When President Obama came to Maine on April 1, 2010, I decided to bring along my handy flip camera for another session of Sam Spencer ‘Live’. I got to talk to all sorts of interesting Democrats, including an elementary school student from Waterville, Portland Lawyer Harold Pachios’ on LBJ’s 1964 trip to Portland, and Maine College Democrats President Ben Goodman. It was a wonderful day and I hope you get some sense of it from these videos.

Christian Levesque of Waterville

Harold Pachios on LBJ’s 1964 Trip to Portland

Robert Talbot of Bangor

Former Obama Aide Heather Quinn

College Democrats of Maine President Ben Goodman

Harlan Baker on Carter, Clinton and Obama

Catherine of Sudan on Obama’s African Roots

Andy Cadot on Health Care Reform

Alison Smith

Ramona du Houx on Covering the Trip

I’m thrilled to be heading to Washington to attend the Inauguration of Barack Obama as President. So many Maine Democrats worked so hard to elect Obama and I want those who won’t be there to share the experience.

***You can see my ‘live’ video updates on the Inauguration happenings here every day from January 18th to January 22nd. Please share with your friends. ***

I’m proud to be representing Maine on the DNC during this historic time. And, I will do my best to report back and share this experience in a meaningful way

The next four years will be exciting and I look forward to sharing this historic period with you.

Thanks for visiting!

Sen. George Mitchell on Election ‘08–Part 1

Sen. George Mitchell on Election ‘08–Part 2

Diane Russell: Campaigning + Collucci’s

Andrew O’Brien on politics and his Taiwanese rock tour

Gov. Howard Dean on Election ‘08 and canoeing the Allagash

Darlene Huntress on Equality Maine’s gay marriage efforts

Henry Beck: Colby, Waterville City Council, and Campaigning!

Gov. Angus King: Obama should be our next President

Gov. Angus King on Obama’s energy plan

Gov. Angus King discusses wind power in Maine

Gov. Angus King: A casino in Oxford County is a bad deal for Maine

I’m really excited to be heading to Denver to attend the Democratic National Convention. This year’s convention is probably one of the most important of our lifetime.

My decision, in part, is based on the fact that Senator Obama has won a majority of pledged delegates and tonight will have attained a majority of all delegates. Senator Obama was the majority winner of Maine’s caucuses. Senator Obama is the democratic winner of the nomination.

I felt it was important to wait until all primaries and caucuses had been completed before endorsing a candidate for four reasons:

• I disagree with the superdelegate system, and consistent with that, nearly a year ago announced that I would remain neutral until we had a presumptive nominee or all voting had ceased.

• Since I believe my role should be to represent all Maine Democrats, and because supporters of Hillary Clinton won approximately 40% of the delegates during the Maine Democratic caucuses on February 10th, I believed that the most democratic thing as a representative of Maine Democrats, was to let those results stand as is.

• Just as Maine voters expressed their views and their votes got to be counted and matter, I believed that, in such a close race, voters in other states deserved the same chance to have their voices heard.

• I believed the ultimate cause of uniting the Democratic Party and winning back the White House was best served by making the nomination process as fair and inclusive as possible. While many disagreed with my decision to wait, I feel strongly that it was the right and fairest thing to do.

Senator Obama is an extraordinary candidate and has inspired Democrats in Maine and across the country to show their support in record numbers. Now we must work to sustain this momentum into the national election to take back the White House.

It is my own belief that an Obama/Clinton ticket would be the strongest team possible and would help unite our party after the long nomination fight. While it is clear that Senator Obama has won the nomination, it is also clear that the election is close to being a virtual tie. I call on other delegates to the national convention who agree with me that an Obama/Clinton ticket is our best path forward, including pledged delegates to both candidates, committed superdelegates, and superdelegates who are still uncommitted, to make similar statements.

I want to thank all who expressed their views to me over the past few months – in person, by e-mail, by letter, and by posting on my blog. Although I am a bit behind in my correspondence, I promise I will respond personally to each and every message.

In the coming years, I hope that the Democratic National Committee will work to make the Presidential nomination process simpler, fairer, and more democratic.

Maine Democrats on both sides of this race feel tremendous passion for their candidate. Now that voting has ceased, I am confident that we can put our differences behind us and work in a spirit of unity to take back our country.

REFLECTIONS ON FOUR YEARS OF CHANGE AND ‘SUPERDELEGATES’

By Sam Spencer, Democratic National Committeeman

When I was first elected to the DNC in 2004, my goal was to help rebuild our party from the ground-up and to do a better job connecting our party with its activist roots, rather than just Washington insiders. In all honesty, when I made that pledge, I wasn’t exactly sure how we could make it happen. But, by some minor miracle, we actually have.

It all started with the campaign of Governor Howard Dean to become our Chair. After soliciting the opinions of thousands of Maine Democrats, I became an early backer of Governor Dean’s candidacy for DNC Chair. Since then, the DNC has been transformed from a Washington-centered organization to one that is working to strengthen the Democratic grassroots all across the country. A few examples:

• “The Fifty State Strategy.” Instead of just focusing on the dozen or so “targeted” states where the presidential race has been decided in the past, now we’ve started a long-term effort to become a truly national party by putting resources into every state, red and blue alike, up and down the ballot. For too long the Democratic Party wrote off more than half the country – a strategy we paid for dearly in 2002 and 2004. Recent state-wide wins in traditional red states like Kansas, Virginia, Montana, and Missouri show this new strategy is working.

• “The State Partnership Program.” In an unprecedented move, the DNC has trained and hired field organizers in every state – a partnership with state parties that would have been unheard of four years ago. These field organizers are working with Democratic town and county committees to identify “neighborhood leaders” for all of the country’s 200,000 precincts. Here in Maine, the DNC pays the salary of four staff people who are busy working with local activists to elect Tom Allen to the U.S. Senate, retain control of the Maine House and Senate, re-elect Congressman Michael Michaud, and elect a Democrat to the First District Congressional seat.

• Fundraising. While in the past, the DNC relied on large donations from a limit number of party insiders, it now has democratized its funding base with hundreds of thousands of people contributing smaller amounts on a regular basis. For the first time in as long as most can remember, we’ve taken our party back.

Although it was not something I sought when I ran four years ago, by virtue of my position on the DNC, I am also one of the superdelegates you have heard about. Because of my uncommitted status over the last few months my life has been turned up-side down with calls from the candidates, their surrogates, and Maine Democrats. I’ve been urged in every possible direction – some people strongly pressed me to support Senator Clinton, while many others urged me to support Senator Obama. Some agree with my decision to stay out of the way as long as possible in order to let the states that haven’t voted yet voice their opinions, while others have been furious with me for waiting.

For my part, I didn’t run for the DNC to be a superdelegate. In fact, I don’t think that the superdelegate system is a particularly democratic method of choosing our Democratic nominee. I believe my role on the DNC should be to represent the diverse opinions of Maine Democrats as broadly as I possibly can. For that reason, many months ago I pledged to remain uncommitted while the primaries and caucuses were still being held and to support whoever emerged as the presumptive nominee.

Over the last few months, I have heard from hundreds of Maine Democrats, through e-mail, phone, letter, and by traveling to local Democratic committee meetings around the state, on their thoughts on the presidential race. Every day, through these messages and conversations, I gain additional insights into the current presidential race and ways we might change the nomination process in the future. Because I am interested in hearing from as many Maine Democrats as possible, I have set-up an easy to use blog on my website, www.samspencer.org, so that all Maine Democrats can engage in the discussion. Here are a few of the question I am interested in hearing from you on, but feel free to express whatever is on your mind.

• What do you think of the superdelegate system and the presidential nomination system in general?

• Should Iowa, New Hampshire, Nebraska, and South Carolina continue to hold their special place in the nomination calendar?

• What should we do about seating the Michigan and Florida delegations to the national convention?

• How can we unite the Democratic Party for victory in the fall? What do you think of the idea of a joint “dream” ticket?

I encourage you to visit www.samspencer.org and let your voice be heard.

I have enjoyed the last four years of representing Maine on the DNC. Thank you for the opportunity.

State Historic Tax Credit —

By Sam Spencer, DNC committeeman

When I’m not representing Maine on the Democratic National Committee, I’m doing my day job as a real estate developer. Since returning to Maine in 2003, I have worked on multiple development projects, but most of my efforts have centered on working to redevelop the historic mills in the twin cities of Saco and Biddeford. Most recently, through our company Spencer Monks Development, my partner Bobby Monks and I have been working to redevelop the Riverdam Mill in Biddeford, a sprawling 330,000-square-foot complex located on the Saco River.

There are many historic buildings throughout Maine that are currently being underused. Buildings like Riverdam, which were once the site of thriving manufacturing operations are often only partially tenanted, if not completely vacant, suffocating local markets throughout the state as blights on the local landscape. But these mills and other historic structures are in fact tremendous assets. Many are situated in central locations, with access to downtowns and views of the rivers they once drew water from to power their operation. These properties are a crucial part of a community’s identity.

Before and after: Riverdam Mill in Biddeford that will be redeveloped to the architect’s rendition above.

But there is a reason why developers, over the years, have chosen not to redevelop these buildings. Such projects are not as straightforward as new construction on a green-field site. When redeveloping buildings once used for manufacturing, developers must cope with significant environmental issues in the building and soil, compromised building integrity, failing heating and plumbing systems (if there are any at all), noncompliance with codes, and a lack of parking for new uses, to name just a few potential problems. In short, the cost of redeveloping an old mill can be more expensive and certainly more complicated than building new.

In an effort to prevent their heritage from meeting a wrecking ball, many local and state governments around the country have worked to create “public/private partnerships” in order to rehabilitate these types of properties and in a larger sense, the entire communities in which they are located. For instance, in places like Lowell, Massachusetts, Providence, Rhode Island, and Manchester, New Hampshire, the public and private sector have worked hand in hand over many years to redevelop their historic mills. I have visited these redevelopments and the results are astonishing.

A critical piece in successful public/private partnerships to redevelop historic properties around the country has been the creation of a State Historic Tax Credit. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, over half of all states have a State Historic Tax Credit program in place to encourage the responsible redevelopment of existing historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These State Historic Tax Credits are usually offered to developers in addition to the Federal Historic Tax Credit, and projects must qualify for the federal program to utilize the state program. GrowSmart Maine, along with the Maine Downtowns Coalition and other like-minded allies, is leading an effort to bring an enhanced tax credit program to Maine. Legislative Document 262 (LD 262), An Act to Amend the Credit of Historic Properties, would refund 25 percent of the cost of renovating a certified historic structure and remove the $100,000 cap on an existing historic renovation credit program. The bill is sponsored by Representative Ted Koffman (D-Bar Harbor) and cosponsored by Representative Steven Beaudette (D-Biddeford), along with many other cosponsors, including both Democrats and Republicans.

There are plenty of reasons why we should all be pushing to adopt LD 262, but before considering the benefits of this legislation, it is worthwhile to explain how it would actually work.

For qualifying properties, LD 262 would provide tax credits to the developer equal to 25 percent of the cost of renovations. To qualify for these tax credits, buildings would have to meet the requirements of the Federal Historic Tax Credit, which include being a certified historic structure — that is, on the National Register of Historic Places or contributing to a registered historic district. A substantial rehabilitation is necessary, and the work must meet the secretary of the interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The state tax credits represent a dollar-for-dollar reduction in state taxes owed, and would be distributed over a four-year time period. Developers have the option to sell the credits to potential partners in the development project and so a commercial bank, for example, could provide an upfront injection of equity into the project (that would help in making the development more feasible) in exchange for the rights to the credits over the four-year period. There are also other sources of funding required to make any project a reality, such as private-sector equity and bank debt. Historic tax credits (federal and state) certainly do not translate into guaranteed projects (or guaranteed profit). But, they help in initially attracting developers to historic rehabilitation projects and, without these credits, it is highly unlikely that many such redevelopment projects would ever transpire.

“Charting Maine’s Future: An Action Plan for Promoting Sustainable Prosperity and Quality Places” outlined several recommendations pertaining to Maine’s quality of life, sense of place, and the built environment. The Brookings Institution recommended that Maine create

Nathan Szanton, John Richardson, Gov. Baldacci, Bobby Monks, Rep. Steve Beaudette, John Bubier, and Sam Spencer tour the Riverdam Mill in Bidderford.

a permanent Quality of Places Fund that would, in part, be designed to revitalize our cities and towns to absorb future growth and reduce pressure on rural areas. The report pointed out that the “growth of rural and suburban areas has happened in part because we have made it difficult to build in older communities” and that in response the state should “encourage more growth in our existing communities and less in the rural areas.” Legislation similar to LD 262, such as the Federal Historic Tax Credit program and other State Historic Tax Credit programs, has achieved these very goals in other states. Downtown revitalization and smart growth development go hand in hand with the redevelopment of centrally located, underutilized, historic structures. In Maine, we simply cannot afford to pass up these kinds of economic development opportunities.

In addition to aiding in the effort to revitalize downtowns and contribute to smart growth development, the adaptive reuse of historic structures is an incredibly effective economic development tool. The Brookings Institution explains that Maine spends only $10 per capita on economic development initiatives, which is lower than 37 other States. According to a recent report produced by Maine Preservation, LD 262 will increase historic rehabilitation investment from its current low level to up to $91 million per year. This investment, in turn, will create as many as 1,000 new jobs each year, according to Professor Charles Colgan of the Muskie Institute.

Dr. Charles Lawton of Planning Decisions, Inc. completed a detailed analysis of the fiscal impacts of LD 262 to Maine’s state and local governments and projected a net fiscal gain to the state government for the first five years, followed by six-year period of shortfall, until the moving back into the black, permanently. This analysis did not even take into account the likely increase in the value of nearby real estate, which would obviously create additional tax revenues.

According Grow Smart Rhode Island, Rhode Island passed a State Historic Tax Credit in 2002 and since then 277 projects are underway. For every $1.00 of state credit, there has been $5.35 in total private and public investment.

Like Rhode Island, Lowell, Massachusetts, has done a remarkable job of redeveloping their mill space in the downtown areas. Originally under the leadership of then Senator Paul Tsongas (you may remember him running for president in 1992), over the last 25 years the nonprofit, public and private sectors in Lowell have worked to redevelop approximately six million square feet of mill space into high-tech office space, university space, museums, affordable housing and market-rate housing. There is absolutely no reason why this kind of progress cannot take place in Maine cities. A couple of months ago, we led a group from Biddeford, including Mayor Twomey and members of the Biddeford City Council, to tour the redeveloped mills of Lowell. When we met with city officials and developers involved in the various redevelopment projects, their message was clear: The successful redevelopment of historic properties into thriving, contributing assets cannot and will not take place without strong, progressive leadership from the public sector and that a state historic tax credit is the necessary first step.

In the absence of a broad statewide Historic Tax Credit program, select projects in Maine have received special historic tax credits from the Maine Legislature. Last year, the Hathaway Creative Complex, a 236,000 square-foot mill in downtown Waterville secured a tax credit similar to LD 262. According to the developer, Niemann Capital, Maine General Health has signed on for a 200-employee office, and plans have gone public for 66 residential apartments. Negotiations for additional tenants to fill office, retail, and restaurant space continue. All great news for Waterville.

At Riverdam, we have plans to build 80 units of mixed-income housing (the first housing project ever in the Biddeford Mill District!) and rehabilitate the existing commercial and light industrial space currently plagued by unreliable systems and life safety issues. Our site is spectacularly unique and geared to smart growth development, as employees and residents of Riverdam would be a short walk away from the downtowns of Biddeford and Saco, the Amtrak train station on Saco Island, and will enjoy stunning views of the Saco River. There are almost a countless number of historic properties throughout the state with similar benefits, but they simply will not be realized without the adoption of LD 262.

There are alternatives to not adopting LD 262, but these are not courses that we should consider. If LD 262 does not pass, many existing historic buildings will remain, at best, underutilized and at worst vacant and dangerous. Riverdam, for example, currently presents a number of life safety issues, including numerous code violations and a lack of automated building security. One approach would be to tear down these distinct structures to make way for new construction, but this is arguably the height of environmental irresponsibility as there is a tremendous amount of embodied energy in historical structures, which includes raw material extraction and transport, along with the construction of the building. In addition, part of Maine’s competitive advantage in attracting businesses and residents is its sense of place. The most responsible and effective approach is to enhance the assets that Maine is blessed with, not ignore them or tear them down.

LD 262 has strong support throughout both the public and private sectors and in particular has the support of Governor John Baldacci. In his State of the State address on January 9th, 2008, Governor Baldacci, who recently toured the mills of Biddeford, explained that “economic prosperity demands that we invest in our workforce, in our open landscapes, and in our historic downtowns. Even now, we cannot become so focused on today that we sacrifice the investments that will make us stronger tomorrow. When I visit places like Lewiston and Auburn, Biddeford and Saco, and Waterville, I see the enormous potential for redevelopment … That’s why I am supporting an historic rehabilitation tax credit. For a modest investment, we can attract millions of dollars worth of growth, which will bring new jobs, new revenues, affordable housing, and new life to our cities and towns.” Clearly Governor Baldacci believes that where there is a mill, there is a way.

The speaker of the House, Glenn Cummings, is also helping to lead the effort to pass LD 262. Speaker Cummings was quoted saying that LD 262 “grows the size of the pie long term and helps us build on our strengths … Maine has the potential to reinvigorate these historic buildings; that is truly an asset.”

Time is of the essence, as Maine’s historic buildings are being threatened by a lack of attention and investment. The primary coalition in support of LD 262 is made up of historic preservation groups, downtown advocates, developers, nonprofits, architects, and affordable housing agencies alike. This is a piece of legislation which can help revitalize downtowns all across Maine, has wide-ranging support, and it is in all of our interests to make it a reality.

OLD FASHIONED ORGANIZING IS BACK

By Sam Spencer, Democratic National Committeeman

While all of us our transfixed on the day to day battle among the Democratic Presidential candidates to secure the nomination, the DNC is working on the next steps in Chairman’s Howard Dean’s “50-state strategy” to rebuild our party from the ground-up and make sure that our nominee wins in November.

Much of our December meeting in Washington was focused on the DNC’s efforts to partner with state parties to recruit neighborhood leaders in all of the country’s 200,000 precincts and asking them to personally talk to their neighbors.

In his speech to the committee, Dean said the DNC’s new focus on sustained person-to-person organizing is the key to future electoral victories.

“The reason we were the dominant party for 60 or 70 years was that we were the first people that greeted people off the boat,” he said.

The DNC’s research indicates that the decentralization of the media and the saturation of direct mail strategies have decreased the effectiveness of many modern campaign tools. The bottom-line: more technology has made it necessary to return to the age of the old fashioned face-to-face campaign. For instance:

• Television ads have less reach because broadcast television viewership is down. The final episode of Mash in 1983 drew 100 million viewers, while last year’s most popular show, American Idol, drew around 17 million. In addition, with Tivos and VCRs, more people are skipping commercials.

• People are getting sick of phone calls and, with caller ID, many have stopped answering numbers they don’t recognize. Furthermore, young people often don’t have listed numbers because they only have a cell phone. According to the research, it takes 460 calls for a campaign to gain just one vote.

• The internet is somewhat of an echo chamber where the already converted talk to each other.

• People don’t read political mail. According to the research, it takes 389 mailings to achieve just one vote. People, especially younger people, are no longer reading anything but a handwritten note from their grandmother.

The good news is that, according to studies, it takes a relatively low number of personal visits– 14 – to gain a vote.

Accordingly, the DNC’s focus is on recruiting volunteers who are willing to talk to 25 voters in their communities at least three times before the election — and recruiting two other activists to do the same.

Dean sees this ground-level organizing as critical to building grassroots organizations in all 50-states — not just in “targeted” areas – and believes there is growing acceptance of party elites of a nationwide strategy.

“People in Washington are risk adverse, but they’re quick adapters,” he said.

Dean cited Democratic progress in recently Republican regions, such as the West and the South, as evidence that the best strategy going forward is to avoid ceding any territory. A compelling presentation by the DNC staff showed that if you add up all the states that have close races for President, Governor, Senate, U.S. House, or control of the Legislature, the only states that are not “battleground states” are Massachusetts (we already control everything) and Utah.

In particular, Dean sees state legislative races as a key opportunity for bringing out Democratic voters and lifting statewide prospects one legislative district at a time. In this way, local victories are the building blocks of a national majority.

Here in Maine, the neighborhood leader project, which is being organized by the state party’s field organizers funded by the DNC, is making tremendous progress. Thank you to those of you who have already come forward to serve as neighborhood leaders. If you’re interested in becoming involved, please contact one of following regional field organizers for your area. All can be reached by calling party headquarters at 622-6233.

Phil Bailey

Regional Field Director - Hancock & Washington

pbailey@mainedems.org

Katelyn Hartford

Regional Field Director - Penobscot & Piscataquis

khartford@mainedems.org

Zach Kendrick

Regional Field Director - Cumberland

zkendrick@mainedems.org

Nathan Libby
Regional Field Director - Kennebec, Knox & Waldo
nlibby@mainedems.org

Brandon Maheu
Regional Field Director - Androscoggin, Franklin, Oxford & Somerset
bmaheu@mainedems.org

Anya Trundy
Regional Field Director - Lincoln, Sagadahoc & York
atrundy@mainedems.org

This focus on precinct organizing is tied into the DNC’s effort to increase its technological capabilities and, in particular, its ability to integrate information gained through door to door organizing into a central data base. In a very short time, our party has built an incredibly sophisticated voter list system which is compatible with newly implemented state party software. There has never been a truly national Democratic voter list before. This new data base called “Vote Builder’ allows local activists, state parties, and the national party to more easily share voter contact information. The system will eliminate the inefficiency of each level of organization all updating separate voter lists. And here’s the best part - for the first time ever, the DNC’s technological capabilities surpass those of the RNC.

CONCLUDING THOUGHT

In November, I attended a DNC Eastern Region Conference in Manchester, New Hampshire which featured a session on grassroots organizing led by former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Consistent with the DNC’s approach, Dukakis argued that door-to-door campaigning is the key to future victories. Dukakis said grassroots organizing had been for the key element of his successful political campaigns – and that a lack of organization had been partly responsible for the defeats in his political career. He said it is much easier to respond to “swift-boat or Willie Horton style” ads when you have real supporters on the ground.

It’s an idea that Dukakis takes so seriously that he and his wife, Kitty, served as precinct co-captains in Brookline for the recent Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign. Each took 125 people and went to doors.

It’s pretty remarkable: Here is a person who nearly became leader of the free world, but who thinks going door-to-door is important enough that he’s spending his time to do it. I, for one, was inspired.

I hope you will consider volunteer to be a neighborhood leader and help rebuild the Democratic Party — one precinct at a time.

You can read a full report on the DNC’s latest meeting at my website, www.samspencer.org. As always, I am interested in your thoughts and questions. I can be reached at sam@samspencer.org and 773-0532.

]]> http://samspencer.org/?feed=rss2&p=23 http://samspencer.org/?p=27 http://samspencer.org/?p=27#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 03:17:10 +0000 admin http://samspencer.org/?p=27 REPORT TO MAINE DEMOCRATS ON WINTER DNC MEETING
Tyson’s Corner, VA, November 29th –December 1, 2007

By Sam Spencer, Democratic National Committeeman

With just thirty-two days until the Iowa caucuses on January 3rd and just seventy days until our caucuses here in Maine on February 10th, this past weekend’s meeting of the Democratic National Committee was the last before the voting finally begins. As such, nearly all of the Presidential candidates were there to make one final pitch to the assembled party leaders, all of whom will serve as “Super Delegates” to this summer’s convention in Denver.

In contrast to our meeting last February where the candidates generally did not criticize their primary opponents, the gloves were off this time. While George Bush, Dick Cheney, Mitt Romney, and Rudy Giuliani took the heaviest blows, Senator John Edwards and Governor Bill Richardson said that Congressional Democrats were also partly responsible for the country’s current problems. And without mentioning her name, Senator Barack Obama dramatically stepped up his criticism of Senator Hillary Clinton, while Representative Dennis Kucinich took a shot at Senator Joseph Biden asserting the Delaware senator’s call for Bush’s impeachment if he goes to war with Iran “would be a little bit late, with all due respect.”

Clinton had to unexpectedly cancel her appearance at the DNC meeting to deal with the hostage crisis at her Rochester, NH campaign office. Senator Christopher Dodd also missed the meeting, campaigning in Iowa instead.

Other newsworthy items coming out the meeting: The DNC Rules and By-Laws Committee decided that, in addition to stripping Florida of its delegates for scheduling its primary in violation of party rules, Michigan would also be stripped of its delegates for the same reason.

On a more uplifting note, a detailed briefing was presented on the DNC’s next steps in our 50-state strategy by recruiting neighborhood leaders in all of the country’s 200,000 precincts.

THE SPEECHES

Huge crowds lined the hallways of the Tysons Corner Sheraton to wait for a limited amount of seating for the public and press in the back of the hall. Chairman Howard Dean addressed both the Eastern Region Caucus and the general session. The theme of the Chairman’s speech: “The state of the Democratic Party is strong.”

Governor Dean highlighted the continuing importance of building grassroots organizations in all 50-states — not just in “targeted” areas – and the growing acceptance of party elites of a nationwide strategy. “People in Washington are risk adverse, but they’re quick adapters,” he said.

Dean cited Democratic progress in recently Republican regions, such as the West and the South, as evidence that the best strategy going forward is to avoid ceding any territory. A compelling presentation by the DNC staff showed that if you add up all the states that have close races for President, Governor, Senate, U.S. House, or control of the Legislature, the only states that are not “battleground states” are Massachusetts (we already control everything) and Utah. Dean said the DNC’s new focus on sustained person-to-person organizing (discussed later below) is the key to future electoral victories. “The reason we were the dominant party for 60 or 70 years was that we were the first people that greeted people off the boat.” Dean sees state legislative races as a key opportunity for bringing out Democratic voters and lifting statewide prospects one legislative district at a time. In this way, local victories are the building blocks of a national majority.

Dean also urged Democrats to rally around the eventual nominee, whoever it may be, warning against forming a “circular firing line” between the nomination and the general election. “We’ll complain after we win,” he said.

Other notable points by Governor Dean:

• Democrats have much more appeal to young people than the Republicans, because our candidates reflect the diversity of America. “The Republicans look like the 1950’s and sound like they’re from the 1850’s.”

• On the focus at the recent Republican debate on bashing immigrants: “I thought it was disgusting.”

Governor Bill Richardson took a few swipes at Congressional Democrats citing their inability to end the war, not fixing “No Child Left Behind,” and approving the nomination of an attorney general “who condones torture.” “Democrats have to start by winning back the confidence of Democrats,” he said. Presumably with some of his primary opponents in mind, he said “The next President will have little time for old battles or on the job training.” Senator John Edwards’ speech centered around the theme that “there’s a wall around Washington” that protects powerful special interests like oil and pharmaceutical companies and holds back the economic prospects of working Americans. Senator Edwards asked: “Will you stand with me to take down this wall that surrounds Washington, DC?”

• On Iraq: “We need a nominee who will end this war in the first year.” Senator Barack Obama entered the room to the background of Aretha Franklin’s “Think” and delivered a far more pointed speech than he did at the last DNC meeting.
bama left no doubt who was he referring to when he said the following lines:

• “I am not running to fulfill a lifetime ambition or gain an office I feel is owed to me.”

• “I don’t want to spend 2008 fighting all the old battles of the nineties. That’s what Mitt and Rudy want.”

• “I’m tired of Democrats trying to look tough by voting with George Bush.”

In a fiery speech which was frequently interrupted by applause, Representative Dennis Kucinich discussed his support of universal healthcare, homeownership, and retirement security. He also proposed a New Deal type program to put Americans to work. Kucinich emphasized his efforts to impeach Vice President Cheney and said that the Administration was planning to take the country to war with Iran.

• “I am quite serious about preparing articles on impeachment articles against the President himself. This administration cannot be allowed to ruin the reputation of America in the world, put the lives of innocent people at risk. We need to stand for principles of morality that were infused into our declaration, infused into our constitution.”

• On a lighter note, Kucinich said he had attended the DNC prayer breakfast that morning “so I could dispel any talk that I don’t have a prayer.”

Senator Joe Biden, made note of his experience, said only three members of the Senate have served longer than him. “But I have to point out that there are 41 members who are older than me.”

Citing his plan to divide Iraq into three states, Biden said “I’m the only candidate that has proposed a political solution that will allow us to withdraw from Iraq without leaving chaos behind.”

Speaker Nancy Pelosi cited the accomplishments of the Democratic House, including passage of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, an increase in veteran benefits, an increase in the minimum wage, an ethics bill, and attempted efforts to redeploy the troops in Iraq.

• “No longer do we have a rubber stamp Congress,” she said.

OLD FASHIONED ORGANIZING

The next phase of Chairman Howard Dean’s “50-state strategy” is underway and it’s centered on recruiting neighbor leaders in every precinct in the country and asking them to personally talk to their neighbors. The DNC’s research indicates that the decentralization of the media and the saturation of direct mail strategies have decreased the effectiveness of many modern campaign tools.

The bottom-line: more technology has made it necessary to return to the age of the old fashioned face-to-face campaign. For instance:

• Television ads have less reach because broadcast television viewership is down. The final episode of Mash in 1983 drew 100 million viewers, while last year’s most popular show, American Idol, drew around 17 million. In addition, with Tivos and VCRs, more people are skipping commercials.

• People are getting sick of phone calls and, with caller ID, many have stopped answering numbers they don’t recognize. Furthermore, young people often don’t have listed numbers because they only have a cell phone. According to the research, it takes 460 calls for a campaign to gain just one vote.

• The internet is somewhat of an echo chamber where the already converted talk to each other.

• People don’t read political mail. According to the research, it takes 389 mailings to achieve just one vote. People, especially younger people, are no longer reading anything but a handwritten note from their grandmother.

The good news is that, according to studies, it takes a relatively low number of personal visits– 14 – to gain a vote. Accordingly, the DNC’s focus is on recruiting volunteers who are willing to talk to 25 voters in their communities at least three times before the election — and recruiting two other activists to do the same.

Here in Maine, the project, which is being organized by the state party’s field organizers funded by the DNC, is making tremendous progress. Thank you to those of you who have already come forward to serve as “neighborhood leaders.” If you’re interested in helping, the state party is hosting two trainings the next weekend after next:

On December 15-16, DNC Director of Training, Parag Mehta, will be in Maine to train Democrats throughout the state in this strategy:

Eastern/Northern Maine
Saturday, December 15
11am-4pm
Donald P. Corbett Business Building, Rm 100
University of Maine

Central/Western/Southern Maine
Sunday, December 16
1-5pm
Luther Bonney Hall, Talbot Lecture Hall
University of Southern Maine-Portland

At these sessions you will learn about the program, the Maine political landscape, voter contact, and messaging. To attend one of these sessions, please RSVP to Brandon Maheu, bmaheu@mainedems.org or 622-6233 ext. 107, no later than December 12th.

MICHIGAN STRIPPED OF ITS DELEGATES

The DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee voted to strip Michigan of its delegates because the state party decided to hold its presidential primary on January 15th. Given that Michigan is not sanctioned by the DNC to hold its vote earlier than February 5th, the January 15th primary violates party rules. This follows an earlier to decision to strip Florida of its delegates due to the state legislature’s decision to hold their contest on January 29th. In all likelihood, the eventual nominee will choose to allow these delegations to be seated at the Denver convention. In the meantime, however, their delegate allocation will not be included in the on-going tally during the heat of the contest.

The latest schedule of president contests is included as an appendix to this report. Although Maine is holding its caucus on the earliest Sunday permitted by the rules – February 10th – we are now the 33rd state to vote, rather than the 14th in 2004. For nearly thirty years, states have been moving their primaries and caucuses earlier in the cycle. This year, 22 states have moved their contest up to the earliest possible date of February 5th. While this does increase diversity by giving voice to voters beyond Iowa and New Hampshire sooner than in previous years, it has had unintended consequences. Look for the DNC to consider making more comprehensive reforms for 2012.

SUPERDELEGATE TALLY

According to a survey conducted by the Associated Press, Senator Clinton has a substantial lead in support from “Super Delegates”. “Super delegates” (including senators, congressmen, governors, and DNC members) get a vote at the convention regardless of what happens in the upcoming caucuses and primaries. They represent about 40% of the delegates needed to secure the nomination. Of the 765 “Super Delegates” surveyed about half are still uncommitted.

Despite many calls from the various campaigns, I have decided to remain uncommitted until the selection of a nominee. While I have no objection to other “Super Delegates” endorsing candidates, I have tried to be as broadly representational as possible of all Maine Democrats during my time on the DNC. Out of respect and appreciation for the divergent opinions of Maine’s Democratic activists, I will not endorse anyone.

Here’s the tally as it currently stands:
• Clinton:169
• Obama: 63
• Edwards: 34
• Richardson, 25
• Dodd: 17
• Biden: 8
• Kucinich: 2

SEEING OLD FRIENDS

Representing Maine on the DNC has given me the chance to catch-up with some old friends from the Clinton Administration who are now working hard on the presidential campaigns or in the state parties.

One of the more interesting conversations I had was with Bob Nash, my former boss at the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Bob is now Senator Clinton’s deputy campaign manager. But just a few years back he was Vice Chair of Shore Bank in Chicago, the country’s leading community development bank, and one of the members of the Chicago business community who helped elect Barack Obama to the Senate.

Like many Democrats, Bob was impressed by the high quality of the Democratic candidates for president this year. But when Obama called him to ask for his help in the presidential campaign, Bob replied with something to the effect that if his own mother was running for President, he would be supporting Hillary Clinton. Bob’s association with the Clintons is remarkably deep. He started back in 1982 coordinating African-American outreach during Bill Clinton’s 1982 “comeback” campaign. He was later head of economic development for the state of Arkansas and head of Rural Development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture – so we also had lots to talk about on my mill redevelopment project in Biddeford.

Maine had a brief moment in the sun at the DNC meeting, when Emmett Beliveau of Hallowell, who serves as Obama’s Director of Advance, stepped up to the podium shortly before Obama’s speech. While the Maine delegation was hoping for a word, alas, he only had time to adjust the teleprompter. I first got to know Emmett when he was an advance man for Gore in 2000. Now he is in the upper echelons of the Obama campaign.

I also got to catch up with old friend David Strauss, chair of the South Dakota Democratic Party. David previously headed the staff of the Senate Public Works and Environment Committee where he helped Senator George Mitchell steer through the 1990 amendments to the Clear Air Act.

“The guy was just the master. He was better at legislative strategy than everyone else,” Strauss said of Mitchell, “He could read all these things and assimilate them. He just knew what to do.”

On Friday night, I watched the unfolding of the Clinton hostage drama on CNN from the hotel’s nearly empty gym. While I used the elliptical machine my only companion in the gym, the Governor of New Mexico, worked up a sweat on a neighboring treadmill. We got a chance to talk about Maine politics and our mutual friend Tony Armstrong of Cape Elizabeth.

DNC VOTER PROTECTION PROGRAM

We were briefed on the DNC’s unprecedented 50-state election protection effort to prepare for the 2008 election – and to ensure every American’s right to register, vote, and have their vote counted. Through its 50 State Strategy, Voting Rights Institute and National Lawyers Council, the DNC has conducted an in-depth nationwide survey to collect critical data on voting practices and procedures at the local level. The goal of the project is to map the often confusing and complex sets of administrative practices and decisions governing election administration in every state and address them early. The DNC is examining the election mechanics in each state, flagging potential problems and election administration issues. No political organization has ever undertaken a project of this magnitude.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

Several weekends ago, I attended a DNC Eastern Region Conference which featured a session on grassroots organizing led by former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. Consistent with the DNC’s approach, Dukakis argued that door-to-door campaigning is the key to future victories. Dukakis said grassroots organizing had been for the key element of his successful political campaigns – and that a lack of organization had been partly responsible for the defeats in his political career. He said it is much easier to respond to “swift-boat or Willie Horton style” ads when you have real supporters on the ground.

It’s an idea that Dukakis takes so seriously that he and his wife, Kitty, served as precinct co-captains in Brookline for the recent Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign. Each took 125 people and went to doors.

It’s pretty remarkable: Here is a person who nearly became leader of the free world, but who thinks going door-to-door is important enough that he’s spending his time to do it. I, for one, was inspired.

I hope you will be able to attend one of the training sessions we’re having in Maine on how you can help rebuild the Democratic Party — one precinct at a time.

SOME OTHER INTERESTING FACTS
• You’ve probably heard that around 47 million Americans lack health insurance. But did you know that the way these surveys are conducted that if a person temporarily has health insurance within the two year measuring period (perhaps from a seasonal job), they are considered among the insured? According to DNC Political Director Dave Boundy, in truth, 90 million Americans lack consistent health coverage, about 1/3 of the population.

• While Democrats cream the Republicans in a “generic” poll of presidential appearances 50% to 35%, when hypothetical match-ups with specific candidates are the choices, the gap generally narrows to 2 or 3%. This election has not already been won. To quote Howard Dean, “The worst thing we can do is be complacent. Republicans don’t know how to run the government, but they do know how to run campaigns.”

• The DNC’s technological capability now surpasses that of the RNC. In a very short time, our party has built an incredibly sophisticated voter list system which is compatible with newly implemented state party software. There has never been a truly national Democratic voter list before. This new system called “Vote Builder’ will allow local activists, state parties, and the national party to more easily share voter contact information.

• The DNC has raised $43 so far this year, up from $35 million during the same period four years ago. The really good news is that many more people are participating, many through the DNC’s “Democracy Bond” program. 70,000 people have given to party this year!

• According to Governor Bill Ritter of Colorado, the Denver convention will be the greenest “since the invention of electricity.” It will also be a celebration of Democrats’ recent success in the west. Did you know that Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, Arizona, and New Mexico all have Democratic governors?!

SEPTEMBER 23, 2007

BY SAM SPENCER, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEEMAN

JENNIFER DECHANT, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEEWOMAN

Continuing Calendar Chaos

Chair Howard Dean has threatened to strip Florida of all its delegates if it does not comply with DNC rules and move its contest back from January 29^th to February 5^th or later. Florida has until September 30^th to comply. All the presidential candidates have pledged not to “campaign” in Florida if the state does not comply. Florida Democrats have discussed the possibility of legal action against the DNC.

In response to Florida’s move to become the first southern primary, the South Carolina Republican Chair announced that his state party would maintain their first place by moving up its contest to January 19^th (curiously he made the announcement in New Hampshire). In response, the New Hampshire Secretary of State announced that he was considering moving up his state’s primary to before January 12^th in violation of DNC rules. While New Hampshire law mandates that the state must hold its primary a week before “any similar contest” (usually interpreted to be a primary), there is strong speculation that the move was really motivated by a desire to stay as the second Democratic contest after the Iowa caucus rather than the third contest after the Iowa and Nevada caucuses, and that the South Carolina Republicans provided an easy justification.

Michigan Democrats have moved their contest from February 9^th to January 15^th also in violation of party rules. They did so supposedly in protest of Howard Dean’s silence in response to New Hampshire’s threatened move. Michigan Democrats, one the strongest backers of calendar reform, had earlier had applied to be on the four states allowed to vote in the “pre-window,” but were denied.

The latest update of the calendar is included as an appendix.

DNC Eastern Regional Caucus to Meet in Manchester

The Eastern Regional Caucus will be meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire on November 16^th-18^th. The agenda includes speeches by the Presidential candidates, as well as briefings and trainings on new media, national demographic trends, and grassroots organizing. If any state committee members are interested in attending as guests, please contact Sam at sam@samspencer.org. Although Sam has not yet checked on whether guests will be allowed, they are usually welcome at DNC meetings.

Full DNC to Meet in Baltimore

The next full meeting of the DNC will occur from November 29^th to December 1^st in

Baltimore.

Obama in Portland on Tuesday

Senator Barack Obama will be appearing at “Countdown to Change” rally/low dollar fundraiser at the Portland Expo Center, 289 Park Avenue. Doors open at 4:00, the event begins at 5:00 with Senator Obama at 5:00 on the 25th. Tickets are $23.

For more information, or to rsvp, visit:
https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/C2Cmaine

Upcoming DNC Sanctioned Debates

September 26 — NBC News/MSNBC — Hanover, New Hampshire

October 30 — NBC News/MSNBC — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

November 15 — CNN — Las Vegas, Nevada

December 10 — CBS — Los Angeles, California

DNC Announces Unprecedented Voter Protection Program

The DNC announced an unprecedented 50-state election protection effort to prepare for the 2008 election. Through its 50 State Strategy, Voting Rights Institute and National Lawyers Council, the DNC is conducting an in-depth nationwide survey to collect critical data on voting practices and procedures at the local level. The goal of the project is to map the often confusing and complex sets of administrative practices and decisions governing election administration in every state. The DNC is examining the election mechanics in each state, flagging potential problems and election administration issues that threaten to deprive citizens of their right to register, vote and have their vote counted.

Once these issues are identified, the DNC will work to resolve potential problems well in advance of the 2008 election. Election laws, while written on the federal and state level, are often subject to interpretation at the local level. This decentralized process results in varied administration and supervision of the elections themselves, which can be potentially problematic considering that in 2008, there will be at least 13,000 elections run by localities.

No organization has ever undertaken a project of this magnitude. This project is made possible through the DNC’s 50 State Strategy, which has had staff on the ground in every state for almost two years. With very specific questions, the survey covers topics such as voter registration, centralized voter databases, voting systems and absentee voting, provisional balloting, polling place procedures and Election Day preparation. This survey is just one part of a comprehensive program on the part of the DNC to ensure that every American’s right to vote and have that vote counted is protected. Data collected from the survey will be analyzed to determine the needs of each election locality and next steps for strengthening the election process in that locality. In addition to this project, the DNC will continue its efforts to resolve the identified issues throughout next year, continue to organize its network of lawyers in the states through the DNC’s Voting Rights Institute/National Lawyers Council and will run the most extensive voter protection program throughout the country for the 2008 general election.