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A Weekend on the Western Slope

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

After a week of enduring a lot of flack for doing our job, it was refreshing to hit the road with packets for counties that will get them into some of the Democratic convention functions next week. Of course, like any journey, it was fraught with its on little adventures.

I was an hour late getting started because the packets were not ready. My hat is off to all of the people who worked to get lists reviewed. At the Campaign for Change office, no one seemed to have slept on Thursday night. However, they were cordial and helpful, especially Paul Schnaitter and Ray Rivera.

And of course, it was pouring down rain. I am not complaining. We need the water. It just made a slower go of the travel. I met Becky Cook, co-chair for Clear Creek, at a parking lot in Morrison. We damply went through her packet of instructions and documents.

By then I knew that the Eisenhower Tunnel was closed. Charlene Smith from Lake County called me along the way. She was on the other side waiting for her packet. We decided to hope and pray that the tunnel would be clear by the time I got there. It was, but I was greeted with a five-mile back up and some light snow. In August!!

Charlene waited for over an hour and then met Sandy Briggs from Summit County at Frisco. We counted out documents and information. All in good spirits so I could be off to Edwards.

DNC Committeewoman Debbie Marquez and her daughter, Francesca, met me at the exit 163. We once again went over documentation for Eagle County and discussed upcoming events.

Next stop was Glenwood Springs. I got off I-70 and arrived at our drop off point to meet Camilla Auger from Pitkin and Pat Tamasko from Garfield. Once again we counted documents, went through instructions, and I headed up the road.

By now, I was running one and half hours late. So I called Rep. John Salazar’s chief of staff, Ron Carleton so he could pass on the word to the attendees of the Montrose County barbeque. Did I say that was where I was heading?

And I did arrive around 7pm. Everyone had stayed to hear me speak so I made it short. They had a great turn out. I had little mini-meetings with John Hollrah from Ouray County; Frank and Pat Ventura from Gunnison County; and Dick Unruh’s representative from San Miguel. More packets distributed and documentation reviewed. I gave Ron Carleton packets for the counties of Montezuma, La Plata, San Juan and Archuleta since he was meeting Rep. Salazar over there the next day.

Kim Wille was there taking her great pictures, and she filled up a plate of barbeque for me. It was cold but delicious. While I ate, Steve Dooley entertained me with stories about local characters. Steve is an attorney in Montrose County.

I went home with Karen Connor, former Montrose County Democratic Chair, for the night. Jayne Bilberry came over to pick up packets for Montrose and Delta. Jayne is also a member of the Colorado delegation so we talked about the upcoming convention.

Saturday morning I was on the road again. I did stop in Gunnison to buy a new cowboy hat and then headed to Salida. Tom Thomas met me at Bongo Billy’s to pick up Chaffee County’s packet. And Terry Hart was waiting, with his lovely daughter, to get Pueblo’s information. They talked to me, while I ate a quick lunch, about what is happening in their county.

By this time I am back in a deluge of rain. I arrived at Coaldale, where a big rally was occurring at Itty Bitty Campground. Dan Slater was there, as was CD5 candidate for Congress, Hal Bidlack. (BTW, Hal was at Bongo Billy’s earlier in Salida). I was able to give Kevin Bradley the packet for Fremont County.

Then I headed for Woodland Park. The Democratic dinner in Teller County was held for the first time in 11 years. Over 100 people attended. I gave the keynote speech and could feel the electricity in the air as these dedicated people gathered to celebrate new activism in the county. Laurie Glauth did a wonderful job as the emcee. Hal Bidlack gave a great speech. Attendees got to hear from Joe Alsup, who is running for State Senate; Holly Gorman, candidate for State House: and their local candidates for county commissioner, Rev. Saunders, and Charles Olson. And yes, Laurie got a packet for Teller.

Of course, the fun of the night was when Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff conducted the live auction, raising several thousand dollars.

I arrived home last night exhilarated and exhausted. However, it was a great trip for two main reasons. Connecting with local Democrats who are doing the important work to register voters, rally their communities and raise dollars is always a reminder that they are the essential core of our party. We constantly look for ways to motivate and reward them. Often that is just about “showing up.”

Secondly, I traveled over some of the most beautiful parts of our state. Mountains, valleys and streams that fill me with so much spiritual renewal. I saw a big horn sheep, young buck, lots of birds and just the wonder that is Colorado.

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I don’t always have time to post comments, but I wanted to share this with you.

Pat Waak, Chair, Colorado Democratic Party

Posted in CDP, Counties, National Convention 2008 | 1 Comment »

Bidlack: Raising Money and Raising Eyebrows

Monday, August 4th, 2008

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

They’re whistling past the graveyard down at Republican headquarters in Colorado Springs. They’ve got themselves convinced that the Fifth Congressional District is theirs, and there is no way the Democrats have a shot. Heck, they’ve even been successful in convincing some in the media that’s true, too. They’re so convinced, they may be about to nominate Doug Lamborn for a second term in Congress, even though he’s proven to be about, oh, 435th on the list of most effective members of Congress.

Don’t be surprised, though, if you hear the name “Bidlack” shouted out in anger by those same folks at GOP headquarters after November 4. Jay Fawcett certainly paved the way for a Democrat to be competitive here, and let me tell you, Hal Bidlack can win the 5th CD.

Friday night, we came up to Denver to attend a fundraiser for Hal, which I co-hosted. The primary host of the fundraiser was Senator Ken Salazar, and Senator Salazar was introduced by Mayor Wellington Webb. Senator Salazar was clear and unequivocal in his support for Bidlack, and pledged to raise several thousand more dollars to help Hal Bidlack win. The room was packed with several key funders from the Denver area (and beyond), and it was an impressive showing for Hal’s campaign. He even had several folks drive from Canon City and Colorado Springs attend, including El Paso Democratic Chair John Morris and Canon City Councilmember Pat Freda. State Chair Pat Waak was on hand to show her support, as was the Chair of the State Party’s Finance Committee, Frances Koncilja.

Hal gave a stirring and wonderful talk about his values and the key issues in the race — and while I’d heard much of what he said just a couple of nights before at a campaign forum in Canon City, it never gets old. His support for the Constitution alone (he does give President Bush credit for preserving the 3rd Amendment to the Constitution — none of us has had to worry about British soldiers quartered in our homes… yet) is reason enough to support Hal Bidlack.

I want to take this moment to encourage you to stop what you’re doing and donate what you can — even if it is only a few dollars — to Bidlack’s efforts. Here’s a few reasons why your doing so will help Hal win:

The 5th CD is Winnable in 2008:
The winds of change in 2008 are even stronger than in 2006. Just look at the results a couple of months ago in Mississippi, where a special election in the First Congressional District resulted in a lopsided Democratic win. In Mississippi’s First CD, President Bush beat John Kerry by a 62-37 margin — not too different from the margin of victory for the Republicans in Colorado’s 5th CD. More importantly, the victory in Mississippi wasn’t even close; Childers won handily by a 54-46 margin.

Fifth CD Voters Were Malleable in 2006:
In 2006, a couple of key independent polls about a month before the election showed Jay Fawcett and Doug Lamborn in a dead heat. And the internal polls of the Republican Party showed that, too. That’s why the RNCC — the national arm of the Republican Party focused on winning Congressional races — spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attacking Fawcett during the last month of the election. They even sent in Vice President Cheney to help prop up Lamborn. In the end, that effort worked primarily because Fawcett did not have enough money to respond to the grim attacks on him by the Republicans; while he’d raised more money than any Democrat before him in the Fifth CD, the RNCC simply drowned him with their ability to spend in this cheap media market. But I don’t think anybody doubts that the polls showing a tight race were real, and reflected that voters in the Fifth CD had serious doubts about Doug Lamborn.

The GOP Won’t Be Able to Buy This Race in 2008:
In 2006, the Republican Party had a lot of money to throw at last-minute races like the Fifth CD. This year, the Republicans have had immense difficulty keeping their heads above water financially, and are facing some pretty serious financial abuses in their organization that are under investigation. Meanwhile, their counterparts, the DCCC, have had an amazingly good cycle raising money, and will be able to protect last-minute attacks on challengers in a way they simply were unable to do in 2006. Just as important, a hard-fought Republican primary will leave Bidlack as coming out of August with more cash on hand than his Republican opponent (likely to still be Lamborn). In fact, when you count the loans and debts owed by campaigns, of all of the candidates for the Fifth CD, Hal Bidlack has the MOST cash-on-hand of anybody. His Second Quarter haul of over $100,000 surprised nearly every political observer in Colorado and across the nation, and people in DC are starting to whisper about the 5th CD as a possibility. Here’s the cash-on-hand of all four candidates (minus loans and debts), as of July 23 (the last reporting period):
Lamborn: 64,752
Crank: -20,588
Rayburn: -43,880
Bidlack: 68,368

Of course, if he can’t keep up that financial steam, it won’t matter. That’s where you come in. Go, right now, to Bidlack’s website and donate:
http://bidlack2008.com/contribute.php

If you’re still not convinced Hal can win, think of this. Even if Hal doesn’t win, every dollar spent in his race will result in a rate of return that helps everybody. It means that more Republican money has to go to help Doug Lamborn (or whomever is the GOP nominee). And it means that money won’t be going to people like Marilyn Musgrave, Bob Schaffer, or Republicans running for key State House and State Senate races. It also means that more money goes into organizing a field campaign in the 5th CD — a district where, if Barack Obama or Mark Udall can pull just 40%, it pretty much becomes mathematically impossible for the Republicans to win statewide. By motivating more Democratic-minded voters in El Paso County and the other counties in the 5th CD, it helps build a base that guarantees Democratic victories across the board.

So, once again, I implore you to head over and help Hal:
http://bidlack2008.com/contribute.php

——————————–

One other quick note: I want to welcome Matt Farrauto to the Colorado Democratic Party family. I’ve known Matt for a few years now; he’s been the Executive Director of the New Mexico Democratic Party for several years. His joining the CDP is quite a coup, and we are honored to have him with us. I’ve always been impressed with how Matt thinks and what he has done in New Mexico; his handling of our Communications duties is going to help put us over the top in November. Here’s some of the CDP press release announcing Matt’s new position with the CDP:

“Because Colorado is hosting the Democratic National Convention and has become a competitive battleground state, we are enjoying a new degree of media attention. I am pleased that we could find someone like Matt Farrauto, who brings a unique set of qualifications and experience to the job of Communications Director,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak. “He has steady hand and a passion for Democratic politics.”

Matt Farrauto comes to Colorado from New Mexico where he served as the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of New Mexico from 2005 until late 2007. Prior to being promoted to Executive Director, Farrauto served as spokesman for New Mexico’s Democratic Coordinated Campaign.

Welcome aboard, Matt!

Posted in CDP, Congressional Races | Comments Off

Post State Convention Ad Hoc Committee

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

Dear Democrats,

The State and Congressional District Conventions and Assemblies last weekend in Colorado Springs constituted an unprecedented gathering of Colorado Democrats. During the events of the weekend many of you were immersed in confused circumstances and experienced time-consuming difficulties during the registration and credentialing processes since we were unable to complete the credentialing-by-mail process in time for the conventions/assemblies. Facilities for the weekend were under contract eighteen months prior to the event before we had any idea of the overwhelming interest that would be displayed in the caucuses and county conventions and one of the local hotels where meeting were to be held cancelled at the last moment. We were also caught by surprise by the shortage of Obama ballots, we intentionally over-ordered both Clinton and Obama ballots so we would not run out of ballots – and we have now heard that the ballots were on the loading dock and not delivered to the main hall. This combination of events was regrettable and we must undertake steps to improve our procedures for future conventions and assemblies.

On the bright side, the appearance of thousands of attendees, their enthusiastic participation, and their demeanor in dealing with these untoward circumstances were marvelous. You are all to be applauded.

As a consequence of the events of the convention weekend we are appointing an ad hoc committee to be charged with reviewing and improving registration and credentialing processes. Examples of measures that may be considered are greater involvement of counties in the credentialing process and earlier recruiting and training of volunteers. The committee so far consists of Judi Butz, Jefferson County; Jim Spehar, Mesa County; Dana Barker, Garfield County; Karen Teja, El Paso County; and Teri Baird, Elbert County. We would like to have a volunteer from one of the Eastern Plains counties. The committee will be composed of no more than 15 members. Please use info@coloradodems.org as the contact point and title the email as Convention Input. We encourage you to submit comments and suggestions to the committee. We are asking them at the same time to interview staff and volunteers to get background information.

PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE, ELECTOR, AND DELEGATE SELECTION RESULTS

Counting of votes has been completed and final results are available for selection of delegates to the Democratic National Convention by presidential preference and presidential electors. Attached is a spreadsheet of all the delegates and alternates

State Convention Results
Barack Obama:8 At-Large National Convention Delegates, 2 National Convention Alternates5 Pledged Party Leader / Elected Official (PLEO) National Convention Delegates

Hillary Clinton:4 At-Large National Convention Delegates2 Pledged Party Leader / Elected Official (PLEO) National Convention Delegates

DNC Members:Debbie Marquez, Anthony Graves, Mannie RodriguezAt-Large Electors:Polly Baca, Margaret Atencio

Obama PLEO National Convention Delegates:Veronica Barela, Terrance Carroll, Vivian Stovall, Paul Lopez, Rosemary Marshall

Clinton PLEO National Convention Delegates:Mona Merchant, Jessica ClarkUnpledged

Add-on National Convention Delegate:Federico Pena

Obama At-Large National Convention Delegates:James Tucker, Julia Hicks, Jon Singer, Erica Hixson, Dunbar Watson, Jeffrey Hart, Susan McMahon, Jacqueline St. Joan

Clinton At-Large National Convention Delegates:Polly Baca, Richard Gonzales, Sonya Jaquez Lewis, Gordon Williams

Obama At-Large National Convention Alternates:Jay Barry, Morgan Carroll

CD Convention / Assembly Results

CD 1 CONVENTION
Barack Obama:
4 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate
Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates

CD 1 Presidential Elector:
Wellington Webb
CD 1 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Anthony Graves, Crisanta Duran, Seth Masket, Allegra Haynes
CD 1 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Mark Thrun
CD 1 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Awilda Marquez, Daniel Kagan
CD 1 ASSEMBLY
U.S. Congress:
Diana DeGette
State Board of Education:
Elaine Berman

CD 2 CONVENTION
Barack Obama:
4 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate
Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates
CD 2 Presidential Elector:
Terry Phillips
CD 2 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Jessica Wittmer, Shawn Coleman, Richard Gardner, Sarah Kihm
CD 2 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Wendy Wilson
CD 2 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Odell Barry, Sacha Millstone
CD 2 ASSEMBLY
U.S. Congress:
Joan Fitz-Gerald 61%
Jared Polis 39%
CU Regent:
Joe Neguse

CD 3 CONVENTION
Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate
Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates
CD 3 Presidential Elector:
Camilla Auger
CD 3 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Blanca O’Leary, Brian O’Donnell, Jayne Bilberry
CD 3 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Neil Isenberg
CD 3 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Joe Torres, Mary Beth Pyle
CD 3 ASSEMBLY
U.S. Congress:
John Salazar
State Board of Education:
Jill Brake

CD 4 CONVENTION
Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate
Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates
CD 4 Presidential Elector:
Pam Shaddock
CD 4 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Sharon Malloy, Nathan VanDerSchaaf, Paul Anderson
CD 4 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Pam Shaddock
CD 4 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Stan Matsunaka, Kathleen Ensz
CD 4 ASSEMBLY
U.S. Congress:
Betsy Markey

CD 5 CONVENTION
Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate
Hillary Clinton:
1 National Convention Delegate
CD 5 Presidential Elector:
Jennifer Trujillo-Sanchez
CD 5 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Mike Maday, Benjamin Taber, Lynn Young
CD 5 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Jason DeGroot
CD 5 Clinton National Convention Delegate:
Brenda Krause
CD 5 ASSEMBLY
U.S. Congress:
Hal Bidlack

CD 6 CONVENTION
Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate
Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates
CD 6 Presidential Elector:
Don Strickland
CD 6 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Robert Kihm, Marzette Bedford-Billinghurst, Paula Noonan
CD 6 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Carmine Iadarola
CD 6 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Rebecca McClellan, John Petty
CD 6 ASSEMBLY
U.S. Congress:
Hank Eng
CU Regent:
AJ Clemmons

CD 7 CONVENTION
Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate
Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates
CD 7 Presidential Elector:
Ann Knollman
CD 7 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Joe Beaver, Allison Cotton, Dorian DeLong
CD 7 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Saorise Charis-Graves
CD 7 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Monisha Merchant, Jere Kennedy
CD 7 ASSEMBLY
U.S. Congress:
Ed Perlmutter
CU Regent:
Patrick Mulligan
State Board of Education:
Jane Goff

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Posted in CDP, Counties, DNC, National Convention 2008 | Comments Off

Lots of Explanations … And Apologies

Wednesday, May 21st, 2008

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

I’ve spent the past few days both recuperating from this past weekend and focusing again on getting some money-generating work done for my clients. But I did stop long enough to attend a Fremont County Dems Central Committee meeting Monday night, and fielded a ton of questions and concerns about the State and Congressional District meetings on Friday and Saturday. Before I get to my thoughts on those, however, I want to be sure you all have the latest news on the results of the balloting this weekend.

State Party staff and volunteers have been very busy counting ballots for the past three days. We finally have results from all seven Congressional Districts. Here are the results we have so far, courtesy of the CDP website:

Barack Obama:
8 At-Large National Convention Delegates, 2 National Convention Alternates
5 Pledged Party Leader / Elected Official (PLEO) National Convention Delegates

Hillary Clinton:
4 At-Large National Convention Delegates
2 Pledged Party Leader / Elected Official (PLEO) National Convention Delegates

DNC Members:
Debbie Marquez, Anthony Graves, Mannie Rodriguez

At-Large Electors:
Polly Baca, Margaret Atencio

Obama PLEO National Convention Delegates:
Veronica Barela, Terrance Carroll, Vivian Stovall, Paul Lopez, Rosemary Marshall

Clinton PLEO National Convention Delegates:
Mona Merchant, Jessica Clark

——————————————————————————–

CD 1 CONVENTION

Barack Obama:
4 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate

Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates

CD 1 Presidential Elector:
Wellington Webb

CD 1 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Anthony Graves, Crisanta Duran, Seth Masket, Allegra Haynes

CD 1 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Mark Thrun

CD 1 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Awilda Marquez, Daniel Kagan

CD 1 ASSEMBLY

U.S. Congress:
Diana DeGette

——————————————————————————–

CD 2 CONVENTION

Barack Obama:
4 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate

Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates

CD 2 Presidential Elector:
Terry Phillips

CD 2 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Jessica Wittmer, Shawn Coleman, Richard Gardner, Sarah Kihm

CD 2 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Wendy Wilson

CD 2 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Odell Barry, Sacha Millstone

CD 2 ASSEMBLY

U.S. Congress:
Joan Fitz-Gerald 61%
Jared Polis 39%

CU Regent:
Joe Neguse

——————————————————————————–

CD 3 CONVENTION

Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate

Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates

CD 3 Presidential Elector:
Camilla Auger

CD 3 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Blanca O’Leary, Brian O’Donnell, Jayne Bilberry

CD 3 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Neil Isenberg

CD 3 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Joe Torres, Mary Beth Pyle

CD 3 ASSEMBLY

U.S. Congress:
John Salazar

State Board of Education:
Jill Brake

——————————————————————————–

CD 4 CONVENTION

Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate

Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates

CD 4 Presidential Elector:
Pam Shaddock

CD 4 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Sharon Malloy, Nathan VanDerSchaaf, Paul Anderson

CD 4 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Pam Shaddock

CD 4 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Stan Matsunaka, Kathleen Ensz

CD 4 ASSEMBLY

U.S. Congress:
Betsy Markey

——————————————————————————–

CD 5 CONVENTION

Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate

Hillary Clinton:
1 National Convention Delegate

CD 5 Presidential Elector:
Jennifer Trujillo-Sanchez

CD 5 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Mike Maday, Benjamin Taber, Lynn Young

CD 5 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Jason DeGroot

CD 5 Clinton National Convention Delegate:
Brenda Krause

CD 5 ASSEMBLY

U.S. Congress:
Hal Bidlack

——————————————————————————–

CD 6 CONVENTION

Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate

Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates

CD 6 Presidential Elector:
Don Strickland

CD 6 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Robert Kihm, Marzette Bedford-Billinghurst, Paula Noonan

CD 6 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Carmine Iadarola

CD 6 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Rebecca McClellan, John Petty

CD 6 ASSEMBLY

U.S. Congress:
Hank Eng

CU Regent:
AJ Clemmons

——————————————————————————–

CD 7 CONVENTION

Barack Obama:
3 National Convention Delegates, 1 National Convention Alternate

Hillary Clinton:
2 National Convention Delegates

CD 7 Presidential Elector:
Ann Knollman

CD 7 Obama National Convention Delegates:
Joe Beaver, Allison Cotton, Dorian DeLong

CD 7 Obama National Convention Alternate:
Saorise Charis-Graves

CD 7 Clinton National Convention Delegates:
Monisha Merchant, Jere Kennedy

CD 7 ASSEMBLY

U.S. Congress:
Ed Perlmutter

CU Regent:
Patrick Mulligan

State Board of Education:
Jane Goff

So, congrats to the many winners over the past few weeks that will comprise our delegation to the National Convention in Denver in August. There was a lot of furious campaigning, and a lot more people ran who were deserving of a position than the number of positions that were available, but I’m confident we are going to have a great delegation to the Convention in August.

The State numbers are still being tabulated as I type this; however, I have learned that the vote at the State Convention was approximately 70% Obama to 30% Clinton, creating an 8-4 split in the At Large delegation for Obama (with 1 alternate to each campaign At Large), and a 5-2 split in the Pledged Party Leader and Elected Official category for Sen. Obama.

The Party is still tabulating / has not released results for the individual At Large delegate races. I just received word that they are looking for more Obama volunteers to count the Obama At Large ballots.

———————–

Now, on to the meetings this weekend.

I spent the bulk of the day Friday at the World Arena, as my job in preparing for this weekend was to deal with most everything that went on inside the arena bowl (i.e., the actual program of the State Convention and Assembly). I worked with the campaigns in dealing with space issues, and supervised the installation of the sound, lighting, and video systems. At about 2:30, I headed back over to the Doubletree to register for and attend my own Congressional District meeting (the 5th CD). As soon as I arrived, I wished I was back at the much less chaotic World Arena.

For those of you who were there, you know that it was a complete mess — lines around and out of the convention area and into the hotel room hallways. I do want to make sure that some explanation is made — this was not what the Party had in mind, nor was it what was proposed to the Site Selection Committee when we selected Colorado Springs. Instead, the original plan was to use both the Sheraton (now the Crowne Plaza) and the Doubletree for the Friday meetings. Under that plan, two of the Congressional Districts would have met at the Sheraton at very ample and spread-out meeting room spaces, while the final of the three Congressional Districts would have still met at the Doubletree. Those of you who attended the State Party Summit in 2005 in Colorado Springs likely remember the Sheraton, as that is where we held that event — and it worked quite well.

Unfortunately, in a turn of events that has never been fully explained, the Sheraton / Crowne Plaza backed out of a commitment to host the Friday meetings about two months ago or so. At that point, it was too late to move the State Convention and Assembly from Colorado Springs — and pretty much any venue we would have chosen would have still had space issues. The Party explored using other last-minute venues to replace the Crowne Plaza, but the solution would have cost tens of thousands of dollars more — money that the Party simply could not afford (the State Convention and Assembly was already costing much more than planned). So we were stuck not only with holding everything at the Doubletree, but also with holding three Congressional Districts back-to-back-to-back.

In a normal year, that would be a daunting proposition. In 2008, that was a recipe for chaos. At the CD assemblies in previous weekends, we had already seen where some bottlenecks lay, and the Party staff worked quite valiantly to try to address those issues before the 16th. But some institutional bottlenecks remained, and those simply drove the process into a process that doubled the amount of time alloted to hold the 5th CD meeting, making everything else run even later.

Compounded on all of this was the fact that, in the 5th CD and in the 4th CD, the numbers coming out of the caucuses and county assemblies were such that the Clinton and Obama campaigns were within a couple dozen votes of gaining or losing a national delegate position. That focused an awful lot of intense heat on Party staff and volunteers, as campaign staff scrutinized every decision and every delegate credential awarded. How alternates were seated was, quite literally, going to decide how many national delegates each campaign was awarded. In 2008, in our national atmosphere, that slowed everything down even further.

With all of that in mind, though, I don’t want to make you all think that I believe what happened on Friday night was excusable. It was not. But I also want folks to realize that there isn’t a single villain or a single problem that caused all of the registration and alternate seating issues. The issues were caused by an amalgam of issues and mistakes — and I do know that the State Party officers and staff are well aware of those issues and mistakes. Dana Barker of Garfield County has rightly suggested that Chair Pat Waak form an ad hoc committee to review the state convention procedures and to make recommendations for changes in future years. I know Pat is going to work on doing that, and that is to be commended. The best thing that can come from this past weekend is a review and self-analysis to figure out how to ensure that — even though we may never see the same kinds of crowds again — we never subject Democrats to what happened on Friday night again.

As for Saturday, I must admit that all I’ve heard about are second-hand reports. I spent the entirety of the day stage right, handling the production (yes, the music and videos were all my doing (except for the Udall presentation), so address any complaints about those to me). I never got out onto the concourse to see what was going on. We heard occasional reports, and I assure you we were very frustrated with the slow pace of seating alternates, but it sounds like that process ran a little more smoothly on Saturday than it did on Friday. Many delegations organized to have their alternates sit in the arena until they were called back for seating, but I understand that some others were stuck out there most of the day. Again, for that, I don’t think there is any good excuse.

Enough about the problems.

If you missed the State Convention, I think you missed a really great event, even with the alternate issues. I loved how the crowd reacted to the music, and to the speakers. Both the Clinton supporters and the Obama supporters had plenty to cheer about — and everybody there had plenty to cheer about when Mark Udall came in the room from the back. The Udall campaign did an outstanding job re-introducing Mark Udall to Colorado Democrats, and Maggie Fox brought a tear to more than a few eyes in the room when she talked of her love for her husband.

You may not be aware of it, but we actually draft a “script” for these things. No, the votes aren’t scripted, but most of the day is pretty well timed out and scripted. In the past, we kind of have hoped to stay no more than an hour behind the script. Saturday, we finished the program and got to the balloting nearly an hour AHEAD of the script! For most of the day, indeed, we were running ahead of schedule. I know many of you appreciated that we started on time (actually, Pat ribbed me that we technically started with Rep. Merrifield and Rep. Morse going on stage four minutes late, at 10:04), and that was a big goal of mine.

In fact, some of you may recall that the last state assembly to be held at the World Arena went much, much worse. In 2006, the rancor and division within the Republican Party caused the Republican State Assembly to run well into the evening. Voting began by around 4 pm for the Democrats this year, and the last vote was cast by around 6 pm — and that was with us running out of Obama ballots!

Oh, yeah, we couldn’t end the State Convention without one last crisis. We ran out of Obama ballots. It appears from the preliminary analysis that our printer mixed up the orders for Obama and Clinton ballots, as the Party ordered several hundred more ballots of each than we would conceivably need. Thankfully, Billy Compton has worked in elections before (he was the head of the Secretary of State’s elections division before coming to the Party), and had some one-page write-in ballots ready just in case of a worst-case scenario. The last few hundred Obama supporters were given these write-in ballots and shared a few lists of candidates to ensure they knew who was running for each office.

Was it messy? Yep. Did it seem disorganized? You bet. Did we get through it and elect everybody we needed to elect? Absolutely.

Thanks to all of you who participated in the messy business we call democracy this weekend.

Posted in CDP, DNC, National Convention 2008, Presidential Campaign 2008, US Senate Race 2008 | 2 Comments »

On the Road – Montezuma, La Plata and the Tri-counties of Otero, Bent and Crowley

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Continuing with my weekend catch up visits to outlying areas, I was down in the Southwest in late April. On Saturday, the 26th, I met with about fifteen good Democrats in Cortez. In addition to the officers, like chair Toni Gurnea, Hazel Perkins, chair of the Dolores County Democrats, drove over with husband, Delano. We had a great morning talking about the statewide turnout for caucuses and all the work going forward for the campaigns in 2008.

Montezuma County Democrats are growing again and excited about rebuilding their local party after some rough times. They sent a table full of people over to Durango for the evening dinner.

In Durango, the La Plata County Democrats filled the room with tables and enough excitement to raise the roof. Jean Walters, Chair of the local Democrats, led off an evening of speeches. Wally White has launched his campaign for re-election as County Commissioner. And Peter Tregillus is also running for another commissioner seat. I know that Joelle Riddle, who won in 2006, is eager to keep Wally and have another Democrat on the county commission.

State Sen. Jim Isgar had a chance to talk about the accomplishments of the current legislative session. U.S. Rep. John Salazar also gave an update from the U.S. Congress. But the highlight of the evening was former Texas Agriculture Commissioner, author, and radio show celebrity, Jim Hightower. He gave his usual humorous assessment of the issues, even though he is quite serious about the need for us to “agitate.”

I got to say my words and then ran in to Jim Hightower the next morning. We talked about the changes going on across the country.

On my way to Otero I stopped off at the CD6 Assembly and Convention. The turnout was great but put huge demands on the credentialing system. We learned a lot and elected our first delegates to the national convention.

CD6 also nominated Hank Eng as the Democratic nominee for Congress. Steve Clark and Ivan Botvin were candidates as well, and we thank them for stepping up. Hank received an overwhelming 88% of the vote, which is a tribute to his hard work over the past few months. Hank has a great background, including some similarities to mine – former Peace Corps Volunteer and former USAID employee. He will work hard to earn the support of voters in the district.

This past weekend I attended the annual Tri-County JFK dinner in La Junta, along with 160 other guests. Otero County Democrats presented a check for $500 to me for the state convention. Hooray for Otero County Dems!!! They also gave checks to State Rep. Wes McKinley and the local commissioner candidates.

Rep. McKinley was the evening emcee. Speaker Andrew Romanoff talked about the state legislative session. He did his usual great job.

Betsy Markey talked about her Congressional race in CD4. We are so lucky to have Betsy as our candidate. She will be officially nominated on May 16, but she already is working really hard across the district.

I followed Betsy and talked about the process, the upcoming state and national conventions. It was a message that Democrats in this part of the state were eager to hear. Then Sal Pace addressed the group about his House District race. Finally we heard from Ronnie Carleton on behalf of U.S. Rep. John Salalzar.

Thanks to Ed Morris for his fine work organizing the dinner. It was great to see Otero Chair Diane Ritkoff. I also had a chance to talk to Crowley Democratic Chair, Tom Flores, about the fires around Ordway. And I sat between Mayor Lawrence Sena, former Bent County Chair, and Alex Netherton, current Bent County Chair. It is the best part of being CDP Chair, being able to spend time with hard-working Democrats throughout the state.
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Logan and Morgan Counties

Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008

We have gone from the County Assembly/Convention circuit to what I call the Luncheon/Dinner circuit. But before I mention that, the Larimer County Democratic Breakfast Forum was held on April 2, 2008 in Fort Collins. In addition to a room full of Democrats, Jeff Brady from National Public Radio was there to record my remarks on being a “superdelegate.” I just had a chance to listen to his remarks today. He didn’t use all my comments, but his story is one of many on the “superdelegate” process that is part of NPR’s coverage. Check out the website.

On Saturday, April 12, I went to Sterling for Logan County’s Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner. Sixty people attended a lovely dinner served by the local 4-H club. Delinda Korrey, a reporter with the South Platte Sentinel, covered the dinner and took photos. Delinda is also a delegate to the state convention this year.

Dorothy Davis was presented with the Service Award for all her efforts on behalf of the party. Jennifer Felzien, the great chair of Logan County Democrats, did a terrific job of presiding over the dinner. And Jack McLavey honored the Democrat of the Year while all of the past Democrats of the Year were honored as well.

I had a chance to talk about turn out in the state and the upcoming state convention. There were several new people in the room, as well as Democrats who are coming back into the party.

Betsy Markey gave a great speech about her run for the 4th Congressional District. She also announced that she would be back in Sterling to hold a town meeting with local voters in the coming week.

I enjoyed talking to Debi and Nita Wyatt who are doing the job of Co-Secretary. Nita has long been involved in Logan County politics. Now her daughter, Debi, is partnering with her in business and politics.

This past Saturday I attended Morgan County’s annual Big Ten Dinner. It was especially important because our friend Linda Iungerich attended and received the Democrat of the Year award. Linda has been ill over the past several months, and I had called to see if I could drop by on my way to the dinner. I was delighted to hear that Linda was coming to the dinner.

Tom Procter, chair of the Morgan County Democrats, emceed the evening. We heard from Bruce Bass, who received an award. Monisha Merchant spoke on behalf of Senator Hillary Clinton. Bill Winter spoke on behalf of Senator Barack Obama. And Adam Bowen, chair of the Larimer County Democrats, spoke on behalf of Rep. Mark Udall and his run for the U.S. Senate.

Betsy Markey had a chance to speak, as did I. However, the keynote speaker was state Senator Brandon Shaffer. He gave a great speech on the progress being made on behalf of Coloradans by the state Senate. “All politics is local” was reflected in his comments.
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Posted in CDP, Congressional Races, Counties, Presidential Campaign 2008, US Senate Race 2008 | Comments Off

Disabled Delegates to get First Class Transportation Services

Monday, April 21st, 2008

(Cross posted from Colorado Confidential.  Used with permission.)

http://www.coloradoconfidential.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=3693

by: Leslie Robinson
Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 12:41 PM MDT

Denver is home to the movement, spearheaded in 1983 by Americans Disabled for Accessible Public Transit, that pushed for wheelchair lifts on buses and other improvements so that public transportation would be available for people with disabilities. In 1990, lifts were required as part of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In recognition to the ADAPT movement, transportation plans are in the works to make the Democratic National Convention in Denver the most handicapped-accessible convention ever held.

David Kennedy, disability rights coordinator for the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee, said he is finalizing his plans to transport delegates with disabilities to and from hotels and activities during the Democratic convention, Aug. 25-28. “Denver is the home of the movement championing the rights of the disabled, so we are setting high standards.”

Kennedy, who is also disabled, has been a long-time disability activist with more than 20 years of experience in project management for exhibitions, events, and building design projects, such as directing the ADA compliances for the new extension of The Denver Art Museum.

“First, we will find out in advance what special needs, such as mobility problems or hearing impairments, must be met,” Kennedy explained. “Then, we will design extensive day-to-day transportation plans to get those delegates with disabilities from the airport to hotels and to downtown for specific events, and then to the convention at the Pepsi Center.”

Joe Beaver, chair of the initiative Dems with Disabilities, a political arm of the Colorado Democratic Party, said he welcomed the efforts to accommodate delegates with disabilities.

“At the 2004 Democratic Convention in Boston, our Colorado delegates in wheelchairs were often the last people placed on buses to the Fleet Convention Center and sometimes they had to wait a long time because there was no room for them on the first departing buses,” Beaver said.

“That will be totally unacceptable in Denver,” Kennedy said, reacting to Beaver’s story. “Boston couldn’t handle a sufficient flow of vehicles to their convention center, but that won’t happen in Denver,” Kennedy insisted.

Handicapped accessible vans will supplement bus routes to avoid bottlenecks and some taxis will be modified to transport wheelchairs, Kennedy noted. Special-needs designed three-wheel bicycles will be brought in, too “I’m working with a medical supplier now to have wheelchairs available with the free bicycles so delegates can freely move about downtown to events,” Kennedy added.

Beaver said his group is also going to work with the DNC, the Denver Host Committee and other organizations to help delegates with disabilities navigate Denver during the convention. “We want to sponsor a downtown information booth and a website that disabled delegates can refer to,” Beaver said. “Plus, we will put together a special transportation-access guide that will last long after the convention and could be a useful tourist tool to attract future visitors with disabilities to Denver.”

“Because of the ADAPT movement, it’s only fitting that Denver hosts the most handicapped-accessible convention ever,” Kennedy said, “And I hope we surpass expectations.”

Posted in CDP, National Convention 2008 | 4 Comments »

DemNotes: MIA?

Tuesday, April 15th, 2008

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

I haven’t posted to DemNotes since the end of the county assemblies and conventions. That’s been a few weeks now, so I’m sorry that I’ve not gotten any more posts out since then. In the interim, I have been busy on a number of things, including preparations for the State Convention and Assembly in Colorado Springs, working on delegate selection, the national convention, and a few other things.

I’ve also taken some time to get some work done at my “real” job that had been piling up.

The one thing I did that I really do want to write about was emceeing the announcement for Lt. Col. Hal Bidlack, who is our candidate for Congress in the 5th CD. There was a great turnout at the Penrose Library in Colorado Springs a couple of weeks ago — well over 100 people showed up in the middle of a weekday to witness a great American announce his candidacy for Congress. Hal is a wonderful candidate — smart, funny, personable — and he will really make a run at this seat, building on the foundation set by the great run of Jay Fawcett in 2006.

State Chair Pat Waak was there, as was Mark Udall’s niece, Taryn Udall (who announced Congressman Udall’s endorsement of Hal). There’s even already a “Veterans for Bidlack” group out there working to build up support for Hal throughout this military-minded district. Many Republicans are realizing their mistake in electing Doug Lamborn to Congress, and they’re coming over — most for the first times in their lives — to support Hal Bidlack in his bid for this seat.

Hal could use some help all across this state. Take a second to go over to his website, and if you can afford to, drop him a donation or two:
http://www.bidlack2008.com/

——————————-

On a completely other note, the Denver 2008 Host Committee announced tonight where the fun spots will be for the Sunday night immediately prior to the National Convention. The Host Committee is responsible for the delegation welcoming parties for each delegation. I’ll post the full list below, but here are some highlights:

– In one of the worst-kept secrets around, it was confirmed that Colorado’s delegation party will, appropriately, be at the Governor’s Mansion.
– If you’re interested in rubbing elbows with those closest to the nominee, you will need to find a spot near the Denver Art Museum (Illinois) or the Pinnacle Club (New York).
– Or how about a party at Red Rocks? If you’re in the delegations from North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, or West Virginia, you’ll get it!
– Gov. Dean is likely going to be at the Phipps Mansion, where the Vermont and New Hampshire delegation parties will be.
– Want a world-wise atmosphere? Check out the Blair Caldwell Library, where the Democrats Abroad (as well as the Virgin Islands) will be hanging out.
– The District of Columbia has a pretty large delegation due to all of the At-Large (and influential) superdelegates they have (think Donna Brazile); they’ll be at the Museo de las Americas.
– Only twelve states have their own welcoming party: The aforementioned Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, and New York, as well as South Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, Iowa, California, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Texas. The rest of the delegations share parties with other delegations.

Now here’s the full list from the Host Committee:

List of State Delegation Party Venues:
Belmar Center – Alaska, Indiana, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Tennessee
Blair Caldwell Library – Democrats Abroad, Virgin Islands
Botanic Gardens – South Carolina
Center for the Visual Arts – Georgia
Colorado History Museum – Arkansas, Kentucky, Wisconsin
Denver Art Museum – Illinois
Denver Chophouse – Kansas
Denver Public Library – Iowa
Denver Zoo – Alabama, North Dakota, South Dakota
Downtown Aquarium – Connecticut, Delaware, Missouri
Exdo Event Center – California
Grant Humphries – Minnesota
Governor’s Mansion – Colorado
Hudson’s Gardens – New Jersey
The Lab at Belmar – American Samoa, Guam, Idaho, Hawaii
Museo de las Americas – District of Columbia
Museum of Nature & Science – Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah
Palazzo Verdi – Nebraska, Oklahoma
Phipps Mansion – New Hampshire, Vermont
Phipps Pavilion – Mississippi, Montana, Wyoming
Pinnacle Club – New York
Red Rocks – North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia
Wildlife Experience – Texas
Wings Over the Rockies – Arizona, Louisiana, Maryland, Oregon, Washington

Let me make one thing clear, though. While I joke about where “you” want to be that night, these will be open only to the delegations listed, and guests of those delegations. You can’t just walk up, say, to the Denver Art Museum and get in.

Anyway, I’ll try to write a little more frequently; see you all around!

Posted in CDP, Congressional Races, DNC, National Convention 2008 | Comments Off

County Assemblies and Conventions Conclude

Friday, March 21st, 2008

(Cross-Posted to DemNotes at www.DemNotes.com)

I just wanted to briefly write about the last weekend of county assemblies and conventions. While, technically speaking, the window for county parties to hold their county assemblies and conventions concluded on Tuesday, the last actual meetings were on Saturday. While the focus last weekend was primarily on Boulder and Jefferson Counties, I spent my time in a couple of Southeastern Colorado counties.

Normally, I would have been in Boulder and/or JeffCo, but my kids were coming home for Spring Break, and I went to Amarillo to retrieve them on their trek from Oklahoma. So on Friday night, on our way down to Panhandle country, we stopped briefly at the Cow Palace Inn in Lamar to say hello to the folks at the Prowers County Assembly and Convention.

Prowers Dems have a nice tradition — they hold a sit-down dinner in conjunction with their county assemblies. I attended their assembly in Grenada in 2006, and was impressed at the family atmosphere of the county Dems. This year, I could not stay for dinner, but I did say a few words of thanks to the folks on the Kansas border who don’t see much attention at times from the state-level folks (although, ironically, Gov. Ritter and Betsy Markey did visit Lamar the following day). Since I grew up in a county neighboring Prowers County, it certainly did not feel unusual for me to be back in this part of the state.

Rep. Wes McKinley was there, and was well-received. I also had a chance to briefly chat with their candidate for District Attorney, who struck me as a very well-spoken candidate with the experience that is needed to do that job well.

————–

The next morning, on the way back from Texas, I stopped in Springfield to attend the Baca County Assembly and Convention. Again, it was a nice mix of familiar faces and new blood in the room. I arrived just after the Presidential preference poll, which was won by Sen. Clinton, who ended up with two of the county’s four delegates. Sen. Obama received one delegate and “uncommitted” received the final delegate.

Every county meeting is a little different — Baca County’s was marked by a bake sale in the back of the room, filled with a great trove of home-made goodies. It was difficult to keep my kids’ hands off of the food, but we succeeded. I spoke briefly to the group, said hello to several people that I knew already, and then headed back home to Canon City. I understand that Betsy Markey was able to make it down there just after I left.

———————

Whew. It has been a whirlwind few weeks, with all of these county assemblies and conventions. In the end, I was able to make it to 14 county assemblies / conventions (15 if you count the stop I made in Douglas County after they had adjourned). It is truly a great experience, and one I always look forward to doing. This is a wonderful state, and our Democrats are such a diverse and energetic crowd. Whether packed into standing-room only crowds in a school auditorium in Arapahoe County, or gathered around a couple of tables in Lincoln County, or neatly organized in a lecture hall in Pitkin County, Democrats are most certainly alive and well in 2008 in Colorado. And we all know that we have to continue that activism if we want to see this nation and this state — and our communities — change for the better.

Thanks to all of you who have been so kind and hospitable during this period. I’ll look forward to seeing you out on the campaign trail in months to come. Now, it is off to planning a pretty amazing State Convention and Assembly for all of you in May!

Posted in CDP, Counties | Comments Off

Meetings and Boulder and Jefferson County

Sunday, March 16th, 2008

In the middle of this past week, Dan Slater and I had the opportunity to address the Democratic Women of Boulder on Wednesday. There were 200 people in attendance, who patiently listened to us talk about the process of being an unpledged delegate. There were lots of questions about the different campaigns, and a great opportunity to educate folks about what we expect to happen in the 2008 nomination process and in the upcoming fall elections.

After this great event, I went to the University of Colorado to meet with the Journalism Board. It was a fun hour talking to students. I was on a panel with Adam Schrager from 9News and Elizabeth Shue, who teaches journalism and politics. The students in attendance had great questions about how to cover politics. And both Adam and Elizabeth, who have written the news, shared their personal experiences.

The next morning I had an opportunity to speak to the Board of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce. I talked about the election results in Colorado and the huge participation of voters in the caucuses. With the assistance of the Host Committee, I was able to give some statistics on the economic boon that having the Democratic National Convention brings to Denver and at least the seven surrounding counties. Also having 15,000 journalists covering the Convention spotlights our state for the nation and the world. Finally, I talked about what it is like being a “Superdelegate” and all the attention it brings.

On Saturday I visited Boulder County’s Assembly. Over 1,000 people attended the meeting in Longmont. Deb Gardner, the County Chair, was doing a great job overseeing the assembly. I heard that similar results occurred from in the convention that afternoon. As in every county I have been to, most of the people were there for the first time.

Then it was off to the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. Over 3,000 people were in the gymnasium, and their enthusiasm was infectious. Most again were there for the first time. Dick Barkey, chair of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, was relishing in the turnout. He began this journey with me in 2005 when we began the work to open up the Colorado Democratic Party.

Today, the Platform Committee had it first meeting in Denver. This meeting laid out the process for beginning our consideration of what we as Democrats believe we stand for.

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