by thereisnospoon [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by WhatAre Progressive Values [courtesy of Blog for America]

I attended the East Bay CA,  DFA training on March 1 and 2, 2008 and video taped the first 11 or so hours of the 18 hour training. After talking with DFA Training Director, Matt Blizek, we decided to place these sections online.

In the introduction video, I also asked participants what they felt Progressive Values are. These values are the essence of what they are working to actualize in our society. They talked about Justice, Fairness, Equality and Participatory Democracy. DFA training gives progressives the nuts and bolts tools to turn these values into reality.  Please do help get the word out about the online training videos.

BTW, Joan and I will be going to Take Back America Progressive Conference in Washington DC next week.  We'll be holding a workshop session on What are Progressive Values? Tell Your Personal Story .  Monday, March 17, 2008 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM , RM 2  If you're there, keep an eye out for us and stop by, say hello and be interviewed for our documentary.

Below is a 10 minute introduction to DFA Training I edited together and 9 of the unedited training sections.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

(Brian touched on the quirks of the primary process here; I ran the numbers.)

We hear a lot about the back and forth of the Democratic primary in California.  We hear about various campaign rallies, some of it useful and interesting.  Heck, I've written about them myself.  What I see less about is the actual nuts and bolts of the California election, and what its quirks will mean for the delegate counts for Obama or Clinton.  The AP came close the other day.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

A couple of hundred enthusiastic supporters of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama packed into the Tosca Café, a local 40’s style cocktail bar in San Francisco’s North Beach area to watch the returns coming in from the Iowa caucuses. There were smiles all around when the returns started coming in, and as Obama’s numbers climbed throughout the evening, there were periodic whoops and roars. The loudest may have been when it was announced that Obama had won the women’s vote—there may be a few folks wandering around with permanent hearing losses inside—as folks walking along the sidewalk outside craned their necks to see what was going on with a television camera truck parked outside.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Anthony Wright
Executive Director of Health Access California

In the national debate about mandates, many are making mountains out of molehills.

To recap, I wrote on December 1:

"The Los Angeles Times reports on the debate among the Democratic presidential candidates over the so-called individual mandate. It been strange seeing this play out nationally, within the very vague terms of presidential campaign position papers… while we’ve been grappling with the nuts-and-bolts of these same issues here in Sacramento.

"I'm a little confused about the fuss. The three proposals, by Edwards, Obama, and Clinton, are all very similar. Edwards and Clinton are trying to make a distinction with Obama, in that they have a individual mandate, and Obama doesn't. But Obama does not say he oppose the individual mandate--he said repeatedly that he would consider it, but his first goal is to make coverage affordable.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gary A. Patton
Executive Director
Planning and Conservation League

Last week we reported that key flood bills (AB 5, AB 70, and AB 162) advanced through to Appropriations just before the policy committee deadline.

The authors of all the various flood bills pending in the Legislature have committed to work together during negotiations this summer, to pass the best possible flood policy package. Because several of the key flood bills have similar provisions, some legislative "vehicles" (lobbyist lingo for "bills") may be scrapped for parts and not make it through recess, requiring strong cooperation between the various authors.

In this week's installment of our Flood Policy series we'll take a look at the nuts and bolts of good flood policy.

Part III: The 2007 Flood Package: Flood Priorities Worth Fighting For

by dday [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

You would think that a governor would try to step in on July 16 when a budget is due July 1.  And you would think he would be doing everything he can to manage the prison crisis given the rapidly approaching deadline when judges may cap the number of inmates.  But you're just not post-partisan (or lazy as hell, you choose).

last week closed with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's attention thousands of miles east as he ventured to Florida for a turn before the cameras and a $25,000-per-table Republican party fundraiser.

To Capitol insiders, the trip was the latest troubling evidence that despite the many big issues before him, the governor's interest in the nuts and bolts of governing has ebbed. Splashy announcements remain his trademark, but after the cameras pack up, Schwarzenegger has often not followed through. As a result, key parts of his agenda are foundering.

I think my biggest problem with those paragraphs is the word "ebbed."  When was he EVER interested in governing?  Sure, he likes magazine covers, and getting to wear anything with the California state seal on it, but actually GOVERNING.  Not his style.

Over...