The Daily Change

1. Progressive Victories Everywhere:

The PCCC 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 PCCC members helped elect great progressives to the Senate and House in November. (Read the full 2014 Elections Report.)

2. PCCC Members Called Out The Vote:

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

The PCCC was the only national call program of this scale that worked directly with campaigns — so they could use the data the PCCC collected, making the work twice as effective.

These 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. PCCC Infrastructure Worked:

The PCCC has been developing infrastructure to support thousands of progressives up and down the ballot, and it’s beginning to pay off.

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

And the PCCC’s special technology for campaigns helped support over 150 candidates.

Considering a run for office in the next several years? Let the PCCC know here.

Zephyr Teachout speaking at PCCC event supporting Elizabeth Warren’s call to break up Citigroup, Dec 2014.

4. PCCC Loves Zephyr …

Zephyr Teachout, Bob Master, and TJ Helmstetter address a group of demonstrators outside Citigroup HQ. Photo by Nick Moe.

A demonstration of about 120 peopleAi??gathered outside Citigroup’s headquarters in midtown Manhattan to amplify Elizabeth Warren’s message that it’s time to break up the big banks,Ai??including PCCC members, Working Families Party, former New York gubernatorial candidate and reformer Zephyr Teachout, New York Communities for Change, Citizen Action New York, American Family Voices, and other progressive allies.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, Pres. Obama signed aAi??law written by CitigroupAi??that repealed a major piece of Wall Street reform, resulting in risky derivatives bets now being insured by taxpayers. Elizabeth Warren shined a national spotlight on this issue from the Senate floor:

“Thereai??i??s a lot of talk coming from Citigroup about how the Dodd-Frank Act isnai??i??t perfect. So let me say this to anyone who is listening at Citi: I agree with you. Dodd-Frank isnai??i??t perfect. It should have broken you into pieces.”
— Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

About 120 demonstrators gathered to amplify Elizabeth Warren’s message to break up the Big Banks. Photo from WFP Twitter.

“We are here today because Elizabeth Warren is right. We need to break up the Big Banks — banks like Citigroup,” saidAi??PCCC spokespersonAi??TJ HelmstetterAi??at the event.

“Elizabeth Warren has stuck her finger into the socket of American populism, and the country is lit up,ai??? saidAi??former New York gubernatorial candidate and reformerAi??Zephyr Teachout. ai???Now the lights are on, and every candidate running for president, whether it’s Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush, has to answer the question: Do you think that Citigroup should be broken up, or do you think Wall Street should get to keep writing its own rules?”

“Citigroup has infiltrated so much ofAi??governmentAi??that government is …

Last week, Elizabeth Warren gave what some are calling a historic speech against bank power, telling Citigroup, “[we] should have broken you into pieces.”

Thursday, right on Wall Street, the PCCC is holding a big media event to amplify to the need to break up Citigroup and the other too-big-to-fail banks. Are you in New York City? RSVP here.

Sign our petition calling on Congress to break up the “too big to fail” Wall Street banks.

This petition will be featured at the Wall Street event, and the PCCC will use the growing number of signers to convince other senators to support Warren’s agenda. Your signature will have an immediate impact.

The PCCC will also be working hard — through grassroots phone calls and in-person Capitol Hill meetings — to get more support for Elizabeth Warren’s big ideas on Wall Street reform.

After Senator Elizabeth Warren famously told Citigroup the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill “should have broken you into pieces,” she said this:

A century ago, Teddy Roosevelt was America’s trustbuster. He went after the giant trusts and monopolies in this country, and a lot of people talk about how those trusts deserved to be broken up because they had too much economic power. But Teddy Roosevelt said we should break them up because they had too much political power. Teddy Roosevelt said break them up because all that concentrated power threatened the very foundations of our democratic system.

And now we’re watching as Congress passes yet another provision that was written by lobbyists for the biggest recipient of bailout money in the history of the country. And it’s attached to a bill that needs to pass or else the entire federal government will grind to a halt.

Think about this kind of power. A financial institution has become …

Since the election, the PCCC has been telling Democrats to run on Elizabeth Warren’s bold agenda of big, popular ideas like Wall Street reform.

When rumors swirled around Washington D.C. last week that Nancy Pelosi might nominate former Goldman Sachs executive Jim Himes to chair the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — the PCCC got alarmed.

Like the PCCC, the DCCC recruits Democrats to run for Congress. Unlike the PCCC, they don’t always choose progressive candidates. Having the DCCC chaired by a banker who Businessweek called “Wall Street’s Favorite Democrat” would have been disastrous for progressives and hurt Democrats’ chances of winning back the majority in 2016.

That’s why PCCC members took immediate action to head off Jim Himes’ appointment — calling Nancy Pelosi’s office, sending her tweets and, in the process, making headlines in Time Magazine, The Hill, Politico, The Associated Press, and more.

PCCC members calls and tweets made a difference!

Here’s the statement PCCC co-founder Adam Green made when Pelosi announced that Rep. Ben Ray LujA?n of New Mexico will chair the DCCC:

We thank Leader Pelosi for not selecting Jim Himes to lead the DCCC — thereby rejecting the Wall Street wing of the Democratic Party. In order to win key House races, Democrats must run on big, bold, populist ideas like those championed by Elizabeth Warren. This means recruiting economic populist candidates — especially in red and purple states — and working with them to integrate a populist vision into their campaign messaging. The PCCC will be doing this, and we hope to partner with Rep. Ben Ray LujA?n and others to achieve success in 2016.

To see the difference this will make, read the statement Rep. LujA?n made when the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reform bill was signed into …

The op-ed below appeared in The Nation on Nov. 19.

From the rubble of the 2014 election, a conversation has started about the future of the Democratic Party. Senator Elizabeth Warren is central to that conversation.

This week, we learned that Warren will be joining the Senate Democratic leadership as strategic policy adviser to the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. In this role ai??i?? created specifically for her ai??i?? she will help craft the partyai??i??s policies and priorities as well as serve as a liaison to progressive groups.

While there is some skepticism about the idea of a “liaison” to base Democratic voters, there is largely agreement that it is a good thing for the Democratic Party to follow her political footsteps. After all, she’s adored by big swaths of the Democratic electorate and the public at large. On the campaign trail this fall, she was welcomed with open arms in Kentucky, West Virginia, Michigan, and other reddish-purple states, drawing overflow crowds cheering on her message of tougher Wall Street regulation and kinder policies for working people.

But what is it that works about her? What is her special sauce? Other Democratic and progressive candidates ask me all the time how they can capture the intangible “it,” that Warren magic. Below, I’ve dissected her tactics and her policies, which are one and the same, to help candidates better understand how to tread her path.

Take, for example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB); the idea that students should be able to borrow money for school at the same interest rate as banks can borrow money from the federal government; and the idea of adding basic banking ai??i?? check-cashing, bill-paying, and small loans ai??i?? to post office locations.

These proposals have a number of things in common. Whatai??i??s Warrenai??i??s …

TheAi??Huffington Post reports:

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) gained a leadership position in the Senate Democratic caucusAi??Thursday […] Warren’s role, which is a new position created specifically for her, will be in crafting the party’s messaging and policy.

This is a good reminder that when PCCC members invest early in progressive leaders, it’s not just about winning elections in the short term — it’s about building power over time.

As Elizabeth Warren advocates for big ideas like reforming Wall Street, making college affordable, and expanding Social Security benefits, her voice will now be even louder — because she’ll be at the Democratic leadership table.

Click here to sign a congratulations card to Elizabeth Warren (and add a personal note), which the PCCC will deliver to her.

The PCCCAi??ran the “Draft Elizabeth Warren for Senate” campaign and was herAi??#1 grassroots supporter in 2012Ai??raisingAi??over $1.17 million through over 70,000 small-dollar donations for her campaign. The PCCC partnered with Warren on big legislative pushes in 2013 and 2014.

With this news, that partnership grows stronger — and all of Elizabeth Warren’s and the PCCC’s work together has more impact.

Last Tuesday was not a repeat of 2012, when PCCC members helped elect 30 amazing candidates — including Elizabeth Warren. It looked more like 2010. It was tough. It was disappointing.

Candidates who ran great campaigns — and should have won — lost in the Republican wave. Bold progressives achieved some important victories Election Night, and some were too close for comfort.

But progressives need to remember that we don’t just work for one election, one candidate, or one party. The PCCC and its members work to build a movement, to build long-term progressive power.

The PCCC Post-Election Report outlines the huge investments made this election cycle that are now for the long term — in future leaders, new technology, new best practices, and more member empowerment. All in addition to congressional victories.Ai??Check it out here.

In the days ahead, there will be a national conversation about the future direction of the Democratic Party — and the progressive movement.

Frankly, Democrats did not have a united economic agenda in this election. There was a lack of big ideas. Some Democrats tried to sound like Republicans, and they lost.

Elizabeth Warren was the most popular Democrat on the campaign trail for a reason: Her message of taking on Wall Street, reducing student debt, and expanding Social Security benefits is popular everywhere — red, purple, and blue states.

Moving forward, something needs to change. America needs a bigger politics.

Progressives won’t win their own tidal wave elections unless they can build a movement around big ideas — free college, full employment, Medicare for All, more Social Security — and the candidates who campaign on those ideas. Elizabeth Warren is the best example. But there are thousands of others out there who believe in a more expansive vision of political …

Democrats lost on Tuesday, as widely predicted. But for months, pundits got wrong what Democrats would need to win.

There was rumor that youth turnout, Latino turnout, and cutting-edge Get Out The Vote practices would tip the balance in close races. But when “close” elections are decided by 7 to 12 points, something much bigger is happening.

Pundits say President Obama was unpopular. Score one for the pundits. But the critical question is: Why was the president so unpopular?

Did voters not show up because of Syria, Obamacare, or Ebola? No.

Was President Obama proposing some big liberal idea, sparking backlash? No. It’s hard to remember the last time the President offered a big idea.

Jobs and economic security are consistently the top issues voters say they care about in red, purple, and blue states. But Democrats did not have a united economic agenda in this election.

Voters did not wake up on Election Day thinking that their ability to have a job, have affordable college education, or to retire with security was at stake. It was a Seinfeld-ian election about nothing. And nothing does not inspire potential voters to vote. In the absence of big ideas, Democrats lost.

Sen. Majority LeaderAi??HarryAi??ReidAi??sent a fundraising email to the PCCC’s nearly 1 million members nationwide yesterday saying that aAi??Senate Republican Majority would “hold our government hostage in order to pressure President Obama to swallow right-wing policies.”

Sen.Ai??ReidAi??urged PCCC members to supportAi??Ai??Mark Udall (CO-Sen), Bruce Braley (IA-Sen), and Mark Begich (AK-Sen) to help Democrats keep the Senate and avoid a Republican Majority.

In addition to raising the prospect ofAi??impeachmentAi??in a Republican Senate,Ai??ReidAi??spoke publicly about expanding Social Security benefits for the first time ever.

Check out Sen. Reid’s email:

———- Forwarded message ———-
From:Ai??Sen. Majority LeaderAi??HarryAi??Reid
Date: Wed, Oct 29, 2014
Subject:Ai??I need these three

Mary,

In 6 days, the fate of the final two years of the Obama administration will be determined.

Either House Speaker John Boehner and a new Senate Republican Majority hold our government hostage in order to pressure President Obama to swallow right-wing policies.

Or, we shock Karl Rove, the Koch Brothers, and many pundits like we did on Election Night 2012 — and have a Democratic Senate that puts hard-working Americans first.

I need Mark Udall (Colorado), Bruce Braley (Iowa), and Mark Begich (Alaska) to win their elections. All three races are neck and neck.

If you want Democrats to keep our Senate majority, please donate $3 to their campaigns. Please do it right away.

Udall, Braley, and Begich stand with me in opposing cuts to Social Security. In the red state of Alaska, Begich is narrowly leading after campaigning to expand Social Security benefits.

Americans are struggling. They need a government that actually tries to solve problems.But Republicans have already shown they have zero interest.

Frankly, a Republican House and Senate could go beyond shutting down the government — they could waste months of our lives onAi??impeachment.Ai??And every month that goes by without solutions, struggling Americans are in pain.

Join me …

PCCC’s Call Out the Vote program just blew past another huge milestone: 2 million calls to voters in key states and districts, so far in 2014.

With 12Ai??days left until Election Day, the PCCC is on trackAi??pass its 2012 record ofAi??more than 2 million calls to voters on behalf of progressive candidates including over 574,000 calls for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). In its first year of operation in 2010, COTV made over 1 million calls to voters.Ai??The PCCC is going big with the goal of achieving 4 million calls for top progressive candidates by Election Day.

PCCC members have contributedAi??over $1.37 million through 179,000 donations to “Elizabeth Warren wing” candidates this cycle — including over $338,000 through over 43,000 grassroots donationAi??to majority makersAi??Mark Udall, Bruce Braley, Rick Weiland, Al Franken, and Jeff Merkley.

“These are candidates who will fight to takeAi??on Wall Street, get Big Money out of politics,Ai??reduce student loan debt, andAi??expand Social Security benefits,” says Stephanie Taylor, PCCC co-founder. “The PCCC’s unique infrastructure is helpingAi??progressives win, and win progressively, with people-powered campaigns.”

Members are pulling out all the stops to push progressives to victory on November 4. Check out the top candidates COTV is making calls for:

204,000+Ai??calls forAi??Paul Clements (MI-6)
187,000+ calls for progressive majority makerAi??Rick Weiland (SD-Sen)
176,000+Ai??calls for progressive majority makerAi??Al Franken (MN-Sen)
170,000+ calls forAi??Shenna Bellows (ME-Sen)
137,000+ calls forAi??big progressive primary winnerAi??Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)
91,000+ calls forAi??Alan Grayson (FL-9)
46,000+ calls for progressive majority makerAi??Jeff Merkley (OR-Sen)
40,000+ calls for progressive majority makerAi??Bruce Braley (IA-Sen)Ai??
40,000+Ai??calls for progressive majority makerAi??Mark UdallAi??(CO-Sen)
26,000+ calls for big progressive primary winnerAi??Pat Murphy (IA-1)

We’ve shattered our 2012 record of 2 million calls, and we still have two weeks to go. Progressive candidates need your help! Here are some of the top progressive candidates that COTV is helping:

Rick Weiland in South …

We’re pulling out all the stops for bold progressive Bruce Braley in Iowa, who is running one of the most closely-watched and tightest races in the country that could decide control of the Senate.

The latest poll shows Braley up by a single point.

According to PCCC co-founder, Stephanie Taylor, the path to winning the Senate runs through Iowa. And PCCC members are sparing no effort to help Bruce win.

In the last 24 hours, the PCCC’s Call Out The Vote program has made 23,671 calls to voters in support of Braley. In total, the COTV program has made over 1.5 million phone calls to voters on behalf of bold progressive candidates across the country ai??i?? including Senate candidates Mark Udall (CO), Rick Weiland (SD), Al Franken (MN), Jeff Merkley (OR), and others.

Our members have raised more than $69,000 for Braley from 10,470 grassroots donations across the country. The PCCC has raised more than $1.3 million for candidates this cycle from over 179,000 small-dollar donations.

The Iowa race could be decided by just a few hundred voters. PCCC is searching for every single vote, and we need your help to do it.

Can you sign up to call out the vote for progressive majority makers like Bruce Braley?

With just under a month to go beforeAi??November 4, let’s talk about the centerpiece of our plan to win major progressive victories and keep a Democratic Senate.

It’s the PCCC’s cutting-edge Call Out The Vote program (COTV).

It has three parts:

Calls from the PCCC’s Election Headquarters
National volunteers, calling from home (and house parties)
Local volunteers, calling from target districts

In 2010, we made 1 million calls. In 2012, we made 2 million.

In 2014, COTV has made over 1 million calls already, and we’re going big with the goal of achieving 4 million calls for top progressive candidates by Election Day.

PCCC members have helped 5 Elizabeth Warren wing candidates defeat more conservative opponents in tough primary battles this cycle: Ruben Gallego (AZ-7), Brian Schatz (HI-Sen), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Mike Honda (CA-17), and Pat Murphy (IA-1).

Other incumbents and candidates PCCC members are helping across the finish line include Al Franken (MN-Sen), Jeff Merkley (OR-Sen), Rick Weiland (SD-Sen), Bruce Braley (IA-Sen), Shenna Bellows (ME-Sen), Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1), Rick Nolan (MN-8), Alan Grayson (FL-8), Keith Ellison (MN-5), Michael Eggman (CA-10), and Kelly Westlund (WI-7).

PCCC volunteers made over 574,000 calls for Elizabeth Warren in 2012. Our COTV program is the single-most effective tool we have in an election year.

It’s how we make people power match and surpass corporate power in elections. The Super PACs and the Koch brothers can’t do this — only we can.

The reason it’s so effective is that with our new dialing technology, we can contact a ton of voters in a very short amount of time. We’ve nearly doubled the amount of contacts we can make compared with past elections.

It really is that much of a game changer. But don’t take our word for it. Here’s what big primary winners and bold progressives elected to Congress …

PCCC-endorsed Zephyr Teachout won a stunning 34.3% of the vote in what the New York Times is calling a “surprisingly potent liberal revolt” and “an embarrassing rebuke” to Governor Andrew Cuomo, adding that it could “put a sizable dent in any national aspirations he may hold.”

This is a victory for progressives everywhere. Andrew Cuomo’s corrupt economic policies hurt New York working families. In a few short weeks, Zephyr Teachout gave Andrew Cuomo the race of his political life — even though she was outspent 11-to-1, and fueled only by the hands and hearts of her supporters.

The national message for politicians is clear. If you run as a Democrat and govern as a Republican, you can be challenged and held accountable.

We are proud to announce our endorsement of Ruben Gallego, who is running for Congress in Arizona!

Ruben is an Iraq veteran and state legislator. He is also a young activist who has worked to increase the number of Latino voters and led fights for worker rights, immigration reform, marijuana legalization, and marriage equality.

He supports expanding Social Security benefits and taking on the student debt crisis.

Ruben Gallego is a bold reformer committed to aAi??constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United and the Government By The People Act — a bill would create a system where small-dollar donations will be matched with public funds to gives a $100 donation from a high school teacher the same weight as aAi??lobbyist who contributesAi??$700.

Read more on Ruben’s website:

Ai??Ai??

And check out Ruben’s responses to our questionnaire:

Ruben faces a tough primary on August 26th against a more conservative opponent.

Most importantly, Ruben and his team are building infrastructure. They have built an amazing grassroots movement of young people who are knocking on doors every day. They aren’t just trying to win a congressional race. They are trying to build progressive power in Arizona.

This is a safe Democratic district — so it’s important that a true progressive win the election.

Ruben has received numerous endorsements, including from Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Planned Parenthood, The Sierra Club, MoveOn.org, VoteVets.org, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and a dozen unions and labor organizations.

The Progressive …

“Candidates for sale turn to K Street lobbyists for help; candidates with a conscience turn to the PCCC. The PCCC is the foundation of a future America based upon the fundamental principles of justice, equality, and peace.”
–Ai??Congressman Alan Grayson (FL-9)

This is what Congressman Grayson had to say as we reached a big fundraising milestone this week:Ai??overAi??$1,000,000 raised directly from 122,851 small-dollar donationsAi??for progressive candidates and campaigns this cycle.Ai??Our milestone has already been covered by NBC, CNN, Politico, and the Washington Post, and many more.

Raising this kind of money is what helped us elect Alan Grayson to the U.S. House and Elizabeth Warren to the U.S. Senate in 2012.Ai??If we keep this up, we’ll be able to elect over a dozen Warren and Grayson allies to Congress in 2014.Ai??We’ll show the country that the path to winning elections — and keeping the Senate –Ai??is to campaign and govern on an economic populist agenda including Wall Street reform, expanding Social Security benefits, and reducing student debt.

Pooling our money for candidates together through the PCCC is helping us to advance a bold progressive agenda in a way that we never could before.Ai??A dollar from us goes a lot further than a dollar from a billionaire or a big corporation because it represents people powerAi??– and with it comes actions, calls, campaign support, and progressive energy that no one else can provide.

Now is the time to pour it on. Candidates like Senator Al Franken are being attacked every day, and the last Democratic primaries are coming up in the next few weeks.Ai??Bold progressive candidates need an infusion of money and support now to help them continue to build their grassroots campaigns.Ai??Ai??

Help get the word outAi??on FacebookAi??andAi??Twitter.

(Then, donate $4 to help finish …

The Supreme Court ruledAi??that private corporations can deny contraception to workers — in violation of the insurance requirements under Obamacare. (Hobby Lobby vs. Sebelius)

The Court also voted 5-4 to assault and defund public employee unions.

This follows other right-wing decisions from the Roberts Court — such asAi??Citizens United and overturning of the Voting Rights Act.

Elizabeth Warren made clear last week that “the federal government can still take a wide varietyAi??of other steps” to reverse the impact of Supreme Court rulings.Ai??

But that won’t happen if Republicans seize the Senate and grow their power in the House.

Click here to donate $1 or more to Al Franken, Shenna Bellows, Kelly Westlund, Alan Grayson and other top progressives on the ballot in November.

We only support true progressives who will fight to reverse right-wing extremism.

They can winAi??with our help.

Republican leaders are gloating about yesterday’s Supreme Court assault on women and workers.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said, “Obamacare is the single worst piece of legislation to pass in the last 50 years, and I was glad to see the Supreme Court agree” that corporations can deny contraceptive coverage to workers.

House SpeakerAi??John BoehnerAi??called today “another defeat for an administration that has repeatedly crossed constitutional lines in pursuit of its Big Government objectives.”

Elizabeth Warren made clear that Congress can take steps to reverse the impact of Supreme Court rulings.

But first, we need to make sure Warren’s allies like Sen. Al Franken, Sen. Jeff Merkley, and others win this November.Ai??

Donate $3 to our work to elect top progressives to the Senate and House — and keep Elizabeth Warren in the Senate majority.

First, Bonnie Watson Coleman won big in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District.

Later, Pat Murphy claimed victory in a critical five-way primary in Iowa’s 1st District.

Then, bold progressive Congressman Mike HondaAi??placed first against a primary opponent from the right in California’s 17th District, moving into the general election stronger than ever.

The PCCC was proud to endorse these three bold progressives in their races.

Bonnie Watson Coleman was New Jersey Assembly Majority Leader and spent her life as a fighter for the powerless. She won her primary with a bold message of ai???expanding Social Security and Medicareai??? and taxing millionaires to invest in jobs.

As Speaker of the House, Pat Murphy successfully led the fight to raise the minimum wage and ushered in universal pre-K in Iowa. He campaigned on expanding Social Security, requiring millionaires to pay their fair share, and making college affordable.
Congressman Mike Honda is one of the leading progressives in the House, and heai??i??s taken great pride in working to get more progressives elected. He beat his corporate Democrat challenger by double digits.

The PCCC and these three candidates have been great partners, leading to this week’s victories…

PCCC members made over 10,000 small-dollar donations to these candidates. Over 4,700 small-dollar donations to Bonnie Watson Coleman’s campaign — totaling over $34,000, overAi??3,300 small-dollar donations to Pat Murphy’s campaign — totaling over $16,000, andAi??nearly 3,000 small-dollar donations to Mike Honda’s campaign — totaling over $17,500.
PCCC staff helped Bonnie Watson Coleman set up her campaign from Day 1, and top PCCC staffers worked closely with Mike Honda’s team to help them run a best-practices campaign.
In April, Bonnie Watson Coleman and Pat Murphy attended the PCCC’s national candidate training in DC. In …

Congressman Mike Honda spent his childhood in a Japanese-American internment camp before becoming a teacher.

Now he’s one of the boldest progressives in Congress — a national leader for expanding Social Security benefits, requiring millionaires to pay their fair share, and protecting Net Neutrality.

This morning’s Election Watch reports, “Hondaai??i??s rival Ro Khanna (D) has refused to commit to expanding Social Security benefits, saying he wouldnai??i??t rule out cutting them for future recipients.”

Ro Khanna also opposes the congressional progressive budget that would tax millionaires, invest in jobs, and invest in education! (And he calls himself a Democrat?)

Today, we are proud to endorse Mike Honda for re-election. Please vote in the June 3primary — and share this blog with all local voters you know.

You can also help Mike Honda win by donating $3 to his campaign here.

And let Mike and others know you support him by endorsing him here.

Ro Khanna has been desperately “district shopping” for years. He even tricked people into donating to him when he was running in a different district — and now he’s using that money to run against popular Mike Honda!

Ro Khanna’s ideas are incredibly old. In criticizing the forward-looking progressive budget, he called for more “compromise and consensus” with House Republicans.

Has he been watching Congress lately? Does Ro Khanna actually believe the problem is that Democrats don’t compromise enough?

Mike Honda is right up there with Elizabeth Warren and Alan Grayson as a bold progressive who gets that the voice of the people has been lost — and yes, we need someone fighting for us.

Please pass this to every local voter you know because every vote counts on June 3.

And help Mike Honda win by donating $3 here and endorse him here.

Calling yourself a Democrat should mean something.

Progressive Congressman Mike Honda is facing a conservative primary challenger on June 3 who calls himself a Democrat — but is he really?

Honda’s opponent is open to cutting Social Security, wants more “consensus” with House Republicans, and opposes the progressive budget that would tax millionaires to invest in jobs and education!

He wrote: “U.S. Rep. Mike Honda…criticized the Republican budget and touted the alternatives offered by his Progressive Caucus. It’s time for a different approach in Washington that puts consensus and compromise ahead of demagoguery and division.”

Today, we officially endorse Mike Honda, Eloise Gomez Reyes, and Michael Eggman — three California progressives who need our help in key congressional races.

Eloise Gomez Reyes is the daughter of immigrant farmworkers who worked hard to build a life as a lawyer — and wants to make sure everyone has access to the American Dream. Her more conservative “Democratic” opponent supports the Simpson-Bowles plan to cut Social Security.

Michael Eggman grew up as an almond farmer and beekeeper, paid his way through college, and continues to run a successful farm. He is a progressive running against a vulnerable Republican incumbent who Democrats need to beat in order to take back the House. Due to unique California election rules, they will face off next month in a cross-partisan primary — and whomever comes out on top will have big momentum.

Congressman Mike Honda spent his childhood in a Japanese-American internment camp before becoming a teacher and serving as one of the strongest progressives in Congress.

All three are in tight races for Congress in California. They understand the plight of hard-working people, and support investing in jobs, expanding Social Security benefits, and holding Wall Street accountable.

On MTV in 2007, Joe Niederberger, a small business owner and former Internet engineer in New Jersey, asked Barack Obama a question about Net Neutrality. And he got a clear promise to protect Internet freedom. Now, that Internet freedom is under attack. Obamaai??i??s new FCC Chair ai??i?? a cable industry lobbyist — threatens to break that promise.

Watch the video:

Go to NoSlowLane.com and sign Joe’s petition to public officials!

With America having some of the slowest, most expensive Internet access in the world, the FCC should be making the Internet better — not worse.

The new FCC Chair should carry out President Obamaai??i??s promise and support Net Neutrality. If he wonai??i??t, he should step down so the president can appoint someone who will stand up for Internet freedom and make the Internet better for all of us.

Today, Senator Elizabeth Warren’s new book goes on sale.

She tells behind-the-scenes stories of her interactions with President Obama, top White House advisers, members of Congress, and Wall Street bankers.

In her book, Warren highlights the PCCC’s “Draft Warren for Senate” campaign. She also says this about our successful push to get her appointed to set up the consumer protection agency:

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), under the leadership of Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor, organized a petition with the headline ai???Let Elizabeth Warren Police Wall Streetai??? in 2010. At least thirteen senators signed on to the petition, and as of August 6, 2010, the petition had collected more than two hundred thousand signatures.

We’re launching a national progressive book club, starting with Elizabeth Warren’s A Fighting Chance. The senator will join us for a national conversation after we’ve read her book!

In 2012, PCCC members rallied around Elizabeth Warren’s economic populist message and we were her #1 grassroots supporter.

In 2014, we’ll help her rise to #1 on the best seller list. This will help Warren continue to change the national conversation and signal to all Democratic candidates in 2014 that adopting Warren’s economic populist message is the way to excite the public and win.

MORE EXCERPTS

Obama and Wall Street bailouts:

“The president chose his team, and when there was only so much time and so much money to go around, the president’s team chose Wall Street…The lost opportunity still makes me want to scream with frustration…Small business owners, homeowners, men and women whose jobs had disappeared: these weren’t numbers on the page, these were millions of people who lost everything.”

PCCC’s “Draft Warren for Senate” campaign:

“The Progressive Change Campaign Committee signed on early with the petition encouraging me to run, and they stayed with me every …

Check this out. This is a media report from a newspaper in Arlington, Virginia:

“One would expect that most demonstrations outside IRS headquarters in D.C. involve calls for lower taxes. This afternoon, however, congressional candidate Del. Patrick Hope (D) held a press conference outside the IRS to call for higher taxes on the wealthiest Americans.”

Around this time of year, the right tries to dominate the news with an anti-government message. But not this year. PCCC co-founder Adam Green announced on MSNBC that progressives are fighting back:

“This week as Paul Ryan is talking about lowering taxes on millionaires, and cutting corporate tax rates, and cutting programs that would benefit jobs and education, we have progressive candidates across the country who are actively saying letai??i??s have millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share so that we can fund massive jobs and education programs.”

At media events across the nation, progressive candidates for Congress went on offense — delivering 36,000 petitions and calling on their opponents to support requiring millionaires to pay their fair share in taxes in order to invest in education and jobs. And their efforts paid off. Progressive candidates generated local and national news — changing the conversation around Tax Day.

Then, six of these candidates joined the PCCC for a Tax Day national media call with Rep. Raul Grijalva, Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus in Congress to lay out a progressive vision for the country. Click here to listen!

We also made news in the Washington Post, the LA Times, Politico, NBC, and local papers from Maine to Wisconsin.

Imagine having these people in Congress!

Will you donate $1 each to reward these 11 progressive candidates for their boldness? Click here.

Earlier today, in a 5-to-4 ruling, the Roberts Supreme Court struck some of the last remaining limits on how much wealthy people can donate to electoral campaigns. With those limits gone, it will be even harder for everyday people to have their voices heard in Washington.

In response, PCCC is launching ads in Washington to make clear that not only should Congress pass a Constitutional Amendment to counteract the power of money in politics — it needs to pass the Government by the People Act, which would fit within recent Supreme Court rulings and would match small-dollar donations with public funds.

We need campaign finance reform to give us a better chance at winning against big corporate donors on issues like reforming Wall Street, making college more affordable, and fighting corporate polluters.

Click here to sign-on as a citizen cosponsor of the Government by the People Act to give voice to everyday people and reduce the influence of big money in our democracy!

Today, we are proud to announce our endorsement of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz for re-election in Hawaii.

Social Security is a defining issue in this race.

Brian Schatz was one of the first senators to endorse expanding Social Security benefits.Ai??His primary opponent refuses to rule out cuts.

When we asked our 4,285 Hawaii members who they support, the answer was overwhelming: By 4 to 1 they support bold progressive Brian Schatz.

PCCC member Gerald, in Honolulu, recently told us, “Brian is the real deal progressive… He’s the clear choice to endorse!” Ai??We agree.

In addition to being a Social Security hero, Brian Schatz is one of the Senateai??i??s top leaders on the climate crisis. He recently led an all-night Senate debate that made big news and thrust progressive solutions into the national conversation.

Like Elizabeth Warren,Ai??Sen. Schatz is a true partner to progressives.Ai??He recently came to our PCCC candidate training to mentor new candidates.Ai??And tonight, he will welcome our PCCC team into his campaign headquarters as we start immediately organizing volunteers on his behalf.

Will you donate $3 to Sen. Schatz to help keep this bold progressive in the Senate?

First, progressive Senate candidate Shenna Bellows out-fundraised Republican Susan Collins.

Now, Shenna is profiled by US News & World Report and The Hill!

Check out below. Then please donate $3 to help win this huge Senate race.

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT:Ai??

Democrat Shenna Bellows, a former American Civil Liberties Union leader who grew up without electricity or running water until the fifth grade, is attempting to cobble together a unique coalition of liberals and libertarians to try and upset Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

But while sheai??i??s been dubbed ai???the Elizabeth Warren of Civil Libertiesai??? by the liberal Progressive Change Campaign Committee, she also finds herself seeing eye to eye with Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., on issues of national security and foreign policy…

Bellows is campaigning on repeal of the U.S. Patriot Act and wants to severely curb the National Security Agencyai??i??s bulk data collection program ai??i?? two issues that resonate with the left wing of the Democratic Party as well as libertarian-minded voters who propped up Ron Paulai??i??s strong showing in the 2012 presidential caucuses there.

ai???What I think we need is targeting based on individualized suspicion, reasonable suspicion that people are engaged in criminal or terrorist activity,ai??? she says in response to a question about what she thinks the NSA should be able to monitor.

Bellowsai??i?? candidacy was being largely ignored by national media until she revealed earlier this month she had raised more money than Collins during the last quarter. Now, sheai??i??s trying to capitalize on that news with a press blitz highlighting a grassroots campaign focused largely on local organizing in Maineai??i??s 500 towns.

Help Shenna Bellows continue the momentum! Click here to donate $3 and help Shenna defeat Susan Collins.Ai??

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