NEWz at the Democratic National Convention

“They don’t even allow us one hour outside. Even prisoners have that privilege,” said Kim Reis, 44, who has had multiple sclerosis since the age of 21.

Repealing the Medicare Home Bound amendment tops Reis’ list of priorities for Congress. Along with that, she says, “is [the] Senate’s promise to never confirm any justices who are not for civil rights.”

With her eyes expressing an almost tangible sadness, Reis tells me she’s an uninsurable American. In order to qualify for Medicaid, she needs to be officially declared an invalid person -- which means she can't work.

But she keeps doing her part, as a volunteer director of the Colorado Cross Disability Coalition.

Democratic Party chairman Gov. Howard Dean admits there’s a long way to go before the U.S. offers full job opportunities for people with disabilities.

“Statistically, the community with disabilities receives the least political power in this country. Just take the number of unemployed within your community. We made some progress in my state (Vermont), but we need to work harder,” said Dean. 

Today, more than 54 million Americans have some type of disability. The group’s largesse makes them a nice constituency, one that asks for more ramps on the streets, easier door access, and job opportunities.

Congressman James R. Langevin, of Rhode Island, is one of the few disabled members of the House.  He is sponsoring the Community Choices Act, a bill that would allow people with disabilities to stay in their communities, as opposed to being sent to nursing homes.

“[Barack Obama] can help bring the job opportunities that you need,” he said to a group of people with disabilities.

According to the federal government, in 2005, 63 percent of the total $94.5 billion long-term care Medicaid dollars ($59.34 billion) were spent on nursing homes.

The main attraction was Michelle Obama at a debate organized by the Black Caucus, where a panel of African American leaders celebrated the chance to make history and elect a black president of the United States for the first time.

According to Democratic National Convention Committee statistics in 2000, 42 percent of black voters rated the Clinton Administration as excellent, against 8 percent who thought it was poor. George W. Bush was rated excellent by 7 percent, and poor by 42 percent in 2004.

“In Louisiana, my parents told me that I could be anybody I wanted. When they left the room, I giggled,” said author Donna Brazile. “We knew they were lying to us. Because doors were closed to women and minorities in this country.”

But Brazile, who’s also a political commentator for CNN, said this election season is different.  “You who wait for this time of change, it couldn’t have come on a better time. Because those doors are never going to be closed again."

The audience responded throughout the meeting with “Yeahs” and “That’s right!” Chants of “Fired up, ready to go!” also interrupted the program.

“The fight for blacks, Latinos, Asians is the fight for America to live off the true freedom it professes,” the Reverend Al Sharpton said. “First, they (opponents) said Obama is too black, now he’s too white."

Michelle Obama spoke about the “world that should be.” Using the same soft but firm tone that she applied to her speech at the Pepsi Center on Monday, the potential First Lady said issues like education, health care, and the economy are not just politics, but personal to her.

“In the world that should be, we know how good education looks like, or how quality health care feels like.”  She added: “We are still living in a nation where women earn 70 cents on a dollar of a man, and for minority women it’s more like 50 cents.”

For Rev. Steven Dewberry, 55, there was still a danger that this election will be turned into a race debate. “But Obama doesn’t have to respond to it. We’re black, white, Asians, we are a movement,” said Drewberry, who’s the president of the Minister Alliance in Colorado.

source:  EthnicNEWz.org
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NH delegates push for Party unity
posted 14: 30 Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008

Before Sen. Hilary Clinton spoke last night, the recurrent story in the back aisles of mainstream media went like this: When you hear about efforts to promote "party unity," it reads more like “lack of unity with the Clintons.”

So I roamed the convention floor to check if New Hampshire delegates agreed. 

For Russell Wheatherspoon, of Exeter, the media is not willing to listen to the New York senator.
“A number of outlets try to make their business to turn her into a divisive, problematic person,” said Wheatherspoon.

Before he set out for Denver, state Sen. Lou D’Allessandro, of Manchester, admitted that Hilary would not be the best VP option for Obama.

Her remarks “rocked the Pepsi Center and can really help bring the party to unification,” the New Hampshire state senator said.

State Rep. Betty Lasky, of Nashua, also believes that everything Sen. Clinton has done since her speech in Unity, NH, earlier this year is truly meant to elect Barack Obama.

Sen. Clinton also earned applause from the press room when she said, “No way.  No how.  No McCain. Barack Obama must be our president.”

Despite some talk of friction between media and politicians, they seem to be enjoying each other's company in Denver.

source: EthnicNEWz.org
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DNC connects disenfranchised voters
posted 7:55 AM, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2008

Nobody disputes that the DNC has been able to convene a lot of voices. From delegates from Guam to Americans Abroad, in Denver everyone is under the same ceiling.

Do they enjoy the same political representation? The voters from Guam are proud to be here, even though they are not allowed to vote on the general election. 

Delegate Rena Borha is concerned with development of a six-year plan for buildup of the military on her island, which has recruited her son.  She said the island is divided about whether or not Guam, with a population of 160,000, should become a state.

Well, time zone different has given people in Guam a good excuse to create the slogan: “Guam is where America’s day begins.”

Borha, who retired from IBM, loves America as much as Guam, but she would not like to see her son fighting in Iraq. After a pause, she says: “If there’s what [it] takes to defend all American citizens, my son will fight for this country.”

Having a sizable constituency is not a problem for the delegation of Americans Abroad. Currently, 6 to 7 million citizens of them live on foreign soil.

Liv Gibbons is a super delegate and a resident of Ireland since 1985. She admits a growing concern polishing the US image abroad. Gibbons is confident Obama can deal with the issue. Nevertheless, she uses her foreign perspective to send the Illinois senator a piece of advice.

“[His] sound-bite message is not well refined yet. He should pay attention for people’s push-button priorities, like national security. Although the Republicans brought us two wars with no end in sight, people think they are our best defenders,” said Gibbons.

source:  EthnicNEWz.org
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Sen. Kennedy brings boost of leadership, hope
posted 17:50 Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2008

A Denver visitor could argue that the DNC features too many speakers. Hold on, it’s only Tuesday.

On the first night of the convention at the Pepsi Center, emotions ran high. The mix of having a music concert, along with a political campaign, drove the message of party unity.  

Illinois Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. used a strong tone to criticize the skepticism Obama faced from Democrats early in his campaign. “They didn’t know what to make of this guy with a funny name and, I quote, all the right credentials,” he said.

But Jackson also showed a visionary optimism, one that resounded historical words of a certain reverend who died for the civil rights of others. “We know change is possible. But the 'We' depends upon the 'He' and the 'She.' We know Obama is the right man for America.“

When Caroline Kennedy introduced a tribute to her uncle, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy, the connection among the crowd solidified. A video showed images of the senator’s family sailing, interplayed with highlights of his career.

“It’s so good to be here,” said Sen. Kennedy, using simple but important words. The eyes of ladies in wheelchairs glowed immediately. They were in a row of people in wheelchairs who were in front of me.

Sen. Kennedy's presence was a powerful morale booster, much needed to energize the Convention's first night.

“Barack Obama will close the book on the old politics of race and gender, and group against group,” said Kennedy, speaking to immigrants, too.

Kennedy echoed his own decades' old speech to the Democratic Convention as an unsuccessful candidate for president in 1980, saying: “The work begins anew. The hope arises again. And the dream lives on.”

The night’s keynote speaker, Michelle Obama, spoke about family values. I admit I winced at the idea that, in 2008, we still need to show how the black family acts and lives just like the white one. But that’s not the Obamas’ fault.

“Obama was raised by grandparents who were working class folks just like my parents, and by a single mother who struggled to pay the bills just like we did.”

When Barack was featured in a live video feed, my suspicions were confirmed.

In the video, Obama was visiting a white family in St. Louis, Kansas.  His daughters interrupted him, saying 'Hi, Daddy’ and completing the message. 

It’s on us that this trick is still necessary.

source:  EthnicNEWz.org
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Honest debate on Immigration: now we’re talking
posted 8:35 AM Tuesday, August 26, 2008

It was about time one debate captured the long-hidden truths about immigration, the "white elephant" that haunts the living room of every American family.

Everyone knows we have about 12 million undocumented immigrants in this country. We know they are here to work. Yet, little is done to straighten their lives.

In a debate organized by Washington, DC, think tank NDN (which used to stand for National Democratic Network), the issue was openly debated.

For U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, of California’s 16^th district, there’s a long list of wrongs that make the mess of the nation’s immigration laws, "starting from the people the Bush Administration has been hiring."

“Of all qualified Americans, they picked Julie Myers to head the Immigration and Customs Enforcement [agency], a 36-year-old well-connected [person] who has virtually no past experience,” Lofgren said.

But NDN president Simon Rosenberg admitted the Democratic Party is partly responsible for the current situation. “We underestimated the power of the ethnic vote. But we are here now to recognize that and to support Barack Obama.”

Janet Murguia, president of the National Council of La Raza, did not mince words.  She spoke as fiercely in defense of immigrants, as she often does live on TV shows like CNN's Lou Dobbs'.

“After the [failed immigration reform] bill, we saw a wave of hate towards all Latinos. When people talk about the issue in [an] animal-like manner, as hordes, they dehumanize a segment of society. Hate crimes [are] up 35 percent as opposed to last year,” Murguia said.

Even though Murguia’s words were strong, sometimes confrontational, no one was blunter in describing the immigration system's flaws as Frank Sharry, executive director of think tank America’s Voice.

“The immigration debate is in the forefront of the culture war. For hardcore right wingers it’s about legal status. How come they celebrate when there’s few Hispanic students in any given county?” said Sharry.

For Sharry, who used to work for Hispanic advocacy group Centro Presente, in Cambridge, Mass., “Republicans are issuing the immigration issue because (hate) is in their DNA.”

“For me, what’s happening in this country is a non-violent ethnic cleansing. If Democrats define their position on this issue, they win against the demagoguery of Republicans, because we can capture the minds of independent voters.”

source: EthnicNEWz.org
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At start, a taste of how the DNC works
posted 16: 18 Monday, Aug. 25, 2008

Flo McAfee, the DNC general director, gave an interview today to the 10 journalists sponsored by New America Media.

The excitement contrasted with the frowned faces of National Guard sniffing dogs, as the loud speakers announced that Homeland Security just raised the threat level to orange.

Police officer C.J. McCarthy told me in the elevator that security has been heavily heightened. Even though he declined to provide specific numbers, McCarthy said the plan is working well “so far."

At the Comfort Inn, I shared my excitement with my nine fellow journalists and three Hunter College students. Some are freshmen in Conventions, like me. Others, such as Roberto Lovato, a freelance contributor to New America Media, had a piece of advice at hand.

“If you really want to know the big shot politicians, go to the restrooms,” said Lovato, who also covered Boston’s DNC in 2004.

Today, I’ll finally get to understand why Robert Turner, a former Boston Globe editor, said he was jealous of me for the DNC coverage he won’t be able to do. Turner has covered nine conventions, and has been a good mentor of mine.

Well, no matter how overwhelming a convention can be, all of us are here to witness how important the ethnic vote can be in this presidential election.

source: EthnicNEWz.org **************************************************************************
Immigration Reform and the DNC
posted Monday, Aug. 25, 2008

But Obama’s speeches have been carefully scrutinized. Some pundits stir controversy over a "missing pronoun," hinting that the Illinois senator is leaning toward a male counterpart.

When asked at a recent North Carolina town hall meeting whether he would use a future vice president the same way President Bush has, Obama referred to just one gender.

"Let me tell you first what I won’t do,” he said. “I won’t hand over my energy policy to my vice president, without knowing necessarily what he’s doing."

Copyright 2008 New England Ethnic News, EthnicNEWz.org. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the express permission of the source. Contact NEWz for more information.|

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