News and Blog Posts from Wellstone Action

Organizing in the Southwest

Jhaut — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:13:32 -0500

This past weekend in Albuquerque, the buzz was generating around a certain presidential candidate who was heading into town. At Wellstone Action we wouldn't disagree that this presidential election year is exciting, but for us, this work continues presidential year or not, which is why our New Mexico Camp Wellstone training was the real buzz circulating.

For Wellstone Action, this was a return trip to Albuquerque after a successful Advanced Campaign Management and Candidate School this past winter. In partnership with the Center for Civic Action, close to 40 candidates, campaign managers, and volunteers were trained.

We may not have rubbed shoulders with the possible next president, but we met Carl Zaragoza, a former teacher in the Teach for America program, running for school board in Phoenix. And Ellen Wedum, who "should be retired" as she put it, but hasn't let her activism stop her in pursuit of state representative in Cloudcroft, New Mexico. There was also Michelle Beltran and Shannon Steffes, thinking of running for school boards in the future, and Eldred Bowekaty, who has his sights set on governor of the Zuni Tribe in 2010, as well as a handful of other potential candidates.

Camp Wellstone was rounded out with two dozen or so campaign workers, volunteers, and folks interested in making their community better. They gathered from across New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, and even New York and Pennsylvania. And they came to make sure their candidate takes office next year, because they want to effectively organize on campus or work with youth, and to take action on issues affecting their lives in the southwest.

For two long, jam-packed days, participants dove into working on campaign plans and setting budgets, creating fundraising goals, writing effective phone scripts, talking about a winning message, and writing stump speeches (some of the best, by the way).

Sure, we'll be paying attention to the presidential nominee on November 4^th, too, but we'll also be watching out for Carl and Ellen as well as thousands of other candidates we've trained over the years. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed for the other potential candidates, like Shannon, who told us, "I never would have imagined actually going through with a campaign for elected office. Now I am inspired and I believe this is something that I can do." We believe she can, too.

This is What a Clean Energy Future Looks Like

Mweiss — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:40:09 -0500

Whew! We just got back from a whole week with the organizers, leaders, and front-line activists of the Power Vote campaign, training them on the skills needed to successfully fight for a clean energy future on their campuses and in their communities. The goal of their campaign: get one million pledges from young people that they will vote this November and make clean energy a top issue in this election.

200 young people from all over the country (and Canada!) gathered in St. Paul for an in-depth, hands-on skills training on everything from executing a press event, to having one-to-one meetings with fellow students, and confronting candidates on the issues.

Check out these two videos from the event. The first one gives you a small taste of the week and what the students were doing in their interactive sessions. The second one is an example of the awesome simulated Youtube videos that students came up with to get their message out on campus.

"What do we want? Clean air! When do we want it? Now!"

elana — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:12:48 -0500

Last weekend we had a fabulous Camp Wellstone in the City of Brotherly Love. Over 100 people showed up to learn the skills of electing progressive candidates and winning on the issues we care about. (Learn more about Camp Wellstone here).

Check out this footage from the Citizen Activist track. Participants work in teams to create a simulated press event, complete with questions from the "press corps"!

A brief history of the Wellstone bill

elana — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:28:51 -0500

Our fight for mental health and addiction parity legislation, otherwise known as the Wellstone bill, began in 2003. Immediately following the death of Senator Paul Wellstone in late 2002, many of his colleagues in the Senate promised to pass this common-sense legislation in his honor. Paul fought for parity because he believed it was a civil rights issue -- ending discrimination against people with mental illness and addiction in insurance coverage.

Beginning in 2003, David Wellstone began to travel to Washington and remind members of Congress of the promises made. The following year, tens of thousands of people lobbied for the Wellstone Bill, and we traveled cross-country in Paul Wellstone's old green school bus rallying supporters.

Despite overwhelming support (the Wellstone bill had a majority of co-sponsors in both the House and Senate), it never came up for a vote. It was determined that the leadership in Congress thought it was more important to cater to the entrenched interests of big insurance companies than end discrimination against people with mental illness and addiction. We knew we needed new leaders in Congress to break through the block created by the insurance lobby.

In 2007, with new leadership in both houses of Congress, there was renewed hope in passing the Wellstone bill. In July, David Wellstone traveled to Washington and testified before Congress with former First Lady Rosalynn Carter on the importance of this life-saving legislation.

Then, we began to see momentum. First, the Senate passed a weaker parity bill that contained too many concessions to insurance companies and not enough protections for patients. As a result, David Wellstone asked that his father's name be left off the bill.

In March 2008, a historic vote took place in the House of Representatives, and they passed the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act for the first time. Finally, all that remained was negotiating a compromise between the House and Senate versions of the bill.

As it stands today, the policy details have all been ironed out, and we are very pleased with the strong protections for people with mental illness and addiction that have remained in the final version. The Wellstone bill has been included in Jobs, Energy, Families and Disaster Relief Act of 2008 (S. 3335).

It is anticipated that this Senate bill will be voted on this week. Please call your Senator and urge them to pass S. 3335 with the following message:

“I’m calling to ask that the Senator vote for the Jobs, Energy, Families and Disaster Relief Act of 2008 (S. 3335). The Senate must pass lifesaving mental health and addiction parity legislation included in the bill before the August recess."

You can reach your Senators through the Capitol Switchboard: (202)224-3121

Fake DUIs? Must be campaign summer camp.

elana — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:37:49 -0500

Fake DUIs? Must be campaign summer camp

Not as fun as real summer camp: Participants at the Wellstone political camp

By LYNDSEY TETER

Published: Monday, July 21, 2008 2:19 PM EDT Neil Neidhardt has already won an election. Granted, he ran unopposed, but even without a challenger, he nabbed so many votes in the March 4 primary that he's hopeful he can pull off a win in November. Unfortunately, he's also a Democrat running for a county commissioner's seat in Delaware County. Hope may not give him the edge that he needs.

"Initially they told me, ‘You don't stand a chance to win, but we need to put someone on the ballot,'" he said.

That political reality prompted Neidhart to plop down a couple hundred bucks for political summer camp. He was among a few dozen like-minded progressives who signed up for Camp Wellstone, a three-day training program held on the top floor of the Vern Riffe Center last weekend.

"As a totally new person working within a party that has not had a great deal of success in recent years, I really felt I needed a coach," he said.

Sans campfire sing-a-longs or s'mores, Wellstone's political summer camp trains progressive candidates, activists and issues-backers to win elections.

The camp's philosophy aligns with that of its namesake-the late Minnesota U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, who died in a plane crash, along with his wife and daughter, in 2002.

"After his death, 13 days before the election, the campaign staff decided that Paul would have wanted to keep organizing and keep fighting for the little guy," said Peggy Flanagan, a director at Wellstone and an organizer of last weekend's Columbus event.

Since its inception, Camp Wellstone boasts almost 19,000 graduates nationwide, nearly 300 of whom have been elected to public office. Central Ohio's Wellstone success stories include Councilman Andrew Ginther and state Reps Dan Dodd and Jimmy Stewart.

"We have rock concerts and coffee shops," but progressive types "don't have that regular weekly or monthly reminder that we need to be out engaging the community, building our base," said camp participant Dan Coleman, a staff member of Equality Ohio, a GLBT advocacy group. Conservative counterparts utilize institutions like church to organize politically, he said, but for progressives, "It's like herding cats at times."

And for those who are granted the honor to serve, Camp Wellstone prepares candidates for the impending public relations disaster that could follow.

During a special Crisis Simulation Activity-one of more than a dozen training sessions offered-bright future politicos took turns behind a podium, responding to simulated scandals drawn from real-life examples on both sides of the aisle, including DUIs, an excess of parking tickets, questionable political contributions and staffer screw-ups.

"That was maybe the most interesting part," said Coleman, who learned the sting of being thrown under the bus by a financially-troubled congressional candidate in front of a fake press corps Saturday. In a campaign, "Everybody has their moment."

Neidhart, in the midst of a real-life campaign himself, is hoping to avoid any such moment. Although some would argue there's an inherent political danger in signing up for a how-to class in the middle of the campaign season, Neidhart is not worried that his opponent, former Delaware mayor Tommy Thompson, will make an issue of it.

"I'm not making a political statement. I'm here to learn," Neidhart said. "It's interesting how much time and treasure is spent trying to win a job versus how little is spent trying to figure out what the job involves."

Trivia Contest

elana — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:23:08 -0500

**edit - the contest is now officially closed. Congrats to winners Luke, Chris, and Jacqui. We enjoyed your guesses, and hope you enjoyed it too! - Elana

Our new book, Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way, has just arrived. To celebrate, we're giving away a free copy to the first person who can correctly answer the trivia question below. First, the rules:

This is a one-time-only contest. Answers may be submitted by posting a comment to this blog. Only comments submitted after 12:00pm Central time on Wednesday, July 23rd will be eligible. The contest will remain open until 12:00pm Central time on Thursday, July 24th. You must include your email address to win (otherwise we can't contact you!)

Ok, enough with that. On to the trivia!

Question: What did Paul Wellstone's first and last major votes in the Senate have in common?

Submit your answers as a comment below.

Special bonus round question (be the first to answer both correctly and get a copy of Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way AND our first book, Politics the Wellstone Way): When Paul Wellstone ran for State Auditor in Minnesota in 1982, what was his key issue?

Happy guessing!

Top Ten Tips to Win an Election!

elana — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:38:22 -0500

Wellstone Action's Top Ten Tips for Winning Your Election

from the soon-to-be-released new book, Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way

1. Be an authentic candidate. Communicate authenticity to voters by standing up for what you believe in and sharing with voters what it is that calls you to public service.

2. Election Day is a turnout game, so make sure that you have a robust effort to get your supporters to the polls. Get-Out-the-Vote planning should begin on day one of your campaign.

3. Work with reporters to earn media coverage to help communicate the message of your campaign to a broader audience.

4. Even on a grassroots campaign, don't underestimate the importance of raising money. Start by generating a list of personal contacts and send a letter asking for their support.

5. You won't get what you don't ask for. Ask directly for people's money, time, and, of course, their vote.

6. Convert undecided voters into supporters, and supporters into active volunteers and leaders. Ignore the people you'll never convince!

7. Generate repeated, direct, personal contacts with voters. The more personal the conversation, the more effective it is at persuading voters to support you.

8. Repeat that message over and over and over again. When you are completely tired of repeating your message, voters are just beginning to hear it.

9. Develop a compelling message that connects with voters and conveys the central argument of your campaign-why you are running, and why voters should choose you.

10. Lay out your path to victory in a campaign plan that you refer to often. Your plan is not a plan unless it's written down!

Adapted from Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way by Jeff Blodget and Bill Lofy, with Erik Peterson, Sujata Tejwani and Ben Goldfarb.

It'll take more to move an agenda than just hit "send"

elana — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:01:09 -0500

Yes, I just double-checked on the calendar and no, it's not November yet. I know that until November, we are supposed to be doing, thinking, and breathing nothing but campaigns and elections. But here at Wellstone Action HQ we are trying to do something a little unusual this election year - plan for the day after.

Regardless of who sits in the oval office next year, and who walks the halls of Congress, we as citizens are going to have to work hard to pass forward-thinking progressive public policy. In short order, we are going to have to address the myriad challenges facing our nation at this flashpoint in our history. No one leader will be able to do this alone.

We are keenly aware that while Wellstone Action is known as the place to go to learn how to win your election while building your base and bringing more people into the political process, 2009 will bring a new set of needs for training and leadership development in the progressive movement. To address those, we are doing a lot of thinking about how to move an agenda, how to win on your issue.

That's why we were excited to find the recent draft report from the Congressional Management Foundation called "Communicating with Congress: Recommendations for Improving the Democratic Dialogue". This report is still in draft stage and is available for public comment. They surveyed over 350 congressional staffers as well as over 10,000 (!) citizens and asked them about their perceptions and practices with constituent communication. Some of their initial findings will be very helpful in crafting strategy for effective advocacy and grassroots organizing.

Among the critical issues they identified: the fact that the sheer volume of citizen communication is becoming overwhelming for Congressional offices; Congressional staff mistrust "formulaic" communications that are obviously automatically generated; and that citizens are showing an increasing interest in communicating not just with their representative, but with committee and leadership offices as well.

On the one hand, all of these findings point to something good - a combination of factors (technology, a divided electorate, etc) have led to a dramatic increase in citizen involvement in the process of government. However, it doesn't appear that an increase in engagement has led to more getting done in Congress and more effective citizen lobbying.

One hint lies in the second finding above - the volume of communication has increased but not its personal nature. We need to find a way to demonstrate the power of a large, organized group of people without taking away the impact of direct, individual constituent contact. And we need to find a way to target the influential committee members and leadership, even when all the communication isn't coming from direct constituents.

While this study is only about Congress, these principles may apply to smaller-scale advocacy as well. What have been your experiences (good and bad) with communicating with Congress? What questions or ideas do you have about moving a progressive issue agenda in 2009? Leave a comment here and help us plan for 2009.

Wellstone son launches push on mental health bill

elana — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:48:06 -0500

The son of the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone made a big push Wednesday for mental health insurance long championed by his father, leading a call-in effort urging Congress to take up the legislation before its August recess.

David Wellstone wants Congress to approve legislation that would mandate equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses when policies cover both, known as mental health parity. The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island.

The Senate and House have already passed different versions of the bill, but negotiators have reached a compromise. Now, the sticking point is finding a way to pay for it.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated the House bill would cost the federal government around $3.9 billion over 10 years $820 million in increased Medicaid costs, and $3.1 billion in lost tax revenue. That latter figure assumes that employees would receive more of their compensation in nontaxable employer-paid premiums, and less in taxable wages.

"Now that the House and Senate have agreed on a compromise bill, we are so close," David Wellstone wrote to supporters. He said in a telephone interview that he expected thousands of people would call in to push for passage and he was hopeful for a vote next week.

Under the compromise, House backers agreed to drop a requirement that said that if a plan provides mental health benefits, it must cover mental illnesses and addiction disorders listed in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is used by mental health professionals. The Senate bill did not have that requirement.

But the Senate negotiators made concessions, too, including agreeing to some of the House language requiring parity for out-of-network coverage.

The House bill was sponsored by Kennedy, who has battled depression, alcoholism and drug abuse, and Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., a recovering alcoholic who is Kennedy's Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor.

"This is literally a life-or-death issue for millions of Americans suffering from mental illness and addiction," Ramstad said, "and I'm grateful we are so close to enacting legislation for which we've fought so long and hard." Ramstad is retiring at the end of the term.

The House bill was named for Paul Wellstone, a Minnesota Democrat who died in a plane crash in 2002. In 1996, he and Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., won passage of a law banning plans that offer mental health coverage from setting lower annual and lifetime spending limits for mental treatments than for physical ailments. The new legislation would build on that by adding things like co-payments, deductibles and treatment limitations, a longtime goal of Wellstone's.

The Senate bill was sponsored by Kennedy's father, Massachusetts Democrat Edward Kennedy, Domenici, and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo.

A Meeting Prayer for My Fellow Freedom Fighters

elana — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 11:31:56 -0500

At Camp Wellstone and our other trainings, we often joke that progressives could spend their entire lives in meetings (sometimes, not even getting much done). Yes, those of us engaged in the struggle for social justice do give up a lot of our precious time and energy to the cause, but Advanced Campaign Management School alum Erin Byrd has provided us with some inspiration to keep on fighting. She recorded this spoken word piece (written below) for us after some of our staff heard her perform it recently for a gathering of national leaders in civic engagement. Click below to listen!

A Meeting Prayer for my Fellow Freedom Fighters

Oh Lord,
I may meet my life away,
I spend too much time meeting,
I meet every day.

No doubt important work gets done,
But my to-do list grows longer after every one.
These meetings go on, and on, and on.
In this meeting we plan the next meetings agenda.
At times I get so frustrated,
I want to surrender.
With my eye on the clock,
Watching the passing of time,
I silently giggle and fantasize about committing violent crime.

But instead, I pray.
Lord, help me get past this meeting today,
And not fold into myself and fly away.
To stay engaged, though I want to run,
Listen, though I fear other work is not getting done.
To be easy, not difficult to meet with,
To remember it was you, Lord,
That gave me these gifts.
To use to the betterment of your world
Is why I was sent.

So
I'll suffer through these meetings if it's Your will,
I'll stay engaged, focused, listening still,
But please help me so that I will know,
Which of these meeting you want me to go!

AMEN

It's all been leading up to this.

Dwellstone — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 10:25:52 -0500

Last week, I sent the note below to our Wellstone Action Network. Today, I'm asking you make one phone call to urge members of Congress to go the distance and take the final steps to making the Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Parity Act become law.

Dear friends,

Since 2003, we've been working hard together to pass legislation in my father's name that will end discrimination against people with mental illness and addiction.

Look what we've accomplished:

Six rallies across the country

21,510 faxes sent to Congress

Thousands of constituent calls

13 personal visits to Washington

One historic vote in the House

I know we've asked you to do a lot. Believe me, I never expected this common-sense legislation would require so much time and navigation through the arcane and quirky ins and outs of Washington. Especially since many promises were made five years ago to pass this in honor of my dad -- something I remind lawmakers of when I visit them in the halls of power, and ask them to take this historic step to end discrimination against people with mental illness and addiction. But in the last few months, I've seen how my voice, backed up by thousands of yours, has made a difference. So I need you to pick up the phone one more time.

Tomorrow, July 9th, is a National Call-In Day for the Wellstone bill. We need you to call your Senators and Representatives and tell them to take the final step and find the funding necessary and pass the bill now. All the policy details have been ironed out, and the House and Senate have agreed on a compromise bill. All that's left is to find the dollars, and it's imperative that lawmakers do that soon.

Tomorrow morning I'll send out all the call-in details. If you're not already, sign up for our email list here so you'll get the information.

Thanks for your help,

David

Editorial: Making progress on mental health parity

elana — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 12:57:03 -0500

Editorial: Making progress on mental health parity

July 5, 2008

Imagine this scenario: To control costs, a giant health insurer announces that it's singling out heart disease patients. From now on, it will charge them higher co-pays and put lifetime limits on the number of times they can see a doctor for their condition.

The ensuing outrage would be loud and vitriolic. And rightfully so. It's wrong to target one group of patients. And it makes zero sense financially when delaying or denying treatment ultimately leads to higher costs down the road when truly sick patients need technology-intensive procedures that could have been avoided with preventive approaches.

No insurer would propose such severe limits with physical diseases: cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune disorders. But, for years, many have blatantly discriminated against those who struggle with mental disorders. Higher copays and doctor visit limits?

That's reality for many families who struggle with everything from bipolar disorder to anorexia. To make matters worse, some insurers don't provide equivalent out-of-network care for mentally ill patients or put annual or lifetime caps on hospital stays. Mental health advocates for years have sought to fix this imbalance. Along the way they've picked up some powerful champions: the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and Minnesota Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad. Now it appears a solution is imminent.

On Capitol Hill, the House and Senate are close to key compromises on landmark mental health parity legislation named in honor of Wellstone. Parity means that if your group health plan covers mental health, coverage must be provided on the same terms as medical and surgical care. There cannot be different limitations or financial requirements.

The historic bill, which has the support of many mental health advocates, could arrive at the White House for presidential consideration sometime this month. The Wellstone family and Ramstad deserve praise for their outspoken support and willingness to share their own mental health and addiction experiences.

Ramstad in particular has worked to ensure the compromise bill will truly reform mental health coverage. He has sought key provisions that are expected to appear in the final version. Among them: equivalent out-of-network coverage for mental health patients and a tough enforcement clause for insurers that don't comply with the new law. The version of the bill previously passed by the Senate had neither of these.

Many business groups have long opposed coverage parity, saying costs could drive up premiums substantially. But one estimate by the Congressional Budget Office concluded the impact would be relatively small: a 0.4 percent premium increase for group health insurance. In addition, the federal employees' health plan has had a parity policy since 2001; one study found no significant cost increase as a result. Part of the explanation likely lies in the value of treating mental conditions early and avoiding expensive complications and hospitalization later.

Many states already have laws in place that provide some protection for patients struggling with mental illness or addiction. Minnesota has one of the strongest. A federal law would not preempt those laws. What it would do is make sure no one falls through the cracks. Mental disorders are one of the most devastating diagnoses families can face. Their health insurers should work with them --not against them -- at this difficult time.

Wellstone Action answers your questions: Doorknocking

elana — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:40:42 -0500

We are writing a new Organizing Too l on running a doorknock operation. What questions would you like to see answered? Leave your comments here and we'll try to get to all of them!

Shakeup in New Mexico

Bgoldfarb — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:54:43 -0500

Sometimes, when the good guys win in politics, we are quick to assign responsibility to some electoral fluke. But those of us who travel to the corners of the country training candidates know the truth - that progressive victories against entrenched interests happen only because those candidates and their campaigns get out there and work. Hard.

Our friends at the Center for Civic Action recently alerted us to one of these types of victories. The New Mexico legislature saw a shakeup earlier this month when two progressive candidates won their primary elections against long odds and powerful incumbents. Two of these candidates, Eleanor Chavez and Tim Keller, attended our recent Advanced Campaign Management and Candidate School in Albuquerque.

Tim Keller was a political newcomer when he stepped up to run for the New Mexico State Senate against a 20-year incumbent with a well-funded war chest and the endorsement of Governor Bill Richardson. Ethics reform played a big part in the victory - the New Mexico Independent reports that "Keller's campaign focused hard on ethics and campaign finance reform, two particularly weak points for [the incumbent] who had been criticized for improperly diverting funds to the UNM club rugby team" (really?)

Eleanor Chavez, a union organizer and community activist, put an emphasis on a grassroots, people-powered campaign. She secured her place on the ballot for the State House in District 13 by collecting thousands of petition signatures, and worked with a committed team of volunteers to knock on doors and talk to voters about the issues that mattered to them.

When it came down to the primary on June 3^rd, Tim defeated incumbent Shannon Robinson (rugby team and all) by a stunning margin - 66% to 34%. Eleanor handily won out over incumbent Dan Silva 54% to 46%. Both incumbents not only had over a decade in the legislature but held prominent leadership positions as committee chairmen.

New Mexico voters ousted these incumbents as a collective rebuke of the special-interest, money-driven way of doing business at the state capitol. However, I can also tell you from working with these two that it wouldn't have been enough if they simply stood for good and against evil. Tim and Eleanor created a solid plan to win, were laser-focused on communicating with voters, and turned their supporters out to the polls.

This is the model that progressive candidates must replicate across the country this year.

A Social Movement, Inside an Election, Inside an Uprising

elana — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:49:51 -0500

Al Gore tells me elections matter. Author David Sirota tells me that not to believe the hype that candidates and elections are the same thing as a social movement. In the thick of the summer in a presidential year, what's an activist to do?

We've been doing a lot of thinking about this at Wellstone Action HQ, and I was reminded how important it is that we figure it out quickly at a recent event we co-sponsored with David to promote his new book, The Uprising. Calling it "an unauthorized tour of the populist revolt scaring Wall Street and Washington", Sirota provides an insightful look at different movements - from both right and left ideologies - that are challenging entrenched and powerful interests in favor of the rights and opinions of the little guy.

David thoughtfully answered audience questions, many of which centered on a common theme: What, specifically, can the propagators of the populist uprising do to advance the cause in this Presidential election?

His answers were nuanced, but overall he maintained that we cannot rely exclusively on elections to make change in this country. At some levels, institutions of government themselves (like the rarefied US Senate) can be roadblocks to popular will. And candidates (ahem, ahem) in and of themselves can never be social movements.

Folks can go back and forth on the merits of those arguments, but what I find heartening is that for the first time in over a decade, progressives are talking about how to move a policy agenda. And they are talking about this DURING an election year.

Of course, we here at Wellstone Action believe you need both elections and community-driven movements to make long term change. The dialogue sparked by David Sirota's book reminded me how hungry people are to know HOW to accomplish that. How can we bridge the short gap between Election Day and Inauguration Day, making sure that there is a seamless transition from campaigning to governing, all done in the public interest?

We're putting a lot of thought this year into figuring that out, because it will be so critical in 2009, but we want your thoughts as well. Please post them here as comments, or here.

PS - Check out David's book here!

PPS - In book-related news, the Progressive Book Club launched this week, and you can support Wellstone Action by joining!

The New Progressive Book Club is Geared to Liberals

elana — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:52:47 -0500

The progressive movement has prided itself on its ability to get its messages out by harnessing the Internet, through organizations like MoveOn.org and blogs like Daily Kos or The Huffington Post.

But now a liberal-minded group is returning to an old-fashioned model: a book club.

Starting on Monday, the new Progressive Book Club is inviting readers to join and buy three books at $1 apiece in exchange for the obligation to buy four books over the next two years.

The brainchild of Elizabeth Wagley, a former fund-raiser and communications adviser for nonprofit groups including Doctors of the World, the Progressive Book Club is trying to update the paradigm of such familiar institutions as the Book-of-the-Month Club, as well as the 44-year-old Conservative Book Club.

Ms. Wagley said that she believed the new book club would fill a void for progressively minded readers. "The right has always understood the power of ideas, the power of books as legitimizers of ideas," she said. "I see the opportunity with the book-club structure to create a powerful tool to showcase the ideas of the left."

As with a classic book club, members of the new club will be offered a slate of books each month, reviewed and chosen by a panel that includes the novelists Michael Chabon, Erica Jong and Barbara Kingsolver; John Podesta, president of the Center for American Progress; Katrina vanden Heuvel, editor of The Nation magazine; and Todd Gitlin, the author and a journalism and sociology professor at Columbia University.

The first lead selection is "The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker" by Steven Greenhouse, a reporter at The New York Times. Other offerings for June include "Outright Barbarous: How the Violent Language of the Right Poisons American Democracy" by Jeffrey Feldman, and "Mudbound," a debut novel by Hillary Jordan. The club will also offer about 200 older titles like "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine and "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson.

The new book club, which is being financed mostly by individual investors, is entering the market at a time when the publishing industry is struggling and the book club segment in particular has come under significant pressure. Bertelsmann, the German media conglomerate that owns the Book-of-the-Month Club, the Doubleday Book Club and the History Book Club, among others, last year reported severe losses in its American book clubs as membership plummeted.

In the early days of book clubs discounts were a large part of the appeal, but competition from online booksellers like Amazon.com has eliminated that advantage. And recommendations, once another draw, are now easily found on the Internet. "When we started we were bringing people information about books that they wouldn't have heard about otherwise," said Andy Schwarz, general manager of the Conservative Book Club, a sister company of Regnery Publishing, a Washington imprint of conservative books. "Now it's much easier to get information and learn about books."

Mr. Schwarz, who said the Conservative Book Club sells an average of 30,000 books a month and has a total of 90,000 members, added: "It's getting harder to get new members. We're holding steady, but we're not growing as much as we'd like."

Ms. Wagley said that it was not so much the number of members that mattered as the influence that the club's selections could have on intellectual debate. The Conservative Book Club, she said, "has been able to shine a spotlight on the books that are in the club." In doing so, she added, the ideas in those books have spread to "the universe of conservatives."

Readers sympathetic to progressive causes can already learn about books on blogs or by reading reviews in newspapers or on any number of book-related Web sites. But Ms. Wagley said that the new book club would provide a central place for title recommendations and would promote books by smaller publishers that might have difficulty receiving attention elsewhere.

Michelle Berger, the Progressive Book Club's chief operating and marketing officer and a 10-year veteran of Bertelsmann's book clubs, said readers still wanted someone to "cut through the clutter" of titles. The new club, she said, would also improve on the old model by eliminating paper catalogs and offering a social networking component on its Web site, as well as the opportunity for members to form local book discussion groups.

Steven Waldman, a founder of Belief.net, a faith and spirituality Web site, and author of "Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America," another June selection, said he was most excited by the possibility that club members would meet one another. With traditional book clubs "it was always sort of a fiction that you were in a club," Mr. Waldman said. "It was just a marketing arrangement. You never met the other people in your club. Now you can meet them. I love the idea of people who are buying my book talking to each other."

As with other book clubs, authors will receive royalties of 4 percent of the cover price for books sold for $1 apiece, and 8 percent of the cover price for books sold at regular club prices, which will be competitive with prices on Amazon.com or at Barnes & Noble. Typically authors are paid about 15 percent of the hardcover price after they have paid off the cash advances they receive when they sign book contracts.

Margo Baldwin, publisher of Chelsea Green Publishing, which produces books about progressive politics and environmentally sustainable living, said authors may forgo some royalties on the book club sales, but they would enjoy promotion they might not otherwise receive.

To make buyers feel as if they are contributing to something more than book sales, club members can designate one of 33 organizations to receive $2 from any book that a member buys at regular club prices above $10. Participating organizations, which will also advertise the Progressive Book Club on their Web sites and help recruit members, include the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law; the Foundation for National Progress, which publishes Mother Jones magazine; and the Wellstone Action Fund.

Markos Moulitsas Zúniga, publisher and founder of Kos Media, which publishes the Daily Kos blog and is one of the book club's "alliance partners," said he did not expect the club to generate much revenue for his company. "I'm not doing this for financial reasons," he said. "I'm doing it for movement-building reasons."

Some in the publishing industry questioned whether liberals need a specific book club. Voicing an oft-repeated maxim, David Rosenthal, publisher of Simon & Schuster, said, "One might say the entire book industry is largely a progressive book group."

Progressive Groups Launch Battleground Training Initiative

elana — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:16:01 -0500

Progressive groups launch "battleground" training plan for 2008 elections

Hundreds will be trained in states that will be hotly contested in the Presidential race

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA - Wellstone Action, a national center for training and leader development for people involved in politics and public life, today announced that it will be taking Camp Wellstone, its flagship campaign and candidate training, to the states that will make a difference for progressives in November.

By bringing training to these targeted regions, Wellstone Action will create a corps of skilled organizers and candidates, and seed progressive campaigns with the talent they need to win big in November.

These targeted Camp Wellstone trainings are part of a full-court press effort by progressive leadership development organizations. The Center for Progressive Leadership plans several trainings in contested states throughout the summer and fall. Its Voter Mobilization training program is coming to Michigan and Florida in the coming weeks. Visit http://www.progressiveleaders.org/mobilization/ for more information.

Camp Wellstone and its sister training program, the Advanced Campaign Management and Candidate School (ACMCS), are proven effective at giving progressive candidates and campaigners the skills needed to win elections. Last week, two ACMCS graduates - Tim Keller and Eleanor Chavez - won their Primary elections for the New Mexico legislature, defeating powerful and entrenched incumbents.

The first scheduled "battleground" trainings will take place in Columbus, Ohio on July 11 - 13 and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 25 - 27. Other trainings will or have taken place in New Mexico, Colorado, and Wisconsin. To learn more or to register for a training, visit www.wellstone.org or call 651-645-3939. Center for Progressive Leadership's trainings can be found at www.progressiveleaders.org

Our battleground training plan

elana — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:05:14 -0500

This morning, we sent an email announcing our big multi-state plan to bring training for candidates and campaign workers to the states that are going to make a difference in the 2008 elections.

We'll be joining with a bevy of other progressive training and leader development organizations to flood those states with the talented, skilled organizers to win big for progressives in November.

Right now, two of these "battleground trainings" are open for registration.

The Un-Post-Mortem, or, How I Spent My Primary Season

elana — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:09:58 -0500

At the end of this epic primary season, as we start to flip through the calendar and count the days ‘til November, it seems like there can't possibly be anything left to be said.

We'll not provide a post-mortem here, but one "historic" dimension to this primary season is worth noting - the record numbers of new voters that have streamed into the electorate this year.

Campaigns and the press have bandied about several numbers for the newly registered voters this primary season (one estimate by the Associated Press puts the figure at 3.5 million as of early May), but one thing is for sure - a number of factors and "firsts" drove people to participate in both parties' nominating processes like never before.

This is not normal. If an exciting election year generates new voter registration, it's typically during the general election. Primary electorates have historically been comprised of the left and right poles; the core base of each party. Voter turnout is usually significantly lower than the general election.

So, voter registration is up 64 percent from the same period in the 2004 election. This doesn't happen by accident. Certainly, on the Democratic side, there were two candidates that became swept up by the tide of the dreams of generations. The very nature of their candidacies inspired interest in the election and passionate intensity from supporters.

But experienced campaigners know that in campaign terms, it is very difficult to get people who aren't registered to the polls (or, in other words, it requires too great an expenditure of resources for most campaigns to justify it). In typical campaign arithmetic, if your goal is to get 50% of the votes plus one, then you want to focus your energy talking to the people you know will vote, to make sure they vote for you. If you have time and money to register a few new people, it's just icing on the cake.

That's why, in a typical scenario, these voters are roundly ignored by campaigns. No knocks on their door, no direct mail or phone calls, no effort to get them to the polls on Election Day. This year, both the Clinton and Obama campaigns - as well as hundreds of non-profit, non-partisan civic organizations - made direct efforts at building the base and expanding the electorate. Those 3.5 million new registrations didn't just happen - those voters entered the process because they were specifically asked to do so.

For us at Wellstone Action, this trend is exciting. We teach candidates and campaign workers to set aside the traditional arithmetic and embrace a model that allows progressives to win by tapping into new pools of voters while building power in underrepresented communities. We believe it is strategic to expand the number of registered voters because it builds the progressive base for the long-term.

The question now is if this can be sustained through November and beyond. Now that those voters are on the rolls and in the voter files, how will they be engaged? Can the legacy of this grueling primary season be a lasting increase in voter turnout nationwide? And, after Inauguration Day 2009, can we as voters reclaim government and hold elected officials accountable to the promises they made?

A Family Affair at Camp Wellstone

Jhaut — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:41:36 -0500

Sarah Bruch recently graduated from Camp Wellstone Raleigh in March 2008. Sarah attended the training to help prepare for her candidacy for State Assembly in Hudson, Wisconsin. Her supportive family, who also double as part of her campaign staff, participated in the Campaign Worker track. Her mother, Liz, her father, Daniel, also her treasurer, and her campaign manager and sister, Angela Bruch spent the weekend working as a team honing their skills for the campaign trail.

Wellstone Action caught up with the Bruch family to learn more about the campaign and to hear how their recent Camp Wellstone training is being put to use.

For Sarah, the decision to run was easy. She has spent her career working in both the for-profit and non-profit environments, and always, as she says, "with a commitment of advocating for those who were afraid to use their voice or who were unable to." With her father, she founded Live Liberal, a web-based company promoting liberal-based ideology that eventually transformed into a storefront-The Purple Tree specialty shop in Hudson, selling merchandise that also advocates for peace, social justice, Fair Trade, and the environment.

"Having lived in the community for the past fifteen years, I've been really disappointed that I haven't seen our representatives taking on that role as advocates for the people. I feel the voice that really needs to be reflected is the voice of the people, and so it was a natural lead for me to move into this new venue and new opportunity," Sarah explained.

Sarah's campaign, in reality, is more of a family affair. They celebrated her decision to run, then reflected on the time and effort. "It just made complete sense we would do this as a team," Angela commented. Sarah echoed that sentiment: "When I considered running, it was never a question of who I would ask. I could count on them. We have the same vision and passion."

So it was fitting for them all to attend Camp Wellstone, even if it meant traveling to North Carolina just to fit it in their busy campaign schedule. "The skills that we were introduced to in three days, I can't tell you how many times I've pulled pieces from that training and been able to use," Sarah said.

Daniel commented on Sarah's new skills being put to use, including a situation in which she affirmed a reluctant volunteer of the necessity of talking to voters door to door. He also mentioned her ability to pivot and stay on message.

Sarah would agree, too, that the training is making a difference and it started immediately at Camp Wellstone as the family rallied around and sharpened her campaign plan, refined her stump speech, and generated ideas to bring back to their media contacts and volunteers.

For this family of teachers, Camp Wellstone stood out because it offered the opportunity to put the skills they were learning into practice right away. As Sarah said, "You have to get out of your comfort zone enough to knock on a door at a training or face a press conference crisis." Facing it in training has made the real-life situations much easier.

The next months ahead are full of challenge and opportunity for the Bruch's. Sarah is making sure her vision and mission are clear while taking on her opponent, a ten-year incumbent. With excitement, they shared news that their campaign headquarters will open soon, the volunteer base is growing, and they are continuing to put to use their Camp Wellstone knowledge with radio ads to hit the airwaves soon.

"We feel the momentum building," Sarah said. Camp Wellstone "gave us something we never had-concentrated time to immerse ourselves for three days. It was really a huge transition point for the campaign." The Bruch campaign is definitely one to keep an eye on.

Message to Graduates

Jblodgett — Fri, 23 May 2008 10:23:11 -0500

Acceptance of Posthumous Distinguished Minnesotan Award at 2007 Bemidji State University Commencement Ceremony

I am humbled and honored to be here, on behalf of the family and friends of Senator Paul and Sheila Wellstone, to accept distinguished Minnesotan award being bestowed on the Wellstones.

There are a lot of things to say about Paul and Sheila Wellstone-don't worry, I'm not going to say them all. Since we are here for you, class of 2007, there are two things I think you should know about them and should consider as you go off from here. The first is having the courage of your convictions and the second is being and staying involved in public life.

An essential thing about Senator Wellstone was that he was a very different sort of politician. Whether you agreed or disagreed with him, you knew that he said what he believed, believed what he said, and always told the voters where he stood. He operated from deep-seated principles. In short, he had the courage of his convictions. So despite being controversial at times with is positions on issues, majorities of voters in Minnesota twice elected him to the U.S. Senate because people like their elected officials to stand up for what they believe.

There is no better example of this different way of operating than his very last vote of consequence as a U.S. Senator in October 2002-just weeks before he died and one month before Election Day when he was hoping for a third term as Senator. This vote was whether to give President Bush authority to go to war with Iraq.

To understand this vote you need the context: 1 year after 9/11; Wellstone in a very close re-election campaign. There was immense pressure by his friends and colleagues in Washington to vote for this resolution. They told him you can't buck the President when he was so strong politically after 9/11. They told him he'd be accused of being weak on terrorism. They told him he would lose if he voted for it.

But for Wellstone, the questions he faced about war and peace were the most serious questions of all since they can literally be about life and death. And he was deeply troubled about what he viewed as a rush to war and a go-it-alone approach without our allies that was sure to backfire. So he set politics aside and was one of only 20(?) to vote no-and the only Senator in a close election that year to vote against it.

I tell you this story because when it comes to the phrase courage of your convictions-the operative word is courage. Because it can be extraordinarily hard at times to stand up for what you believe. To do the right thing is not always easy. It can mean flying in the face of conventional wisdom; it can mean going it alone; it can be risky. In Wellstone's case, he was possibly risking his U.S. Senate seat. So sticking to your guns can be hard and scary, but it is the right way to operate as an elected official on matters of principle, and it is the right way to live your life.

The second point about the Wellstones has to do with the importance of being involved in the public life of your community, your state and your country. To the Wellstones, democracy was not a spectator sport. They believed the health of our country depends on the active involvement of its citizens. And this extends to caring about politics. We can be very cynical today about politics and politicians, but politics is the working machinery of our democracy, and if we turn our backs on politics we turn our backs on the very thing that makes our country the greatest democracy in the world.

So for you graduates, this suggests you find your role in public life as you go out and create your future. So that means at the very least vote regularly, that means supporting causes you believe in and working on issues you care about, and for some of you, it means running for and serving in elected office.

I'll leave you with a favorite Wellstone quote, often given at the many commencement addresses he gave:

"The future will not belong to those who sit on the sidelines. The future will not belong to the cynics. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Graduates, good luck and believe in your dreams.

art + training = awesome

Ccyprian — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:15:55 -0500

At our inaugural High School Camp Wellstone a few weeks ago, we offered the opportunity for students to make their mark on the history of the camp by participating in some artistic outlets. We kicked the camp off with two amazing high school spoken word artists; did a guerilla media exercise that included YouTube videos, podcasts, and poster making; and we also had a "camp Wellstone confessional" where student could sit down and talk about their experiences at the 1.5 day training.

Students who were more interested in visual art were also given the opportunity to create a picture for the Memory Book. With minimal direction, and a lot of camp content to absorb, students came up with some beautiful and relevant art pieces. Click here to see the gallery of some of the memory book pages done by high school students from all over Minnesota.

Click here to view the gallery

22,000 New Voters in North Carolina Can't Be Wrong

elana — Tue, 20 May 2008 17:07:59 -0500

Sometimes it's challenging doing national political work from Minnesota, which is (don't bother to pull out your maps) way, way outside the beltway.

However, one of the things I love most about Minnesota is the fact that we have same-day voter registration, the direct consequence of which is that we consistently lead the nation in voter turnout. It's good for an entire community when we remove barriers to exercising the right to vote, but it is an especially crucial tool for historically underrepresented communities like young people, low-income citizens, and very transient families. Same-day registration expands the electorate and empowers voters that are traditionally disenfranchised.

We kinda like having this distinction, but in truth, we aren't the only ones who allow voters to register at the polls. Currently, 9 states have some form of same-day registration; North Carolina recently enacted a law that allows voters to register and vote in-person at early voting sites (but not on Election Day).

The good folks at Demos, a national election policy center that has conducted nationwide research examining the impact of same day registration and voting laws, worked with North Carolina officials to inform the passage of the law in 2007.

The North Carolina statewide primary on May 6 was the first real test of the same-day registration (SDR) law, and Demos has released data compiled from the North Carolina Board of Elections on how successful the program has been.

An amazing 22,293 new North Carolina voters took advantage of the same-day voter registration and cast ballots at early voting sites, 19-3 days prior to the election. You can read all about the election and Demos' analysis of the primary results here.

I talked with Steven Carbo, Senior Program Director for the Democracy Program at Demos. He told me that according to their research and analysis, North Carolina's SDR law is projected to increase voter turnout in a general election by 5.4%. However, that number could be significantly higher for populations with historically low voter turnout.

In addition to helping implement same-day registration, Demos has also worked in North Carolina (and several other states) to make sure that state officials comply with the National Voter Registration Act, a huge federal law that (among a lot of other provisions) requires states to offer voter registration at public assistance agencies. Through this program, Steven says that over 42,000 low-income North Carolinians have been registered to vote since February 2007.

Wellstone Action has been tracking the progress of the North Carolina same-day voter registration law, and the impact of nonpartisan voter engagement campaigns working to increase voter turnout. We've done significant training with candidates, campaigns, college campuses, and nonprofit organizations in the state, and their organizing efforts have really made North Carolina an ascending progressive power. Between the on-the-ground organizing efforts in communities and the ability to register and vote same-day, watch North Carolina in November as a place where traditionally underrepresented communities will be making their voice heard and voting in higher numbers than ever before.

Live from Camp Wellstone!

Jhaut — Fri, 16 May 2008 09:34:37 -0500

Hey, it's Jen, and I'm here getting ready for Camp Wellstone Boise to start this afternoon. We're at the College of Idaho in Caldwell, and the excitement is building.

After our incredible training here in 2006 (read all about it here), we are anticipating a great crowd of candidates, campaign organizers, and activists working on issues important to the folks in Idaho.

We're also going to be podcasting live from the Camp! Check back here often for updates and conversations with our participants and trainers.

Community Organizing in the Presidential Campaign

Jblodgett — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:26:45 -0500

At Wellstone Action! we're always looking for examples of candidates who have tried to bring community organizing tactics to their campaigns. Nowadays, the Obama Presidential Campaign is perhaps the best example. Obama has made an unprecedented investment in on-the-ground organization, and has in the process cultivated well-trained and highly motivated volunteers. A number of articles have recently examined this, and we've compiled several excerpts for your convenience.

". . . [Obama] worked closely with community groups (though not as ardently as another community organizer turned politician, the late Senator Paul Wellstone). As a presidential candidate, he frequently refers to his community organizing, asking supporters to treat his campaign as a social movement in which he is just ‘an imperfect vessel of your hopes and dreams'" (David Moberg, The Nation).

"Inside the Obama campaign, an eclectic team of field organizers is attempting something that has long been considered impossible: building a precinct-level field organization large enough to affect the outcome of Super Tuesday (now February 5, or ‘Super Duper Tuesday'). If successful -- aided by email lists, web tools and old school organizing techniques long missing in electoral politics -- these organizers could rewrite the rules of presidential politics, dramatically raise the profile of field organizing in the campaign world and help rebuild Democratic party structure in states, such as California, that have been long forgotten to electoral field organizing" (Zack Exley, The Huffington Post).

"What gave Obama an edge, his strategists say, was a heavy investment in grass-roots organizing . . . All campaigns try to build grass-roots organizations, especially those of charismatic challengers like Obama. But those efforts, which often rely on neophyte volunteers whose enthusiasm exceeds their political skills, often fade in the stretch. Obama sought to avoid that problem by organizing intensive regional training camps designed to help his volunteers function with near-professional proficiency . . . The precinct-level operations were to employ theories of community organizing Obama practiced in Chicago before getting into electoral politics . . . The purpose, Figueroa wrote, is to provide supporters with the tools to create ‘self-sufficient, interdependent teams that take responsibility for all aspects of a campaign within their congressional district.' Trainers encourage volunteers to set up quasi-independent local offices that tailor a personalized door-to-door pitch based on local circumstances or the latest campaign development" (Tom Hamburger, Los Angeles Times).

"And that's just how [Marshall] Ganz is helping get Obama elected. ‘We're training a whole bunch of new leaders,' Ganz says. One of them is Jeremy Bird, a former Divinity School student and course assistant for Ganz's class on organizing, who became the field director for Obama's South Carolina campaign. He and other activists eschewed the usual model of gaining votes by targeting the existing community leadership. They used Ganz's approach, organizing house parties to allow potential voters to tell their story, and moving from those stories to encouraging people to get involved in the campaign" (Karim Bardeesy, The Harvard Citizen).

What 5 years of progressive change looks like

elana — Tue, 13 May 2008 12:41:55 -0500

This month, we are celebrating our fifth birthday here at Wellstone Action! As part of the celebration, we'll be posting visuals and other information to help tell the story of the impact we've had on the progressive movement in the last five years.

Our biggest impact is through the actions of our training alumni to organize, advocate, and mobilize for change. We pride ourselves at Wellstone Action on not just training the "usual suspects" and going to states (like Idaho, Montana, or Texas) that get left off the traditional progressive map. In addition to beating our own path, we also "layer" trainings in certain states where there is a progressive infrastructure to absorb all the trained, ready organizers and put them to work.

The following maps show the distribution nationally of our alums working in progressive electoral politics, either as candidates themselves or as campaign staff and volunteers. More info to follow on our alums working in labor unions, with non-profit organizations, and on college campuses.

Check out our alumni profiles by clicking here!

The Line in the Sand on Health Care

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:20:16 -0500

When the Communication Workers of America (CWA) (an international union representing workers in telecommunications, as well as the public sector and health care, airline, and media industries) decided that they wanted to build a campaign to engage their members on healthcare, they called Wellstone Action.

They idea was pretty simple, really - build internal capacity in the union by developing leaders who can organize others, and hold members of Congress accountable by demonstrating the power of one million union members raising their voices for universal healthcare coverage.

This kind of organizing is an innovation for labor unions, which have long been active in electoral politics but in recent years have taken an interest in organizing for policy changes that impact union families. Affordable healthcare is chief among these issues, because CWA has realized that it is just too big a problem to solve at the bargaining table, contract by contract.

CWA decided to invest millions in a program that created organizing jobs for CWA members in more than 120 targeted Congressional Districts across the country. These organizers are responsible for talking with their fellow CWA members, asking them to contact members of Congress with postcards and face-to-face meetings, and ask them to sign a pledge agreeing to CWA's Healthcare Principles.

At the same time these organizers will be talking to other members about healthcare and holding members of Congress accountable, they will also be strengthening their union by asking them to volunteer as part of the Steward's Army, donate to their political fund, and get further training on healthcare and other key policy issues.

Wellstone Action trained these 120 organizers, recruited from the rank-and-file of CWA's membership, on the skills of meeting with members of Congress, making the "ask" of union members and leaders, and targeting. After the training, they will put these skills to use across the country. The campaign will first mobilize fellow rank-and-file members to engage during the 2008 election year, then leverage that power to change policy in the new Congress and Administration.

One participant explained how the training helped her. "I fully understand how this all ties together," she said. "Healthcare, Qwest bargaining, Stewards Army, the 2008 Presidential Campaign, and legislation are all part of a cycle of advocacy."

These CWA organizers will gather again next week in Dallas for a "Train the Trainer" session led by Wellstone Action. This will help the new organizers become leaders of others and foster further internal leadership development in CWA.

Learn more about CWA's Health Care for All campaign at http://www.healthcarevoices.org/

Not Your Average Joe

admin — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:18:30 -0500

Frustrated by a state law telling him he wasn't old enough to give back to his community by donating blood, Joe Gibson, a sophomore at Blooming Prairie High School, decided to do something to change it. By working from the ground up, Joe advocated for a bill in the Minnesota legislature to lower the legal age for blood donation from 17 to 16.

At 15, he did not expect a petition to his state representative (and Wellstone Action alum), Patti Fritz, DFL-Faribault to be taken seriously. Now, age 16, Joe's bill has passed unanimously in the House and Senate. In Saint Paul this morning, Governor Tim Pawlenty signed the bill into law, overseen by sponsor Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato. Joe was present at the signing of his bill, which will take affect on July 1st.

During his campaign, Joe learned the basics of policymaking and compromise. For instance, Joe originally wanted the bill to allow 15-year-olds to donate blood. But with research and the recommendation of the American Red Cross, the bill was revised to reflect the recent changes across the country of blood donation age to 16. To participate, an individual will need permission from a parent or guardian. Unlike donors age 17 and older, 16-year-olds will not be financially compensated for donating blood, encouraging adolescents to donate for other reasons than just to earn a few bucks on the side.

Joe is proof that young people are engaging in politics and public life, even before they are old enough to vote. If you are a high school student, or know any, check out our upcoming Camp Wellstone for High School Students in St. Paul on May 9-11, 2008.

-- Louis Prokop

Sign up here for more information.

How to Disenfranchise Voters Without Really Trying

elana — Mon, 05 May 2008 20:23:16 -0500

On Monday, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a democracy-destroying law in Indiana, which forces voters to present a state-issued picture ID at polls. Voters without IDs are allowed to cast provisional ballots, provided they show up at the county courthouse within 10 days to prove their identity. In Indiana, these picture IDs are given to citizens free of charge.

According to Indiana progressive and civil rights groups, this law is tantamount to discrimination, claiming it disproportionately affects poor, minority, and elderly voters. The law was passed under the banner of preventing voter fraud, but to demonstrate support for the majority opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens reached back to those tumultuous days of 1868 and the disputed poll outcomes and influence of Boss Tweed in New York's municipal elections. Don't we all remember that?

Critics of the law show evidence that if voter fraud is to be found, it's usually with absentee balloting. But despite the fact that their law is a solution in search of a problem, Indiana is now a model for other states like Oklahoma and Texas, which support the ID law and plan to pass similar restrictions. 25 states currently require some form of ID for voting.

Right on the heels of this decision, the good folks at Facing South report that African-American households in North Carolina are receiving fake robo-calls with inaccurate voter information. The automatic calls tell voters that they will soon receive a "voter registration packet" in the mail and that they must sign, date, and return the packet in order to vote. The official story is that this is an identity theft scam, and not a naked attempt at voter suppression in the African-American community.

And what do we glean from these stories from two states on the eve of their Democratic primaries? Whatever their intended purpose (securing the electorate, stealing identities, etc) the voter ID law in Indiana and the dirty tactics in North Carolina create a climate of confusion, fear, and distrust in our election process. It doesn't take many drops to poison the well, and give voters one more reason not to come to the polls and hold elected officials accountable.

Progressive groups and civil rights organizations need to continue to organize to stem the tide of voter disenfranchisement and actively engage in voter education to be sure voters have all the tools in hand to be able to exercise their rights.

Populism, Organization and Conviction:

admin — Mon, 05 May 2008 11:04:25 -0500

Today, the silence that Senator Paul Wellstone's progressive voice once filled is deafening. The plane crash that took his life in late October, 12 days before Election Day, was an agonizing tragedy on many levels.

His absence is especially poignant because Wellstone would have won his re-election campaign and would now be serving his third term in the U.S. Senate. No fewer than five separate polls taken before the crash, including those of both major Twin Cities newspapers, showed Wellstone holding a lead of 4 to 8 points. For more than a year, Wellstone had withstood a barrage of coordinated attacks from his opponent, the national Republicans, and insurance and drug industry front groups. He was accused of everything from taxing the dead (because he did not support complete repeal of the estate tax) to supporting policies that supposedly would have led to the death of more American soldiers in Afghanistan. And still he held a lead, just as his campaign organization was about to start its massive get out the vote effort-which many analysts believe were estimating could have added at least an additional percentage point to his vote.

In fact, he had held the lead since right after October 3, when he announced his opposition to Bush's go-it-alone resolution on Iraq. Despite being pummeled on television by his opponent for being "soft" on terrorism, Wellstone jumped into a 4 to 5 point lead that held until the crash.

Why does it matter that Wellstone was going to win this last election? It's important because it was to be a particularly significant victory with national lessons. He was bucking all the trends. He was an outspoken progressive, running against the hand-picked candidate of Karl Rove and the Bush White House, winning in a year when Democrats were pounded across the country. He boldly stood up for what he believed in a year when Democrats struggled to find a message. He mobilized hundreds of thousands of people through his campaign organization in a year when Republicans did better than Democrats on the ground in many states.

How did he win three elections? He employed a campaign strategy that combined a consistent message with grassroots organizing and personal authenticity. At the core of the strategy were three elements: a sharp focus on an economic populist message, an emphasis on building a campaign off a strong, organized base, and having the courage of his convictions despite the political winds.

Focus on a Populist, Progressive Economic Message

The new campaign ad that was to begin on the day of the plane crash had Paul Wellstone looking directly into the camera saying:

"I don't represent the big oil companies, I don't represent the big pharmaceutical companies, I don't represent the Enrons of this world, but you know what, they already have great representation in Washington. It's the rest of the people that need it. I represent the people of Minnesota."

This bold, clear message about being on your side, combined with a positive economic agenda of what Wellstone called "kitchen table issues:" jobs, health care and retirement security, resonated strongly with our core supporters-voters who want someone who truly represents "the little guy" in Washington.

Interestingly, Wellstone's focus on a populist, progressive economic message was also working with enough swing voters in the suburbs of Minnesota to win the election. An important segment of the swing vote in this last election responded to a message about being on their side when it came to corporate interests that seemed to be gaining too much power. Wellstone had found a winning message that galvanized his base and appealed to a sizable portion of independent voters who are not doing well economically, who share some anti-establishment feelings, and who want to see change.

Paul Wellstone put it another way in his book Conscience of a Liberal: "Politics is not about left, right and center. It is about speaking to the concerns and circumstances of people's lives." He went on: "People yearn for a politics that speaks to and includes them."

But the title of his book, Conscience of a Liberal is a misnomer: Paul Wellstone cobbled together winning majorities because in the end, he was always less of a liberal and more a true populist.

Base-Building and Volunteer Mobilizing

Wellstone's winning campaigns were all underpinned by a large, energized, and organized base of support. Through hard work, a message that excited and moved people, organization and thorough training, he built deep support among many diverse constituencies-farmers, labor, environmentalists, communities of color, educators, students, new immigrant populations-and knit that together into a formidable organization. He never stopped employing strategies that nurtured and enlarged his committed base of supporters.

Winning the excited support of a large base was just the first step. His campaign organization focused on turning tens of thousands of strong supporters into active volunteers. These volunteers would receive training and then plug into a statewide organization that worked to continue to expand the base vote, win over undecided voters, and then massively mobilize that base vote on Election Day.

This base-building required a serious commitment of resources. A large, skilled organizing staff with strong support is needed to properly run a field-intensive campaign. Wellstone did raise money-in the 2002 election cycle, a record 122,000 donors gave an average of $50. Instead of dumping it all into television ads, he invested in developing professional organizers who knew how to build the infrastructure required to recruit, train, and effectively utilize tens of thousands of volunteers.

This method of organizing also became part of the message. With thousands of people active in his campaign, Paul Wellstone had no trouble establishing himself as the candidate of regular folks, while his opponents looked like the candidates of wealthy donors and corporate special interests.

The Politics of Conviction

In countless conversations with Minnesota voters, Wellstone heard comments like: "I don't always agree with you, but I like it that I know where you stand." This sentiment was voiced particularly when he took very politically risky stands like his vote against the Iraq resolution less than a month before the election, and his vote against Clinton's welfare reform bill late in the 1996 Senate race. When faced with these difficult votes he would ask himself a simple question: Can I live with my decision after it's made? For Wellstone, there was no option but to do what he believed was right, tell the voters where he stood, and let the chips fall as they may. It was a model of rare principled leadership that made donors and supporters from other states often claim that Paul Wellstone was their senator too.

It turned out that the right way--this Wellstone way--was smart politics. A perfect example was Wellstone's announcement of his opposition to the Iraq resolution: his approval ratings actually went up. Minnesotans, even if they didn't agree with his position, expected nothing less from him. For Wellstone, conviction politics were winning politics.

These lessons of Paul Wellstone's political career have implications for politics across the ideological spectrum. His successes offer a particular model of political leadership for progressives who want to win elections: show voters what you believe in and that you'll stick to your guns; mobilize an army of volunteers; and focus on an economic populist message that resonates with liberals and independents alike.

Paul Wellstone was, at his core, an organizer. He believed in teaching, training, and mobilizing people to become leaders in their communities. What's more, he believed this work was his responsibility and obligation to those without a voice and to future generations. If that plane had not crashed, Wellstone would have won, and would have continued to teach progressives how to win elections, even in a hostile political environment. So it will be up to those left behind to carry on the work that Paul and Sheila Wellstone would be doing today.

Jeff Blodgett ran Wellstone's 1990, 1996 and 2002 campaigns. He is now Executive Director at Wellstone Action, an organization that carries on Paul and Sheila Wellstone's work by training a new generation of campaign professionals, activists, and candidates for office.

Wellstone Action Co-sponsors Peace Rally in St. Paul

admin — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:37:22 -0500

Parents add voices to pleas for peace

Photo by Jerry Holt , Star Tribune

Colleen Hogan of Blaine, whose cousin is serving in the military in Iraq, attended Sunday's antiwar demonstration at the State Capitol. The event was sponsored by several organizations, including the Minnesota AFL-CIO, Sierra Club, Veterans for Peace, Wellstone Action and the Women's Political Alliance.

A mother and father of a veteran Reservist who died in Iraq joined the crowd at the State Capitol on Sunday calling for an end to the war.

Nancy Anderson doesn't want the world to forget her son. She also doesn't want another mother to go through the pain of losing a child to war.

So Sunday morning, Anderson and her husband, Claremont, drove 2½ hours from their home in Hoffman, Minn., to the front lawn of the State Capitol to protest the war that took their son's life.

Wearing T-shirts and buttons with a photo of their son, Stuart, they hooked up with several hundred banner-waving, sign-wielding war protesters to voice their opposition to the war in Iraq and lobby Minnesota's congressional delegation to help end it.

"We do support our troops, but they're just caught in a bad situation," Anderson, 65, said before the rally started. "I know those aren't any profound words, but it's the truth."

The hourlong rally, put together by dozens of organizations such as the Americans Against Escalation in Iraq, the Minnesota AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club and the Women's Political Alliance, featured several speakers, including former state Sen. Becky Lourey, whose son, Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Scott Lourey, 40, was killed in Iraq in May 2005 during his second tour of duty there.

In a brief but passionate speech, Lourey urged the audience not to be fooled by reports that the troop surge is working.

"The lesson of Vietnam should be that half of the American troops killed in Vietnam were killed after the generals knew the war was lost," she said.

Those words hit home for Anderson, who lost her son, a 22-year veteran of the Army Reserve, during his second tour of duty when a Black Hawk helicopter he was riding in crashed in bad weather.

Anderson said she noticed a dramatic change in her son's personality between his first and second tours in Iraq. Before he went over the first time, she said, "he was all rah-rah."

But the second time, "he was not that way at all. He was very subdued. He was very matter-of-fact. He knew what the deal was."

She said she knew then that the reasons for going to war and the strategy behind it were flawed.

"We never should have gone in there," she said. "We weren't prepared. When Bush stood on that aircraft carrier and said 'Mission accomplished' ... if that had been true, my son would have been alive today."

Some in attendance Sunday, such as Elizabeth Smith, 64, of Bloomington, and her husband, William Allen Smith, 74, are frequent participants at antiwar rallies and vigils. On Sunday, they carried and waved an orange and black peace flag.

Others, such as Vietnam veteran John Bramschere, 61, from North St. Paul, were first-timers.

"I'm appalled by this war," Bramschere said. "And I hate to see young men lose their lives in a country that doesn't want us there."

Bramschere, who wore his Army shirt and a veteran's hat, said he gave up an afternoon of watching NASCAR on TV to attend Sunday's event.

"I hope it does some good," he said.

Mary Hess, 44, of St. Paul, who held a U.S. flag with her son, Nathaniel Celeste, 9, by her side, hoped the same, saying, "This is a way to stand up and say 'Get out!'"