I am both surprised and heartened to see DFA send their members in California information about the race for Controller of the California Democratic Party. Simply put, this is not a front-burner issue for most progressives, especially those not at the activist level inside the Party. But it's no less important, and in fact reforming the party and making it more attentive to grassroots concerns is paramount if we want to get back to leading the nation instead of lagging behind it. Let me reprint some of the email they sent to their supporters today:
Did you know DFA members first proposed a 58 County Plan to the California Democratic Party (CDP) four years ago? It's true and DFA members have worked hard to help make that commitment a reality.
This month, you have the power to make sure the 58 County Strategy is supported at the top level of the California Democratic Party.
The CDP elects officers on April 25th. DFA members told us months ago about a great grassroots activist running for Party Controller. We've followed the campaign, met the candidate and it's clear that one candidate has earned our unified support.
I'm excited to announce DFA's endorsement of Hilary Crosby for Controller of the California Democratic Party. Only delegates to the CDP can vote, but any DFA member can help Hillary win by making a few calls to delegates or contributing to her campaign.
We're talking about a grassroots movement to elect the Controller of the state party. Crosby's participation at the officer level of the CDP would be a sea change, a real difference-maker in terms of having a voice committed to the 58-county strategy at the table, and willing to follow up with action instead of words. The proof of the past two cycles signals the need for a broader strategy inside the party to win contested seats. And just the model for getting her elected - through a grassroots GOTV process - makes me hopeful that she gets it, and has the right allies to bring about change within the state.
Speaking for myself, I enthusiastically support this effort to help elect Hillary Crosby, in both form and function.
Our campaign manager, Ryan Sandoval, wanted to update folks on this blog as to where California's 44th Congressional District race currently stands, what sort of support we have in the district, what our chances of winning are, what we've been doing to ensure victory, and what our opponent has been up to.
We encourage you to watch the video and then make up your own mind as to whether you think our race is winnable. If you agree with us that this is a completely winnable race (given the right support), we ask that you help us out by donating to the campaign or signing up as a volunteer to help in spreading the word about Bill.
This has always been a grassroots campaign so we're doing what we've done all along - reaching out and asking that the grassroots activists out there step up and help the good guy win in November!
I simply have not had the time to do a full update of all the Congressional and legislative campaigns. And sadly, it doesn't look like that time will be forthcoming soon. So I think I'll do mini-updates where possible.
• CA-46: Debbie Cook has been endorsed by DFA (Democracy for America). Jim Dean, the Chair of DFA, said in a statement, "Debbie Cook has been a grassroots champion for over 20 years and has a proven record of success in the private sector and as a public servant ... Debbie Cook is running because she's a committed advocate and activist who fights for her constituents and delivers results."
In the past, DFA has been able to move some resources into districts, so we'll see if they're going that route in this race. DFA has also recently endorsed Bill Hedrick (CA-44).
• CA-26: Russ Warner's campaign is announcing via email that the DCCC named his race as "one to watch." That doesn't mean they'll get any money, but it puts them in the queue if the race tightens. Unfortunately, the DCCC has kind of a deliberate style, where they hoard their money for the races they know are toss-ups, and then wait until the very last minute for these emerging races, sometimes beyond the point at which that money can be effective. I understand the strategy but it wouldn't be smart from Warner's perspective to bank on any help from Washington in his race against David Dreier. He needs his own resources as well as money from California lawmaker's PACs.
Which reminds me, California Democrats, it's time to use it or lose it. We have a number of races where the challenger can win if they have enough resources, and in the seats where an incumbent has token or no opposition and a huge war chest, that money should not be sitting in an account somewhere. Help our own candidates! Expect more pressure on this very soon.
• CA-03: It's kind of fun watching Dan Lungren try to humina-humina his way out of supporting Prop. 8. He really has no idea what he's talking about. It would be bad enough if a citizen of the state had this atrocious an understanding of basic civics, but this guy is not only a US Representative but a former state Attorney General!
• AD-80: The GOP tried to get Manuel Perez' occupational status as an "educator" thrown off the ballot, but they failed. Now he has received the endorsement of the highest-ranking law enforcement official in Imperial County, D.A. Gilbert Otero. Considering that his opponent, Gary Jeandron, is the former police chief of Palm Springs, I'd consider this endorsement to be significant... UPDATE re: CMR, seems that Gary Jeandron supports "traditional marriage." In Palm Springs. Now, so did Bonnie Garcia, but she was able to win enough in Imperial County to offset it. Jeandron needs the Palm Springs vote to be huge to win.
Pat Meagher, Progressive Democratic Candidate for the 41st Congressional District, has received endorsements from multiple Union and Democratic Clubs. A Forest Falls resident and Principle of Fontana Adult School he has gathered the support of the Mojave Desert Democratic Club, East Valley Democratic Club, Stonewall Democratic Club,
Greater Rialto Dual Endorsement, Desert Hot Springs Democratic Club and The Democratic Club of Big Bear Valley. His Union endorsements include IBEW Local 440, UAW Region 5 Western United States CAP Council, California Labor Federation's Committee on Political Education (COPE), San Bernardino/Riverside Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, San Bernardino/Riverside Building and Trades Council, and International Union of Operating Engineers Local 12.
This father of nine, seven of whom are adopted, has also gotten the attention of Progressive Democrats of America Dr. Bill Honigman, So CA State Organizer, who was the Keynote speaker at Pat Meagher's fundraising event held at University of Redlands. Ahjamu Makalani evoked Meagher's name and sloganas an inspiration to a standing room only crowd at the State Democratic Convention PDA Caucus. Meagher embraces the entire PDA platform including their current campaign for Healthcare Not Warfare.
The war is real for the Meagher family. Their newly married son will be returning to Iraq this summer for a second tour, as well as a daughter whose first tour was in Afghanistan. To thunderous applause at Arlington West Santa Monica following Col. Ann Wright (Ret), Meagher declared "Don't tell me I don't support the troops. Those are my kids. It is time to bring our glorious and victorious troops home!"
Col. Ann Wright, 29 year Army Veteran, 13 year United States Diplomat, was so impressed after meeting with Meagher that she adjusted her schedule in order to share the podium with him when he announced his candidacy to a crowd of community leaders and peace and justice activists from the Inland Empire at the Carriage House in Redlands.
Pat Meagher is proud that his campaign is funded through grassroots supporters who believe he is the best man to represent their concerns in Washington DC.
If you didn't already know, the Senate Judiciary Committee reported out a FISA bill yesterday that does not grant immunity to telecom companies for participating in the illegal spying on Americans in George Bush's warrantless wiretapping program. It's convoluted, but there were basically two bills, a Title I and a Title II. Title I had no immunity; Title II did. Russ Feingold tried to strip immunity from Title II, but he failed, and DiFi voted for immunity. But at the end of the day, only Title I got reported out.
This is NOT a total victory. First of all, Harry Reid could decide to bring the Intelligence Committee's bill, which has immunity, to the full floor. And there will almost certainly be an amendment calling for immunity on the floor, even if an immunity-free bill is called up for vote. So the Judiciary Committee basically punted.
But this James Risen article untangling what happened yesterday has an interesting little nugget halfway down the page.
Congratulations! Thanks to your 2399 calls to Sen. Reid's office in the past 36 hours to hold Senator Feinstein accountable, she just voted with the rest of the Democrats for a FISA bill WITHOUT telecom immunity. There'll be a floor fight in the Senate, but tonight we celebrate our victory.
Below is the email DFA's Political Director Charles Chamberlain just sent out.
Thanks,
Ilya
Dear DFA Member,
I don't normally send out an email at the end of the day, but something incredible just happened.
This evening, the Senate Democrats finally stood up to President Bush. And it was all because of DFA members like you.
Senate Democrats are now refusing to let Bush get away with his latest egregious abuse of power. They voted unanimously for a bill WITHOUT retroactive immunity to the major telecom companies who broke the law.
Everyone expected Dianne Feinstein to vote with the Republicans, but because of your work Senator Feinstein did the right thing and voted for the bill without retroactive immunity.
DFA stepped in. We sent a call to action, and you stepped up. With over 175 calls per hour totaling 2,399 reported calls to Senate Majority Leader Reid, DFA members across the country put the pressure on Democrats to do the right thing. And we won!
DFA stands up to Democrats who align themselves with Bush. But we can't do it without you. Contribute $15 today so we can keep the pressure on.
Now, because of your action, Bush's allies in his illegal war against our civil liberties will be held accountable. Because of you, the law will apply to everyone -- without special exceptions for Bush's corporate buddies.
And most importantly, together, we stood up to a Democrat who too often forgets which party she belongs to. And we won!
Whether it's defeating Republicans or holding Democrats accountable, your contribution of $15 gives DFA the tools to take our country back.
(UPDATE: The ACLU and CREDO, formerly Act For Change, are also pushing Sen. Feinstein.)
In addition to the buzz in the blogosphere about activist efforts to censure Dianne Feinstein for her votes with Bush Republicans on key issues, some of the top progressive organizations have DiFi in their sights. MoveOn is asking their California members to call Feinstein about tomorrow's vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee over the revised FISA bill, and tell her not to grant retroactive immunity to telecom companies who violated the law by handing over information to the Bush Administration.
Senator Dianne Feinstein is facing tremendous pressure from the Bush administration. Tomorrow, she will likely vote on whether or not to let the phone companies off the hook for helping the president illegally spy on the phone calls and emails of innocent Americans.
President Bush wants immunity for these companies to cover-up his own illegal actions. The pending lawsuits against companies like AT&T may be the only way we ever find out how far the Bush administration went in breaking the law.
We have to make sure Sen. Feinstein hears from us right away. Can you call Sen. Feinstein and tell her to vote against immunity for big corporations who break the law? Tell her that voters want accountability and oversight-not immunity.
Here's where to call:
Senator Dianne Feinstein
Phone: 202-224-3841
DiFi has already signaled her intention to allow telecom immunity for lawbreakers, but clearly she needs to feel the pressure. What is far more interesting is DFA's effort to have Feinstein removed from the Senate Judiciary Committee altogether. on the flip...
(I'd like to know as well... - promoted by David Dayen)
Democracy for America has been buzzing all day about the statement released by our Executive Director Arshad Hasan. Here one of the reasons why:
Our challenge to Al Gore: Jump In or Drop Out!
And another:
Despite the fact that Al Gore has not announced that he will run and wasn't even included in the endorsement poll, DFA members have seized the power and written him in. With over 65,000 votes cast so far, the time has come for Vice President Gore to make a decision.
The clock is ticking. We are deep into the 11th hour. There are fewer than 90 days until the first votes are cast. And filing deadlines to be on the ballot start closing in just days.
You deserve to know. Is Al Gore in or out?
Voting is still open until November 5 at midnight, and there is plenty of time for any candidate to win. All your candidate needs is your vote right now:
Last Friday, Secretary of State Debra Bowen took a major step forward in restoring election integrity by decertifying electronic voting machines with the “potential for serious security breaches”. Our DFA-List endorsed candidate followed through on her campaign promise to require a top-to-bottom review of election procedures and take action on the results.
NowSacramento lobbyists and media pundits are trying to stop reform and influence the county officials charged with implementing the changes. Yesterday and today, DFA members in California placed hundreds of calls in support of Debra Brown and verifiable elections and delivered this message:
“I support Secretary of State Debra Bowen’s decision to restore election integrity and ban unsafe voting machines. I’m counting on you to support the ban and protect our votes.”
Here is a some of the feedback we received:
Deanna in Los Angeles County:
Phone was very busy. Aide who finally answered said they were swamped with calls, all in favor of Debra Bowen's decision. Told her I served on the Election Board and was very concerned. She took my phone number and thanked me.
Gerry in Ventura County:
He was very polite and cordial and appreciated my call and comments. He said he supported Debra Bowen's work and efforts and mentioned that Ventura Co uses paper ballots in almost all instances. He also gave me his phone number and email address. Very pleased with his response!
The USC extension campus in Irvine is back to normal now. All the Priuses with the gnarly bumper stickers left the parking lot long ago. Life in Orange County has returned to normal, now that DFA Training Academy has moved on to the next location...
Or has it? Now, we have some 110 people who have gone through this training, and know how to make a difference. We have four Congressional candidates who have endured the training, and are ready to rumble (and take down some sleazy Republican incumbents). Ron Shepston in the 42nd District, Bill Hedrick in the 44th District, Hoyt Hilsman in the 26th District, and Michael Wray in the 50th District have now gone through the training, and so have their future teams of activists in their respective areas. Local grassroots groups for Barack Obama, John Edwards, Dennis Kucinich, and Bill Richardson (OK, and some Nevada staffers for Richardson also trekked down for this!) now know what they need to do to grow and put their grassroots energy to use. And now, local advovacy groups know how to get their message out more effectively.
Follow me after the flip for more on all the great things we learned, and how we all intend to put them into practice...
Something amazing is happening tomorrow. DFA Campaign Academy is coming to Southern California! Tomorrow, progressive activists from all over Southern California will be coming to Orange County to learn how to win next year and in future elections. And guess what? All of us activists will be learning from the experts who know a thing or two on how to win.
Oh, and here's some more good news. Even though registration for attendance is already at 160 people, DFA is still accepting sign-ups for tomorrow! That's right, even if you haven't signed up yet, you can still come to DFA Training! So what's happening at DFA Training? Follow me after the flip for more...
What are you looking to do over the next year or so? Want to organize for universal health care? Want to campaign for your favorite Democratic Presidential Candidate? Want to manage your best friend's campaign for Congress? Want to just know what all your friends at DFA are talking about whenever election time approaches? Whatever you plan to do in politics, you need to learn how to be better at it by joining us at DFA Training Academy on July 21-22 in Irvine!
Oh yes, and I should say this. If you haven't registered yet, this is your last chance to sign up to attend! We're nearing our maximum attendance limit of 150, and the actual training is barely more than a week away. If you're in Southern California and you haven't yet signed up, take this last opportunity to learn how progressives can win, and how YOU can be a part of it!
Follow me after the flip to find out why you shouldn't pass up on this last chance to learn how to be a force for change in your community...
Have you always wondered what you can do to run a more effective campaign? Are you planning to run for office soon? Do you just want to be a better informed activist? Well, then come to the Orange County DFA Training next month! There is still room available, and we're preparing a great program for all of you Southern California progressive activists coming!
So what exactly do we have in store for you? Follow me after the flip for more...
In case you forgot, DFA is doing its training academy this July. And this year, we're having it here in Orange County! Yes, we have some great campaign training planned for you in Irvine. And yes, we're already planning to show all of you fantastic Democratic activists who will be coming from throughout Southern California (from Oxnard to Palm Springs to Imperial Beach) how we REALLY do it in the OC! : )
So have you signed up for this yet? Do you still need to be signed up for this? Do you still need to learn more about this? Follow me after the flip for more on this great opportunity to learn how YOU can be a part of the big Democratic victory of 2008...
Please take just a few seconds to vote for Charlie Brown right now in the second and final round of Democracy for America's "Grassroots All-Star" congressional campaign competition, ending Wednesday at midnight.
Your vote last year made me DFA's 2006 "Grassroots All-Star," giving me a critically early boost in our campaign to defeat Richard Pombo. Your vote today can make Charlie Brown -- the only California candidate in the competition -- DFA's 2007 "Grassroots All-Star" and help him defeat scandal-plagued Rep. John Doolittle.
First off, I want to say that I am looking forward to meeting a lot of folks I've only heard about online at the "Blue House at the Brew House" blograiser at the California Democratic Convention next Friday.
Just a few days ago, I went to the YearlyKos fundraiser YearlyKos fundraiser in Washington, DC. You can see some of the pictures from that event, including a photo of me with Dengre, in NYBri's recommended diary.
As you all know, I defeated Richard Pombo, a seven-term Republican incumbent, and was elected to Congress in 2006 on a wave of grassroots and netroots support. But, what some of you may not know is that I ran in 2004 and lost.
Sometimes, it takes more than one election cycle for voters to realize it's time for a change. That's why I am proud to post the following request on Calitics today.
Come over to the other side of this diary for the rest of the story.
This email just hit my inbox, from Democracy for America:
If you're like me, on November 8 you were left both overjoyed with the successes nationwide and wondering what happened in California. Or I should say, what DIDN'T happen in California.
And then came the news of the CDP's November 7 donation of $4,000,000 to Fabian Nunez. Which left many wondering, why the CDP had that much of cash left over after such a hard fought election? And since they did, why the weren't immediately plowing it into field organizing on the ground in preparation for 2008, which is decending on us with a vengence?
If you're like me, you're more than a bit annoyed with the CDP right now, you're looking for ways to set a new agenda and map out a new direction for the CDP in time for the 2008 campaign season. Look no further!
DSCC delegates within the Democrats of Greater Riverside are advancing the resolutuon below, and we are seeking compatriots around California to join in co-sponsoring and endorsing this resolution.
The April CDP convention is going to have some major issues that will send a clear signal as to the direction the CDP wants to go. So far we have this reform and the common sense support for net neutrality. Reso after the jump for people to introduce in local Democratic Party clubs.
Tonight's DFA Holiday Celebration featured Michael Collopy who blew my mind. Wow.
I think there is a consensus, at least among the Calitics writers, that we need better connections with the grassroots. So can we try something different? I was at an amazing meeting tonight of DFA in SF. Instead of just writing it up, what questions do you want answered?
