A great group for Progressive Change is looking positively back at 2014, so should we!

[RiverLover]

...As we leave 2014, let's be proud of what we did together...

PCCC Top Ten

1. We Won Progressive Victories Everywhere:

We enter the new Congress with more partners than ever. Bold progressives won early primaries against corporate Democrats -- electing Senator Brian Schatz in Hawaii, and Representatives Bonnie Watson Coleman in New Jersey, Ruben Gallego in Arizona, and Ted Lieu and Mike Honda in California.

These bright-blue districts will be represented by real progressives! And we helped elect great progressives to the Senate and House in November. (Read our full 2014 Elections Report.)

2. We Called Out The Vote:

Thousands of national volunteers signed up to Call Out The Vote (COTV) together. Together, we made over 4 million phone calls to voters in key races.

We were the only national call program of this scale that worked directly with campaigns -- so they could use the data we collected, making our work twice as effective.

Our calls helped key progressive champions like Al Franken and Jeff Merkley win re-election to the Senate -- and helped Rep. Rick Nolan in Minnesota win one of the tightest House elections.


P100 field trainees working on a project.

3. Our Infrastructure Worked:

We've been developing infrastructure to support thousands of progressives up and down the ballot, and it's beginning to pay off.

This cycle, we trained over 600 candidates, campaign managers, field directors, finance directors, and communications directors, from Iowa to Florida to New Hampshire.

And our special technology for campaigns helped support over 150 candidates.

If you're considering a run for office in the next several years, let us know here.



4. We Love Zephyr Teachout!

We were proud to be the only national group to support this feisty anti-corruption expert when she challenged New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, because being a Democrat should mean something.

Zephyr ran an insurgent campaign on a bold economic message, attacking corporate monopolies that hurt consumers.

She won a shocking 35% of the vote -- exceeding all expectations and making her a rising star.

Our COTV program made 500,000 calls, and PCCC members donated nearly $50,000 to Zephyr.

5. We Gained Momentum For Campaign Finance Reform:

PCCC members donated nearly $200,000 to Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig's new Mayday Super PAC -- dedicated to campaign finance reform.

And the PCCC was commissioned by Mayday to manage a multimillion-dollar effort that made one of the most corrupt and powerful House Republicans, Energy Chairman Fred Upton, scramble for his political life after selling out to Big Oil.

We also helped our allies deliver over 3.2 million petition signatures to the Senate to overturn Citizens United.

Net Neutrality



6. Big Movement On Internet Freedom:

The fight rages on for a free and fair Internet.

The FCC chairman proposed rule changes that would create an Internet "fast lane" for big corporations and a "slow lane" for everyone else.

We jumped into action along with our allies, collecting 150,000 signatures in opposition to the proposed new rules. Our activism was so effective, it got a shout-out during a White House press conference.

President Obama has now come out publicly on our side -- and the big idea of making the Internet a public utility like water, equally accessible to all, is seen as credible.

Senator Warren and Stephanie



7. Elizabeth Warren's Power Grew:

Senator Elizabeth Warren was the most popular Democratic campaigner in red, purple, and blue states.

After the election, she won a Senate leadership position -- and won even more influence by fighting Wall Street and calling for Citigroup to be "broken into pieces."

The PCCC coined the term "Elizabeth Warren wing" of American politics, which has been mentioned hundreds of times by The Washington Post, New York Times, MSNBC, and others -- and by us directly in The Hill, The Nation, and on C-SPAN.

Warren wing economic populism is on the rise.

8. We're Leading The Charge For Big Ideas:

After the election, we argued in editorials and interviews that Democrats lost because the Party didn't stand for big ideas that would improve millions of people's lives -- like affordable college, better jobs, or real retirement security.

Now, our sister organization, the Progressive Change Institute, is running the Big Ideas Project -- a crowdsourced platform to allow all of us to nominate and vote for big ideas that over 30 members of Congress will consider.

Over 1,800 ideas have been submitted and nearly 500,000 votes cast. Vote today!


New members of Congress with Adam and Stephanie at our PCCC policy briefing.


9. We're Organizing New Members Of Congress:

We recently held a progressive policy briefing for incoming members of Congress -- the first of its kind during freshman orientation.

Experts presented bold ideas in 2 minutes or less on big ideas like jobs for all, expanded Social Security benefits, fair taxation, fair trade, and clean energy.

National polling will soon show that these ideas are popular across the spectrum.

( Support more progressive briefings for Congress in 2015.)

10. We're Preparing For 2016:

We already sent our first organizer to the early presidential primary state of New Hampshire.

We're building a coalition of local unions, Democratic leaders, and activists who will push all Democratic presidential candidates to embrace Elizabeth Warren's big economic populist ideas.

It's smart politics and smart policy.


^^^This is a copy of an email to me from PCCC, but it can also be found here http://boldprogressives.org/2014/12/pcccs-top-ten-highlights-of-2014/

We should applaud this group & support them as well. Bring it on 2015!!

[Enthusiast]

1. K&R! This post should have hundreds of recommendations!

The democratic wing of the Democratic Party!

[RiverLover]

2. Thanks Enthusiast! I love your enthusiasm. :)

I'm trying to get more enthusiastic myself. Look for the good, and more good will come!

It is sad though that we need a Democratic wing for our Democratic party. LOL I don't understand how so many here don't get the problem. The sad irony...

But right, we're being enthusiastically optimistic! It really does seem like small strides across most of the country are happening, and we just don't hear about them as often. Negative stuff is much more clickable. For ex, in Ohio where its almost all bad news all the time, we have groups organizing together to change a MAJOR problem in our state, like in others, gerrymandering.

Check this out for another feel good 'change is happening' accomplishment~

THANK YOU

ProgressOhio’s Sandy Theis and the staff would like to thank the following individuals & organizations to make this a reality:

Members of the Voice of the People Coalition
Former State Rep. Joan W. Lawrence
Catherine Turcer & Sam Gresham of CommonCuase Ohio
League of Woman Voters
Former State Sen. Jeff Jacobson
OSU Professors Richard Gunther & Dan Tokaji
House & Senate Leaders and Staff
Everyone who helped along the way

From: http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2014/12/redistricting_reform_plan_pass.html

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bipartisan plan changing how the state draws its legislative districts, sending the measure to voters next year for approval.

The House voted 81-7 to approve changes made to House Joint Resolution 12 by the Senate early Friday morning.

Changes to Ohio’s redistricting process have been introduced in every legislative session since 1978, but Wednesday’s vote marks the first time both chambers have agreed on a plan. The plan does not change how congressional districts are drawn.

Critics of the current method and the proposal’s supporters say it will make the process less partisan and more transparent.

“I think it will be a new day in Ohio in terms of how apportionment happens,” Rep. Matt Huffman, a Lima Republican, said on the House floor. “It will be a clearer process, one I think fairer to the general public and most importantly, I think the general public will understand how these things happen.”

http://www.progressohio.org/2014/12/we-did-it-redistricting-reform-one-step-closer/

Baby steps...

[sabrina 1]

3. I like PCCC and they do get things done. There are a few other organizations

who are effective also. I hope they stay focused on PROGRESSIVE Dems and don't fall for the 'anyone with a 'D' after their name' routine that has caused so much damage to this party.

We have to keep broadcasting the fact that the country is not Center Right, as some keep using to excuse the party for not running Progressive Candidates or running on a Populist message.

All polls show the opposite. When issues are polled, the country likes Progressive issues.

[RiverLover]

4. I know. Hillary had a closed meeting with the head of PCCC recently. There are several rumors

about what was said behind those closed doors. Unfortunately, while PCCC says they want someone like Warren for president, they're the only large progressive group that hasn't yet come out officially supporting her to run for president. I'm afraid they believe if she doesn't run, that they can somehow magically change Hill into a real progressive. But they definitely haven't endorsed Hillary either yet, so who knows.

I've no idea. The next few months should be interesting.

[sabrina 1]

5. I remember what happened to Moveon once they gained 'access'. I would prefer

groups that do not get close to any 'insiders'. They cannot change people, but they can be coopted.

[wavesofeuphoria]

6. "We have to keep broadcasting the fact ... "

There is the rub, sabrina ... "broadcasting"

I wish there were more/better ways to get the message out ... or perhaps it is how to counterpunch the corporate media. Lots of folks don't have access to alternative media ... they just get info from corporate media or "hearsay" from say Facebook or such.

How do we break the hold of corporate media that the corporate-wing of both parties seem to have?

We the People ... need to be heard!

[RiverLover]

7. Corporate media is a HUGE part of the problem.

But at least we have the internet now, helps alot. Imagine how bad it would be if we ONLY had corporate media! egads.