Progressive Democrats of America

Newsflash:

A Closer Look at Some of the More Hotly Disputed Assertions At the second presidential debate, everyone played fact-checker. President Obama said, “Not true, Governor Romney” to dismiss his rival’s charge that oil and gas production permits and licenses on federal lands and waters had been cut in half over the past four years. (They have declined, but not by half). Read the Full Story

Why I Support the President Dear Friends: The election is coming up on all of us and we all have strong feelings about it. I've been getting asked a lot about where I stand, so for those who are interested, here goes. Read the Full Story

For the President, Punch, Punch, Another Punch He waited all of 45 seconds to make clear he came not just ready for a fight but ready to pick one. President Obama, who concluded that he was “too polite” in his first debate with Mitt Romney, made sure no one would say that after their second. He interrupted, he scolded, he filibustered, he shook his head. Read the Full Story

Interview with Mark Maynard We also talk economics and tax policy. We can’t just continue to cut our way to prosperity, Taj says. We continue to fire public employees, he says, and that not only impacts quality of life, but it negatively impacts consumer spending. Read the Full Story

Fungi, Regulatory Loopholes, and Scott Brown: The Meningitis Outbreak Explained You've probably heard by now that an outbreak of fungal meningitis caused by contaminated steroid injections has killed 20 people and sickened 257 more as of Wednesday. The contaminated steroid—injected into the spine as a routine treatment for back pain—originated at the New England Compounding Center (NECC) in Massachusetts. Read the Full Story

The Price of a 50-Year Myth IN the latest volume of his acclaimed biography of Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert A. Caro repeats a long-standing but erroneous myth about the Cuban missile crisis. Drawing on early accounts of the crisis, he describes a confrontation on Oct. 24, 1962, between American destroyers and Soviet ships carrying nuclear missiles to Cuba. According to Mr. Caro, the Soviet vessels were “within a few miles” of the blockade line, but turned away at the last moment. Read the Full Story

Adolescents in Grown-Up Jails The practice of confining young people to adult jails and prisons is both counterproductive and inhumane. Adolescents who are locked up with adults are more likely to be raped, battered or driven to suicide than young people who are handled through the juvenile justice system. After the trauma of doing hard, adult time, young people often return home as damaged individuals who are more likely to commit violent crimes and end up back inside. Read the Full Story

I'm a McGovern Democrat: Now, More Than Ever As I watched President Obama spar with Republican nominee Mitt Romney earlier this week, I thought back to a seemingly more presidential debate in 1984. In his final comments on a snowy February night in Iowa, former Sen. George McGovern challenged the Democrats to live up to their promises of change and legacy of service, beyond sloganeering, and then drew a standing ovation during the Des Moines Register debate among Democratic contenders with a moment of truth: "Don't throw away your conscience." Read the Full Story

Boston Police accused of spying on antiwar groups It was a run-of-the-mill antiwar gathering. The speakers: former city councilor Felix D. Arroyo, Boston University professor Howard Zinn, and Gold Star mother Cindy Sheehan. The location: A congregational church in Jamaica Plain. But the Boston Police Department took careful notes in advance of the gathering, filing an “intelligence report” in March 2007 that labeled the event a “criminal act” involving “extremists.” Read the Full Story

Mr. Romney Needs a Working Calculator To the annoyance of the Romney campaign, members of Washington’s reality-based community have a habit of popping up to point out the many deceptions in the campaign’s blue-sky promises of low taxes and instant growth. The latest is the Joint Committee on Taxation, an obscure but well-respected Congressional panel — currently evenly divided between the parties — that helps lawmakers calculate the effect of their tax plans. Read the Full Story

If Roe v. Wade Goes It is no secret that Mitt Romney and his running-mate, Representative Paul Ryan, are opponents of abortion rights. When Mr. Ryan was asked at last week’s debate whether voters who support abortion rights should be worried if the Romney-Ryan ticket were elected, he essentially said yes. They would depart slightly from the extremist Republican Party platform by allowing narrow exceptions for rape, incest or the life of the woman. Beyond that, they would move to take away a fundamental right that American women have had for nearly 40 years. Read the Full Story

Family: Former Sen. George McGovern 'no longer responsive' The family of ex-U.S. Sen. George McGovern says the 90-year-old is "no longer responsive" in hospice care. His daughter Ann McGovern told The Associated Press that her father is "nearing the end" and appears restful and peaceful. She says it's a blessing that she and other family members are able to be with him. Read the Full Story

A Closer Look at Some of the More Hotly Disputed Assertions

Why I Support the President

For the President, Punch, Punch, Another Punch

Interview with Mark Maynard

Fungi, Regulatory Loopholes, and Scott Brown: The Meningitis Outbreak Explained

The Price of a 50-Year Myth

Adolescents in Grown-Up Jails

I'm a McGovern Democrat: Now, More Than Ever

Boston Police accused of spying on antiwar groups

Mr. Romney Needs a Working Calculator

If Roe v. Wade Goes

Family: Former Sen. George McGovern 'no longer responsive'

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.

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2012 Candidates

David Schapira Receives PDA Endorsement

Rep. Barbara Lee Endorsed

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Wayne Powell Wins PDA National Endorsement

PDA Endorses Rep. John Conyers (MI-13)

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