Democracy for America

In 2004 and 2006, I supported Leonard Boswell, Congressman from Iowa's third Congressional district. Boswell has been heavily targeted by the Republican party and tends to squeak by to victory. His age and health were issues in 2006. I supported him through it all.

This year I am supporting a primary challenger to Boswell with some reluctance. Bottom line is I am tired of having to defend the district against increasingly aggressive Republican challenges just waiting for Boswell to retire. The time for him to retire is now and there is an excellent alternative.

Next to the Democratic Primary, the most exciting and important race of Super Tuesday is the IL-3 Democratic Primary. Our readers in Chicago and Cook County have a very real choice in this Congressional primary. This race pits an anti-choice, pro-Bush incumbent, Dan Lipinski, against a grassroots progressive challenger, Mark Pera.

Dan Lipinski has been a consistent opponent of a woman's right to choose, a consistent opponent of life-saving stem cell research, and a consistent supporter of Bush's Iraq quagmire. He votes more in line with Bush's agenda than practically any Democrat in the House. In fact, he has voted with Bush 50% of the time!

By contrast, Mark Pera is a true Democrat. He has been endorsed by the National Organization of Women, the Jewish Political Alliance of Illinois, United Muslims and Arabs for a Better America, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Citizens Action/Illinois, Democracy for America (DFA), Mexicanos for Political Progress, Planned Parenthood, United Citizens for a Better America, and Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century as well as a whole slew of local politicians. For Americans who want change, THIS race is critical.

Here is Mark Pera speaking about special interests:

Northside DFA Election Day Volunteering for Mark Pera (Chicago)
Start: 02/05/2008 - 4:30am
Group: Northside DFA
Cost: free
Address: Pier One Parking Lot, 5306 N. Broadway, Chicago

ELECTION DAY VOLUNTEERING!!!
- Tuesday, February 5th from 4:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
- We need maximum coverage on election day at our precincts. We need to have nice friendly faces with Mark Pera buttons and palm cards at every polling place -- so we need you! Even if you can only do part of the day, sign up now so we can get you in the schedule.
- RSVP at: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=24781

Northside DFA Canvassing for Mark Pera (Chicago)
Start: 02/03/2008 - 12:00pm
Group: Northside DFA
Cost: free
Address: Pier One Parking Lot, 5306 N. Broadway, Chicago

NDFA Event: Go Door to Door for Congressional Candidate Mark Pera

Mark Pera is running against anti-choice, pro-war machine "Democrat" Dan Lipinski in the February 5th primary election. We will meet at the Pier 1 Parking Lot at 5304 N. Broadway and carpool to our assigned precincts. This is the ground work that gets progressive candidates elected! First timer? We will start with a brief training and the pair you up with an experienced person.

RSVP and get details at: http://www.dfalink.com/event.php?id=26978

Tuesday November 6th is election day 2007. I have been covering as many states as I could to highlight races that are important to progressives, relying on organizations I am familiar with like Democracy for America and its local affiliates and Progressive Majority.

Well, each time I post about this over at Daily Kos SOMEONE wants more. Now it's Utah. Yep...there are things the progressive grassroots can do in Utah as well. So here we go...PROGRESSIVES GET OUT AND VOTE IN UTAH!

First off is a school voucher referendum that needs to be opposed. VOTE NO ON REFERENDUM 1. This school voucher referendum is opposed by the Utah PTA, NAACP - Salt Lake Chapter, League of Women Voters, Voices for Utah Children, Communities for Quality Education (CQE), American Civil Liberties Union, Utah Family Partnership Network, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) - Utah Section, and many others. And there is a scathing editorial in the Salt Lake Tribune urging a "NO" vote on Referendum 1.

Democracy for Utah also has endorsed Ralph Becker for Salt Lake City mayor. Becker has also been endorsed by Salt Lake County Hispanic Caucus, Sierra Club, Utah Black Democratic Caucus, Cal Rampton (former Governor of Utah), and many, many others.

Coninuing my push for progressive victories for election day 2007 this Tuesday, Nov. 6th, I want to highlight candidates endorsed by Democracy for Tennessee. All of these candidates are running in Nashville:

DFT Endorses Candidates in Nashville Elections!

DFA Nashville and Democracy for Tennessee are proud to announce the endorsement of the "Nashville New Wave" slate of candidates running for Metro Council!

These six candidates, running for office for the first time, promise to bring a diverse, new, progressive vision to Nashville that will allow our city to prosper and give hope to the next generation. Representing areas all across the county and campaigning using grassroots tactics, the New Wave slate are ready to take our county back. They are...

SAM McCULLOUGH

Sam didn't set out to run for Metro Council, but residents of his district, long impressed at how he worked to help solve their problems, talked him into it.

Sam believes in improving the quality of his neighborhood and making people's lives better. As a life-long Nashville resident, people have looked to him as a leader.

His persistence has won him the trust of his neighbors and he will become a valuable and trusted voice on the Metro Council.

To help get out the vote for Sam, email here: jim@democracryfortennessee.com

SHANE BURKETT

If progressives want a solid voice in American politics they sure as hell better vote, vote carefully and, ideally, get out the vote for the best candidates. And off-year, low voter turnout elections like what is coming up TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6TH are the best chances for progressives to affect the outcome. So from now until Tuesday, get busy to prove progressives are a force in American politics.

Continuing my lead up to the 2007 elections on TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6th, I now cover the Democracy for America and Progressive Majority endorsements for Washington State.

Jackie Minchew- Everett City Council - Position 7 Endorsed by Democracy for Washington, Democracy for America, Sierra Club, Washington Conservation Voters...and many more)

Charlene Rawson - Everett City Council - Position 4 (Endorsed by Democracy for America, Democracy for Washington, Everett Firefighters, The Sierra Club, Washington Conservation Voters...and many more)

Al Runte - Seattle City Council - Position 3 (Enddorsed by Democracy for Washington, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 77...and many more).

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6th is election day. If progressives want a solid voice in American politics we gotta influence elections. And off-year, low voter turnout elections like what is coming up TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6TH are the best chances for progressives to affect the outcome.

I now turn to some California endorsements from Democracy for America's Silicon Valley group and from Progressive Majority, one of the most successful grassroots organizations around.

First, Silicon Valley: (with links)

Los Altos City Council

* Randall Hull (also endorsed by the California League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club)

Palo Alto City Council

* Pat Burt
* Dan Dykwel
* Sid Espinoza
* Yiawey Yeh (also endorsed by Sierra Club and California League of Conservation Voters)

Palo Alto Unified School District
( vote for three only )

* Claude Exran
* Wynn Hauser
* Barbara Klausner
* Camille Townsend

Sunnyvale City Council

If progressives want a solid voice in American politics they sure as hell better vote, vote carefully and, ideally, get out the vote for the best candidates. And off-year, low voter turnout elections like what is coming up TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6TH are the best chances for progressives to affect the outcome. So from now until Tuesday, get busy to prove progressives are a force in American politics.

Some time ago I wrote about a progressive, Gary Anderson, running for Mississippi state insurance commissioner against an incumbent who favored insurance companies over average Americans. This left many victims of Katrina without recourse if their insurance companies tried to refuse to pay out what the victims deserved. My friend from Mississippi who knows many Katrina victims sent me this report:

Most of the people who DID receive money from the insurance companies received only a fraction of what it would cost to replace what they lost. There was the on going battle of wind vs water issue. That even Trent Lott had to deal with. He sued state farm and they settle out of court kind of quietly... However, when Bush visited the coast he promised Trent that he would rebuild his waterfront house. I think it would be interesting to look into what really happened in that case. No one I talked to was happy with the insurance settlements that they received. Now premiums are so high that many people can only afford the basic coverage. Insurance companies were boasting at how much money the gained last year, mainly because they didn't pay the proper amount of money to the people who lost their homes in the disaster. Also, many people have not had the money to fix or rebuild their house and today is the 2 year anniversary.

If progressives want a solid voice in American politics they sure as hell better vote, vote carefully and, ideally, get out the vote for the best candidates. And off-year, low voter turnout elections like what is coming up TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6TH are the best chances for progressives to affect the outcome. So from now until Tuesday, get busy to prove progressives are a force in American politics.

This comes from New Jersey for Democracy. First remember that an election is coming up. Off year elections have HORRIBLE voter turnout, which means more than ever, YOUR VOTE COUNTS. It is the chance for progressives to have real upset victories. So, with that in mind: GET OUT AND VOTE ON TUESDAY NOVEMBER 6th!!

And here are some endorsements from Democracy for America for New Jersey progressives:

DFA National Endorsements in New Jersey

Ed Zipprich for Red Bank Borough Council

Ed Zipprich has been a Democracy For America activist for years; he's attended the DFA Training Academy and Night School. A leader of Monmouth for Democracy, and a member of the New Jersey Stonewall Democrats and Democracy for New Jersey, Ed has helped to build New Jersey's progressive community from the grassroots up. Let's show him our thanks by helping him win his race:

Visit Ed's website