Live At The Caucus

Liveblogging the Caucus

Slightly revised to fix typos and clarify a bit.

5:58 - Greetings from Horace Mann School in Iowa City, site of the Iowa City Precinct 21 and 22 caucuses! I'll update as I'm able. Right now the key caucus issues are along the lines of "where is the tape' and "where are the markers."

6:21: 4 people from our precinct, half a dozen or so from the other. We have press here - local NPR.

6:33 - Starting to pick up a bit... about 15 people here between the two precincts. No early signs of preference other than one CULVER sticker.

6:48 - Precinct 21 is getting started; we're running behind due to some site confusion. But thanks to the miracle of cell phones the people who went to the wrong place (which is the usual place) are on the way...

6:52 we're ROLLIN'

6:54 I just got drafted as temporary secretary. This may inhibit my blogging.

6:59 Letters are read and the hat is pa$$ing.

7:02 I guess I'm secretary so this is the real minutes. We adjourn to find a better room so we can hear ourselves.

7:07 Reconvened in a kindergarten room with very small chairs.

7:08 move to elect delegates before resolutions. Official attendance 16.

7:10 Delegates elected by the "who wants to be a delegate raise your hands" method. NO PREFERENCE GROUPS. I'm a delegate.

7:13. Everyone else who showed up is an alternate. So are two people who didn't. (This is perfectly legit. Need not be present to win.)

7:20. We elected the central committee; I'm an alternate. (New blood showed up and I deferred because new blood is good. I'm running for re-elect to my spot on the county executive board anyway.)

7:21 - Slate ratified. (For some reason this is very important to the state party.)

7:24 - Discussion of the party's scheduling of the caucuses on MLK day; we voted that this is Bad.

7:33 - Discussion of media ownership and broadband cable.

7:40 - Discussion of Iraq withdrawal resolutions; the language is being debated.

7:45 - 4 separate resolutions approved. The platform committee will sort it out.

7:48 - On to health care. Aaaaand… the wi-fi went out.

7:57 - Three health care resolutions Okd.

8:05 Continuing discussion of health care; I’m doing paperwork. This is the most spirited, interesting offyear caucus I’ve been to yet. One other laptop here – but it’s a Powebook. Finally found an outlet before the battery died. (The wifi is back on.) No major dignitaries in our precinct; the other precinct has the county auditor (my boss), a city councilor, and a past party chair. They're also the precinct where George Bush came in THIRD in 2000.

8:14 Done with health care. International poverty has reared its head. Question of domestic poverty raised; we agree we can do both.

8:25 We're DONE.