tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17490647593022698672011-04-21T17:14:30.504-07:00Bob Bragar is an American living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, who was an Obama Delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Democrats Abroad. The opinions expressed here are his alone, though others may share them.Bnoreply@blogger.comBlogger321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-65842459596334052042008-09-28T04:19:00.000-07:002008-09-28T04:39:04.799-07:00

The Democrats are hitting the right buttons, such as bipartisan oversight of the fund, limits on golden parachutes for failed executives, and relief for Main Street. The deal is not yet final, so we will have to see. But it seems that two important options are not on the table, and I think they should be. (a) We could learn from Sweden’s valuable experience from 1992, when they faced a

Bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-76762985012059780522008-09-22T13:56:00.000-07:002008-09-22T14:02:25.428-07:00

America’s financial crisis was unnecessary. And the scandalous remedy the Bush Administration is pushing through is going to weaken America for the very long term. But okay, the stock market is up, isn’t it?Honestly, this unprincipled government does not have a clue about the proper role of government in our affairs. After years of holy “deregulation”- of - ignoring unethical lending to people

Bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-57751035740898309162008-09-15T13:02:00.000-07:002008-09-15T13:22:23.572-07:00

The "Alaska Women Reject Palin Rally" was huge! In the biggest political demonstration ever held in Alaska, an estimated 1400 people vigorously showed their opposition to bringing Palin's politics to the nation. Heed the message from those who know. Bob

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-60265769410165077842008-09-12T05:39:00.000-07:002008-09-14T13:34:13.462-07:00

I am a New Yorker, and an American. I care about 9/11. I was on the first plane out of Amsterdam to New York, six days after the attack. I had to be with the people I care about during that horrible moment.I understand the pain and suffering the attack caused. I share the horror of witnessing thousands of innocent people die brutally and for no reason, leaving struggling families behind. I

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-78030828767740714612008-09-09T04:54:00.000-07:002008-09-14T06:20:26.748-07:00

See how appalled The Economist Magazine is about John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin.The September 4 article starts with the headline:"John McCain’s choice of running-mate raises serious questions about his judgment"and goes on to:"The moose in the room, of course, is her lack of experience. When Geraldine Ferraro was picked as Walter Mondale’s running-mate, she had served in the House for three

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-36434880977486918762008-09-06T03:32:00.000-07:002008-09-14T08:55:59.680-07:00

It is starting. The forces of hate and fear are amassing to try to turn this election into another Republican distortion of reality.US Congressman Lynn Westmoreland of the Third Congressional District of Georgia has publicly called Barack and Michelle Obama “uppity”.Westmoreland, age 58, born and raised in central Georgia, is now incredibly denying that this word has any racial

Bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-34029997169104502982008-09-04T15:12:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:35:00.274-07:00

It weighs on me. Sarah Palin, with little substance but high TV ratings, is distracting the national debate.Selecting her was a political stroke, but also an act of singular irresponsibility by John McCain. She is clearly not qualified to be a heartbeat from the Presidency of the United States, especially when in John McCain’s case that heartbeat would be that of the oldest president we ever

Bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-81567846678630294132008-09-03T03:44:00.000-07:002008-09-14T06:15:26.848-07:00

I think it's important to get a very clear picture of the woman who, if elected, will be a heartbeat away from the Presidency. Given her lack of national experience, we really don't know much about her.Sarah Palin's politics in Alaska, running for mayor of a town of 7,000 people, were marked by divisiveness, threats of book censorship, religious overtones, and a lot of other stuff we should NOT

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-62463333726887730282008-09-01T15:24:00.000-07:002008-09-14T06:17:06.082-07:00

Sarah Palin's 17-year old daughter is five months pregnant. This is not a secret. It's on page one of the New York Times.Personally, I think such things are, well, personal. Every family has its dramas. Yours does, too.And as a gay person, I think it's extremely dangerous to start being judgmental about somebody else's sex life.But that's not what this story is about. It's about the hypocrisy of

Bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-43423586666973029302008-09-01T15:00:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:02:31.092-07:00

Ignore that grin in my photo. It is not intended for these ghastly pictures.I just think we all need to see what happens when our government doesn't build adequate dikes. In Holland, this is something we know about. The technology is a thousand years old. But our government in America, with definitive proof that a disaster will come, seems unable to protect the population. Now, what is wrong with

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-66248776313943847412008-09-01T14:29:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:04:07.128-07:00

I don't mean to seem unfeeling about real human suffering in New Orleans. I'm not.But the fact is that the Republicans have been pondering how to remove George Bush and Dick Cheney from their national convention, or at least make them invisible. After all, George Bush takes the prize for unpopularity and Dick Cheney is, well, Dick Cheney.They got a gift - Hurricane Gustav. At a stroke

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-43437990887676952962008-09-01T09:37:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:10:42.909-07:00

http://www.demconvention.com/

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-11478515368365312472008-08-31T15:06:00.000-07:002008-09-14T06:17:27.902-07:00

I respect John McCain, but I cannot respect his decision to make Sarah Palin his running mate.She is not qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency, and with McCain at 72 years old, there is a good chance the Presidency will fall to her.Palin is an evangelical Christian, an anti-abortion, anti-feminist woman, anti-gay, anti-gun controls, sometimes pro-creationism, who comes from a state

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-77270205226885308532008-08-29T13:32:00.000-07:002008-09-14T10:16:31.280-07:00

I am so proud to be a Democrat.The open-air event at Invesco Mile High Stadium in Denver was a show of Democratic unity and values.The best way to understand this is to take the time to watch Obama’s magnificent speech.I can’t anything to improve on what the man said. Please look at his amazing speech. Do it twice. These are words to remember.For those of you who want even MORE depth, look at Al

Bnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-50556234526995190332008-08-28T11:38:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:23:27.134-07:00

They did the deed! And they did it beautifully. Barack Obama is the candidate of the Democratic Party for the Presidency of the United States, and Joe Biden Obama is the Vice Presidential candidate.It’s a dynamite team. Obama inspires. Biden fights. Both are brilliant. This is going to be good.And it happened by acclamation. That means no vote was needed. The entire convention voiced (well,

Bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-44995755568336802372008-08-28T11:22:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:23:57.343-07:00

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-63239393733963976962008-08-28T11:08:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:22:36.954-07:00

The Dutch Delegate: Convention Day 2Bob is at the end of this film.

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-28296322737704311222008-08-28T09:56:00.000-07:002008-09-14T03:11:29.211-07:00

It's at http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=bVp9cWOcZ7g

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-25700685956834911822008-08-27T02:10:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:38:18.161-07:00

Maya, Dennis and HillaryFor Democrats Abroad, the day began with a breakfast presentation by Maya Soetero-Ng, who is Obama’s half-sister. Like Obama, Maya speaks with great charm and intelligence. It’s a real pleasure to listen to her.Both Maya and Barack have multi-cultural backgrounds. (Maya’s father was Indonesian). How odd that Obama, with an international background, has been accused of

Bnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-1607873713114487432008-08-27T01:59:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:35:58.006-07:00

The big LGBT event today was the luncheon for delegates, hosted by Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Tammy Baldwin and the Human Rights Commission. Le tout LGBT world was there. Close to 1,000 people, I’d guess, for a fancy sit-down lunch at the Sheraton Hotel.But the big surprise was the visit by Michelle Obama, who was received with a powerful standing ovation.We were so grateful that Michelle had come.

Bnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-52746950429777911612008-08-26T09:58:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:24:26.357-07:00

If the next three days of the convention are as good as the first day (they will be), this is going to be a fantastic week!What was the highpoint last night? That’s almost hard to say:Caroline Kennedy – President John Kennedy’s beautiful daughter - gave a stirring speech about both Obama and her uncle, Ted Kennedy. She said: "Some people say Barack Obama inspires them as much as my father did.” I

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-37486810456609098092008-08-26T09:56:00.000-07:002008-08-26T14:26:44.778-07:00

The European American Instituted hosted one of the most impressive panels on international relations I have ever attended. The panelists: American Ambassador Richard Holdbrooke, Sen. Bill Nelson of Florida, Former Bosnian Prime minister Zlatko Lagumdzija, the French Ambassador to the US, the former Prime Ministers of Chile and Norway, a Russian professor, and others. The topic: How can we

Bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-52331651441367253032008-08-25T10:08:00.000-07:002008-09-13T13:36:29.630-07:00

See the TV show! If you don't want to watch the whole show, go straight to the 46.20 minute mark.

Bnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-25390352895370942312008-08-25T10:04:00.000-07:002008-08-26T14:03:31.971-07:00

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-61844120132314360112008-08-25T09:57:00.000-07:002008-08-25T10:03:35.901-07:00

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-37515008260439616942008-08-25T04:23:00.000-07:002008-08-25T09:55:40.801-07:00

I have to admit, I did not understand the depth of feeling of Hillary’s supporters, their sense that Hillary's loss is not right.Yes, in public I have said for months, “the Hillary people worked hard for their candidate, so naturally they are disappointed”, and “Hillary has made history by being the first serious woman candidate for the Presidency”, and “Hillary Clinton has earned our respect for

Bnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-65085818692730078662008-08-25T00:02:00.000-07:002008-09-14T06:06:38.466-07:00

Stonewall Democrats, the LGBT group (http://www.stonewalldemocrats.org/ ), is having its convention here, just preceding the Democratic one. I attended their awards dinner last night. Really inspiring! Their values and supporters are progressive and right in line with Democrats Abroad, in my view. We should work with them more closely.The featured (and only non-LGBT) speaker was Kansas Governor

Bnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-50118928061944505182008-08-24T07:52:00.000-07:002008-09-14T06:12:28.440-07:00

Arrived in Denver yesterday, by train from San Francisco. The train ride was fantastic – The California Zephyr , 36 hours across the Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevadas, through vast empty prairies, across California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Incredible scenery! A must.The underfunding of our train was painfully evident. The train itself is 30 years old, but still pressing on. Amtrak no longer

Bnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-29731046423288303562008-08-22T23:42:00.000-07:002008-09-14T06:13:09.016-07:00

Barack Obama is naming Senator Joe Biden of Delaware as his running mate. Frankly, I am delighted.If you take a look at Joe’s web-page on issues, http://www.joebiden.com/issues/, both the substance and the order in which he lists them make him my kind of guy. He starts with the Bush Administration’s misuse of 9/11 and its destructive politics of fear and division. He understands America’s loss of

Bnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-90676187758643284262008-08-20T15:07:00.000-07:002008-08-25T00:23:54.391-07:00

We arrived in America yesterday. It’s great to be here – seeing friends, having fun, talking fast. The best.But it’s disturbing, as well. Unlike in Europe, where it seems inevitable that Obama will win, here in the US that’s not true at all. It’s a very close race. A Reuters poll today gave McCain a big advantage. In the crucial swing states, it’s neck-on-neck.If even a small part of what we see

Bnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-8377089839526471852008-08-18T03:45:00.000-07:002008-08-25T04:00:37.563-07:00

Bnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1749064759302269867.post-76790231371716307482008-08-16T12:30:00.001-07:002008-09-13T13:40:05.552-07:00

August 2008 will be my first Democratic National Convention. I really don't know what to expect. Whatever happens, I will share it with you. This blog will tell you what I've seen and done, to try to bring you as close to the experience of being there as I can. I'll try not to inject too many of my opinions, if possible. But I will be giving particular attention to gay and lesbian issues,

Bnoreply@blogger.com11