"I have not yet begun to fight!"

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Friday, June 20, 2014

Progressive Democrats of America

Virginia prepares for new voter photo ID law With implementation of Virginia’s new voter ID law seven months away, state election officials are scrambling to affordably create a photo ID card that will be provided to voters for free. They also are gearing up to educate the public about the law that will take effect July 1. Read the Full Story

Progressive Democrats of America

Progressive Democrats of America was founded in 2004 to transform the Democratic Party and our country. We seek to build a party and government controlled by citizens, not corporate elites-with policies that serve the broad public interest, not just private interests. As a grassroots PAC operating inside the Democratic Party, and outside in movements for peace and justice, PDA played a key role in the stunning electoral victories of November 2006 and 2008. Our inside/outside strategy is guided by the belief that a lasting majority will require a revitalized Democratic Party built on firm progressive principles.
For over two decades, the party declined as its leadership listened more to the voices of corporations than those of Americans. PDA strives to rebuild the Democratic Party from the bottom up-from every congressional district to statewide party structures to the corridors of power in Washington, where we work arm in arm with the Congressional Progressive Caucus. In just a couple of years PDA and its allies have shaken up the political status-quo on issues from ending the Iraq war, voter rights, protecting Social Security, a full employment economy, national healthcare and economic justice.

PDA In Your State

Tim Carpenter Remembered

Northampton, MA - May 10, 2014

Tim Carpenter Memorial

Tim Carpenter Memorial
7082 sec.
Views: 172

Progressive Caucus Tribute to Tim Carpenter
124 sec.
Views: 334

Tim Carpenter Fought Hard for Social Justice - Now It's Our Turn
771 sec.
Views: 397

Tim Carpenter remarks at Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)
625 sec.
Views: 283

Sign the Petition - Sen. Sanders Run as a Democrat in 2016

PDA in the Media

Medicaid Expansion/ Single Payer Map

Does Your Legislator Support the ERA?

PDA On the Web

Issue Team News

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Progressive Party Positions

Progressive Party Positions
We are VERY different from the Establishment parties.
Our 2012 Voters Pamphlet Statement

	Dem	Rep	Progressive
Real campaign finance reform	NO	NO	YES
Oppose extension of income tax cuts for the rich	NO	NO	YES
Oppose Wall Street bailouts	NO	NO	YES
Oppose Cuts in Social Security Benefits	NO	NO	YES
Employment for All (WPA style)	NO	NO	YES
Increase minimum wage to living wage ($10 or more)	NO	NO	YES
Single Payer comprehensive health care	NO	NO	YES
Oppose Cuts in Medicare Coverage	NO	NO	YES
End wars in Iraq and Afghanistan	NO	NO	YES
Oppose use of mercenaries ("contractors")	NO	NO	YES
Cut military spending	NO	NO	YES
Equal rights for all; same-sex marriage	NO	NO	YES
Oppose NAFTA & WTO; encourage local sourcing of products & services	NO	NO	YES
Oppose spying on American civilians	NO	NO	YES
End occupation of Palestine	NO	NO	YES
Oppose shipping coal for export through Columbia Gorge	NO	NO	YES
Oppose offshore drilling	NO	NO	YES
Clean energy; no nuclear	NO	NO	YES
Repair, improve infrastructure (transportation, water systems, etc.)	NO	NO	YES
End the drug war	NO	NO	YES
End the Senate filibuster; restore majority rule	NO	NO	YES
End “corporate personhood”	NO	NO	YES

OREGON ISSUES
1)    We have worked for real campaign finance reform, not the phony bills promoted by the Democrats and Republicans, both of which opposed the 2006 Oregon campaign finance reform ballot measures.
2)    We want a State Bank to invest in jobs for Oregonians and to stop the State Treasurer and the Oregon Investment Council from jumping into bed with corporate raiders and fast-buck artists who lavish luxury travel and gifts on State employees.
3)    We want fair taxation. Oregon has the 4th highest income taxes of any state on lower-income working families and is still at the bottom in taxes on corporations.
4)    We want to stop government promotion of gambling (including video poker and video slots) and stop giving away $100 million per year in ridiculously high commissions to shops with video machines.
5)    We want to make the initiative and referendum again available to grass-roots efforts, instead of making it so complicated and expensive that only corporations and unions can afford to use it.
6)    We want to improve K-12 public education by giving parents and teachers more rights to manage their neighborhood schools.
7)    We want social justice systems that are inclusive and that promote responsibility, safety, trust-building and equality.

8)    We advocate abolishing the Oregon Senate, leaving the 60-member Oregon House of Representatives. Splitting the Legislature into two bodies allows both of them to play games and avoid responsibility.
9)    We want the Oregon Legislature to adopt the National Popular Vote plan so that Presidents are elected by popular vote.

What exactly does the party

Submitted by Rhys Campbell (not verified) on Thu, 09/16/2010 - 11:34.

What exactly does the party mean when they say that they oppose the use of mercenaries. Because the entire U.S. military today is made up of mercenary soldiers. They are paid to fight for our country. By opposing mercenaries, does the Progressive Party oppose the use of these people paid to fight? Do they want a strictly volunteer army? Or is it that they want the U.S. to stop using private armies run by individuals?

Progressive Party opposes military private contractors

Submitted by info on Wed, 09/29/2010 - 17:35.

Our shorthand "oppose use of mercenaries" means that we oppose the U.S. military hiring private companies to kill people or "provide security." It is not a comment about a volunteer army. We also advocate the quickest possible withdrawal of all foreign military forces from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Generally it's a politics and

Submitted by Dvd Player (not verified) on Sat, 02/12/2011 - 07:30.

Generally it's a politics and it's there since then. It's a very old brand new things to us. It repeats again and again. The bottom line is what we can do the best is to help our nation. Let change starts at ourselves and spread it eventually. Big change always has a small beginning.

American Extremists

MovetoAmend U.S. Constitution to Control Big Money in Politics

Submitted by info on Sun, 06/08/2014 - 01:58

Big special interest money and national/multinational corporations dominates the political process. We need our democracy back! Now!
It is time to amend the U.S. Constitution.
This Public Service Announcement directs you to Movetoamend.org to support amending the constitution to say the corporations are not people and money in politics is not speech and should be regulated.
Produced by David Delk and Geoff Holland.

Simpsons on the Two Party Duopoly

Submitted by info on Tue, 04/15/2014 - 16:05

Period Opens for Suggesting Nominees for State Council

Submitted by info on Sat, 06/07/2014 - 03:44

The Oregon Progressive Party's State Council has initiated the 21-day period during which Members or Supporters of the Party may submit to the State Council proposed nominations for the 5 State Councilor positions to be elected this summer.
These are volunteer, unpaid positions. One is for 1 year, one for 2 years, one for 3 years, one for 4 years, and one for 5 years. After this year, one State Council position will be up for election each year.
Please send the names (and, if possible, email addresses) of proposed nominees to info@progparty.org on or before June 28, 2014.
The 16 categories of duties of the State Council, as stated in the Bylaws, are:

Appointing officers and senior advisers;
Managing day-to-day activities of the operation of the Party;
Budgeting and finances, including seeking contributions and assisting candidate's fundraising efforts;

Oregon could follow Vermont on universal healthcare Me

Submitted by DavidDelk on Mon, 05/26/2014 - 23:06

Single payer universal healthcare could happen in Oregon. But before it can, a study, which has already been authorized by the Oregon legislature, must be conducted. But that study is not moving forward. You can help get it moving. Read what must be done in this piece by Dr. Samuel Metz, one of the Mad As Hell Doctors and Health Care For All Oregon. The Oregon Progressive Party is a strong supporter of HCAO.
HB 3260: the study that gets Oregon one step closer to universal health care needs your help
Do you want universal health care in Oregon? www.OregonStudy.org moves our state one step further, and here’s why.

More Comments on Proposed "Portland Water District"

Submitted by info on Mon, 05/05/2014 - 10:08

by Dan Meek
5/3/2014
This is also posted at http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2014/05/portland_public_water_district_8.html.
I just received a very misleading big postcard from the "yes" campaign on this measure. Nearly every statement in the postcard has already been refuted in my op-ed at http://tinyurl.com/meek-oped-water or is otherwise untrue or misleading.
The postcard shows a desert and says "Phoenix has lower water rates than Portland." First, a comparison of "water rates" alone leaves out the elements that comprise most of the "water" bills, which are charges for sewer and stormwater disposal. Second, there are many cities with lower water rates than Portland and many cities with higher water + disposal rates, including just on the west coast (for typical residential usage levels): Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and Oakland. See Black & Veatch, 50 Largest Cities Water/Wastewater Rate Survey (2012/2013).
But if you want to look at just water rates, the same survey shows that Portland has lower commercial water rates than even Phoenix, whether the customer is using 100,000 gallons or 10 million gallons per month.
The postcard claims that Portland "water rates have risen 161% since 2000." There is no source cited for this, and I can locate nothing that supports it apart from a USA Today article in September 2012, which also states that water rates during that period have risen in San Francisco by 211% and San Diego by 141%. The article itself states: "Local water costs vary widely because of geography, climate, population, a water company's borrowing costs and other factors. That makes it virtually impossible to compare one city's water costs to another's."

Dan Meek Op-Ed on "Water District" Measure

Submitted by info on Thu, 05/01/2014 - 19:35

The "Water District" Measure is a Corporate Takeover
of Portland’s Water and Sewer Systems
Note: This op-ed appeared in the Portland Tribune on May 1, 2014. What follows is slightly annotated version.
For 27 years, I have helped create new publicly-controlled utilities in Oregon, including the Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative, now the largest electric cooperative in Oregon (annual revenue $48 million).
Measure 26-156 is not a typical "public district" creation measure. Instead, it grafts onto the existing City of Portland water and sewer systems a 7-person Board of directors that can set rates, borrow money to be repaid by Portland taxpayers, sell property, and decide how to use the existing $19 billion of assets in those systems and who pays the $682 million of annual costs.
The new 7-person Board would be elected half the time in low-turnout odd-year elections, as each term would be 3 years. There would be no limits on campaign spending by any persons or entities. I would expect the big corporate water/sewer users to get together in private, select their candidates, and overwhelm the voters with political ads. After all, they have provided over 99% of the funds for this campaign, including the paid signature gathering. See http://tinyurl.com/waterdistbackers and http://tinyurl.com/wdbackers2.

Siltronic Corp. is both by far the largest user of Portland water and the largest contributor to the campaign (30% of the total).

The resulting corporate-dominated Board would likely:
(1) gut expenditures necessary for environmental protection, and
(2) increase rates for residential customers in order to decrease rates for the largest customers.

IRS Targeted Progressive Groups More Than Tea Party Groups

Submitted by info on Thu, 04/24/2014 - 03:37

ThinkProgress reports from a series of IRS documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act:

The 22 “Be On the Look Out” keywords lists, distributed to [IRS] staff reviewing [nonprofit status] applications between August 12, 2010 and April 19, 2013, included more explicit references to progressive groups, ACORN successors, and medical marijuana organizations than to Tea Party entities.

Princeton Study finds U.S. is Oligarchy

Submitted by info on Fri, 04/18/2014 - 14:44

Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy
BBC
April 17, 2014
The US is dominated by a rich and powerful elite.
So concludes a recent study by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin I Page.
This is not news, you say.
Perhaps, but the two professors have conducted exhaustive research to try to present data-driven support for this conclusion. Here's how they explain it:

Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organised groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on US government policy, while average citizens and mass-based interest groups have little or no independent influence.

In English: the wealthy few move policy, while the average American has little power.

Dr. Don Show Features "No" on Portland "Water District" Measure

Submitted by info on Thu, 04/17/2014 - 17:22

Conversations with Dr. Don will air, starting on Tuesday, April 22, a 1-hour show with Dan Meek. The first half is about the Portland "Water District" measure on the May 20 ballot and includes these slides [or this PDF version of the slides].
Portland Area Broadcast Schedule
Portland, OR metropolitan area: Tuesday 11pm Channel 11
Washington County, OR area (Channel 21):
Friday 8pm
Saturday 1am Saturday 9am
Sunday 3pm
Monday 6am Monday 1pm
It is also at https://www.youtube.com/user/friendlydon1.

Simpsons on Democrats Always Giving Up

Submitted by info on Tue, 04/15/2014 - 16:01

Seymour Hersh" reveals details of the international conspiracy against Syria .. a secret U.S. report: Syrian rebels with the support of Turkey launched chemical attacks in Gota Khan and honey .. Washington established a "line Jerzan" to smuggle weapons to Damascus

Wednesday, April 9, 2014 1:25

Started Engy Magdy

Detection of U.S. journalist veteran Seymour Hersh, winning an unfair Pulitzer in journalism, about the hidden reasons for the decline of U.S. President Barack Obama from launching a military strike on Syria last September, confirming the involvement of Turkey in the chemical attack on the city of Gota in August. Said Hirsch, winning at the highest and Sam press, in a magazine article, "London Review of Books," The secret of the decline Obama's decision to strike lies in Porton Down in the lab of Defense "and Altshir", where I got the British intelligence on a sample of sarin gas used in the attack on the Gota on August 21, 2013, The analysis showed that the gas used in the attack does not match that found in the arsenal of chemical weapons of the Syrian army., and former U.S. intelligence official was sure that the Syrian opposition learned of the attack until they were quick to declare that the Syrian army to use "sarin" in the attack, before conduct any investigation or analysis, including jumped the American press and the White House to sing the same name as the gas, according to the official, the there was a widespread belief that Assad does not need to use sarin at that time because it was investigating a victory in the war. Hersh points, otherwise bear between officials of the U.S. administration , where the team pro-strike while bypassing the red line set by Obama, which is the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian conflict, and military commanders who believe that going to war in Syria unwarranted and would result in disastrous consequences, has increased the report, British doubts within the Pentagon, where he was the Chiefs of Staff are preparing to warn Obama that the attack long-range bombs and missiles on the infrastructure in Syria could lead to a wider war in the Middle East. adds that for months there has been a severe anxiety among senior military leaders in Washington and intelligence on the role of Syria's neighbors in the conflict at home, especially Turkey, as it is known widely, support Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Front victory, jihadist group that linked to al Qaeda, and other Islamist insurgents anti-Assad, quoted a senior official of a former U.S. intelligence, informed the matter as saying: "We know that some within the Turkish government want to get rid of Assad during an attack sarin to push Obama toward implementing its threat while bypassing the red line. "asserts Hersh that the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the U.S. military know that the allegations publicly propagated by the U.S. administration that the Syrian army is only able to access to sarin, wrong, Valastakbarat American and British flag since the spring of 2013, that some rebel units are developing chemical weapons, has been issued a U.S. military intelligence on June 20 last secret report, submitted to the deputy head of the agency, David built, stating that the front of the victory has manufacturing unit sarin gas, and that the program is the most dangerous plot since the bombing of the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001., and continues to front the victory currently manufactures its stockpile of chemical weapons, with the support of Turkey and Saudi Arabia, according to the report, American intelligence, as it seeks to get tens of kilo grams of sarin gas, but draws Hirsch to be a spokesman for the National Intelligence denied the existence of such a report, despite the announcement of the local police Turkish, last May, the arrest of ten members of the Front victory southern Turkey because they were carrying two kilograms of sarin. and in the meantime Turkish press was awash with speculation about the Erdogan government to cover up the extent of its involvement with the rebels, especially as the Turkish ambassador to Moscow, denied at a press conference last summer, the arrest of members of the Front victory and claimed that the seized material just antifreeze. According to the document the U.S. intelligence, the Haitham Al-Kassab, the leader of the group arrested them and who identified himself as a member of the Front for Victory, the direct relationship with Abdul Ghani, the Prince of branch manufacturing military group, has worked butcher with an employee of the company to export Turkish called "Zirve", and that the employee submitted bids for the purchase of large amounts of isotopes of sarin, which included a plan Abdul Ghani training butcher and others and then return to Syria to train more to start the production of a wide range of sarin in the plant is unknown in Syria. Indicates American journalist great that after a series of chemical attacks in March and April 2013, the United Nations sent a special mission to Syria, where he confirmed one person very close to the mission for "Seymour Hersh that" there is strong evidence of a relationship Syrian opposition attack first, which took place on March 19 in the district of Khan honey in Aleppo, and while it was not authorized for the United Nations Mission identifying responsible for the attack, according to this person, it is during a meeting with investigators gentile witnesses eyewitnesses and doctors who treated the victims, it has been clear that the rebel forces used poison gas, but This did not announce before the world public opinion because no one wants it, in reference to the forces of international interest. revealed "Hersh" the full extent of U.S. cooperation with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to help the rebels in Syria, and said the Obama administration has established what it calls the CIA Central to "line Jerzan," a back channel to infiltrate Syria, was established this channel in 2012 for smuggling arms and ammunition from Libya through southern Turkey and then to the Syrian border, where received by the opposition, says the American journalist that the main beneficiary of such weapons was the jihadists, who belong, some directly to al-Qaeda, but he points out, the chief of the intelligence agency of the Ministry of Defence this idea. indicates that in January, the report to Congress, particularly the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in September 2012, which resulted in the death of Ambassador Christopher Stevens, criticism of state American failure to provide adequate security to the consulate and the U.S. intelligence community for not alerting the U.S. military about the presence of point affiliated with the CIA in the region that the strike took place, has been the face of the Republicans accused Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton covering up something. says that according to a document classified attached with the report of the U.S. the intelligence , the agreement held secret Obama and Erdogan, early 2012, for what is described as "Jerzan line." The agreement stipulates that the financing of Turkish and Saudi and Qatari support from the CIA and British intelligence Foreign MI6, are getting special weapons arsenal Gadhafi to Syria. While he did not tell the document, referred to earlier, the full story of what was going on in Benghazi before the attack on the consulate of America and you explain the reason for the attack, "the former senior intelligence official" who spoke to Hersh, confirms that the sole task of the consulate was to cover up the movement of weapons, it was not have any political role. Though Washington ended the role of the CIA in the transfer of weapons from Libya to Syria, after the attack on the consulate, they kept the "line Jerzan," According to the official the intelligence it by the end of 2012, there was a widespread belief within the corridors of the intelligence services America that the rebels are losing the war in the face of the lion, but Turkish Prime Minister was in a state of "Sugar," Egypt to continue the war against al-Assad, and in the spring of 2013, I learned of U.S. intelligence that the Turkish government is working directly with the Front victory and its allies to develop the capacity of chemical warfare. With asked Erdogan during a meeting with President Obama on May 16, 2013 at the White House whether he thought that Syria crossed the "red line", acknowledged the U.S. President that there was no evidence of the use of the Assad regime of chemical weapons, according to an expert politician attended the meeting, the during a working dinner, Erdogan insisted that Syria crossed the red line and that America is reluctant to strike.

The arrest of the suspected attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi

Abu Khtalh in place did not reveal WASHINGTON (Ed Giles / Getty) اعتقال المشتبه به بالهجوم على القنصلية الأميركية ببنغازي

The arrest of the suspected attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi

AFP, Reuters

June 17, 2014

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أكدت وزارة الدفاع الأميركية (بنتاجون)، اليوم الثلاثاء، أن الولايات المتحدة تحتجز ليبياً مشتبهاً فيه في الهجوم على القنصلية الأميركية في بنغازي الذي أوقع قتلى، فيما سارع الرئيس باراك أوباما إلى الثناء على العملية التي أنجزتها إدارته. The Ministry of Defense (Pentagon), said on Tuesday that the United States is holding Libyan suspects in the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, which killed dead, while President Barack Obama was quick to praise the process carried out by the management.

وقال مسؤولون إن أحمد أبو ختالة، القيادي في فرع جماعة "أنصار الشريعة" الليبية، التي تصنفها الولايات المتحدة منظمة إرهابية، في بنغازي سيحاكم أمام محكمة أميركية. Officials said Ahmed Abu Khtalh, leader of the Branch group "Ansar al-Sharia" Libya, which the United States classifies as a terrorist organization, in Benghazi will be tried in a U.S. court. وهو الآن محتجز في مكان لم يكشف عنه. He is now being held in an undisclosed location.

وكانت الولايات المتحدة قد وجهت العام الماضي اتهامات لأبي ختالة وعدد آخر في دعوى رفعتها أمام المحكمة الجزئية في واشنطن. The United States has brought charges last year for my father and a number of other Khtalh in a suit filed before the U.S. District Court in Washington.

غير أنه لم يعتقل أحد حتى الآن ممن شاركوا في الهجوم الذي وقع في سبتمبر/ أيلول الماضي، وأشعل متشددون النار خلاله في البعثة الدبلوماسية الأميركية في بنغازي، وقتلوا السفير الأميركي كريستوفر ستيفنز وثلاثة أميركيين آخرين. However, no one has yet been arrested who were involved in the attack, which occurred in September / September last year, and sparked a fire in which militants in the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, killing U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans. وكانت إدارة الرئيس باراك أوباما تعرضت لانتقاد شديد من الجمهوريين لعدم قدرتها على إلقاء القبض على المسؤولين عن هذا الهجوم. The administration of President Barack Obama came under strong criticism from the Republicans for their inability to apprehend those responsible for this attack.

وفي بيان صدر عن البيت الأبيض، قال أوباما إن أحمد ابو ختالة سيواجه نظام العدالة الأميركية "بكامل قوتها". In a statement released by the White House, Obama said Ahmed Abu Khtalh will face American justice system "in full force." وأشار إلى أنه أمر بتنفيذ العملية في ليبيا التي انتهت باعتقال أبو ختالة على يد قوات أميركية تعمل مع أفراد من وكالات إنفاذ القانون. He pointed out that it is the implementation of the operation in Libya, which ended with the arrest of Abu Khtalh at the hands of U.S. forces are working with members of law enforcement agencies.
وأضاف "منذ الهجمات القاتلة على منشآتنا في بنغازي أعطيت أولوية للعثور على المسؤولين عن مقتل أربعة أميركيين شجعان وتقديمهم للعدالة". "Since the deadly attacks on our facilities in Benghazi, priority was given to find those responsible for the deaths of four brave Americans and bring them to justice." وتابع "حقيقة أنه (أبو ختالة) محتجز لدى واشنطن الآن دليل على الجهود المضنية لجيشنا وأفراد وكالات إنفاذ القانون والاستخبارات. بفضل شجاعتهم وحرفيتهم يواجه هذا الشخص الآن قوة نظام العدالة الأميركي". "The fact that he (Abu Khtalh) being held in Washington now is proof of the strenuous efforts of our military personnel and law enforcement agencies and intelligence. Thanks to the courage and professionalism of this person is facing now a force to the American justice system."

Icon: U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) , "Ansar al-Sharia," the Libyan Ahmed Abu Khtalh U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens

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Seymour Hersh" reveals details of the international conspiracy against Syria .. a secret U.S. report: Syrian rebels with the support of Turkey launched chemical attacks in Gota Khan and honey .. Washington established a "line Jerzan" to smuggle weapons to Damascus

The arrest of the suspected attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi

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