Article: "Take Back America" Conference Coverage - Day 1 Opening Statements

The rampant corruption of the right wing political establishment has consolidated power, but not competence. In fact, incompetence serves it purpose and as public opinion polls now show, the American public is rejecting Bush and the ideology of conservatism.

This message and more from speakers at opened the Campaign for America's Future (CFAF) "Take Back America" Conference. Robert Borosage, Co-Director of CFAF, kicked off the event highlighting the collapse of George W. Bush's and the DeLay Congress's "catastrophic conservatism" -- the war in Iraq, privatization of Social Security, trickle-down economics, the Big Oil energy policy -- and the GOP's splintering coalition. Continuing the rally, Stanley Greenberg drove Borosage's points home with a powerful presentation of his firm's recent public survey (to be released soon and posted here at OpEdNews). Mr. Greenberg, CEO of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and co-founder of the Democracy Corps, cautioned however that the collapse of the right wing's support is no guarantee that progressive candidates will prevail in the coming election, although the public largely embraces the left's ideologies and initiatives -- such as community over individualism and self-reliance, and multi-lateralism over military intervention. The good news is that independents share progressive values and will support a change in direction for America if the democrats can build and communicate a platform based on these ideals.

But how can progressives reach these independents and the other disillusioned, disappointed, and disenfranchised voters? Biko Baker, activist with the National Hip Hop Political Convention, shared his organization's recent success registering new, young voters and minorities in the last election. Democrats and progressives must build a relationship with the community and it must be ongoing...not clustered around primaries and general elections. The wedge issues are progressive issues -- global warming and the environment, the privatizing of public education, and the growing fascism of the current conservative leadership.

ï � �The progressive ideology embodies the policy of decency and sanity which speaks to the generosity of the American people. They are not conservatives, THEY ARE EXTREMISTS,ï � � declared Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation as Session One of Day One concluded. Indeed and a rousing start to ï � �Take Back America!ï � �