A lot of Kucitizens are involved in the PDA--

[eridani]

Progressive Wing of the Democratic Party Announces First Policy Statement and Ongoing Mission

MEDIA CONTACT: Tim Carpenter
Email: [e-mail]
Phone: [phone]
Web: http://www.pdamerica.org

Washington, DC--Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) announced its first policy initiative today in its drive to influence the platform and agenda of the national Democratic Party. Citing the slim 2.6% majority vote achieved in the recent election, the new statement released by PDA asserts, "We do not believe that the November election was a mandate to destroy Iraq while saving it nor an endorsement of the President's management of the conflict."

"Our objective is to demonstrate that the progressive movement is alive and growing both inside and outside the Party," said PDA director, Tim Carpenter. PDA was established as a counterbalance to the Democratic Leadership Council. Many rank-and-file Party members feel the DLC appeased conservatives and allowed a policy shift to the political right.

High profile thought leaders like writer and journalist Tom Hayden, have endorsed the PDA position statement. "It is George Bush's mistake now," said Hayden, "The role of all Democrats and concerned Americans is to make him end his denial, accept responsibility and take significant steps to end the American occupation and leave Iraq to the Iraqis."

PDA currently has 11 state caucuses with 15,000 registered members. The group has begun to work with its 22 other allied progressive organizations to launch a grassroots effort to influence the Democrats and put pressure on the current administration. In the wake of the November general election, this effort indicates the resilience of the grassroots movement established during the 2003-2004 Democratic Primary is still alive and represents the heartbeat of the Democratic Party.

We've advanced plans for the January Progressive Democratic Summit in D.C. on the weekend of January 21st that over 1000 progressives from across the nation will attend, including Tom Hayden, Representative John Conyers, Code Pink Co-Founder Medea Benjamin, James Zogby of the Arab America Institute, and Jeff Cohen, founder of Fairness and Accuracy in Media.

A Time to Break the Democrats' Silence on Falluja and the Escalation of the War in Iraq

As Progressive Democrats we call on our Democratic Party leadership to break the public silence on the bloodbath in Falluja. Sixteen hundred Iraqi insurgents are said to have been killed and countless others maimed, crippled or injured in a single week. Over thirty American soldiers are dead and several hundred are wounded. Over eighty major attacks have been launched on American positions in several other uprisings from Mosul to Baghdad. Despite military and administration public relations, the US-trained Iraqi forces cannot or will not stand on their own.

America is creating a slaughterhouse in the name of democratic elections. As foreigners, we are dividing Sunni from Shiite and Kurd in the name of a fragmented Iraqi unity. We are ominously alone, abandoned by fifteen of our Coalition allies - so far - and by the United Nations.

This military strike was timed to occur after the American presidential election. While the main responsibility lies with President Bush, the national Democratic Party leadership has supported and encouraged the military offensive in Falluja as well. Both parties have bloody hands.

It is time for the bipartisan collusion in this war to end. It is time for the Democratic Party to become faithful to its faithful rank-and-file through becoming the party of opposition. It is time to declare clearly that this war is a mistake. The conduct of the war is a mistake. America is squandering the lives of its soldiers, the revenues of its taxpayers, and the trust of its people for a mistake.

When will our party leaders join in asking who will be the last American to die for this mistake?

Progressive Democrats will neither wait nor be silent. We will organize locally as voices and voters for peace. We will hold our Congressional representatives accountable if they support a $75 billion blood-stained check for the Iraq war. We will point out the daily cost of the war to our deficits, our cities, health care, housing and anti-poverty programs. We will demand greater candor and respect for our combat soldiers while also honoring those troops and their families who choose to oppose the war in the tradition of the young John Kerry.

During the presidential campaign, we gave one hundred percent for a Democratic ticket that felt compelled to defend a mistake. We do not believe that the November election was a mandate to destroy Iraq while saving it nor an endorsement of the President's management of the conflict. It is George Bush's mistake now, and the role of all Democrats and concerned Americans is to make him end his denial, accept responsibility and take significant steps to end the American occupation and leave Iraq to the Iraqis.

[no name no slogan]

1. Yes, we are!!!

As a matter of fact, the MN DFL Progressive Caucus (which is a PDA affiliate, and was founded by several ex-Kucinich campaigners) is co-hosting the first of many "DNC Listening Tours" that will bring the concerns of the grassroots before the DNC.

The first one is Friday evening in St. Paul, MN. Visit www.progressivecaucus.net for full details (right on the front page).

With a lot of hard work and a little luck, we're going to make the party stand for something besides more corporate cash. We're going to rebuild a more grassroots, responsive Democratic party, one state at a time!

[Desertrose]

2. just got this from an old DK list...Progressives.period.

I think many of us are on the same track...here's another version....FWIW
:hi: DR


Subject: GREETINGS...YOU HAVE JUST BEEN DRAFTED !

From: Progressive Party USA Yahoo Group Owner
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProgressivePartyUSA/

To whom it may concern;

I have had some folks ask me a question...why can't other political
parties which exist right now take up the banner of the Progressive
Movement and make it their own...here is my reply...

The problem with Greens, Libertarians, Natural Law and any other of
the dozens of political parties currently on the scenes is that most
Americans have been fed a steady stream of negative connotations
about them...they are not under just one banner so the message gets
blurred...and the media dogs have rounded up the sheople and helped
to convince them that these are all out of the mainstream
groups...that the candidates of these groups are just as distant from
the nation's center...or worse...

So too is the recent organizational attempts with the Progressive
Democrats of America...who seek to change things from within...we saw
how the Corporate Centrist Party bosses handled this very large
segment of the Democratic Party at the convention didn't we...the
only delegates who stood by their convictions and went against the
tide in the voting were a handful of Kucinich Delegates...and even
then...I can't remember any issue of Progressives which made it into
the platform...and just look at the time and money spent to keep
Nader off of the ballot while completely walking away from the
principles of the party and the issues which built it over the
years...Dean, Kucinich, Sharpton and Nader were the only candidates
actually addresses the concerns of most voters...but we all saw how
the media and the corporate hacks in both parties went after them
didn't we...

This leaves one option remaining...bring back the Progressive
Party...many older voters remember Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, JFK,
Carter and other great Progressives of their days...Republican,
Independent and Democratic voters can more easily identify themselves
with the positions, ideas, comments and records of such forward
thinking and acting officials...a well thought out platform which
deals with all of the nuances of political perceptions can have a
huge impact with a much larger body of voters than any of the current
organizations do...in fact most American voters are
Progressives...they just don't know it...there are liberals,
conservatives and moderates in every political party...these
positions don't always mean wearing a Democrat or Liberal label even
though some on both extremes would like to conect the terms...most
people are a mix of all of these...that makes them Progressives...

Progressive Party positions can be defended by even our
opposition...and in fact many in both major parties have often said
that they support many of the common ideas which Progressives have
promoted over many years...the difference is...that when they get
themselves into office...they don't act on any of it...right now in
Congress there are many bills before the elected body...and both
Democrats and Republicans have been tripping over each other to see
who can pass the most Draconian acts...restrict the most rights and
freedoms...to declare unprovoked and unilateral war on the most
sovereign nations...and to even further this insanity...rogue
Republicans, not Democrats have held up the new and dangerous changes
in law hidden in the Intelligence reform bill...the post 9-11
hysteria is out of control in the halls of Congress...even the
candidates of both major parties this past year have been in the "me
too" mode of thought...Bush and company says they need more of the
same...and many Democrats jumped up to the podium and said me too...

If we wish to reach out and make a truly unique party made up of
citizens from all walks of life, all political and religious
backgrounds and from all segments of society...we need a newer and
more unifying banner and slogan with which they can all readily
identify...the Progressive Party USA...working for a better
future...no longer will the two major parties be able to take for
granted the votes of certain segments within their ranks...they will
now have to earn that support...seek it from the Progressives in the
country...and fight for the votes of thinking Americans of all
persuasions...

We can include the best that the other parties now offer and add our
own special perspective on those issues...new ideas create new
enthusiasm...it is how JFK got a whole generation to move this nation
forward by leaps and bounds in many arenas...it is how TR got people
thinking about corporate ethics and fairness...and how DDE moved a
nation to start thinking about the future...we can do the
same...offer real choices in candidates...real solutions to tough
problems...and better ways to deal with our global neighbors...

This is our time to be the change we seek in others...our vision can
be shared with those who have been waiting for leaders who can offer
more than just canned slogans of the day and political rhetoric...and
it is time for a reborn Progressive Party to be the catalystic force
under which all these disgruntled, disillusioned, disenfranchised and
disappointed voters can all rally under with pride and hope for a
better future...and again join in the revolution of taking their
government back from the lobbyists, big business bucks and corrupted
politicians who have sold their liberties off to the highest bidder
while letting their campaign brokers pick the public treasury
clean...a government which has abused its powers both at home and
abroad...

With many states now reporting almost as many voters registered
Independent as there are Democrats or Republicans...it is becoming
clearer that more and more Americans don't trust their
government...in fact they fear it...and this is mainly because they
feel they no longer have any control over who gets elected to office
or how those in office will look after themselves first and then
their friends...and perhaps just before the next election...the
people they represent will garner a little attention...the country
and the world are quickly changing for the worse...and the people see
this daily in reminders from the news media...the difference between
candidates is getting blurred in the public's eyes...they just can't
see any difference...let's offer them real choices for a change...

The current political parties have too long enjoyed loyal sectors
within their ranks...taking for granted minorities or issue oriented
groups within the body of voters they depend on at the polls...this
is neither right or can it go on indefinately...we must reach out to
these voters directly...give them the respect they deserve and ask
for their participation in a newer...more inclusive...and a much
better political party that they can all identify with...and it is
just common sense to reach out to them...

We intend to establish a real alternative to the current corrupted
system of Republicrats and Demicans which are both controlled by an
heirarchy of corporate elites...in doing so, we hope to gain an
effective share of the electorate with which we can then use to
change the way this nation does business both at home and
abroad...such a political force could sway local, county, state and
national elections by using its clout as a tool in the policy making
bodies and by offering support to candidates in any party which
adhere to the Progressive Party Platform...some Progressives in our
past history include Theodore Roosevelt, Bob LaFollete, Henry
Wallace, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Paul
Wellstone, Dennis Kucinich, Howard Dean, Ralph Nader and
others...Progressives are responsible for Women's Suffrage, Anti-
trust laws, Prohibition of Child Labor, Protection of Trade Unions,
Civil Rights laws, American Indian Voting rights, National Park
System, increased spending on welfare, education, health care, public
works and the establishment of the minimum wage standards...let's
keep up this noble tradition and change the direction of our nation
from its current and destructive path...

If you still choose to stay in the party you are in...please work
with us to promote a Progressive agenda...after all...the main goal
is to change the way the major parties, the media and our government
operate...

That's how I see it anyway...

Mike Price
Progressive Party USA Group Owner
I invite you to visit and join us at...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ProgressivePartyUSA/

[no name no slogan]

3. Yeah, I've seen this before-- interesting

In MN we're actually taking a two-track approach with our progressive caucus. One branch will work within the Democratic party, while a seperate branch will work with progressives across party lines.

Michael Moore described this same approach many years ago, and I have to agree with him on it. Realistically, we only have two viable parties in the US-- and it's much easier to take over the machinery of an existing party than it is to start from scratch. However, that takes some time, and we need progressives outside the party to urge it toward more progressive positions.

[eridani]

4. Something that the Progressive Party doesn't have--

--PCOs. I switched from the Greens to the Dems to support Kucinich, and have become aware of all the organizational infrastructure neccessary for successfully contesting elections, and none of the 3rd parties have it. Not saying we should focus only on elections, but if we are going to take them seriously, this is what we need.

When you have it, you can pounce on the opportunity presented to the Gregoire gubernatorial campaign by a court decision to allow the names of people whose provisional ballots weren't up to snuff (inconsistencies in names and addresses). Within a day, there was a massive phonebanking and canvassing effort mounted to get the proper paperwork to people in person and then deliver it to the county auditor. It included a making up batches of 4x6 PostIts with all the information and the campaign number to call to leave on the doors of people who weren't home.

[Desertrose]

5. I agree with both of you guys

I think its great to take advantage of the already existing infrastructure and also good to have "urging" from the outside....

We need to take a note from the way the RW managed to use everything available to them.

:hi: DR

[genius]

6. PDA looks much more progressive than DFA

[no name no slogan]

7. DFA is more reform-focused, IMHO, while PDA is more liberal

DFA is a lot like the Perot/"Reform Party" movement of 10 years ago, INMO. They don't have as strong an ideological focus, and are instead more concerned with structural reforms in the system rather than promoting a liberal/left agenda.

Even Howard Dean has said that DFA could possibly endorse non-Democratic candidates and even reform-minded Repubs, too, while PDA is more focues on creating a progressive voting bloc in the Democratic Party.

I'm not saying that one is better than the other, necessarily, but I'm sure each group will end up cooperating on certain things in the future.