Edit: PLEASE UNRECOMMEND THIS DIARY! I'll be putting up more attention about attending the RBC meeting for those who have pre-registered in a new diary tomorrow morning, and more information about why the Obama campaign does not want us to protest.
After much talk in SteamPunkX's diary about the Obama campaign not wanting Obama supporters to protest the Rules and Bylaws Committee Meeting, we finally got an official answer from the Obama campaign.
If you think this deserves more attention, especially since we have actual confirmation from the Obama campaign according to The Hill report, you can recommend this diary so more people are aware that the Obama campaign DOES NOT want them to protest.
The newspaper for Capitol Hill, The Hill, reports that they obtained an internal e-mail from the Obama campaign regarding the protest at the RBC meeting:
Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) campaign is urging its supporters not to demonstrate at Saturday’s highly anticipated Democratic National Committee (DNC) meeting on how to handle the delegates of Florida and Michigan.
In an internal campaign e-mail obtained by The Hill, the Obama campaign states, “We look forward to the meeting proceeding smoothly — and we’re asking our supporters not to show up to demonstrate, passionately as they feel about this campaign.”
...
But the Obama campaign wants to avoid heated intraparty confrontations that would attract national headlines and be replayed on the cable news networks. Saturday’s potential public relations nightmare comes as the Obama campaign is taking steps to unify the party as the Democratic primary process appears to be winding down.
Let's not make this a public relations nightmare for the Obama campaign, so please circulate this diary on your Obama groups, Facebook, Friendster, MySpace, and your e-mail circles within the DC/MD/VA area. The more the word gets out there, that way Obama supporters will know it's not in the best interest of the campaign to protest the Clinton supporters at the RBC meeting.
It's what the Clinton campaign wants:
- A public relations nightmare with photos of angry Obama supporters yelling at angry Clinton supporters, thus setting up the meme about a divided Democratic party, which prompts reporters to opine, "After the way the two groups clashed together, will it ever be possible for Obama to unite the groups when he's the nominee?" We really don't need the hand-wringing from the media on this point. This is about the need for Democratic unity now.
- The Clinton campaign would love nothing more than to have our presence there as angry Obama supporters to further antagonize their supporters, which gives Hillary that rationale she needs to talk about being oppressed by the Obama campaign in taking it to the convention.
- Have media chattering about the fight between Clinton and Obama supporters instead of the delegate allocation from the RBC meeting which will be the real story here.
So, let's NOT give them what they want in terms of public relations.
And instead, let's do what we should do as supporters for the Obama campaign:
- 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.
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!
Edit: Response from the Obama campaign below:
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."
Plouffe also reiterated the Obama campign's willingness to accept a compromise that doesn't actually impede his path to the nomination.
"We're not going to support something that gives her too many delegates, but we're open to something where she's going to net delegates, and not an insignificant number," he said.
UPDATE: OFFICIAL RESPONSE FROM THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN TO 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
Also 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.