Live Blogging DFL Feminist Caucus Meeting - 3/11/07

Elections:

Marge Hoffa, the chair of the nominations committee has reported that Mari Pokernowski is running for President and Tammy Tesky is running for Vice-President. Cheryl Poling is running for Treasurer with the support of the committee.

Betty Folliard is speaking on behalf of Mari as an outstanding advocate and activist who has been so involved in the DFL Party, currently co0chair of the DFL platform commission.She truly is a feminist, is a person with courage who has the ability to stand up and fight. Korynne also seconds the nomination of Mari. Talks about her choice to have seven sons. Always ahve to be fearless and ready to work the machinary of the party.

Any further nominations for President .. motion for unanimous ballot.. motion passes and Mari Pokernowski is elected.

Tammy Tesky is elected by unanimous ballot as vice-president.

Cheryl Poling elected by unanimous ballot as treasurer.

Jane miles has been nominated from the floor for secretary. She has withdrawn in favor of Birebewa Mutebi, current Asst Chair of MY-DFL, and she is elected by unanimous ballot as the new secretary..

Coco Kinnell has been nominated and elected to the new position of Youth Coordinator.

Sky Miles is elected Communication Director. (for real, that is her name)

Jane Miles is elected web site director.

Neomi DeGolier is elected fundraising director.

Political Director is deferred, as is Membership Director.

Question: Would you run for higher office?

Otto said she has said she would never do several things, like downhill skiing. If she feels like she can make positive change she'll never say no.

Tarryl - I thought I never would run for office. Right now what I am doing I can make a tremendous amount of change. Right now don't intend to do that ... if I beleive I can make a better difference doing something else I would consider that but stay where I am. We are in a transition place as a party with people who have run before who will not be running again so there is a chance for a lot of new faces.

Lori - Only two and a half months into the job. She's just doing the best she can.


They just announced that the State Capital is now closed but Tarryl says its OK we can stay because she has keys.

Question: What would you do different?

Lori talked about the "tornado" her short campaign was. She was surprised by the role of money in the campaign.

Tarryl talked about having a person who was "fresh" for the end of the campaign. Also on having a consistent message that doesn't stray. Talked about the "message box" method taught at Camp Wellstone. She ran twice in one year, with the special election two days after Christmas in 2005. With the session timing that meant she had one day before the start of session to raise money for the next campaign.

Rebecca talked about how much sitting she did, being sedintary while traveling and calling for money.

Question: Why did you want to run?

Tarryl talking about how working with youth and how she saw the systematic barriers to youth getting themselves together. She saw the need to work on external structures. She worked at Lega Aid where she lobbied part of the year and rep'd clients the other part. She talks about getting Big P involved and little P involved. Talked about the difference of being on the inside. We have to change the mindset of people about how do you make the biggest difference. And her Grandmother reminding her of when she talked about when her mom got to vote for the first time.

Rebecca is talking about being recruited by people for school board and then Mindy Grieling to run for House. Tarryl has talked earlier about being recruited 100 times in 100 days. "Because I beleive strongly in the future and if the state doesn't communicate with local government in the future we can't meet our challenges."

3:30 pm - - Rebecca Otto is talking about running for Auditor. About how the office really fit who she is and the challenge of running for an office that no one seems to nkow how to run for. Calls the bottom of the ticket the Heart of the ticket. But being at the lower part of the ticket means a smaller budget. "I'm going to be a proud "Otto"". (Instead of changing her name to some sort of "son".) She had to localize the race to local media. Why the race is important to Tracy, Minn.

Tarryl talked about how to campaign, emphasizing person-to-person contact. How that helps poeple not see "the horns", referring to the reputation foisted on pro-choice women in the St. Could area. Also about how she ran two times before actually winning.

3:16 pm - - This is the 34th anniversary year of the caucus. The Founding Mother's, represented by Korynne Horbel, just presented Jackie Stevenson with flowers as recognition for her years of service.





3:12 p m - - Caucus President Jackie Stevenson is giving the opening address.Talking about all the "first" women we elected last year. Dream of a female Governor. Another female in Congress . With a response from some that we don't count that other person from the 6th CD.


3:05 pm -- Tarryl Clark



3:00 pm - - We are still waiting to start. The crowd is looking like a pretty good generational mix. Across the room from me sits a row of women who are also officers in the Minnesota Young DFL. Down the row is DFLFC Founding Mother Korynne Horbel.

In the hall I see Attorney General Lori Swanson and Asst. Senate Majority Leader Tarryl Clark.

2:38 pm - - State Party Associate Chair Donna Cassutt just arrived. We just found out that the Dennis Kucinich event that was sponsored by the 6th CD DFL has been canceled due to some mysterious plane trouble and we have already had a couple people arrive here as a substitution.




2:34pm - People are just gathering right now. Very fancy gold coffee being set-up That would be Jackie Stevenson in the foreground.