Jesse Jackson, Jr Speaks of Superdelegates

I am sharing the commentary below with permission from the Office of Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. The original article appeared in the Chicago Tribune.

This article represents, for me, the absolute importance of being informed.

Please share.

Commentary

The delicate superdelegate predicament

Democratic nominee should be chosen by voters, not party elite

By Jesse Jackson Jr

February 12, 2008


The Democratic Party is on fire. We have two talented, precedent-

shattering, history-making candidates. We have a fired-up, mobilized,

energized base, breaking voting turnout records. We have a grass-

roots donor base that is using the Internet to set new fundraising

records every time we turn around. And the Republican Party seems to

have settled on an aging nominee who has serious problems with his

conservative base, tells voters that their jobs are gone and promises

a 100-year war and occupation of Iraq.


So I would suggest that this is a time that Democratic superdelegates

should tread lightly. Let's not get in the way of our rising tide.

Let's allow grass-roots voters to choose the 2008 presidential

nominee for the Democratic Party, not party elites.


This is a subject I know a bit about. I am one of 796 superdelegates,

by virtue of being a member of Congress. I'm a national co-chair for

the Obama for President campaign and I was once a Democratic National

Committee member.


I came of age during the great political campaigns of my father, Rev.

Jesse Jackson, grass-roots campaigns during the 1980s that took on

the Democratic Party's establishment, the superdelegates and the

question of political elites ruling the convention.


My father's 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns brought the civil

rights movement of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. fully into electoral

politics, registered millions of new Democratic voters and changed

the face and structure of the party -- including the rules.


We fought during the '80s to make the Democratic Party a party of

inclusion, and we largely succeeded, as our two remaining Democratic

presidential nominees this year illustrate. Back then, we registered

millions of young African-American voters, an investment that has

paid huge dividends to the party at every level for the last 20

years.


We fought to lower barriers to grass-roots participation and won

rules changes that made our primary process fairer, smoother and more

accessible to everyone.


These rules changes were bitterly resisted at the time, yet

Democratic presidential nomination races since 1988 have been less

acrimonious and fairer and have helped us win at least two, really

three and maybe even four presidential victories in the years since

(depending on how many stolen elections you believe took place).


What were those changes? We fought to eliminate "winner-take-all" and

"bonus" primaries, which were very biased against grass-roots

candidates, especially minorities -- and we won.


We fought to lower the threshold percentage for winning delegates

from 20 percent to 15 percent -- and we won.


We actually succeeded in eliminating hundreds of superdelegates at

the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, by taking away

the status of unelected committee members. (Unfortunately, those

slots were quickly reinstated as superdelegates the next year, once

the election was over.)


The Democratic Party now is fairer and more accessible than it was a

generation ago, which is a big reason why Barack Obama has such a

good chance to become the party's presidential nominee. Still, one-

fifth of the convention delegates in Denver this summer will be

superdelegates -- more than enough to make the final choice in this

year's close primary contest.


Don't do it. Let the process play out. Let's see if the voters point

us in a clear direction, and rather than intervening to change that

direction, we superdelegates can ratify their decision.


Let's trust the voters to make wise decisions. Let's trust the

candidates to stay on the high road, so that a long primary process

continues to build the party up. Let's keep a wary eye on proposed

solutions that favor the power of elites over that of voters.


And when this is all over, let's revisit this whole superdelegate

issue. Because maybe the number of superdelegates who will be seated

at the Denver convention are just too many. If it better serves

justice, I'd be willing to give up my automatic superdelegate slot

(as long as my colleagues join me).


Most of all, let's not break the hearts of the millions of young

people who have been inspired to participate in the election process

this season. If we keep them involved, we'll all reach higher ground.

----------

Jesse Jackson Jr. represents the 2nd Congressional District of

Illinois. He is a national co-chairman of the Obama for President

campaign.

Who Moved My Chuck E. Cheese's

This past weekend, I was entrusted with the entertainment and safety of two of my little cousins. I'm sure you're thinking, "big deal", but I was actually excited and looked forward to hanging with them for a day. We will call them Snoopy (the girl and oldest) and Junebug (the baby boy). They are my "munchkins", as I like to call them, and I've been blessed to watch them grow with each passing year that I've resided in LA.

I arrived at their home Saturday morning just in time for J and D (their parents, my cousins) to get to a wedding, I was a bit behind schedule, but blame it on the unrelenting Los Angeles traffic. After Mom and Dad drove away, my first order of business was to walk down the street and meet the grandmother of one of Junebug's playmates. Lo and behold, she was picking up toys and sending the chirren' packin'. They were ready to go the next spot on the block to play video games. Junebug couldn't go though. Mommy instructed me otherwise. Outdoor play only. I walked my charges back down to the house and had a brief pow wow at which time, I decided that we should put our plans in motion and go to Chuck E. Cheese's. Snoopy grabbed the booster seats, she and I also grabbed our purses (she is such the little lady), and we piled in my ride for the short trip the The Cheese.

Chuck E. Cheese's is a fascinating place. I like it. It's like Vegas for kids, minus the disgusting smell of cigarettes. Children are so HAPPY when they pass through those doors. The energy they expend is mind boggling and the smiles are endless. All you have to do is keep their little cups full of those gold coins, give them some sugar and watchem' go! Junebug was killin' one game in particular; tickets just kept flowing from the machine. He was in heaven; accomplished in his own little way. Snoopy was getting her ticket count up too, but she made me proud when she slid some of her coins to her lil' brother so that he could continue to play. Once they were done (translation: once I stopped buying coins with their Mama's money), they tallied up and celebrated as if they'd just hit the slots in the lobby of The MGM Grand. We headed to the goodie counter, they used a few of their winnings and opted to save the rest for another time. These kids have good judgement and it made me proud.

The munchkins weren't hungry when we arrived to The Cheese so when we left our next stop was Chick-Fil-A. I love this joint. Their chicken is delicious, and they have the best nuggets you've ever tasted. They also give educational gifts in their kids meals. Can't beat that.

After The Chick, we stopped for some crossword puzzles and went home to shut it down for a minute. We watched Raven, and Junebug played games on the computer (with my adult supervision, of course.) Everthing seemed copasetic, when all of a sudden, sibling rivalry reared its ugly head. It all happned so fast, and before I knew it, Snoopy was in tears, and I was sending Junebug to his room for time out. After some explanation of the disagreement (you know, "he pushed me" "she pushed me first" and so on), I had to make an executive decision. We were going for a walk. They succeeded in hurting one anothers feelings and all three of us needed some fresh air.

Junebug was against this walk from the beginning. He's at the stage where he just wants to play with his friends, which would have been cool with me, but none of them were available. He was out-voted, 2 older chicks to 1. I gave them the option of riding their bikes, and off we went to roam the neighborhood, and visit friends, or so I thought. This is where it gets funny. I allowed my 7 and 5 year old cousins to TRICK me. They took me on a fantastic voyage, and I was on FOOT. We traveled the neighborhood, around one block and the next, turning corners, and crossing streets; I looked up and we were headed toward the bike path with their cherubic faces lit up with talk of going to the park. The park?????? I thought we were just going around the way to lil' James' house? The park was not part of the plan, but they are my munchkins so how could I say no? As we hit the bike path, I realized that I was really in for a LONG walk, especially once Snoopy figured out that we were headed in the wrong direction. The park was about a mile the other way. Solidly.

Needless to say, I was a bit concerned because Snoopy is asthmatic and since I had no idea we were going to Timbuktu, I didn't bring her enhaler, nor did we have any water for dehydration. It was pretty warm here on Saturday so I had serious cause for concern. Couple this with the fact that I have no children of my own yet, and you can imagine my thought process. However, I took a deep breath, sang an old negro spiritual and maintained my cool. We made it to the park without incident and they had a good time. Shortly after, J and D called to say they were twenty minutes away, and J offered to swing by the park and take over for me, but the kids wanted to see if we could beat the parents home, so I declined. Snoopy, Junebug, and I headed back to the ranch, and the evening ended with a report of the days activities and mishaps for Mommy, a few more tears, a spaghetti dinner, more crosswords, and Uncle J's basketball game on the tube (there are a lot of J's amongst my Cali fam.)

All in all, I had a great day, and I found new cheese. I learned a lot from my day with the munchkins. Their innocence and free spirits were refreshing, and reminded me to lighten up and live in the moment, even if I have to walk a country mile to do so.

-The Maven

Hump Day Music: Obama Edition 2

Occasionally, I will deviate from Chicago House Music, and play something that seems relevant for the moment. Today, it's Earth, Wind & Fire.

Our champion, Barack, is in a tight race. Please continue to support his campaign. Encourage your peeps whose caucuses or primaries have yet to take place. This will be a well fought victory for him come August, if we are steadfast. For those folks you know who "don't vote", like relatives and co-workers, snatch them up in the collar, and lay down the law! Oh, and holla at your Latino friends, break it down for them. Right now, they are heavily rollin' with Clinton.



If I could meet him today, my message of encouragement would sound like this:




Lyrics here. Thanks, Yahoo Music!

Barack, Michelle, and Us

Well, it looks like we will be in for a long night. Election coverage is predicting a very, very tight race. There is still time to get to the polls if you have yet to do so. Please don't forget about your delegates where applicable. Also, if you are unaffiliated or independent, make sure you get clarification about your specific voting process once you arrive to the the polling place. Also, make sure you are voting in a Democratic booth.

As for me, I cast my vote around 9:15 this morning. It was very quiet. My polling place is the local elementary school, and I imagine that many parents voted when they dropped there babies off for class, or will flood the joint after work this evening.

My Midwest and East Coast folks have checked in and have handled their buisiness. I want to say whats up to all my peeps in London Towne, South Side Chicago. I know how exciting the polling place is there. It makes a difference when you vote amongst familiar faces. Hold it down, as always.

Like myself, The Lady (Mom) is in Chicago glued to the tube. I spoke to my cousin in Cashville, and she is also posted up for the night, ready for history to unfold.

On a sour note, I just received a call from my girl ARJ in Mary Land, and she said that folks are calling in to the Michael Baisden Show with complaints and grief about their polling experiences. Some are being told that they are not registered at all or registered in a different party, or as an independent. Verify your registration status! Even if your voting attempt/opportunity is somehow thwarted today, straighten out your registration status before November.

I'll check in with you later.

One Down One To Go

The New York Football Giants won Super Bowl XLII. They are the champs. They methodically slayed the evil dragon. I am overjoyed! I must admit, I was not excited for this game. I am not a fan of either team. I just wanted to see the Patriots taste defeat. Safe to say, they are feasting right now. This will go down as one of the hugest upsets in sports history. Mercury Morris is happy, at least for today. Heck, the entire '72 Dolphins team is happy. The city of New York is happy. Plaxico Burress and his puppy dog eyes really melted my heart when he cried tears of joy. Women like a sensitive man........sometimes. As for the New England Pats and the NFL commissioner, may you live happily ever after, together, under that shroud of secrecy you've created called Spygate. Shhhh, I hear Arlen Spector's footsteps. Ha!

Now that the Pats are out of the way, it's Hillary's turn. Like I said, one down, one to go.

SEE YOU AT THE POLLS!

KP, Foreclose Your Mouth

Why are politicians always embarrassing their wives? Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick got caught up and now he drags his wife on t.v. to apologize in front of all of Detroit. Squirrel, please.

You should have considered the consequences of this beforehand. Look how they did President Clinton when he was running around the White House putting a hot one Monica Lew's mouth. Hillary's reward for enduring that mess might be the next presidency. Perhaps you should turn your job over to Carlita.

You also have the nerve to tout the success and progress that your city has made under your leadership. WRONG. The whole city of Detroit seems to be in foreclosure, and here you are talking about hotels being built and such. Who wants to come there for a visit? You need to stop. Your arms are too short to box on this one. Good Luck homey.

Democratic Debate Recap

I watched the debate.

I was excited for this historic moment.

It turned out to be a lovefest.

Ebony and Ivory, come together in perfect harmony, side by side on my piano keyboard, oh Lord, why don't weeeee?

Capitol Hill came to Hollywood and got all "picture pefect" on me.

I heard Kanye's "Flashing Lights" repeating in my head.

WTF?

Wolf Blitzer promised that the debate would cover "substantive issues", which I suppose, it did. However, the outcome seemed so rosy. So Tinseltown. Plus, there were tons of celebs there, it was like an awards show.

The candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, opened the debate by heaping loads of praise, deservedly so, on John Edwards. Ok, we get it, he will be missed. Not!
Don't get me wrong, I like Edwards, but he was in the way of destiny, and it was time for him to bow out.

Next, they jumped right into differences on policy.

On healthcare, they both agree that all Americans should be covered, although their methods for getting us to that utopia differ. Barack wants to lower the overall cost of healthcare so that it is affordable to those who wish to have it. Hillary wants healthcare to be "universal",but she will "require" us to all buy some. At what cost, I am uncertain, but be sure that a tax increase is on the horizon either way.

Their solutions to the mortgage mess include a foreclosure moratoriam and five month rate freeze for Hillary, and a Barack will institute a forclosure prevention fund of about 150 billion and a correction of governmental oversight. I think that they should let folks come and live in the white house with them until this mess is fixed. I bet they will fix it in a hurry, then.

Immigration was an interesting issue, considering the debate was taking place right here in Mexi...oops, I mean LA. Lets face it, this is a touchy subject in California, and while I side with Barack on this one, I am not sure if either candidate will get it right at days end. Let me explain. A woman asked the question, "How does immigration affect the African American community?", answering first, Barack was firm in his belief that inner city unemployment rates are not related to immigration. Basically what he said is that Latinos are not taking your jobs, there were never any for you from the get go. Senator Obama wants to crackdown on the exploitation of undocumented workers by those who employ them cheaply. Senator Clinton trumpets "comprehensive immigration reform" and a tightening of the borders. She insists that we should do more to help Mexico. Excuse me, but the worlds richest man lives in Mexico. Obviously, they are generating money. I'd like to know what she means by "help". She wants to institute criteria by which undocumented persons take a path to legalization. She wants them to EARN their way into the country. Go figure. My people were forced here, now Brown people have to travel an obstacle course to get in.

The debate became most entertaining when the subject of war was introduced. Hillary says withdrawal of our troops will take time and must be done carefully and strategically. While she will begin bringing folks home within sixty days of her tenure, she admits that it could take up to a year to get the ball rolling. She thinks its time to call the Iraqui government to the carpet so that they can take responsibility for themselves. Barack believes that our long term security is in jeopardy the longer we stay in Iraq because the economic consequences will be staggering. He claims that he will bring the troops home within six months of the beginning of his presidency, and that a clear date must be set in order for the withdrawal to be taken seriously. He emphasized that he NEVER supported the war, and wants to end it now, along with the mindset that got us there in the first place.
Hillary was called out by Wolf Blitzer about her decision to vote with Young Bush on going to war, wondering aloud if she were naive in her decision making. It was a sharp and pointed question that through her off kilter a bit, but she insisted that she made a "reasoned judgement" and GWB was not "reasoned" in his execution. Basically she trusted that he would "Do The Right Thing", but in the end she was "Bamboozled". Personally, I can't understand how a woman with first hand knowledge of the first Bush administration could put her trust in anything that the bew Bush would say or do. I don't believer her. She needs more people.

From there it just became more lovey dovey, with one candidate extolling the virtues of the other. They were asked if they would run on the ticket together and they both gave a politically correct answer. Honestly, I don't see that happening. If I remember correctly, Barack stated on Oprah's show that he is not in this to become the Vice President. Only time will tell. Tuesday here we come.