(cross-posted on Calitics)

Ok, so the attempt to censure Senator Feinstein failed, but the attempt sure changed the conversation. Everyone from the New York Times editorial board to Fox News chimed in. Over 35,000 people and over 40 grassroots groups, clubs and organizations joined in. It really hit a nerve and catalyzed a new discussion about what it means to be a Democrat.

Now it is time to do something positive and continue the conversation.

Next week the Senate will again take up the re-authorization of FISA. Immunity for telecom companies will be a major battle within the larger re-authorization bill. Senator Dodd has promised to put a hold and filibuster the bill to prevent the attempt to let the telecommunications companies off the hook for following Bush's orders to break the law and spy on Americans without a warrant. Heck, the bill as written would not even let us even look into what exactly they did and who they spied on. Senator Feinstein has indicated that he will join this effort. CDP Chair Art Torres said that this issue was "very important" to him and one that he discussed with Senator Feinstein. Two Senators does not a filibuster make. They need some friends. We must hold the line together.

So today the Courage Campaign sent out an email to our members (available below the fold) asking people to sign on to a letter to Chairman Torres requesting that he convey the message to Senator Feinstein to stand strong in opposing retroactive immunity for telecom companies. Will you join us?   Read More »

(cross-posted on Calitics)

They are getting closer to having enough money to pay for all of the signature gatherers. The $600k they announced earlier would not get it done. They have raised a total of $1.2 million. They will need at least $2 million to pay for the signatures to be collected. Politico is the only one with the story thus far, so regretfully I link:

Backers of a California ballot initiative that would drastically increase Republican chances of retaining the White House in 2008 have raised $1.2 million, including $316,000 in eight days this month - and supporters say they're on pace to qualify for the vote in June.

The group, California Counts - Make Your Vote Count!, reported Tuesday it had raked in $855,000, mostly from a handful of huge contributions, according to a filing with the California Secretary of State's office.

That doesn't include $350,000 in contributions which are either below the reporting threshold of $5,000 or which arrived in the past week, campaign manager Dave Gilliard said.

Contributions above $5k have to be reported to the Secretary of State's office within 10 days.

They are expected to turn in the signatures by the 29th. Then the SoS will do a random test of the signatures to estimate how many are valid. If they pass that test then it goes to the ballot. If it fails, then they will do a manual count.

(cross-posted from Crooks & Liars)

Let's start with the good news first, even though there is plenty of bad to come later, given the disgraceful behavior of California Democratic Party staffer Bob Mullholland, caught on video.

In just five days, over 34,000 Americans, 90% or more Californians, joined the Courage Campaign call for the California Democratic Party (CDP) to censure Senator Dianne Feinstein for her pivotal votes to approve Judge Michael Mukasey as U.S. Attorney General and Judge Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals. These Americans were joined by the Courage Campaign, MoveOn.org, Progressive Democrats of America, and over 40 Democratic Clubs and progressive organizations from across California.

With a week of non-stop organizing, this movement changed the conversation of the entire meeting of the CDP Executive Board. Party Chair Art Torres spent about half of his speech on Saturday praising Senator Dianne Feinstein, acknowledging that people within the Democratic Party are upset with a few of her crucial votes. Of course, these weren't just any votes. They were votes contrary to core Democratic (and democratic) values like opposing torture, racism and homophobia.   Read More »

(also available at Calitics)

Secretary of State Debra Bowen is taking it to unscrupulous voting machine vendors, after having completed her investigation into the illegal sale of thousands of machines that were not certified for use in California. ES&S would be on the hook for millions if this suit is successful. Chron:

"ES&S ignored the law over and over and over again, and it got caught," Bowen said in a statement after filing suit against the company. "I am not going to stand on the sidelines and watch a voting system vendor come into the state, ignore the laws and make millions of dollars from California's taxpayers in the process."

Bowen's decision could be a windfall for the affected counties. In the suit, the secretary of state is seeking a $10,000 penalty for each of the uncertified machines sold in the state, with half that fine intended to go to the counties that bought them.

ES&S also would have to reimburse the counties for the full cost of the machines, but the counties would be able to keep the AutoMARKs, which are now slated to receive full state certification in early December.

The reimbursement rule was added to the state election code in 2004 in an effort to boost the penalties against companies that ignore the state's certification rules, Bowen said.

Bowen is simply enforcing existing laws. I am sure the counties would not mind a few extra million dollars.   Read More »

The Executive Board of the California Democratic Party meeting just adjourned without the resolution to censure Senator Dianne Feinstein being heard. A move from the floor today to allow a discussion of the topic was denied.

More to come later. While we did not get the resolution addressed there is no doubt that your voices were heard. From the Women's Caucus endorsement to Art Torres's address you changed the converation.

I am on my phone so I have not been able to check the latest numbers but we were just under 32,000 at 8 am today.

We are on a 10 minute break. The meeting has been going for 4 hours. They still have several on-time resolutions to hear before they get to the late ones, including ours.

The total number of signers are 31,396! Keep it going. We keep updating the board.

Things took a pretty nasty turn, unfortunately.

I entered the California Democratic Party Resolutions Committee meeting room with Eden James, Courage Campaign's Managing Director, bearing our sign and easel. We found a free space at the front of the room and set up the sign.

Almost immediately, Resolutions Chair John Hanna approached us, demanding that we remove the sign. Eden politely asked if there "was a rule" against signs in the meeting rooms. Hanna replied "yes."

Kathy Bowler, CDP Executive Director, then calmly approached me, stating that the sign should be removed because the room was getting full and she had staff she needed to get into the room.

John then grabbed ahold of one side of the sign, attempting to remove it from Eden's hands. Eden, maintaining his hold on to the other side, repeated the question to John about whether a rule existed against signs inside the meeting room. John said "yes"again and Eden asked to see the rule, saying that if there was an actual rule against signs inside the room -- he would respect it.

Increasingly angry, John threatened to call security. Eden, surprised, calmly responded that John "should go ahead if that's what you want to do."

Suddenly, Hanna then shoved his side of the sign and Eden at the same time, forcibly pushing Eden backwards. Eden held on. John shoved again, then pushed Eden's shoulder back with the palm of his hand.

Stunned, Eden let go of the sign as John ripped it from his hands and threw it to the floor. An unknown person then picked up the sign and sprinted it out of the room, taking it to the staff room (according to Kathy Bowler).

More below.   Read More »

This just went out to all of our members. Keep coming back. I will be as promised live blogging the event.

Hi Julia,

You have changed the conversation inside the California Democratic Party. 30,033 of you, to be exact.

Last night, the Women's Caucus of the California Democratic Party approved your resolutions to censure Senator Dianne Feistein. Then, in a speech before hundreds this morning, Party Chair Art Torres immediately and directly addressed your movement to censure Senator Feinstein.

This three-day event has been transformed by your activism. I am sitting at the meeting, with my computer on my lap, constantly refreshing the signature totals on the Senator Dianne Feinstein censure resolution.

   Read More »

The call for the California Democratic Party to censure Senator Dianne Feinstein has grown exponentially over the past few days and a huge log was just thrown on the fire. MoveOn.org just sent an email to all of their California members urging them to sign on to the call for censure over at Courage Campaign.

They are now one of 19 grassroots organizations in California who have signed on to the call since Monday. That is absolutely amazing considering how long it takes many Democratic Clubs to pass resolutions given their high barriers for endorsement.

The response by the party structure and the Senator have been well documented here by dday and hekebolos. Needless to say, we stirred up one heck of a hornet's nest and it really could not have been done without you.

Below is the email we just sent out to our list and MoveOn's email. As the email says, join the movement. Hold Senator Feinstein accountable.   Read More »

(also on Calitics)

The state campaign finance disclosure laws say that you have to report your contributions within 10 days of receiving them.  The relatively short turn around means that we know what kind of money the dirty tricksters have and where it is coming from.  Though they have been swearing up and down they have $3 million to get this on the ballot, the initial round of contributions only adds up to about $539,000 in the last two weeks.  That is nowhere near enough money to get it on, though they could have cash rolling in over the next few days.  John Meyers has the names.   Read More »