issue, we brought “sicko” to our teeny little commercial theater by working with many other groups in the county, to packed houses for several showings a day for 4 days i may add.

i would venture to say that if anyone asked who has done the most to bring the message of single payer  and a modicum of understanding about the issue, into the mainstream conversation, in LC  they would say ‘the local democrats’

Same with the war, while we dont spend all month every month focusing on activism, we feel we must stake out the territory and define the ISSUE as democrats — and sometimes it comes to us in the form of actions from other dem orgs.

LC endorsed and wrote to all our federal legs, urging them to consider endorsing the responsible plan 3 months ago.

i’m glad to see the uber liberals in alameda county catching up 🙂

In order to define ourselves, frame our message, and take control of the dialog we must take positions on issues.

 

Same w/the SS privatization scam in 2005, we packed Mikey’s pro forma forum — he was stunned to see that people actually were paying attention. We knew he would do the right thing, but we wanted him to know how much it meant to actual people that he do that right thing.

Because i think the candidate needs to pull the cart, carrying policies we want, not the other way around.

He doesnt just say. “i’m a dem, we’ll figure all that policy stuff out later, you guys just jump on please”

yes i have to compromise many times in order to actually win at the ballot box, in order to foster dialog w/my electeds, in order to formulate a position that as many people can buy into as possible, but any negotiation begins from the high ground and i have every intention of staying there, until i am dragged off.

If I dont  have a starting place, i’m (and we are) lost — or spineless, or whatever the disaffected want to call us these days.

For instance this FISA thing is absolutely incomprehensible, but I realize the sad fact that many of our Dems, our party’s standard bearer included, are covering their butts in a corporate reality, perhaps not of their making, but they certainly whistled past the graveyard many times, in order to be put in the positions they are in now. They have  nowhere to go, but to take cover and play the game and hope no one notices — too much, again, …

But that’s not even the problem…the telecoms wont be prosecuted – so what?

Who  lost out when the s&ls collapsed in the 80’s? A few were made examples of.

How many women workers died in the Triangle shirtwaist  factory fires at the turn of the century?

How many miners were killed in during the Cripple Creek mining wars in Colo by coroporate thugs?

The history of this country is the rank and file working class sacrificing  their liberties, their rights, not to mention life and limb for an inch of progress.

Nothing to see here, move along —  in the 200 plus years of this country, it has ever been thus.

This is nothing new, and i’m inured to it, I have read my Howard Zinn.

The ISSUE that is being totally overlooked is the SPYING!!! — sure let the bigwigs off the hook for breaking the law, happens every day, but the fact remains that these congress critters  are either too dumb (which I doubt) or think that we’re too dumb (which i suspect) to know that the  4th amendment is on life support, barely breathing.

Oh dont worry, i hear, when the Dems get in it will all be fixed — as my nineteen year old nepew would say, “uh seriously dude?” — not unless we take the issue on head on and fight for it.

Issues and policy,  not candidates,  not personalities, issues and policy– and upholding the US constitution is a pretty huge issue w/me and a policy i’d like my elected Dems to adhere to.

I think it’s Martini time! 🙂

John Rapf wrote:

Some thoughts regarding the recent comments to & from Gabrial Singh that I think kind of cross flowed between the Rural Caucus and TakeBackRedCalifornia….

First, regarding the process that TBRC follows to decide whom to support, obviously temperament must be an important attribute.  If an individual has not mastered the art of disagreeing without being disagreeable, then that person probably would not serve our interests well in government.  One reason I support Jeff Morris for Congress and that I hope TBRC will support also, is that having watched Jeff as a Supervisor I know he has an ability listen and work with people he does not agree with.  Government in a democracy cannot function otherwise.  Jeff will make an excellent Congressman, whereas Gabrial’s talents are probably better suited as an op-ed writer.

Regarding the Feinstein censure, folks who know me know that I take a dim view of these things.  If we value diversity, then we should recognize that it is not just racial, ethnic, religious or etc., but also ideas and perspective.  Some of the most important lesson’s I’ve learned have come from people who come at problems from a much different viewpoint than I.  I may be wrong, but Senator Feinstein has received more votes, both in numbers and percentage, than any other Democrat in recent CA politics.  She must be doing something right.  I also think that she probably votes pretty consistently, but certainly not always, the way Progressive Democrats would like.

As constituents, if we have disagreements with an elected politician then we should as individuals let that person know.  As Rural Caucus and TBRC members we should be looking to build a farm team of progressive politicians that might better reflect our respective organizations values and goals.  The next time Feinstein runs, then folks who feel strongly enough should promote a candidate to challenge her in the primary.

As we enter into the Fall election campaign we have, in my view, a historic opportunity to elect Democrats all the way down the ticket.  That should be our complete focus.  We should not be spending one iota of time on Censure or Responsible Plan (another one making the rounds) Resolutions.

John Rapf

Northern V-P CDP Rural Caucus

Area 1 Team Coordinator, Trinity,

Obama for America Campaign ’08

Si se puede!

CDP Rural Caucus  not only wants to hold our current legislators feet to the fire. We want to move the Party forward in some new directions. Please visit our website link in the Caucus section of www.cadem.org to participate in drafting our Questionaire for ’09 CDP Chair candidate.or join our Yahoo Newsgroup to continue the dialogue.

Jhotchkiss2- Moderator CDPRC Newsgroup