I’d be interested in what happened at other county conventions today, in Iowa or elsewhere.
About 80 people turned out – these are delegates and alternates chosen at the caucuses, and visitors. Our county will send ten delegates to the district convention in April. Then there’s a State Democratic Primary and convention in June.
I left early – those courtroom benches are hard on my hip. When I left, the Edwards delegates were deciding between Clinton and Obama. Obama has at least five delegates, and there was no problem getting volunteers.
One thing that surprised me was all the opposition to this proposed platform statement:
"Because unintended pregnancies cost the state of Iowa $47 million a year because we spend nothing to prevent them, be it resolved that Iowa fund family planning services including contraceptives regardless of income.
Yeah, it’s badly worded but still, in this day and age, family planning services should be a gimme. But no. One guy says we can’t afford to offend Catholic voters. Another says she works at a medical clinic and knows women who have babies to get bigger welfare checks. Another says it’s the first step toward the state paying for abortions. WTF?
It took four votes and half an hour of discussion to get the damn thing passed.
During the break, a woman in her 70’s (maybe 80’s) sitting by me told me her story. Back in the 50’s, she had a problem pregnancy and her doctor told her she needed a D&C. But he couldn’t do it without losing hospital privileges or maybe being arrested. She said the doctor admitted her to the hospital where she was given blood transfusions to keep her alive while she miscarried. The doctor told her that if he removed any fetal tissue, he’d lose his license. She almost died. She went on to have six children.
We also passed planks to focus universal health care, to provide medical care for all veterans at non-VA facilities, to encourage alternative energy, to make it a priority to slow climate change, and for a moratorium on large-scale corporate hog and chicken confinement operations.
A couple other planks – enforce laws against hiring undocumented aliens, keep Iowa a right to work state, no state funding for vouchers or private schools, change No Child Left Behind, and abolish the Electoral College. I left before these came up for a vote and I’m sorta sorry to miss those discussions.
I love democracy. I’d like it better on a padded chair though.
