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

I had planned to write this morning on the details of getting credentialed to attend Sen. Obama’s acceptance speech at Invecso Field. Indeed, we only learned of the details for requesting such credentials Wednesday afternoon — and when I say “we”, I mean everybody; State Chairs and Vice Chairs only learned of the details Wednesday as well.

I suppose I should have anticipated the World Series-like enthusiasm for the event; we’ve seen record crowds and interest all across Colorado for our Democratic nomination process; why should it stop now? But the reality is that we have seen unprecedented interest — the response has been so overwhelming that about 24 hours after announcing the phone lines for requesting credentials, the DNCC had to shut down requests and allow only “waiting list” applications. Here’s what a press release from the Obama campaign has to say:

The Colorado Campaign for Change announced this afternoon that more than 60,000 Coloradans from across the Rocky Mountain state have requested community credentials to take part in the historic final night of the Democratic National Convention at Invesco Field.

“This incredible response and excitement shows that there is a huge appetite for change in Colorado,” said Anne Filipic, the General Election Director for the Campaign for Change.

Due to demand, which has exceeded community seating capacity, the campaign will now place Coloradans who request community credentials on a waitlist. Coloradans can request to be placed on the waitlist online at co.barackobama.com/invesco or by stopping by a Campaign for Change office.

Wow. Now, even though 60,000 requests were received in one day from Coloradans, remember that we don’t even have that many seats allocated to Colorado. We’re extraordinarily fortunate that about half of the “community credentials” will go to Coloradans (and about 2/3 will go to the Rocky Mountain states, including Colorado), but every state will have an allocation of these community credentials. If you’re fortunate enough to get a Community Credential, you’ll be rubbing elbows with Obama supporters from Maine, Alabama, American Samoa, Montana — every corner of this Nation.

As we get closer to this Convention, we’re starting to get more and more clarity on what each day will look like. In one word: Busy. The Post estimated that something like 1000 different events will be occuring during Convention week in Denver. And, no, contrary to what some of you have inferred, they’re not all parties. Indeed, the days will be filled with all sorts of issues conferences, forums, and trainings. While the official website lists a lot of entertainment events (http://www.denverconvention2008.com/index.cfm?page=events), just check out the Rocky Mountain Roundtable for some pretty high-level discussions of all sorts of pressing issues:
http://www.2008rmr.org/

Whether you can get into Invesco or not, you certainly don’t want to miss out on the excitement of the Convention — there will be plenty of events around Denver (and the state) for you to attend during Convention week.

(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!

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

Last night, had we not had to take the kids to a babysitter, we could have walked to the event we attended. I don’t know that I have ever really been able to say that. But last night, we went less than a half-mile from home, to Merlino’s Belvedere Restaurant, to attend a forum for the Fifth Congressional District race.

You’ll probably get a few posts from me on the 5th CD race in the next few days, as I’m a co-host for a fundraiser for Hal Bidlack tomorrow night in Denver. Last night, though, was apparently the first time Hal Bidlack, the Democratic nominee, had been invited to a forum to speak with the Republican candidates for that office.

The forum had promised to be a good one. It was sponsored by the Canon City Chamber of Commerce, who had sponsored the memorable debate in 2006 between Doug Lamborn and Jay Fawcett (you may remember it from YouTube: that was the one where Lamborn stammered through most of his answers, except when he was yelling at audience members to “shut up!”). To refresh your memories, I wrote about it here:
http://demnotes.com/?p=201

Anyway, we were told Lamborn would actually be there last night, so folks were excited to see how he’d improved his debating skills in two years. Folks were interested to hear his take on the economy, on the War in Iraq, and on other critical issues of the day. Folks were intrigued to see how he’d hold up against all of his opponents, including even a Democrat.

Folks were disappointed. Lamborn was a no-show.

Three candidates were there — joined by an empty chair with a “Doug Lamborn” name tag. That seemed fitting, since Doug Lamborn has essentially been an empty chair for the past two years in Congress, anyway. Hal Bidlack was joined by Jeff Crank and by Bentley Rayburn (whose own name tag in front of his chair was misspelled “Bently”).

All three were allowed brief opening remarks. Bidlack went first and mentioned what was an incredibly impressive national security resume. He said the three issues the new Congress needs to focus on for the 5th CD were fiscal discipline, taking care of veterans, and honoring the Constitution. Crank talked about his resume of working in DC for 8 years. He said, “I’m running for my children.” He cited the national debt and said both parties were out of control. He opposes earmarks. Finally, Rayburn said we needed to focus on the threat from “radical islam”. He pointed out that it was typical for Rep. Lamborn to not be there; Rayburn said that Members of Congress need to get out and listen to the people.

Then, the forum moved into a number of questions; I’d note that it appears that the candidates were given the questions beforehand. (That fact alone makes Lamborn’s absence even more egregious — he KNEW THE QUESTIONS BEFOREHAND AND STILL REFUSED TO SHOW UP!!!) The first question was on the “Healthy Families Act,” which apparently gives employees of businesses with 15 employees or more a minimum of seven sick days annually. Both Republicans, predictably, opposed the law. Crank said that this was another “federal mandate” and that “what might be good for Intel might not be good for the cigarette shop down the street.” Rayburn agreed, stating that we should “keep the free market free and unencumbered by government.” Bidlack said he thought the 15 employee threshold was too low, but would be willing to look at something like this if the employee number were higher.

The second question was about mortgage foreclosures. Gen. Rayburn went first, and somehow turned that question into a question about oil, and said we could drill responsibly in ANWR and off the coast. He also said he supports oil shale development and efforts to turn coal into liquid fuel. He finally got to the question and said that it was wrong for the government to assist Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; that it was “encouraging bad behavior.”

Bidlack said that something like 20 families a day are losing their homes in El Paso County due to foreclosures. While he’s not fond of the bill the President signed yesterday, Bidlack said that the failure of the two mortgage giants would simply have too much of an effect on our national economy and economic structure for us to let it happen without some government intervention. He also talked about the loss of Intel’s plant from Colorado Springs to China. “Our biggest export to China today is empty shipping containers … but those containers are not empty — they contain our jobs.” He finished with a great quote about leadership: “Leadership is about being a compass, not a weathervane.”

Crank agreed with Rayburn that “it doesn’t make any sense to bail out a problem caused by the government.” He said that a bail out to the two mortgage giants was unfair to the companies that made good decisions (he apparently doesn’t understand the mortgage market too well, as the failure of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae would also decimate smaller mortgage companies regardless of the quality of their decisions, but hey!). He said the bailout would encourage bad decisions later in other industries. He also said we needed to radically change our system to a “fair tax” system.

The next question was about energy, especially nuclear and energy development, and part of the question was focused on uranium mining. Candidates that had done their homework would have known that uranium mining has emerged in Fremont County as a major issue as there are proposals to mine in some pretty pristine areas with no guarantees of safety or reclamation.

Apparently, only Hal Bidlack had done his homework.

You see, Bidlack was the only one of the three candidates who actually answered that part of the question (and, remember, these folks HAD THE QUESTIONS BEFOREHAND!). Hal said that he would oppose the uranium mining in Fremont County until the companies proposing the mining could prove that they can “fix what they break.” The crowd loved that response. Bidlack also said that an energy policy will take a mix of technologies to be effective — and that we don’t solve the energy crisis by poking more holes in ANWR and the outer continental shelf. He concluded by talking about how embarrassed he was at President Bush having to unsuccessfully beg the Saudis to “turn up the spigot” recently.

Crank talked solely about drilling, and blamed Sen. Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi for not allowing drilling. Rayburn pretty much echoed Crank, adding that neither surface rights or mineral rights should supercede each other. He said that drilling can be safe and responsible.

I’d note that, especially when answering the oil question, General Rayburn exhibited a lot of the same mannerisms you often see in President Bush. He had the head bob down; he had the hand extension with the shrug of the shoulders down. I even thought I heard a little Bush-like snicker once or twice. Very eerie.

The next question was on universal health care. Jeff Crank went first and said something pretty amazing. He said that the “worst systems in America to be on are those that are government-run”. Really? Like the system you were on when you worked for Congressman Hefley? Or the one you’ll get if you’re elected to Congress? It was a breath-taking statement. He concluded with another very breath-taking statement (after bashing lawyers for a couple of minutes): “We have the best system in the world if you have access to it.”

Rayburn showed an even bigger disconnect from the issue. First, he spent most of his time blasting lawyers (by the way, trial lawyers have very little to do with the costs of health care in America, according to pretty much every independent study, but they do make good bogeymen for Republicans). He said that universal health care would drive a wedge between the patients and the doctors, and with single payer, you get “what the insurance company wants, not what the patient needs.” (I think he’s confusing managed care with single payer, which presumably doesn’t have an insurance company, but what do I know?) He concluded that Canadian health care is bad because he once met a nurse with a very distinct accent who told him that it was bad. Seriously. He said that.

Hal Bidlack gave a more humane answer. He said while he didn’t think we were looking at “single payer” health care, we were looking at a national health care system. “You shouldn’t have to be wealthy to be healthy.” Hal talked about his experiences with the health care system when his wife died, and finally pointed out that people who are not wealthy have health care — but it is more costly and less efficient, because it is via the emergency roon. Hal insisted that we must do something about health care, because “we are our brother’s keeper.”

The final question was about caring for our veterans. Rayburn said he hoped the new director of the VA would be more responsible, and that the community has a responsibility, not the government, to care for veterans. He also argued for more agressive treatment of PTSD for returning vets. Bidlack began by agreeing with Rayburn that a veteran should represent the 5th CD, drawing laughs from pretty much everybody except for non-veteran Jeff Crank. He continued by stating that the government had made a sacred promise to veterans, and that the abdication of that promise has been “an obscenity.” He said we had an obligation to people in combat duty (he pointed out that he only had one day of combat duty; September 11, 2001, when he was stationed at the Pentagon). He said America was awfully good at making veterans; just not so good at taking care of them.

Crank said that the “excess of the Federal government” is taking away from the ability to care for our veterans. He said that the Administration has not done a good job taking care of veterans. Then, he said something interesting: he said we needed to get rid of “whole agencies” (yes, plural) to find the money to deal with veterans’ issues. Really, Jeff? Whole agencies? Which ones? Department of Education? Department of Housing and Urban Development? FEMA? Which ones, Jeff?

Then, the candidates moved into closing arguments. Again, Bidlack went first, and his closing argument was what clearly sealed the deal for many in the room. In fact, I think it was the only one that truly sounded like he belonged in Washington representing us. He talked about the American Revolution, and how unusual it was in the history of humanity — how it was an amazing concept; that we were all “the equal of the king”. He said that he was immensely troubled by the last seven years, and how our Constitution had been ignored and trampled upon in that time. He said this was the most important election since 1932. He cited the fact that Americans are naturally optimistic, but that eating away at our fundamental liberties is dangerous. It was a pretty nice little speech.

Jeff Crank said he felt like he was “fighting a phantom” for the last several months. He then launched into a talk about conservatism and the need for small government. He ended with a quote from Tom Tancredo (yes, he really did): “Don’t waste a moment in Congress.”

Gen. Rayburn used his time to talk first about the absence of Doug Lamborn. He said that Lamborn needed to be with the people to represent the people, and he did not think that Lamborn understood that. He talked about how commanding a military base was like being a mayor of a small town, and how he was committed to rural and mountain communities, even though that will have no meaning to Colorado Springs.

In all, it was a good introduction to the crowd assembled in Canon City. Afterward, in terms of the responses each of the candidates received, it seemed like Hal Bidlack was more well-received than one would have expected at a conservative chamber of commerce event. Neither Crank nor Rayburn seemed to inspire anybody in the room, and there was really no enthusiasm beyond the enthusiasm there for Bidlack.

Tomorrow, I’ll write about the fundraiser for Hal in Denver. If you’re interested, you can find out more about the campaign (and donate) here:
http://bidlack2008.com/

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

One of the main purposes of my writing DemNotes has been to open the curtains of the Democratic Party at all levels: local, state, and national. I’ve wanted to bring people in Colorado a little closer to the way things work within the DNC and CDP, as well as to share how things are working in counties all across Colorado. This concept of opening this Party up and breaking down fictitious walls has been very important to me.

That’s why I’m so excited at a couple of new developments over the past two days that have really shown that the leadership of this Party — and of our presumptive nominee — are in tune to the same kind of thinking.

When Governor Dean announced that the national convention would be coming to Denver, he also made it clear that he wanted this convention to be rather un-conventional. The DNC’s announcement yesterday that the final night of the Convention would be at Invesco Field at Mile High certainly fits that mold. As opposed to another night in the Pepsi Center — which would have been a fantastic night itself — Senator Barack Obama will accept the Democratic nomination for President in front of a crowd of over 75,000 just across I-25. What is even more fantastic is that that acceptance will come in front of thousands upon thousands from the Colorado community.

We’ve spent the last year trying to tamp down expectations of the ability to access the national convention. Even most volunteers, we said, wouldn’t see the inside of the Pepsi Center. The average Democratic activist in Colorado would have to be satisfied with watching from one of the community watch parties that are being set up around Denver.

This changes everything. This allows the average Democratic activist — whether in Durango or Sterling; whether veteran or getting involved for the first time — this allows the average activist to watch history live and in person. Here’s some of the DNCC’s press release from yesterday:

“The Democratic Party is nominating a true change candidate this August, and it is only fitting that we make some big changes in how we put on the Convention,” said Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). “Senator Obama’s candidacy has generated an enormous amount of excitement and interest, not only in the Democratic Party but also in the 2008 Convention. By bringing the last night of the Convention out to the people, we will be able to showcase Barack Obama’s positive, people-centered vision for our country in a big way.”

“Barack Obama’s campaign for change has inspired millions of Americans and brought people into the political process who might never have been involved,” said Convention Co-Chair Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius. “This change in the Convention program will allow thousands of first-time participants a chance to take part. I can’t think of a better Convention finale for our nominee who has made reaching out to voters a hallmark of his campaign.”

“When we said we wanted to ‘bring down the walls,’ open up this Convention like never before and truly speak to the American people, we meant it,” said Leah D. Daughtry, CEO of the DNCC. “On August 28, we will offer grassroots Democrats, who have turned out in record numbers this year, the opportunity to witness history shoulder to shoulder with thousands of Americans standing up for the change our country desperately needs.”

“Senator Obama and the DNCC have truly brought the community into the Convention,” said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jr. “This decision will enable thousands of residents from Colorado, the Rocky Mountain West and across the nation to witness history first hand. What a way to fire up our grassroots activists as we head into the fall campaign.”

Wow. What a night that will be. We still don’t know all the details on how you will be able to get credentials — that will come soon enough. Just with the other nights, though, it will continue to be a credentialed event — with credentials available to the public called “Community Credentials”. The Colorado Democratic Party has already put a page on our website for those interested in credentials for this historic evening — fill out the form and you will get information when it becomes available:
http://coloradodems.org/content/view/725

I have one last point on this topic: with this new opportunity for Colorado Democrats also comes great responsibility. People will be coming to Denver from all across the nation to attend the Convention, and this announcement means even more people are coming. We must be good hosts to our Democratic friends from across the country. We must also expect a pretty significant spike in visitors that week — even more than previously thought. As an example, in 1992, several dozen friends of mine at the University of Oklahoma scooted off to New York City for convention week, even though none of them had any hope of credentials to Madison Square Garden when they left Norman. Now multiply that by some unknown variable to account for the real possibility that they might get in on Thursday night!

It is going to be one heck of a time to be a Colorado Democrat!

Opening up the Convention on Thursday night is not the only wall being broken down by the DNC this week. This morning, the DNC announced that they were opening up the Platform process, as well. The announcement this morning encourages folks to host their own Platform Meeting in their community. You read that right: you can host your own Platform meeting right here in Colorado. The DNC will try to send as many of its Platform people as possible to these meetings, and the reports from these meetings will go straight to the Platform Drafting Committee.

Here’s some of the DNC’s release on this ground-breaking moment:

Members of the public will be invited to host and attend Platform Meetings in their communities as an opportunity to exchange ideas and share perspectives on the challenges we face. To facilitate the process, the Obama campaign and the DNC will send policy experts and DNC Platform Committee members to as many meetings as possible to serve as facilitators. Each Platform Meeting will produce a written summary that will be reviewed and considered by the Platform Committee.

“From the beginning, we said we were going bring down the traditional walls of the Democratic Convention and make this event more accessible and include as many people as possible,” said Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean. “This process will empower Americans in all 50 states to make their voices heard as they help write the document that embodies our Party’s values and vision for the future. Barack Obama will bring real change to Washington, and as we write the Democratic Platform, there will be a clear choice between more of the same failed policies of the Bush Administration with John McCain or real change with Barack Obama who will make the American people, not the special interests, the priority again.”

“Barack Obama believes that every American should be able to contribute to the Democratic Platform, just as record numbers have participated in this campaign,” said Steve Hildebrand of Obama for America. “It’s not the lawmakers in Washington who live the day-to-day reality of our policies–it’s workers, teachers, parents and first responders–everyday Americans who just want to the best for their families. What better way than to incorporate their voices into the process than to have them help shape the Democratic Platform, the statement of our ideals, values, and proposal for change.”

Registration is available at http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/listening/ , starting today through July 15th. The Platform Meetings will occur across the country from July 19th through July 27th.

Sign up soon! Never before has your voice as an individual activist meant so much to the Democratic Party as it does today!

Tim Russert passed away today. We will miss his commentary on the political events of the day. We will miss his energy and enthusiasm about this year’s campaign.

Several years ago he moderated the tribute to Sargent Shriver that was held around the publishing of Scott Stoessel’s book, Sarge. I, along with many who had worked for and with Sarge, appreciated Tim’s words and focus on the contributions of someone we greatly admired.

We now must pay tribute to Tim. He is a light that went out too soon.

Pat Waak

Today we talked with Senator Obama, Governor Dean and Association of Democratic State Chairs about the upcoming campaign. Paul Tewes has joined the DNC to move us the next steps toward winning the Presidency in 2008.

Over the past 3-½ years, we have been dedicated to a 64-county strategy. Howard Dean’s leadership at the DNC supplemented our efforts through the State Partnership Program.

Today Senator Obama talked about his dedication to grassroots involvement. We will see a continued growth of our State Party through these organizing efforts.

It is an exciting time for Colorado.

We need everyone involved. Whether you supported Senator Obama or Senator Clinton, we must come together to change the landscape of the country. Thank you for participating in the process. We are dedicated to making this a victorious year for Democrats.

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

(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.

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.

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.