A peek inside the Obama campaign

This is a really great article about the people at the top of the Obama campaign. There are many reasons I support Senator Obama, but a big one is the skill he has shown in running a drama-free, solvent, effective campaign.

Sad day for progressive people.

One will always remember where he/she was when X [insert historic/memorable event] occurred. X varies depending on the generation. For my generation, it includes the attempted assassination of President Reagan, the explosion of the Challenger and, of course, 9/11. For me personally, X also includes the moment when I learned of my father's death.

Now, in addition to these things, I am pretty sure that I will always remember where I was when I learned that Senator Ted Kennedy had a malignant brain tumor. I hope that isn't the case. I hope he is treated successfully, recovers and only leaves us years from now as a result of something totally unrelated, rendering today's news but a faint memory. But watching so many grown men cry on the floor of the Senate Chambers today makes me worry that this outcome is highly unlikely.

Clinton campaign disenfranchises black voters in Texas.

Yes, I know I owe you all the final installment of my "election night" report. But I'm in Tucson and trying to pack and get to the airport without further burning my skin to a crisp.

In the meantime, though, I cannot help but bring to your attention this disgusting behavior by the Clinton campaign in Texas. First, they said they wouldn't make mass challenges to Obama delegates who would be attending the district convention this Saturday. Twenty-four hours later, Clinton campaign workers delivered a truckload of challenges to the offices of the Dallas Democratic Party.

The result? Clinton made more than 70 challenges in my Senate District and gained 22 delegates. My Senate District is made up predominantly of African-American voters. I find it hard to believe that even 22 of Obama's delegates were seated improperly. Obviously, the Credentials Committee found that 48 of the Clinton campaign's 70 challenges were without merit.

Why would anyone support a Democratic candidate who is determined to disenfranchise voters, including African-American voters? (Not to mention one who lies about being subjected to sniper fire in Bosnia?)

One of life's mysteries . . .

Texas Democratic Primary Part II: Just Before The Precinct Convention

I have lived in Texas for 20 years now and have never participated in a caucus before. I have to confess: before this election, I never even knew about the caucuses, despite having voted in every Democratic Party primary. That tells you a lot about the pulse of the Democratic Party in Texas (or lack thereof) prior to this election cycle. The fact that a longtime Democratic voter like me was never informed of or invited to participate in this process by which 1/3 of the delegates are awarded to a Democratic Party is somewhat stunning, I think.

The Obama campaign did a great job of training its Precinct Captains about how the precinct convention process works. Essentially, polls close at 7:00 pm or whenever the people in line at that time finish voting. At the later of 7:15 pm or whenever people finish voting, the precinct convention begins. People gather in a room at the polling place marked with the number of their precinct. Everyone who voted in the Democratic primary and is present can sign in, indicating their candidate preference. The number of people who signed in are counted, that number is divided by the total number of delegates allocated to the precinct (18 in this precinct), and the resulting number is the minimum a candidate must have to form a caucus and be assigned a delegate.

At first, a "temporary convention chair" who picks up the Party's packet runs this meeting, but the attendees then elect a "permanent convention chair" to oversee things. (The term "permanent" is somewhat misleading, as you are the chair just for that night). I asked about picking up the packet when I arrived, but ran smack into the formidable wall of the Permanent Precinct Chair (a party operative, not to be confused with the convention chair). She happens to be the sister of a former Texas Attorney General whose negative and defamatory whose negative and defamatory campaign against former Governor Ann Richards bore striking parallels to that of the Hillary Clinton campaign. She also happens to be a vociferous Hillary Clinton supporter and served as that campaign's Captain for our precinct.

A brief digression: I was stunned to learn while calling voters that when this Captain or one of her cohorts reached an Obama supporters in our precinct, the Clinton volunteer would treat them rudely, ask questions like, "Do you have ANY good reason for voting for him?" and oftentimes slam down the phone at the end of the call. Great way to win friends and influence people!

Anyhoo, back to the polling place: The Precinct Chair snottily informed me that I had no right to pick up the convention packet (which is not true) and said it was being held for her so she could run the meeting. Then, in the fine tradition of psychological projection, she told me there was no need to be hostile about this. We also discussed the matter of the missing Obama signs, and she suggested that the City of Dallas was known for removing candidates' signs from polling places, apparently thinking I just arrived in Dallas by way of a turnip truck. She then tried to bully me away from the polling place, despite the fact that anyone is allowed to observe the voting process. I soon realized why.

In the short time in which I was present at the polling place while the polls remained open, I learned of Ms. Precinct Chair and/or her fellow poll workers engaging in certain practices that were obviously designed to turn away people who wanted to vote and caucus for Barack Obama. Some African-American voters were told this wasn't their precinct and/or that they were not eligible to vote, but were not given the chance to cast a provisional vote, which they should have been allowed to do. Others, asking about the caucus, were told by those inside the voting room: "Gee, we have no idea what time the caucus will start," even though the time and location for the caucus should have been publicly posted at the polling place. I tried calling the Democratic Party and Obama campaign hotlines, but they were constantly busy. So, each time I learned of these things happened, I stepped inside and asked about it. I don't know if this had any influence whatsoever, but I'm hoping this deterred similar conduct by letting them know that the word was getting about and that we were not going to stand for it.

Next: the polls close, and inside the caucus.

I love Larry David.

As if Curb Your Enthusiasm wasn't enough, he offers this very savvy observation.

Texas Democratic Primary Part I: Leadup to Election Day

You may have heard that in Texas, we have this odd two-part way of choosing a Presidential nominee: first you vote, then you caucus. The Obama campaign refers to this as the "Texas two-step," a catch-phrase Hillary Clinton immediately began using without attribution, despite her abhorrence of plagiarism. But I digress . . .

Not content to merely serve my candidate as a volunteer in New Hampshire, I signed up to be a Precinct Captain in Texas. This meant I was assigned approximately 900 or so people in my precinct who were eligible to vote and seen as possible Obama supporters (there are just over 1000 eligible voters in the precinct, so we apparently cut a broad swathe). I was to call and/or visit these people to see who they support, talk about why they should vote for Obama and get them to vote for him in the primary and caucus for him on the night of the primary. If you have ever read this blog, you know I am a full-time practicing attorney and a very busy one, at that. So it was no small feat to make the 820 calls I made to my people over the course of just a few weeks, and I was proud to have accomplished that. In making those calls, I reached about 36 confirmed Obama supporters, but I had no guarantee how many would actually show up for the precinct convention.

On election day, I was at my polling place before 7 am. There I saw that someone had removed all of the Obama signs, plucking them from among all of the candidates' signs, though the Clinton signs still stood in full force. Strangely, this same thing happened in New Hampshire. I had no signs left and neither did the campaign. Utilizing the resourcefulness for which we Midwesterners are known, I left the polling place and marched up to the front door of a house that was displaying an Obama sign, in order to, well, beg for their sign. Turns out, I didn't have to do that, because they had three extras they graciously offered for the cause of ensuring a nice display at the polling place.

Back at the polling place, I watched to see if voting began on time. The election judge was huffing and puffing, apparently having allowed himself all of about 10 minutes to set up, but the polls opened just a minute or two late, with approximately 30 people already in line to vote. I asked if he would have a list of early voters available for our use in the caucus that night, and he said he would. Satisfied that I had done all I could for the morning, I headed in to work.

Next up: shenanigans before the precinct convention begins.

Hillary supporters are the meanest . . .

this is one of the things I have learned as a volunteer for my favorite candidate.

A John Edwards supporter would engage with you on the issues. Bill Richardson supporters were also quite nice, certainly full of respect for their candidate. Of course, my candidate's supporters are thrilled to hear from a fellow supporter and are happy, excited and full of hope, but also able to speak intelligently on the issues. But those who plan to vote for Hillary Clinton and receive a call from a volunteer for another candidate are, in my experience, the quickest to be sarcastic, caustic and/or yell "I'm voting for Hillary" into the phone and hang up on the volunteer. A suspicion or mistrust hangs heavily in their voice.

And now, the Clinton campaign has purported to say who Ann Richards would have supported in this race, even over the objection of Ann Richards' sons. This disgusts me.

I can't wait for next Tuesday. But before then, I have a million precinct captain calls to make.

P.S. I should add: this analysis of meanness does not apply to my dear friends who like Hillary Clinton. They would never be mean, to me or anyone, and are nice to me despite the fact that I keep putting my foot in my mouth about their fondness for their candidate.

Did I mention who I'm supporting in the Democratic Party primary?

Here's a hint:



But Hillary Clinton says I may want to think twice about this, because Obama's "character" is in question due to his writing in kindergarten that he wanted to be President, while he currently denies years of preparation for the position (according to this Chicago Tribune story). Hilariously, the Tribune titled its link to that story: "the clinton pot calls the obama . . . "

Why, you ask, is the terrible truth about Obama just now being revealed? Perhaps this story provides a clue:

[In Iowa,] Obama had the support of 28 percent of respondents, up six points from the last Register poll, in early October. Former senator John Edwards (N.C.) drew 23 percent. Clinton was in the middle at 25 percent, down four points from early October. The margin of error is 4.4 percentage points.

If you are wondering what helped me make up my mind about the Democratic candidate of choice, it was many things, with this being the last straw:

[College student Muriel] Gallo-Chasanoff, whose story was first reported in the campus newspaper, said what happened was simple: She said a senior Clinton staffer asked if she'd like to ask the senator a question after an energy speech the Democratic presidential hopeful gave in Newton, Iowa, on November 6.

"I sort of thought about it, and I said 'Yeah, can I ask how her energy plan compares to the other candidates' energy plans?'" Gallo-Chasanoff said Monday night.

According to Gallo-Chasanoff, the staffer said, " 'I don't think that's a good idea, because I don't know how familiar she is with their plans.' "

This reminded me just a bit too much of the administration of someone else we know. Ms. Gallo-Chasanoff could not have said it better:

While she acknowledged "it's possible that all campaigns do these kind of tactics," she said that doesn't make it right.

"Personally I want to know that I have someone who's honest representing me."

P.S. Although her cute picture is slipping down the page, please do consider giving to May's Team if you have a few spare pennies. The marathon is next Sunday. Thank you! :)

This makes me laugh

in a good way.

And so does this . . . Rudy has produced great spin on his using taxpayer money, funneled through other New York City department accounts, to pay for security while he cheated with his mistress:





Via Talking Points Memo.

The Cheneys Support Racist Country Clubs

I'm sure this is shocking to you. But I feel obligated to report what Dallas' daily newspaper studiously ignores.

As reported on the "Unfair Park" blog of Dallas' weekly newspaper, the Dallas Observer, during the visit to Dallas last week of Vice President Dick Cheney, his wife Lynne held a book signing. Lynne Cheney chose to sign her new book at the Dallas Country Club, reportedly the only country club in America that still refuses to admit blacks or Jews. Dallas Observer writer Robert Wilonsky hypothesizes:

Guess since the book is "Cheney's memoir of her childhood in Casper, Wyoming," she wanted to capture that all-white experience she grew up with. And Cheney as a congressman was one of the few to vote against the MLK holiday.

Dallas' weekly newspaper had, of course, reported recently on the membership of two Dallas mayoral candidates in this country club (one of whom is now our Mayor, unfortunately), but apparently doesn't see the roles of the VP and his wife as being quite as high profile as Mayor of Dallas.

Be sure to check out the Unfair Park post, as it also contains an adorable picture of the Cheneys' dogs' Halloween costumes. Perhaps Dick is on his way to Pakistan right now to help his and Shrub's beloved Pakistani President Musharraf beat the crap out of lawyers protesting his coup of his own administration and unconstitutional overthrow of the supreme court poised to rule on whether he had lawfully won the last election.

Texas is the new Chicago

How so, you ask? Well, our Legislature employs curious voting methods, while at the same time insisting that we little people show our left kidney to prove we are not engaging in voter fraud:



Via Fort Bend Democrats.

Please, oh please . . .

tell me that people who are truly evil, who lie, who hurt others, who think only of themselves, will face some sort of karmic retribution at some time.

Please tell me this is true.

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On another note:


This doesn't mean I actually decided to support Kucinich--it reflects the results of this quiz.

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Petraeus wants a pony?

This is one of the most clever things I've seen in a while:

Via Susan at Kiss My Big Blue Butt, we see one of the slides General Petraeus used in his presentations to Congress last week about all the work left to do in Iraq, even though we are "winning" the war that was "mission accomplished" several years ago.

Susan then points us to the genius work of Cleek, who had some fun with this chart.

If you don't click and look at both charts, you'll be sorry!

A Vacation/Political Adventure

As you know, I was very interested in participating in some good old-fashioned New Hampshire primary stumping during my vacation. As you also know, I had some trouble locating the Democratic candidates so I could do this--who knew that campaigning was best conducted in secret? Left with no alternative, I resorted to attending a meeting of a different sort on the last full day of my vacation: I participated in the Seacoast Republican Women's Chili Fest. Actually, "participated" may not be quite accurate, in that I was reluctant to give a dime to any Republican group, so I ate no chili and drank no drinks. Instead, I listened, watched and talked to people.

Here is what I learned:

Because I couldn't wait for the temperature to reach 90 degrees in Dallas,

I'm headed to Arizona tomorrow for a little Cubs spring training action . . . will be there for the next four days. It seemed like a good time to take yet another trip, as I have yet to make the time to make a proper post about last year's trip:



or to post about my trip to Hawaii or countless other trips I have taken in between.

Nonetheless, I'm excited to see some up-close baseball, not just any baseball, of course, but CUBS BASEBALL! I also have a "wild card" day planned for Saturday, on which I may do a spa thing, or a pool thing, or a hiking thing, or a Sedona thing, or something I have not yet dreamed up! Hey, maybe I can spend the day in a lovely place where I actually--gasp!--catch up on my travel postings! We shall see . . .

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On another travel note, I do need some help from you folks--if you were taking a 10-day trip in the fall and could visit:

(A) Vermont and New Hampshire; or
(B) Maine

which would you choose? I am experiencing a rare case of trip planning paralysis and need your help! I think JD will vote for Maine, but he may surprise me. What do you say?


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On a last and much more somber note, I am awaiting with trepidation the 11am CT press conference scheduled by Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards and his wife Elizabeth. Based on the stories I have read, it appears likely that they will announce the reappearance of cancer in Elizabeth and explain how that will affect the campaign. I hope that isn't the case, most of all because Elizabeth and John seem like good people, they have young children and it is a shame for anyone to suffer from cancer, but also because I think he is one of our best hopes in the 2008 election and hate to see any setback to his chances. Please keep John and Elizabeth in your thoughts and hope for the best for them!

Breaking! Scooter Libby requests pardon!

Hey, check it out . . . a journalist has uncovered correspondence between Scooter Libby and The Shrub, in which Scooter begs for a pardon. Very interesting reading.

These people vote.

You may have heard a bit about a jury verdict in Washington, D.C. yesterday, in which the former right hand man to our Esteemed Vice President was convicted of four felonies. The news was much-awaited, though our press will probably not give it the focused attention it deserves.

I spent my day yesterday with a federal investigator, working on a matter for a client. We were on an extended break in our meeting, waiting for a witness to arrive, when I saw that the Libby jury had delivered a verdict. I popped over to the room where the investigator waited to let her know, and her response was, "Who is Scooter Libby?" Gently outlining the story didn't help, and neither did a detailed explanation of the Plame/Wilson/Novak background. The federal investigator--a government employee living in a metropolitan area within the United States of America--had never heard about the leaking of a CIA agent's identity to defend against an attack on the administration's false rationalizations for the war in Iraq, had never heard about an extended investigation of the leak by independent counsel, in which members of the press were jailed based on their refusal to reveal sources, had never heard that a top level administration official was indicted, later claiming in court that he was a scapegoat for Vice President Dick Cheney and Karl Rove.

But I'll bet she votes.

And now, Former President Clinton . . .

The President visited Dallas on Thursday of this week. A friend and I, along with about 4,000 other North Texans, decided we were willing to pay the concert-ticket kind of fee to hear him speak. The format was one hour of lecture and one hour of Q and A. I had hoped the Q and A would be from the audience, but it was not.

Too bad I didn't bring my camera--all we have is this cell phone pic of one of the screens:



Among the audience were a few too many "Hilary '08" shirts for my taste. The standing ovation that greeted President Clinton was deafening and prolonged. The President seemed more serious than he used to appear . . . he barely smiled at the applause. I believe he is working to squeeze as many world improvements as possible into the time he has remaining, through his work in his Foundation.

He began with a joke. Looking out at the nearly-filled large auditorium, he said, "Probably 90% of all the Democrats in North Texas are here tonight. I'm a little worried about the 10% out there without someone to protect them."

I did not see President Clinton look at his notes until near the end of the first hour. This was impressive because he spoke quickly, as if he wanted to make absolutely certain that we heard everything he wanted to say that night. His lecture was structured around three questions: (1) What is the fundamental character of the early 21st century world?; (2) Is this a good thing?; and (3) What should we do to change it? He said he didn't care if our answers to those questions were the same as his, but that it is important to ask those questions and know how you would answer them. In his opinion, the fundamental character of the world now is connectedness, diversity, a shared sense of vulnerability and global non-security threats. He views this world character as a good thing, but as "unequal, unstable and unsustainable." To change these qualities, he recommends that we build integrated communities, meaning communities that have shared benefits, shared responsibility and a sense of genuine belonging among members. In order for the U.S. to do this, the President thinks it is necessary to use a security program, and diplomacy efforts, create partners, not enemies, and conduct "home improvement" with respect to our economics, healthcare and energy. His point that resonated most strongly with me was this: "We have to believe our common humanity matters more than our differences."

Next, the strangely goofy "host" of the program sat down with Clinton and asked him questions submitted by random people who were not at the event. The question that brought out the most genuine enthusiasm and animation was about the Clinton Library--the President enthusiastically described its layout and contents. He excitedly described a recent special exhibit about cowboys, which contained a Gary Cooper outfit from an old Western.

Asked about what he views to be the biggest problem in the U.S. today, the President said it is that we used to think there was no problem we couldn't solve together, but that is no longer the case. We should be in the "problem-solving business, not the hand-wringing business."

The portion of the evening with the strongest emotional impact, both on the audience and on Clinton, was his answer to the question about which of the world leaders he has met were most interesting, and why. The two leaders he named were Nelson Mandela and Yitzhak Rabin, saying, "I feel my life is immeasurably better because they were in it."

About Mandela, the President noted that he was jailed for 27 years, then forgave his jailers, even placing them in important posts in his government. Clinton finds Mandela to be "real" and "great in all the important ways." Mandela let go of his hatred after 14 years in prison, deciding that his jailers had control over every aspect of his life, with the exception of his heart and mind. He told Clinton, at a time when Clinton was heavily under attack from the right, "I decided not to give away my heart and mind, and neither should you." Mandela's hatred for his oppressors sprang back to life when he was freed from prison, as he was freshly reminded of all they had stolen from him. But he told Clinton, "I wanted to be free, so I let it go."

The President teared up when speaking of Rabin's death, saying, "The day they killed him was the worst day of my presidency." Considering all that went on during his eight years in the White House, that is saying something. He said he was closer to Rabin than to any other man. Laughter returned to the auditorium when Clinton told us of a conversation with Rabin just before Rabin and Arafat shook hands as the first step toward a peace accord. Rabin expressed concern about shaking Arafat's hand, saying he really did not want to do that publicly. After Clinton told him he had to do it as a symbol of the peace effort, Rabin said he would do it, but that there would be no kissing, despite the Palestinian tradition in that regard. (It was funnier when Clinton told the story.)

So, there you have it: the conversation Bill Clinton had with me and 3,999 others. He left us with this: "I was more idealistic and more optimistic about the ability of America to meet its challenges when I left the White House than when I went in."

Want to see something cool?

The New York Times has this awesome graphic that lets you see how many times Bush has used various words in each of his State of the Union Addresses. Check it out!

From the Breath of Fresh Air File: an open letter from religious leaders denouncing the slandering of Barack Obama based on his religious background (or lack thereof). The best lines:

However, certain moral standards should infuse our national dialogue, and the recent attacks on Sen. Obama violate values at the heart of this dialogue. The false and malicious attacks levied at him are anathema to all of our faith traditions, and we condemn them outright.

On a non-political note, this is one of the best obituaries I have ever read. Via Unfair Park, the Dallas Observer's blog.

Speaking of Unfair Park, you might enjoy their snarky story of the local asst. district attorney who once sent an innocent guy to prison and is now without a job. (I certainly did).

Speaking of crime, here is a heartwarming story of a repentant thief . . . who succumbed to text messages!

Finally, on a personal note, in the Good News category, Kip (my eldest dog), does not have cancer, but only a cyst. Yay.

More Vows for the New Year, and How This Administration Made Me Mad Yesterday

(if I call them "resolutions," they are much less likely to occur).

I may have mentioned that I have a painter here this week, repairing my ceiling where necessary and painting ceilings, my closet and my laundry room, which were in serious need of sprucing to match the rest of the house. I had to clear out the closet and laundry room the other morning so he could work. More stuff came out of those tiny spaces--especially the closet--than I could ever have imagined. I was going to show you a photo of the clothes stacked on my bed, most of which I haven't worn in years, but I am, frankly, too embarassed to do that. (I will take such a photo for myself so whenever I wonder why I don't have a more solid retirement fund, I can remind myself.) And it was then that I had an epiphany: I am a pack rat extraordinnaire, rivaling some of the great pack rats in my family tree. And another epiphany: I don't enjoy living like a pack rat.

Anyway, this weekend I will put stuff back in the closet and laundry room, but I will be thoughtful about it, asking myself for each and every item if I will wear it in the next year--if not, it goes. I decided that I will photograph the clothes I'm keeping out of sentimental value (it's odd how a particular outfit can bring memories rushing back), so that I have a digital image to return to and don't have to house the item forever. I want my house to feel lighter, more organized and easier to use. And I'm fixated on making that happen as soon as possible. I'll take it one room, one drawer or space at a time, so as not to become overwhelmed. But I think this time it will really happen.



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Another of my new year vows is to stay organized at work. I have always been an organized worker, but I see that sometimes when things are going fast and furious, that slips a little and I end up with piles of paper all over my desk. I simply can't work that way--my mind is most organized and sharp when my surroundings are organized and peaceful. So I plan to work at keeping things organized as much as I possibly can.

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In the "this just ticks me off royally" category is the news regarding Harriet Miers' resignation as White House Counsel. I could not care less about whether she stays or goes, but what makes me mad is that this. When the Jackass in Chief nominated Miers as a poor substitute for the retiring Sandra Day O'Connor, he assured us all along that she possesses the intellect and experience necessary for a United States Supreme Court Justice:

I believe that senators of both parties will find that Harriet Miers' talent, experience and judicial philosophy make her a superb choice to safeguard the constitutional liberties and equality of all Americans.

How telling is it that while Miers supposedly was well-suited to "safeguard the constitutional liberties and equality of all Americans," she now is not seen as a strong enough lawyer for this crap White House, as the Washington Post writes:

Bush advisers inside and outside the White House concluded that she is not equipped for such a battle [in response to expected inquiries by the new Democratic Congress] and that the president needs someone who can strongly defend his prerogatives.

The Bush Administration apparently thinks we won't notice that this contradicts their statements of support for Miers' S. Ct. nomination and do not bother to explain why this does not show they are huge liars. It isn't as if we would believe them anyway. Maybe this story provides the true reason: Miers was nominated for the Court due to her religion, but a religious person would not be well-suited for the manner in which the White House intends to conduct itself in response to future Congressional inquiries.


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In other news, the rain smell on the sidewalks yesterday morning reminded me of Paris. Speaking of Paris, have you seen this web site? I just discovered it yesterday and spent an embarassing amount of time on it, dreaming of living in the various Paris apartments that are for rent, and looking at the neighborhoods where they are, etc. If you love Paris, you will enjoy this site. Oh, and you may enjoy this site as well--a woman who lives in Paris writes about and photographs her life daily, and it is really interesting.
A photo of disorganization, beautiful when it's someone else's, and is in Paris: