Published: August 25, 2008 01:40 pm      

Walters rules committee with iron fist

DENVER — With former Governor David Walters at the gavel the Rules Committee of the 2008 Democratic Convention, Saturday morning, conducted its normal business of nominating the convention officers and setting the rules of procedure for the convention. After being introduced by Governor Howard Dean, Walters ran the debate over the establishment of a 35 member “Democratic Change Commission” that next year will begin to focus on three key items, 1) the timing of the presidential primaries and caucuses in 2012, 2) reducing the number of unpledged delegates and 3) improving the planning and implementation of the caucuses.

Two competing resolutions were withdrawn after Chairman Walters ruled that their content was covered by the language of the Democratic Change Commission resolution. The resolution passed unanimously.

Walters will deliver a report from the podium to the full convention at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. He will also co-host with Chesapeake Energy a reception for the Rules Committee at the Denver Acquarium between 2 and 4 p.m. on Tuesday.



Governor Walters Remarks to the 2008 Democratic Convention Rules Committee



This is my fifth convention and, while each has been unique, this convention – this “moment” as our nominee says – is truly extraordinary.

Our task at this committee meeting and this convention is to provide a firm foundation of officers, procedures, resolutions and rules.

You remember rules? Rules have been a foreign concept to the current administration. President Bush has shown repeatedly over the past eight years that he cares about the rules of the land about as much as he cares about the rules of grammar.

In Philadelphia in 1787, in a convention much like this, 55 Americans gathered to draft a document that would become the rule of land, the US Constitution.

In the last eight years that document has been under attack. We’re here today to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our country’s founding fathers to defend the Constitution. We’re going to support our party and our nominee to re-establish the rule of law to our country.

That, as our nominee would also say, is change you can believe in.

I hope you share the sense of honor that I have in being able to serve our party – and our country – in this small way today.

I don’t know if this is the most visible and popular committee. We’re kind of the committee behind the curtain. Being a member of this committee is probably not going to get you invited to MTV’s Rock the Vote party or some of the other exclusive events … but our work at this convention is important.

We can help shape the way our party chooses its president and, in doing so, help shape America’s future.

And it certainly gives us all a sense of satisfaction to be a part of a unifying and historic convention – one that will send us into the general election and on toward the inaugural next January of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

The great Will Rogers, who hailed from my home state of Oklahoma, famously said, “I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.”

It’s a funny line and all too frequently true. This committee will help make it a little less true. And this convention will conclude after having presented America with a party that is both organized and unified – and ready to lead.

Thank you for arriving to this convention early for this meeting – I appreciate your time and hard work going forward. My deep appreciation to my fellow co-chairs, and the DNC, as well as the Obama and Clinton staffs, for working together to make sure that we have a successful meeting today.