What to do when a campaign comes a calling?

Last night I received a call from the Clinton campaign, and they weren't asking for money? We all have been receiving those phone calls from all the candidates, and committee but his time it was to speak specifically to me.  I was called because I am an Edwards delegate. I spoke for about 20 minutes with one of Senator Cinton's staff.  I discussed what is most important to me. They are going to gather specific information on where she stands in regards to funding at the NIH and get back to me. So I am now waiting.

No calls from either side yet today

Stay tuned

Breaking news! As promised this campaign season continues to be exciting. I received a call from a St Petersburg Times reporter asking about my position, now that Senator Edwards has made an endorsement.

Start looking tomorrow at www.sptimes.com for an article about Edwards Delegates. You will find my comments consistent with my communication to you.

Now is your time to provide input to me. When I sit down Senator Clinton and when I sit down with Senator Obama, I want to be able to ask my important questions and your important questions. All in an effort to determine who indeed deserves my support, and ultimately your support.  (the "sit down with" statements kind of fall into the previous posts "what if" statements, ha!)

This is really exciting and I look forward to Denver as our country finally gets back on the road to,

• Proper investment at the NIH
• Health Care for all (bankruptcy due to illness is a national disgrace)
• A real living wage for all
• A tax policy that is fair to the middle class
• Real demonstrative and substantive respect for our veterans
• and PEACE!

Get engaged, be engaged, buckle up! It is a ride into a better and brighter future for all Americans

Barry B.. aka super delegate

What an exciting campaign! This is politics and timing at its best. After her big win in West VA, While Senator Clinton is recording interviews for the talk shows expressing her strength in the middle class; the champion fighter for the middle class, Senator John Edwards comes out with an endorsement of Senator Obama. The landscape and the discussions switch from her big win, to Senator Obama. I am not sure who made the timing decision, weather it was Senator Obama, or Senator Edwards it was brilliant. I'll take the campaign at their word which makes me believe that Senator Edwards decision was only 24-36 hours prior to the announcement.

Where does that leave me an un-seated, shunned, Florida Delegate committed to John Edwards? While I am confident that Senator Obama will have enough delegates to clinch the nomination before the convention, just for fun lets have a "what if" discussion.

What if we get to the convention without a candidate that has enough delegates to clinch the nomination?

What if Florida gets a full delegation based upon the January 29th primary results?

Does Senator Edwards’s endorsement of Senator Obama mean that his delegates are now Obama delegates? NO! I committed my delegate vote to John Edwards and I am bound to that commitment....until....

1) Senator Edwards "releases" his delegates which allow them to vote for any remaining candidate.
Or
2) After the first round of voting on the convention floor, which includes the super delegates, and if there is still no candidate with the delegates needed to clinch the nomination. Should this happen, all delegates regardless of their commitment, can now vote anyway the wish in order to end the deadlock and nominate a candidate.

Scenario #1 is particularly interesting, should Senator Edwards release his delegates, which he will, and should Florida get a full delegation, which is doubtful, but if this does happen, you might as well call all Edwards delegates "Super Delegates." Their ability to vote for either candidate gives them the same influence as the group the media has been referring to as Super Delegates. FYI the true term within the DNC is "Charter Delegates" Not "Super Delegates." If this scenario does develop, you can bet I'll be approached by both campaigns. If that happens, I will review their policy papers and they better include appropriate focus on funding at the National Institute of Health. What are your issues/concerns? Send them to me and I'll ask the questions.

Ok, back to reality..

What is really on the front for me. The DNC rules and bylaws committee is meeting on May 31, and I expect some kind of ruling that will include Florida. What will it be? Honestly it could be anything from I get seated as an Edwards Delegate with a full vote, or maybe a half vote, or maybe I'll be excluded and not allowed to attend because of a penalty that reduces the number of delegates, or maybe I'll get sit on the floor but not allowed to vote.

There was to be a full delegation meeting in Tampa this upcoming weekend that has now been postponed until Mid-June in Fort Lauderdale. I'll keep you posted.

Please remember do not let anyone tell you their vote does not count. Just look what we have been through the last eight years, votes count and not voting hurts much more.

VOTE!

Peace out!

Barry B

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like sparing will soon be over.
No more, who you going to call at 3:00 a.m. ? 
No more, reverend crackpot.
No more, sniper fire.
No more, distracting questions. 

So when will she suspend her campaign? My guess is that Senator Clinton will use the coming weeks to instill an air of unity. The air will be much different than the previous months of campaign competition.  The democratic voters have spoken, the super delegates are listening and the choice is all but been made official. I predict somewhere around June 7 Senator Clinton will concede and it will be official, I will be heading to Denver with a nominee.

Competition turned toward cooperation is where we are headed.

If you listen you will hear more and more words from both candidates shifting toward "no matter who gets the nomination, I will support the candidate." Words like "my opponent is a great leader" and other unifying statements.

On one of the morning shows today, Senator Clinton's Campaign manager even dropped a slight comment of the possibility of a combined ticket being a real option.

Right now I am visualizing myself at the convention listening to Barack Obama on Thursday August 28th giving his "I accept your nomination" speech.  I want to know, who will speak on Wednesday night? It is usually the presumed Vice Presidential Nominee. Will it be Governor Bill Richardson, will it be Senator Clinton, someone else? What is your prediction?

My prediction is, it will be a great team, regardless. Maybe not the "two-for" some wanted, but a winning "two-for" is in our future. 

Barack now must focus on stopping the policies of George W for continuing a third term. Many people want to think McCain is a change agent, but in reality, they are frightened of change. They find it hard to believe that things can really get better. Barack must expose in great detail, there is little difference between McCain and Bush. Where there is it is very rarely, if ever, a positive step towards the things that are important to me.

• A real living wage for everyone
• Health care for everyone 
• PEACE

What makes a great team? I say, inspiration and experience makes a great team. I have seen a lot of this in this campaign. Now a move toward unity is the experience that inspires. It puts the change in motion for, a real living wage for everyone,  health care for everyone and PEACE.

On to Denver!
Barry B

I hear a typical day begins with a state delegation breakfast meeting. We hear from Florida's Democratic leaders and special guests including national figures and campaign surrogates. THIS IS WHERE I GET MY ACTUAL and Official credentials for each day’s Convention proceedings.

The rest of the day is filled with caucus meetings and training sessions. The Convention proceedings begin in mid-to-late afternoon each day.

Convention Proceedings

Monday: DNC Chairman Governor Howard Dean takes the gavel and acts as the Temporary Chair of the 2008 Convention and calls the Convention to order . The first item of business is the report of the Credentials Committee, which will resolve all questions concerning the seating of delegates. I fully expect there to be some notice of the Florida Delegation during this part of the Convention, hopefully it will be a welcoming of the delegation. So far we have been shunned. In some society's this is the most severe type of punishment. Let's hope all this crap is over and  the welcoming allows us with like minds to begin our love fest!

The second item of business is the report of the Rules Committee. Among its responsibilities, the Rules Committee will recommend the permanent convention officers, including the Permanent Convention Chair. Following approval of the Rules Committee report by Convention delegates, Speaker Nancy Pelosi takes the gavel as the Permanent Convention Chair. The keynote address has typically been on Monday evenings.

Past Key Note speakers

1984 in San Francisco; Mario Cuomo and Jesse Jackson tore the roof off.

1988 in Atlanta; Ann Richards, said George Bush was "born with a silver foot in his mouth."

1992 in Madison Square Garden; the Man from Hope, Ak launched his campaign for the forgotten middle class.

1996 in Chicago; President Clinton stated we needed a "bridge to the 21st Century."

2000 in Los Angeles; Al Gore lit the way toward "a better, fairer, more prosperous America"

2004 in Boston;  the keynote address was given by a spellbinding young state senator from Illinois with an unusual name and an uncanny gift for oratory.

2008 in Denver; the key note address will pave the way for either the first African American, or the first Women nominee is history. It truly is history in the making. I must admit, the thought of what will come is making me a bit giddy!

Tuesday: the Convention features debate and discussion of the Party’s proposed National Platform.

Wednesday: includes the formal presidential nominating process with nominating and seconding speeches for presidential candidates being given. The alphabetical roll call of states and territories by the Convention Secretary and often the Party’s presumptive vice presidential candidate speaks.

Thursday: The final day of the Convention; we nominate the vice presidential candidate. The Convention concludes with the acceptance speech of the Party’s presidential nominee. A.K.A THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES!

peace Barry

I have listed below the talking points of a recent correspondence from a Florida Democratic party member who is representing us on a national level. Where it sits now is that the appeals are continuing, however the most promising news is that ALL agree that Florida should be represented in some way at the convention, and a Hotel has been assigned for the Florida delegation.

I will be attending a meeting in Tampa in a few weeks. All the Florida Delegates are invited to this meeting. I hope to get some good and exciting news there. I also expect  more details of how this thing will shake out. At any level this is an historic year. Stay involved and make your voices heard.

Here is a synopsis of my most recent information from the Florida Democratic Party (FDP) leaders.

• The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Rules and Bylaws Committee (RBC), have called a meeting of the DNC RBC for Saturday, 31 May 2008, to hear and decide the two appeals filed from Florida.
• one, the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States contains language stating persons holding certain positions (DNC Members, US Senators, US Representatives, DNC Officers, former DNC Chairs, etc.) Shall be delegates (a.k.a SUPER delegate) to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
• two, the appropriate penalty for a state violating the timing rule (Rule 11 of the Delegate Selection Rules) is contained in Rule 20.C.1 which states a timing violation shall result in a 50% reduction in the pledged delegates (not 49%, not 51% and certainly not 100%).
• Independent polling in Florida, previously sent out, clearly indicates that Floridians are very concerned about the 100% penalty. Over 62% of Florida Democrats believe that the appeals should be granted and that a 50% penalty is appropriate.
• The arguments in appeals filed on behalf of Florida accept that fact that a penalty for the timing violation is appropriate and should be imposed. However, the penalty should have been 50% of the pledged delegates, not 100% of the entire delegation.
• The whole reason for the penalty was that Florida held its primary before first four states designated by the DNC, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The reason these states go first is to give candidates a forum where they can campaign in an "affordable" manner. It is important that they can launch their national campaigns without the need to have raised the BIG dollars that are afford other well connected candidates. This goal was achieved
• Florida has been shunned and in some societies that is one of the most severe penalties that can be imposed. We would like to be welcomed back into the Democratic community. We want take the fight to Republican John McCain and his plans to continue Bush’s war in Iraq and failed domestic policies.

I look forward to moving past this issue and on to Denver!

Barry

So its final. The Florida Demoratic Party (FDP) annouced there will NOT be a mail in revote!

Let’s face it this is Florida… not Oregon. 

Oregon does most, if not all their voting by mail. Easy, right? So why not a mail in revote in Florida? Ask Oregonians, they will tell you it did not go easy at first. Some say it took years to get it right. So I must ask why us mighty Floridians think we can tape the chads and get it all to stick together in a few weeks. Fraught with problems that is what the mail in revote would be.

Ok now comes my personal notes. I have had it, we voted and dang it my vote counted.

Say what you want about the rules, in Florida we did not have a chance to override the Republican State legislature that laughed as the Dems attempted to add a Feb 5th date to the bill that moved the primary to Jan 29th. Florida Democrats did not oppose it “enough”  you say, would it have made a difference? DNC have you ever heard of majority rules? If we had opposed it vigorously and fought it tooth and nail and still lost would you then say “FDP it was not your fault, we know you did your best to beat the opposition”

The outcome would have been the same. The primary was going to be January 29 and it was plain to see that in summer 07. We are still bickering about it, Senator Bill Nelson calls it a train wreck.

Here are two issues which does not get much play regarding the Florida January 29th primary.

1. The state bill that moved the primary to January 29th included a provisions that brought paper ballots to all our elections.  Accountability and the ability to recount IS IMPORTANT. We could not take the chance of losing that. Do you remember this issue is all about FLORIDA elections?
2. If the Florida Democratic Primary was hld on another date, the Jan 29th ballot would have been carried out anyway with other important state and local issues. Issues that needed Dems to participate. Having polls open for state based legislation, with an additional day set for weeks later for the Party Presidential Primary would have at minimum been confusing. It would have resulted in fewer Dem voters at the polls.

Give me a seat and lets get on, I am fine with a ½ vote if you want. But get me in the hall and on the floor. I am taking my time to play a role in this process. A party of the people, all people, and that does include me, a FLORIDA DELEGATE.

This time it’s our election to lose so Dean, get it out of your head and get with Obama and Clinton and let’s agree on the floor seats and come to resolution. The tide is turning here; let’s ride the surf, the perfect wave before the swells go away with clouds of uncertainty.

Peace out

 

Here is a summary of what I have been reading and thinking of late


What's at issue with the Florida and Michigan delegations and the nominating process?

The states held their primaries earlier than allowed by the Democratic National Party Rules, leading the party to strip them of their delegates to the nominating convention. Neither candidate campaigned actively in the two states. Obama was not even on the ballot in Michigan, and Clinton won the most votes in both states. A notable not, this was done by the Rules Committee, but guess what. Its not the rules committee that allows or bars delegations to the convention, it is the credentials committee, more on that in an upcoming blog entry.

Primary Results:

Florida:    Clinton 50% , Obama 33% , Edwards 15%
Michigan: Clinton 55% , Uncommitted 40%

What's happening now to seat the delegations? Got any ideas?

Party leaders and the campaigns are searching in earnest for a way to seat the barred delegations from Florida and Michigan. The issue is now being seen as potentially vital in influencing who wins the nomination. The party and the candidates seem to be united in the realization that we have no choice but to find a solution and are even open to another round of voting.

Obama says "I’ll leave it up to the Democratic National Committee to make a decision about how to resolve it, but I certainly want to make sure that we’ve got Michigan and Florida delegates at the convention in some fashion."'

Aides to Mrs. Clinton, signaled that they were open to a revote under certain conditions. However, this type of change in the electoral and psychological dynamic could work against Obama in a new election in Florida and Michigan.

The Obama campaign has floated the idea of allocating the delegates from the two states 50-50, which would erase Mrs. Clinton’s hypothetical advantage and essentially make the two states meaningless in the competitive delegate count. It would, however, allow Michigan and Florida delegates to participate in the national convention.

Another option floating is let the results of the two primaries stand and award Obama delegates won by "uncommitted" on the Michigan ballot. If this happens Clinton would pick up around 64 more delegates than Obama toward the 2,209 needed to secure the nomination.

Why not just have a re-do?

It is estimated at a cost of $18 million in Florida and $10 million in Michigan. Neither the National nor the State party wants to foot the bill. They both need that money to support the eventual candidates in the national and state campaigns.

Howard Dean , chairman of the National Democratic Party, has said it is up to the states, not the national party, to come up with a solution. He also told Florida Senator Bill Nelson, it is legal and allowed to use "soft money" to fund the re-do. So if you know a billionaire would you ask him, "Hey buddy can you spare $18 million?"

How about GAME OVER?

Florida Senator Bill Nelson said "If we don’t do anything, we’re looking at a train wreck, I’m hoping reasonable heads with prevail and will see the Democratic Party doesn’t want to be at the convention in Denver two months out from the general election and having a major intraparty fight with two of the biggest and most important states in electing the next president."

What about these Edwards Delegates?

I hope all is settled and we go to the convention with a nominee who has a clear majority. That is the best scenario. However, let’s look at me and a nominee selection on the convention floor.

I plan to be at the convention in some capacity either as a Edwards Delegate or if there is a re-do, I could get allocated or required to re-pledge to either Clinton or Obama. FYI, I am still neutral on these candidates.

The delegate seekers will be attempting to sway the Super Delegates toward their respective candidates. My support of Mr. Edwards could also make me look attractive to these delegate seekers. To them I say, I do like Lobster Dinners! But seriously, at that time I will do what I consider best for the nominee selection process.

Your support is what has carried me so far, and now I need your perspectives and welcome a dialogue on who is the best candidate. Keep in mind that there is no doubt either Obama or Clinton can, must, and will lead us out of the mess we are in. Leaning one way or the other is healthy and necessary. 

Being anything other than totally united in the end game, is just doing the work of the opposition.

Peace out

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey Folks

Have you ever had or known someone who said "I had a teacher in High School that said, you should do that someday"

Well that is me. I had a teacher Mr. Deneweth who said "someday you should attend the Democratic National Convention."

Yesterday my friends came throughout Florida's U.S. Congressional District 15 and elected me as the one delegate representing John Edwards at the National Convention.

Every Presidential election year I watch the speeches and say, I wish I was there. In 2008 I WILL BE ! We will be, Michele and I will be at the convention in Denver.

OK OK, what's the buzz, will Florida be seated? I hear Florida broke the rules and won't be seated.

OK OK , what's the buzz, John Edwards is not even running anymore, what's his delegate going to do, why is there even Edwards delegates at all?

Well Mr. Deneweth you will just have to subscribe to this blog and follow me on the road to Denver.

Thanks so much to my friends who came to support me at the delegate caucus. Some of you drove 40 miles to the only polling place in the district. It is humbling to have such a great set of friends.

The common comment from everyone at the caucus was, "wow this is exciting, there is such a positive feeling in the air."  Folks it does not get anymore grass roots than this. People are starting to realize that there is a DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN BREVARD, and we are it! YES I AM TALKING ABOUT BREVARD!

Subscribe to the blog and follow Michele and I to Denver and you will find out what's the buzz.

Check out this article from todays paper.

Michele and I are off to the San Jose Rock-n-Roll 1/2 marathon. We had such a great time last year (its inaugural) we signed up for this year at the expo BEFORE we ran the course. The weather promises to be great.

 

It's great to have great people in our lives. First Michele is a great travel companion, besides being an overall super partner. We have a neighbor taking care of our ageing and somewhat ailing pets, and our team mentors are keeping our marathon trainee peeps in line.

We feel so blessed sometimes it’s hard to describe. I often blog about our friends and their loss, but this time in honor of all our friends I want to lift up them for making our lives so great.

That is what it takes to be successful, great friends and great partners. Right now I feel like I couldn’t be more successful.

Maybe I'll post..post 1/2 marathon.. Good thing I don't have to type with my feet!