Greetings!
March is an uneasy time on the calendar. Cruel winds blow through barren trees, and even in the Deep South, Mother Nature keeps hitting the snooze button on Spring. Throughout the grassroots there seems to be a shared anxiousness. Almost everywhere we turn, folks are finally emerging from their post-election malaise and are ready to get busy again. Yet, many seem unsure where to turn.
Fortunately there are many good options. One of the best is to attend a local Meetup. Almost exactly two years ago, Meetups were few and far between. Who knew that this online oddity would be the catalyst to the greatest grassroots movement in 40 years? Meetups are still the best way to touch base and get active on the issues that matter to you. The first Wednesday of every month is still the Democracy For America Meetup, and the Democratic Party now has regular Meetups as does Democratic Underground. On March 2, Democracy for America MeetUps will focus on framing the Social Security debate. Read News From The Roots on how this month’s event will be a planning session for a major media initiative in April. You can also read about Progressive Democrats of America’s regional conferences and how they are organizing at the local and state level.
This month we share a very exciting grassroots success story in Get Involved. Because of you, Heifer International made it’s $1 million goal to help Indonesians rebuild their communities after the Tsunami. Heifer is one of the oldest and most successful grassroots organizations in the world. Learn how it all started 60 years ago with one man, a big idea and a single cow in Inspiration Point.
Two new web-based groups are taking root: Progressive Strategies and The Principles Project. Both offer individual activists opportunities to participate in think tank forums that defining what it means to be a 21st century progressive.
Be sure to check out our Site Seeing and our The Tool Shed sections for the best resources on the critical issues such as Social Security and NCLB and how to make your grassroots organization grow.
As always, subscriptions to Taking Root™ come spam-free to your email box. If you like what you see here and would like to lend a hand, please drop us a note at volunteer-at-grassrootsforamerica.us or make a contribution to support all of our grassroots efforts.
We welcome your story ideas and are very interested in your letters and opinions. Email us at editor-at-grassrootsforamerica.us."
Hope Springs Eternal!
| -- Kimberly Krautter, Editor in Chief, Grassroots for America |
Glimpse What’s Inside!
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NEWS FROM THE ROOTS
DFA Meetups to Gather “Social Security Stories”
Democracy for America wants to put a very personal, human face on the Social Security issue. The DFA policy team realized the best way to frame the argument against the phony “crisis” is to use the monthly Meetup forums to unearth live examples of how the safety net provides critical support to workers and families across the nation.
The goal for the March DFA Meetup is to get attendees to gather hundreds of stories of how Social Security has had a positive impact on the lives of people in each state. Attendees will be asked to gather 5 such stories in their neighborhoods and report them back to their local Meetup Hosts. Local media will be invited to attend the April Meetup where the people behind those stories will be invited to share their real experiences.
The National Rapid Response Network is working closely with DFA to develop a coordinated campaign of letters to local media asking for more humanized coverage of the issue.
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Progressive Democrats of America: National Report
In the immediate wake of its successful DC Summit PDA has published a document to guide local and state groups through the process of a relationship with the national organization. PDA is providing this structure in response to requests from local and state organizing groups. It is a work in progress and will continue to be modified as local and state groups more fully articulate their organizational support needs.
Local grassroots activists will be particularly interested in how PDA defines up and down channel communications and influence. During the electoral season lack of clarity on communications was a source of stress between grassroots activists and the national campaign organizations they supported. The online document further defines PDA’s relationships with allied and partnered organizations and so provides a great opening for groups to explore synergies. You can read the PDA Organizational Structure online at: http://pdamerica.org/orgs/
PDA has begun a series of regional conferences; the first having been held in Phoenix last month. Participants discussed alliance-building and strategies for building pro-peace movements at the grassroots, local, and national levels. The events are described as “Two days of inspiration, planning and problem-solving. Helping to shape the future of the Democratic Party, and the direction of our country, with progressive speakers, discussions and workshops.” Speakers for each event will vary, but they always feature high-caliber activists such as Tom Hayden and Medea Benjamin. Fees are nominal and all event locations feature universal access. Go to http://pdamerica.org/events/main-list.php to find a conference in your area.
Check out these links for other important news and action items from PDA:
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NEW GROUPS TAKE ROOT
Articulating the Progressive Vision
The Principles Project allows citizens the chance to step into the shoes of our Founding Fathers and engage in a dynamic online development of a single document that will articulate the values of progressive Democrats.
The initiative is spearheaded by 2020 Democrats (www.2020democrats.org) and is co-sponsored by ACT, 21st Century Democrats, Democratic GAIN, Campaign for America’s Future, WIN, Young Democrats, and at least a half dozen more progressive organizations. The web site offers all registrants an opportunity to actively discuss, edit and contribute to the development of a one-page statement of principles that will make clear the vision of a just society and a progressive politics.
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Great Minds Think Alike
Progressive Strategies is a new online think tank self-described as, “an effort to encourage Collective Intelligence as opposed to the Mob Mentality that is currently so much in control of our society.” Organized by activists from the Dean, Kucinich and other progressive groups around the nation. The wiki site is an open workspace where folks are invited to share ideas, develop strategies and implement organizational tools. There is a general invitation to participate, “by reading what has been written and add your own wisdom.” Note that contributors must be vouched for by ‘trusted members’ of the aforementioned camps.
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GET INVOLVED
GRASSROOTS SUCCESS! Rebuilding Indonesia After the Tsunami
Heifer International is one of the most successful grassroots organizations on the planet. The concept is simple: provide livestock and training to break the cycle of poverty and help families and villages build self-sustaining communities. (Read the Inspirational Story below of how Heifer began 60 years ago.)
Immediately after the tsunami disaster, Heifer committed $1 million for programs to provide training, livestock and related help to victims on the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra and elsewhere in the region to rebuild lives and farms over the next few years.
Thanks to the extraordinary support of grassroots donors, Heifer has met its $1 million funding goal to provide aid to victims on the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra and elsewhere in the region. And, as a result, Heifer can continue its work in Indonesia, one of the area's hardest hit by the tsunami. Heifer International’s Asia field staff is completing an initial assessment of conditions in areas devastated by the tsunami and has recommended that Heifer expand existing sustainable development programs in Northern Sumatra. The epicenter of the earthquake that spurred the tsunami was just off the Sumatra’s northwest coast.
Heifer has helped small farmers on the Indonesian island for more than a decade. The existing Heifer projects are inland and not directly affected by the quake and its aftermath. Coastal communities, however, are in dire need of resources. Heifer will reach out to those communities and support families in their efforts to rebuild.
Heifer Indonesia staffers and partner organizations already on the ground will work together over the next few years to rebuild agricultural production, increase family incomes and support housing, education and public health efforts.
To help Heifer reach families in need in poverty-stricken and disaster areas around the world go to: www.heifer.org.
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INSPIRATION POINT
How One Man Proved The Power of the Grassroots
A Midwestern farmer named Dan West was ladling out rations of milk to hungry children during the Spanish Civil War when it hit him, “These children don’t need a cup, they need a cow.”
West, who was serving as a Church of the Brethren relief worker, was forced to decide who would receive the limited rations and who wouldn’t – literally, who would live and who would die. This kind of aid, he knew, would never be enough.
So West returned home to form Heifers for Relief, dedicated to ending hunger permanently by providing families with livestock and training so that they “could be spared the indignity of depending on others to feed their children.”
In 1944, the first shipment of 17 heifers left York, Pennsylvania, for Puerto Rico, going to families whose malnourished children had never even tasted milk.
Why heifers? These are young cows that haven’t yet given birth – making them perfect not only for supplying a continued source of milk, but also for supplying a continued source of support. That’s because each family receiving a heifer agrees to “pass on the gift” and donate the female offspring to another family, so that the gift of food is never-ending.
This simple idea of giving families a source of food rather than short-term relief caught on and has continued for almost 60 years. As a result, millions of families in 115 countries are experiencing better health, more income and the joy of helping others.
Today, Heifer International continues it’s good work across the planet. It is proof of the power of the person-to-person, word-of-mouth outreach that is the cornerstone of the grassroots. Read about Heifer’s Tsunami Relief now in our Get Involved section.
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FIELDING YOUR OPINION
Taking Root™ provides this section as a means of promoting thought leadership among the grassroots. The opinions expressed in this section are those of the identified authors and do not necessarily represent the positions, opinions and policies of Grassroots For America its board members and allied organizations nor that of TAKING ROOT and its editors and staff.
The Color of Social Security Overhaul
By Bert Caradine; contributing writer
Don’t be alarmed here, but I should be dead right now, or in jail. It is a known fact that upon reaching the age of 30, a Black male has a 2 in 3 chance of likely being dead or in jail. Yet, by no measure should you assume I just ‘lucked out’. I will forever appreciate the education provided me by the Chicago Public School system. By taking advantage of what my teachers provided, my chances of beating the odds improved dramatically.
However, now there appears to be a downside to such a personal feat – I am no longer considered an ideal benefactor of George Bush’s Social Security Overhaul Plan.
Like much of Bush’s current stealth propaganda campaign, it’s best not to ask the White House for more details. I’ve lost my chance to be that misplaced, fully vetted, affable Black panelist on stage with the President, sternly prepped in advance not to ask how having a supposed shorter life span is less imperative, than managing my own personal, private retirement account.
Paul Krugman of the New York Times fills in the details of what is plainly a desperate and abhorrent sales pitch by the President, touting a plan that would actually do more harm to senior Black recipients. Recently, NAACP Chair Julian Bond articulated entered this debate explaining why his constituency’s reliance on this entitlement in their later years, exemplifies the very intent of FDR’s noble vision. One compelling point he made is that twice as many Black married couples depend on Social Security as their entire retirement income (compared to White couples), while Blacks in their 50's are twice as likely to become disabled.
During the just concluded legislative break, many Republican lawmakers went back to their districts only to find vocal, if not outright hostile opposition to Bush’s plan and his proposed budget cuts. Facing a crowd not buying his flawed sales pitch, Bush’s chief Social Security proponent in the Senate Rick Santorum (R-Penn) remarked how well organized the opposition appeared to be.
But, it also takes a substantive and factual argument to effectively counter the Republican propaganda, filtered through the talk radio echo chamber and the MSM (Murdoch Seduced Media). The AARP’s resistance and efficient education of its members can be measured by the fact, that those operatives behind the Swift Boat smear campaign have now been deployed to silence them. Fortunately grassroots outcry has given congressional Democratic leadership a strong footing on this issue resulting in significant gains in connecting with wary Americans.
Bush’s failure to dupe the nation this time bodes well beyond protecting Social Security. It may be the startling alarm that finally wakes us from our long indifference.
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SITE SEEING
Running for Change
Running for Change was founded in November, 2003 with the single focus of helping defeat George W. Bush by motivating thousands of people across the country to literally "Run Against Bush". In less than a year they've raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Democratic Party and other progressive organizations and energized tens of thousands of new activists. In the future many of their running groups around the country will continue to Run for Change in their communities and beyond. Find an event near you.
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Indyvoter.org
The League of Pissed Off Voters is doing national voter-organizing out of New York City. Their mission is to engage pissed off 17-35 year olds in the democratic process to build a progressive governing majority in our lifetime. indyvoter.org is a ground breaking online progressive network where the average non-voter can click on a map and start checking out and planning hot events, meeting people, organizing voter blocs, creating voter guides, exchanging resources and self-educating on issues and the electoral process to endorse progressive candidates. Indyvoter.org will empower individuals to take action in a variety of ways – meeting people at any level of political engagement.
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Cosmopolity
Cosmopolity is an organization dedicated to providing easy entrance into progressive involvement, using social interaction to promote political action and facilitating collaboration among progressive organizations.
Cosmopolity hosts an on-line calendar of social-political events; supports the national expansion of Drinking Liberally, the weekly Democratic drinking club; and organizes conference and cross-organizational events such as The Progressive Tourist Bureau and NYC Blogger Alley during the Republican Convention and the Morning After Conference in mid-November in New York.
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THE TOOL SHED
What is a neo-conservative, anyway?
The term “neo-con” is tossed about rather capriciously so that it is confused as a synonym for hard-line conservative. Actually, it is more aptly defined as a former liberal. Inter Press Service News Agency , an international organization of independent journalists, provides a good article on the term and its genesis a half-century ago: http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=19618.
Neo-cons are basically security conscious, fiscally conservative social liberals. They are proof that if Democrats can properly address and frame the security issues, they can return to a national majority. This is the group that first fell out of the Democratic tent and took many middle and working class voters with them.
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NCLB: An award-winning watchdog web site on this issue
If you are a parent or a teacher, you need to visit this web site. Taking Root has featured Susan Ohanian before, but as the school year winds down across America and schools are “teaching to the test” just to keep their funding, we feel it is worth reiterating. Ohanian provides an inside the classroom viewpoint on how “No Child Left Behind” effects teaching and class performance.
The National Council of Teachers of English awarded Ohanian the George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language for her work on this web site.
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Freepress.org
Free Press is a national nonpartisan organization working to increase informed public participation in crucial media policy debates, and to generate policies that will produce a more competitive and public interest-oriented media system with a strong nonprofit and noncommercial sector. Free Press believes that a more democratic US media system will lead to better public policies — at home and abroad.
Taking Root reviewed this site and discovered easy to find primers on the issue of media consolidation as well as grassroots action items anyone can participate in at the local or national level.
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The Electoral Landscape:2005-2006
Middle Atlantic States
This section is compiled by and for “election junkies.” We hope this helps grassroots “super-volunteers” and campaign job-hoppers to find their best opportunities.It is a region-by-region snapshot of the major players and issues facing each region, Democratic and progressive candidate prospects, and how the upcoming elections are shaping up for the next two years.
By Bill Thomasson, contributing writer
New York
New York has a Republican Governor but two Democratic U.S. Senators. The Congressional delegation is split 20-9 in favor of the Democrats, who also control the state House of Representatives by 104-46. Republicans, however, control the state Senate 34-27. The New York Times has commented that the way legislative districts are drawn makes New York look like two different states. One (the House) is overwhelmingly Democratic, the other (the Senate), predominantly Republican. Overcoming the Republicans’ 34-27 margin in the Senate does not seem likely given the way districts are drawn, while the House appears certain to remain Democratic.
In 2002, Governor George Pataki easily won a third term against little-known African-American opponent H. Carl McCall. With no less than six minor-party candidates in the race, however, Pataki got slightly under 50% of the vote. In 2006 he will face a much stronger challenge from State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. Spitzer gained national prominence with his investigation and prosecution of Wall Street financial firms. Meanwhile, Pataki’s popularity has slipped somewhat due to his inability to overcome the problems of a divided government and to corruption scandals in some government offices. Pataki maintains a solid base of political support, however, and the race is expected to be close.
The only Republican who could mount a credible challenge to U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton is former New York City mayor Rudy Guiliani. Guiliani’s interest in the race remains uncertain. Bet on Clinton’s re-election.
All but one of New York’s Congressional delegation have announced that they will seek re-election. At press time, none are being challenged. The one retiring member is Brooklyn Democrat Major Owens, whose son Chris Owens is seeking to succeed him. There are rumors Owens may be challenged in the primary by one or both of two City Councilwomen. This is a strongly Democratic district that is unlikely to change parties.
Elsewhere in the state, incumbent margins of victory in 2004 were mostly large to overwhelming. In the race for the open 27th District seat, however, Democrat Brian Higgins won by only 51-49%. He could be vulnerable in 2006. Other semi-close races were in the 1st District, where Democratic incumbent Timothy Bishop won by 56-44%, the 26th district where Republican Thomas Reynolds won by the same margin, and the 29th District where Republican John Kuhl won an open seat by 51-41% with 9% of the votes going to minor-party candidates. A strong push in any of these districts could possibly result in a seat changing hands.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a strongly Democratic state, with Democrats controlling the governor’s chair, both senatorial seats, and both houses of the state legislature. Seven of the 13 Congresspersons are Democrats.
New Jersey is one of two states that elect their governor in 2005. At one point the race looked like a doozy with hotly contested primaries in both parties until U.S. Senator John Corzine personally made a number of contributions to Democratic organizations in key counties. This sewed up support that led Acting-Governor Richard Codey to forego seeking a full term. Meanwhile, 2001 gubernatorial nominee Bret Schundler and 2002 Senate nominee Doug Forrester are neck-and-neck in the Republican primary race. Polls indicate that Corzine is likely to beat either one easily, however.
Corzine’s run for governor has muddied the 2006 U.S. Senate picture for New Jersey since he retains his seat during the campaign. If he should somehow fail to be elected to the governor’s chair he will run for reelection as Senator and will almost certainly win. If he becomes Governor, then he will name his own successor in the Senate and that person will almost certainly be the Democratic nominee in the following election. Rep. Frank Pallone is openly lobbying for the selection and Rep. Robert Mendez is said to also be interested. No Republicans have yet announced for the seat, although State Senator Tom Kean, Jr., has said he will decide during the spring. There may be other Republican candidates as well, but probably none strong enough to take the seat from an incumbent – albeit one newly appointed.
All 13 incumbent New Jersey Congresspersons have announced that they will seek re-election, with none currently facing announced opposition. The closest race in 2004 was in the 7th District, with Republican Mike Ferguson winning by 57-41% ? a margin of victory that does not suggest a likely upset in 2006.
Democrats control the State House of Representatives 47-33 and the state Senate 22-18. The Senate control is under threat could change with just three key Republican victories. Furthermore, it is widely believed that in 2005 the people of New Jersey will be asked to vote on calling a convention to consider property tax reduction. If nonpartisan races for membership in that convention are also being contested in 2006, effects on legislative races could be quite unpredictable.
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a Democratic Governor but two Republican U.S. Senators. Republicans also control both houses of the state legislature and hold a majority of the state’s congressional seats.
Pennsylvania limits its governors to two terms; no incumbent seeking a second term has been defeated since the 1950s. Democratic Governor Ed Rendell will be seeking his second term in 2006, however his style has offended many politicians in the state capital, and his record in getting his “big ideas” though has been mixed. Some people believe he could be beaten by the right Republican candidate. At the moment there are three choices: conservative State Senator Jeff Piccola, moderate former Lt. Governor (and 1986 gubernatorial candidate) Bill Scranton, and former pro football player Lynn Swann, who has lots of name recognition but no political experience at all. However, unless one of these unexpectedly catches fire Taking Root does not believe Rendell is in serious trouble.
Republican U.S. Senator Rick Santorum won reelection in 2000 with only 52% of the vote. Since then he has at times expressed his socially conservative views in terms so extreme that they are likely to alienate moderate support. It is widely believed that Santorum could lose to the right Democratic candidate. Finding that candidate may not be straightforward, however. At the moment the only announced challenger is college professor and activist Chuck Pennacchio. A recent poll suggests that Santorum could be beaten by State Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr., but the newly-elected Casey is not currently signaling any active interest in the senate race. Santorum polls significantly better than several other potential candidates including former Congressman Joe Hoeffel, who ran a stronger than expected race against U.S. Senator Arlen Specter in 2004. The upshot seems to be that Santorum should be beatable but putting together the right candidate and campaign may be a challenge.
All 18 Pennsylvania Congresspersons – 11 Republicans and 7 Democrats – have announced their intentions to run for re-election. A number have likely opponents, however. For example, 2004 Dean Dozen candidate Lois Murphy, who came within 2% of defeating Jim Gerlach in the 6th District, is widely expected to run again. And Dean Dozen candidate Lois Herr has already announced a repeat run against Joseph Pitts in the 16th District even though she lost by nearly 2:1 the first time around. Also notable is the expected run by Chris Heinz, son of former Senator John Heinz and Theresa Heinz Kerry, against Republican Melissa Hart in the 4th District. But with the second closest race in 2004 having been in the 8th District, where Republican Michael Fitzpatrick won 55-43%, the 6th District is the only one where change is truly in the air.
Republicans comfortably control the Pennsylvania House of Representatives 110-93 and the state Senate 30-20. This may be an area where strengthening local party organization throughout the state could really pay off.
Delaware
Delaware has a Democratic governor and two Democratic U.S. senators. Democrats also control the State Senate, but Republicans control the State House of Representatives and elected the only Congressperson. Delaware’s governor is elected in presidential election years, so there will be no gubernatorial race in 2006.
Senator Tom Carper was first elected in 2000 with 56% of the vote – 1% more than Gore got in the state. Carper has so far won 11 consecutive statewide elections, a record in Delaware. With him running as an incumbent, few people expect to see the string broken. His announced opponent is State Sen. Colin Bonini, although some believe the 2004 Republican Lt. Governor nominee Jim Ursomarso may also seek the seat.
The only challenger to Carper’s record of consecutive statewide victories is Rep. Mike Castle. Castle is currently one behind but is expected to catch Carper in 2008. The general opinion is that Democrats’ chances of beating Castle are even worse than the Republicans’ chance of beating Carper. No Democrat has yet announced for the post.
Democrats control the state Senate 13-8 while Republicans control the House 26-15. These look like comfortable margins when expressed as percentages, but the relatively small number of sears means that only a few would have to change hands – especially in the Senate – to shift control. The chances this might happen are difficult to assess without the sort of district-by-district analysis that Taking Root – alas! – is not in a position to do.
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Grassroots Calendar
March 2 | March 18-19 | March 19-21 | June 17-19 | Austin, TX - DemocracyFest'05 |
We welcome your calendar items! Please send suggested calendar additions to: editor-at-grassrootsforamerica.us."
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About Our Newsletter
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Editor-In-Chief: Kimberly Krautter
Managing Editor: Pam Paul
Contributing Writers: Liane Allen, Bert Caradine, Max Gordon, Nicole Johns, Michelle Morton, Will Thomasson
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