well folks, it seems that the nominations committee isn’t the only one that got railroaded today.

similar things are happening on Resolutions…  with all due respect to the committee chair, he was forced on us by the current party leadership.  and while we’re trying our best to stick to the rules, the way we are conducting business is MESSED UP.  apparently the resolutions passed at the senate district conventions were “vetted” by the SDEC.  the way it was put to us was that any resolution that was passed by 7 SDs takes precendence and was put into a packet for the committee.  most of those resolutions are good, but many important resolutions (which were passed by WELL OVER 7 DELEGATIONS) were left out of the paket.  for example, impeachment and withdrawal from iraq, censuring the president, etc etc.  the RED MEAT.  we are trying to work our way through the packet and it’s slow going.  we do have all the other resolutions, and several of us on the committee are going to do our best to ensure that the RED MEAT gets to the floor.

in fact, it’s been so contentious in there that i am holding in my hot little hand all the resolutions we’ve passed already.  only five folks on committee have served before, and put simply us newbies don’t have full confidence or trust in those running the committee at the moment.  i say this with a caveat - i respect the job our committee chair’s trying to do, but it seems to me that he’s not being consistent.  for example, the rules say that if a resolution didn’t pass through an SD or the recent SDEC meeting, it cannot be considered.  yet the committee chair allowed someone to just walk into the meeting and introduce another resolution.  chaos ensued.  as a compromise, i offered a motion to suspend the rules and consider it just to get it over with and move on, and we did.

but that doesn’t bode well for the rest of the afternoon.  this is not good, folks.  we are tryin’ to crash the gates and the powers that be are putting up a brick wall.  but we will not be swayed.  if it’s the last thing i do today, i am going to make sure the rest of the day is conducted by the rules and in accordance with the feelings of the majority of the committee and our consituents.

-annatopia

Not only are bloggers looking fondly and salivating at the power plugs behind the newly erected ropes to keep us away from a power supply on the convention floor, (In all fairness, it’s supposedly because the convention center does not want that much power used or a fuse will blow), but the MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS TOO! They’ve also been told that they can’t use the plugs. In fact, I overheard that someone from the TDP told them that the new little rope was put up beause they don’t want people sitting down and using the plug like Greg and I were yesterday.

Oh, well. Regardless of that, I’ve GOT to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT on behalf of all bloggers to AMBER and HECTOR with the TDP. They’ve hooked we bloggers up beyond our wildest dreams and at great expense to the party.

THANK YOU AMBER! THANK YOU HECTOR! You really “played it forward” for the bloggers, and we appreciate it.

(Cross posted at JAB)

Here is your time for rumor and speculation. As one writer put it, the propaganda is flying.

As I wrote yesterday, everything seemed calm and the positive campaign Glen Maxey and Charlie Urbina-Jones asked for seemed to be happening.

However, this morning there was a turn.

Rich Bailey was appointed as Co-Chair for the important Nominations Committee. The appointment was made three weeks ago and confirmed last night. This morning five minutes before the committee met, Bailey (a Maxey supporter) was pulled from the committee and replaced.

The committee ended up voting to endorse ALL four candidates as opposed to the expected Richie nomination. The other option usually taken is a resolution of non-recommendation.

Maxey and Urbina-Jones supporters seem to be staying positive, and the Lakesha Rogers supporters seem to be literally singing.

There are over 100 districts with no representation so there is no way to gage how the vote will go down.

With no single nomination and the hard campaigning being done by every candidate, the pundits are saying that there will 2 ballots (the second being a runoff).

Cross posted at Common Sense

Our group has garnered a little attention.

This morning’s Morning News‘ convention notes mention a few of us by name.

A bloc of political bloggers

FORT WORTH – It doesn’t take a computer genius to figure out why Texas bloggers have a better view of the action at the Democratic convention than they did last week at the GOP gathering San Antonio. The state’s most prominent political bloggers tend to lean to the left politically, so it’s no huge surprise that they have a bona fide “bloggers’ alley” at the Fort Worth Convention Center.

Two years ago, that was unheard of. But sites like In the Pink Texas and Burnt Orange Report in Austin, Common Sense in Waco, Off The Kuff and Greg’s Opinion in Houston, and Annatopia in Fort Worth are making waves in the Democratic Party – and even, occasionally, making news in political circles.

In Fort Worth, the bloggers got media passes and a seat right next to the stage during the main events. Nate Nance, who writes the humorous and left-leaning Common Sense blog, seemed impressed with the setup. “I’m just surprised we even got credentials,” he said.

Greg says I’m easily impressed.

It has just been announced that the chair’s race won’t start until 1 p.m. It was noted that it will take longer this time than in years past.

Matt Glazer of Just Another Blog will be posting to Blogger’s Caucus shortly. Unfortunatly, in my haste to get the site ready, I left him off. But, he’ll be posting several things shortly. Welcome him aboard.

by statewide candidates Radnofsky, Van Os, and Gilbert yesterday in the exhibit booth area, blogged and photographed by Sharon.

Hey, there’s Brian, whom I must’ve wowed, because I didn’t make his list and Kuff — but he sucks, and Anna, who doesn’t suck whatsoever, and over there standing on the rickety bar stool yelling is Vince. He appears to be having the proverbial good time by all. Everyone. Everybody’s good time is also being had by Vince.

And hey! I see Muses and Ladies in Pink (no wait, that’s not her after all, and it’s not Alison Bell either, who was smashing — particularly her curly coiffure) and some of the fellows from Burnt Orange. Last night I ran into Trey, who had to remind me he wasn’t his sister (and then reminded everyone that he sometimes IS a little bitch).

The DU crowd numbered twenty-plus and took over the back of the Flying Saucer. I was stuck mostly up front, playing spotter to Barbara, who jumped up on the sofa arm to say a few words. Picture me catching the next Senator from the Great State falling into my arms as she tumbled backward. It didn’t happen, and I wasn’t hoping it would, but it would have made a great picture …

Then Mrs. Diddie and I wrapped the evening at Crystal Ballroom ‘C’, where J- Lee and J. Goodwille (he’s third from the top) and the rest of the exceptionally hip were jammin’.

I have only a small headache.

um… i think we’re going to blow the roof off the saucer tonight. i was running around earlier today handing out fliers and visiting booths, and many people already knew about the caucus. shoot, MOST of the people i talked to knew about the party. i am seriously beginning to wonder if we might fill up the entire venue… yes!!!
remember, join us after the convention convenes for the evening… it’ll be the party everyone’s talking about tomorrow.

-annatopia

ch-check it out… liveblog on DailyKos of Wes Clark’s speech…

- annatopia