Doug Grow, as usual, has several facts wrong in his story. But then,
journalistic ideals like facts don't seem to matter much to him.
And our own list manager also is wrong on a significant point -- and he
should know better -- he was there at the 6th Ward Convention!
David states that this was a "silencing by 6th Ward DFL leaders", which is
clearly incorrect. Unless the "leaders" he's talking about are the
delegates themselves, since they are the ones who decided on this.
Here is what I saw happen at that Convention:
1. The convention passed a set of rules for the Convention. These were not
"special rules", they were copied from the State DFL rules used for
Conventions last year, and were pretty much the same rules used at all the
Minneapolis City Conventions this year. In fact, at one point we
considered bulk printing the rules for all conventions to get a better
price on the printing.
2. Dean Zimmerman was given time to speak to the convention as an elected
official, like lots of others who showed up to speak.
3. Dean Zimmerman was nominated for 6th Ward Councilmember. Some
Delegates objected because he was the endorsed candidate of another
party. The chair asked the Parliamentarian what the rules said about this;
she said that there were 2 rules that applied, 1 said that anyone could be
nominated, the other said that endorsed candidates of another party could
not speak at a DFL convention. So the Convention Chair ruled that
nominating Dean Zimmerman was in order.
4. The Chair than stated, rather bemusedly, that under the rules the
delegates had passed just a half hour before, Dean Zimmerman could be
nominated, but could not speak to the Convention, unless they moved to
suspend that part of the rules to allow him to speak. He mentioned this
more than once, but no delegate moved to suspend these rules.
5. Then a delegate challenged the ruling of the chair (that nominating Dean
Zimmerman was in order, but that the rules did not allow him to
speak). Several speakers spoke for & against this challenge, and then the
convention delegates voted to uphold the ruling of the Chair. I don't
remember the exact vote, but it clearly passed by a large majority.
So it was the delegates at this Convention that passed these rules, it was
the delegates who declined to suspend the rules to allow Dean Zimmerman to
speak again, and it was the delegates who voted against a challenge on this.
Seems clear to me that it was the delegates, not "DFL leaders" who were
making all the decisions on this matter. (And the delegates were there: 93
of 108 possible delegates (86%) were in attendance).
Tim Bonham, 12th Ward, 6th Ward Head Teller.
>Doug Grow, on Dean Zimmermann's silencing by 6th Ward DFL leaders:
>
>http://startribune.com/viewers/qview/cgi/qview.cgi?story=83899621
>
>David Brauer
>List manager, Minneapolis Issues
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