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Take Back America Conference II
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Take Back America Conference II
Whoo! It looks like I missed a heck of a great Day 2 of the Take Back America conference. Highlights from the blogs include a rousing speech by Barack Obama a panel on how Fox News was outfoxed by progressive activists, a rally for the Employee Free Choice Act in Capitol Hill a speech by John Edwards.
Last night I was able to see a “kitchen table discussion with three Populist senators (Sanders, Brown and Klobuchar) moderated by Katrina vanden Heuvel of the Nation magazine. Here’s a blog report.
Yesterday, what intrigued me was the session on “The War of Ideas: New Economics.” Presenters here were alumni of the think tank Economic Policy Institute. Rich Trumka (AFL-CIO), Julianne Malveaux (economist and president of Bennett College); Larry Mishel (economist and President, EPI); and moderator Roger Hickey (Campaign for America’s Future). Trumka gave a Powerpoint presentation along the theme of a Progressive economic agenda. He said that this presentation will be the start of an ambitious, nationwide worker education drive. He says (and I agree with him) that the key to winning back power from the conservative movement is to have a compelling economic message to combat the conservative “You’re On Your Own” ideology of privatization, outsourcing, globalization, and small government. He has it correct that the real battle is for the hearts and minds of average Americans. The Progressive movement must have a powerful counterpoint to the conservative message. Just pointing out conservative failures is not enough. Progressives must provide a compelling alternative vision of how economic issues will be implemented under a Progressive agenda.
The session was an unveiling of the education program and the AFL-CIO is seeking feedback from interested people and organizations on the presentation and how it can be crafted for multiple audiences.
In my mind, this is where the Democrats are potentially strongest—traditional Populist issues that concern the economic well-being of ordinary people. I am extremely happy that this Populist energy is being expressed openly and widely via vehicles like the TBA conference. I just hope that come election time:
a) The Democrats will not water down this Populist message in order to appeal to the so-called “Center” – as if watering down a Populist message is the way to appeal to the Center
b) The Democratic leadership will be good on the rhetoric but when it comes time for them to take the reins, that the national agenda will still be the agenda of the rich and the corporations rather than the agenda of ordinary working folk.
Representative Keith Ellison said it best in the opening plenary that in order for (b) not to happen, that ordinary people must be vigilant and active in holding Congress and elected officials like him to the fire. That ordinary people must take an active part in keeping their government on the up and up.
Yes, the conference was definitely one big pep rally and the words, soaring rhetoric, and fighting attitude is definitely much easier said than actually done. But for a first-timer, this was a great introduction to movement activism. And I do feel that there definitely is a movement ongoing that is much bigger than political party affiliation.
Take Back America Conference I
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Take Back America Conference I
Whew! What a day! I spent today at Day 1 of the Take Back America conference and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My head is swimming with plenty of thoughts about what I saw and heard that I probably will spread out my report on the conference in two or three posts.
I only could afford this one day so I will miss appearances by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich as well as I am sure plenty of interesting sessions. But that is OK. I had a good twelve and a half hours of straight conferencing done.
I attended these sessions:
• Opening Plenary: Our Time Has Come
• The War of Ideas: A New Economics for America
• We’ve Got Issues: Young People in Action
• FairVote: National Popular Vote
• Plenary Session: The New Populist Energy
One of the questions I wanted to answer for myself when I first set out to go to this conference was whether or not I saw a role for Independents and non-affiliated people in the Progressive movement. Whether or not I see the Progressive movement’s agenda as being inclusive of Independents.
• In the speech by Robert Borosage of Campaign for America’s Future in the opening plenary, he showed a chart of the building blocks of the Progressive Agenda and movement. One of the items were Independents.
• Progressive Reform was defined, again by Borosage, as an “Independent Movement” from both major parties. That it has to go beyond party politics.
• In the presentation by Rich Trumka of the AFL-CIO, he defined the Progressive and Labor Agenda as “more than just throwing out Republicans and electing Democrats.”
• The presence of Senator Bernard Sanders, the lone true Independent in Congress
So all in all, to answer the question of is there room for Independents in the Progressive movement, it seems to be “yes.” The Progressive movement, as expressed in the TBA conference, is invoking language that in order to truly push a Progressive agenda forward, that the movement must go beyond party politics in order to appeal to most American voters (a lot of whom are not affiliated with either major party). Now that effectively translates to vote Democratic rather than Republican in the next elections. But the crux of what I got from the conference is that the movement’s job is to make sure that the right types of Democrats are the ones in line for our votes.
Is that good enough for many, if not most Independents? I don’t know. I can’t speak for every other Independent out there. But I do come out of the conference feeling good, with a lot of energy, and optimistic about the road ahead to the 2008 elections.
Take Back America Conference
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Take Back America Conference
OK the big day is almost here. I will be attending Day 1 of the Take Back America conference tomorrow. I couldn’t afford the full three days but I plan on getting as much out of my day as I can.
I’ll be wearing a badge that shows my monicker: “Blogger: Liberal Arts Dude” so if you see me please say hello.
I’d like to attend each and every session but alas, some are running at the same time. Here is a preview of some of the most interesting sessions:
Session: The War of Ideas: A Real Security Agenda for America
Session: The War of Ideas: How Conservatism Has Failed
Session: The War of Ideas: New Economics
Self-Organizing Session: Clean & Fair Elections Now
Description
You know the problem – campaign cash is the currency of our democracy. Money drowns out the votes and voices of ordinary Americans resulting in policies that benefit the wealthy special interests. If we want clean air and water, affordable and accessible healthcare and education, consumer protection, alternative energy and more, then we need clean and fair elections. Let’s level the playing field and give progressive candidates a way to run and win on ideas. We can end the corrupting pay-to-play politics with public funding of elections. Come learn more about the successes in the states and the nationwide movement to pass the Fair Elections Now Act.Session: Out of Iraq: What Comes Next?
Session: We’ve Got Issues: Young People in Action
Session: Voicing Your Values: How to Talk About Progressive Issues
Self-Organizing Session: Conservatives are to Supply-Side Economics as Progressives are to ________?
Self-Organizing Session: Reaching the Public
Self-Organizing Session: Creating a National Popular Vote for President: Organizing Insurrection in “Spectator States”
Description
Maryland State Senator Jamin Raskin and representatives of FairVote will discuss the exciting campaign for a Natioanl Popular Vote, which was just passed into law in the state of Maryland and has passed 11 state legislative bodies, including both houses in California, Hawaii and Illinois. The plan is to create an interstate compact of states comprising 270 in the electoral college that will commit to cast their electors in presidential elections for the winner of the national popular election. This plan, which has been endorsed by the New York Times, would prevent nightmarish election scenarios like the 2000 election when the national popular vote loser (George Bush by more than a half-million votes) was able to win based on manipulation of the vote in Florida and partisan intervention by the Supreme Court. It would also reenergize presidential politics in the two-thirds of states which are now safely red or blue and are thus fly-over territory in presidential elections. This grassroots movement and strategy could revitalize democratic politics in America and make every vote count. Come hear more about the National Popular Vote plan from the State Senator (and constitutional law professor) who introduced it in Maryland as well as speakers from FairVote, America’s leading electoral reform group.Self-Organizing Session: Election Protection 2008
Description
We’ll review the challenges we face with electronic voting machines, caging lists, voter intimidation and so much more in 2008. We’ll organize to protect the vote.Self-Organizing Session: Do You Want a New U.S. Foreign Policy?
Description
Join Foreign Policy In Focus and the Institute for Policy Studies in a discussion of how to take back American foreign policy. Americans went to the polls last November to elect a new foreign policy. Instead, we got more of the same. The Bush administration has sent more U.S. troops to Iraq, stepped away from reductions in nuclear weapons, ignored the urgency of climate change, and continued to support economic policies that widen the gap between the haves and the have nots. The Democrats have a golden opportunity to present a new U.S. foreign policy in which America is a global partner, not a global cop. Drawing from their bold, new Just Security framework, FPIF and IPS will offer a new way for Democrats to think about America’s role in the world. Join report editor John Feffer (FPIF and IPS), along with report contributors Emira Woods (FPIF and IPS), Anita Dancs (National Priorities Project), and Kevin Martin (PeaceAction).Session: The New Populist Energy
Speakers:
Senator Sherrod Brown
Senator Amy Klobuchar
Senator Bernie Sanders
Katrina vanden Heuvel
I’ll be attending these sessions with the notion in mind of how unaffiliated, Independent voters and concerned citizens fit into the Progressive agenda—if at all. Disclosure: I think they should. I know that the purpose of these conferences is to rally the base of tried and true diehard Progressives. But if the Progressive movement wants to win legislative victories they cannot afford to ignore Independent voters and their concerns about the Democratic Party and party politics in general.
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