Last Thursday, on May 1, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union called for a work stoppage at all West Coast ports to protest the war in Iraq. Dock workers shut down 29 ports from Long Beach to Seattle.

The Pacific Maritime Association brought an action to prevent the shut-down, but despite a last minute ruling from an arbitrator forbidding them from taking the day off, the ILWU proceeded with their action. Rallies took place up and down the coast.

"It's important that these processes are in place and we respect them," ILWU spokesman Craig Merrilees said of the ruling by arbitrator John Kagel. "We also have an obligation and are proud to respect the First Amendment rights our members have as citizens governed by the Constitution. This is a voluntary act of good citizenship to shake the tree in Washington, D.C., and get those folks to wake up and respect the overwhelming majority of Americans," who want to end the war, Merrilees said.

About 70 people showed up at the rally at the Port of Stockton. ILWU members from Local 14 in Eureka and Local 18 in Sacramento gathered  with the Stockton Locals, 54 and 6. Other supporters from labor joined them, including members of CTA, CSEA, CNA and Local 601 of the Teamsters. The local paper, the Stockton Record, covered the rally at the Port of Stockton:

Many speakers attacked the war in terms of costs - both human and monetary - to the American middle class.

While fighting in Iraq may seem far away, said ILWU member David Griffin, "It's really all around us."

He deplored the homes vacant in his neighborhood due to the foreclosure and credit crisis and described seeing a clerk suffering behind the counter at Hollywood Video because she couldn't afford to see a dentist to relieve an impacted molar.

"We don't have health care in this country because of this damn war," Griffin said. "We've got to end this war, bring the troops home and take care of people like my neighbor and the girl at Hollywood."

Even more compelling, perhaps, was the fact that the ILWU action was aided by various employers throughout the area. Stevedore Services of America (SSA) and Metropolitan Stevedore also stopped work in support of the ILWU. The Tesoro refinery in Pittsburg cancelled its shipments, and the Port of Stockton likewise cancelled shipments. Check out the statement from the director of the Port of Stockton:

Port of Stockton officials took no part in the rally, said Richard Aschieris, the port's director.

"It's not appropriate for the port to take a position on these sorts of things," he said.

Still, the port had allowed the peaceful event to be held on the lawn fronting the administration building.

"It was a great exercise in democracy," Aschieris said.

It reminded him, he said, of the tradition of Liberty Trees in towns all across Colonial America that served as gathering points for those opposed to English rule.

"[War’s] glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies, with the anguish and lamentations of distant families ... It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation.

"You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war to our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out."

    —William Tecumseh Sherman

On March 19, 2003, Pres. George W. Bush declared war against Iraq and the US attacked that country.  Six weeks later and exactly five years ago today, Bush landed a fighter jet onboard an aircraft carrier, far from any dangers of real battle, and declared “Mission Accomplished.” He appeared almost giddy from the excitement of his most excellent adventure.

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed."

    -- George W. Bush

Today, on that anniversary, Lt. Col. (Air Force Ret.) Charlie Brown appeared at a townhall meeting for veterans accompanied by former Army Capt. and Sen. Max Cleland.  Both Charlie Brown and Max Cleland served in Vietnam; indeed, that’s where Cleland had both legs and his right arm blown off by a grenade.

This morning, they had a more sober assessment of our foreign policy, the use of our military and our responsibilities to veterans.  Here’s what Sen. Cleland had to say:

“We need to send somebody to Washington who knows the difference between right and wrong.  We need to send somebody to Washington who has actually heard and felt the sound of battle, somebody who has felt the bullets flying past them… who knows what it’s like to be shot at.  Something you learn after that is that war is not to be prosecuted for anything less than the vital national interest.  It’s not something you do willy-nilly… war costs the life and limb of people, the best we have, and it must be well considered before it’s entered into.

Of course, most of us realize that Pres. Bush has a slightly different take on war. Just two months ago, with over 4,000 dead and nearly 30,000 wounded, in a conference call with our troops in Iraq, Bush made the following statement:

“It must be exciting for you… in some ways romantic.”

-- Pres. George W. Bush

And yet, after five long years, a recent Pew Research poll tells us that a mere 28% of Americans even know that approximately 4,000 of our troops have been killed in Iraq.  Even fewer know about the shabby treatment that our veterans have been receiving from the federal government.  Once again, here’s what Max Cleland had to say:

"We are so quick to go to war and so slow to take care of those who won the battle."

And here’s Charlie Brown, talking about the debt we owe to those who have served our country:

"This mission is never accomplished; it’s ongoing.  It’s about accountability.

"What is wrong with our country that we are not taking care of our veterans?  Any number of bills, whether it’s the new GI Bill, the increase in medical benefits, are being defeated… why are we not keeping our promise to the troops?

"What has happened to the American dream? All of us who thought if we defended our country, we thought our country would take care of us. What has happened to our country?

"Patriotism is meaningful to those who serve. We took an oath to serve; we took an oath to get results. And that’s what we expect from our leaders.  It’s time to hold our elected leaders responsible to do their job, hold them responsible to get some results.  We did that in the military. We should expect nothing less from our leaders."

On this five-year anniversary of Mission Accomplished, these are questions that all Americans should be asking. Something tells me if we send more real patriots like Charlie Brown to Washington this November, we’ll start getting the answers to some of those questions.

The following post was written by David Dayen and originally posted on Calitics. David has very graciously allowed us to repost it here.

One is national, the other state-specific. Both of them explain why we're starting to see traces of jelly in the knees of Republicans as they try to figure out how they're ever going to win an election again.

Nationally, the new party identification numbers by age group are out from the Pew Center. These are incredible.

Democrats now hold a 25 POINT advantage among voters aged 18-29. It is generally assumed that partisan identification hardens with each passing election, and by the time you get someone to vote with a party for the third time in a row, you've got them for life. Over the next five to ten years, we could get that advantage for an entire generation. This is the chickens coming home to roost (if I can use a phrase so intimately involved with Rev. Wright without accusations of being an angry black liberation theologist) for 30 years of failed Republican policies, and nowhere is that as acute than in California, where Republicans are on the wrong side of the environment, the economy and health care.

The local set of numbers is even more striking.

Forty-nine percent of California's children between 12 and 17 have at least one immigrant parent, a phenomenon that could dramatically change the composition of the state's electorate within several years, according to a report released Tuesday.

Of these 1.2 million kids, 84 percent are U.S.citizens, either because they were born here or were naturalized, said Rob Paral, a Chicago-based demographic researcher who prepared the report, "Integration Potential of California's Immigrants and their Children."

The report predicts that as these children turn 18, they could help fuel a rise in immigrant voters by 2012.

The combination of these two numbers spell total doom for Republicans. Young voters are moving rapidly to the Democrats, and millions of California children are reaching voting age, mindful of Republican demonizing on immigration issues and the pain they've delivered to their families. Now think about potentially 30% of the electorate being made up of these children and their legal immigrant families.

The wave is coming, my friends, the wave is coming.

Last night the Amador County Democratic Central Committee held their annual fundraiser dinner in Jackson. Even though Republicans outnumber Democrats in Amador (9,378 to 7,161 or about 11%) there was a large and enthusiastic turnout for the event. As you can see, there were probably 125 people in attendance.

Randy Bayne, who is Chair of the Amador DCC, acted as host for the evening.

The evening’s extra special guest speaker was none other than both large and small-d Democratic heroine Debra Bowen. She spoke at length about the challenges she faces in ensuring that every vote is counted.

Bowen particularly stressed how her approach to the Secretary of State job was influenced by the events in Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. As she watched the Secretaries of State in those two states, who both served in highly political roles as state co-chairs for the Bush campaign, she vowed that as SoS in California she would do her utmost to insulate herself from partisan political activity so that the integrity of the voting process would be above reproach.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that Bowen doesn’t support the election of Democrats throughout the state. But she clearly feels that she can be of most service by leaving the campaigning to others and focusing on her role with as much impartiality as possible. Nevertheless, Bowen encouraged us to get busy working on behalf of candidates throughout our districts, exhorting the audience (and I’m paraphrasing), “Your job is to get the votes for Democrats; my job is to make sure those votes are counted accurately.”

Bowen also told the audience about her shock and delight at receiving the phone call from Caroline Kennedy (“I nearly fell off my chair!”) informing her that she had been selected to receive a Profile in Courage award. Personally, I can’t think of a better choice.

One other thing that stood out about the evening was how incredibly gracious Debra Bowen is. Before dinner was served, she circled the room and greeted the guests at each and every table. After her speech, she again visited every table, handing out what seems to have become her trademark – Hershey kisses.

At the 19th CD caucus for Clinton held in Madera, CA there were over 160 in attendance. The delegate winners are attorneys Betty Julian from Modesto and Duane Nelson from Turlock with the alternate pledge delegate postiton be awared to Young Democrat, Ian Wieland of Madera. Ian is the President of the Fresno State College Democrats.

At the 19th CD caucus for Obama held at California State University Fresno's Student Union there were over 140 in attendance. The Yosemite Dems pledeged delegate winners for Obama are John Friedrich of Mariposa and Dezie Woods-Jones of Madera Ranchos.

Also Will Oliver of Madera will be attending the National Young Democrats Convention and the DNC Convention that are both being held in Denver. Will is a Democracy For America Member, a Madera County Democratic Central Committee Member, a California Democratic Party Delegate and a Fresno State College Democrat.

Let's take our country back, turn the 19th Congressional District BLUE in 2008!
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Photos and article: http://www.maderatribune.com/news/newsview.asp?c=240774

Chairman Torres send congratulations to San Bernardino County Chair Carol Robb and the hardworking Dems in that county doing such great work on voter registration. 

Carol reportst that new voter registration figures for San Bernardino County have been posted! 

Democrats -- 291,328
Republicans -- 300,757

A week ago, the Rep edge was 10,104. This week, their edge has dropped to 9,429! 

Press Release: California Democrats Shatter Record

In the final 45 days (60 days pre-election, December 7, 2008 to the January 22, 2008 15-day cut-off) prior to Election Day, the Secretary of State’s report of registration shows Democrats added 150,633 voters to bring its total to 6,749,406 or 43.0 percent of registered voters statewide.

Altogether, 244,202 voters were added to the voter rolls in this period, and the Democrats’ total of 150,6377 registered is 61.7% of the total – a record for California.

In comparison, in the final 45 days of the 2004 presidential primary, Democrats added only 68,007 voters, just 46.5% of the increase of 146,129.

“History is about to be made with either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama and Californians overwhelmingly want to be a part of the excitement as registered Democrats,” said Senator Art Torres (Ret.), Chairman of the California Democratic Party.

“Our grassroots around California and the Clinton and Obama campaigns went all out to register Democrats, and we have not seen this level of enthusiasm in a presidential primary in decades,” added Torres. 

From Martha Gamez, CDP's Deputy Political and Outreach Director: 

About 75 Stockton area Democrats gathered to watch Bush's final State of the Union address.  The event was sponsored by the Stockton chapter of Drinking Liberally and held at the Valley Brew, where we had the banquet room to ourselves.  We booed; we hissed; we snickered; we rolled our eyes -- and we played Bush Bingo!

Spirits were high as we contemplated the 2008 elections and our opportunity to finally be rid of GWB and the Republicans across the country!

Thanks to Kern County Chair Candi Easter for sending this post in.  Click here to see more pics from the training.

On Saturday, January 12, more than 50 Democrats from all over the state converged on for a California Democratic Party Skills Academy. 

CDP Political Director Crystal Strait led the instruction,  assisted by CDP Deputy Political Director, Martha Gamez. Democrats came from as far away as Riverside, Davis, and Hollister to learn the techniques to needed succeed in 2008.

Several members of the California State Democratic Party Latino Caucus were also in attendance as well as members of The Desert Democrats from Ridgecrest, Tehachapi Mountain Democrats and The Democratic Women of Kern. The Skills Academy was an all day event and lunch was provided by The Kern County Democratic Party.

Form A is now available for filing as a district level-delegate to the National Convention in Denver.  That's a lot of Ds! 

We tried to make it as easy as possible for you to complete the form online and file it.  You will have to print the form after you have submitted it online and then fax or mail it so we have your signature on file, but otherwise the process should be totally automated. 

Yes, you can also print the Form A and fill it out manually, but filing online will save us from having to enter in all your information (big enough hint?). 

Click here to read all about it!