Our California Progressive Coalition

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

A Reason to Believe

By Brad Parker

When we were formulating our strategy timeline for the “Progressive Plan” – published by the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party in August 2006 – we called for a coalition meeting of all outside the Democratic Party Progressive groups with all Progressive Caucuses inside the state Democratic Parties in the fall of 2007. Up until two weeks ago it looked as though this strategic prognostication might not be realized as the rest of the timeline has been. As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving we can be thankful that in two significant ways this call to coalition has not only been realized but in mysterious and stimulating ways.

First – a move to censure Senator Dianne Feinstein for her votes to confirm Leslie Southwick and Michael Mukasey, that began in the Executive Board of the Progressive Caucus of the CDP, caught fire across California, resulting in a spirited effort to do just that at the CDP Executive Board meeting in Anaheim this past weekend. Mal Burnstein – Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus of the CDP - first brought the resolution of censure to the caucus board. It was unanimously passed.

Then, it began to be moved and passed at Democratic Clubs and County Central Committees. That was concurrent with an all-out and energetic promotion by the Courage Campaign. Before long the censure movement was joined by MoveOn, PDA, local DFA and Wellstone chapters and more than 30,000 Californians. Even though the Resolutions committee of the CDP voted to stifle debate and not hear the resolution - the Progressive, Women’s and Irish-American caucuses passed it. California was on fire again.

Less heralded - but just as important - was the announcement of an Immigration Town Hall to be held at the 2008 CDP Convention in San Jose this March. This initiative also originated in the Progressive Caucus Executive Board. Over the last six months, the Labor caucus embraced it, as did the Women’s and African-American caucuses, finally receiving the imprimatur of CDP Chairman Art Torres at this weekend’s CDP meetings. It is a bold idea to bring together representatives of all of the caucuses in the Party who choose to participate and discuss an issue central to the upcoming 2008 campaigns in a setting that encourages listening, dialogue and mutual respect. A coalition of seemingly disparate groups within the Party to form a consensus is also a feature of the “Progressive Plan” strategic timeline and was slated for the 2008 CDP Convention, where it will now come to fruition. Where the members lead, the leaders must follow.

Bound up in the drama surrounding these policy and action determinations has been the question – “Who is a Democrat?” and “What does the Democratic Party stand for?” While there are as many answers as there are registered Democrats, both questions taken together point toward a larger phenomena that we are all participating in – futuring the Democratic Party.