My experience as an caucus observer in Iowa Precinct 214/Des Moines

[zulchzulu]

I was in Iowa from January 16-19 doing video, grassroots support and had a lot of fun with fellow Kerry supporters. When the big day came, I did phones and other grassroots work and then volunteered to be a Kerry observer at Caucus 214 in a suburb just outside of Des Moines.

Arriving there with a fellow Kerry traveller, we helped set up the tables, the caucus room and aided anyone who was not sure where to go. It was in a school and the event was going to occur in a large recreation room that had a sliding separator to accomodate two precincts.

The caucus leader that I worked with was a Dean supporter. He had a real uptight nature about him. He kept wanting to have the door that was where the caucus was to be held shut for some reason. I inquired that the door should remain open. He kept shutting the door and maintained an arrogant nature. I noticed a small number of Dean supporters were sitting near the entrance to the door, which was where the caucus supporters for Dean would gather when there was time for a head count. They did not participate in helping set up the room with the remainder of chairs that needed to be taken from a cart, unfolded and placed for others that arrived to sit at.

Two Kerry supporters, two Edwards supporters and myself helped set up the room, which turned out to be about 150 chairs.

I made a sign for the door and made sure the door stayed open. It was nearing the cut-off time when caucus voters could vote.

Helping the Edwards people get set up and having an area designated was my second priority. There was one Gephardt supporter and no other candidates were represented.

Then came time for people to speak about their candidate to the room of voters. The Kerry caucus leader and myself made a short verbal presentation and were given a decent applause when we were done. Someone asked me about Kerry's stand on NCLB and his healthcare plan. I said that he would support more funding for NCLB and other programs and that his healthcare package was declared the best in an independent study and how it would be much like the healthcar program Congress and the White House have.

The Dean supporter then gave his presentation, including the usual misinformation that Dean was the only candidate against the War from the beginning. People asked him if Dean could due to his percieved personality of being a hothead and the subject about Vermont is so small that the population of the entire state was less than the population of Des Moines. I mentioned during Q/A that Dean was for the Biden-Lugar amendment about the time of the IWR vote, hence leaving it open that he was actually "always against the war". The Dean supporter said he had no idea what the Biden-Lugar amendment was.

The Edwards people then did their pitch. One question was asked about Edward's view on NCLB. Someone who supported Edwards said he would end it and was given some applause. As I suspected at the time, this was false. Edwards is for "fixing" it. Not having a web site available at the time and no literature to look at made it pointless, since I hadn't really remembered a specific soundbite from Edwards on the issue.

As a caucus oberver, you can query questions but cannot participate in the vote.

Finally the vote came. Kerry got 59, Edwards got 62 and Dean barely made viability with 22. One less vote and the Dean supporters would have had to go to their second choice.

After Dean's poor showing, I discussed the vote with a couple from California who were Dean observers. They were good people and took the vote in stride, albeit a bit surprised. We wished each other well and drove off into the frigid Iowa night to our campaign parties.

[spooky3]

1. Thanks for your hard work in Iowa, and thanks for the report!

[Jerseycoa]

2. Thanks

I enjoy reading these reports.

[pnziii]

3. How does Kerry Justify?

How does Kerry Justify....
Voting for the Patriot Act and now being against it?
Voting to go to war and now being against it.
Voting FOR S. 27 Campaign Finance Reform which restricts Free Speech.
Missing the vote on Banning Abortion.

Kerry voted FOR Welfare Reform H.R. 3734
Welfare reform approved legislation that preyed on the limited rights of vulnerable groups including children, immigrants, the poor and the elderly in the name of welfare reform. The bill also eroded free speech for not-for-profit organizations, violated the separation of church and state, and damaged privacy rights by establishing a de facto national identification system.

Kerry voted FOR Funding of Religious Institutions S. 1956
Government Funding of Religious Institutions - Included in the welfare overhaul was a provision that could force state governments, under threat of lawsuits, to contract with religious institutions, including houses of worship, to provide taxpayer-funded social services, even if they are delivered in a proselytizing environment. This, too, was a recurring theme in the 104th Congress where opponents of religious liberty repeatedly sought to pass provisions to lower the wall of separation between church and state. In the Senate, the provisions were inserted into the welfare bill by a vote of 67 to 32.

Kerry voted for Internet Censorship S.652
Internet Censorship - As part of a major overhaul of the nation's telecommunications industries, both the House and Senate approved major new censorship schemes for the Internet. The Senate adopted its version, the so-called Communications Decency Act, by a vote of 84 to 16.

Kerry voted AGAINST Medical Privacy H.R 3103
Medical privacy - Hidden within the massive health care reform bill approved by Congress in the stampede for an August recess was a deceptively labeled provision that further eroded the privacy rights of all Americans. The provision, known as "administrative simplification," gives government and businesses access to
confidential medical information about individuals without their consent and establishes a unique health identification number for every patient, health provider, health plan and employer.

Kerry voted FOR National ID Cards S. 1664
National ID Card - One of the most pervasive themes of the 104th Congress has been proposals to establish a national identification system as a means of tracking undocumented workers, so-called deadbeat dads and to monitor health insurance information. Various database schemes have been included in bills as diverse as immigration, welfare reform and health insurance. Since these proposals have been buried in much larger legislation, it was often difficult to determine the position of members of Congress.


HOW DOES KERRY JUSTIFY THIS?????

[emulatorloo]

4. Here are some links - don't oversimplify

Please Stop blaming John Kerry for the lies and broken promises of Bush and Ashcroft; these issues are not as simple as you are asserting.

Ending the era of John Ashcroft
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2003_1201.html

Will Pitt Interview w John Kerry see section on war
http://truthout.org/docs_03/122203A.shtml

on edit clarify, spelling