President Obama

For six months, frustrated White House aides have been promising that President Obama would do more than just raise money for embattled Democratic candidates, that he would set out a message that could carry those candidates to the finish line Nov. 4th. On Thursday, he finally did that with a speech at Northwestern University that offered a stout defense of his record and tried to chart an economic course forward.

Coming only 33 days before Election Day and long after the dynamic has been set in most of the contested races, it may prove ineffective, particularly if the president does not follow through and repeat his message in the days ahead. Indeed, Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee warned Thursday that it is “possibly too little too late for Democrats on the ballot who would have benefited from a strong economic populist message all year long.” Green has long championed a more aggressive stance by Obama and calls economic populism “a political winner.”

Anti-spying protestors were mostly disappointed by President Obama’s proposed reforms to the NSA surveillance program. Obama kept it vague, and defended the program as necessary for national security. Karissa Gerhke, an organizer with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, says though she doesn’t think the president is doing enough, there is still something to celebrate. “The main thing here today is that Obama’s announcement today would not have been possible without Edward Snowden,” says Gerhke.

President Barack Obama announced Friday significant changes to National Security Agency permissions and policies — changes that the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) says never would have occurred were it not for the actions of agency leaker Edward Snowden.

“Obama’s announcement today would not have been possible without Edward Snowden,” committee organizer Karissa Gerhke said in a statement Friday. He is a hero and a whistle-blower, and deserves clemency.”

The PCCC has raised more than $45,000 via the Edward Snowden Legal Defense Fund while advocating for Snowden’s pardon.

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.”

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a left-leaning advocacy group that has been opposed to military action in Syria, responded to the address saying “public pressure worked.”

“The American people knew that diplomacy was a credible and strategic option, and this great news from President Obama will be better for America and his presidency than dropping bombs on Syria,” the group said in a statement.

A cadre of progressive organizations are urging those opposed to U.S. involvement in the Syria crisis to join their candlelight vigil Monday night just steps from the Capitol.

The demonstration, coordinated by MoveOn.org, CREDO Action, Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Win Without War, is expected to take place beginning at 7 p.m. opposite the Cannon House Office Building.

On the eve of President Obama using a nationwide TV address Tuesday to explain why the U.S. should bomb Syria, there will be several peace vigils across the Bay Area Monday night — beginning with one in front of one of the biggest hawks on Syria, Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Sponsored by a coalition of liberal activist groups — including MoveOn, CREDO, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, and the Win Without War Coalition — the major action will start Monday at 6 p.m. in front of Pelosi’s office at the Federal Building.

There’s a candlelight vigil scheduled Monday night at The Torch of Friendship to urge South Florida Representatives to vote against bombing Syria.

The event in Miami is part of a national day of action being organized by the progressive organizations MoveOn.org Civic Action, CREDO Action, Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), and Win Without War.

Similar vigils are scheduled to take place in nearly one hundred cities across the country on Monday.

The Obama Administration is continuing its lobbying blitz for military intervention in Syria, garnering support from Democrats like Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, alongside key Republicans like House Speaker John Boehner and Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

But fighting against those clamoring for military strikes following Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s alleged use of chemical weapons against his own people is a loud chorus of progressives vehemently opposed to raining down U.S. missiles on Syria.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee is coming out against Obama’s desire to strike. The major political action committee sent a letter to Senate and House Dems to vote against any resolution involving U.S. intervention.

“You now face a decision that involves life and death,” the memo reads. “This decision also involves billions of dollars. And it will send a signal to your constituents and the world about our nation’s morals and our ability to make strategic, goal-oriented decisions. This historic moment must transcend political party.” Included are results of a survey from 57,000 progressives, the majority saying they oppose military action in Syria.

As the struggle to secure House votes for or against authorization for military strikes in Syria accelerates, the progressive wing of the Democratic Party has started making plans to team up with isolationist conservatives to stop the resolution, TPM has learned.

While the White House makes it case, members are also receiving persistent pressure from progressive grassroots organizations to vote against a Syria resolution. The Progressive Change Campaign Committee circulated a memo Wednesday urging Congress to reject Obama’s proposal, citing a member survey.

A bloc of several dozen liberals who are among President Barack Obama’s closest allies in Congress is now becoming an obstacle to congressional approval of his plan for airstrikes in Syria.

Mr. Obama’s quest to press ahead with an attack on the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has stirred strong pushback among some Republicans. But dovish Democrats appear equally uneasy, and their numbers threaten to deal Mr. Obama his most embarrassing foreign-policy setback.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal political-action committee, said Wednesday that a survey of about 55,000 of its almost one million members found 73% oppose action in Syria. It sent a memo to all Democrats in Congress under the heading “Your base opposes military action in Syria” and launched a phone campaign to pressure lawmakers to vote “no.”

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee is coming out against military action in Syria, and it plans to pressure on-the-fence Democrats in Congress to oppose it, as well.

The PCCC, which has a membership of nearly 1 million people, is sending a memo to Democratic representatives and senators with the results of a survey that shows its members overwhelmingly oppose intervening in Syria.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee announced it’s sending a memo to members of Congress, including those whom the PCCC campaigned for, saying the progressive base overwhelmingly opposes military strikes Syria. According to a survey of its members, 73% of progressive respondents were not in favor of the president’s proposal for punitive action, while 18% supported the president’s decision.

“You now face a decision that involves life and death. This decision also involves billions of dollars. And it will send a signal to your constituents and the world about our nation’s morals and our ability to make strategic, goal-oriented decisions. This historic moment must transcend political party,” Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor, the group’s co-founders, say in the memo. “Your progressive base stands firmly against military action in Syria.”

A major progressive political action committee on Wednesday urged Democratic members of Congress to vote against any resolution authorizing airstrikes on Syria.

The nearly one million-member Progressive Change Campaign Committee circulated a memo to Democrats in the House and Senate spelling out its objections to the use of military force against Syrian President Bashar Assad, adding that PCCC members will make “thousands of calls to Congress and will make participate in local events” in the coming days to pressure lawmakers to oppose military action.

Democratic House and Senate members should oppose military action in Syria if they want to reflect the views of their base, according to a congressional memo being circulated Wednesday by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

“You now face a decision that involves life and death. This decision also involves billions of dollars. And it will send a signal to your constituents and the world about our nation’s morals and our ability to make strategic, goal-oriented decisions,” PCCC co-founders Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor said in the memo. “Your progressive base stands firmly against military action in Syria.”

A bipartisan coalition of libertarian conservatives and liberal doves is emerging in Congress to oppose a resolution for intervention in Syria.

The first major signal of an emerging bipartisan coalition came from the influential Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which circulated a memo to Democrats in the House and Senate stating why in its opinion a military strike against Assad was unjustified.

The memo urged Democratic members of Congress to vote against any resolution authorizing strikes on Syria:

“You now face a decision that involves life and death. This decision also involves billions of dollars. And it will send a signal to your constituents and the world about our nation’s morals and our ability to make strategic, goal-oriented decisions.”

President Obama heeded the call of members of Congress who were demanding a vote on military action on Syria, but Congress will not rush back to Washington to take that vote.

Obama and congressional leaders may well need the time to make the case to Congress to get enough members to support military action in Syria. Members of both parties have expressed skepticism about whether it’s justified.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a liberal activist group, praised the president for seeking congressional approval. “After years of societal and international norms being thrown out the door — and things like torture, violations of civil liberties and war becoming normalized — today’s announcement is an important down payment on proper norms and regular order being restored,” said PCCC spokesman Adam Green.

Liberals who are often critical of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy are hailing his decision to seek authorization from Congress to strike Syria, even as many continue to oppose the military action itself.

“It’s great news that President Obama is seeking congressional approval for military action, an important precedent for all future presidents,” said Adam Green of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, generally a critic of the president. “After years of societal and international norms being thrown out the door — and things like torture, violations of civil liberties, and war becoming normalized — today’s announcement is an important down payment on proper norms and regular order being restored.”

The incumbent Democrat has 49 percent support to 15 percent for opponent Ro Khanna, PPP says.

Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) holds a wide lead over his primary opponent, Ro Khanna, in a new Democratic poll of the competitive California race.

According to the survey, conducted by Democratic firm Public Policy Polling (PPP) for Democracy for America (DFA) and the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Honda takes 49 percent support among Democratic primary voters and Khanna takes 15 percent support.

Thirty-six percent of voters in California’s 17th district, which includes San Jose and Silicon Valley, are still undecided.

California Rep. Mike Honda has a commanding lead over high-profile Democratic primary opponent Ro Khanna, according to a new poll provided to POLITICO.

According to the survey, conducted by the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, Honda has a 49 percent to 15 percent lead over Khanna. Thirty-six percent said they were undecided. The poll was commissioned by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, a Washington-based liberal group that has been supportive of Honda. Democracy for America also paid for the poll.

Prominent liberal activists – among them groups, such as MoveOn.org and Democracy for America, that helped Obama gain re-election in November – view his willingness to reduce future Social Security payments as a betrayal of core Democratic commitments to help the needy and ease the burdens of old age. The groups are vowing to run primary challengers against Democratic members of Congress who back the president’s controversial quest. “Social Security is a key part of the Democratic legacy and a vital lifeline to millions of Americans,” Stephanie Taylor, a co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, told McClatchy on Thursday. “Any Democrat who votes for such a plan should be ready for a primary challenge.”

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Democracy for America are two grassroots progressive groups threatening to back a primary challenge to any Democrat who votes to use the chained CPI measure. “If people don’t represent their constituents back home and pursue an agenda of cutting Social Security benefits,… then, yeah, there needs to be accountability in 2014, and we’re very serious,” said PCCC cofounder Adam Green. He added that his group has already taken the first step by asking people who signed the petition if they would be willing to run for Congress to defend entitlements. More than 1,300 members said yes, he said.

Progressive-leaning groups reacted quickly and angrily to news that President Barack Obama is proposing cuts to Social Security, going so far as to threaten to mount primary challenges against congressional Democrats who sign on to Obama’s plan.

“You can’t call yourself a Democrat and support Social Security benefit cuts,” said Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, in a statement that was among many fired off by liberal groups Friday.

Progressive groups and lawmakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), are blasting the Obama administration for cuts to Social Security and other programs expected to be unveiled in the president’s budget next week.

Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, warned that “progressives will do everything possible” to prevent the cuts.