Adam Green

“Martin O’Malley’s belief that debt-free college must be accessible to all students, and must apply to all public colleges and universities, is spot on and we look forward to seeing the plans of others,” Adam Green, co-founder of PCCC — which is expected to announce its own debt-free college plan at the annual Netroots Nation progressive confab next week — told BuzzFeed News in an email.

Green said he hoped O’Malley’s rivals will unveil plans that rival the former Maryland governor’s. For now, the debt-free plan puts O’Malley in the progressive spotlight, even against Sanders.

“To her credit, Hillary Clinton has mentioned debt-free college multiple times on the campaign trail, and Americans await a bold policy speech on debt-free college in the near future,” Green said. “We hope Bernie Sanders and others endorse this game changing goal of debt-free college as well.”

Mr. O’Malley’s plan — to make college free of debt for all, as well as enhancing public education systems — won praise from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which is closely aligned with Senator Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Democrat and a champion of the left. The committee had stirred up interest in the issue of debt-free college over many months …

“Martin O’Malley’s belief that debt-free college must be accessible to all students, and must apply to all public colleges and universities, is spot on — and we look forward to seeing the plans of others,” said Adam Green, who co-founded the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and described debt-free college as crucial to “what our economy needs to grow.”

While Mr. Green noted that Mrs. Clinton had also discussed the issue on the campaign trail, she had said she would lay out her policy proposals in the coming weeks.

O’Malley’s plan sets a goal “that all students have access to a high-quality, debt-free college education within five years, attainable at any in-state college or university,” according to a white paper on the candidate’s website.

Liberal groups such as the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) have spent months calling on Democratic candidates to work on reducing student debt. The group, in a Wednesday statement, hailed O’Malley’s proposal as “the most progressive plan to tackle crippling student debt offered so far on the presidential campaign trail.”

“To her credit, Hillary Clinton has mentioned debt-free college multiple times on the campaign trail, and Americans await a bold policy speech on debt-free college in the near future,” said PCCC co-founder Adam Green. “We hope Bernie Sanders and others endorse this game changing goal of debt-free college as well.”

Sanders is not just persuading progressives to open their wallets: he has a rabid fan base showing up to campaign events as well, drawing larger-than-expected crowds across the country. At a rally on Wednesday night, Sanders sounded almost taken aback by his welcome – nearly 10,000 supporters attended the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Madison, Wisconsin, to hear him speak. …

Adam Green, co-founder of Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a group that has hailed the Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren as its “north star”, said that Sanders is hitting the right notes for his left-wing base with ideas on how to unburden college students from massive debt and tackle wage inequality – and that Clinton would be wise to pay attention.

“Bernie Sanders is smartly taking advantage of the rising economic populist tide,” Green said. “And the path to success for Hillary Clinton is to be bold and populist in her campaign platform.”

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 …

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.

Is Hillary Clinton contending for the Democratic left, the ground Elizabeth Warren has been stomping? Adam Green and Ruth Marcus join to discuss.

And the more anti-corporate tone is pleasing to the ears of liberals who have pined for Senator Elizabeth Warren, a scourge of Wall Street banks, to challenge Clinton for the Democratic nomination. And, they say, it’s a message Clinton can use against Republicans because many in the GOP have turned wary of Wall Street and big corporations since the 2008 financial crash.

“Warren’s economic populist agenda offers a pathway to success for Democrats in 2014 and 2016 –if they choose to take it,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “Hillary Clinton may be realizing that Elizabeth Warren’s economic populist positions are the path to electoral success in 2016–both in the primary and general election.”

UPDATE:Ai??Ed Schultz has joined the PCCC in opposing the Keystone XL Pipeline!Ai??Watch him say “I was wrong” and come out against the pipeline.

PCCC Co-Founder Adam Green was recently asked by Ed Schultz for his thoughts on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

Click here to listenAi??to Adam discussing the issue:

ai???We see whatai??i??s happening in West Virginia right now when polluters have their way and entire rivers and water lines get polluted. There are these explosions, you can Google and see, pipelines erupting and causing huge fireballs in communities and we know thatai??i??s part of the risk. As Michael Brune [Executive Director of the Sierra Club] was saying, we donai??i??t have to choose between two bad options. The obvious path forward is to find clean energy sources and not kind of checkmate ourselves into, do we transport this toxic stuff to our communities by rail or by pipeline? We need a third choice.ai???

Adam also noted how disagreements over Keystone has the potential to create fractures within the Democratic coalition which plays into the hand of Republicans:

“I just donai??i??t like a ai???process of elimination’ argument; I donai??i??t like feeling boxed in to making a horrible choice. If there is a legitimate reason, Iai??i??m interested in hearing that, but the net effect ai??i?? looking at this in a big picture perspective ai??i?? is I see a Republican advantage to dividing labor vs. the environmentalists. Thereai??i??s so many bad things that we need to be united against that I just see this as a huge wedge issue and I think the default should be taking it [Keystone XL] off the table, not approving it.ai???

Rather than focus on the pipeline, Adam urged the Democratic Party to champion an aggressive clean-energy jobs agenda:

ai???Imagine a situation where the president said, ‘We are going to …

As a co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Adam Green might be expected to lead the effort, but Warren’s decision to remain on the sidelines has left him resigned to seek concessions from the overwhelming front runner. Clinton “determines her own fate,” Green tells Time. “If she embraces things like more Wall Street reform and expanding Social Security benefits instead of cutting them, there will be very little space for a primary challenge of the left.”

On Monday, the Boston Globe’s front page featured a wide ranging profile of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and all of the amazing work PCCC members have done to push the Democratic Party to embrace Elizabeth Warren’s agenda and fight for progressive change.

Can you help us continue to fight for Elizabeth Warren’s agenda in 2014? Click here.

The Boston Globe: Progressive wing waves Elizabeth Warren banner

Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor are cofounders of Progressive Change Campaign Committee. The group has been promoting the political profile of Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in presidential primary states.

WASHINGTON ai??i?? Elizabeth Warren has pledged she will not seek the White House in 2016, but that has not stopped diehard Warren boosters from promoting her political profile in presidential primary states, saying she is best positioned to push the Democratic Party to the left.

A group called Progressive Change Campaign Committee is waging the most visible of these pro-Warren crusades, training volunteers, meeting with labor leaders in New Hampshire, and handing out stickers with Warrenai??i??s name.

But there are costs to party unity, as the Massachusetts senator becomes a central figure in an intensifying battle for the Democratic Partyai??i??s soul.

The movement behind Warren is not as intense as the conservative Tea Party version for Republican candidates, but pushing against the partyai??i??s center is the goal for both.

ai???Weai??i??re going to make sure that every Democrat who runs for president is forced to say whether they agree with Elizabeth Warren on key issues, like expanding Social Security benefits and more Wall Street reform,ai??? said Adam Green, the 37-year-old cofounder of the group.

Warrenai??i??s impassioned stance on expanding Social Security is in defiance of President Obamaai??i??s proposal to trim the growth of benefit payments in future years. On …

Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor are cofounders of Progressive Change Campaign Committee. The group has been promoting the political profile of Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts in presidential primary states.

Elizabeth Warren has pledged she will not seek the White House in 2016, but that has not stopped diehard Warren boosters from promoting her political profile in presidential primary states, saying she is best positioned to push the Democratic Party to the left.

A group called Progressive Change Campaign Committee is waging the most visible of these pro-Warren crusades, training volunteers, meeting with labor leaders in New Hampshire, and handing out stickers with Warrenai??i??s name.

TBQ’s Alexia Nader interviews Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor, founders of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC).

After meeting as student activists and organizers at the University of Virginia, Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor worked at MoveOn.org before leaving to found the PCCC. Prior to that launch, Green had worked in press and communications for several Democratic campaigns and party committees, while Taylor spent several years as a union organizer of health care workers in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. PCCC’s stated mission is “to build progressive power by changing who holds power.” Their website’s domain name is even more succinct: BoldProgressives.org.

“Social Security in 2016 could be the Iraq of 2008, meaning a definitive issue that primary voters make decisions based on,” said Adam Green, co-founder of Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which is leading a concerted charge to expand Social Security benefits. Roger Hickey, director of the Campaign for America’s Future, characterized the coming battle over reforming the nation’s safety-net programs as a seminal moment for Democrats. “It’s a real point of conflict and battle within the Democratic Party. It endangers the Democrats’ ability to win elections. You don’t want to go into a presidential election saying, ‘I’m going to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits.’ That’s the formula for making sure there’s not the first woman president.” And Justin Ruben, the head of the eight-million member MoveOn.org, has been even more unequivocal, saying in April, “Any Democrat who is voting to cut Social Security benefits is probably kissing his or her presidential aspirations goodbye.”

When the new budget conferees met last week, Budget Chairman Paul Ryan ruled out any new taxes, spawning headlines that he had “killed” the grand bargain. The response from progressives? We killed it first.

“Harry Reid already killed it by saying there will be no benefit cuts. Paul Ryan shot bullets into the corpse,” said Adam Green, who heads up the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “Unfortunately, this zombie has come back to life many times — and by making the case for why seniors need expanded Social Security benefits, a national coalition of groups will continue working to keep a Grand Bargain dead and off the table.”

Liberal Democrats on the Hill have taken the hint: they are not only outright opposing any changes to Social Security, there’s a small but growing group of Senators who are looking to expand the program. A bill introduced by Sen. Tom Harkin and backed by Sens. Sherrod Brown, Mark Begich, and Brian Schatz, would do just that.

“The only way that right-wing politicians win on this if cuts to Social Security are buried under the guise of restructuring and reforming entitlements in some other budget deal,” said Brown on a conference call with PCCC supporters. “I cannot believe there will be a major budget deal presented on the floor of the senate that has cuts to Social Security.”

TodayAi??on Capitol Hill, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) Ai??will join experts and members of Congress to brief congressional staff on the political and policy case for expanding Social Security benefits.

The PCCC will present state polling (including Iowa and New Hampshire) that makes the political case for expanding Social Security benefits and will explain why it’s good politically for Democrats that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) took off the table a Grand Bargain that cuts Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits.

Tune in to the livesteam below at 12:30 ETAi??to see PCCC co-founder Adam Green on a panel of experts on Capitol Hill making the political case for expansion, precededAi??atAi??11:15 am ET by a panel outlying the policy case.Ai??Then, sign our petition calling on Congress to expand Social Security benefits! Click here.

The panels will lead into statements by members of Congress who oppose cuts to benefits and support expansion:Ai??Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Sen. Brian Shatz (D-HI),Ai??Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL),Ai??Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA),Ai??Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL), Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI).

“Democrats in general are thinking beyond Obama and are willing to stand up to him if he’s not representing the will of the people,” said Adam Green, who heads the activist group Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

Obama still enjoys strong support among Democrats. But Green said progressives will be watching closely how the president handles the budget battle in the coming weeks.

“During 2012, there was some hesitance to criticize a president up for re-election,” Green said. “But right now the general attitude is: We want to go on offense, not play defense. And if the president is willing to go there, great — we’ll do things during his presidency. But if he’s not willing to go there, we’re going to be working with people like [Massachusetts Sen.] Elizabeth Warren to lay the foundation for big progressive change in the future.”

Lawrence H. Summers’ decision to bow out of contention for the Federal Reserve chairmanship represented a triumph for progressive Democrats, putting on powerful display their ability to pressure the White House in a way that could spell further complications for President Obama.

“A lot of progressives are thinking beyond Obama,” said Adam Green, cofounder of Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal advocacy group active in Warren’s campaign. “If we can do it during his presidency, great. If he’s intent on just playing defense, we’ll lay the groundwork and pass big change in a couple of years.”

Rebel Democrats on Monday threw their weight behind a growing campaign for Janet Yellen to take over the US Federal Reserve, as their successful revolt against White House pick Larry Summers emboldened those calling for tougher policy toward Wall Street.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, one of four banking committee members who helped force Summers, a former Citigroup adviser, to withdraw from the race on Sunday, said the development should give President Barack Obama a chance to rethink his strategy, which has been criticised for being too accommodating toward banking interests.

“Larry Summers’ past decisions to deregulate Wall Street and do the bidding of corporate America have made the lives of millions of Americans more acrimonious. He would have been an awful Fed chair,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “President Obama should appoint someone to lead the Fed who has not accepted millions in payments from Wall Street, and who will prioritize an economy that works for the little guy above further enrichment for the big guy.”

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a political-action committee based in Washington, D.C., is leading an active “draft Schweitzer” movement, rounding up money and supporters. The group’s co-founder, Adam Green, visited with Schweitzer in Montana in May, and the group is buying Internet ads in Montana saying “Draft Brian Schweitzer for Senate!” So far, PCCC has raised $29,000 dedicated to helping the Schweitzer Senate campaign, signed up 415 people who say they’ll work as volunteers on the campaign and had nearly 18,300 people sign an on-line petition urging Schweitzer to run.

Progressive activists fired a shot across the bow of congressional Democrats on Wednesday, warning them to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid or face a primary challenge. Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said Democrats would face a “nuclear war on the left” if they supported cuts to the safety net programs. “We will probably have a fractured party for the next two years” if Democrats cave to Republican demands, Green said on CSPAN, “which would be to the detriment of this president and very unfortunate. There will absolutely be Democratic primaries in the next round of congressional elections. We would probably start right away recruiting challengers.”

The criticism from the left mirrors past complaints when Mr. Obama included tax cuts in his stimulus package, gave up on a government-run option in health care negotiations and temporarily extended Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy two years ago. Liberals said Mr. Obama should have capitalized on his re-election victory and the expiration on New Year’s Day of all of the Bush tax cuts to force Republicans to accept his terms. “The president remains clueless about how to use leverage in a negotiation,” said Adam Green, a co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal advocacy organization. “Republicans publicly admitted they lost the tax debate and would be forced to cave, yet the president just kept giving stuff away.”

The truth is that on every prominent economic issue of our time, the public overwhelmingly agrees with the progressive position. If 74 percent of voters oppose cuts to Medicare benefits and only 17 percent support them (which is true in New Hampshire), progressives insisting on the 74 percent position is different than the Tea Party insisting on the 17 percent position. One is democracy. The other is fringe incalcitrance. Equating the two is either ignorant or dishonest, but in either case destructive. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee did our homework and hired the No. 1 most-accurate pollster of 2012, Public Policy Polling, to poll New Hampshire voters on these fiscal issues (with more states to come). As the Union Leader’s John DiStaso reported, huge majorities of voters in the “Live Free Or Die” state support taxing the rich, oppose cutting benefits, and support cutting corporate welfare. They also say that President Obama’s mandate is not to compromise for its own sake, but to “stand up for regular families – even if that means fighting.” That’s a mandate – a mandate for “the left.” The only question is whether Democrats will use it to fight for the will of the people.

November 6 was “probably one of the best election nights progressives will ever have,” says Adam Green, cofounder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. “Underlying the fact that Democrats picked up a few seats is that the progressive ranks are growing while the Blue Dogs are dwindling.” Progressive advocates believe these new faces will lead to more favorable policies out of Congress… But the progressives also make a political argument. For years, they’ve claimed that Democrats need to be more progressive, not less, if they want to win elections. The idea that tacking to the middle and embracing center-right positions is what wins, they say, is a canard. Now, they point to the 2012 results as proof.

In this week’s installment of Break Room, political columnist Michelle Cottle talks with Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, about what Petraeus’ scandal might mean for Obama’s meeting with progressive groups on Tuesday.