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Call it, Friendo

Posted at 5:06 PM on March 9, 2008 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)

There have been some interesting developments at this week's endorsing conventions. Some folks have submitted comments on earlier posts calling for greater detail as to what's happening at the DFL and GOP conventions. Since I can only be at one place at a time (I was at the GOP Senate District 41 convention), I'm asking for your help. Let us know what happened at your convention. You don't have to be a delegate as long as you attended the event (please don't post something second or thirdhand).

I'm posting the first comment from David Zingler, who attended the DFL SD 42 convention.

Let us know what happened at your event. In other words, Call it, friendo...

Comments (6)

District 62 Convention: Candidates & Chaos

I am out early this Saturday morning. It’s about 9:40 am on March 8 as I enter the doors of Roosevelt High School in South Minneapolis for the Senate District 62 Democratic Convention. The district, arguably the most liberal in the state, looks to be a hotbed of Senate candidate Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer supporters.

“Jack for Senate” signs litter the entryway and his loyal followers enthusiastically campaign for their man. Al Franken supporters are present in good numbers as well with several signs posted inside. Mike Ciresi backers meanwhile, are conspicuously absent.

After snaking through the school hallways for about 25 minutes, I am finally registered. I quickly notice my friend and neighbor Shannon McDonough chatting it up with the District’s senator Patricia Torres Ray. McDonough, a local political maven, explains to me that he is here to support school board candidate Jill Davis.

It’s now about 11:00 am and the festivities are getting underway. 5th District Representative Keith Ellison is first to address the partisan crowd. The freshman congressman voices his displeasure with the president’s proposed FISA legislation that gives immunity to telecommunications companies and says it will “unfortunately take more than one term in congress to end the Iraq War.” He also adds that his goal for the upcoming election is to register 20,000 new voters.

Mark Dayton is the next speaker. The former senator is introduced as a “Hillary Clinton supporter.” Dayton acknowledges Barack Obama’s overwhelming win in last month’s caucus, but explains he “sat next to Hillary for six years in the senate” and told her that if she ran in 2008, he would “probably” support her. In the end however, Dayton believes “both are better than Bush and McCain” and says he will support the Democratic nominee either way.

Moments later Nelson-Pallmeyer takes the stage. The St. Thomas professor calls for the end of the Iraq War and claims he is the only candidate in the U.S. Senate race who supports a “national, single-payer health care system.” The longtime peace activist believes we cannot afford to send a “mainstream Democrat to Washington” and claims to be “No. 2 in the delegate count,” presumably behind Franken.

After city councilman Scott Benson speaks on behalf of Franken, it is time to form sub caucuses. In all, 54 groups register, including “Justice for Palestinians” and “More Trees, Less Bush.” In the end only about 20 reach the 31-delegate threshold needed to remain viable.

During that process, Al Franken enters the hall and an immediate buzz comes over the room. The former Saturday Night Live star’s presence comes with some controversy however, as many in the crowd want him to speak, but Nelson-Pallmeyer’s supporters quickly point out that Benson has already used Franken’s allotted time.

A debate ensues before it is finally agreed that each senate candidate or a surrogate will get an additional five minutes to address the crowd. Franken then steps up to the podium and declares that health care is a “right” and calls for a “responsible, fast” exit from Iraq.

The comedian emphasizes his long record as a conservative agitator stating that he “wasn’t afraid of Newt, Rush, Bush or even Cheney” and “sure as hell is not afraid of Norm Coleman.” Franken claims the “truth is on his side” and Coleman had a chance to do right by Minnesotans and “blew it.”

After advocates of Ciresi and Nelson-Pallmeyer stump for their candidates, it is time to elect delegates. The process is chaotic and difficult to make sense of, especially for a first time conventioneer like me. By late afternoon however, the disorderly procedure finally concludes when the 846 attendees select 28 delegates and 28 alternates who will attend the Congressional and State conventions.

A seasoned observer said it best, “Democracy is a messy thing.”

SD62 elected 13 Franken delegates, 10 Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer delegates, 1 Ciresi delegate, and 4 Uncommitted Delegates.

Posted by david zingler | March 9, 2008 5:16 PM

Glad to help!

SD43 DFL: http://www.mncampaignreport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1157
Delegate counts from around CD3: http://www.mncampaignreport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1156
SD32 DFL: http://mnpublius.com/2008/03/my-day-in-sd32/
SD52 and SD56 DFL, SD42 GOP: http://www.mnblue.com/node/1260

Posted by Joe Bodell | March 9, 2008 5:29 PM

Plenty over at mnblue:

MN-03: Big day for Ashwin Madia

SD50 Convention

There's A Race, In The Sixth!

MN-03 Analysis: why Our Brave Captain is winning

Posted by The Big E | March 9, 2008 8:58 PM

MNBlue also has the SD60 results from last weekend.
http://www.mnblue.com/sd60_convention_great_day_for_franken

Posted by Amy | March 9, 2008 9:43 PM

My wife and I were SD7 (Duluth) delegates, convening on Mar 1.

Ciresi spoke himself for about 10 minutes, after introduction by Rep. Tom Huntley. The local organizer for Nelson-Pallmeyer spoke and gave a very well prepared and effective presentation. 3 well respected locals stepped up in place of Franken as Franni Franken was delayed in getting to the event.

I didn't keep notes on the subcaucuses but the organizers placed the subcaucuses in the meeting room according to senate preference for the most part and put all the uncommitted subcaucuses in one area making it easy for the various organizers to know where everyone stood by where they were standing and that helped get the dealing started.

My wife and I were in the Franken / Education / Healthcare subcaucus and our viability number was 22 and we were at 15. We were surprised we were the only subcaucus for Education. We eventually merged with a 6 person subcaucus that was uncommited and picked up a stragler from another and sent one of Al's core supporters (and staff member, I think) to the convention with one of the 6 uncommitted as his alternate, which was the deal we made.

Franni Franken arrived late, during the subcaucusing, and all were willing to give her time to speak.

She was here to "set the record straight".

She acknowledged that Al had not always opposed the war but that he never supported it.

She did say that Al supports single payer health care and always had. From what I know listening to him on Air America, that seems to be true.

The Nelson-Pallmeyer crowd was fired up and they had a lot of his supporters here. His strength and the weakness of Ciresi were a real surprise to me.

The final total was 10 for Franken, 10 for Nelson-Pallmeyer, and 2 for Ciresi.

The most interesting twist was actually in the endorsement of the district 7B house district.

Tom Huntley has been there forever (20+ years) and does lean somewhat right for a lefty. Tom was present and spoke for himself and in favor of Mike Ciresi, introducing him.

The endorsement committee issued a majority and minority recommendation and and the majority recommended "no endorsement" and a minority recommended "Tom Huntley".

The crowd of district delegates wanted to know why. After about 10 minutes of proper Roberts Rule of Order stuff, it was brought out that it was his opposition to single payer health care that was the issue, based on his voting record.

He has voted against single payer health care for Minnesota and does not believe in it and when he spoke earlier and he pointed out that his position is the same as Clinton, Obama, and Edwards.

The crowd eventually voted to endorse Huntley, and it appears he got the message.

Bob Montgomery
Duluth

Posted by Robert Montgomery | March 10, 2008 11:07 AM

its the enviroment, stupid............earth first....

Posted by wm musson | March 11, 2008 12:08 AM

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