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DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee Meeting UPDATE

The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee is meeting today at the Capital Hilton in DC.  Here are the highlights, which I will update over the course of the afternoon.

Patrice Taylor set forth the calendar for now to 2012 (to be posted later).  The RBC will meet today and tomorrow and then on July 9-10, 2010 in DC to finalize the Convention Call, which will be approved at the DNC meeting in St. Louis on August 21, 2010.

DNC Co-Chair James Roosevelt reported that the RNC Committee on delegate selection had issued at least an initial report. The Committee’s proposed calendar tracks the DNC Change Commission recommendations – only IA, NH, SC, NV may have primaries/caucuses in February, others must be in March or later. To encourage early processes, in contests held before April, delegates will be awarded on proportional basis, not winner take all has been their usual procedure. (All Democratic contests are proportional, of course.)

The RBC then reviewed the proposed rules seriatum, and then approved or decided to discuss in more detail later.  [periodic updates to follow.]

UPDATE #1 :Clarified that votes taken today are “final,” but can still be amended between now and the final adoption of the whole set of rules.  (I will post draft rules ater today.)  The draft rules have the same structure as the 2008 rules.  Specific rules addressed below.Read More »DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee Meeting UPDATE

DNC Talking Points: Selecting a Supreme Court Justice

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From the DNC:

*         As President Obama considers candidates to succeed Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, he will look to individuals who think independently, who have a proven record of excellence, who are dedicated to upholding the rule of law, and who have a clear understanding of the effects of the law in Americans’ lives.Read More »DNC Talking Points: Selecting a Supreme Court Justice

DNC Change Commission Report

Hot of the presses!  Here’s the report of the DNC Change Commission which recommends pushing back early primary and caucus dates and clustering states, making superdelegates pledged to candidates, and improving caucuses.  The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee will consider the recommendations and incorporate them (as appropriate) in the 2012 Democratic National Convention Delegate Selection Plan.   Chairman Kaine’s cover letter is below the fold. 

  DNC Change Commission Report (513.3 KiB, 1,604 hits)

Read More »DNC Change Commission Report

A Good Health Care Bill

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Jeepers. You wouldn’t think it would be necessary to remind folks about all the good provisions in the current health care bill. Others have looked at the bill in great detail and provided useful analyses.  See, e.g,  Paul Krugman, Bill Clinton, Victoria Kennedy, Nate Silver, and Nancy-Ann DeParle (Director of the White House Office of Health Reform).

My point is that President Obama has focused intensely on this issue and succeeded in getting support from a supermajority in the Senate for a bill.  This necessarily involved compromises – that’s how governing works.  And, of course, this isn’t the final bill and, if the Senate passes it, the conference committee can work on further improvements.  If the bill dies, it will be another 20 years before another Democratic President summons the courage to try to fix the system.  And sure, from a political perspective, delivering on health care reform before moving onto the other issues on the agenda is a good thing for Democrats.Read More »A Good Health Care Bill

DNC Fall Meeting – Rez & Pix

Here are the resolutions adopted at last weekend’s DNC meeting and pictures of Chairman Kaine, the Texas BBQ, and the Texas Capitol dome.

DNC Fall Meeting Day 2 – Part 2

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SOUTHERN CAUCUS — The caucus spans states from Texas to Virginia, and includes West Virginia.   The Caucus elected new officers, including our own DNC committeeman Lionell Spruill as Southern Caucus 1st Vice Chair.  Other officers are Chair Gilda Cobb-Hunter (SC), 2nd Vice-Chair Karla Bradley (ARK), Secretary Lenora Sorola-Pohlman (TX), Treasurer David Parker (NC), and Southern Regional representatives to the executive commitee — Marie Prezioso (W.Va), Yvonne Davis (TX), Mitch Ceaser (FL), and Will Cheek (TN).  Gilda is a member of the SC State House and will be an active and effective leader of the organization.  Marie was president of the Young Democrats when I was active with that organization and has been an excellent DNC leaader.  Alfonso Lopez was very happy to attend his first official function as a DNC member. Read More »DNC Fall Meeting Day 2 – Part 2