Experience has shown us time and time again that watering down the Democratic Party's progressive values loses elections. And with Democrats poised to win the White House and bigger majorities in Congress in 2008, we cannot afford to make this mistake again. Governor Dean and Barack Obama called for wide ranging input on the 2008 Democratic Party Platform. That's refreshing and exciting. At 21st Century Democrats we believe that America is stronger when we adopt these principles.

Cross posted from http://www.21stcenturydems.org/blog.

Yesterday, as I reflected on the 44th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, I thought about how far we have come in the fight for equality and how much work we still have ahead of us. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence of the progress we have made as a nation all around us - none more visible than the Democratic Presidential Primary race between Senators Clinton and Obama. But even as we celebrate these victories we must keep in mind those who have been left behind in the struggle for equality.

As the recent California Supreme Court decision allowing gay marriage demonstrated, there are people and places in this country that are ready to correct the injustice being visited on gay Americans and support marriage equality.  Many of the most ardent opponents of gay unions claim to be "defending marriage" as though allowing two people of the same gender who love each other to get married somehow weakens the institution of marriage.

Ignoring the incredibly high rate of divorce in heterosexual marriages, they reject the simple truth that providing a legal framework for gay couples to marry would create MORE strong, supportive families - not LESS.  Would these people propose we ban divorce in order to protect marriage?  Moreover, the opponents of gay marriage are largely the same group who stood against making interracial marriage legal over 40 years ago.  How would Americans react today if we said interracial marriage should be banned?  I think Americans would overwhelmingly oppose such a ban.

Democrats have been the driving force in much of the social progress we have made in the last 50 years, but we must always remember that there are people and parties in our country who seek to advance their own agenda by scapegoating and demonizing those who are different. We must stand up against this kind of discrimination at every opportunity and support what we know to be right. As we celebrate our nation's independence this weekend we must remember not only what is great about our country, but how we can work to create a more perfect union.

A new generation of Americans is emerging and they generally don't think about race, religion or sexual orientation – when they make friends, date – or decide to marry. Hopefully the baby boomer generation and the depression era-WWII generation will learn from their children and grandchildren.

Mark Lotwis is the Executive Director of 21st Century Democrats.

Cross posted from www.21stDems.org/blog

The 2008 election presents an incredible opportunity for Democrats to take control of our government and build the foundation for a long lasting progressive movement in our country. But to win in November, we will have to contend with a desperate Republican Party that has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to divide and deceive the American people for their own partisan gain. To cut through all of the GOP propaganda, Faux News misinformation campaigns and right-wing radio hate speech Democrats are going to have to get out and talk face-to-face with voters about our vision for America and how we will put this country back on track.

At 21st Century Democrats, we are working hard to play our role in the progressive infrastructure. We train activists in the art of field organizing and then put them on campaigns all across the country so they can go out and talk to voters about our candidates and our vision for the future. On June 4-8, we will hold our National Field Organizer Training: Major League Action at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Over four days of intensive training, we will transform up to 200 activists into prepared field organizers that can be dropped anywhere in the country and start making a difference right away.

You can learn more about our MLA training here.
Or, if you're all ready to go and would like to reserve a spot in the training you can register here!

Our organization seeks to build a more progressive America not only by electing more progressive Democrats, but also by building human capital within the progressive community. Training a young person to be a field organizer helps us not only in the current cycle, but gives that person a skill that will be valuable in every election. Thankfully, there are a lot of great groups like The Center for Progressive Leadership, Democracy For America, The New Organizing Institute, Wellstone Action! and many others that train progressive activists, organizers and candidates.

If you want to get more involved with the election this year and build some organizing skills for the future, please consider attending our Major League Action Training and/or one of the other great trainings put on by our progressive allies. Or, if you can't make it and would like to help pay the travel expenses and registration fees for a dedicated young progressive to attend our training you can donate to our Field Organizer Fund. The better we are at finding and talking to our neighbors about the issues that are important to them, the more successful we will be in November and the more likely we are to build a true progressive movement in this country.

Mark Lotwis is the Executive Director of 21st Century Democrats.

Last week, 21st Century Democrats held its 13th annual Signature Gala in Washington, DC. At the event, we launched our new 21st Century Leaders In Action program, which provides support and recognition to a network of leaders who share ideas and collaborate to implement bold progressive policies.  Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison, Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin and Arizona State Representative Kyrsten Sinema were the first progressive standouts to be included in what will be a constantly expanding network of leaders from around the country.

The awardees in attendance spoke about a number of important issues facing our county, but I was struck by their focus and passion regarding voter participation and electoral reform. Maryland State Senator Jamie Raskin (District 20) started the ball rolling with a discussion about the importance of protecting voter's rights and encouraging civic participation - video here. He described two laws he has passed since being elected to the State Senate in 2006. The first was an interstate compact that would create a direct popular election for President and the second gave 17 year olds the right to vote in primary elections if they turn 18 by the general election. These kinds of electoral reforms strengthen our democracy by making every vote count and brining new voters into the political process.

Next up was Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner, who has done a great job cleaning up the mess left by her Republican predecessor, Ken Blackwell. At the gala, she reiterated her commitment to ensuring that every vote is counted through the use of back-up paper ballots and post-election audits. Secretary Brunner also discussed the State's new Voting Rights Institute that does outreach to voters and operates important programs aimed at engaging more Ohioans in electoral politics. Watch the video here.

Finally, Congressman Ellison (MN-5) took the stage and forcefully articulated the injustice of the recent Supreme Court decision allowing Indiana to infringe upon Americans' constitutionally guaranteed right to vote by requiring photo IDs. He called out this back-door poll tax for what it is: a Republican scheme to disenfranchise students, minorities, the elderly and the poor. Thankfully, dedicated progressives like Keith Ellison are standing up against these Jim Crow era laws. He recently proposed legislation that would ban photo ID requirements to vote and last week introduced a bill to allow same-day registration in all federal elections. Check out video of his speech.

The struggle to protect the right to vote demonstrates why we must elect more progressives like Secretary of State Brunner, Congressman Ellison, and State Senator Raskin to office. We are searching for new 21st Century Leaders In Action across the country to include in our network.  If you know someone who is making big strides towards achieving a progressive vision for America, please tell us about them either in the comments or by contacting us directly.

Cross posted from 21stCenturyDems.org.

As I reflect on the Take Back America 2008 conference, I'm thrilled 21st Century Democrats was a partner organization at the event.  We are proud to stand with other great groups like Campaign for America's Future, Progressive Majority, ACORN, People for the American Way, the Center for Progressive Leadership, and many others who are working hard to change the direction of this country from the disastrous policies of George W. Bush.

For me, one of the highlights of the conference was the roll out of "A Responsible Plan To End The War In Iraq" by Darcy Burner, Chellie Pingree and several other Congressional candidates. Darcy explained how a the Bush Administration's top down approach to ending the war in Iraq has failed to stem the violence and that's why she drafted the plan and organized fellow Congressional candidates to take a bottom's up approach by putting forward a plan to end the war.

One of the most important points made during the rollout was the need to change the frame of the conversation about the war from whether the surge is working to what we should be doing to make our country safer.   To shift the conversation we need to get more people involved in this debate. We must talk to our neighbors, friends, family - and most importantly to the candidates where we live - and ask them to sign on to the responsible plan to end the war in Iraq.

We in the progressive community have asked for leadership on ending the war, and now have Darcy Burner, Chellie Pingree and several other candidates who have put themselves on the line by not only standing up against the war, but by providing a detailed plan of how the United States can bring our military engagement in Iraq to a responsible end and take steps to restore the checks and balances in our government to make sure we do not make the same mistake again in the future.

You can endorse the plan here. You can also show your support the candidates leading this effort by donating to Darcy Burner, Chellie Pingree or the slate of Congressional candidates who have signed onto the plan.

As we begin the holiday season, it is important that we take the time to remember why we fight so hard to elect progressives who care for everyone to office.

Right now, food banks across the country are running critically short on supplies. Charities, church groups and volunteer organizations that work to feed the hungry are in desperate need of assistance and many are being forced to ration food and turn hungry families away. This is a national crisis and we all need to help!

Recently, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, a Twenty-First Century Democrats' endorsed candidate in 2006, introduced emergency legislation to provide funding for the nation's food banks.  The Senator's bill would give additional support for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which is the most immediate federal solution to the national food bank crisis. Senator Brown's legislation is a good first step, but it will take more than government action to address this problem.

We all need to work together to help feed the hungry people in our communities this holiday season. America's Second Harvest, a national food bank network, has a Food Bank Locator Tool that you can use to find an organization in your area or you can give to the group directly.

No family should go hungry. We have the resources to feed all of our people, but we need to make the right choices to see that it happens. We work to elect progressive Democrats because we want to build a better future for our country. But electoral politics is just one part of the effort to improve the health, safety and economic security of our citizens. Please think about those in your community that need our help and give to your local food bank today!

We at Twenty-First Century Democrats wish you and your family peace this holiday season and throughout the New Year.

The New Progressive Coalition recently unveiled three political "mutual funds" aimed at giving people a new way to invest in a more progressive America.

We, at Twenty-First Century Democrats are honored to be included in the NPC's Victory in 2008 and Beyond Fund. The application process we went through was lengthy, involved, and worth every minute. Beyond the obvious benefit of being included in such a bold and creative investment model and with such a stellar group of progressive groups, the NPC PROI model provided us an opportunity to quantify all our many accomplishments over the last twenty years.

Understanding that donors have choices and want to know that their investments are wise ones - we will strive to improve upon the already high rating NPC has granted us.  Over this next year, Twenty-First Century Democrats will broaden our reach and expand our efforts to ensure we have the greatest possible impact on the November elections. We will highlight the accomplishments of many of America's progressive leaders. We will work to elevate progressive Democrats into leadership positions within their legislative bodies. We will stand up with and for our candidates against the Republican misinformation machines. And, we will do everything we can to expand the number of strong Democrats in state houses, city councils, the US Congress and every other red, blue, purple or green corner of this country.  

The New Progressive Coalition's independent endorsement of the quality, efficiency and value of our efforts - and by default, the financial investment our donors have made over the years -  is a testament to the determination, integrity and good old fashioned elbow grease of all the many candidates, staff, organizers, volunteers and other Twenty-First Century Democrats who came before us. And the outcome of NPC's analysis will now serve as the baseline for our work - for me, our Board of Directors and the rest of the team at Twenty-First Century Democrats. We are committed to improving upon our successes and winning in '08! And NPC will most certainly help us to do that.

We at Twenty-First Century Democrats won't give up in Virginia until the last poll closes on November 6!  We already told you about how Virginia Republicans have been pulling out plays from Karl Rove's book of dirty tricks. But we've been fighting back hard. Thanks to a group of dedicated progressives we've been on the ground making a difference in these important races.

Twenty-First Century Democrats has had teams of canvassers in several districts across Virginia.  We have knocked on 2,254 doors and talked to hundreds of voters about our candidates and their progressive goals for the state.  In addition, we made a direct contribution to the Virginia Democratic Senate Caucus on behalf of our endorsed candidates: Albert Pollard (VA-28) and Janet Oleszek (VA-37). But we are not finished yet! Election Day in Virginia is coming up on November 6th, and we're redoubling our efforts to help Turn Virginia from RED to BLUE!

The upcoming State Senate races in Virginia are vitally important. Not only are they winnable, but they present a real opportunity to change the map in Virginia and beyond. These are the last State Senate races before the 2010 census and with a Democratic majority in the State Senate we will have a voice in the redistricting process.  Success in Virginia this year will set the stage for bigger victories in congressional races in the future - even the Presidential race in 2008. It may seem like a long way off, but winning today will help us build a lasting progressive majority tomorrow.