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TREMORS INSIDE THE CDP:

Grassroots Activists Come Together To Transform The California Democratic Party

Vol. 2, No. 4--May 11, 2005

By Brad Parker

On the afternoon of Sunday, April 17th, 2005, tremors were felt at the Los Angeles Convention Center. It wasn't Mother Earth rumbling the building but the political descendents of Mother Jones who were inside at the California Democratic Party Convention and were ready to rumble. However, that was merely the culmination of a statewide surge of activism that began many years earlier.

For the past 13 years Democrats in California and around the country have suffered mounting losses at the polls. After the exuberance of Bill Clinton's 1992 victory came the rising defeats in the Congress. Both houses were lost in short order. Then came the ignominious selection of Bush by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000. That was followed by the 2003 recall of Gray Davis and election of Arnold Schwarzenegger to the statehouse in California. Oh yes, and the 2004 re-selection of "W" only rubbed salt into the wounds. From these defeats, a phoenix rose in California that would bring a not so subtle twist of fate to the California Democratic Party: "Grassroots Activism" on a level not seen since the Vietnam War era and the United Farm Workers movement gained momentum and, instead of rallying against Republicans, is squarely aimed at transforming the California Democratic Party.

From across the state, beginning after the 2004 election, grassroots activists, who had put their heart and soul into electing Sen. John Kerry, gathered in every precinct in the state. Instead of going home in defeat, they decided to come together to create the type of permanent change needed to transform the political landscape. Some went to work outside the party. Others decided that the key to a new political reality in America was a new Democratic party. Many activists believed that the stranglehold of the Democratic Leadership Council had caused the DNC to drift toward the shoals of moderate irrelevancy and had finally grounded the party in the shifting sands of, "Better to Stand for Nothing than to Lose on Principle." Grassroots activists in California were determined to end the era of "Republican Lite" DNC and CDP political equivocating.

In Democratic Clubs, Assembly District Committees and chapters of National Progressive Organizations, activists planned, campaigned, and then moved into the ranks of the CDP. An astonishing 35 percent of all the delegates to the 2005 convention in Los Angeles were from the grassroots. New faces with little patience for the old games had arrived to make a difference. They brought with them over 90 proposed resolutions to make the voice of the grassroots heard at the top of the party. Responding to organizing and pressure from every corner of the state, the CDP even allowed a Progressive Issues Coalition (PIC) meeting, aimed at forming a progressive caucus within the party.

Friday began with the PIC meeting and, down the hall, the Resolutions committee meeting, among others. Delegates were jamming both rooms to capacity. The Progressive caucus was brought forward at the convention by Joye Swan, Mal Burnstein, Dotty LeMieux, Mark Hull-Richter, Mayme Hubert, Jo Olson and Ruth Hull-Richter among others. Temporary officers were elected, but CDP elected officials coming in to give little more than campaign speeches steadily interrupted all other business that could have been done. This tradition at the convention was a waste of valuable organizing time for all caucuses who allowed it. However, even the presence of this meeting at the convention was a success for all progressives given that many officers of the party and members of the CDP Executive Board were opposed to it's formation. At this time the fate of the "Progressive Caucus" is still unknown, given that those forces opposed to it would just like everyone to shut up and go home. Down the hall though, the meeting of the Resolutions committee would prove to be the first crack in the staid foundation of the CDP.

Of the 90 plus resolutions, 12 were about the war in Iraq. The Iraq resolutions were brought to the convention after being sponsored and adopted by Assembly District Committees, Democratic Clubs, County Central Committees, and Local Chapters of national progressive organizations from all over California. Much to her credit, Rep. Maxine Waters is also on the list of sponsors. After debate and votes of the committee had determined that there would be an Iraq resolution, the work turned to what the language of the resolution would be. Opinions varied widely from immediate withdrawal to more moderate proposals for timetables and strategies extending into the future. Final language was approved and a vote was scheduled for the Saturday afternoon meeting. Before the meeting, a hastily called ad hoc meeting of progressive activists took place that would prove crucial to the ultimate passage of the resolution.

Fortunately for all California grassroots activists, Tim Carpenter, national director of Progressive Democrats of America, was on hand to lay out a strategy that would prove to be successful at both the Saturday Resolutions Committee meeting and the Sunday floor vote. Tim is a long time grassroots activist and had served in the CDP, so he was familiar with many of the committee members and, most importantly, he knew all of the parliamentary procedures that must be followed to get a resolution through. He pointed out that of the 30 left for consideration, perhaps only 10 would make the final report. We all wanted the Iraq resolution to be one of those. He knew there would only be one speaker allowed to speak on behalf of the final Iraq resolution at the committee meeting. I was nominated and then chosen by a vote of the ad hoc committee and I drafted a short, concise speech. Tim told everyone to stand up when I was speaking to show the committee the depth of support. At the meeting, we stood up, I spoke, we cheered and the Iraq resolution passed with the third highest number of votes. However, down the hall, DNC Chair Howard Dean was speaking and failed to even mention the war in an otherwise notable speech. Fissures were unsettling the foundation of the CDP and reaching even to the DNC.

On Sunday the struggle for passage of the Iraq resolution took several dramatic turns. Inola Henry, who chaired all of the Resolutions Committee meetings, once again showed her fairness, impartiality, and thorough understanding of all procedures involved in running a committee meeting during the closing session. I was signed up to be one of two speakers allowed to speak from the floor in support of the Iraq resolution when Tim Carpenter came up and said that there were behind-the-scenes efforts underway to get the resolution, in fact all resolutions, killed under the provision that if any were pulled from the report to be debated, a call for a quorum would be made and, if no quorum existed, then all of the measures would be held over until the next Executive Board meeting of the CDP Central Committee. Tim advised everyone not to pull the resolution for discussion. Many delegates wanted to amend or strengthen or even water down the resolution but all agreed to let it stand as written and have an up or down vote with all of the 15 adopted resolutions that made it to the floor. Suddenly, a delegate in opposition pulled the resolution. Supporters were scrambling to get to the mike to speak. Tim, with other delegates, got the Chair to recognize that there was in fact a quorum and to state that there was a quorum from the podium and for the record. Now, all we needed was a majority vote. The opposition spoke first and then I rose to speak and began, "California is the conscience of the nation… the California Democratic Party should be the conscience of the Democratic National Party… Send a message..." We all stood together and made a noise that sent a tremor through the establishment of the CDP. Over 2,000 delegates voted in favor with one vote against. Our resolution passed with all of the other 15 resolutions and the CDP was put on notice that the grassroots is here to stay.

Grassroots activists from liberal to progressive, from every county, brought a strong and passionate voice back to the CDP. Resolutions against CAFTA, for Clean Money Elections and a host of progressive issues were passed. Yet, there remain many in the CDP and the DNC who fear taking a strong stand on principle. They prefer to nuance all issues to the middle of nowhere. Focus group- and pollster-driven with a fear of not being re-elected, they stand with the Republican Party and deny the great Liberal tradition of the Democratic Party from the time of Franklin Delano Roosevelt to the Great Society. Their interests lie at the door to the country club not at the door to the future of the country. Lobbyists and campaign contributors have their ear, not "we the people." They are good people maintaining a bad system, even in the CDP and the DNC. Grassroots activists represent the bottom-up approach to governance that is sorely lacking in an American top-down political system that is failing the citizens, alive and yet to be born.

So, we did some historic things at this convention, but much remains to be done. For a start, we need to clear the air on a couple of issues resulting from work leading up to the convention and during it. There is dissension, even anger in the ranks of progressives following our success. Some people who were part of the original planning for a Progressive Caucus were dropped from the organizing committee during the formation process. Others were never informed of the process. Many of these activists feel that the process was exclusive in the least and undemocratic at best. Delegates from all over the state feel that people and organizations who don't deserve it -- local, state, and national -- are taking credit for the passage of the resolutions. Some delegates thought that my election to speak for the Iraq resolution was undemocratic, planned, or irrelevant.

For all of us who participated, from the precinct level to the floor of the convention, thousands of us in California: credit where credit is due. WE DID IT. It took all of our efforts to accomplish even this good beginning. I'm sure the people who formed the Progressive Caucus committee had everyone's best interest in mind and were not attempting to exclude anyone from getting to the front of the room. I can assure you that Tim Carpenter was there to guide us in the process and bring it to a successful conclusion as a progressive grassroots activist and concerned citizen not the director of Progressive Democrats of America. For my part, I was there in solidarity with all of you, not as member of Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles. Many delegates could have given those speeches in support that I gave and done a very good job at that. It was an honor for me to do so. I look forward to supporting as many of you as possible with the opportunity to do the same. We are all rightly proud of the groups that we represent but should be even more proud of what we all can accomplish together. People in power who do not want us to succeed are giddy with laughter at the mention of our internal strife.

Republicans and scared Democrats are counting on us not being able to organize and galvanize this progressive movement. Status quo politicians in all parties are betting that we fall apart in bitter feuds over who is getting credit and who is leading the parade. We have met the enemy and the only enemy we have is us. I didn't go the convention to grab the spotlight. I'm sure you didn't either. Each one of us played an important part; delegates, volunteers, and observers, no person's actions were irrelevant. I don't give a damn who is at the front of the room. However, I will loudly condemn any trivialization of our movement into name-calling and in-fighting that destroys this cause. Let me say it again, WE did this. We sent a message. Those tremors that rocked the party were generated by all of US. Proof of just how much we shook up the CDP and the DNC: you can't find any of the Resolutions that were passed, especially the Iraq resolution, on the CDP or DNC websites or any comment at all by any official of the party.

To all of the members of the CDP and DNC who are opposed to this reawakening of our political conscience I say: Don't waste your good time and energy. You should be with us and Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Barbara Lee and Rep. Lynn Woolsey and Rep. Maxine Waters and all Progressive Liberal Democrats and the many others across the state of California and the nation who are transforming the Democratic Party. Grassroots activists are growing a new political landscape from the bottom up to the top. That's not an earthquake cracking the moribund foundations of the CDP and the DNC, it's leaves of grass coming up through the concrete to reinvigorate the political process. The California Democratic Party has become the conscience of the nation. WE, grassroots activists, did it!

Brad Parker
Vice Chair, Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles
Valley Democrats United
CDCC Delegate, 41st AD (Alt. to the EB)
Democratic Party of the San Fernando Valley
CA-27th Congressional District (Brad Sherman)
CA-41st Assembly District (Fran Pavley)
CA-21st State Senate District (Jack Scott)

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