Democratic National Convention field reports from Random Lengths reporters
On October 21 and 23, a few vote protection groups and this newspaper witnessed the inspection of the vote gathering machines by the L.A. County Registrar Dean Logan. Called the “Logic and Accuracy’ tests, the demonstration, mandated by law and the registrar’s desire for transparency, ballots from a previous election was used to determine the accuracy of the machines.
Continue reading ‘L.A. County Registrar of Voters Dog and Pony Show’
On the eve of the 2008 election, top GOP computer expert Michael L. Connell was deposed in a case originally filed against former Ohio Secretary of State, Kenneth J. Blackwell in August, 2006, which some suspect could eventually implicate Karl Rove, President Bush’s top political operative for most of his political career. In 2004, Blackwell was not only Ohio’s Secretary of State, but also the co-chair of Bush’s Ohio re-election campaign.
Continue reading ‘Top GOP Computer Expert Deposed Re 2004 Vote Tampering’
Here is the transcript of Senator Dennis Kucinich’s “Wake Up America” speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver:
SEN. Dennis Kucinich: It’s Election Day 2008. We Democrats are giving America a wake-up call. Wake up, America. In 2001, the oil companies, the war contractors and the neo-con artists seized the economy and have added 4 trillion dollars of unproductive spending to the national debt. We now pay four times more for defense, three times more for gasoline and home heating oil and twice what we paid for health care. Continue reading ‘Wake Up America (Transcript of Dennis Kucinich DNC Speech)’
The protests continue on the third day of the convention. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has had a presence all week, handing out fliers on factory farming and how animals that are raised for food contribute to global warming. The anti-abortionists and Christian evangelists continue to spread their message of hell and damnation as they stood outside of the Pepsi Center as the crowd was leaving. A policeman joked with the crowd saying, “At least you get to keep walking!”
Hillary supporters were also out, to show their solidarity on the day of the roll call vote. Continue reading ‘Someone should protest protesting.’
With thousands of people descended on Denver for such a historic event, everyone is trying to make a buck. It’s impossible to walk anywhere downtown without seeing someone selling t-shirts, buttons, hats, bumper stickers, magnets, dolls, signs, even temporary tattoos. Continue reading ‘“Get yer foam fingers!”’
If the first night of the convention had undertones of encouraging party unity, the second night was outright McCain bashing, while the Kennedy comparisons continued to roll on. The theme of the evening and a line that was repeated in 95% of the speeches was “We cannot afford more of the same.” It seems as if the Democrats have taken their inspiration from the new television spot put out by the Obama camp that makes overt comparisons of McCain to the Bush administration. But not everyone was hating on McCain, Ohio Representative Dennis Kucinich declared, “Wake up, America!” while jumping up and down. If he didn’t have the attention of the crowd at the beginning of his speech, he certainly did at the end, receiving a standing ovation. Continue reading ‘“Four more months!”’
Outside of the Colorado Convention Center, where all of the caucuses are being held, a group of three stands holding a banner with a graphic picture of what they say is an abortion (in actuality, after talking to a midwife, it is a picture of either a late term abortion or a premature still born that was not cleaned up.) The group includes a Catholic priest using a bull horn to proclaim that a vote for Obama is a vote for slaughter.
The 2008 Democratic National Convention is being touted at the first “green” convention. Not to mention the number of speeches that expound the differences between the presumptive nominee’s “green” voting record and energy plans, every where you go there is something that allows everyone while they are here to “lessen their carbon impact” while they are here and feel good about themselves.
He came to the convention on Monday as sick as he was to make a promise that he will be in the Senate come January to work with President Obama to provide quality health care to every American. Even if Senator Kennedy doesn’t meet his promise to survive to see his dream of universal healthcare, he will have set the force. There was a real feeling in the Pepsi Center that with Obama as President we would reach monumental goals that seemed stalled for the past eight years.
It’s the first day of the convention and the protests are just getting started. Many of the groups refuse to use what has been dubbed the “Freedom Cage,” the designated area near the Pepsi Center that is fenced in with 7 feet of chain link fence and razor wire atop cement barriers. Instead, they encourage their groups to sleep there, since camping has been outlawed. Many of the groups gather in the Civic Center park to spread their message, whether it is to free prisoners at Guantanamo and to end the torture there or to express that they think that church and state should be separate. Continue reading ‘The protests are just getting started’
The California delegation, which has 503 members, met this morning for a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs while listening to a number of big names in California kick off the convention. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi started off the breakfast, declaring throughout her speech, “Barack Obama is right and John McCain is wrong,” when referring to their differences in policies, such as health care and education.
Hello, my name is Jim Kennedy. Random Lengths asked me to write a blog because I’m from LA and I’m a part of the California delegation to the DNC convention. I am posting now to introduce myself and explain that I’m not going to try to cover every blow-by-blow. My hope is to add a few of my personal experiences to your incite of the goings on that happen outside the general news coverage.
I leave this Sunday for Denver. I’m not packed, nor do I feel ready. The convention had seemed a long way away. Maybe that’s because the Democratic presidential nomination has been a long time in the making.
Back in April, I ran for delegate in the Hillary Clinton caucus in the 36th Congressional District. There were two slots for the top female vote getters, but only one slot for the top male vote getter. I got 55 votes, which put me in second place.
Luckily, the second male vote getter got to be the alternate delegate for the entire 36th Congressional District delegation. That means I would replace any delegate from either the Clinton or Obama side if they are unable to vote. Such a perverse incentive to undermine the well being of the Obama delegates may have proven tempting if events hadn’t unfolded that now make us one big, unified Democratic family. For now I get to travel with the delegation team as a bench warmer who gets to wear a uniform without calling any shots.
Of course there is more to the delegate process. I don’t want to belabor this blog with lengthy explanations or too many Olympic sporting metaphors. There are plenty of websites that explain it. I will add that the delegate elections were an open process, although not known to most people. Everyone now asks me what special connections I had to become a delegate now that the convention has rolled around and everyone is looking for a way to go. Back in April, I had to promise to buy drinks at a bar to get people to come out and vote for me. What? Like baking cookies is any more ethical?
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