DFL SD 62 convention

Yesterday's DFL Senate District 62 convention was an exercise in patience, but it did afford many opportunities in humor. I've always seen myself as this extremely lefty progressive. Then I moved into this neighborhood and met real crazy liberals that make me feel like a raging conservative.

That might be a slight exaggeration, but not by much. I got a lot of laughs out of the implausible resolutions we voted on for inclusion in the DFL constitution or platform. One was to have a three month waiting period for Congress to declare war. First, such a change would require an amendment of the constitution. Second, the Iraq congressional vote was some months before military action, so such a waiting period wouldn't have made a difference there. Third, it would just make the party look clueless, radical, and out of touch--even more so than the city council of Berkeley, California.

The endless debate about rules and process weren't as endless as they have been at similar gatherings in the past. My favorite was the proposal and debate to amend the rules to change the time allotted to non-statewide campaigns from 2 minutes to 1 minute. At that point, we had already had two two-minute speeches and were in line two get just another two or three over the course of the day. The proposal was debated and defeated. Another thing I learned is that all you have to do is label something "undemocratic" to immediately get a sizable portion of the room to oppose something. No listening or critical thought required!

Then comes the sub-caucusing part. Out of a group of 848 delegates, a subcaucus needed to have at least 31 members in order to elect a delegate to the state and congressional conventions. Initially a full 54 different subcaucuses were named. Less than half would ultimately survive. Some seemed a bit repetitive.

The list of initial subcaucuses:

1. Clinton-Franken
2. Franken-Environment
3. Obama-Franken-DFL Victory
4. Franken-Gay Marriage
5. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-End the War
6. Uncommitted-Justice for Palestinians
7. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-Stop Global Warming
8. Franken-Pro-Choice
9. Uncommitted-Pro-Endorsement
10. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-Single Payer Healthcare
11. Obama
12. Franken-Universal Healthcare
13. Uncommitted-Stop Foreclosures and End the War
14. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-Obama-Change
15. Obama-Students and Young Voters
16. Ciresi
17. Uncommitted-Labor-Steal-proof Elections and Let's Hear it for the Middle Class
18. Obama-Ellison-Anti-War
19. Uncommitted-Defeat Norm Coleman
20. Franken-Healthcare
21. Uncommitted for Senate-Obama
22. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-The America I Believe in Does Not Torture
23. Franken-Ellison-Get Out of Iraq
24. Franken-Labor
25. Uncommitted-End No Child Left Behind
26. Uncommitted-Save Neighborhood Revitalization Program
27. Uncommitted for Senate-Universal Single-Payer Health Care for All
28. Uncommitted-Paid Family Leave-Childcare
29. Obama-GLBT Equality
30. Obama-Education-Poverty
31. Uncommitted for Senate-Clinton-Take Back America
32. Uncommitted-Immigration Issues
33. Uncommitted-Environment-Stop Global Warming
34. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-GLBT
35. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-Health Care for People Not Profit
36. Uncommitted-Peace Activists for Minnesota Veteran Benefits
37. Franken-Ellison-Champions for Labor
38. Obama-Instant Runoff Voting
39. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-More Trees Less Bush
40. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-Save Neighborhood Revitalization Program
41. Uncommitted-Labor-Economic Justice
42. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-For Environmental Sustainability
43. Obama-Franken-Protect Civil Liberties
44. Uncommitted-U.S. Constitution-Mother Earth-All Citizens Equal-Common Sense
45. Obama-Franke-Ellison-Human Rights
46. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-Full GLBT Equality
47. Uncommitted-Global Responsibility
48. Franken-Sustainable Living-Elder Care
49. Clinton-For President
50. Uncommitted-Minnesota Great Outdoors and Heritage Amendment
51. Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer-Neighborhood Revitalization Program
52. Uncommitted-Strong Economy
53. Obama-Franken-Single Payer
54. Franken-Let Al Speak*

* This last one was proposed as a rhetorical point to allow Al Franken to address the convention even though a surrogate had used the alloted five minutes time. A compromise was proposed, debated, and voted on and Franken was able to speak.

I went undecided and subcaucused with the Undecided-Beat Norm Coleman. I left before the final subcaucusing and am not sure about the final tally of delegates. One conclusion, Ciresi wasn't very strong in this group.

I've not been to a Republican caucus. If I may take some creative liberties, I'll suggest that if the room was full of Republican activists there would fewer subcacuses. Perhaps it would be the following:

1. Save Marriage, Save Our Families
2. Save Embryos/Fetuses, Save Our Families
3. Lock 'em Up, Send 'em Home, No More Immigrants, Save Our Families
4. No More Taxes, Save Our Families
5. Fight the Terrorists in Iraq, Stay the Course
6. Fight the Islamo-fascists in Iran-John McCain
7. Home Schooling-No More Dept of Education!-Teach Intelligent Design

This is just guessing on my part. I'll have the opportunity to see Republican activists from around the country when the Republican National Convention comes to town.