April 26, 2009

Led by Republican backer John Hanna, the California Democratic Party Resolution Committee Chairs, minus Ray Cordova, debated and voted to kill the Resolution to Uphold the Geneva Conventions that had been sent to the convention this year.  Co-Chairman Ray Cordova and Committee member Rima Nashashibi, who are strong supporters of the Geneva Conventions tried to resurrect the resolution and encourage support for the Conventions.  Hanna pointed out that the United States was in violation of the Conventions and other committee members expressed the need to oppose the Conventions on those grounds.  The result was that the committee voted by an overwhelming majority to kill the resolution due to opposition to the Conventions, themselves.

Delegates were caught by surprise when four resolutions to end the war in Afghanistan were replaced by the co-chairs with a resolution to expand the war there.  The committee voted in favor of expanded war in Afghanistan but, instead of sending the resolution to the convention floor, where it would have been defeated, the increased war resolution will be sent to the floor of a smaller executive board meeting planned for this summer in order to side-step Democratic opposition.  The majority of delegates were furious.

A resolution calling on the Democrats who won the last election to lead was also voted down by the California Democratic Party resolutions committee.

The committee decided to refer out a resolution opposing child abuse.  However, nobody on the committee knew to where it was referred and the best guess was the nearest trash can.

Delegates were almost ready to riot over the resolutions committee's endorsement of Proposition 1A, which gives Arnold Schwarzenegger the carte blanche authority to cut any and all funding from any state program.  This proposition would allow Schwarzenegger.to close down any and all public hospitals and schools in California.  In anticipation of a quorum call, hundreds of opponents of Prop 1A decided not to attend Sunday's meeting.  There was so much remaining opposition that the delegates who did attend the convention voted down the endorsement on the floor.

Democrats are asking what happened to their party.  A growing number see a lack of difference between the Democrats and Republicans.  As young Americans register to vote, more and more are registering "Decline to State."