As California Goes, So Goes the Country

Progressive Democrats are getting mobilized across California this month to make a statement at the State Democratic Convention in San Diego, April 27-29. With all eyes on California and Democratic presidential candidates battling for support, delegates and activists will be promoting a clear, popular agenda at the convention. . .and in the weeks leading up to it. As part of the mobilization, PDA Advisory Board member Cindy Sheehan and author Norman Solomon will be appearing in Sacramento Wednesday April 4. A dozen similar events, with different speakers, will be held from the Bay Area to San Diego in the weeks before the convention. (One L.A. event will involve PDA advisory Board member Rev. Lennox Yearwood aboard the “Make Hip Hop, Nor War” bus.) The progressive Democratic agenda – to be detailed in convention resolutions and questions for the presidential candidates – includes: Ending the Iraq occupation No attack on Iran Putting impeachment on the table Single-payer health insurance for all Fair trade, not corporatist “free trade” Polls show that these measures are popular with voters, if not with political elites. Said PDA Director Tim Carpenter: “California has long been a political trend-setter. We want to remake the Democratic Party from the bottom up into a progressive, winning party that can put our country back on the path to peace, security and justice. “It’s only because of activism and pressure from the party base in state after state that Democrats in Congress are discussing an end to the Iraq occupation. In California this month, we are ratcheting up the pressure.” Carpenter concluded: “We believe the base has a better sense of the public mood than the party leadership. We won last November largely because of Iraq – an issue party leaders had been running away from.” Progressive Democrats of America is a grassroots PAC that works both inside the Democratic Party and outside in movements for peace and justice. Our goal: Extend the victory of Nov. 2006 into a permanent, progressive majority. PDA’s advisory board includes six members of Congress and activist leaders such as Tom Hayden, Cindy Sheehan, Medea Benjamin and Rev. Lennox Yearwood. More info: http://pdamerica.org/ ###