This diary is for those who are pre-registered to attend the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting, which decides the fate of the Florida and Michigan delegations, so if you want to recommend it, you can. Also, I'm re-submitting the request from the Obama campaign for us not to protest at the RBC meeting.
PLEASE KEEP THIS DIARY ON THE RECOMMENDED LIST!
OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN TO OBAMA SUPPORTERS ON THE RBC MEETING
On Saturday, the Rules and Bylaws Committee of the Democratic National Committee will meet in Washington D.C. to determine whether Florida and Michigan delegates should be allowed to participate at the Democratic convention in August. We look forward to the meeting proceeding smoothly—and we're asking that our supporters not demonstrate or disrupt the proceedings in any way.
Instead, we're urging supporters from across the region to make a positive impact this weekend by helping out with voter registration and organizational events taking place on Saturday.
Here are just a few of the many going on in Virginia this weekend:
In Arlington, supporters will meet at the Court House Metro Stop at 10:00 AM on Saturday morning before heading out to register voters throughout the area
UAlso in Arlington, Spanish speaking volunteers will be manning a nonpartisan voter registration table at the Arlington Mill Community Center, before heading out to register voters at shopping centers, grocery stores, and other high traffic areas in the neighborhood
In Clifton, volunteers will be going door-to-door talk to unregistered voters
In Alexandria, Gloria will be hosting an "Obama Mamas" Women For Obama House Party
In Norfolk, supporters will be canvassing to register new voters and to recruit new volunteers
In Manassass, supporters will be registering new voters throughout Prince William County
In Petersburg, volunteers will be meeting at the public library before heading out to register voters
And in Richmond, Kristen is organizing a series of voter registration events as part of an ambitious, ongoing effort to register 4,000 new voters, with staging locations at:
Chimborazo Park
Broad Rock Sports Complex
Battery Park Pool
Randolf Pool
There are dozens of grassroots events like these taking place across the country this weekend, and there will be many more in the weeks and months to come. You can search for an event in your own community, or sign up and create your own.
As the attention begins to turn towards the general election, there is no better way to make an impact than by registering new voters and bringing more people into this movement. No matter where you are this weekend, you can connect with people in your own community and continue the work of building a true grassroots political machine, one new voter at a time.
And here's the response from David Plouffe, the campaign manager:
On a conference call with reporters, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe appeared to take a swipe at Clinton supporters' planned protests outside Saturday's meeting.
"We are not encouraging our people to gather and protest on Saturday," he said. "With the click of a mouse it would be pretty easy for us in the Mid-Atlantic to gather thousands of people."
"We don’t think it’s a helpful dynamic to create chaos," he said, citing the interests of "party unity" as "we wind down the primary."
And Plouffe's right. If you know of anyone planning to protest at the RBC meeting, please circulate this diary to them, and tell them that the Obama campaign would rather not have them protest, and that they want them to participate in Obama supporter events that day such as voter registration, canvassing, and phonebanking.
- Voter registration drives. You can contact Jason with the Maryland For Obama campaign at jason@marylandforobama.com to find out what events are being held for the voter registration drives in Maryland. He also may have information about voter registration drives in Virginia, as that's a swing state that we might win in November.
- Phone bank so we can work on reaching more people who may be receptive to the message of change from Barack Obama, and find out which supporters are likely to vote or not in November. Every voter matters.
- Check your Barack Obama event page for events available in your community.
- For more information about voter registration efforts in Northern Virginia, please contact Chrisi, who helps run the Northern Virginia effort for Barack Obama, at chrisimwest at gmail dot com.
Please e-mail this diary to anyone you know who wants to attend, share it on Facebook, Craigslist, Friendster, and other sites. The Clinton campaign wants a public relations disaster--they want images of angry Obama supporters yelling at Clinton supporters. Let's not give these people the satisfaction they want.
And for those who have already pre-registered to attend the meeting, please e-mail me at pleasehelpfreebarneythedog at gmail dot com, and I've got about 30 people who've pre-registered to attend the RBC meeting. It would be helpful to know who else is out there that has pre-registered for the meeting, so we can all gather together as a group to attend the RBC meeting.
For those who have pre-registered for the RBC meeting
- Bring any recorders, cameras, and laptops since the Marriot Wardman hotel has wireless access. As of now, it's not clear if the meeting room, Salon 1, has wireless access and I've checked with the DNC and am waiting to hear back from them.
- Be peaceful, you can wear your Obama shirts but it would be far preferable to wear normal clothing.
- NO SIGNS. NO NOISEMAKERS. NO BANNERS, NO HANDOUTS are allowed according to the organizers of the Rules and Bylaws Committee.
- Be respectful.
- Don't engage the Clinton supporters in a back-and-forth. Let them show their support for Hillary Clinton.
- Do us all proud as Obama supporters!
Please keep this diary on the recommended list!
UPDATE: I've just heard who'll be representing the Florida and Michigan delegations during the Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting:
The Florida Democratic Party has chosen Senator Bill Nelson to represent them before the Rules and Bylaws Committee this Saturday, a party source says.
While the state party hasn't taken an official stance, Nelson floated his support a couple months ago for a solution where the delegates would get seated with 50% strength -- which then became known as "half Nelson."
Florida DNC member Jon Ausman, who filed the appeal and will appear before Nelson, supports sitting the pledged delegates at 50% strength.
Florida State Senator Arthenia Joyner will present on behalf the Clinton campaign after Nelson. Still no word on who -- if anyone -- will represent the Obama campaign.
Senator Carl Levin will be speaking on behalf of the Michigan state party. Neither campaign has announced their Michigan presenters.
link: Ben Smith at Politico.