California State Convention news and pics

Posted 4/27/2009 9:38 AM PDT

Yes, we did have a Clean Sweep with our progressive women takng over three powerful positions: Chair of the Progressive Caucus (which itself has led to many changes in our Party in the last four years); Chair of the Women's Caucus (Whole Progressive slate); and most impressive, Controller of the State Party. I was thrilled to be elected Secretary of the Progressive Caucus by acclimation. Marin's own Ralph Miller took the Treasurer slot also by acclimation and our wonderful Mayme Hubert, who is the inspiration behind much of what gets done, is an Office at Large, with J. Brian Washman and Dr. Bill Honigman. A good group. See the pics up top for the "rest of the story" - First pic: I meet Howard Dean, with Wendy Baker, that's me on the right (Howard's left); next pic: Our three great winners: Karen Weinstein, Women's Caucus chair; Karen Bernal, Progressive Caucus chair and Hilary Crosby, our new State Party Controller.

Women rock!

This was an amazing celebration of a very successful year. Next year will continue the work. We are aiming at adding Democrats to the legislature. More later. Back to work with the new improved GreenDog Campaign team.

Rush Limbaugh in the Ring

Rush Limbaugh to Star in Remake of the Wrestler
Posted 3/3/2009 9:55 AM PST

Why wait ten years to remake a Hollywood favorite? The Republicans, sensing their base slipping away, today announced that they will finance the remake of last year's surprise hit, The Wrestler.

Starring in the comeback role of the once washed up combatant, is Republican apologist and bombastic talk show host, Rush Limbaugh.

"Rush is perfect for the part," effused his one time rival, Michael Steele, head of the RNC, now chief producer of the Wrestler remake, to be called The Rustler, signifying the rustling up of the base who hunger for real blood and guts, long staples of Republican diets. "I know Rush and I sparred a bit, but I have apologized to him, as we have all agreed this project goes beyond petty internecine bickering.

"Our true enemies are the pinko-commie, socialist, abortion promoting, homosexual loving Democrats. Rush's comeback from his own foray into the dark world of illegal drug use and dropping ratings, not to mention his cholesterol laden gut, make him just right for the part of a down on his luck Republican operative, making one last gasp at bringing home the Party loyalists."

Critics were scratching their heads as they opined on the nightly news about the wisdom of the "last gasp" strategy.

"I don't know," said Ben Mankiewics of ABC's At the Movies "if this is really the image they want to broadcast to the public. In the original movie, the Mickey Rourke character appeared to be suffering a fatal heart attack as he flung himself from the ropes onto his opponent in the ring. I'm not getting the symbolism here."

However, Fox's Bill O'Reilly lauded the project as a sure box office hit, "and in politics, fundraising is everything. So what if Limbaugh expires in the movie; his ratings will soar and the coffers of the Republican Party will swell.

"I think it's a brilliant move. Liberals watch out"

Dick Cheney Father of Octuplets

In a surprising revelation today, former VP, Dick "the terrorists are coming" Cheney told shocked news reporters that he is the father of Nadya Suleman's octuplets.

"How else do you think she got eight babies when only six were implanted," growled the proud Papa. "and you thought Dick Cheney was through."

He continued, "We need all the resources we can muster in the country to fight the terrorists, coming to murder us in our beds. Obama won't do it, in fact he's out there passing around condemns to the poor, so I have decided to grow my own domestic army, starting with these little sweeties. I call them my "Battling Babies."

"Of course, most American women are too busy getting manicures and having their feet waxed to breed for America, but I'm pleased to report that another seven are on their way. The mom is in a secure, undisclosed location as we speak."

While reporters struggle to find the words for the many questions swirling through their scrambled brains, Cheney muttered something under his breath, and, in a puff of sulfurous smoke, disappeared.

Veteran White House correspondent Helen Thomas was heard to exclaim, "Damn, I was afraid of something like that," as she joined the throng out the door of the now smoldering press tent.

Published at sfgate.com

2008 in Review

Yes, we did!


Yes, we did. Tomorrow is Inauguration Day. I'll be dressed in my finest in San Rafael dancing to oldies and watching Obama boogie on the big screen.


This year Green Dog Campaigns had a most interesting race in Sonoma County. Shirlee Zane, newcomer to electoral politics, faced off against Sharon Wright, veteran campaigner. Shirlee was backed by labor and environmentalists and social service types. Sharon had big business and developers.


Guess who had the most money and endorsements?


Guess who ran the best campaign and won?

Yes, we did! Shirlee proved to be an ace campaigner. She came in first in the primary, with three others. Sharon was next. Into a hotly contested general, complete with nasty campaign attacks from Sharon and her developer cronies. They spent a wad trying to defeat Shirlee's fast moving train.

Heavy use of i.e.'s in a local campaign


Labor put money behind Shirlee in numerous independent expenditure (ie) pieces, both positive and negative. More than I've ever seen in a local race. These guys are playing on a whole new ballfield.

Sharon' developer funded negative hits came fast furious the last week, including a TV ad. But this time, dirty campaigning failed. The unions were always tasteful and truthful in their negative pieces against Sharon. The developers were not, calling Shirlee a puppet of the unions.


Shirlee used up a lot of shoe leather, walking and knocking on door throughout the large district. Her volunteers were all troopers. On Election Night, she was the victor by 11%! A stunning win.


New strategic partners and an award nomination for Green Dogs


Green Dogs put our all into this race, with lots of targeted mailing; the graphic talents of Lise Stampfli outshone the competition. We even did polling, adding Target Research as a strategic partner. And the dulcet tones of Peter B. Collins on our radio ad didn't hurt either.


That ad, written and produced by Peter, is up for a Reed Award. we are so proud, of Shirlee, of our new strategic partners and of this time in America.


Green Dogs looks forward to a new era, a great 2009 and some fun campaigns in the years ahead. Check our site http://www.greendogcampaigns.com/ for more examples of winning campaigns.

I was debate watching last night with the rest of the Country and was heartened by Obama’s steadfastness, his humor and his unflinching responses to McCain’s outrageous and repeated accusations.

I watched the debate at the studios of Green 960, progressive talk radio in San Francisco, invited as a listener guest. After the debate, two of us went into the studio with veteran host Angie Coiro for an on-air discussion of the debate with callers. Joining us were California Democratic Party Chair Art Torres, and San Mateo Republican Party vice chair Deborah Wilder. It made for an interesting discussion, you can imagine.

Small plug here:

If you don’t already listen to Green 960, you are missing a great radio experience. Tune into 960 on the AM dial. Angie Coiro is “live and local” at 3 pm every day and I never miss her show. Check the website for other shows and news of the progressive community in the Bay Area. www.green960.com If you are outside the Bay Area, there are live podcasts and archives of most shows. Check it out!

Who won?

All the major networks except Fox found Obama to be the winner. McGrumpy made some points with his newfound aggressive style, but most agreed it was too little too late. Actually too much is more like it. My co listener guest Kim called it “Kitchen sink politics.” Obama never ducked the flying objects McCain kept tossing at him. He didn’t need to. McCain wore himself out to the point he was having trouble articulating, calling his running mate “a breash of freth air” at one point, but that might just be because he gets all hot and bothered thinking about her. (Did you catch the way his gaze kept sinking to her bottom when he first introduced her as his Veep pick? But maybe he was just falling asleep.)

It’s all about the Supreme Court:

For me the watershed moment was McCain’s declaration of a Culture War. No he didn’t say those words, but he did say we need a change of culture, and he was referring to the issue of choice. Saying Obama was allied with “pro-abortion extremists” because he would make an exception for the health of the woman in opposing late term abortions. (Yes, I was disappointed he opposed them, because they are always either for the health of the woman or because the fetus is so badly deformed it couldn’t survive in any meaningful way outside the womb. Hey, these are women who want to have babies. This is not a last minute change of heart or whimsy on their part, as the anti-choice crowd would have you think.)

McCain was flippant, insulting and grossly ignorant or worse, in his cavalierly dismissing the health of the woman as a consideration.

And Choice:

Make no mistake, under a McCain presidency the cause of choice would be set back if not downright overturned altogether if he gets to pick who sits on the Supreme Court. He says he would not make Roe v. Wade a litmus test, but it is clear he would. It ain’t over yet folks. Stay tuned. And if we win, the Reps are already planning a challenge based on “voter fraud,” about which they know plenty.

Dear Friend, Goodbye. A Satire

Dear Friend,

I won’t embarrass you by using your name, or myself by knowing it, so let me just call you “that one.”

I must say good bye and end our long friendship, that is acquaintance, since I have had my investigators look into your past and have found some pretty troubling information.

Like that time in kindergarten you whacked Suzy Shepard over the head and threatened to “kill you,” if she didn’t give back your favorite dolly she was pulling all the hair out of. Such violence cannot be tolerated.

Or that time in high school when you and your hooligan gang threw toilet paper all over the vice principal’s house on Halloween. Such a blatant lack of respect for authority is beyond the pale in these times of fear and terror.

Worst of all may be the well founded rumor which circulated in the sixties that your anti-Vietnam War sympathizing had actually turned into radical terrorism as you kicked the nice policeman in the shin, while he tightened the handcuffs around your wrists and lifted you oh so gently off the ground to toss you into the paddy wagon with the rest of your terrorist protesting buddies. Non-violent disobedience my tuckas!

And just being an anti-war sympathizer in this time when our brave troops are fighting the terrorists over there so we don’t have to fight them here is something I can no longer overlook.

So I must tender my resignation to the Board of our Homeowners’ Association, although it pains me to do so, since we are so close to working out the landscaping for phase three, and I was so looking forward to overseeing the planting of my beloved semi-double laciniated pompom mums in the common area. But to keep an association with you at this time is to put into jeopardy my future political career as a Republican candidate for Sanitary Commissioner.

I am copying all my fellow Board members as well as the press, as it is my civic duty to let them know what kind of individual they have placed their trust in.

I am sorry I will not be able to attend the ill-advised wedding of our two daughters, as we had planned. Jessica is no longer speaking to me, her own mother, so you can see how far the seeds of your radical past have been sown.

Next time you want to serve on a board of directors, be sure not to omit the pertinent facts outlined in this letter from your resume, so that all may be forewarned and not learn the hard way, as I have,

Your former friend,

Upstanding Citizen and phase two condo neighbor

Angry "Older" White Women

I have been an angry white woman a good part of my life. Now as a boomer reaching 60, some might classify me as an "older angry white woman."

I’m angry over the fact that we still don’t have an Equal Rights Amendment. That women still make 77 cents to every dollar earned by a man; that we are losing women in our legislature, that some younger women don’t seem to appreciate all the sacrifices their mothers’ and grandmothers’ generation made to get where they are today. (taking for granted that they too can take their place at the corporate trough), angry that we still have a corporate culture, not the cooperative society we all believed in the 60’s.

One of the things I am NOT angry about is Hillary Clinton. Sure, I’d love to see a woman president and I’m glad to see a viable woman candidate, who was able to rally millions to her cause go as far as she did (even though Hillary herself is a little corporate for my tastes.) A major step in the right direction.

But when I hear the media says Obama will have to work hard to win over older white women, that some of them (us) might actually vote for McCain out of spite, I just don’t believe it. Would I, as a feminist, really want to throw away all I’ve worked for on a bland white Republican, because my candidate didn’t win? Would I want to sell the legacy of future generations to endless war and a Supreme Court stacked against all I hold dear? Would I do this out of anger, bitterness or a sense of if I can’t have it neither can you as the corporate media would have you believe? Not likely.

So who are these angry older white women who might vote for McCain? The Democratic equivalent of the Guns, God and Gays voter?

I don’t think they exist. I think they are a figment of the media imagination. All the older white women I know who were rooting for Hillary have swallowed their disappointment and moved on. To work on uniting the Party, to defeat the right, to defeat the tired old George Bush neo-con agenda, and work for change.

Hillary would have been change. Obama is going to be change. Change for the better. If you were for Hillary, you’re not going to be for McCain. The Peace, Environment and Choice voter is just too smart to vote against her own (and her children’s) self interest, no matter what the Gays, Guns and God voters do (if they even exist either).

Don’t let the talking heads convince you otherwise.