Live (almost) blogging here from our state senate credentials committee meeting

[thevoiceofreason]

And before someone worries, the meetings are open to the public.

Everyone is getting settled. Apparently, we have reams of challenges that the Clinton campaign filed on the last day. So, we'll be here a while.

Back with more soon.

[thevoiceofreason]

1. First Hillary challenge defeated 15 - 0

Claimed unbalanced delegation by gender. Asked to replace an Obama male with a Hillary female.

[Hawkeye-X]

2. I hope the committee is stifling their laughters

after they defeat challenge after challenge and declare Obama the winner of the Texas caucus. :)

[Georgie_92]

3. Are you serious?LOL

[KAZ]

16. By gender? You can't be serious.

[thevoiceofreason]

18. The state party rules require some balancing - at the next level!

Not at the precinct level.

They are breaking up for the night. I'll add a few more observations when I get home.

[thevoiceofreason]

4. This is wild

The committee has now turned down 5 Hillary gender-based motions - each time trying to replace an Obama man with a Hillary woman.

Then! An Obama challenge to a precinct that was entitled (by the state party) to over 50 delegates, but that the Hillary supporting chairman only let Obama select 2 delegates. This motion passed. The new split from this precinct won't be 2 Obama 4 Clinton: Now it will be 51 Obama 3 Clinton.

[Melinda]

5. self-delete

Reading is fundamental... I get it now.

[Bigleaf]

6. Awesome!

[alteredstate]

7. Was this Precinct 660?

Just wondering......

[DUyellow]

20. I do not understand this

can you explain this "The new split from this precinct won't be 2 Obama 4 Clinton: Now it will be 51 Obama 3 Clinton." Thanks!

[NEDem]

23. My guess is that

the precinct was supposed to have 54 pledged delegates to the county convention to award based on the results. The precinct chair tried to cheat, by messing with the delegate counts.

[alteredstate]

25. Wow....

51 delegates instead of 2, huh? That's some mistake!

[crispini]

27. LOL

That's crazed!

[thevoiceofreason]

32. You should have seen it.

Found the right rule to make it happen (Recommended rule VII). That just netted Senator Obama 4 delegates and 4 alternates.

[crispini]

33. Excellent............

This stuff is exactly why everyone needed to just calm down. This kind of thing can be fixed in Credentials.

[stillcool]

8. oh my goodness...

this is very cool. Thanks! Keeping my fingers crossed!

[alteredstate]

9. Cool!

Keep us updated!

[woolldog]

10. thevoiceof reason, this is hilarious.

and informative. Please continue blogging for us!

[thevoiceofreason]

11. Three more internal "me versus them" challenges.

Supposed to be another series coming of gender challenges. Haha. All by Hillary's camp.

Also, something interesting brewing. It appears we have some caucus suppression going on in connection with some of the gender challenges. Folks being challenged are being called at home and told not to go to convention on Saturday, that they have been replaced, even though the challenger lost the vote.

I will look into possible criminal charges tomorrow, although I don't think they will apply.

[KittyWampus]

17. that is pretty underhanded. edit- if true. Hope you nail the bastards doing it.

[DerekJ]

21. Obama camp needs to know about this, so they make sure to call those people and tell them they

should show up.

Do they know about those phone calls?

[alteredstate]

22. kick

[Gothmog]

54. PM Me and I will give the Obama hotline number

Find your field coordinator and tell them. PM and I can give you the Obama legal team hotline number.

[ampad]

12. Thanks for keeping us updated

:kick:

[madfloridian]

13. Reading this in amazement...keeping it kicked.

It almost is unbelievable.

[alteredstate]

59. Please don't forget to check in with us tomorrow, if you can!

:yourock:

[Umbram]

14. Sounds like HRC is quite desperate. (nt)

[bevoette]

15. hope my fellow Texans are ready for the onslaught on Saturday... (nm)

[ampad]

19. Kick (NT)

[alteredstate]

24. kick

[Donna Zen]

26. Kick

n/t

[FrenchieCat]

30. Hey Donna Zen!

:hi:

[Donna Zen]

39. Hey Frenchie

Fingers crossed and waiting to do the happy dance.

[FrenchieCat]

43. I think a majority of us are!

[crispini]

28. I just got home from working out the seating charts at my SD.

I'm still not done, actually, but I needed some sleep before I could tackle all those wiggly numbers again.

[anonymous171]

29. kick

:kick:

[Ysabel]

31. thanks for keeping us updated k an r (n/t)...

[thevoiceofreason]

34. So here's my summary.

First off - my hat is off to the committee. They were beyond patient and fair. Made up of equal numbers of Hillfans and Obamafolks. Made it through a lot, but they have a long way to go.

I'm about to start researching the whole suppression thingy. My trial monday got moved, so I have time. It is really infuriating that someone would do this. Several. calls tonight - all to people who are delegates and toward whom a challenge was turned down. I wonder if the other side will claim the same stuff is going on? Time will tell.

[crispini]

35. This whole thing really makes me realize

how important it is to have strong, honest, rational precinct chairs.

I was able to "ride herd" on my precinct convention and my delegation and nobody will pull that kind of stupid stuff on them. On ANY of them, on either side. But when there is a vacuum, then people can spread misinformation around.

[thevoiceofreason]

36. That is so true.

I beleive the laws support my belief that caucus participation suppression is illegal. Looks to be a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year in County Jail. Might be filing some charges tomorrow -- we'll see.

[CitizenLeft]

45. Hillfans and Obamafolks

I like that.

Excellent reporting - thank you so much!

[thevoiceofreason]

47. Your welcome

Hell, I've been as guilty of the active and veiled vitriol as the next guy. I decided today to give all that up, and those are my descriptive terms of choice.

The conventions are going to be a blast.

[JimGinPA]

37. Your Reports From The Texas Primary/Caucas Are Some Of The Most Interesting Posts Here...

Thanks so much.


:toast:

[DUyellow]

38. 2nd that

[thevoiceofreason]

42. Thank you back - I'm embarrassed.

Actually, the committee is great and filled with fair, dedicated folks. I'll try to blog on Saturday at the convention.

[alteredstate]

58. Please blog from the convention on Saturday!

A lot of volunteers from out-of-state are grateful for your updates!

[Justitia]

40. Thank you so much for this! But, now I'm really worried - was this SD7?

I'm a delegate on Saturday and I don't want any nasty surprises at the convention!

[thevoiceofreason]

41. Not 7

I know there was an Obama legal team member at the SD7 credentials committee meeting tonight. It's all good -- have a blast.

[Justitia]

44. Whew! Thanks for that! I've been furiously searching for info.

Saturday is going to be a wild ride. :D

[MagickMuffin]

46. Wow, sounds like you had an interesting night

Were you able to get ahold of the list of delegates that they called to inform the delegates that they need to be there Saturday?.?.?

I'm glad you went to experience what was going on. Now I wish I would have attended my state senate credentials committee meeting, although I'm not sure I would have understood everything going on.

Good Luck, with your research.

[thevoiceofreason]

48. Thanks

In that precinct, everyone is coming.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

50. Are you sure of this?

I've spent the past 5 Days herding delegates and I know they can be more than slightly elusive. If I were you I'd double check personally and make sure.

I'd hate to see one of our new Democratic lights be put out before they get a chance to shine.

[thevoiceofreason]

52. All I can say is the Obama coordinator for that precinct said she had

contacted everyone and made sure they knew to come on Saturday. I don't have any personal information beyond that.

Well, off to work then resume credentials at noon.

[DUyellow]

51. are you sure?

[Lone_Star_Dem]

49. My hat is off to your Credentials Committee.

Caucus suppression? I can't believe that. Hopefully it's just a rumor and not true. If it's true it makes me very, very angry. Suppressing our newly active Democrats in Texas will not go over with many other grassroots orientated Texas Democrats such as myself.

[40ozDonkey]

53. K & R - Everyone needs to see this. nt

[Gothmog]

55. My credentials committee meets tonight

We have four or so challenges. I am told that they are not serious but to be there anyway to watch. It should be fun.

[thevoiceofreason]

56. If you have any of the "stocK' gender challenges from the Clinton campaign

(I say stock because they were identically written except for the names and identifying information), remember that Party Rule
IV. A. 9. (b) (Balancing Delegations) :


1. Does not apply on the precinct level since the precinct level does not have a nominating committee and
2. The "delegation" for a precinct is everyone, both from the Obama camp and the Hillary camp. So, without evidence regarding the gender of all delegates in the Hillary camp also, a challenge to the gender or race make-up of the Obama portion of the delegation is facially invalid.

Good luck!

On another note, my contacts at the DA's office say that the voter coercion statute has not been used before regarding a state senate convention, so it is unlikely that they would look into it very much because it is only marginally applicable.

[Gothmog]

57. Thanks

I have not seen the objections but I do not think that they tried that one in my Senate District.

I am glad that we had a voter protection attorney there.

[Adelante]

60. Fascinating - Thanks

:kick: