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Author Topic:   For The Press and Those With The Illusion That We Elected Conservative Democrats
Mirandee
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posted November 13, 2006 10:27 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It was the Progressive Democrats of America who were responsible for Webb defeating Allen in Virginia and this was the case all across the country. The PDA are also the Dems who have heen working all along with organizations such as Common Cause, True Majority, MoveOn.org, and other groups. Along with the PDA these groups were instrumental in getting people out to vote.

The PDA is also the Democratic faction of the party that strongly support and endorse John Conyers in his effort to have Bush and Cheney impeached. Just wanted to mention that so it doesn't come as a shock in 2007 when it actually happens.

It is an illusion on the part of the national media, and wishful thinking on the part of many Republicans that the majority of Americans who voted last Tuesday and restored the balance of power in America elected conservative Democrats. We in fact, did not, we elected on the most part, progressive Dems.

PDA Virginia Election Report
By Stephen Spitz, PDA Virginia State Co-Coordinator


Jim Webb will be the next U.S. senator from Virginia and so the
Democratic Party will take control of the Senate with a 51-49
majority. Webb won by 7,236 and we in PDA in Virginia can certainly
take credit for that critical margin:
1. In early 2005, we made "Ending the U.S. occupation of Iraq" our
top issue priority for 2005 and 2006. At a time when practically no
one else in Virginia thought that this issue would help Democratic
candidates in the 2006 elections in Virginia, we did. We marched in
demonstrations in DC and sponsored vigils in Virginia. In May 2005,
we introduced successful withdraw-the-troops resolutions in several
congressional districts in Democratic conventions - including two
where powerful Republican incumbents held sway, the 11th and the 5th.
In early 2006, we persuaded Rep. Jim Moran in the 8th CD to introduce
a successful resolution requiring the Defense Department to report to
the Congress what it was doing in Iraq. In May 2006, we held a
well-attended forum on the war in Iraq between the two Democratic
candidates in the 11th CD, which propelled the issue of the war front
and center in the campaign.

2. We endorsed the 11th CD Democratic candidate Andrew Hurst and the
5th CD Democratic candidate Al Weed, as well as PDA Virginia founding
member Shawn O'Donnell in the 1st CD. All of these progressives won
contested primary races. Our three excellent PDA-endorsed
congressional candidates all talked early and often about the war in
Iraq, both before and after the primaries. That was the main reason
each became the Democratic nominee and is probably the main reason
why each garnered more support in this general election against
entrenched Republican opponents than Democratic candidates have in
those districts in many years. We registered voters, held major
fundraisers, and canvassed for all three candidates.

Jo Anne Davis in the 1st was unopposed in 2004 and the Democratic
Committee did not want to run anyone again in 2006. With very little
money, however, O'Donnell garnered 35% of the vote in this
rock-ribbed Republican district in 2006. Without any money from the
national Party, with no network television advertising, despite a
fiercely negative campaign against him, and despite being outspent
10-1, Hurst gained 44% of the vote against Rep. Tom Davis in the 11th
CD, a five-point gain over the 2004 Democratic candidate! As a result,
it is widely believed that this will be Davis' last term in Congress
and that he will either try to run for the U.S. Senate in 2008 or
cash out with some of the fat cats who bankroll him. Weed won an
incredible 40% of the vote against Rep. Virgil Goode in the rural
conservative Republican 5th CD, a six-point improvement over his 2004
showing against Goode.

By increasing the blue vote in these red districts, we clearly
energized an emerging Democratic electorate to come out to vote for
Webb and the Democratic congressional candidates.

3. We persuaded members of peace groups such as Northern Virginians
for Peace and Justice to support our endorsed anti-Iraq war
candidates and strong prospective Green party candidates not to run
against our endorsed Democratic candidates.

4. We won the respect of the Democratic Party structure in the
state. PDA member jointly co-sponsored fundraisers with the vice
chair for finance of the state party for Weed, O'Donnell, and Hurst.
This money really meant something to these under funded challengers.
Hurst trumpeted his endorsement by PDA as the lead item on his
website and as his lead comment in his appearance before hundreds of
Democratic Party committee members in the state's largest
jurisdiction by far, Fairfax County. We set up tables at the party's
State Central Committee meeting where we discussed PDA objectives
with members.

5. Numerous PDA members worked hard to elect our three endorsed
congressional candidates and to elect Webb to the Senate. We spread
the word after meeting with Webb and his Democratic primary opponent
that Webb would be a much better candidate in large part because of
his opposition to the Iraq war. We got activists energized in the
campaign, especially in the 11th, 1st, and 5th CDs where the
Democratic Party has become to use to losing congressional races.
Although we did not win any of their races, the strong showings of
Weed, Hurst and O'Donnell in their respective districts propelled
Webb to his narrow statewide victory and thus the Democrats to
control of the Senate.

And so, while we celebrate Tuesday's election results, and thank
particularly the large numbers of you who worked for Andrew Hurst, Al
Weed, Shawn O'Donnell and who have signed the STOP FUNDING WAR http://pdamerica.org/petition/mcgovern-petition.php
{http://pdamerica.org/petition/mcgovern-petition.php} online
petition, we must begin to compel Congress to take action to cut off
funding of the war - NOW!

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