Progressive Democrats Sonoma County

UPDATE: Michael Lighty WILL be with us in Santa Rosa on April 28. Along with Rep. Lynn Woolsey, he will be joined by Norman Solomon, Co-Chair of the Healthcare Not Warfare Campaign and Tim Carpenter, Conor Boylan, Dr. Bill Honigman and Steve Cobble of the PDA national team. Space is limited. RSVP required: http://www.pdamerica.org/events/view/pda-roadshow-is-coming-to-santa-rosa

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For a schedule of all of the upcoming PDA IOT calls, click here

March 2, 2011

Don Frank was awarded the honor of Sonoma County Democrat of the Year at the recent Annual Crab Feed, the biggest fundraising event of the year for the Sonoma County Democratic Party. Don is Treasurer and Steering Committee member of Progressive Democrats Sonoma County and serves on the Sonoma County Democratic Central Committee as a member from the 5th District and Treasurer for the Committee. Following, is the prepared text for his remarks on Friday evening.

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How about those firefighters and police standing together in solidarity with the teachers in Wisconsin? No divide & conquer there!

My fellow Democrats — It’s been an honor and a pleasure working with the members of our Democratic Central Committee under the leadership of Stephen Gale. Over the past few years we’ve developed a finely tuned political organization that’s a model throughout the state.

March 2, 2011
by Tom Hayden
The Nation

The Democratic National Committee—whose leader, after all, is President Barack Obama—passed a resolution at last weekend’s Washington, DC, conference calling for an acceleration of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan more rapidly than the president’s current 2014 timeline. The policy resolution demands a “swift withdrawal” of troops and contractors starting with a “significant and sizeable reduction [of troops] no later than July 2011.”

Read the Rest Here

By Pamela Powers
TusconCitizen.com
February, 22, 2011

Who said the progressive movement was dead? It is alive and well in Tucson, Arizona.

An estimated 300 activists, liberals, Green Party members, and Democratic Party foot soldiers crammed into a large meeting room at the YWCA on the west side of Tucson Monday night for the inaugural meeting of the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), Tucson Chapter.

Read the Rest Here

By GUY KOVNER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
January 27, 2011

Norman Solomon, a Marin County political activist and author, said Wednesday he will run for the Sonoma—Marin congressional seat in 2012 if Rep. Lynn Woolsey retires.

Solomon, an Inverness resident and self-described progressive Democrat, said he would “extend the Woolsey legacy” by opposing war in Afghanistan and backing green jobs, clean energy, civil liberties, gender equality, health care, education and balanced spending priorities.

“True leadership means standing up for the well-being of the vast majority of Americans, even when — especially when — the powerful push back,” Solomon said.

Read the Full Story Here

Norman Solomon
January 27, 2011, Marin, CA

Published by San Francisco Bay Guardian.

One of the most inspiring political leaders in recent decades, Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-Minn.), famously declared: “I represent the democratic wing of the Democratic Party.” Today we need progressives in Congress who will represent the progressive wing of the Progressive Caucus.

That’s the largest caucus on Capitol Hill—but having 80 members on the roster won’t do much good if many cave under pressure.

For 18 years, the North Bay has been represented in Congress by Rep. Lynn Woolsey. Her strong antiwar voice and very progressive voting record have endeared her to a lot of constituents. Now she’s publicly saying that she may choose to retire instead of seeking reelection.

Read the Full Story Here

January 26, 2011, Marin, CA

Published by Norman Solomon Now

Calling for grassroots democracy to counter the growing power of corporate money in politics, Norman Solomon announced on January 26 that he has formed a federal exploratory committee for Congress. The author and political activist said he would run for the seat currently held by North Bay Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey if she decides not to seek re-election.

Solomon has gained wide recognition for his expertise and advocacy on such issues as ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, foreign policy, human rights, healthcare, workers’ rights and sustainability.

“Norman Solomon is already out demonstrating expertise on national issues. Solomon and Woolsey are 100 percent in agreement on those policies,” Marin IJ political columnist Dick Spotswood wrote recently.

Read the Rest Here

January 8 or January 9, depending on where you live –
Dates & locations listed at bottom of article

Assembly District elections to choose delegates to the CA Democratic Party Central Committee.

PDA and the Progressive Caucus of the CA Democratic Party have joined forces to run progressive slates for CDP delegate positions.

More information about the Progressive Slates and the positions and actions supported by Progressive Slate candidates, can be found here .

by Norman Solomon

Last week, soon after President Obama made his stunning tax deal with Republican leaders, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey told the Marin Independent Journal: “I think when you hold unemployment and the needs of the poorest and most desperate people hostage, that it is blackmail, and I don’t think we should give in to blackmail, ever.”

In the same article, I made a comment that’s often heard among progressives: “This is not what we worked for.”

Read the Rest Here

By Richard Halstead
Marin Independent Journal
December 7, 2010

Liberal Marin Democrats expressed deep frustration with President Barack Obama on Tuesday after the president announced he had agreed to a deal with Republicans that would extend tax cuts for the wealthy for another two years in exchange for a 13-month extension of benefits for the long-term unemployed.

“I was at the White House Christmas party last night, and Democrats — not just progressives, but all Democrats — were just beside themselves,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, D-Petaluma. “They were furious.”

Read the Rest Here

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The holidays are coming …

With the holiday season upon us, we have had to tweak the call schedule a bit for December.

Randy Shannon
November 6, 2010

Join PDA’s Healthcare for All Issue Organizing Team (IOT); learn more here

Published by Beaver County Blue.

As AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka has said, this election was about jobs. This election was also about health care and the progressive change that was promised but not delivered. The voters punished the corporate Democrats who helped block legislation to help working people, the unemployed, and those without health care.

Read the Rest Here

Capitol Alert Latest
November 6, 2010

Related: Is Pelosi’s decision good for Obama’s 2012 prospects?

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has decided to run for minority leader in the wake of a bruising election for Democrats that cost the party its majority in the House of Representatives.

Read the Rest Here

Bill Fletcher, Jr
October 27, 2010

There has been a lot of discussion about the apparent enthusiasm gap between Democratic voters and Republican voters. While it is beyond question that the Obama administration has accomplished significant reforms in its first two years, the manner in which these have been accomplished, combined with the fact that they were generally not deep enough, has led many liberal and progressive voters to despair.

So, what should we think as we quickly approach November 2nd? First, there were too many magical expectations of both the Obama administration and most Democrats in Congress. Many of us forgot that while they represented a break with the corrupt Bush era, they were not coming into D.C. with a red flag, a pink flag or a purple flag. They came to stabilize the system in a period of crisis. President Obama chose to surround himself with advisers who either did not want to appear to believe or in fact did not believe that dramatic structural reforms were necessary in order to address the depth of the economic and environmental crises we face. They also believed, for reasons that mystify me, that they could work out a compromise with so-called moderate Republicans.

Read the Rest Here

October 20, 2010
by Norman Solomon

Primaries offer opportunities. General elections bring imperatives — to defeat right-wing forces — and that’s certainly true this time around.

The last two years of undue efforts to accommodate Republican leaders have ended up boosting — not countering — their momentum. My recent article Progressive Canaries in a Political Mine makes a case that giving ground to the right wing is a formula for disaster.

For Immediate Release:

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

SANTA ROSA, CA – The Sonoma County Democratic Party has endorsed Mayor Susan Gorin, Council Member Veronica Jacobi, and School Board Member Larry Haenel for Santa Rosa City Council in the November 2 election.

“This is a critical election for Santa Rosa,” said Stephen Gale, Chair of the Sonoma County Democratic Party,” In 2008 the citizens of Santa Rosa overwhelmingly chose to seat a City Council committed to continuing the revitalization of the largest city north of the Golden Gate Bridge while also creating good paying jobs. The incumbents recommended for endorsement each voted to approve the final “mid-rise project” required to jump-start downtown Santa Rosa, the Comstock Project, just before the bottom fell out of our economy, rendering development impossible to finance nationwide. It is truly unfortunate that the national economic disaster has dominated all of our lives for most of the last three years, creating a circumstance where the City Council has had to wrestle with ways to keep the city solvent, leaving few opportunities to realize their vision for the future.

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A note from Dr. Bill …....

From Peace Action West , with thanks to all.

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For Immediate Release: 10/6/10

California State Democrats Speak Out on Afghanistan War Anniversary
Press Contact: Reva Patwardhan, 510-681-7075, rpatwardhan [at] peaceactionwest [dot] org

Oakland, CA – Tomorrow, on the 9th anniversary of the war in Afghanistan, a letter from more than 160 California State Democratic Party delegates will be delivered to the entire California Democratic congressional delegation. The group, which includes state legislators, county chairs and Executive Board members from around the state, will urge members of the delegation to take action to end the war, which is supported by only 20 percent of Democrats, according to a recent CNN poll.

“California taxpayers have spent $35 billion on the war in Afghanistan,” said California Democratic Party Vice Chair Eric C. Bauman. “Meanwhile, we are closing parks and libraries and our schools are funded at the nation’s lowest levels. The future of California depends on these basic services and we need our leaders in DC to stop the war and re-prioritize how we expend our resources.”

Please join us on the ground in Sonoma County for not one but two local ONE NATION WORKING TOGETHER 10.2.10 events.

Sonoma County Rally & Action Day! in Solidarity with the Major One Nation Working Together March & Rally in D.C. 10.2.10

JOIN THE ONE NATION GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT AND RALLY FOR CHANGE AND GOOD JOBS FOR SONOMA COUNTY!

Saturday, October 2, 2010.
Federal Building.
777 Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa.
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10 to 11 AM: Rally & program; speakers include Lisa Maldonado, Master of Ceremonies, Michael Allen, Susan Gorin, Norman Solomon, Davin Cardenas, Marty Bennett.

ONE NATION STANDS FOR: FULL EMPLOYMENT NOW. PEACE AND JUSTICE
Federal Intervention to Create Good Jobs, Protecting Public Services, Making Wall Street Pay

Adam Klugman speaks with Progressive Democrats of America Director Tim Carpenter, on the eve of Fighting Bob Fest, September 10, 2010, Madison, WI. Listen to Mad as Hell in America at MadasHellinAmerica.com

September 15, 2010

Norman Solomon interviewed on Real News Network. Talks about progressives and elections.

CLICK HERE to view video.