Article: Progressive Democrats of America – Do you know them? Here is why you should

Nader and the Greens made one important thing clear; there are people on the left portion of the Democratic electorate that are not happy with the direction of the Democratic Party. As unhappy as many of us party stalwarts are that if only these people had voted Gore, we wouldn't have had Dumbya, there is work to be done here to bring these people back into the fold. Unfortunately, virtually no elected Democrat or DNC official seems to have a clue how to do it.

Enter PDA, or Progressive Democrats of America, http://www.pdamerica.org . With the support of the few elected Democrats who 'get it' including Representatives Maxine Waters, John Conyers, Raul Grijalva, Barbara Lee, Diane Watson, Lynn Wolsey, and boasting the support of Progressives like Cindy Sheehan who sit on its governing board, PDA is a group aimed at becoming a powerful Progressive caucus within the Democratic Party. Even though they are probably a little left of this author, I cannot help but recognize that the Democratic Party MUST do what is necessary to bring the progressives back into the party and make them happy, and the only way to do this is to give them a great deal of power and influence into party decisions. I think PDA is the way to go to do this and that is why I am supporting them.

PDA's stated mission is as follows, "Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) exists to carry the progressive agenda from the American grassroots to Congress to guide the development of progressive legislation, fight for its passage into law, and support the realization of progressive policies at the state and local levels." This mission statement and more are on the FAQ page, http://pdamerica.org/about/faq.php .

Is PDA going to make it and achieve its goals? I believe so wholeheartedly and not just because I wish it so. I have seen a lot of movements and organizations formed in the amount of time I have been politically active. I have never seen an organization with both the energy and support both in terms of people and finances that this group seems to have. Between the now apparent hubris and demonstrated inability to govern of the GOP and the efforts of the PDA to bring Progressives back into the Democratic Party, I think the Democrats may just have a chance to win back the congress in 2006 and the White House in 2008. At the very least, in the best traditions of Jesse Jackson, the PDA has helped keep MY hope alive.