The One Half Of One Percent Solution

This is, frankly, absurd. Crooks and liars has a self-righteous post up about how "over 33,000 Americans, 90% or more Californians, joined the Courage Campaign call for the California Democratic Party (CDP) to censure Senator Dianne Feinstein". There is much huffing and puffing about how MoveOn and Crooks and Liars were just gunning for Feinstein at the meeting:

Let’s start with the good news first, even though there is plenty of bad to come later, given the disgraceful behavior of California Democratic Party staffer Bob Mullholland, caught on video. In just five days, over 33,000 Americans, 90% or more Californians, joined the Courage Campaign call for the California Democratic Party (CDP) to censure Senator Dianne Feinstein for her pivotal votes to approve Judge Michael Mukasey as U.S. Attorney General and Judge Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals. These Americans were joined by the Courage Campaign, MoveOn.org, Progressive Democrats of America, CrooksandLiars.com and over 40 Democratic Clubs and progressive organizations from across California. With a week of non-stop organizing, this movement changed the conversation of the entire meeting of the CDP Executive Board.

Party Chair Art Torres spent about half of his speech on Saturday praising Senator Dianne Feinstein, acknowledging that people within the Democratic Party are upset with a few of her crucial votes. Of course, these weren’t just any votes. They were votes contrary to core Democratic (and democratic) values like opposing torture, racism and homophobia. Despite the party chair’s call not to censure Sen. Feinstein, the censure resolution was endorsed by the Women’s Caucus, the Progressive Caucus and the Irish-American Caucus at the E-Board meeting. Unfortunately, it was never formally taken up or addressed by either the Resolutions Committee or the main body of the Executive Board. Members of the Resolutions Committee objected to hearing it, which meant it could not be brought to the Executive Board — which was within their prerogative, given that it was a late resolution.

There is a lot of outrage over the remarks of a Democratic staffer calling the effort by bloggers and activists supporting the censure resolution “fringe” and “pre-nursing home”. (Frankly, I'd have used the term 'pre-nursery school,' but I digress.)

The Secretary of State of California reports that there are 6,667,437 registered Democrats in California, as of February 10, 2007. "Over 30,000" Americans "90%" from California (and therefore actually entitled to express their opinion) means somewhere around 29.000 jumped on this particular bandwagon.

Or 29,000/6,667,437*100 = 0.44% of registered Democrats in California on board.

The Los Angeles Coliseum holds 92,516.

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  By martian, Wednesday, 21 November , 2007 @ 9:12 am

  0.44% - the portion of the California Democratic Party on the FAR left fringe (those who think Lenin was way too conservative)?

Other Links to this Post

1. Radical Left Goes After Senator Feinstein « The Van Der Galiën Gazette — Wednesday, 21 November , 2007 @ 7:30 am

2. Wake up America-Feinstein Dared Call Bush Warm — Wednesday, 21 November , 2007 @ 10:04 am