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THE DNC ROAD TO HEALTH CARE FOR ALL: From Illinois to Denver

Posted by Donna Smith - S... on August 22, 2008 - 11:56pm

By Donna Smith, American SiCKO, National Co-Chair, Progressive Democrats of America Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign, and communications Specialist, CNA/NNOC

DAY 1:  Over the past three weeks, the road to the DNC convention in Denver has taken me from Cleveland to Pittsburgh and now on a drive from my home in Chicago to just outside of the Mile High City.  The history swirling around Barack Obama's nomination combined with the commitment to bring guaranteed publicly funded, privately delivered healthcare to every person in America is a powerful draw for me.  I want to compel the party of opportunity for all and equality for all to stand tall and firm and proud in this moment and right through the election in November. 

And who doesn't enjoy a good ol' road trip (except for the $4/gallon gasoline) every so often?  So off we went, leaving the Loop and bound for Denver via Iowa and Nebraska and through a wholeot of corn fields.



Traveling I-80 is not a lot different than it was 40 years ago, except for the wind turbines and the gas prices and the lack of vivid blue Stuckey's roofs along the way.  When we couldn't pick up a radio station we liked, we opted for some polticial conversation or a little Elvis music.  In Iowa I watched folks spellbound during a newscast featuring Shawn Johnson, the Olympic gold medal winning gymnast from Des Moines, and in Nebraska I chatted with a truck stop clerk about what single payer is and what it is not -- that is until her manager came behind the counter and she quickly wrapped up our talk.

As we made out way over the 1,000 miles, I thought about all I hoped the coming week would bring -- energy, passion, compassion, intelligence and maybe a little fun.  We talked about how many people in the cars sharing the interstate with us were bound for Denver too and how we thought most probably were sharing these amazing conversations about the future and about pulling this nation out of a very dark period.

Then we heard a piece of a conservative talk show during which callers were shooting down the "government run" healthcare that they were sure the Dems were about to fully embrace.  I was glad to know the conservatives see us as so close to achieving healthcare reform but also angry to hear the propaganda blasting away all the way out in the middle of Nebraska...

 Much work to do.  Lots of history to make.  And guaranteed healthcare for every man, woman and child in America is on the radar -- if you're not in Denver this week, I'll be blogging away every day to keep you posted on what the healthcare fight looks like from this activist's point of view.

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Sunday, 8/24 11:29pm: Good

Submitted by ducafeli on October 28, 2008 - 10:34am.

Sunday, 8/24 11:29pm:

Good morning from Denver! This is a first-time visit for me to the Mile-High city.

Yesterday we got here mid-morning Mountain time (that's 2 hours difference from Richmond, so about 12:30 for us). While Abbi and Jane went straight to the hotel, a relative met me to give me a brief get-acquainted tour of the area!

I had never been to Denver, never even seen the Rocky Mountains. Wilson, the cousin, is a retired conservation professor from the U.Col. in Boulder; so he drove me around Boulder-beautiful!-- up Flagstaff Mountain, from which we could see the Flatiron Mountains and their sheer, flat, black rocky faces, ranges of mountains farther west including the Continental Divide (about 15,000 feet high) in the distance. I could see snow still on some of the highest and distant mountains, even part of a glacier which provides the drinking water for the Boulder area.

The beauty of the country really literally takes your breath away, especially if you love mountains. It makes me feel really blessed to live in such a spectacular country.

And just being in the mountains makes me feel good in a deep, inner way. I think it is because every summer of my childhood I was in the Appalachians or at my grandparents' in Warm Springs, VA, and if we all have a sense of place and of "going home," the mountains must be part of mine.

Differences are obvious-there is no Piedmont (remember your Virginia geography from 4th grade?), just the flat mid-grass prairie-with prairie dog mounds everywhere-of Boulder and then a walk across the street where the mountain begins and rises abruptly to over 6000 feet or more. Boulders and rocks everywhere. The Boulder Creek or River fed by glacial melt but where the young and hardy were tubing three or four miles over gentle rapids and around those ever-present rocks.

But enough about pre-Convention stuff.

Over lunch I found that my cousin and his wife are enthusiastic Obama supporters. Bonnie: "He's young and he may make mistakes; but we have to have change in this country and a new way of doing things." Wilson: "Old people make plenty of mistakes, and we can't see or hear too well either. We are slower."

This couple is close to 80 years old. They met in Guam where both were in the U.S. military. They value education, the economy, environment, energy resources-and they are totally energized by Obama!

Later:

The Press/Media reception-Welcome to Denver-always a key social event of any Convention!

For a couple of weeks we have been trying for tickets, through our local media, through any Dem. Party VIP we know. No luck!

But when we got here, mirabile dictu, we came up with 3 tickets!

Imagine the GA trading over transportation. "I'll give you a new Hampton Roads passage in return for no tolls on the Powhite. How about a new Woodrow Wilson bridge lane in exchange for an extra truck lane on I 81?"

Here the trading is more like: "Do you have a media credential? Do you want to trade for a Civil Rights concert ticket? How about Dem. Governors event for the press event?"

So it worked for us, and we spent 3 hours at Elitch Gardens, a Six Flags amusement park, at the press event. The most fun is people-watching-governors of several states, TV press people, and lots of "Who is that? I know I've seen her on one of the talk press shows." Rides were open, great free food was everywhere including typical amusement park cotton candy, popcorn, and ice cream. A highlight was the parade through the park and then dancing by representatives from about 10 Native American tribes, in full regalia and with chanting and drumming. There were jugglers, magicians, and on and on-culminating in fireworks far after we had all gone back to the hotel after a long 20-hour day.

But not before the Axelrod and Plouffe groupie in our midst (they are some of the chief architects of the Obama campaign structure) dragged us over for a late-night visit to their hotel to try to catch sight of them hanging out in the bar or grill. No luck, but at least she can "visualize" the scene!

All this was a full Saturday-4 A.M. to about midnight! Caucuses will really begin on Sunday, so I will have more soon!

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