Hard man for a hard state on Hardball

D. Taylor meets with Tweety and takes it to the Clintons on national teevee.

Comments

[Go Edwards!]

So when will this thing be before a judge?

The court of public opinion seems to be going heavily against John Hunt and his team. Does he have anyone the least bit ethnic/minority on his team? Black? Latino? Gay? Jewish? Anybody? He appointed and/or supported pretty much his entire Board. Does he not even realize that, at a minimum, he looks like an insensitive jerk?

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

The media is spinning this wrong - John Hunt is complaining about the disproportionate ratio of Delegates coming out of The Strip "Super" Caucus sites - why should the casiono caucus sites get TEN TIMES the number of delegate as compared to an average Clark County Precinct? It's just unfair - that's what Hunt is saying!

What needs to happen is the Court hopefully will rule The Strip Sites get to Caucus BUT the Delegate ratio will be EQUAL to the an average Clark County Precinct, AND the Teachers should be able to Caucus at the school sites where they're volunteering in support of the Caucus - that way no one group is any more disenfranchized than any other - and no one has an unfair advantage!

And don't buy the line that this was an open process and everyone signed off on it - that's just NOT true! Tom Collins and Liz Foley politically purged nearly 200 of our best and brightest progressives, advocates and activists from the party so we would be shut out of the decision making process!

This is the mess that Tom Collins and Liz Foley left for Jill Derby and John Hunt to try and clean up - so, let's put the blame where it's due and give due credit to Hunt for fighting for the principles of fairness and equal play!

The MSM needs to put in a little effort and corroberate the facts in back checking this story before they commit ANOTHER grossly unprofessional journalistic error of taking an important story off into the fantasy land of political theater!

[KidFromVegas]

JLA see previous comment...

[texexnv@yahoo.com]

Terry Hickman is obviously not a very good liar prevaricator. Taylor has won two bouts in one day.

If the Teachers' Union didn't become aware of the caucusux rules until just last Wednesday, they have been doing a piss poor job of representing their constituents.

Likewise, Derbyshire and Hunt had ample opportunity and time to go over the caucusux rules and analyze the ramifications that are now coming to light in court and in the court of public opinion nationwide.

If Derby didn't have the snap to see this coming then she is a total ignor-anus.

btw, what did Searer have to say today?

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

"Texex" buddy, you're simply wrong - Derby and Hunt were told that the entire process was being set up fairly - and they were being misled!

Even if they had taken the time to read the rules closely - the time to complain was already past before they were elected - so, that would have meant there only choice would have been to take legal action earlier. As it stands they're just trying to make sure the process is fair - even at this late hour.

It's about FAIRNESS and the Casino sites not getting TEN TIMES the number of Delegates as other precincts. As far as the Teachers and School Employees go, they should be allowed to Caucus at the locations they are volunteering to support - hopefully, that's the way the court will rule and no one gets an unfair advantage and no group is anymore disenfranchized than another.

I agree, and Hunt is man enough to admit, he should have done his homework sooner and read more closely - the real culprits here are Tom Collins and Liz Foley, et al!

And don't buy the line that everyone had a fair chance to participate in the process and everyone agreed - that's just NOT true!

Tom Collins and Liz Foley purged nearly 200 of our best and brightest progressives and advocates and activist - and made sure there was no access to Rules Committee lists or Minutes!

I'm sure the Teachers were also mis-led by the constant verbal re-assurances that all be set up fairly for everyone - and they got schnookered TOO!

Yawn... More JLA lies... This was at the meeting you were supposed to be running for 1st Vice Chair... Remember the one you didn't show up at cause you're a chicken shit?

[Mike]

Again, every union, INCLUDING NSEA, signed on, every elected Dem in the state supported this, and the final plans were all post August and John Hunt at every meeting since June. DNC checked off in August...that's AFTER Hunt elected and briefed.

Purged members reinstated in March...all back before June in Elko.

He's apparently lying, plain and simple. He as largest county chair was right there-- Teachers don't work Saturdays, and janitors can take the day off and they all had months to complain--if he denies this, the super-majority of the eboard will publicly call him a liar and depraved opportunist

If 226 went his way, would he be concerned?

Don't kid yourselves. He is HRC mouthpiece using Edwards people too.

Nothing genuine in this effort from him.

[MikeZ]

The most contentious issue was not the delegates, but what to do with the new Voter Registrations.

The bleeding -hearts wanted no questions asked, the reasoned heads wanted to return application back to the voter for mailing.

This was for all sites, but Strip especially.

The Strip sites will have many times the mean average neighborhood turnout, hence weighted differently. 1200-1500 per vs 100 in the neighborhoods.

We did the best we could and John Hunt, a lawyer and former state regulator approved it all.

1. The "Strip" super-sites are not precincts recognized in law. This is a statutory matter, not just kids deciding where the clubhouse is located today.

2. Even if "Strip" sites were recognized, they receive a greater delegate count per participant than each of the other precincts (which is, if I recall correctly, one delegate per forty registered voters, whereas the "Strip" is one per ten caucus goers).

3. One man one vote concept is from US Supreme Court ruling Bakerv. Carr.

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

I didn't run for 1st Vice-Chair, in fact I ran for 2nd Vice-Chair only as a joke to make a mockery out of the NSDP making a mockery out of our Democracy.

Mike, not all were re-instated at that time, and let's not forget that those who have been re-instated are not allowed as required by the rules to speak up until the NEXT quarterly meeting!

Sure, Hunt may have been present - but it was not an open process for most and the guy is human - so, let's not exagerate a simple human error and oversight into false grounds to question Hunt's integrity and call him a liar - that's beyond the pale of decency Mike (and I'm shocked you'd drop to that level just to fuel the fans).

This is about being FAIR - so, let's all be FAIR in finding a FAIR solution!

[John Dark]

I think I'm going to run for 53rd vice chair.

[texexnv@yahoo.com]

JLA - could be...it just could be. But once before you asked me to lay off a certain person as she was going to turn this party around and get you a seat on the SCC. I did and you were dead wrong about her, too. So excuse me if I don't go down that path again now that your new hero is Hunt who is in the process of dethroning your previous hero.

If there's one thing I admire in a person more than 100% loyalty it's 100% objectivity and during this moment of upheavel down there in LV I think you could try to get some of that quality back before you go telling me "You're simply wrong!" 'Nuf on that, buddy!~!~!

If Hunt and Derby - or you for that matter - couldn't recognize the "unfairness" of the caucusux in almost a whole year then somebody isn't doing their homework; or just voting blindly, going along to get along.

So now everybody in the whole friggin' state was "snookered". Well...bull caca on that!~!~!

As Taylor pointed out on Hardball this suit is a ruse. Or, more correctly several ruses the last of which is an inner party struggle between Hunt and Derby for the throne of the NSDP using the caucus as hostage.

So since I didn't follow your last ride to a seat on the SCC you'll pardon me while I stay objective on Hunt.

[MikeZ]

One man one vote is for elections, not for party meeting which is what a caucus is.

The DNC checked off, the candidates checked off...everyone with authority checked off and approved unanimously.

If Hunt were an average Joe, I might buy his bullshit, but as a licensed Nevada attorney and a former state Gaming regulator, esp as a Gaming regulator, no one is buying it. No one save HRC's team.

He was there, he was on the calls, he voiced nothing...wrote nothing

The timing and racist motivation appearance is scandalous and disgraceful. The full weight of that appearance is on he and senator Harry Reid

Demand your NV Rep move us to primary in 2009 session for 2012, has to be done in 2009, not 2011...this won't happen under a primary which does guarantee 'equal protection' under the NV and US Constitutions...as a caucus simply does not.

We all deferred to the campaigns and all of them accepted this formula without reservation...again, unanimously.

Speak with them if you have issues.

[anonyMOUSE]

The law doesn't need to recongnize the strip caucuses. Its a party matter, recongnized under the freedom of association clause of the Bill of Rights. Just like Hunt, not doing your homework JLA.

[MikeZ]

I emailed my three friends in this lawsuit Saturday JLA and I pledged to all, that tho I did not agree with their participation, that I would not stand for their crucification in Pahrump, as like what is occurring with me.

I have been the most open and easily accessible person--I rep'd Rich S back to the SCC in March...others too--Liz bowed and allowed-- and they have the oil boiling for me everyday because of that. Silly me, I took my position seriously and rep'd those who elected me in 2006 and will rep'd these people too.

There are people all over this state that want them all dumped ASAP, including the two dunderheads who motioned against me, and they especially want John Hunt. The villagers are coming with torches and pitchforks.

Removal must show 'cause' and and cause must show damage...as this effort certainly has damaged NSDP, and especially the DNC who we all answer to in the end.

I won't allow actions to proceed against any of these people, but our members will certainly have a lot to say on 2/9/2007 and we should get this all out in the open there, then put in behind us and hopefully install measures that prevent this occurring ever again.

We can't have renegade County Chairs and members suing us in the 11th hour before an event playing nationwide.

The whole point to me is when is a deal a goddamn deal at the NSDP?

We had a deal. Period

[Johnathan L. Abbinett]

"Tex" I'm just giving people a fair benefit of the doubt, based on the facts, not fiction, rumor, inneundo, hear-say, gossip - nor do I think it's responsible to impune someone's character without a factually based foundation.

Jill Derby and John Hunt inherited an unbelievable nightmare from Tom Collins and Liz Foley - so, I'm just trying to make sure that the right culprits are named for their crimes!

And Jill Derby didn't promise me anything!

Again, buddy, you're human and making another mistake - she promised all of us to try and turn things around - so, let's keep the facts straight and in context shall we?

Also, I'm a lot more selective in using the "hero" label - and many, many people DID recognize the UNFAIRNESS of the Caucus and have been against it from moment one!

The nearly 200 progressives, advocates and activists that were political purged by Tom Collins and Liz Foley did do our homework and fought for a Primary - that's, in part, why we were disenfranchized and locked out of the process - don't you get the timeline here?

Now, we're stuck with the Caucus and just trying to make sure the Delegate count is fair and the Teachers get to participate at the sites their volunteering at in support!

Mike, WE know the difference between a Primary and Caucus - and that's why so many of us want a PRIMARY! Geez, Mike I wish you'd give me the benefit of the doubt, and Hunt too, and tell us something we don't know will ya?

You all know how dysfunctial the NSDP has been, and still is, but, now when we've got good people like Hunt at the helm trying to fix things - you blame the physician for the disease!

[texexnv@yahoo.com]

I'm deducing here that the Douglas Drunks are going after the plantiffs as well? wtf?

[MikeZ]

A primary would have had to be passed in 2007 session, so nothing that Tom and Liz did would have affected that. 2008 was always going to be a caucus. They were both colossal disasters as Chairs, and yes we did dump a load of shit in Jill and John's lap, much of it to become public in the coming weeks.

But I just watched John Hunt be less than candid on Ralston's show. I don't question three on this suit, but my fellow eboard guys and many, many others with their fingerprints on this, I do. None of them said a damn thing all year. Mr 'X' on the eboard did say something on 12/5, but he spends most of his time playing games on his cellphone during our meetings, and we often have to repeat things for him, we just refreshed him, all were on board.

It's the timing. Where the hell was everyone even one hour before 226 announced. Everyone knows I would have rep'd their concerns immediately and directly via the email account only we on the eboard use.

We had a deal.

John Hunt signed off on that deal as Chair of the state's largest county. At best, it's grotesque grandstanding, at worse it is racist and devisive.

Do you have any idea how difficult it is to get everyone on board, especially the campaigns, much less going in the same direction?

We're Dems dammit, we never agree on anything!

But, this we did. Long ago. We look terrible on the national stage with hours to go. The DNC is furious at us and rightly so.

We had a deal.

[dave202]

So everyone agree that this is OK in August, but one week before the caucuses and two days after the Culinary endorses Obama, suddenly it's not OK?

I can't believe how many HRC clones you have on here. When it seemed she was the unanimous choice, it was fine, but now that she has competition, it's not??

How transparent can you be???

[MikeZ]

The final details approved in August, by us and DNC...the entire NSDP State Central Committee approved the Strip sites and the caucus general protocols in March of 2007.

[anonyMOUSE]

Where are the other unions in all this? Obviously AFSCME is behind Clinton, but what about AFL-CIO? Has Danny Thompson (or Gail Tuozolo) taken a position on this? Don't they have people who work within 2.5 miles of the Strip (and therefore would be affected)? Or are they ducking and covering while D turns Hunt from a baritone into a soprano?

[MikeZ]

The smart locals are laying low and staying out of this. Thermo-nuclear hot and they would get burned badly if they piped in now.

Very smart move by some of our most important union allies to beg off this.

The unions in NV largely all hate each other here and rarely stand together. But they all stood together in agreement on the NV caucus and the Strip sites. Caucus launch had everyone in NV labor in attendance.

Zero objections...none.

[Go Edwards!]

"while D turns Hunt from a baritone into a soprano?"

Hard to blame D when Hunt insults him personally like that. As if Hunt is some sweet little innocent nice guy.

aMOUSE;
Doesn't Danny Thompson "have people who work within 2.5 miles of the Strip (and therefore would be affected)?" How would they be effected? The rules limit caucus participation at the strip super sites to those with a photo id (how republican) proving that they work at THE casino (of the 9), where they are caucusing!

Show of hands, how many of you read the lawsuit?

[NVMojo]

Someone from inside the state party came to my door campaigning. He was there when all this came down. He said the 5 people to one delegate ratio that was chosen for the at-large precincts was done because each casino site would not have the population base within to be the size of a city like LV or Reno so they treated them like Rural counties/cities/precinct counts which are 5 to 1.

Once I stepped back and thought about it, that seems fair because not all workers within each casino will be working that day, not all working that day will be registered to vote and not all will get the same hour off to go caucus. If they did, the casinos would shut down.