MOMocrats

Phil Donohue railing against corporate media's role in perpetuating war leads me to wonder about casket photos

Phil Donohue spoke to the press at last week's California Democratic Convention. He was there to promote his new documentary Body of War and also to give the keynote speech at the party convention dinner.

While we didn't see his keynote, Glennia commented that we got a taste of what his speech would have been like in the press room. The time that we spent with him listening to him speak and answer questions was nothing short of inspiring, and the two minute trailer he showed were enough to steel my resolve that those of us who opposed the war from the start need to do more to stop it.

Donohue made the movie in part, he explained, because he thinks he is someone who can help end the war. At first that statement seems a little self-inflating, but when you think about it, if high-profile, out-spoken, well-spoken, well-respected people don't speak out, then who?

And how do high-profile people speak out? They use their influence (and their money) to create and promote projects that they hope will have maximum impact.

California Democratic Convention: Who Wants to Be Governor of California?

On the first full day of the California Democratic Convention, I made my way into the big hall, bright green "INTERNET MEDIA" press pass dangling from my neck, wondering who was going to stop me and tell me that it was off-limits.  I thought as lowlife bloggers, we'd be shuttled into a windowless, cinderblock sideroom where we would watch the action from a portable Zenith black & white television set with rabbit ears.  Instead, I was told to go sit on a platform at the back of the room, with a great view of the stage, above he heads of the delegates in the crowd, right beside the TV news crews from CBS, CNN, and other major networks.  I found a seat in the back row of the blogger ghetto, and opened up my laptop.

As I was sitting there, about a half dozen or more people representing various causes and candidates came by to hand me literature, asking if I would write about their causes.  A guy with a firm handshake with the made-for-politics name of Joe Nation, candidate for State Senate, came by to talk to the bloggers. He said that he bought carbon off-sets to neutralize the entire Bay Area delegation's carbon footprint for the convention.  He seemed like a very nice guy, but one of the bloggers kicked him off the blogger platform and said that the area was for press only.

Go Read It: California Democratic Convention Thoughts and Photos

I posted my initial thoughts about the California Democratic Convention over on CityMama.  I've got some photos of people you might recognize there, too.

It was a tiring weekend and I've decided that I'm taking tomorrow as my Saturday. Hope the rest of the world doesn't mind.

MOMocrats Founding Editor Stefania Pomponi Butler blogs the irreverent and delicious CityMama, and walked around the convention with a bad head cold.

Elsewhere at the Convention

When Matt Lockshin of the California Democratic Party told the MOMocrats that we were welcome to bring our children with us while blogging our state convention, I had mixed feelings… because I knew that once I got here, I would spend more time being a mom than writing about politics.

I decided that the benefits of bringing my 12-year-old outweighed the hassles. She was already going to have memories of this historic Presidential election, and having the opportunity to witness a small part of history in the making will ensure that her memories will be special.

So yesterday morning, while a slate of rising stars and political legends like Jerry Brown, Gavin Newsom, , Judy Chu and Willie Brown were bringing the state Democrats to their feet, we were elsewhere: in the Marriott lobby, (where we had easy Internet access which allowed her to finish a school project) …

out in the hall (where the people hawking buttons and stickers were of a lot more interesting… prompting my kid to collect and wear as many as could fit on her jacket )...

and exploring the city of San Jose.

We got to see a part of the convention experience we never would have --- if we’d stayed in the ballroom, listening to speeches:

Future Governor of California San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom?

Well, hello there, Mayor McHottie!

Nancy Pelosi Rocks the House!

Photo by MOMocrat Glennia and Twittering by MOMocrat CityMama .

Where are the MOMocrats this Weekend?

  Wonder where the MOMocrats will be this weekend?  We'll be at the California Democratic Convention.  Five California MOMocrats will be in the blogger/press corps at their state convention.  We'll be rubbing elbows and asking tough questions of Nancy Pelosi, Zoe Lofgren, Mike Honda, and other California Democrats, as well as former President Bill Clinton.  We also have MOMocrats going as delegates to the Texas Democratic Convention, being held this weekend.

Check back throughout the weekend for live updates, photos, and more!