California Democrats adopted a series of predictable positions as their convention this afternoon - supporting Planned Parenthood, healthy oceans and the California Dream Act, for example - but a shot at one Orange County Republican caused a minor stir within the ranks.
A resolution condemning Marilyn Davenport for an e-mail depicting President Obama as an ape was the only item whose approval was not at least near-unanimous. Some delegates raised concerns about free speech and suggested it is not the party's place to call, as the resolution does, for Republicans to remove Davenport from her position on a local GOP board.
The item was approved after brief debate on the convention's final day. Alice Huffman, president of the state NAACP, said the resolution was not about free speech, but a response to "racism, hatred."
The three-day convention, at the Sacramento Convention Center, ended without an appearance by Gov. Jerry Brown. Brown, who was scheduled to speak today, had a cancerous growth removed from his nose on Friday and is skipping public events until his stitches are removed, his office said.
Brown was not replaced on the agenda. But his case for tax extensions was made by California schools chief Tom Torlakson. He said California's education system is at a "tipping point," threatened by further spending cuts and already with one of the shortest school years in the modern world.
"I'm a proud Democrat, but funding our schools is not a partisan issue," he said. "It should simply be our top priority."
Delegates trickled out as the day wore on. A small group of protesters demonstrated outside the convention center. They demanded better protections for immigrant workers, among other things.
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