[PDA] A Special Message from Congressmen John Conyers, Jr

[Kevin Spidel]

Two years ago, a tireless band of organizers launched the Progressive Democrats of America in Roxbury—and I was there with them at their launch. Against all the odds, PDA decided that it could move the Democratic Party, change American politics for the better, and help make this a more peaceful, more just world.

That same fall, when irregularities emerged after the 2004 elections in Ohio, PDA and I again worked together to challenge the results, to hold voting rights hearings in Columbus, and to investigate the results. Most people, and even many progressive groups, avoided the Ohio controversy at the time—but PDA showed up to fight back against the fraud.

When the Downing Street Memo was leaked in the spring of 2005, most of the mainstream media and the pundits mocked its value. Together with PDA and the newly-launched activist internet group AfterDowningStreet.org (whose founding members were all active PDAers, including Tim Carpenter), I held packed hearings in Washington, D.C., with testimony from Cindy Sheehan, Joseph Wilson, Ray McGovern, and John Bonifaz.

And our close working relationship continues to the present, as PDA keeps pushing, day after day, for accountability at long last by the Bush Administration.

Plus, PDA understands that to move forward with those investigations, with an increase in the minimum wage, with health care for all, with the Apollo initiative for renewable energy, with developing a plan to end the occupation and real election protections, we must first take back the House in November—and PDA staff and volunteers are spending countless hours this year helping progressive underdog candidates grow stronger.

So Happy Birthday, Progressive Democrats of America.

I look forward to working together with you next year, under vastly improved working conditions.”

John Conyers, Jr.
Congressman
PDA National Board Member

[rodeodance]

1. happy birthday PDA--and many more to come. You give America hope.

[WilliamPitt]

2. Conyers

:toast:

[Kevin Spidel]

3. if you missed the PDA birthday call tonight...

This is an audio recording of the call not made public, but for my friends on myspace. It is about an hour long. There is some HORRID feedback and squelches on the call because of house parties that did not mute.

But my good friend Cindy Sheehan, Medea Benjamin, and Dennis Kucinich were on the call. Unofrutnaly Rep. Conyers, Woolsey, McGovern, and Grijalva did not make it. It was still a good call. If you have time... take a listen:

http://spidel.net/audio/PDA-Call.html

I am going to use this audiocast system more for our calls, and potentially my own podcast from the campaign trail. So stay tuned.