Charlotte officials get DNC lessons on ground at NATO in Chicago

Charlotte officials get DNC lessons on ground at NATO in Chicago

As Charlotte prepares to host Democrats, city officials, including police Chief Rodney Monroe, areon hand at the NATO conference to get firsthand experience with protesters at an international event

By Fred Clasen-Kelly and Cleve R. Wootson Jr.
frkelly@charlotteobserver.com

Posted: Sunday, May. 20, 2012

CHICAGO Charlotte got its first glimpse Saturday of how street protests could affect the city when the Democratic National Convention arrives.

After nightfall, things grew increasingly tense as hundreds of protesters surged through the streets. 

Police, some in riot gear and at times with billy clubs, stood at the ready. Journalists from the Observer, in Chicago to report on the city's interaction with protesters, witnessed a particularly sharp clash in front of the Willis Tower, formerly the Sears Tower. As protesters marched against traffic, they came upon a police van. 

The protesters refused to move. They started pounding on the van. The driver refused to stop, even though one man was hanging off the hood. One demonstrator slashed the van's tires.

As the van passed by, one of the demonstrators could be seen on the ground, apparently in need of attention.

The increasingly tense clashes between protesters and police resulted in 18 arrests, Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy told the Associated Press.

Earlier Saturday, extraordinary security measures meant to protect President Barack Obama and other world leaders at the NATO summit turned parts of this normally bustling city into a ghost town.

Police barricades blocked dozens of streets. Museums usually teeming with weekend tourists stood empty. And businesses closest to the event covered windows with plywood.

The U.S. Secret Service, which dictated almost every aspect of the plan, will also oversee security during the DNC in September.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police got a hands-on look Saturday when they toured the city and met with planners from the Chicago Police Department and other agencies. Some 100 CMPD officers will help provide security when the NATO summit commences Sunday.

Security planners have essentially closed a large part of downtown Chicago near the convention center hosting the summit.

CMPD Deputy Chief Harold Medlock, among the visiting officers, said that Charlotte would likely avoid such a move. “It will be a secure site, but will it be completely devoid of people? No,” Medlock said.

Chicago leaders have the same hopes for the NATO summit as Charlotte does for the DNC: They want international exposure that casts the city in a positive light while minimizing safety risks.

Authorities said Saturday they arrested three alleged anarchists they charged with plotting to hurl Molotov cocktails at police stations, Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s home and President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters.

Chicago leaders are hoping the summit will reinforce the city’s status as one of the world’s leading cities.

Civic leaders of the nation’s third largest city were embarrassed when Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics was rejected despite help from President Obama.

City fathers also want to erase the memories of the infamous 1968 Democratic National Convention which erupted into violence between protestors and police.

Charlotte hopes the DNC, expected to draw 35,000 visitors, will elevate its national profile after a decade of unprecedented growth.

Large demonstrations expected

Thousands of protestors have converged here in a show of force they hope will capture international media attention on war, economic inequality and other issues. The largest demonstrations are expected Sunday.

On Saturday, more than 1,000 marched in an impromptu rally planned via Twitter and text messages. They blocked streets and chanted, “Whose street? Our street,” as they walked, flanked by dozens of police officers on bikes, in cars, on horseback and on foot.

Thomas Zeitner, a member of Occupy Chicago, said protesters were responding to the arrests of the three people accused of making homemade bombs. Protestors claim the men arrested are innocent.

Jared Hamil, who attended the march, said he was recruiting demonstrators to attend the DNC in Charlotte and the Republican National Convention in Tampa. Hamil said he belongs to a group called Fight Back Florida and said the goal is to bring 5,000 people to the conventions.

“We don’t support any one party’s agenda,” Hamil said. “We oppose the parties of the 1 percent.”

‘Slow’ in normally bustling sections

Sections of the city typically filled with pedestrians and traffic tie-ups stood silent on Friday and Saturday. The summit drove business away from restaurants and shops accustomed to brisk weekend sales. “It’s slow,” said Christina Sauseda, a waitress at the Marquette Inn restaurant and bar. “The construction workers aren’t even working because they don’t have access to the buildings.”

Near the summit site, plywood covered windows on some buildings to prevent possible damage from protests. Workers were putting boards up in front of a Ford dealership near a rally planned for Sunday.

Steve Blessman, who lives near the city’s NFL stadium, said the people who manage his condominium complex warned him that protests could grow violent. Building managers sent out memos that discouraged the people who live in his building from wearing jewelry. They should be cautious when using a cellphone outside, the memo said. Still, he said he feels no danger. “If I didn’t feel it was safe, I would have left for the weekend with my family,” Blessman said.

From his 43rd floor apartment, he watched as law enforcement agents and city officials walled off a large segment of the cultural district near his home – Soldier Field, three museums, a concert venue and a planetarium. Lake Shore Drive – normally busy with cars – was completely empty. Concrete barricades were in place to stop cars and, behind them, metal fences to impede pedestrians, one day before the president and other dignitaries were expected to be on site.

“Everything east of me is shut down,” he said. “When the protesters march, once they start moving people, I won’t be able to get out.”

CMPD meets Chicago counterparts

CMPD officers arrived in Chicago Friday night. On Saturday, they still hadn’t received notification about where they would be policing, CMPD spokesman Brian Cunningham said.

Until the nighttime incident, the protests Saturday were relatively peaceful. That allowed CMPD leaders to meet with their Chicago counterparts.

DNC Committee CEO Steve Kerrigan has said Charlotte’s will be not only the “safest convention, but the least disruptive in terms of impact on daily lives.” Said Medlock: “We’ve been able to test some of the assumptions that we’ve made.”

The biggest tests will likely come Sunday and Monday, with large rallies planned each day. McCarthy, the police superintendent, has said planners tried to ensure safety without creating the appearance of a police state. But throngs of police officers – some from as far away as Philadelphia – blanketed street corners and kept close watch on some buildings.

An intense effort

Federal Homeland Security officers circled a post office repeatedly in SUVs. Other officers stood nearby with a police dog. At the Chicago Hilton, squad cars surrounded the building. Hotel security prohibited passersby from stopping near the hotel’s entrances.

Visitors to one of the few museums that remained open Saturday had go through a metal detector before they reached the door.

A Secret Service member shooed away bicyclists who wanted to use the path normally open to them. One woman rode off saying of the NATO summit, “They shouldn’t have had this in Chicago if there’s so much risk.”

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/05/19/3253030/dnc-lessons-in-chicago.html#storylink=cpy

 

 

When it's time to speak at the Tampa RNC, who will get to grab a mic?

When it's time to speak at the Tampa RNC, who will get to grab a mic?

By Adam C. Smith and Aaron Sharockman, Times Staff Writers

Saturday, May 19, 2012

TAMPA — This is unwelcome news for Mitt Romney: Florida Gov. Rick Scott expects a high-profile speaking slot at the Republican National Convention.

"I would hope so," he told a newspaper editorial board this week when asked if he anticipates giving a prime-time speech in Tampa.

Nothing says "Elect Mitt Romney!" like an unpopular multimillionaire awkwardly making the case on national TV.

We're 100 days out, and convention organizers are just starting to tackle one of the trickiest and most important elements of the convention — selecting the speakers.

It's a matter of juggling monumental political egos, precious little time for maximum TV exposure, appeasing people whose help is needed, and ensuring the best message comes through to win over swing voters just starting to focus on the presidential contest.

"How much lobbying is there? More lobbying than on an oil pipeline,'' said Democratic strategist Bob Shrum, who played a key role in putting together John

Kerry's 2004 convention in Boston.

Republican strategist Russ Schriefer, program chair for George W. Bush's 2004 convention in New York and now a senior Romney adviser, recounted more subtle lobbying efforts.

"People would give you suggestions — 'It would be a really good idea for X to speak,' " he recalled with a chuckle. "Without naming names, there were a few challenges, and there are always a few egos that need to be soothed."

The job is daunting. The networks at best will devote five or six hours over four days to convention coverage, and a good chunk of that is taken by all-but required speeches — the nominee, his spouse, the vice presidential nominee — so planners have to make the very most of the limited time they have.

The flexibility is further limited when you factor in other desired messages, such as highlighting the GOP's diversity even if the audience inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum is overwhelmingly white. In 2008, for instance, the second night of the convention featured some of the party's most prominent minorities, including Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, Education Secretary Rod Paige and Jeb Bush's son, George P. Bush.

"They have special needs. For example they've got to reach out to Hispanics so you'll see Marco Rubio and maybe (New Mexico Gov.) Susana Martinez in prime time," Shrum said. "They'll have to have women, because they need to close the gender gap."

So you'll likely see Rubio — whether or not he's on the ticket — because the convention is in his home state and because of his ability to captivate a crowd. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie seems a good bet, as does Ohio Sen. Rob Portman. But where does, say, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal fit in, or Virginia's
Bob McDonnell?

Is there room in prime time for former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty? Or even more intriguing are the prospects of Sarah Palin and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.

What about former President George W. Bush? Many Republicans doubt he'll seek a speaking slot.

That's not even counting the GOP presidential candidates who hung on the longest — Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul.

Highly choreographed

Conventions are highly choreographed productions on which every nominee puts his imprint. Generally the message is aimed for mainstream, swing voters, and the theme for 2012 in Tampa seems predictable: Barack Obama is a failed president, and Romney has what it takes to turn the country around.

Even if conventions amount to a four-day campaign commercial, don't underestimate their importance. They can determine whether or not a candidate heads into the final stretch with momentum.

"Conventions matter a whole lot. The messaging that comes out of it, the focus every day and every night, the amount of press and communication . . . that comes out of the convention is an enormous push to our candidate," said Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus. "It could go really, really well, or it couldn't go well and that would be very bad."

Not going well can take various forms, the most extreme modern example being riots during the 1968 Democratic convention. More recently, Pat Buchanan's so-called "culture war speech" at the 1992 Republican convention was widely seen as a disaster, depicting the GOP as intolerant and extremist.

For all the meticulous planning, down to every last image and sound, something can go wrong.

In 2008, a threatening Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf of Mexico wiped out the first full day of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. The wash-out sent convention programmers scrambling to fit four days of speakers and programming into 21/2.

Tough choices had to be made.

Ed Goeas, a Republican pollster and program director for the 2008 convention, remembers telling Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison that she wasn't getting the speaking slot she had been promised.

"I was afraid I wouldn't walk out of there with my scalp," Goeas remembers. He did; Hutchison was gracious. So was Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, who had his speech scrapped.

To settle a question over who would speak first, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman or former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, Goeas flipped a coin.

Another bit of intrigue from that 2008 convention: John McCain's conservative rival, Mike Huckabee, had coveted a prime-time slot on the convention's second night to blast away at then-Democratic nominee Obama. But Goeas and convention programmers preferred a young, little-known governor from a faraway state — Palin. That all changed, of course, when Palin was named McCain's vice presidential nominee.

Romney's choice

The Romney team faces its own tough calculations. Is Santorum, with his focus on social conservatism, a speaker likely to win over independent voters? Would a Gingrich or Palin prime-time address help narrow the Democrats' advantage with women? Will there be backlash from the base if none of them gets a prime-time speech?

"There are debts that have to be paid off and there are troops that have to be mobilized. You can't just exclude people and ignore people and risk insulting them. He needs the party faithful to be faithful,'' said political scientist Bruce Cain, director of the University of California Washington Center.

"It's a delicate balancing act. He has some leverage, though," Cain said. "You have people who want to be in the Cabinet or have some influence for whatever reason. It's not as if Romney and the party establishment don't have cards to play."

The biggest question mark? Paul, whose positions on foreign policy and some social issues put him at odds with the Republican establishment. Goeas says Romney's leverage over Paul might not be a Cabinet post or a future run for office (Paul is 76) but maybe the political future of Paul's son, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.

Paul, Goeas says, "has shown a certain interest in not doing any harm to his son."

Schriefer also noted the prime-time speaking slots are not necessarily as important today as they were in the past. Cable networks cover the conventions so thoroughly that millions of viewers will still see speeches even if they aren't televised on the broadcast networks in prime time.

The Romney campaign has not named a program director for the convention, but the RNC's committee on arrangements overseeing the event has several convention veterans already in place to piece together the campaign's political and production needs. That includes Larry Harlow, a federal lobbyist, serving as director of official proceedings.

He will work closely with the Romney campaign on scheduling, though a big part of Harlow's job is making sure the official business gets completed amid the pomp and ceremony. It's often overlooked that conventions are official party meetings where tasks — from ratifying rules and procedures, electing officers, adopting a platform, and, of course, voting on the nominee — must be completed.

Don't expect speaker announcements any time soon. They usually get finalized at the last minute, convention veterans say, partly because events could overtake earlier considerations. If a foreign policy crisis erupts in August, for instance, fixing the economy may not the all-consuming theme in Tampa.

And Gov. Scott's prospects for prime time? Unlikely. At best, he can expect an early-bird speech, say 6:15 p.m. That's when the networks are focused elsewhere and even the delegates inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum are ignoring the speeches.

Adam C. Smith can be reached at asmith@tampabay.com. Aaron Sharockman can be reached at asharockman@tampabay.com.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/national/when-its-time-to-speak-at-the-tampa-rnc-convention-who-will-get-to-grab-a/1230898

Georgia Republicans to vote on casino gambling

By Aaron Gould Sheinin

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

5:28 p.m. Saturday, May 19, 2012

     Columbus -- When Republican voters go to the polls for the July 31 primary, they'll get the opportunity to say if Georgia should allow casino gambling with profits benefiting education.

     The state GOP's executive committee this weekend at its annual convention voted to put that question on the July 31 ballot, along with other nonbinding referendums on ethics reform, gun licenses for military personnel, party registration for elections, and abortion.
     No explanation was given by the committee of top party leaders for their decision, and officials were quiet on how it came to be. Even if Republican voters back casino gambling in the July 31 primary, it would not make slot machines and card games a reality.
     The ballot measures are not binding but would give elected officials a sense of the electorate's mood. But those officials, including Gov. Nathan Deal and House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, have said they are not fans of the idea.
     Ralston "has serious reservations about the expansion of gambling in this state," Marshall Guest, the speaker's spokesman, said Saturday.
     Meanwhile, it is now the official position of the Georgia Republican Party that lobbyists should be barred from giving unlimited gifts to lawmakers.
    The party on Saturday approved a resolution urging the General Assembly to adopt a "reasonable" limit on the value of meals, tickets and other gifts from lobbyists.
    It was the second major ethics-related item to emerge from the two-day gathering of more than 3,000 delegates and alternates. On Friday, the party's executive committee decided to ask Republican voters in the July 31 primary whether the state should enact a $100 limit on lobbyist gifts.
    "We can send a strong message that the Georgia Republican Party is for tough ethics reform and that we are a party of principle and ethical government, and I would encourage you to vote yes on this resolution,"     Tea Party Patriots organizer Debbie Dooley, a delegate to the convention, said before the vote Saturday.
     The resolution on ethics went rather smoothly, although there was an aborted attempt to call for a $1 cap on lobbyist spending. After much discussion, the amendment failed, and the original resolution was adopted.
     The resolution, which is largely symbolic, capped a weekend in which ethics was a major topic of conversation. Also Saturday, a group of conservative activists slammed Ralston for suggesting Friday that "liberal" groups were colluding on ethics with some in the GOP to weaken the party. The statement from the Capitol Coalition of Conservative Leaders, made up of 31 groups, including tea party chapters, said ethics reform is not a "right vs. left" issue.
     "His comments were arrogant and pompous and show an attitude that is anything but a humble public servant," the statement said.
     While there appeared to be broad support for ethics on the convention floor, other issues were greeted with much more hostility. The convention featured lengthy floor fights over resolutions dealing with the National Defense Authorization Act, with the United Nations Article 21 program (an attempt to adopt international planning and zoning standards) and over partisan vs. nonpartisan elections.
     Much of the day, in fact, was marked by party infighting.
     The fireworks began in the speechifying stage when former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich came out on stage sporting a Mitt Romney sticker. Gingrich, who has endorsed the former Massachusetts governor since dropping his own bid for the White House, was greeted by energetic boos from Ron Paul supporters when Gingrich touted Romney. As the cascade of disapproval grew, Romney's backers fought back with cheers.
      And on and on it went. Anytime a speaker mentioned Romney, Paul supporters booed. When Gingrich said Paul had a good idea to audit the Federal Reserve, the Texas congressman's backers erupted in applause.
     Paul's supporters, outnumbered about 70 percent to 30 percent, won at least one victory Saturday when the convention's credentials committee voted to bar the Clarke County delegation from the floor. Videos and testimony from witnesses convinced the committee that Paul's supporters were not treated properly at the county convention in May.
     Clarke County's delegates were prevented from voting for party officers, for delegates to the Republican National Committee or for rules and resolutions.
Paul's supporters also suffered a smaller setback, however, when Spalding County refused to allow an alternate to fill an empty delegate slot because all of the alternates were Paul supporters.
     The final fight of the convention was over the election of 32 delegates and 32 alternates to the Republican National Convention this August in Tampa with Paul supporters challenging the proposed slate of candidates. (Georgia will send 76 delegates.) Those candidates will vote to elect the party's nominee, which is likely to be Romney.

RNC protest rules gain Tampa City Council approval

By Richard Danielson, Times Staff Writer

Published Thursday, May 17, 2012

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TAMPA — The City Council on Thursday approved a ban on most weapons and fast-track permitting for protests outside the Republican National Convention.

City officials say the "Event Zone" ordinance will give police the tools to ensure that demonstrations remain safe and secure.

"We are not trampling on rights," council member Mike Suarez said, just trying to balance public safety and the First Amendment rights of the 15,000 demonstrators expected at the convention.

Civil libertarians and protest group leaders counter that the city's rules are too sweeping and bureaucratic, cover too much territory and suppress free speech by criminalizing a wide range of everyday objects and behaviors.

"If I want to march down a sidewalk or in a public park, either by myself or with 500 of my closest friends, I need not ask permission for this, nor will I ever," said Amos Miers of the Free Speech Project. "The Event Zone is a police state, and it will cause the very problems you are looking to avoid."

American Civil Liberties Union of Florida president Michael E. Pheneger said the ordinance is flawed, but acknowledged it would pass.

As a result, he said, the city's success or failure in protecting free speech of demonstrators will depend on the intelligence, flexibility and judgment of the police who will interpret and enforce the new rules.
Because many demonstrators doubt the city's sincerity, Pheneger suggested Tampa officials take steps to improve relations between police and protesters.

"Why not establish a host committee to welcome demonstrators?" he asked. Why not, he wondered, have city leaders visit groups when they arrive, name a city liaison to them, provide water and shade, avoid creating fenced-in spaces where demonstrators feel caged and make sure that every officer understands that protesters are not enemies?

The vote was 4-2, with Mary Mulhern and Yvonne Yolie Capin in dissent. Chairman Charlie Miranda said he supported the rules, but had to leave the meeting before the vote.

The Event Zone ordinance will create a designated protest area open to everyone, no permit necessary, 24 hours a day near the Tampa Bay Times Forum, the site of the Aug. 27-30 convention.

It also will establish an official parade route, though the city has yet to identify the protest area and parade route. Court cases have established that protesters must be allowed close enough to be seen and heard by conventioneers.

In Tampa, that is complicated by the fact that the city is required by its contract with the convention to guarantee parking for 300 charter buses as close as possible to the Times Forum. In addition, the city's contract gives the convention first dibs on using nine downtown parks, including Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Lykes Gaslight Square Park.

City officials have said police plan to distribute leaflets with details on the protest rules, the designated protest area, the parade route, plus key telephone numbers and perhaps information on Tampa restaurants and other points of interest.

City officials also have discussed providing water, portable toilets and maybe a stage and microphone at the protest area, which officially will be known as the "public viewing area."

"We want to make this work," City Attorney James Shimberg Jr. said.

The ordinance also will ban weapons, except for concealed firearms carried with a permit, in the Event Zone, which covers downtown north to Interstate 275 and Interstate 4, Ybor City, the northern part of Harbour Island and an area across the Hillsborough River that includes the University of Tampa.

City officials wanted to restrict the carrying of concealed firearms inside the Event Zone, but a 2011 Florida law prohibits them from passing any local regulation of guns or ammunition.

Two weeks ago, Mayor Bob Buckhorn asked Gov. Rick Scott to issue an executive order that would allow the city to ban concealed firearms in the zone. Within hours, Scott rejected the idea as excessive and an unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment.

As a result, city officials complain that they will ban water pistols — which protesters in other cities have filled with urine — but cannot prohibit real firearms carried with a concealed weapons permit.
On Thursday, the dilemma still rankled council members.

"It is almost unnerving to think that the governor and the Legislature have put us in this position," Capin said.
Capin said she voted no because she thinks the Event Zone is too big. Mulhern gave several reasons, including the city's inability to ban concealed weapons in the zone.

"Do I feel safer because of the restrictions in this ordinance during that convention?" she asked. "Honestly, I don't."

After the vote on the ordinance, council members decided to send letters to state and federal officials asking for an expansion of the Secret Service's authority to ban firearms inside the convention to neighboring areas as well. The Secret Service has not addressed the idea publicly, but Buckhorn says there's no chance of it happening.

Beyond the weapons ban, the temporary ordinance makes it cheaper, easier and faster for groups to get permits to hold large assemblies on city property during the RNC.

Inside the Event Zone, groups of 50 or more can apply for an all-day permit for parks. Originally, the city proposed a 60-minute time limit for those assemblies. Similarly, the time limit for marches on the parade route has grown from 60 to 90 minutes.

In a change presented Thursday, city attorneys said groups also will be able to apply for permits at perhaps four or five parks outside the Event Zone. That, said Assistant City Attorney Mauricio Rodriguez, will give large groups more options, such as Al Lopez Park, for demonstrations.

Bars open later

The City Council on Thursday also approved:

• Allowing Tampa bars and restaurants to stay open until 3 a.m. during the four days of the convention. City codes generally set a 3 a.m. closing time for businesses that serve alcohol, but some establishments have city-imposed conditions that require them to close earlier. Council members say they want delegates and visitors to be able to get a late supper after RNC sessions end.

• Spending $518,460 for 1,400 gas masks and accessories; $225,063 for 225 tactical communications headsets, plus accessories and three days of training; and $85,580 for 17,400 all-cotton T-shirts for the officers working the RNC.

• Moving ahead with plans to change the name of Ybor City's main street, but not before council Chairman Charlie Miranda said the city might reduce the $2,000 cost of the change by offering the old street signs for sale. "I think you'll be surprised what someone will pay for an old sign," he said. "If, legally, I can be a bidder, I will bid." Last week, the council decided to change the Spanish secondary name for Seventh Avenue from La Sétima to La Séptima, which supporters say is a more accurate and commonly regarded Spanish spelling for "the seventh."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/rnc-protest-rules-gain-tampa-city-council-approval/1230570

Stewart brings show to Tampa for convention

The Associated Press

8:21 a.m. Wednesday, May 9, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. — Comedian Jon Stewart is broadcasting his "Daily Show" from Tampa, Fla., during the Republican National Convention.
The Comedy Central channel said Tuesday that Stewart's popular "Daily Show" will be taped daily at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts Aug. 28 to Aug. 31 and air at 11 p.m. each night. The convention will take place blocks away at the Tampa Bay Times Forum Aug. 27-30.
The show will move to Charlotte, N.C., the next week for the Democratic National Convention.
The episodes airing during the convention will feature news, analysis and guest interviews, as well as reports from the convention floor.
Comedy Central notes that the "Daily Show" has been going on the road to cover politics since 2000.

Why Ron Paul's big wins in Maine and Nevada matter

When Ron Paul delegates show up at the Republican National Convention in August, they may be strong enough to throw the event into disarray – just at the moment Mitt Romney needs to show the GOP united behind him.

In this Feb. 11 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, speaks to his supporters following his loss in the Maine caucus to Mitt Romney, in Portland, Maine.
(Robert F. Bukaty/AP/File)

---

By Peter Grier, Staff writer
posted May 7, 2012 at 12:08 pm EDT

Ron Paul scored big victories at the Maine and Nevada Republican Party conventions on Sunday. In both states his forces won the majority of delegates to this summer's national GOP convention in Tampa, Fla.

As we noted Sunday, this means Mr. Paul’s strategy of organizing the grass roots and working arcane delegate selection rules is paying off. And that could mean big trouble for Mitt Romney and his plans to smoothly pivot to a campaign aimed solely at incumbent President Obama.

Yes, Mr. Romney is still the presumptive nominee. It’s highly unlikely Paul will be able to deny the former Massachusetts governor the prize he’s sought for so long. But Paul’s forces aren’t lining up and saluting a Romney victory. When they show up in Tampa in August they may be strong enough, and prepared enough, to throw the convention floor into embarrassing disarray.

“All of this means the GOP can no longer ignore its libertarian ‘fringe.’ On the contrary, it will have to reach out to a new generation of activists who don’t regard religious piety or continual warfare as sacred tenets of conservatism,” wrote Oxford University historian Timothy Stanley in a CNN opinion column last week.

Let’s back up a bit and recap, shall we? On Sunday in Augusta, Maine, Paul supporter Brent Tweed narrowly won the election to chair the state’s GOP convention. From there, he presided over a meeting that ended up with Paul winning 18 of the state’s 24 delegates to Tampa.

Romney narrowly won Maine’s caucus straw poll earlier this year. But that was a nonbinding beauty contest. Sunday’s vote was what really counted.

In Sparks, Nev., the result was even more one-sided. Paul supporters won 22 of 25 delegates up for selection. But Nevada’s caucuses, unlike Maine’s, were binding on delegates. Some delegates were also awarded on an at-large basis. The bottom line: In the first round of voting in Tampa, 20 Nevada delegates are bound to Romney, and eight are free to vote for Paul, no matter their personal preference.

But that may not be the full story. Paul’s forces are not bound to make it easy for Romney to coast to victory, as delegate selection expert Josh Putnam, a Davidson College political scientist, writes on his Frontloading HQ blog.

Paul’s highly organized campaign continues to amass what Mr. Putnam labels “stealth delegates” – delegates pledged to Romney, or one of the withdrawn GOP candidates – who are personally in favor of the libertarian congressman from Texas. It’s hard to determine how many such folks Paul has, or what they’ll do in Tampa.

For instance, what if Paul supporters who are bound to vote for Romney in the first round by state rules simply abstain from casting their ballots? That might keep Romney under the 1,144 votes he needs to win the nomination – even if he actually (sort of) has those votes in hand!

“This is a tricky maneuver, but not one that is prohibited by the Republican Party delegate selection rules,” writes Putnam in a lengthy post devoted to the ways Paul could make trouble for Romney.
Again, this would be unlikely to prevent Romney from actually winning the nomination eventually. But it would prompt an embarrassing floor fight and expose rifts in the party at the very moment the Romney forces would most want to show a united front to the world.

Another unknown here is whether Paul wants to push things this far. Does he just want a good convention speaking slot, or influence on the party platform? Or does he want to win?
“Is Paul after the nomination? I don’t know. But his supporters sure are,” writes Putnam.

In any case, Paul’s weekend victories have left Romney supporters in Maine and Nevada fuming.
In Maine, Romney backer Craig Cragin called the turn of events at the state convention “bizarre,” according to the Bangor Daily News.

Mr. Cragin also predicted that the Paul people had violated rules in Augusta and thus would not even make it to the national convention in late summer.

“They have so phenomenally screwed this up that they will go to Tampa and not be seated,” Cragin said.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/DC-Decoder/Decoder-Wire/2012/0507/Why-Ron-Paul-s-big-wins-in-Maine-and-Nevada-matter-video

State Parties Ahead Of The Curve On Same-Sex Marriage Planks

Protestors gather in downtown Raleigh to rally against the defense of marriage bill in September 2011, when the proposed amendment was being debated by the North Carolina Legislature. The bill ultimately earned approval by both legislative houses, setting the stage for a statewide vote on May 8, 2012.

 

Pema LevyMay 7, 2012, 4:19 PM806

Voters in North Carolina are poised to ban same-sex marriage Tuesday with a measure that would limit marriage to one man and one woman, and forbid other forms of civil unions — even for straight couples. Democrats don’t just want the bill to fail — some hope their party will make a stand in North Carolina later this summer by unveiling a plank in the national party platform supporting marriage equality.

On Thursday, 11 state Democratic Party chairs signed on to the group Freedom to Marry’s call to include such a plank.

“In the last three years, we’ve made major strides in the fight for equality for LGBT Americans,” John Walsh, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and one of the 11 signatories, said in a statement. “Gays and lesbians can now serve openly in the military, a tough hate crimes law protects the LGBT community from violence and the Defense of Marriage Act was declared unconstitutional. In the history of the United States of America, there has been no greater force for progress than the Democratic Party and as we continue down the long arc of the moral universe, the Democratic Party should, and I believe will, embrace marriage equality.”

The needling from the state chairs illustrates how state-level parties have been quicker to embrace gay marriage than the Democratic National Committee. Though the national party is still wrestling with whether to include marriage equality in its 2012 platform — a move its own convention chairman has urged — a number of state-level Democratic Parties have either already endorsed marriage equality outright or alluded to it with party platforms that discourage discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

The Nebraska Democratic Party’s 2010 platform, for example, expressed general support for GBLT rights: “The Nebraska Democratic Party supports the same civil rights for GLBT persons as those accorded to heterosexual persons. This includes employment, housing, and other basic human rights.”

Vic Covalt, the Nebraska Democratic Party chairman, said he expects the party to address the issue of gay marriage at their state convention in June. Covalt didn’t sign on to the Freedom to Marry petition last week — he’s waiting for his party’s approval in June, he said. “It’s not that I oppose it,” Covalt said. “It’s just that I believe that it’s a matter of the process of the operation of our party that I don’t take positions that they haven’t approved.”

Covalt said he believes the Freedom to Marry petition is a smart move politically since gay rights issues could motivate the Democratic base.

“It is a growing drumbeat that would like to see marriage placed on the platform,” Fred Sainz, vice president for communications at the Human Rights Campaign, told TPM. “I think an awful lot of the moves over the course of the last two months have been quite significant, like the chairman of the Democratic National Convention, Mayor [Antonio] Villaraigosa coming out, was very significant as well.”

A spokesman for the Los Angeles mayor declined to comment except to point out Villaraigosa’s March endorsement of including a same-sex marriage plank in the national party platform.
“We’ve won support from the senior Democrat in Congress, Nancy Pelosi, 22 senators, four former party chairs,” Evan Wolfson, president of Freedom to Marry, told TPM. “Freedom to Marry is absolutely confident that more and more leaders will speak out in the days, months and weeks ahead and that the party will stand for what it stands for.”

Sainz was right on one account — on Sunday, Vice President Joe Biden Biden said during an appearance on “Meet the Press” that he was “comfortable” with same-sex couples receiving the same rights and privileges as other couples. On Monday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan was even more direct, responding to a question about whether he supports same-sex marriage on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” with a simple, “Yes, I do.”

Sainz is optimistic about moving the issue forward, calling the four months between now and the convention “an eternity in the evolution of an issue.”

But, Sainz notes, Obama’s “evolving” take on gay marriage is the real catalyst for keeping the issue in the news. “The only reason why this is being debated, I mean this wouldn’t ordinarily not really be much of an issue were the president still not evolving on marriage.” If not for Obama’s reluctance, he said, “this would be something that would sail into the platform.”

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/05/white-house-holds-out-on-gay-marriage-as-dems-move-forward.php

what i learned this weekend at the JJ diner

it was quite interesting; i had no idea how much work it took to put something like this together. i met some interesting people; great experience overall

Georgia convention delegate lists for Tampa, Charlotte

5:28 pm April 24, 2012, by jgalloway

Georgia’s Republican and Democratic parties have now released the official lists of their delegates to this summer’s national conventions, elected over the last two weekends.

First, from the GOP, the list of 84 Tampa-bound delegates and alternates, drawn from the 14 congressional districts on the 2012 ballot:

District 1
Ruby Robinson, D
Anne Mueller, D
Stephen Lambeth, D
Carl Smith, A
Kay Godwin, A
Wesley Cox, A
District 2
Brad Hughes, D
Ed Rynders, D
Don Cole, D
Ben Harrell, A
Joe Brannan, A
David Futral, A
District 3
Brant Frost, D
Kathy Noble, D
Marty Harbin, D
Vicki Temple, A
Ben Johnson, A
Dale Jackson, A
District 4
Gloria Tow, D
Tim Fleming, D
Lynn Brown, D
Rachel Little, A
Linda Park, A
John White, A
District 5
John Garst, D
Henry Schwab, D
Ginger Howard, D
William Kelly, A
Anthony Lewis, A
Orit Sklar, A
District 6
Patrick Burns, D
Lynne Riley, D
Anne Lewis, D
Ric Mayfield, A
Suzi Voyles, A
Dan Israel, A
District 7
Peggy Green, D
Jason Thompson, D
Joan Zellner, D
Judy Bailey, A
Richard Ward, A
John Merritt, A
District 8
Vivian Childs, D
Roy Campbell, D
Jason Downey, D
Valarie Meyers, A
Barbara Schmader, A
Lott Dill, A
District 9
Jim Pilgrim, D
Melanie Crozier, D
Andrew Turnage, D
Rick Post, A
Kelley Gary, A
Kimberly Gurtler, A
District 10
Brian Burdette, D
Debbie Dooley, D
Bruce Williamson. D
Andrew Strickland, A
Kirk Shook, A
Marie Caudill, A
District 11
Barry Loudermilk, D
Joe Dendy, D
Judy Griffin, D
Brad Carver, A
Larry Mrozinski, A
Rick Davies, A
District 12
Lawton Sack, D
Nancy Bobbitt, D
Catherine Bernard, D
Daniel Burton, A
Megan Seda, A
Linda Clarkson, A
District 13
Barbara Hickey, D
Michael McNeely, D
Sahar Hekmati, D
Cheryl Espy-Dalton, A
Amanda Parsons, A
Richard Thompson, A
District 14
Teresa Tatum, D
Layla Shipman, D
Stephan Passantino, D
Hoyt Brown, A
Joseph Gullett, A
Elliott Echols, A

An additional 31 Georgia delegates and 31 alternates will be elected at-large at the May convention of the Georgia GOP in Columbus. Three more — the state party chair, a national committeeman and national committee woman — are automatic delegates.

Democrats:

Below is the list of 72 Georgia delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., drawn from the state’s current 13 congressional districts:

District 1:
Miguel Camacho – Savannah
Laverne Gaskins – Valdosta
Joseph Segui – Waynesville
Audrey Stewart – St. Simons
Al Williams – Midway
District 2:
Vivian Bishop – Columbus
Constance Burkes – Albany
Winfred Dukes – Albany
Lynmore James – Montezuma
Kattie Kendrick – Fort Valley
District 3:
Delia Crouch – Newnan
Markgetta Jackson-Langford – Fayetteville
Kevin Madden – Peachtree City
Arnold Martin – Fayetteville
Marion Ray – Jonesboro
Morris Steward – Newnan
District 4:
Thomas Brown – Atlanta
Barbara Campbell – Lithonia
Tobias Campbell – Decatur
Camille Davis-Williams – Lithonia
Melva Hicks – Scottdale
John Washburn – Avondale Estates
Vincent Williams – Decatur
District 5:
Andrea Boone – Atlanta
Terrinne Briggs – Atlanta
Emma Darnell – Atlanta
Justin Giboney – Atlanta
Mo Ivory – Atlanta
C.T. Martin – Atlanta
Reese McCranie – Atlanta
District 6:
Joshua Altman – Canton
David Gowdy – Alpharetta
John Morgan – Marietta
Celestine Mosley – Roswell
Florence Shelton-Clark – Johns Creek
District 7:
Steffini Bethea – Snellville
Robert Byars – Peachtree Corners
Ilene Johnson – Lilburn
Austin Thompson – Duluth
Cheryl Williams – Duluth
George Williams – Duluth
District 8:
Paul Bronson – Macon
Sarah Hunt – Macon
Fenika Miller – Warner Robins
Mary Neville – Lizella
DuBose Porter – Dublin
District 9:
John Anthony – Dalton
Oliver Cobb – Dalton
Joan Huddleston – Blue Ridge
Venda Young – Cumming
District 10:
James Dustin Baker – Athens
Lowell Greenbaum – Augusta
Jana Hill – Clayton
Janice Mathis – Bogart
Jerry Swain – Martinez
District 11:
Derrick Brown – Kennesaw
Michelle Cooper Kelly – Marietta
Ashley Lee – Rome
Nathan McNeal – Kennesaw
Tania Phillips – Acworth
District 12
Diane Brack Evans – Avera
John Brewer – Ailey
Tawana Garrett – Savannah
Quentin Howell – Milledgeville
L.C. Myles, Jr. – Hephzibah
District 13
Gail Davenport – Jonesboro
Donzella James – College Park
Maurice Madden – Hampton
Alisha Morgan – Austell
Melissa Prescott – Fayetteville
Wilbur Purvis – Douglasville
Kevin Thomas – Jonesboro

Two additional elections will fill out the remaining Georgia spots for the DNC. On May 12, an election will be held to elect 14 “public leaders and elected officials” or PLEOs. On May 19, an election will be held to choose 24 at-large and nine alternates. Jimmy Carter holds a voting position as well, in deference to his former position as a U.S. president.

http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2012/04/24/georgia-convention-delegate-lists-for-tampa-charlotte/?cxntfid=blogs_political_insider_jim_galloway

Protesters at party conventions could be armed

Protesters at party conventions could be armed

By MITCH WEISS, Associated Press

TAMPA, Florida (AP) — The thousands of protesters expected at the Democratic and Republican national conventions can come armed with a lot more than signs and slogans: State law in Florida and North Carolina allows concealed weapons, including guns.

In Tampa, where the Republicans will hold their festivities this fall, officials are starting to worry about people toting guns in such a politically charged environment. The City Council voted Thursday to ask Republican Gov. Rick Scott to help them temporarily ban concealed weapons. Charlotte officials have yet to publically voice concern, but with both cities trying to balance public safety with First and Second Amendment rights, it's likely the host city for the Democratic convention will also have to address the issue.

The Tampa City Council wants Scott to issue an executive order, preventing people with concealed weapons permits from carrying guns.

"We believe it is necessary and prudent to take this reasonable step to prevent a potential tragedy," council member Lisa Montelione said in a draft letter to Scott.

Tampa city leaders have already proposed a host of banned items (lumber, hatchets, gas masks, chains and "super soaker" water cannons) — but they are prevented from outlawing concealed guns.

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said the state law has made the city "look silly," particularly because officials can ban water guns but not real ones.

Read more at http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gzWYxIgiz-OWtiq48IyHABlbIr0w?docId=44825b5d0a1e4963b50876570d140eaa

Raleigh startup to design website for Democratic convention

By: David Ranii | McClatchy-Tribune
Published: April 30, 2012 Updated: April 30, 2012 - 7:40 AM

RALEIGH -- Think of Business Empire Consulting as the brash newcomer that nominated itself for the job – and won.

The News & Observer reported that the 28-month-old Raleigh digital marketing agency beat out 11 competitors for the plum job of designing and hosting a new website for the Democratic National Convention, which is set for Charlotte in September.

Pretty heady stuff for a company created by a trio of 20-somethings – CEO Bryan Young, 25; Matt Laster, chief information officer, 24; and Brandon Blair, chief marketing officer, 24 – at the end of 2009 when they were students at N.C. State University.

Their 11-employee company has won larger pieces of business than the $70,000 convention contract, but the deal is worth much more in terms of exposure.

“We are ... very excited about this opportunity to showcase our ability on such a grand scale,” Young said. “To be involved in the planning and implementation of a project like this, at our age, is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will helps us build relationships, hopefully, around the country and definitely in North Carolina.”
The Democratic National Convention Committee chose Business Empire based on factors such as creativity and its work for clients such as the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, N.C. State University and Lonerider Brewing.

“We’re confident they have what it takes for a project of this magnitude,” said Nikki Sutton, deputy director for communications for digital media. The convention committee isn’t disclosing how much traffic it expects the website to handle.

Read more: http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/apr/30/raleigh-startup-design-website-democratic-conventi-ar-2223793/

Participating at the 2012 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner

Major props to the following students for stepping up and agreeing to participate in the 2012 Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

Alisen Redmond

Araba Okyire

Carole Nanguy

Ernesto Ausejo

Max Harris

This will allow you to gain early exposure to the convention-related process and access to state / national Democratic Party leaders, many who you will see again in Charlotte. I encourage you to come back here, to the blog, and share your experiences (with images, if possible).

Reporting on Religion and Political Candidates Webinar

Hello Communication Majors!

The Poynter Institute posts webinars for students interested in writing and communication. I received an email about this broadcast and I think it greatly pertains to the work we will be doing for this class! Its only an hour long but it does cost $9.95, which will be money well spent.
I hope this helps!

Sara Lynn https://www.newsu.org/reporting-religion-candidates

Welcome to the Party Conventions 2012 Blog

Hi Everyone,

We are so excited that you will be attending the Republican and Democratic Conventions.  We hope you will gain a valuable learning and life experience from the courses!

‘Daily Show’ Headed to Democratic Convention
By BILL CARTER

“The Daily Show” will maintain its tradition of emulating a real news program by traveling to North Carolina in September to cover the Democratic National Convention. Jon Stewart will take his program to Charlotte for a week of programs intended to comment on, and lampoon, the convention, which has provided an ample platform for the show’s satire in the past. This will be the fourth time “The Daily Show” has gone on location for shows about the political conventions. The shows will be produced at an area called ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center, starting Sept. 4. That is a Tuesday, and for that week only the show will tape on Tuesday through Friday instead of the usual Monday through Thursday schedule. As for the Republican convention, which is set for Tampa, Fla., starting on Aug. 27, “The Daily Show’ does plan to produce a week of shows from that site as well but has not yet settled on a location. It is expected to announce plans for that coverage soon.

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/02/daily-show-headed-to-democratic-convention/