Texas Democratic Party Convention

[erpowers]

The TDPC is going on in Houston now. Is anyone allowed to attend or is it only for the delegates?

[exgop]

1. you need a pass to get in

Being a delegate is one way to obtain one. Being a candidate is another. Staff, press, etc. But you need a pass to get in.

[lindashaw]

2. I just returned this evening. Attendance was over 10,000, eighty

percent of which were newbies, many Dean people. I met John Edwards for about two minutes, and the speech he gave was good. Kucinich nearly brought down the house.

But the main thing all the regulars were thrilled about was the groundswell of new people. I really think they dream of Kerry taking Texas. Would to heaven it could happen. It's possible he might get the popular vote, but we all know how that goes, don't we? Anyway, I was very proud to be a delegate from Johnson County.

[rjbrooks]

3. Democrat State Convention

I just returned from the KY State convention where I was a first time delegate and there were lots of good vibes there. I believe we have the right candidate to put Bunning out to pasture.

[newyawker99]

4. Hi rjbrooks!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[eridani]

5. Report from Houston area Kucinich coordinator

If you missed Rep. Dennis Kucinich's speech to the Texas Democratic State Convention Saturday morning, you missed a truly memorable experience. But you can watch and hear it via streaming video from the Texas Democratic Party web site: http://www.txdemocrats.org/convmovies/index.php
-- Click on the image of Dennis above the caption "Congressman Kucinich Rallies the Democrats". It's about 17 minutes long.

The sound is somewhat low, so you'll need to turn the volume up. If you can't get the video/audio to load, try again later, as the server is very busy now streaming video to many other folks also want to watch parts of the convention.

What you will miss from the above video is the overwhelming show of support that Texas Democrats gave to Dennis' message. The highly directional microphones used at the podium in the convention center picked up very little of the sounds from the crowd, but those crowd sounds were very loud during much of Dennis' speech. Delegates located in seats in several places in the convention hall reported afterwards that at times they could hardly hear what Dennis was saying, in spite of the excellent PA system at the convention center, because the crowd's applause and cheering was so loud.

Even some Kucinich supporters seemed surprised by the enthusiastic response of the crowd, which had Kerry shirts and buttons in great abundance. Dennis' speech, and the crowd's reaction, demonstrated without any doubt how popular his ideas are among Democrats, if presented without the usual mainstream media editing and filtering.

During the first part of Dennis' speech, some people were milling around, and walking up and down the aisles, as happens almost continuously during the state conventions, especially during the many speeches there. However, by the last half of Dennis' speech, the crowd's attention was riveted on him, chanting along with him, and yelling and screaming approval. Even hard core Kerry supporters, who said Sen. John Edwards speech on Friday night was very good, said that Dennis' speech was the best of the convention, and spoke approvingly of the issues he brought up during it on Saturday.

The reports about the convention looking more like a peace rally were due entirely to the hundreds of Kucinich supporters waving signs, carrying peace banners, and working for the Dept. of Peace resolution. As soon as I get a chance to write it up, I'll send another note about the amazing story behind the story of how we got the original, unamended form of the Department of Peace resolution approved by the Texas Democratic Convention.

Some other media coverage that you can find on the web:

The best story about Dennis' speech and the convention: Texas Dems Unite Against Occupation of Iraq, by David Swanson: http://www.davidswanson.org/columns/texas.htm

Texas Democrats Cheer Kucinich, Demand Peace: http://www.kucinich.us

News8Austin's story on the convention (part from AP):
http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=110525&SecID=2

Houston Chronicle: State Democrats Call for Unity, By R.G.
Ratcliffe: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/2637177

Houston Indymedia plans to have a story posted soon at http://www.houston.indymedia.org/
-- Please watch for it, as they have had some great stories about events you won't hear about in the mainstream media.

Also listen for KPFT's coverage of the convention, and related news, on 90.1 FM in Houston, 89.5 FM in Galveston, or via streaming audio on the web: http://www.kpft.org/ Besides KPFT's news coverage, Wally James plans to air Dennis' speech, along with those of Rep. Lon Burnam and others, on his Progressive Forum show this Thursday night, 8-10 pm CDT.

Bill Crosier
Houston Area Coordinator, Kucinich for President

[eridani]

6. They passed a medical marijuana resolution too

Resolution endorsing medical marijuana

WHEREAS, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 categorized marijuana as a Schedule I substance making it unavailable for medical use; and,

WHEREAS, nine states have laws that permit use of medicinal marijuana/cannabis; and,

WHEREAS, marijuana/cannabis has a wide margin of safety for use under medical supervision and is effective for numerous conditions; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the Democratic Party supports and/or encourages the following:
1. Research in controlled investigational trials on the therapeutic efficacy of marijuana/cannabis, including alternative methods of administration.
2. The right of patients to have safe access to therapeutic marijuana/cannabis under appropriate medical supervision.
3. The ability of health care providers to discuss and/or recommend the medicinal use of marijuana without the threat of intimidation or penalization.
4. Legislation to remove criminal penalties including arrest and imprisonment for bona fide patients and providers of therapeutic marijuana/cannabis.
5. Federal and state legislation to exclude marijuana/cannabis from classification as a Schedule I drug.
6. The education of medical professionals regarding current, evidence-based therapeutic use of marijuana/cannabis.

[eridani]

7. Indymedia report

http://www.houston.indymedia.org/print.php?id=30775

If John Edwards had offered an indictment of Bush, then Kucinich preached a plainspoken denunciation. If John Edwards had lit up the place, then Kucinich set it ablaze. He brought those standing up front to a roar as he railed against the lies, and ignorance, and greed that wrought the war in Iraq, the loss of lives, the diversion of resources, tax cuts for the wealthy and Haliburton sweetheart deals. Chants of “bring them home” punctuated his remarks. He levied rational contempt for The USA Patriot Act and a riled audience approved. Cheers threatened to drown out a list of “weapons of mass destruction right here at home,” and he pounded out of the podium a litany of national travesties: poverty, homelessness, inadequate healthcare, and poorly funded education among them.

I could not – from my vantage point – see those who remained seated; I can only assume that some did. I saw only those on their feet, and they were certainly in the majority. It seemed the entire convention had risen, been stirred, jolted from passive participation to active expression by a shock of electricity. The hall was palatably energized, excited by the Progressive vision. Kucinich hammered home fundamental issues of social and economic justice, laid bare the betrayal of core American ideals by the current administration, and predicted/promoted their ouster with a John Kerry victory in November. It was his only mention of the absent Kerry. Kucinich, with a fiery performance, had stolen the show.