What's A P.U.M.A.?

If you thought the Democratic Party was a single machine unified behind presumptive nominee Barack Obama, then you should think again.

As much as the GOP could be hurt by the disaffection of Ron Paul and Bob Barr supporters, the Dems are in danger of losing far greater numbers of voters...supporters of Hillary Clinton.

AP

Yep.  She may be out.  But the NY Senator and former First Lady still has sway.

First, there are the so-called P.U.M.A.s...

P.U.M.A. is a political action committee whose full name is People United Means Action (there's another meaning too...party unity my ---). It was started by a Clinton supporter in Massachusetts at the beginning of June.

click image to enlarge P.U.M.A.'s filing with the FEC

There's also a blog associated with the group.  And its members are adamantly against Obama.

From the blog:

Our goals are fourfold:

1. To support the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. Updated 6/7/08 — Hillary Clinton was forced to suspend her campaign because the DNC decided to select its preferred nominee, so we are not directly campaigning for her. We consider her to be the leader of the Democratic party and our members will continue to support her throughout this election cycle.

2. To lobby and organize for changes in leadership in the DNC

3. To critique and oppose the misogyny, discrimination, and disinformation in the mainstream media, including mainstream blogs and other outlets of new media

4. To support the efforts of those political figures who have allied themselves with Hillary Clinton and who have demonstrated commitment to our first three goals

They also have a motto you can read by linking here.

There is also a blog called Nobamanetwork.com which is an aggregating site for anti-Obama blogs.  There are more than 300 sites which now link through Nobamanetwork.  Through it I found a meetup group in Houston that has a planned get together to talk about Clinton on the 19th. It's just one of a lot of nationwide gatherings that day:

Saturday, July 19th, 2008 is the 160th Anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention (The first Women's Rights Convention), during which the Declaration of Sentiments was adopted.

On Saturday July 19th, 2008, Senator Clinton's Supporters will gather together nationwide to celebrate this historic anniversary at house parties, cocktail parties, and public gathering places, holding their own "Resolution Day" parties where they will adopt their own "Declaration of Resolutions."

Not sure yet what those resolutions will be.  But they probably won't include supporting Barack Obama.

There's also a new movement on line called "I Just Say No Deal"...and this video which is apparently created by people who say they "voted for Obama before they voted against him".

video from comealongway.wordpress.com

So what does all of this mean?  It means there are some underlying issues within the traditional Democratic Party.  It means the convention is a real issue for a core group of Clinton supporters who want to see her name on the Denver ballot.

Critics of these PUMAs and ObamaNOTS say that they won't be happy until and unless Senator Clinton becomes the party nominee.  Maybe so.

But these are not Republicans trashing Obama and his policies.  They are Democrats.

Motive aside...it tells me that that this party is fractured more greatly than party leadership would like to admit.

How else could the GOP even have a shot at the White House in November given public sentiment over the last eight years?

How else could the most recent national polls (which really mean nothing as far as the electoral college is concerned, but i digress...) have this race in a virtual tie?

Joint press conferences and fund raisers are not enough.  A rally in Unity, NH is not enough.

Otherwise, the very people who could have put Obama in the White House could keep him from it.

Thanks for reading. TA

Comments

[viv]

It was so cool reading all this rubbish - now that President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton have been in office for some months and PUMAS have been shown to be Republicans disguised as thinkers.

[Gina]

THE PUMAS ARE TOTALLY JUSTIFIED ...

1. Contrary to what Obamabots say ...
Obama and Hillary were in a dead heat,
when the DNC pressured Hillary into not
only conceding, but campaigning for Obama.
2. Obama is once again in a dead heat, but now
with McCain, even though Obamabots act like
Obama has already won (like they did in the
primaries against Hillary). So, this means that
half of the Democrats, and all the Republicans
(3/4 of America) dIdn't want Obama. Plus, he
didn't even win the popular vote, and refused a
revote in Michigan and Florida.
3. Obama has the thinnest resume in politics, and
he won state legislature and Senator by
disqualifications of his opponents, not by earned
experience, or votes.
4. Obama's one claim to fame is being a community
organizer, where he boasts of registering voters.
Then he took their votes away from them, by
disqualifying his opponents on technicalities, prior
to the election.
5. Obama's mentor of 20 years, was an anti-American
racist ... not to mention other unsavory associations.
6. Obama is simply buying the election, since he's
good at fund raising ... hardly a qualification to be
President of the United States.
7. The media never vetted Obama, and they are
giving him a free ride, plus more than twice the
print and air time as McCain, as they did against
Hillary.
8. 90% of blacks are voting for Obama, because he is
black, while the campaign gained ground by
accusing most opponents of racism.
9. Obamabots were, and are extremely nasty and sarcastic
towards Hillary supporters, as well as McCain supporters.
10. Pumas should be applauded for putting country before party ...
especially a party that did not represent them, and a party
which highjacked the nomination for Obama.
11. Obama added insult to injury, when he didn't even consider
Hillary for V.P. ... nor did he even call her ... even though she
got 18 million votes in the primary.
12. Obama and the DNC are now holding a gun to the heads of
Hillary and Bill Clinton, giving them an ultimatum ... either support
Obama, or kiss your future in the DNC and politics goodbye.

P.S. Michelle Obama subjected her two young children to anti-American racists ... Jeremiah Wright, Farrakahn, Pfleiger, and others
at the black liberation Trinity church in Chicago, for several years. Is this who you want for first lady ... I don't think so !!

[Wes]

This is terrifying. I don't understand how someone who wants to vote for Hillary can then turn around and say they will instead support McCain. I don't get it. How about you just abstain. But a vote for McCain is not some sort of showing of support for Hillary, it is just stupid. Asinine. Moronic.

Aren't there a set of underlying principles that you believe in that are reflected in both Hillary and Barack, but not John McCain? Setting aside minor policy differences that were stated in the campaign, Hillary and Barack are basically the same. McW is not.

Why vote for four more years of the same misery, corruption, stupidity, and disgrace? If you are a true Democrat, you will vote for the Democratic candidate. To do otherwise is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard of.

Hey, I know, how about we start smoking, and eating glass? That makes just as much sense. Can you add that to the PUMA platform? And drunk driving, allowing corporations to regulate themselves, starting a war with Iran, all great ideas! Lets get 'er done!

[none]

You all are a bunch of

F------

IDIOTS.

You deserve no more dignified a comment than that.

[louis]

To "no Name"

Yes ...I am a Life Long...Die Hard Democrat....who WILL NOT vote for Obama....NEVER!!!
Yes I feel very comfortable voting for McCain.....
Please do not get me started on wife Cheaters! Your Obama is no goody two shoe....
http://larrysinclairbarackobama.com/

Hugs and Kisses back at ya!

Not mention that the personal lives of the candidates provide pretty interesting insight into how the candidates view women:

- Obama, married to a smart and powerful woman (who was one of his superiors in the law firm where he first worked). Clearly views his wife as an intellectual equal.

- McCain, divorced his first wife after she suffered a disfiguring car accident, almost certainly cheated on her while they were still married (since he remarried a mere one month after their divorce was granted) to marry an erstwhile sorority girl eighteen years his junior. Mr. McCain the proceeded to call his new wife a "c-nt" in front of campaign staff and multiple reporters at a campaign stop in 1992. Oh, and this month he jokingly volunteered his wife for the topless (and sometimes bottomless) Ms. Buffalo Chip "beauty contest."

By all means, demonstrate your commitment to ending sexism by voting for John McCain! What could be a stronger statement against misogyny in the media than voting into office such a champion of respect for women?

Unbelievable that many of you self-described "liberals" and "life-long Democrats" are comfortable voting a war-mongering, senile cretin into office because Obama won the majority of delegates and the popular vote during the nomination process.

When McCain continues the Iraq war indefinitely, revives Cold War tensions, expands the budget deficit and bankrupts the nation, wreaks even more havoc on the economy through reckless tax cuts for the rich, appoints Supreme Court justices who overturn Roe v. Wade, fails to establish universal health care, and shows up once a month on TV wearing that s----eating grin he so frequently displayed during his nightmarish green-background-opus--well, I'll know (and you'll know) exactly where to put the blame.

Hugs and kisses.

[DAVID -MIAMI]

I THINK EVERYONE IS FORGETTING THAT THIS ELECTION IS ABOUT -THE NEXT GENERATION. IF WE WILL VOTE FOR A CANDIDATE WHO ASPRIRES TO GIVE ALL AMERCIANS HEALTH CARE, A JOB, A GREAT EDUCATION FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN, WHO KNOWS WHERE THE NEXT EINSTEIN WILL BE FROM, WHAT COLOR, WHAT GENDER BUT WHOEVER IT IS THEY NEED TO BE NURTURED.SADLY ONLY DEMOCRATS BELIEVE IN HELPING EVERYBODY -REPUBLICANS BELIEVE IN SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST,AS LONG AS THEY ARE FIT. IT SEEMS THEY ALWAYS SUPPORT BAILING OUT BEARS STERNS AND THE LIKE BUT KATRINA VICTIMS CAN TAKE A HIKE. THAT SAID -I SUPPORTED HILARY'S PRIMARY RUN AND DONATED TO HELP HER PAY OFF HER DEBT AND THINK SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN AWESOME PRESIDENT, ALAS THAT WILL NOT BE IN 2008. SO IT COMES TO A CHOICE BETWEEN OBAMA AND MCCAIN. IF YOU ARE A DEMOCRAT, A TRUE DEMOCRAT WHO THINKS WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE CHOICE AND IT IS NOT JOHN MCCAIN. SO DEMS PLEASE SORT OUT OUR DIFFERENCES AFTER THE ELECTION, WHEN OBAMA IS PRESIDENT. THE COUNTRY AND THE LOWER WAGE EARNERS OF THE WORKING CLASS CANNOT AFFORD ANOTHER FOUR YEARS LIKE THE LAST EIGHT. I AM A 60 YEAR OLD MALE, HAVE NO CHILDREN AND MOST PROBABLY WONT BE ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO WILL BE AFFECTED DISASTROUSLY BY A MCCAIN PRESIDENCY,
BUT I'M BEGGING ALL THE PUMAS, WOMEN DEMOCRATS AND HILARY SUPPORTERS
TO SUPPORT OBAMA. THIS MOST PROBABLY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTION
IN OUR LIFETIMES AND IF WE ALLOW JOHN MCCAIN TO WIN BECAUSE OF OUR DIFFERENCES AT THIS TIME, WE WILL ALL REGRET IT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. PLEASSSSSSE, COME TOGETHER FOR THE ELECTION.

[louis]

I am a DIE HARD DEMOCRAT!!!!
I do not want Obama.....not because of his color! I am sick of of Obama supporters who want to play the race card!!!
If your not for this FRAUD you must be a racist!!! The "TRUTH" is slowly coming out....Just wait!
Go play with your race cards somewhere else.....

I have a question? From whom is PUMA taking back the democratic party? Who are the so-called "real democrats" that make up PUMAs? I believe that if Hillary had won the primary the PUMAs would not be voicing their concerns over primaries versus caucuses, selection versus elections and every vote counting. You people are very, very sad. Bottom line you don't want a black president. Say it, own it but don't try to dress this up as some sort of moral crusade. It's not. This is just sad.

[LISA PUMA]

MY NAME IS PUMA, AND THE WAY YOU'RE USING MY NAME IS MORE THAN HUMILIATING WHEN YOU ASSOCIATE IT WITH POLITICS...I GUESS IT'S OFFENSIVE BECAUSE THE NAME PUMA IS A PROUD, HONEST NAME AND YOU'RE DRAGGING IT THRU THE MUD TO TRY TO MAKE SOME POLITICAL STATEMENT THAT SAYS NOTHING ABOUT HONOR MUCH LESS HONESTY...WHAT A JOKE !!!

[spicy]

I found this website via Google when trying to educate myself on what and who a PUMA was. I am shocked and appalled at the misinformation and venom shown here!

I grew up a Republican then realized about 15 years ago that greed, corporate America, and Wall Street should not be running America! I checked out the Dems and found them to be more humane!

My man Edwards did not get into the 'finals'. But that DID NOT stop me from educating myself on Obama & Hillary. I followed the primaries with utter disgust at what the 'old school' finalist was resorting to - changing the rules (perhaps that's why she wanted the DNC to change the rules - because she has no issue with doing it), moving the targets (changing the needed delegates), slinging mud (the caliber that I expected to come from the Republicans).

I want integrity, honesty, fairness, and openness from my candidate (and President) regardless of sex or race.

I unfortunately saw a Clinton campaign that was not run well or honest in a lot of instances. On the other hand, although not perfect by any stretch, I saw a respectful, open, well organized Obama campaign. I saw what I had been waiting for a long time from ANY politician - respect, openness, not being totally beholden to corporate America (or tons of lobbyists), and someone telling the truths that no one wants to hear.

So many of the PUMA's are lowering themselves to the ugly, dishonest, distorted politics that many Americans associate with the Republicans. IF McCain is our next President, I hope you can live with yourselves while living through another 4 years of what you've got now and fought so hard for Hillary to win to change.

I read the rules as they relate to the primaries - I still can't understand how the PUMA's feel Hillary was cheated. Her numbers didn't add up! Popular vote DOES NOT determine the nominee - never has - ask Bill! Even if it did, the numbers who voted for both Hillary and Obama are nearly identical - so there's no HUGE difference in the popular vote.

I can only hope that the PUMA's get over what most people would consider poor sportsmanship because their team didn't win - I'm going to take my bat & ball and go home attitude.

This great country CANNOT take another 4 years of Republican corporate greed, spying, environmental damage, middle-class destruction tactics, wealthy people tax cuts, uninsured people, and the list goes on and on and on.

PLEASE reconsider your justifications for denying the game was fought long and hard and the one who played by the rules that have LONG been in place (ask Bill) came out with the winning numbers. I believe that you would not be upset if Hillary had gotten all the delegate numbers but Obama had gotten the "popular vote" numbers. You'd be saying the rules are for delegates NOT popular vote!

Take care and I'll understand if this is not posted - but I had to share my hopes.

Middle-aged Indiana woman!

[spicy]

I found this website via Google when trying to educate myself on what and who a PUMA was. I am shocked and appalled at the misinformation and venom shown here!

I grew up a Republican then realized about 15 years ago that greed, corporate America, and Wall Street should not be running America! I checked out the Dems and found them to be more humane!

My man Edwards did not get into the 'finals'. But that DID NOT stop me from educating myself on Obama & Hillary. I followed the primaries with utter disgust at what the 'old school' finalist was resorting to - changing the rules (perhaps that's why she wanted the DNC to change the rules - because she has no issue with doing it), moving the targets (changing the needed delegates), slinging mud (the caliber that I expected to come from the Republicans).

I want integrity, honesty, fairness, and openness from my candidate (and President) regardless of sex or race.

I unfortunately saw a Clinton campaign that was not run well or honest in a lot of instances. On the other hand, although not perfect by any stretch, I saw a respectful, open, well organized Obama campaign. I saw what I had been waiting for a long time from ANY politician - respect, openness, not being totally beholden to corporate America (or tons of lobbyists), and someone telling the truths that no one wants to hear.

So many of the PUMA's are lowering themselves to the ugly, dishonest, distorted politics that many Americans associate with the Republicans. IF McCain is our next President, I hope you can live with yourselves while living through another 4 years of what you've got now and fought so hard for Hillary to win to change.

I read the rules as they relate to the primaries - I still can't understand how the PUMA's feel Hillary was cheated. Her numbers didn't add up! Popular vote DOES NOT determine the nominee - never has - ask Bill! Even if it did, the numbers who voted for both Hillary and Obama are nearly identical - so there's no HUGE difference in the popular vote.

I can only hope that the PUMA's get over what most people would consider poor sportsmanship because their team didn't win - I'm going to take my bat & ball and go home attitude.

This great country CANNOT take another 4 years of Republican corporate greed, spying, environmental damage, middle-class destruction tactics, wealthy people tax cuts, uninsured people, and the list goes on and on and on.

PLEASE reconsider your justifications for denying the game was fought long and hard and the one who played by the rules that have LONG been in place (ask Bill) came out with the winning numbers. I believe that you would not be upset if Hillary had gotten all the delegate numbers but Obama had gotten the "popular vote" numbers. You'd be saying the rules are for delegates NOT popular vote!

Take care and I'll understand if this is not posted - but I had to share my hopes.

Middle-aged Indiana woman!

[Please Keep it real]

You puma's are not Democrats. You are a bunch bitter, tired old white women ( and I am a 38 year old white woman), who were unable to get what you wanted and refuse to accept defeat. You all should join the republicans.. and then with your support McCain can have his 8 to 10 or more years of war in Iraq and your sons and daughters can die or be traumatized for the rest of their lives, or perhaps McCain can have his way with the Supreme Court and abortion can be made illegal and if your daughters accidentally get pregnant out of wed lock or at a young age you can watch there lives fall to ruin. You all are exactly what I am teaching my daughter not to become. Thanks for perverting and retarding, years of women working toward embracing an American culture and social psyche of women being emotionally fit for politics...

[cackicoo]

yes...me too...35 years never a corpustle of republican blood in my body...

won't ever get over what the dnc did....or obama did or didn't do...nope! not gonna happen

not qualified obama ...not electable obama

mccain...mckinney...not sure i will even vote...but, never for obama NOPE

independy puma all the way :)

[glen]

"To The Credentials Committee:

Neither candidate, Obama nor Clinton, has enough delegates to secure the nomination. The only determinate power that has decided that Obama is the presumptive candidate is the Rules and Bylaws Committee. I watched every moment that the meeting was publicized. Unfortunately, the determining “decision” was completed behind closed doors. The determinate factor was, “these are the rules”. It was a sleazy move after saying it would be an open process, and many noticed. It was a sleazy move after making such a fuss about ‘every vote counts, and many noticed. It was a sleazy move, especially when Donna Brazile said after the 2000 election debacle; “As Chair of the DNC's Voting Rights Institute, I was astounded to learn just how dysfunctional our electoral system has become and why this is a serious impediment to successful elections for Democratic candidates at all levels. It's time for Democrats to get smart about election administration and take an active role in cleaning up laws and adopting new ones to protect every citizen's right to vote.” Many noticed. Rules are not laws. If the Democratic Party is so intent on following the rules, then why not uphold the declarations in the Declaration of Independence, “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”. And then the decision was summarily dumped on the American people.

Hillary Clinton’s campaign to win the nomination of the Democratic Party won her more votes than any candidate in primary history. Senator Clinton represents 18 million voters. These voters have the right to vote for the candidate of their choice on the floor of the convention. They have the right to hear their elected delegates call out the name of their preferred candidate, and have them counted! They have the right to stand up to the Rules Committee and declare their actions fraudulent. This is the only way to right the wrong committed by the ‘behind closed doors’ coup of the DNC, or by the DNC.

The importance of this cannot be understated. We either live in a Democracy, where every vote counts, or, the DNC needs to gather its character together and proclaim that Democracy in the DNC is no longer existent, and that only elected officials rule. The American voter is no longer relevant.

This precedent, once set, will forever alter the landscape of the United States as it is a flagrant disregard for the Constitution. The ramifications will be felt way beyond this election cycle. And I think they will be significant.

Someone once said:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

Thomas Jefferson

Many who are hell bent on electing Obama through back door, strong armed tactics, see those who oppose an Obama coronation as just “sore losers, middle aged women who know no better”. They want me, and others that feel as I do to “just get over it! Your must be a Republican! There is no way are you a Democrat! You are destroying the Party and our nation!” I can’t in good taste tell you all the things I have been called when I have expressed my reservations about the process as it unfolded. But, the DNC stole our guaranteed right to have our votes count equally.

The DNC should not have bowed it’s integrity to the Obama lawyers to prevent the seating of two full states, until Obama was seemingly guaranteed the nomination. And now we are supposed to be so impressed that he, Obama, not the DNC, will allow Florida and Michigan to participate in the Convention, maybe even fully! The DNC should have showed some character! And it did not. It did not.

The DNC does not realize that we, who are hell bent on NOT supporting this DNC coup, see what is actually happening. We base this dissent on the exact wording in the Declaration of Independence. “deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”. That means counting all the votes. The DNC forgot and dismantled that declaration with its behavior. It dismissed the voters. Well, we didn’t miss it, and we will not forget. I will gladly throw away my 40 years of voting Democratic right down the line, to resist these Chicago strong arm, covert tactics.

This is just not something I will “get over”. I am not woo-able. I cannot be cajoled or shamed. I will not be silent and I will not behave. I will speak as openly and as loudly as I can to try to take back our Democratic Party and our Democracy. I will not wane from this endeavor. I will not be afraid. It is entirely too important. As Howard Dean once said, "The first thing we have to do is stand up for what we believe in."

I sincerely hope you join me.

Virginia Voter/PUMA

[glen]

I just read your letter from Christina Baker. I can see why she thinks what she does...It's unusual for people to switch parties.... I HAVEN'T done that "YET". But she has to understand our point of view also. Their are a lot of people that vote for Character in a canidate.. I couldn't for the life of me vote for Obama... He gave Hillary the finger in front of millions..Character? ...he has none. I could go on and on...but i'll sum it up as "I OWN MY VOTE AND NO ONE WILL TELL ME WHO TO VOTE FOR !" nor will anyone in the puma org. If Hillary is not the nominee...i will vote for McCain...and no one at puma has tried to get me to.
Nor have they promoted it.

[don tufts]

thats right wont argue on the merits on why we have taken the stand we have ,so throw insults.you sound like my 10 and 13 year old daughters.

[John McCain]

On behalf of myself, Dubya, the Dark Lord Dick Cheyney, Rush, Sean, Wal Mart, Big Oil, greedheads, developers and corporate interests worldwide, I thank you PUMAs for your support.

[Ruth]

I knew her in Little Rock and as a young woman she turned my head around completely about what women could and could not do . I still remember when she hadn't taken Bill's last name and the local media were so brutal about it every night on the news. Then as now they talked about her hairstyle, she didn't have his name etc. At the time she was working on education initiatives and not wearing her hair as any other first lady ever had so people called her "uppity" and "Who does she think she is" was often heard.

Till one night she appeared on the news and said she would take his last name and be known henceforth as Hillary RODHAM Clinton...IF people would start to focus on the programs she wanted to work on instead of her name. Well, somehow as she talked about those plans the public opinion of her changed over night.

Years went by and she not only talked about getting those programs in place she actually did it. Today most of those programs are still successfully operating. I followed her career from that time to this one. I am fully aware of her "flaws" but, for as long as she has worked in public life she sure doesn't have as many as Obama seems to have in his short lived career.

He counts "community service" and yet says she ran only on being first lady. As someone who saw and followed everything she has ever done, I found this to be the first of his very misleading and sexist remarks about her. He started to lose me the second he tried driving home that false point.

At the beginning of this race, obviously I was a Hillary supporter. I'd hoped and then waited a very long time for her to run. Especially when Bush was such a horrid president I thought her time was now because if anyone could clean up this mess she could do it. I know she could.

Then I watched in horror an absolute blood bath of misogyny online and off and mostly in the main steam media and from the left too. Lies were told as if they were facts about her and nary a peep from my party. I know Hillary and if there had been racism in the media to that degree she'd have been the first to come forwards against it. Loud and clear.

Obama benefited from the misogyny and that is precisely why he never said a word. To ask me as a feminist to vote for someone who never spoke up against some of the worst discrimination I've seen in the last decade is like asking any person of color to vote for someone who benefited from discrimination against them.

Make no mistake, these things on blogs and t.v. have consequences in real life. Abusers everywhere must have been cheering the media on and indeed many of them were online.

I just returned from the 160th anniversary of the first womens rights congress in Seneca Falls, New York. No press was there. We hardly have a decent history museum but, still they honored Hillary's run this year. I listened to Elizabeth Cady Stanton's g.g. grand daughter tell me from the from porch of Cady's house to carry on the Cause because we have so far to go. I heard her talk about Hillary's run. I listened as she spoke of her grandmother's vision. Standing in that place beside the "witness tree" in Cady's yard was quite an inspiring moment.

I realized that women around the world and at home are being abused, stoned, five thousand a year are victims of honor killings, some in western countries. And in New York state alone in the last five years eighty eight thousand cases of domestic abuse came before the court. No one marches up and down in Washington carrying signs. There is no outrage about this.

It fully explains why there is so little outrage at the treatment of Hillary Clinton and how much more important Obama's run was considered to be than hers was.

You can tell me all day that women have equality and perhaps women of means have more of it. But to say we are even anywhere near being considered equal in every day life for the average woman is ridiculous.

It was important in the extreme for Dean, Obama and all our party leaders to stand up for women during Hillary's run for the White House. Not for her sake but, for every woman out there who was subjected to such abusive language. You wouldn't have a problem with someone speaking up and would demand it if it was said about ANY OTHER group.

I will never vote for Obama now though at one time I would have. FISA is a reason but, mostly I don't trust him to give a damn about issues I really care about as he claims to now. If he did, he would have walked the walk in this campaign and he most certainly did not.

I cannot accept that and indeed, I will fight against it with all that I have.

[sandipuma]

LOL Tom sorry for the 2 spelling mistakes as i hit the wrong keys. Please do come in and see the work we do at Puma . I speak for all of us when i say we would love to have you.
Thank you,
Sincerely, Sandi

[sandipuma]

Hi Tom, Again i would like to thank you for your post.As you know a week and a half ago we were in number over nine million strong.Since then there has been three groups who have left Mr.Obama because of his flip-flops and his vote for FISA.We have been growing faster than you van immagine and now to date we are probably around 13 to 14 million strong.
As far as Ms.Murphy gors and anyone of us Pumas we do not use the language that we have been accused of. Also there has been another Death Threat to one of our Pumas.This Tom is the kind of supporters Mr.Obama has and encourages.This i know because this last one who was threatened was by a person who works for the Obama campaign locally.
Again thank you for this chance to blog and so sorry i was late

[Julianne Barbato, Nevada PUMA]

My post precedes an online article (ABC 13) about PUMA as well as many posts from PUMAs (and a few ignorant Obamatons) from around the country:
Hillary Clinton has always fought for us, and now we are fighting for her, and for an end to the corruption in and evil machinations of the hacks—Herr Dean, Brazilla, the Gang of Losers, and George Soros—who have morphed the Democratic Party into an oxymoron, who have disrespected, disregarded, and dismissed the loyal base who have supported each loser they have proffered in recent election cycles.

PUMA members number in the millions...more than enough to tilt the election to the honorable John McCain if need be. We will demand in no uncertain terms that Senator Clinton’s name be PLACED IN NOMINATION, regardless of whether at the time of the convention Obama has been hoist by his own petard. Our coalition comprises men and women, from eighteen-year-olds to nonagenarians, black, whites, reds, yellows, and browns; Democrats—recent, long-term, and recently resigned—Republicans for Hillary, Independents, and the unaffiliated. For all its problems, we love our country, and we revere the principles on which it was founded. We will never turn it over to thugs and Napoleons of the ilk that support Obama or to the poseur himself.

We are the stewards of democracy. We know the Founders are smiling down on us, cheering us on, and proud that we—a united, powerful, and ever-growing coalition—have arisen spontaneously in revolt to those whose intentions and actions would put asunder all they worked to achieve. We have only just begun, and we will be united, not just throughout this election cycle, but for the rest of our days.

You may scoff at us now, but we will change the face of politics and governance in this country for centuries to come. You may scoff at us now, but we will remember in November. You may scoff at us now, but come November 5th, all of Donna Brazile’s words of disunity will sit like a hairy bolus in her throat as she and her cohorts slink into obscurity.

PUMA, now and forever, for the betterment of every American, for the good of our beloved country!

[hipelayne]

Country before Party! PUMA!

[GeekLove]

Yes, we are Democrats.

And by the way, I created the above video, but have never been an Obama supporter.

I hope everyone supports the Denver Group's efforts to achieve a genuine roll call vote at the Democratic Convention. It is not too late to elect Hillary.