King Co. platform committee meeting 5/25 at Labor Temple

The following was in my inbox today. I do hope the hell someone has the sense to get all the other resolutions out of the way first.

A Call to Action from members of the Arab and Muslim Community in King County:

Your presence is needed next Tuesday, May 25th. Stand up for your rights and prevent those who speak in the name of "civil rights" from trampling upon yours! Details are below. We look forward to seeing you Tuesday, May 25, Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 1st Ave. Hall #1 at 7 pm.

Over the past year our community has learned a number of important lessons. We have learned that through determined effort we can continuously push the ceiling of what we can accomplish. We have learned that we can organize and work within the political system by getting an unprecedented number of delegates elected at the precinct and legislative caucuses of the Democratic party. Through this effort, we also managed to pass important resolutions about Palestine, Iraq and Civil Liberties which strongly advocate peace and justice for all.

Most recently and most significantly, members of the Arab and Muslim community, with many other supporters passed an amendment in the King County Democratic Party Platform that states our tax dollars should not go to Israel while it violates international law. In this last accomplishment lies one of the most important lessons to be drawn: that our pro-justice position is not a fringe voice held by only the most extreme liberals as some might have us believe, but rather, it is the voice of the majority.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Seattle) made mention of this success at their banquet that evening, and it was printed in an article about the banquet in the Seattle Times the following day. It appears the demand that Israel respect international law made some people very upset, and the following day a right-wing radio talk show host made this a topic of his show. He hosted Greg Rodriguez, the Chairman of the King County Democratic Party, who in theory is supposed to represent King County Democrats. Unfortunately he failed in that role and he spent the whole show repeating how much he supports Israel and in effect apologizing for having left-wing and Muslim community "elements" in King County which he identified as the cause for having this amendment pass.

While it is most disturbing that Greg Rodriguez used his position as Chairman of the King County Democrats to express his personal beliefs and discredit King County's official platform, of greater concern is his effort to repeal the platform amendment and violate the democratic process by which it was adopted.

He will most likely attempt to do this at the next meeting of the Central Committee of the King County Democratic Party on Tuesday, May 25, Seattle Labor Temple, 2800 - 1st Ave. Hall #1 at 7 pm.

What needs to be done next:

Supporters of this amendment and the democratic process need to attend the meeting next Tuesday to ensure transparency in this process. We will not look=away as certain individuals seek to break rules simply because they didn't get what they want or are too arrogant to accept the views of the majority.

For everyone in our community who has worked in the various presidential campaigns, attended the community banquet and felt the energy in that room, attended the caucuses, ran for delegate positions, and passed resolutions across the state, we all know the power we possess when we work together. For those who have yet to participate, now is the time to make a small effort to preserve our victories in the cause of justice while our political opponents are on the defensive.

We look forward to seeing you Tuesday.

Signed by:
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) Seattle chapter Arab-American Community Coalition (AACC) Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Seattle chapter

the guy wanted me to sign the petition to censure Rodriguez over the phone, but I couldn't agree to do that. I'm running for National, I'm not going to alienate the KC Chair! Besides, I don't necessarily agree with this amendment the way it was approved; I think it's overly extreme.

--there are still serious process issues here.

Here is the link to the article by By ROBERT L. JAMIESON Jr., in today's SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/jamieson/175412_robert28.html

Cheers,
Imad Abi-Saleh

After Tuffaha's plank was voted on -- and affirmed -- the party was besieged. Greg Rodriguez, chairman of the county Democrats, received calls and e-mails in opposition. Conservative radio wordsmith Michael Medved fired away, too, suggesting that the resolution was an embarrassment for the Democrats. In a radio interview with Medved, Rodriguez sounded a tad defensive. "Personally, I do not believe in this platform plank," he said, adding, "I was actually not even aware that this had been put in."

Hmmm ...

What troubles me more than the bungling, left-footed backtracking is the way the plank's language ended up on the cutting room floor.

Democrats can be so sanctimonious and smug about "the process" and "inclusiveness." It boggles the mind that an issue democratically supported by the diverse grass roots -- and not just Arab Americans or Muslims -- somehow failed to show up in drafts of the platform.

"It was inadvertently left out," Rodriguez explained -- or tried to.

He mentioned mumbo jumbo about procedural this-and-that. "It was a mistake by my platform committee chair. There was no covert operation to make sure that (plank) didn't get in."