My updated list of progressive groups you can work with. Add to it.

Again I am posting some groups that are working to make our party be more for the people. They are a way to go for the future. Going to the websites today gives me hope that these very large groups are keeping our party alive and may some day be for us again...not just corporations.

When I get depressed like I have been this week about the election, about Fallujah, about the people there who have no one speaking up for them....then I have hope and think someday maybe that will change.

Howard Dean's group supports grassroots candidates thoughout the country, even at local levels. It helps to fund them with our support and targets races which members like us can get involved with. Founded in March of this year and making good financial inroads with some real success stories for so young a group. Dean campaigns with many of the candidates personally.
http://www.democracyforamerica.com/
http://www.blogforamerica.com/

Progressive Democrats of America works at institutionalizing the progressive movement within the party working to create caucuses in each state.
http://www.pdamerica.org/events/display-full.php?id=29

Howard Dean and Tom Hughes of DFA held a joint conference call with PDA and DFA last week. I understand they will be at the PDA event above in January.

Another group works to provide funding and support for progressive candidates. I believe it is also allied or partnered with DFA and PDA. All this is new, and I think I am getting it right for now.
http://www.progressivemajority.org
Note their candidates and members. Excellent group. Here is a link to their advisory committee. Many of these worked closely with Dean throughout the campaign.
http://www.progressivemajority.org/leadership/index.asp

And 3 members of their advisory board.
http://www.progressivemajority.org/leadership/profile.asp

This next group held the Take Back America conference as a side convention this year. It is activist is many areas, and there are places to sign up for updates and emails. I get their mailings in a couple of areas.
http://www.ourfuture.org/

Here are some pics from the conference this year. And some articles about the speakers.
http://www.ourfuture.org/projects/national_conference/2004/index.cfm

If anyone knows of others, please link. I believe at this point that all are working along the same lines, and they may be working more closely soon.

I'm looking into starting with a few causes I believe in and building up. This fits into the scheme. Love the fact that progressives are networking. Sweet....

I think it will have an influence on the party soon. Very new, but organizing.

It would be hard to not have a group to work with after the activity with DFA this year. I find myself still writing the Dean Dozens we supported throughout the country. I was never this interested in candidates before.

So that is a good thing.

I have to get some sleep because I have get up very early--

but DFA, especially, is our hope! I'm glad it's starting to partner with some other groups. A full ONE THIRD of DFA-backed candidates were elected to office in this last election.

It is absolutely essential that the American people start to rebuild their government from the bottom up.

Things are so screwy and confusing. The old labels don't work and aren't helpful.

For anyone who is dissatisfied with party or government in general, this is the way to go!

Thanks for posting this, MF.

Good night and God bless!

The Christian Left is finding its voice. The faithful are weary of having Jesus hijacked by the ReBiblicans.

While these organizations I am listing below may not be fully organized for activism as yet...continue watching as this groundswell becomes a major political movement in the future.

In the meantime, the Democrats would be wise to learn the principles and arguments cited in these Websites as a response to the religious right voting bloc.

Here's a start:

The Village Gate (formerly the Right Christians) - where religious progressives gather


Progressive Christians Uniting


Progressive Theology - a spiritual alternative to the Christian Right
<http://www.progressivetheology.org/>

Jesus is a Liberal


Article: Jesus was a Progressive
<http://progressivenation.typepad.com/progressive_nation/2004/02/i_came_back_fro.html>

I am a Christian, but we left our church over their support for the war.

It breaks my heart to see what churches in our area have become. There is little tolerance in the ones here, instead they have been overrun by intolerance.

I think we need to talk to them, but I think they need to quit being so hostile.

I was glad to see Dean speaking out on this. Others need to so so. It has to be done in some way. One thing I don't want though is for the party to give in to their demands.

If we do that, there is not separation of church and state.

You know, I'm convinced that Jesus was a total radical and a progressive, and that he argued with the Pharisees (the ultra-conservative wing of Judaism) every day in the temple.

I'm not attending church either unless/until I find one that doesn't offend me and understands that separation of church and state is an American blessing that works BOTH ways.

A lot of our DFA group are UU members. Several of the professors in our neighborhood are as well. We are thinking in those terms for now.

http://www.21stcenturydems.org/

http://www.americavotes.org/

I know DFA is part of the latter, and it partnered with the first back in March.

DFA is in a coalition of the latter, America Votes.