PROGRESSIVES, 2016
JUNE 11, 2016


ALAN GRAYSON AND SUPPORTERS

I know little about Grayson, but he certainly does sound like a Progressive, so I searched his background on Google. One source called him a “firebrand,” but he’s a firebrand for the right causes in my opinion and has had considerably voter support. The USA Today article on Sanders is included for the names given in it of Progressives around the country, and a running list of search words that look likely to be productive. The Wikipedia bio shows him to be a super hard worker and highly qualified intellectually and educationally. See the “Early Life and Education” section. He has slogged his way up in Florida politics and won most of the contests, even though Florida is a Purple state rather than a Blue state.

Grayson has been charged by some, who are probably rivals, against his name for running a hedge fund (presumably illegally) while still in Congress, but he has claimed that the stories are “lies.” He’s pretty darned feisty, with mild profanity, but he does stand for goals that I would like to see enacted. He’s an FDR style reformer. See all below.



EMAIL from Alan Grayson, 6/8/16

Alan Grayson Jun 5 at 7:58 PM
To
Lucy Warner

Dear Lucy,

For the past few months, I’ve been attacked for coming out against the corruption that I see in our party, starting with “Please-Ignore-the-Fact-That-I’m-Under-Criminal-Investigation” Sen. Harry Reid. But despite what the Lie Factory at the top may want you to believe, I love the Democratic Party. I just hate what these Mafia accountants with Napoleonic complexes have done to it. In fact, it’s because I love the party that I so much hate what they have done.

I have listened to so many Democratic activists, as you have reached out to express your anger, your frustration, and your worries. You have felt ignored, belittled, and betrayed. So have I.

The disenfranchisement of Democratic voters in choosing our candidates has been largely ignored by the complicit national media. Leaders have been replaced or squelched by corporate bag men. We have been directed to sit down, shut up, and do what we are told. Or, as Archie Bunker used to say to Edith, “Stifle!”

Up for grabs, right now, is the very notion that candidates matter, that programs matter, that government matters, and that democracy even exists. Any candidate who shows the slightest commitment to Democratic principles is condemned by the party overlords and their media stenographers as “unelectable,” or “ideological,” or “unrealistic.” In fact, the one last thing that the Democratic Politburo is good at is defeating progressive Democratic candidates. Lord knows that they don’t have a clue about how to beat Republicans. In Florida, a very purple state, party bosses have delivered the nomination in statewide races to right-wing Democrats virtually every time this century. And we have lost 14 of those 15 races.

I will not sit down. I will not shut up. I will not do as I am told. And because of that, malicious party hacks are bent on ending this campaign. Help me fight back against the D.C. Establishment’s attacks, and show them you won’t settle either -- by chipping in to our insurgent campaign now >>

I cannot with good conscience stand by and watch our party abandon the progressive principles and grassroots activists who have built the party we know and love today. I cannot stand by and watch our party recruit and promote candidates who betray the very people our party is supposed to serve, by eschewing the progressive values that working families so desperately need.

Once upon a time, our party was about so much more than the color blue. This party was about recognizing that many working families and seniors are struggling, and about making things better for them. It was about recognizing the injustice and inequality in our society, and then DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

When I was growing up, my parents were Democrats, not because it was trendy, but because they counted on the Democratic Party to improve their lives. They counted on the Democrats to fight for the healthcare benefits I needed to stay alive as a sick child. They counted on the Democrats to fight for the public housing we lived in, instead of the slum my father grew up in. They counted on the Democrats to protect their right to organize, and fair compensation to them as public employees.

What our corrupt, decrepit, and power-mad Democratic Establishment seems to have forgotten is the people like my parents today, the people who would like to vote for Democrats, feel that way because they need our help. Every time our self-appointed “leaders” ram through the nomination of a sellout corporate Democrat, another angel in heaven dies, and (perhaps more importantly) another 100,000 more Democrats flee the un-Democratic Party. Yes, the lobbyists are pleased, and they will keep those PAC checks coming, but our soul is gone. As Walt Kelly used to say in Pogo, “we have met the enemy, and he is us.”

I’m trying to change that. I’m trying to remind our party that we don’t have to be Republican to beat a Republican – that never works -- and that we can still be champions for the People. But there’s only so much I can do alone.

Today, I’m asking you to stand with me, and speak out against what our party has become. Chip in $23, or whatever you can afford now, to help us send a powerful message to our party’s rotten, unscrupulous Establishment.

Despite what our party Politburo may think, there’s a lot more at stake this year than which party gets to kowtow best to the 1 percent. This election season, we will decide what kind of party we want to be from here on out. We're fighting for the soul of the Democratic Party. I hope you’ll join us.

Courage,
Rep. Alan Grayson



EMAIL from Grayson, June 4, 2016

They told Bernie to quit. He didn't. And I won't.

Dear Lucy,

You have to wonder. Who do these people think they are?

More than a month ago, not very long after Bernie Sanders won eight Presidential primaries and caucuses in a row, nasty party hack Harry Reid asked Bernie to drop out of the Presidential race. This was several months after Reid manipulated polling in Las Vegas in order to defeat Bernie in Nevada. (Reid ordered the casinos to give casino workers time off in the middle of the day to attend the caucuses, and then deployed 100 “poll watchers” to make sure that “people know what they’re doing.”)

When Reid issued his edict to Bernie to drop out, Reid was fresh off wrecking the political career of Donna Edwards, for no good reason whatsoever. Donna, a committed progressive, would have been the second African-American woman elected to the Senate. Reid, a rather confused individual, thought that Donna had hurt Reid protégé Shelley Berkley. Donna hadn’t, but of course, that didn’t matter to Reid.

Reid also wasted around $3 million of Democratic Party money in order to defeat the highest ranking military official ever to serve in Congress, Joe Sestak, in the Democratic primary. Why? Because Sestak ran for the Senate in 2010, and stayed in the race after Reid ordered him to drop out against a GOP party-switcher whom Reid liked. Also, Reid told Sestak, “Sestak, when I tell you something, the only answer is to be ‘yes,’” and Sestak, a three-star admiral who felt a greater loyalty to the voters than to the party Politburo, found it difficult to agree to those terms of surrender.

Seriously, who do these people think they are?

It’s not as if these corrupt party bosses are any good at picking our candidates. They’ve lost 14 Senate seats in the last six years. Mitch McConnell, Mr. Mealy-Mouth himself, has wiped the floor with them. The party bosses are no good at beating Republicans, so they have to take out their frustration on liberal Democrats.

Let’s show them who’s the real boss – the voters. Contribute to our campaign today, and make them understand that they can’t get away with rigging the system against us >>

So, anyway, Bernie told Reid that he was staying the Presidential race. And in response, Reid and the party Politburo stole some delegates from Bernie in Nevada, Reid’s home state, and then stacked the Democratic Convention against Bernie and his supporters.

And still, Bernie won’t drop out. Neither will I.

But seriously, who do these people think they are?

The last Public Policy Poll had us up by one point in the Florida Democratic Senate Primary. Reid has broadcast despicable lies, and lined up every flunky in the D.C. Establishment that he can find against us – and we’re still winning. But it’s close.

The question is simple: who gets to choose our candidate? Corrupt party bosses, or We, the People?

I’m afraid that if we let them get away with this again, we’ll never beat them.

We've received over 100,000 contributions to our campaign. Democracy itself is at stake. Please, please, donate to our campaign today >>

Courage,
Rep. Alan Grayson




SANDERS, JUNE 8
NOTE THE PROGRESSIVES WHO ARE SANDERS FOLLOWERS.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/06/08/bernie-sanders-surrogates-hillary-clinton/85598226/

Sanders surrogates say it's time to admit Clinton won
Eliza Collins, USA TODAY
1:35 p.m. EDT June 8, 2016

Photograph -- Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally in Santa Monica, Calif., on June 7, 2016. (Photo: John Locher, AP)


Late Tuesday night, Bernie Sanders vowed to continue the fight in the Democratic race all the way to the convention. But after Hillary Clinton became the presumptive Democratic nominee, some of the Vermont senator’s supporters are saying it’s time to give it up.

Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley (the only senator backing Sanders) told The Washington Post Clinton had locked it up, and it was time to work on unity.

“Once a candidate has won a majority of the pledged delegates and a majority of the popular vote, which Secretary Clinton has now done, we have our nominee,” Merkley said. “This is the moment when we need to start bringing parts of the party together so they can go into the convention with locked arms and go out of the convention unified into the general election.”

Sanders, on Tuesday, told NBC News that his campaign was “on the phone” calling superdelegates to get them to switch their vote. But Merkley said it was time to end that fight: “I would not support a battle that involves trying to flip superdelegates.”

Actor Mark Ruffalo, who has been a prominent supporter of the Vermont senator, tweeted congratulations to Clinton and her supporters on Wednesday and said it was time to focus on pushing for progressive values.

Follow
Mark Ruffalo ✔ @MarkRuffalo
Congratulations @HillaryClinton & all her supporters on your Historical win. My Sanders family, let's keep pushing our Progressive values!
8:58 AM - 8 Jun 2016
1,671 1,671 Retweets 5,604 5,604 likes
Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, also told The Washington Post that it was time to accept Sanders would not be the nominee.

“The reality is unattainable at some point. You deal with that. Bernie is going to deal with this much more rapidly than you think,” Grijalva said. “At some point, when we’re trying to flip 400 super-delegates, and it’s not gaining traction, I think you have to come to the conclusion that it’s not going to happen. You just move into a different direction. And that different direction is that we begin to try to integrate the party.”

“He’s gonna do the right thing,” Grijalva added.

President Obama — who has stayed out of endorsing during the primary — congratulated Clinton on her victory and Sanders for "energizing millions of Americans" in a White House statement issued late Tuesday.

“The President congratulated Secretary Clinton for securing the delegates necessary to clinch the Democratic Nomination for President. Her historic campaign inspired millions and is an extension of her lifelong fight for middle-class families and children,” the statement from press pecretary Josh Earnest said. “The President thanked Senator Sanders for energizing millions of Americans with his commitment to issues like fighting economic inequality and special interests' influence on our politics.”

Meanwhile, CNN reported that Vice President Biden said it was Sanders’ call on when to leave the race, but that he believed Clinton would be the nominee.

"It's clear we know who the nominee is going to be. I think we should be a little graceful and give him the opportunity to decide on his own,” Biden said.



RELATED ARTICLES -- ALAN GRAYSON


SEARCH WORDS AND OTHER INFORMATION:

TAKEN FROM THE HILL AND WIKIPEDIA ARTICLES BELOW --

Public Policy Polling
Democracy for America (DFA)
Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC)
PCCC co-founders Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor
DFA Chairman Jim Dean
former Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.).
GRAYSON -- HEDGE FUND

PROGRESSIVES IN STATE RACES -- So far this cycle, the DFA has endorsed Rep. Tammy Duckworth in the Illinois Senate race, former state Rep. Deborah Ross in the North Carolina Senate race, Rep. Donna Edwards in the Maryland Senate race, California Attorney General Kamala Harris in the California Senate race, former Sen. Russ Feingold in the Wisconsin Senate race and former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto in the Nevada Senate race.

Grayson is under fire for continuing to run a hedge fund while in Congress against his handlers’ advice.
Grayson leading Murphy by double digits.



http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/274519-alan-grayson-snags-big-endorsements-in-fla-senate-race

Alan Grayson snags big endorsements in Fla. Senate race
By Lisa Hagen - 03/29/16 06:00 AM EDT

Photograph -- Alan Grayson, by Greg Nash


Democracy for America (DFA) and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) endorsed Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) over his Democratic primary rival, Rep. Patrick Murphy, for the open Florida Senate seat.

The Tuesday endorsements give Grayson a huge boost as he seeks the Democratic nomination for the seat vacated by former GOP presidential candidate Marco Rubio.

“Having a fighter like Alan Grayson in the U.S. Senate would be nothing short of game-changing for our country and Florida’s struggling working families, and we couldn’t be more excited to help make that happen in the weeks and months ahead," DFA Chairman Jim Dean said in a statement.

"Every step of the way — from Wall Street reform to expanding Social Security to being a national leader for Medicare expansion — Alan Grayson has stood with progressives as one of our boldest and most reliable allies," PCCC co-founders Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor said in a statement. "He's a national leader for expanding Medicare and has consistently said no to cutting Social Security benefits."

The powerful progressive groups — which both tout more than 1 million members nationwide, including more than 75,000 DFA members and more than 59,000 PCCC members in the Sunshine State — provide Grayson with an advantage as the party's establishment rallies behind Murphy.

So far this cycle, the DFA has endorsed Rep. Tammy Duckworth in the Illinois Senate race, former state Rep. Deborah Ross in the North Carolina Senate race, Rep. Donna Edwards in the Maryland Senate race, California Attorney General Kamala Harris in the California Senate race, former Sen. Russ Feingold in the Wisconsin Senate race and former Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto in the Nevada Senate race.

The DFA has also backed Bernie Sanders in his Democratic White House bid against Hillary Clinton. The PCCC has yet to endorse a presidential candidate.

Grayson and Murphy are in a heated primary campaign for the Democratic nomination.

Murphy has received a number of high-profile endorsements, including support from President Obama, Vice President Biden and former Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.).

Grayson is under fire for continuing to run a hedge fund while in Congress. Top campaign staffers, who have since departed, suggested last year that he close the account, but the liberal firebrand pushed back on the advice, according to emails obtained by The New York Times.

The heightened buzz around the fund prompted Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to call on Grayson to drop out of the race. But Grayson called the reports about his hedge fund “outright lies.”

Murphy has significantly outpaced Grayson in fundraising, but a Public Policy Polling survey from earlier this month found Grayson leading Murphy by double digits, though nearly half of voters are undecided.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Grayson

Alan Grayson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alan Mark Grayson (born March 13, 1958) is the United States Representative for Florida's 9th congressional district and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as Representative for Florida's 8th congressional district from 2009 to 2011. He was defeated for re-election in 2010 by Republican Daniel Webster[1] and was then elected in 2012 for a second, non-consecutive term in the House of Representatives, defeating Republican Todd Long.[2] In 2014 he defeated Republican challenger Carol Platt to win re-election.[3]

On July 9, 2015, Grayson announced his intentions to run in the United States Senate election in Florida, 2016 to replace Marco Rubio.

In 2016, Grayson endorsed Bernie Sanders to be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States.[4]

Early life and education[edit]

Grayson was born in the Bronx, New York City, New York, to Dorothy Ann (née Sabin) and Daniel Franklin Grayson.[5][6] He graduated from Bronx High School of Science in 1975. Grayson worked his way through Harvard College as a janitor and nightwatchman, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude degree in economics in 1978.[7][8] After working two years as an economist, he returned to Harvard for graduate studies.[9] In 1983, he earned a Juris Doctor magna cum laude from Harvard Law School and a Masters of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Additionally, he completed some of the requirements for a PhD in government—the course work and passing the general exams.[7][10] While in college Grayson was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Grayson wrote his masters thesis on gerontology and in 1986, he helped found the non-profit Alliance for Aging Research in Washington, D.C., and served as an officer of the organization for more than twenty years.[11]

Law career[edit]

Grayson worked as a law clerk at the Colorado Supreme Court in 1983,[12] and at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals from 1984 to 1985, where he worked with two judges who later joined the U.S. Supreme Court: Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia.[9] He was an associate at the Washington, D.C. firm of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson for five years, where he specialized in contract law.

In 1991 he founded the law firm Grayson & Kubli, which concentrated on government contract law. He was a lecturer at the George Washington University government contracts program and a frequent speaker on the topic.[10] In the 2000s, he worked as a plaintiffs' attorney specializing in whistleblower fraud cases aimed at Iraq war contractors. One contractor, Custer Battles, employed individuals who were found guilty of making fraudulent statements and submitting fraudulent invoices on two contracts the company had with the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.[13][14] On behalf of his clients, Grayson filed suit under the False Claims Act and its qui tam provisions.[13] The jury verdict was more than $13 million, which was upheld on appeal in April 2009. The Iraq war contractor fraud case brought Grayson his first national attention.[15] In 2006, a Wall Street Journal reporter described Grayson as "waging a one-man war against contractor fraud in Iraq" and as a "fierce critic of the war in Iraq" whose car displayed bumper stickers such as "Bush lied, people died."[16]

President of IDT Corp.[edit]

Grayson made his fortune as the co-founder and first president of IDT Corporation (International Discount Telecom).[11][17][18]

2010

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2010 § District 8*
Grayson was challenged by Republican nominee Daniel Webster, Florida Tea Party backed Peg Dunmire, Independent George Metcalfe, and write-in Florida Whig Party candidate Steve Gerritzen.[23]

Grayson ran a September 2010, commercial calling Webster a "draft-dodger"[24] (Webster had received student deferments and a draft classification as medically unfit for service),[25] and a later 30-second commercial calling Webster "Taliban Dan" and warning viewers that "Religious fanatics try to take away our freedom, in Afghanistan, in Iran and right here in Central Florida."[26] Grayson's ads were criticized for editing video mid-sentence to make Webster appear to say things he did not.[27][28] Grayson released a toned-down version without the edited video or Taliban references in early October.[29][30]

On Glenn Beck's radio show, Sarah Palin agreed with a co-host's remark, "It's okay if the Republicans lose every seat in the Senate and the House except for one. As long as that one is Alan Grayson losing."[31] Conservative Newsweek columnist George Will called Grayson "America's worst politician."[32][33] Grayson was also heavily targeted in attack ads funded by groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the 60 Plus Association.[34]

Grayson was endorsed by 8th district resident, former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder (D-CO), who characterized Webster as having "13th-century views" on women's issues.[35] Former DNC Chair and Vermont governor Howard Dean called Grayson a "healthcare hero."[36] Grayson received more votes for "progressive hero" from Democracy for America than any other candidate in the country.[37]

On election day, Webster defeated Grayson 56%-38%.[38][39]

2012

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2012 § District 9
On July 11, 2011, Grayson announced in an e-mail to supporters that he planned to run once again for Congress.[40] Grayson ran unopposed in the Democratic primary for the newly created 9th District in Central Florida.[41]

On November 6, 2012, Grayson defeated Todd Long 63%-37% to return to Congress after a one-term absence. He described his victory as "the biggest comeback in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives."[42] Although the two districts had different boundaries, Grayson claimed the House historian had told him that the shift from a 56%-38% loss in 2010 to a 63%-37% victory in 2012 was the biggest comeback in congressional history.[43]

2014

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2014 § District 9
Grayson was challenged in the Democratic primary by Nick Ruiz, a professor from the University of Florida. He overcame this challenge comfortably, 74% - 26%.

The Republican challenger in the general election was Carol Platt, with independent Marko Milakovich also standing. Grayson was returned to Congress with 54% of the vote.

Economic stimulus[edit]
Grayson made it a priority to increase the amount of federal money returning to his district. He often said that people in his district had been "exporting taxes and importing debt." During his first year in office, the amount of federal grant dollars returning to the district nearly doubled with a 98% increase.[63][64] Grayson established a grant notification system that notifies subscribers immediately when a federal grant opportunity in their areas of interest becomes available. He also hired a full-time grants coordinator who focused solely on helping people navigate the federal grants process.

Grayson supported the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and has been outspoken in favor of extending unemployment benefits for Americans who have lost their jobs. Grayson argues that the government has never cut off unemployment insurance when the unemployment rate was higher than eight percent. Grayson also voted for FDA oversight of tobacco products, which would give the FDA power to regulate tobacco.

Personal life[edit]

While pursuing the whistleblower cases, Grayson worked from a home office in Orlando, where he lived with his wife and five children.[15]

Grayson was ranked as the 11th-wealthiest member of Congress in 2010, based on financial disclosure forms with a net worth of $31.41 million, and a pending claim against the now-defunct Derivium Capital for at least $25 million, according to Roll Call.[90] Grayson disclosed that his attorney fees and costs for the war contractor case had exceeded $4 million.[14][16]

Grayson married Lolita Grayson in 1990 and has five children.[91][92] The couple separated in March 2014.[93] In March 2015, Grayson asked a court in Orlando to annul the marriage.[94] In April 2015 the Graysons agreed to settle the dispute and agreed to legally annul their 25-year marriage.[95]

On 31 May 2016, Alan Grayson married his fiancé, Dr. Dena Minning.[96]



Grayson Trash Talking:

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/05/19/alan-grayson-lashes-out-at-estranged-wife-gold-diggers-gotta-dig/

Rep. Alan Grayson Lashes Out at Estranged Wife: ‘Gold Diggers Gotta Dig’
by SARAH RUMPF
19 May 2015

Grayson, a multimillionaire trial attorney, is seeking an annulment, which would allow him to deny paying alimony. Lolita is accused of failing to properly get divorced from her first husband before marrying Grayson, and admitted to bigamy at a previous hearing. According to a report by WFTV-Orlando, the couple were close to an agreement, but only Grayson had signed it.

WFTV reporter Kathi Belich questioned Grayson after the hearing. “I’ll sum it up for you: Gold diggers gotta dig,” said Grayson. “We had an agreement. She’s trying to renege.”

Belich followed Lolita out of the courtroom and asked her if she was a gold digger. Lolita’s only reply was to laugh and continue walking. . . . .

On Monday, Lolita showed up with a new attorney, her sixth so far since she first filed for divorce early last year.

The case has generated a number of bizarre headlines. Lolita’s initial court filings accused Grayson of infidelity and domestic violence, although video evidence cleared him of the latter. The pleadings also continued lurid details about the couple’s sex life, leading the WFTV anchor to jokingly refer to “Fifty Shades of Grayson.” . . . .

Grayson himself is no stranger to controversy. After he was first elected to Congress in 2008, he called a female lobbyist a “K-Street whore” and accused Republicans opposed to Obamacare of wanting Americans to “die quickly.” He lost his 2010 re-election bid against challenger Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL), the former Speaker of the Florida House who he called “Taliban Dan.” Redistricting gave Grayson a second chance at Congress, and he was elected in 2012 from a new district, a seat which he still holds.

Currently, Grayson is contemplating running for Senate in 2016. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-FL) has already entered the race, and Grayson has been increasingly outspoken at what he views as an attempt by the Democratic establishment to bully him out of the race. Earlier this month, he launched a profanity-laden tirade at a reporter, saying that his story was s “a whole ‘nother level of bullsh**” and asking him if he was “some kind of sh**ing robot” who went around “sh***ing on people.”

A poll last month showed that the race was wide open, with 23 percent of Florida Democrats preferring Murphy, 14 percent Grayson, and the vast majority—63 percent—still undecided.



PROGRESSIVE GROUP

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_for_America

Democracy for America
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Democracy for America (DFA) is a progressive political action committee, headquartered in South Burlington, Vermont. Founded by former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists, and provides funding directly to candidates for office.[1] The organization has more than 1 million members in the United States and internationally.

History[edit]

Dean created the PAC Fund for a Healthy America in 2001 in Montpelier in advance of a planned campaign for President.[2][3] In March 2004 the organization was renamed "Democracy for America".[4]

Following his unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election, Dean used the organization to build on the grassroots momentum for Democratic candidates around the country.[5] DFA used the Internet-based, grassroots organizing that Dean had created for his presidential campaign to help like-minded Democrats get elected.[6] In 2004 the organization endorsed and supported Democrats (known as the Dean Dozen) on the federal, state, and county levels.

In 2005, Dean turned over control of the organization to his brother, Jim Dean, when he became DNC Chair.[7]

Since then, Democracy for America has helped elect over 600 progressives into office, including President Barack Obama, while building their membership to over a million like-minded progressives across all fifty states.

In 2007, DFA became the first carbon-neutral political action committee in the United States.[8]

Arshad Hasan served as Executive Director from 2007 to 2013, after which Charles R. Chamberlain became Executive Director.[9]

DFA-List[edit]

DFA focuses on endorsing candidates, at all levels of office, both local and national. DFA's endorsements are often orchestrated by members of local groups, and they provide resources, such as funds and addresses, to endorsed campaign. According to their own records, the group endorsed over 578 candidates.[10] Candidates wishing for an endorsement may apply on the organization's website.

Notable DFA endorsements of ongoing campaigns include Bernie Sanders for Democratic nominee for U.S. President in 2016.

Notable past DFA endorsements have included:

Bernie Sanders for U.S. Senate in Vermont and U.S. President[11]
Barack Obama for U.S. Senate in Illinois and U.S. President
Al Franken for U.S. Senate in Minnesota
Mark Begich for U.S. Senate in Alaska
Ned Lamont for U.S. Senate in Connecticut
Jeff Merkley for U.S. Senate in Oregon
Elizabeth Warren for U.S. Senate in Massachusetts
Howard Dean for DNC Chair
Deval Patrick for Governor of Massachusetts
Jon Tester for U.S. Senate in Montana
Sheldon Whitehouse for U.S. Senate in Rhode Island
Martin Heinrich for U.S. Representative for New Mexico's 1st district
Joey Novick for mayor of Flemington, New Jersey
Sam Yoon for Boston City Council
Jerry McNerney for U.S. Representative from California's 11th District
Jack Markell for Governor of Delaware
Linda McCulloch for Montana Secretary of State
Debra Bowen for California Secretary of State
Denise Juneau for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction
Donna Edwards for U.S. Representative in Maryland from Maryland's 4th district
Jim Himes for U.S. Representative for Connecticut's 4th district
Alan Grayson for U.S. Representative in Florida from Florida's 8th district

Political positions[edit]

Democracy for America's status on various social and economic issues places the organization firmly on the left of the American political spectrum. Although they often endorse and advocate for Democratic Party candidates, DFA is also to the left of many national and state Democratic lawmakers.

DFA's liberal policies have led them to oppose established Democrats whose policies contradict their own. In 2006, the group supported Ned Lamont over incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman in Connecticut's primary and general elections.[12] Lamont eventually won the primary election, but lost the general election to Lieberman, who ran as an independent. That year, DFA also supported political newcomer Carol Shea-Porter in her successful Democratic primary and general election victory[13] in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district. In 2008, the group supported newcomer Donna Edwards in her upset primary victory against former Rep. Albert Wynn of Maryland's 4th congressional district[14]

During the 2008 Minnesota Senate election between Al Franken and Norm Coleman, Democracy for America partnered with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee for the "Donate a Dollar a Day to Make Norm Go Away".[15] Through the campaign, participants give a donation of a dollar a day for every day Norm Coleman continued to contest the results of the election, which he lost to Franken following an official statewide recount.[16] The campaign has raised more than $150,000 to "help progressive candidates run effective campaigns and win."[17]

In 2010, DFA launched their "Primaries Matter" campaign with the goal of electing better Democrats into office, instead of just any Democrat. In the Pennsylvania Democratic primary, DFA endorsed Joe Sestak in his successful primary challenge to incumbent Senator Arlen Specter, who switched to the Democratic Party in April 2009 after 44 years as an elected Republican. DFA also endorsed Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall in North Carolina's Democratic primary run-off for U.S. Senate. Marshall went on to beat fellow Democrat Cal Cunningham, who was endorsed by national party leaders. DFA got deeply involved in the Democratic run-off in Arkansas as well, backing challenger Lt. Gov. Bill Halter in his race against incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln. Halter went on to lose, but only by 4% in a state that went overwhelmingly to John McCain in the 2008 presidential election.

Domestic issues[edit]

Domestic issues[edit]
In 2011, DFA was primarily focused on the fight over worker's rights in Wisconsin. DFA has 25,000 members in Wisconsin and more than 2,000 of them volunteered for this campaign. With partners, primarily the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (or PCCC), DFA spent $2.2 million in Wisconsin for a three-pronged strategy to be on the air, on the ground and on the phones. DFA and PCCC volunteers made 382,623 calls and contacted 101,663 voters. DFA ran three canvass offices with 108 canvassers in three key districts to recall Sheila Harsdorf (SD 10), Alberta Darling (SD 08), and Dan Kapanke (SD 32). DFA canvassers knocked on more than 100,000 doors in Wisconsin in six weeks.

During the Wisconsin Campaign DFA and PCCC ran five TV ads. WaronWorkingFamilies.com,[18] www.RecalltheRepublicans.com,[19] Luther Olsen vs. Poy Sippi Elementary School,[20] Alberta Darling vs. 6 yr old Gabriel,[21] Alberta Darling vs Her own Republican Voters.[22]

Universal health care was the focus of most of DFA's activity after the 2008 presidential election. DFA believes that it is a travesty that currently 47 million Americans do not have health care.[23] Over 14,000 lose their health insurance every day,[citation needed] and more than 44,000 Americans die each year.[citation needed] Because of this DFA has concentrated on promoting legislation that is designed to achieve universal coverage, mirroring the advocacy of the group's founder, Howard Dean. The organization launched a website, "Stand with Dr. Dean", to campaign for a reform of the American health care system with the creation of a public option.[24] A petition on the website had gathered more than 400,000 signatures by November 2009.

DFA has also worked to restrict legislation from being passed that requires voters to present government-issued identification cards, birth certificates, and passports before they are allowed into the voting booth.[25] The organization has at various times deemed the laws "excessive" and "Draconian," and has argued that the laws inhibit ordinary citizens from being able to enter the polling stations.[26]

DFA favors legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. In 2009, the organization sent volunteers to Maine to campaign against Ballot Question 1, which nullified a same-sex marriage law passed by the state's legislature. In 2010, DFA worked with the Courage Campaign to push for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", getting nearly 100,000 members to sign an open letter to President Obama and the nation's Senators.

In response to the Wall Street-driven financial crisis, DFA launched their "Move Your Money Campaign" with The Huffington Post and filmmaker Eugene Jarecki. The idea is to move money out of the big banks and into more community driven financial institutions.[27]

In reaction to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, DFA introduced their "Boycott BP" initiative to get BP to make the clean-up effort in the gulf, rather than their bottom line, the company's #1 priority.[28]

Foreign policy issues[edit]
Democracy for America favors the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.[29]

Before the invasion in March, 2003, Democracy for America members were outspoken critics of the war. Since then they have continued to fight against the war, with phone calls and letters to congress. In 2006 and 2008, they helped elect a new democratic majority congress, laying the groundwork to demand that American troops are withdrawn from Iraq.

Also in 2008, Democracy for America endorsed outspoken Iraq war critic Barack Obama, who later went on to become the 44th President. In February 2009, President Obama stated unequivocally that American combat operations in Iraq will end no later than August 31, 2010.

2016 U.S. presidential election[edit]
DFA endorsed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, after earning a record-breaking 87.9% of the vote in their online poll.[30]

Training and scholarships[edit]

DFA members at both the national and local levels have participated in numerous training programs, intended to instruct prospective candidates on running a successful political campaign. DFA's main training initiative, called the Campaign Academy, consists of 16 hours of interactive workshops that bring hundreds of local activists, campaign staff and candidates together for 2 days of intensive campaign training.[31] Topics have included; online organizing, shutting down a campaign, canvassing and phonebanking, recruiting volunteers, how to increase voter turn out, developing a finance plan, sustaining your media presence, winning with social networks and building a grassroots army: volunteer recruitment.[31]

"DFA Night School" is the organization's online training program. Each session is an hour-long interactive conference call and web presentation where trainees participate and ask questions.[32]

Netroots Nation Scholarship competition[edit]

DFA also awards scholarships to progressive or liberal bloggers, known as the "Netroots Nation Scholarship".[33] In 2010, DFA sent 60 online activists to Netroots Nation, held in Las Vegas, NV from July 22–25.[34] Other sites for the Netroots Nation Convention have included Austin, TX in 2008[35] and Pittsburgh, PA in 2009.[36]

Dean Corps[edit]

In 2010, DFA sent field organizers to progressive campaigns for a program called Dean Corps. Similar to Sen. Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriot corps, organizers represented an in-kind contribution to the recipient campaign. The goal is to hire, train and place field organizers on key progressive campaigns to get more real progressive Democrats elected in all 50 states at all levels of office.

Social networking[edit]

"DFA Community" is a political and social networking tool that allows DFA members to meet like-minded people in their area, form groups and organize events. Members typically meet on the first Wednesday of every month in organized groups around the country. DFA Community is currently listed as having over 600 online groups, with representation in every congressional district. While DFA members in local groups regularly implement the priorities of the national organization, DFA local groups are voluntary, autonomous, and not officially affiliated with the national organization. Some of DFA's most notable groups include East Bay for Democracy, Democracy for New Jersey, Philly For Change, DFA Columbia (Missouri), and Democracy For New York City.

See also[edit]
Howard Dean
Jim Dean (DFA)
Dean Dozen
America Coming Together



http://www.democraticunderground.com/125119284

Democracy for America Netroots Nation Scholarship Competition
Mon Mar 5, 2012, 07:37 PM
Star Member ellisonz (27,178 posts)

Democracy for America and America's Voice have teamed up to provide financial assistance to forty outstanding bloggers and activists so they can attend this year's Netroots Nation conference.

How does it work?

Apply for a scholarship yourself
Or nominate someone you know who deserves a scholarship
Vote for applicants in the competition

The scholarship winners will be decided over the course of three rounds. The first round runs through 11:59 PM PST on March 21st. The three applicants with the most support from DFA Members and the netroots will automatically win a scholarship in each round. Others will be chosen by a selection committee.

Scholars will receive an all-access pass to Netroots Nation 2012, and hotel accommodations during the conference.

What is Netroots Nation?

Netroots Nation is a conference dedicated to providing bloggers, progressive activists and candidates a forum to strengthen the online community and grow the progressive movement.
When is Netroots Nation?

Netroots Nation 2012 is in Providence, RI from June 7th-10th


Apply: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/netroots_nation_scholarships


Netroots Nation is the biggest progressive conference of the year -- and it's my favorite. Every year, I get to meet the progressive movement's greatest activists, bloggers and candidates for office. And I want you to join me there this year.

Apply now for a Netroots Nation Scholarship -- and you can win an all access pass to Netroots Nation in Providence.

Since 2008, DFA has run a scholarship competition to help bring bloggers and activists, who wouldn't otherwise attend, to Netroots Nation.

Last year, in partnership with America's Voice, we sent 50 amazing scholars to Netroots Nation in Minneapolis. Some of them had never heard of Netroots Nation before, others thought they couldn't possibly win, but they all had one thing in common -- they brought an incredibly important perspective to the table.

Apply now to be part of the 2012 group of scholars.

Or Nominate someone you know to win a scholarship.

The application is easy -- we just want to get to know you and see why you'd like to go to the conference. We give bloggers and other DFA members an opportunity to voice their support for you to win. It's a people-powered scholarship and the applicants with the most votes are automatically selected.

We'll also have a panel of judges who look at all the applications and select some of the stand-out applications and stories, and we ensure that multiple perspectives from all over the blogosphere are represented.

I love the program and I'm proud of the people we've been able to send in the past. I hope you will apply or nominate someone else who you think should make it to this year's Netroots Nation in Providence from June 7th-10th.

Apply for a DFA scholarship to Netroots Nation today.

Or nominate someone you know for a scholarship.

I hope to meet you soon.

- Arshad

Arshad Hasan, Executive Director
Democracy for America


Apply: http://www.democracyforamerica.com/netroots_nation_scholarships

You will need a DFA Account...C'mon DUers - I know we have someone who can win one of these! I would apply, but frankly, I don't like flying or conferences all that much!