Election 2008:

Community organizers strike back at Palin

Palin’s convention remark riles community leaders

Steve Marcus

Community organizers Hannah Brown, left, Audrey Dempsey and Sam Lieberman deliver a letter Tuesday at the John McCain for President West Regional Headquarters in Henderson. The organizers said they thought Sarah Palin had belittled organizers in her speech at the Republican National Convention.

By Brian Eckhouse (contact)

Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2008 | 2 a.m.

How Palin’s speech divides America (9-5-2008)
Palin energizes skeptical base (9-4-2008)

Grass-roots activists have seized on Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s assertion last week that Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama’s one-time role as a “community organizer” makes him less prepared for higher office than her stint as mayor of a small town.

Now, slighted organizers — some of them Obama supporters — have entered the fray to defend their roles in the community.

Prominent among them: renowned Las Vegas community organizer Ruby Duncan, 76, who marched on the state welfare office in 1969 demanding to see a government manual that instructed officials how to treat women like her — poor, black and with a young family. Duncan was arrested for her effort.

“A community organizer goes door-to-door to people who don’t understand what’s going on with (an unjust) government,” Duncan said. “You’re the ones who tell people, ‘Oh, yes, you will overcome.’ It is a very structured, very hard job.”

In 1971, Duncan helped orchestrate a march across the Strip and into Caesars Palace, a campaign that closed the casino and boosted national awareness of the need for improved services and treatment of the poor. This movement provided the thrust for the 2005 book “Storming Caesars Palace: How Black Mothers Fought Their Own War on Poverty” and is one of many examples of political courage that encouraged secretaries of state nationwide to grant Duncan the Margaret Chase Smith award this year. (Former Vice President Al Gore was a finalist.)

Duncan is considering sending a copy of that book to Palin, who she says has belittled her and other community organizers.

Speaking at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., last week, the party’s vice presidential nominee said: “I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer. Except that you have actual responsibilities.”

That oft-repeated line prompted 51 community organizers in the Las Vegas Valley to sign a letter condemning Palin’s remarks. The author, Hannah Brown, complained Tuesday that Palin had reduced the role of a community organizer to that of an “ant,” before she walked into the Henderson office of Republican presidential nominee John McCain to deliver the letter, accompanied by two other organizers.

Brown, president emeritus of the Urban Chamber of Commerce, wrote: “The group signing this letter represents community organizers who have braved 110-degree heat and angry dogs to approach our neighbors’ doors and talk to them about their problems. We have worked with law enforcement and elected officials to address the needs of homeless people. We have registered new voters, fought on behalf of mentally disabled homeless people, and advocated for increased student aid for college students and brought light to the factors causing deteriorating neighborhoods.”

McCain spokesman Rick Gorka called the letter “a cheap shot by the Obama campaign.”

Obama campaign workers denied any involvement with Brown’s cause but tagged along to videotape the proceedings anyway.

Brown acknowledged that many, if not most, of the sponsors are Democrats, although she insisted her campaign was nonpolitical. One of the letter’s co-sponsors is Sam Lieberman, chairman of the Nevada Democratic Party.

Duncan said she would have signed the letter if asked, but she wasn’t.

“We’re the ones ... who help bring jobs to a city,” she said, unable to hide her anger. “We show how to make jobs work for people.”

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

By neiman1

9/10/08 at 5:50 a.m.

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Obama's community organizing was to register the slums of Chicago so he had enough votes to run for office. All this guy has ever done is run for office. He thought he had it. Then along came Palin. Damn. Where did she come from? Who is this woman? She is stealing my votes. She is stealing my election. I am "the one". I am entitled. I am a man. I am black. What has happened?
By Judy

9/10/08 at 9:18 a.m.

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All he has done isrun for office? Perhap you are not reading? Obama has taught Law and worked for a law firm. All John McCain has done is run for office in Washington.
By texexnv

9/10/08 at 9:46 a.m.

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As usual, the Dummocrats lose track of the fox and chase the first rabbit the smarter fox flushes out of the bushes.

In less than a month after Obama gave his historic speech and his plan for winning this election, the Dummocrats have gone completely off track howling after the bait the repugs put out as a purely distractive tactic.

Which makes one wonder if they have the concentration powers to keep from losing again. Wake up and get back on track people or get prepared for another 4 years of the same-o same-o.

This election is about Obama v. McSame, NevaDUH!
By BigStack

9/10/08 at 10:03 a.m.

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Community organizing is good training for politics. It has nothing to do with leadership or executive skills. McCain was a Navy office, and IIRC (this may be wrong) a Naval Acadamy grad. He also has decades of experience with national and internation issues.

Until two years ago, Obama was a state legislator. Up till now, it's been all about flash (Obama) vs (somewhat boring) substance (McCain). No McCain when out and hired himself some flash (against the party leaderships desires BTW, which says something in and of itself). As the Republicans less experienced candidate is at the bottom of the ticket not the top.

But even if you compared Obama vs Palin for the top spot, Palin comes out on top, because her experience is in executive positions (Mayor, Governor), vs Obama legislative experience (state legislator, senator).
By retirteacher

9/10/08 at 2:39 p.m.

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Community organizers contribute to leveling the needs of the unfortunate with the resources of the fortunate. It is a profession which has displayed great value to the urban situation.
By thebs

9/10/08 at 4:39 p.m.

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BigStack, it's hard to take you seriously when you can't even get basic math right.

Obama was elected to the Senate in 2004. This is 2008. Two years ago, he was a Senator.

He sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

He gets regular briefings on all of these subjects from the Department of Education, the Pentagon, the Department of Labor, etc.

Two years ago Palin was the mayor of a town of 7000. I believe Obama was responsible for more constituents as a State Senator in Illinois than Palin as mayor.

When you look at Palin's record, since the right always loves to taunt with her "experience," the sight isn't so rosy.

She took a balanced budget in Wasilla and left them with $22 million in debt, after spending over 26.9 million in earmarks which she PERSONALLY lobbied Congress for. 26.9 million for a town of 7000 people.

She radically expanded the size of government in Wasilla and the budget grew by almost 50%.

She's the exact opposite of a "fiscal conservative."

That's not the type of leadership we need. In fact, her record mirrors that of another candidate who had "executive experience"... George W. Bush.

Her dig at community organizers, 24 hours before McCain essentially praised them by commanding people to get more involved in their community, was sarcastic and nasty... indicative of how she would govern.
By Simian

9/10/08 at 6:01 p.m.

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Sarah Palin needs to remember that Jesus Christ was a community organizer, and Pontius Pilate was a governor.
By jfnance32

9/10/08 at 7:11 p.m.

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Jesus Christ was never involved in politics.

The Roman government and the Jewish puppet state was committing horrible things let and right.

Christ did not organize groups to go and fight the Romans or the Jewish puppet state either political or via terrorist acts.

Of course, if you are like Obama and believe in socialist liberation theology than one will make up stuff and say Christ was a community organizer.

Only nutty urban extreme liberal nuts say Christ was a political figure.

A large chunk of community organizer work is gear toward supporting the corrupt local politics machines of big urban cities.

Also, I think Christ never demanded "walking around money" during election season like most community organizers do.

I will be willing to help pay for aids in places like Northern rural promoting Obama's exerience as an "community organizer".
By thebs

9/10/08 at 7:16 p.m.

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Nance, since you are so well informed, since you know Obama SO WELL, why don't you clue us all in.

What is "socialist liberation theology?"

Please define it and give examples.

Please give me some quotes from Obama which indicates he believes in it.

LOL, clueless!
By thebs

9/10/08 at 7:38 p.m.

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"I will be willing to help pay for aids in places like Northern rural promoting Obama's exerience as an "community organizer"." - Nance

.........
By UNLVStud

9/10/08 at 7:40 p.m.

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Republicans have done nothing to unite the country and McSame shows they have no intention of even trying.

I hope they keep making comments like this. Soon the only people that will remain under their tent will be the extreme right wing evangelicals.
By Esco

9/11/08 at 12:16 a.m.

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jfinance32 seems to know a lot of community organizers. Of the thousands and thousands of community organizers in America, maybe he could convince us that even 1 percent of them (about 100 people) are working for big corrupt political machines.

And what's his point about Jesus and politics? Jesus never ran for elected office, but he was definitely a political figure in my book, and there's nothing dirty about that. In addition to showing people the way to salvation, he shifted power in the Jewish community away from the corrupt Pharisees and toward the people.

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