News and Blog Posts from Wellstone Action

The 30-second evolution of an activist?

elana — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:06:01 -0600

One of our fantastic fans just posted this great video over on our facebook page, and I just had to share it with our blog readers.

This 30-second ad from Google shows how a person goes from concerned community member to activist to leader.

Nonprofits' Key Role in 2010 Census

elana — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:10:46 -0600

Last week, our Movement Building Project went to Detroit to train nonprofit leaders and volunteers on key skills for mobilizing communities in support of an accurate count in the 2010 census. This training, in partnership with Michigan Voice (a statewide table of 501c3 nonprofit organizations), brought together civic engagement, direct service, and community-based organizations.

The census is the basis of many decisions about how resources are allocated, services provided, and how we are represented in Washington. We need local nonprofit organizations, who have relationships and infrastructure on the ground in communities, to organize and make sure that under-represented communities complete the census so we have a fair redistricting process and an accurate picture of the constituents of our country.

For a good take on the critical role nonprofits can play in mobilizing for the 2010 census, check out this post on Nonprofits Next - a good resource for emerging trends in nonprofit leadership from diverse perspectives.

Read the full post from Nonprofits Next: Diversity - Making it Really Count

The Best and Worst Policies of 2009

elana — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 10:54:49 -0600

The Drum Major Institute, a non-partisan think tank that generates ideas to fuel the progressive movement, has given their 2009 Year in Review the very apt theme of "digging out". Last January, President Obama took office and immediately faced staggering challenges that, by the end of the year, left many voters feeling like their concerns were drowned out amidst the mess.

DMI further asserts that on top of the policy challenges of bank bailouts and rising unemployment, climate change, crumbling infrastructure, and two wars, the President was backed up by "a numerically strong but internally fractured Democratic majority, still too much under the sway of powerful industries and cautious ideologies to take the bold actions necessary to confront the nation's problems."

But even in a tumultuous year there was progress, and DMI outlines the top ten best and worst policies of the year from a progressive perspective. Highlights include far-reaching national policies like the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act that put an end to some abusive practices by the credit card industry; and things you might not have heard about, like a new "wage watch" program out of New York's Department of Labor to intensively go after employers that violate minimum wage laws.

The report also features the 2009 Injustice Index - a compelling by-the-numbers look at "what's just not right". Look here for the total estimated drop in property values in 2009 due to foreclosures ($502 billion) or the number of Senators who voted against allowing judges to require banks to modify mortgages for bankrupt homeowners (51).

You can download the full report here.

Citizens United - A Warning and a Rallying Cry.

egreenman — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 15:07:33 -0600

Last week, the Supreme Court fundamentally altered the campaign finance landscape, and not for the better. In its Citizens United v. FEC decision, the Court struck down federal restrictions on corporate and union spending during federal elections. And because it was a First Amendment case, the decision will also mean that any state restrictions on independent corporate and union spending will also be unconstitutional.

The decision's effect- Corporations and unions can now spend unlimited amounts of money running their own independent advertisements targeted at voters and there is nothing that Congress or state legislators can do about it. While this will not affect the federal ban on direct contributions to candidates by corporations and unions, this decision will unleash massive amounts of corporate money spent independent of candidates and political parties into federal and state elections starting in 2010.

The silver lining - in place of the now-extinct regulations to control the independent involvement of powerful interests, progressive activists, organizations and candidates should embrace the opportunity to expand access to campaigns and elections. In the aftermath of Citizens United, grassroots organizing, voter engagement, and participatory reforms will be more potent and powerful than ever.

**So in the aftermath of Citizens United, what can candidates and campaigns expect?**

Candidates will find themselves competing with an influx of independent TV and radio advertisements aimed directly at the public. In theory, the messages could come from corporations, non-profits and unions of all ideological bents. In reality, the majority of this new advertising will probably be conservative and corporate sponsored. It will likely be negative and hard-hitting.

As voters are bombarded with more messages from more messengers there will be more confusion over candidates' positions. And in the past, an influx of negative ads has led voters to feel less engaged and more disillusioned about elections. It could even start to affect voter turnout.

The good news - this decision provides a new incentive for progressive candidates, activists and organizations to engage and empower voters. Organizing and grassroots political action offers the best chance to reach voters and restore the public's faith in the electoral process. Here are a few ways we can do this right now:

Clear and Targeted Messages: As people tune out the advertisements, progressive campaigns must provide targeted, authentic, and trustworthy messages. Now it is critical that candidates develop a compelling and cohesive message that can break through the sound barrier of competing narratives in the election. Grassroots campaigns have the advantage of developing relationships with voters; this allows candidates to deliver an individually-targeted message over and over to the same voter. Corporate political ads can't do that!

Trustworthy and Authentic Messengers: Candidates can't rely on TV, the radio or even rallies to reach voters; they need to establish trust and credibility directly with voters. For candidates, this means lots of personal voter contact-door knocking, town hall meetings and community visits.

Grassroots Contact and Lots of It: The most effective way to reach a voter is to have a neighbor or volunteer initiate a conversation at their door. Investing in field programs that maximize face-to-face contacts between volunteers and voters-at their doors, on the phone, where they spend their free time-is now more important than ever. To compete in an environment with unrestricted campaign advertising, campaigns should intensify and pace their face-to-face contacts. Campaigns should start reaching voters earlier, follow up with voters more often, and in a variety of different ways.

Citizen's United struck down restrictions intended to prevent corporations and interest groups from distorting elections through unmitigated spending on advertising. In the absence of these restrictions, the public risks being sidelined and communities drowned out by rich, powerful and unrepresentative corporate interests. In response, progressives must focus on strengthening the democratic role of citizens and communities within the electoral process.

Progressive organizations, activists and candidates all must play a role in restoring and protecting the role of voters and the public in elections. Otherwise, don't be surprised to hear-"This election brought to you by Wal-Mart, United Healthcare and the generous contributions of big oil."

Photo by dbking on flickr

Spotlight on Training Organizations: Wellstone Action

elana — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:37:57 -0600

Wellstone Action was featured in the Women's Campaign Forum newsletter, She Should Run.

Spotlight on Training Organizations: Wellstone Action!

Wellstone Action! is a national non-partisan organization that provides progressive training and leadership development. Their signature training program is the weekend-long Camp Wellstone, which Training Manager Jennifer Haut oversees from start to finish.

"The candidates are people who are determining if they want to run, are currently running within a couple of months or a year, sometimes they might not want to run for another 5, 10, 20 years," Jen said. She sees candidates running for all levels of government, from all walks of life. Wellstone also offers trainings geared towards student activists, advanced campaigners, campaign workers, community organizers, and more. Jen is very proud of Wellstone's diverse alumni community; however, she has noticed some troubling trends.

"We don't see as many women in the candidate track. As is typical of the rest of society; women are not stepping up to those head leadership roles," Jen said. She hopes to see more women in candidate and campaign manager positions. "It is important to have women's voices because women belong in politics, just as much as men do," Jen said.Wellstone sets itself apart in the world of political training organizations by being especially responsive to the communities in which it operates.

"We pride ourselves on going to places that are lesser visited, not big population centers, and we find that those are the best trainings because those are the people who are really hungry for it," Jen said. Wellstone also strives to offer locally based trainers who can serve as a resource after the training.

Wellstone trainings cover all the nuts and bolts of campaigning, from crafting a message, to fundraising strategy, to press relations. Wellstone's grassroots touch and interactive training curriculum is centered around "the Wellstone Triangle," a set of key organizing principles set forth by the late Senator Paul Wellstone. The three components are progressive public policy, grassroots electoral politics, and community and labor organizing. "The Wellstone Triangle is at the very center of all of our work," Jen said.

The next Camp Wellstone session will take place in Columbia, SC from February 12-14th. To register and see more upcoming trainings in Los Angeles, Kentucky, Montana, and Minnesota, visit http://wellstone.org/training-calendar. Trainings are priced on a sliding scale from $50-$200 based on the trainees' ability to pay.

To learn more about Camp Wellstone and Wellstone Action's Organizing Tools visit
www.Wellstone.org.

3 Lessons for Progressives from Massachusetts

Jblodgett — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:44:13 -0600

The conservative spin machine is working overtime to paint Republican Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts' special Senate election yesterday as a national trend. Here's what progressives can really take away from the race, and what we have to do now (hint: the answer is not to turn tail and run).

Three Lessons for Progressives from Tuesday's Senate Election in Massachusetts

Quality candidates running quality campaigns still matters the most. It's easy to overanalyze this election in a national context, but one must first look at the disparity in the quality of the campaigns that were run. We must never, ever take anything for granted in this volatile political environment we find ourselves in. We must always run strategically sound, well-planned, active campaigns that keep the debate on our terms and inspire, organize and mobilize supporters to help you win.
Our leaders have to find their populist voice and compete for the populist voter. Point to the bank bailout or the government-speak we used to debate for health care reform or other examples, and it's clear that the conservative movement has captured the populist torch. How ludicrous this is- in the MA Senate race you had populist anger rallying around Scott Brown, who opposes a tax on banks to reclaim the bailout money. We have to get back to challenging "big" -- big corporate power, big centralized government -- and back on the side of neighborhoods, small businesses, and people who feel insurance giants, credit card companies, the pharmaceutical industry and banks encroach on their lives and make it difficult to make ends meet.
Politics is not about pundits and predictions; it's about what we do. Continuing to move and shape our country, states and communities in a progressive direction is in our hands. Yes it will take time, and yes there are setbacks, but in the end the outcome of elections and legislative campaigns depends on our skills, capacity and willingness to compete for and take hold of power, and then use that power to do dramatic things.

So, we can't let up: on the work to build political and community organizations; on the work to train and put forward courageous candidates for office and surround them with people who run winning campaigns; and on the work to advance our legislative agenda and mobilize our grassroots power to hold elected officials accountable. Let's go!

photo by Marissa Babin on flickr

Lighting a Candle

Lstevens — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:17:33 -0600

Today is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and the Sheila Wellstone Institute would like to bring awareness to the $70 billion dollar a year industry that includes sexual slavery or forced labor for millions of women, children, and men. The most common forms of sex trafficking are prostitution, mail order brides, and sex tourism.

In 2008 the Sheila Wellstone Institute held Camp Sheila for Forgotten Victims: Trafficking and Prostituted Survivors to train on effective grassroots organizing tools and lobby their legislators at the Capitol. What we learned at Camp Sheila was the average entry age for prostitution was 11 years old. That nationally, 450,000 teens run away every year and within 48 hours of leaving home will be lured into prostitution. And that the survivors of prostitution and trafficking are unheard because it is a shameful crime for the communities and community members would rather prosecute than protect. We learned that getting a job after 15 years of prostitution is almost impossible when asked about job experience and what you did to support yourself during that time.

We learned that women and children who are sex slaves are often beaten, raped, and forced to work with health related conditions that they could not seek medical care for because someone may ask questions. Often the contact they did have with medical staff or law enforcement did not result in intervention but rather a conviction for prostitution which lands them in jail or court with a record.  
The health risks to women and children who are prostituted and used as sex slaves are enormous and is a human rights violation when there is no access to safety or health care. The health risks include bodily injury, stress, sexually transmitted diseases, disability, unwanted pregnancies, HIV, AIDS, miscarriages, abortions, and murder. While we bring awareness to the issues of health care in our country we must remember the health concerns of those who are not at the policy making table to advocate for themselves until we humanize the forgotten victims of sex trafficking and sex slavery.

Senator Paul and Sheila Wellstone worked hard to bring the issue attention and put it on the public agenda. Calling human trafficking "one of the most horrendous human rights violations of our time", Paul felt that passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) marked a major shift in policies protecting human rights.

On the day Congress passed TVPA, Paul went to the floor of the Senate and said, "I believe with passage of this legislation...we are lighting a candle. We are lighting a candle for these women and girls and sometimes men forced into forced labor.... This is the beginning of an international effort to go after this trafficking, to go after this major, god-awful human rights abuse."   Today, the Sheila Wellstone Institute is committed to advocating and organizing for policies that protect survivors of sexual trafficking and end the practice. We encourage you to volunteer at a local shelter that serves prostituted women and girls, donate funding to your local shelter, volunteer to work with prostituted teens, and work with organizations to expunge felony records for prostituted women.

Most of all, make a difference for those who have not found their voices yet.

Please click below to read an article from Suzanne Koepplinger, SWI steering committee member and the Director of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, who is making the difference for hundreds of Native women every night in Minneapolis.

>> Native Women Travel a Violent Road by Suzanne Koepplinger

photo courtesy of IOM, Ukraine

Democracy - there's an app for that?

elana — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:08:35 -0600

I saw a tweet yesterday from Joe Trippi, the former manager of Howard Dean's 2004 campaign that revolutionized how political campaigns engage people online. He linked to an article about the launch of a smartphone application that will be primarily used in California, to electronically gather signatures to get iniatives on the ballot. The idea is that you can "sign" the petition using your finger as a pen on the screen of your iPhone.

However, the company, Verafirma, touts that this tool could revolutionize the way citizens participate in elections - and maybe even how they vote.

There's no question that campaigns need to innovate and adapt their tactics to a changing world where many people have no landlines and spend hours a day engaging the world through their mobile device. But does electronic signature gatherin take organizers out of the equation? And what does this mean for the digital divide -- if you are gathering signatures primarily via smartphone, who is being left out of the process?

We're interested in your thoughts on this. Is this a sign that the coming decade will signal major shifts in our tactics to engage voters? Or is this just one application addressing a piece of a specific need?

Let us know in the comments.

Photo by William Hook

Sheila Wellstone Institute on the Today Show!

elana — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 11:33:35 -0600

Wedding dancers Jill and Kevin were featured on the Today Show this morning to talk about how they've used their 15 minutes of fame to support the Sheila Wellstone Institute and our work to empower survivors of domestic violence. Check out the video clip below!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Celebrating 15 years of real change to end domestic violence

elana — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:10:33 -0600

Many of us, including contributors to this blog, tend to consider Washington, DC to be a cynical place. Some of us may even consider "cynical" to be a generous term. But last week's annual Sheila Wellstone Institute event was a triumphant celebration of change - and the Senators in attendance seemed uniquely moved by the chance to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), and remember Sheila's tremendous contributions to the movement to end domestic violence.

Over 200 movement leaders, advocates, activists, and students, joined members of Congress at the Annual Sheila Wellstone Institute event on Capitol Hill in Washington last Thursday to celebrate VAWA's achievements and kick-off Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The Sheila Wellstone Award was also given to Vice President Joe Biden and posthumously to St. Paul's own Lupe Serrano, a tremendous advocate and leader to end domestic violence who passed away earlier this year.

The event was hosted by Senator Amy Klobuchar (MN), and she was joined by her colleagues Senator Harry Reid, Senator Al Franken, Senator Tom Harkin, Senator Bob Casey, Senator Frank Lautenberg, Senator Arlen Specter, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and Senator Jeff Merkly. Vice President Biden could not attend, but did personally accept his award at a separate reception Tuesday evening at the Vice President's residence, presented by David Wellstone. Lynn Rosenthal, the first White House Advisor on Domestic Violence, accept the award on Biden's behalf on Thursday night.

This strong show of support is a testament to both the enduring legacy of Sheila Wellstone and her pathbreaking work both on Capitol Hill and in the community to make domestic violence a public policy priority, as well as the commitment from Congress - 15 years after VAWA was first passed - to ensure safety for women and families.

Below is video (In true grassroots fashion, shot with a cell phone - pardon the quality) of Senator Al Franken speaking movingly about Sheila and Paul's work as he introduced Patti Tototzintle, the Executive Director of Casa de Esperanza, who accepted the Sheila Wellstone Award on behalf of Lupe Serrano and her family.

Look for more updates on this event, along with photos, in the days to come. If you have a story of what Domestic Violence Awarness Month means to you, please leave it in the comments.

The Leaders We've Been Waiting For

elana — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:59:51 -0600

Yesterday we wrapped up five intensive days at our Advanced Campaign Management School. These campaign managers and senior leaders are ready to take on progressive change in 2010.

Wellstone Action's Advanced Campaign Management School (ACMS) is designed for individuals with a high level of past electoral experience and those who plan to play leadership roles in 2010 campaigns. The training drew on cutting-edge best practices and was led by expert practitioners with decades of electoral success.

Participants hailed from 15 states, including New York, Texas, California, and Ohio. Wellstone Action's ACMS is designed to give skills to a new generation of campaign leadership - 43% of participants were women, 59% were under 35 years old, and 40% were participants of color.

Congrats to our new ACMS graduates!

To see more photos from the Advanced Campaign Management School, check out our slideshow below.

As Conservative Movement Splinters, Progressives Must Organize

Jblodgett — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:27:37 -0600

In a new Rasmussen poll released Monday, we see confirmation of a interesting trend -- when asked about candidate preference on a "generic ballot" test, 36% of respondents would choose Democrats, 18% Republicans, and 23% would pick the "Tea Party" candidate. Another 22% were undecided.

That's right - the not-even-a-real-party "Tea Party" has now surpassed the GOP as the conservative party of choice. As Buzzflash editor Mark Karlin discusses in yesterday's post, there is a conservative populist movement out there, but it is not owned by the Republican Party.

During the Bush years, conservatives like Ron Paul who stumped on a platform of limited government intervention in "individual freedoms" were marginalized, in favor of big money special interests and extreme social conservatives. Now they are in the role of opposition against President Obama and the Congress, and the folks who believe (to the point of paranoia) that majority-supported efforts like health care reform and climate change legislation are a socialist plot for government takeover are being main-lined.

So, what does this mean for progressives in 2010? As we saw in this summer's tea party rallies, we can't discount this vocal minority and their capacity to obstruct. And, as we've discussed here before, this movement is on the rise and is much better-funded compared to our own investments in progressive political infrastructure. Not only are they effective and well-resourced, but they hold extreme views - views that are antithetical to the values that most Americans hold dear. Progressives need to stay on the offensive, remembering to communicate our agenda through a values frame, connect directly with voters on the doors and phones on a mass scale, move people to action, build pressure on lawmakers, and elect good candidates to office.

And don't think we have a monopoly on grassroots campaign organization. As this post on a conservative Minnesota blog announced, a group billed as the "conservative alternative to Wellstone Action" is bringing grassroots organizing training to several cities around the country in the next few months.

Facing this new environment, we need to redouble our efforts to put trained organizers on the ground and pushing a progressive policy agenda -- taking into account the fact that our opposition is organized, well funded, and fueled by ideological fervor.

>> Check out the blog later this week for updates from our 2009 Advanced Campaign Management School, where 34 campaign managers and leaders from around the country are gathered for a 4.5 day intensive training boot camp on running campaigns "the Wellstone Way".

Invest in progressive political leadership now - support Wellstone Action's work in 2010 and beyond by clicking here.

Photo by bvcphoto on flickr

Wellstone Action: 2009 By-the-Numbers

elana — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:06:09 -0600

We've had an exceptionally busy year here at Wellstone Action. Check out our fact sheet for an at-a-glance look back at how we've ignited leadership for change.

Progressive Left Prepares for 2010 with Campaign Boot Camp

elana — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:24:55 -0600

As pivotal mid-term elections approach in 2010, Wellstone Action is bringing 37 experienced campaign managers and leaders together in Minneapolis, MN next week for an intense training boot camp. Competitively selected from hundreds of applicants, these 37 participants represent the best of the next generation of campaign leadership and include managers and senior staff from gubernatorial, congressional, and state legislative races, as well as progressive organizations such as Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Service Employees International Union.

Wellstone Action's Advanced Campaign Management School (ACMS) is an intensive four and a half-day training, designed for individuals with a high level of past electoral experience and those who plan to play leadership roles in 2010 campaigns. The training will draw on cutting-edge best practices and be led by expert practitioners with decades of electoral success.

Participants hail from 15 states, including New York, Texas, California, and Ohio. Wellstone Action's ACMS is designed to give skills to a new generation of campaign leadership - 43% or participants are women, 59% are under 35 years old, and 40% are participants of color.

Wellstone Action's Advanced Campaign Management School runs from December 9 through December 13, 2009 at the Holiday Inn Metrodome, 1500 Washington Ave S in Minneapolis.

Pro-Gay GOTV Rocks for Equality

sscanlon — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:14:49 -0600

I have worked all over the country, and one of the many benefits is getting to know so many great people who are active in political efforts. So when Jon Hoadley and Sarah Reece, both who I've known for a few years, called to ask me to join them in the campaign to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance in Kalamazoo, Michigan -- I jumped at the chance.

What was particularly exciting was that this campaign, with its relatively small universe, allowed us to try some new tactics. And in the end, the vote was 7,671 (62%) to 4732 (38%) in favor of equality. Our turnout prediction was about right. What made the difference in turning out significantly more of pro-equality voters was our GOTV game.

This ballot ordinance campaign started back in 2006, when a small group of dedicated citizens got together and formed KAFÉ (Kalamazoo Alliance for Equality). One of the issues at the time was securing a domestic partnership registry and the other was securing employment rights for gay, lesbian and transgender people in the city of Kalamazoo. For either of these issues to become law, the council would be required to pass an ordinance and if they did so then it was expected that there would be an effort to put that ordinance on the ballot for a vote of the people.

In 2008, the city passed the ordinance, but then rescinded it because they knew it was going to be put on the ballot and the commission wanted to make sure it had the best chance possible of passing the popular vote. In May of 2009 the commission passed the ordinance again and in June of 2009 the opposition was able to submit enough signatures to place the ordinance on the November ballot. Shortly before the passage of the ordinance in 2009, One Kalamazoo was created to be the campaign committee for the measure and the Yes on 1856 Campaign began.

Jon's campaign targeting math was simple: Out of 55,000 registered voters in Kalamazoo, he had estimated that 23% would turn out for the local election, based on previous years. We would need to identify and turn out 6,500 voters (55,000 x 23% divided by 2 = 6,325, plus a cushion).

Some campaign factors to consider: 1) there had also been a vote in 2001 on a domestic partnership ordinance on the ballot, and it had barely passed. 2) there were two universities within the city limits, each with an active GLBT base and very active student population, and finally 3) While it was initially difficult to get access to a database of registered voters in the city, the early campaign efforts identified and registered 760 new voters in the city so that when they got the database and got the targeting complete they would have 760 fewer voters that needed to be identified.

The campaign folks accepted a number of recommendations based on some recently released data on best practices for Get Out the Vote strategies. Here are a few of the innovations we piloted:

1. The "sticky note" GOTV canvass piece - based on polling Jon and Sarah knew that Kalamazoo and this campaign would allow us to do a number of things that we had been held back from in previous efforts. Because there had been so much effort put into having the conversations with people in the community, on the doors and on the phones, using language like "Pro-Gay" and "Gay and Transgender" would be appreciated by voters. So we did...

2. The phones - click here for a copy of the script that we used for phone banking our supporters during the three days leading up to the elections and a script that was used by paid callers the day before the election (that universe was identified undecided voters). I have also included the data collected from the results of those paid calls. The results showed that, unlike many gay and transgender issues, through a follow-up conversation we were able to persuade many of the undecided voters to support equality. The biggest difference from traditional tactics is that we no longer allowed the caller to "remind" the voter to vote but instead focused on their "voting traditions" and encouraged them to think about how they would be voting. (I'd also put something in how we let the voter talk through their hesitations around voting yes or no)

3. Robo call script - I hate robo calls for many reasons, but I agreed to write a script for a short call to a very specific universe, recorded by a respected member of the Western Michigan University faculty. The student population that was turning out at a much smaller number than we expected would be necessary.

" Hey this is Don Cooney. By voting "yes on 1856" today you can take pride in knowing that you were part of the effort to make Kalamazoo fair and equal. Polls close at the student center at 8. Don't miss your chance to be on the winning side."

This call was recorded at 3pm, when only 150 students had voted. But by 8pm, nearly 800 had voted. I don't think all of the credit goes to the call but I think it might have helped remind people without reminding them.

The opposition was all fear and scare tactics. Check out the particularly egregious literature that was sent out by the opposition (below). It was an abject failure in every sense. The committee on the other side was made up of religious leaders and representatives of national organizations like the American Family Association. For years they have used, effectively, the argument that this is about special rights and would allow cross dressing men to come into the women's bathrooms and prey on our children.

They aired a number of dire commercials that showed predatory images regarding young children and sent out fliers with pictures of trans people from all over the US with descriptions that made them seem "crazy". One Kalamazoo had built their campaign with the understanding that this would be an opportunity for education and they had been talking about transgender people and what this ordinance really meant for more than 2 years. By the time the opposition started their campaign they had been already discredited and in some cases served to solidify our support within the straight and ally community.

It was incredible to be part of a campaign where we could win (and win big), while testing new tactics and building on best practices for cutting-edge GOTV strategies. Congratulations to the people of Kalamazoo, Jon Hoadley, Sarah Reece, and Trystan Reece for leading such a great effort and thanks for letting me be included.

Forceful Franni Franken embraces new life on The Hill

elana — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:10:57 -0600

WASHINGTON - Franni Franken pauses during her lunch at a Mexican restaurant on Capitol Hill to extract a green flash drive from her purse.

"This is my homework," she says, as she twirls around the tiny digital memory device that holds a research report on youth rehabilitation. It is a reference to a nightly ritual with her husband, Sen. Al Franken, called "homework time," when the two stop what they are doing to sit side by side in their living room perusing legislation, research reports, voting records and news clips.

Not since Sheila Wellstone has a congressional spouse from Minnesota gotten as involved in public policy as Franni Franken, who is using her new role to push a variety of causes.

While Sen. Al Franken's staff emphasizes that she operates in a purely unofficial capacity, Franni Franken is gradually developing into a force of her own, lending her name and voice to domestic violence groups, closely following legislation and speaking out on women's issues.

Her daily schedule is "pretty packed," she explains. She meets with a growing list of advocacy organizations, attends Senate hearings, appears at a wide array of events around Washington and is gradually ramping up her public speaking. On Wednesdays, she regularly works the room at her husband's weekly constituent breakfast, a chatty, effusive presence who seldom perches in one place for long .

When Sen. Franken defended a high-profile piece of legislation last month, the other half of team Franken kept vigil from the gallery, providing moral support to the inspiration for the bill: self-identified rape victim Jamie Leigh Jones. The next day, as Sen. Franken interrogated a witness at a committee hearing featuring Jones, Franni Franken was there, peering over heads in the crowd to get a better look.

Embracing a New Life

A powerhouse on the campaign trail who stumped the state and served as her husband's most valuable surrogate, Franni Franken now walks the halls of Congress -- a transition she has found easy.

"I embrace Washington and I embrace my new life," she said recently, after emceeing an event organized by the Sheila Wellstone Institute, a St. Paul-based nonprofit that focuses on domestic violence issues.

"I'm new in town and I still have a lot to learn," said Franni Franken, who has joined the organization's steering committee. "But my goal is to be an effective spokesperson and advocate."

Franken is quick to rattle off specific legislation she is following in Congress, including a bill to prevent violence against women internationally and efforts to bar insurers from listing domestic abuse as a pre-existing condition.

In addition to the Sheila Wellstone Institute, Franni Franken has joined forces with the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center and the PACER Center, which is focused on disabled children. A self-described recovering alcoholic, she is also wading into addiction and dependency issues and has plans to meet with former Rep. Jim Ramstad on expanding Sobriety High, a specialized high school program and foundation for addicted youth.

"What can I say, it's a partnership," said Sen. Franken, who noted in a recent fundraising letter that the pair have known each other for 40 years. During the campaign, he often joked that "they" were running for the Senate and if they won, "I get to be the senator."

The Frankens' close bond is apparent in Franni's frequent presence on the Hill. When Sen. Franken sat down for lunch with South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham in the Senate dining room several months ago, Franni was right beside them at the table as the senators discussed prison reform legislation.

Next best thing

For the groups she chooses, Franni Franken has the power to raise the profile of a specific issue or put it on her husband's radar. "You've got to pick and choose your battles," she said.

"[Al Franken] can't focus on everything all the time," said Suzanne Koepplinger, executive director of the Minneapolis-based Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center. "So it's really great to have her really taking that extra time to look at these particular issues around gender violence specifically and being a strong voice for us in Washington."

Franni Franken has also begun to explore the political side as well as the policy and will co-host a fundraiser this month for Tarryl Clark, a state senator seeking the DFL endorsement in a race to unseat Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann.

But when Franken found herself this summer sitting on an airplane next to Bachmann, the two bonded unexpectedly over a love of good deals and spent the plane ride swapping local bargain spots.

She also maintains good relations with the partisan media back home, making herself available regularly for interviews with liberal Minnesota blogger Eric Pusey. Published online weekly, Pusey's "Fridays with Franni" column features casual, sometimes meandering transcribed conversations that touch on everything from policy to the furniture in the Franken home.

If her new life sounds hectic, Franni Franken doesn't seem to mind.

"This is the life Al and I love," Franni says. "We don't really see it as work."

Eric Roper

202-408-2723

All of a Sudden, the Right is on the Rise

Jblodgett — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:56:11 -0600

During the slow news days of August, one started to notice the scrappy conservative counter-attack on health care with their Tea Parties and Congressional town hall interruptions. It's now pretty clear that a real, emboldened and well-funded conservative movement has energy and momentum going into the pivotal year of 2010. This development is a clarion call for us to not let up on building a progressive political infrastructure and movement with the scale and the capacity to compete with the right across the country and win, over time, on a progressive agenda.

The resurgence of organized conservative activity was written about in a recent New York Times piece about Dick Armey and his influential movement organization, FreedomWorks. There are three points that strike me about about the conservative movement now:

ECONOMIC CONSERVATIVES ARE IN ASCENDANCE -- growing in influence and setting strategy for the right. The social religious wing, dominant in the Bush administration, has become less effective and relevant. Their message is angry, populist, and economic: FreedomWorks' slogan is: Lower Taxes, Less Government, More Freedom. Government takeover is their bogeyman. In 2010, they will focus on exploiting the economic pain in the country, railing against spending and taxes, and blaming all government and certain incumbents.
CONSERVATIVES ARE BORROWING FROM THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT. The NYT article quotes FreedomWorks staff saying that they are making close study of Saul Alinsky and other community organizers. Like progressives, the other side is increasing conservative candidate development (NY-23 and in GOP primaries all over the country), and improving their grassroots advocacy skills (like the impression made at August town halls).
THE CONSERVATIVE MOVEMENT CONTINUES TO BE BETTER FUNDED. FreedomWorks, just one of many groups, easily raised $7 million from donors in 2008, including single gifts of $1 million and $750,000. The Leadership Institute, the premier training center for the right, sustains an $8 million dollar annual budget--at least twice the budget of any of comparable groups (like Wellstone Action) on the progressive side. Americans for Prosperity, another key conservative economic group has 73 staff people nationally and in 20 states.

The re-energized conservative movement is a reminder that steady progress toward lasting progressive change is hard, takes time and requires deep investment. One election cycle won't do it. So as we look ahead to 2010, a most important year of advocacy and elections, we must re-dedicate ourselves to progressive movement building. That means finding our own populist voice, increasing the strength, capacity and reach of our organizations and state infrastructures, training more candidates and their campaign workers, helping big numbers of young people emerge as leaders and honing our collective advocacy and electoral skills.

And we must do this work, as the other side does, at a scale that has impact in all the corners of this very large country of ours. This is what should be on our minds as we enter a critical 2010.

Photo by zenashots

Getting a 2nd opinion.

elana — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:50:43 -0600

After an historic milestone in the long slog that is healthcare reform, we were interested in the reactions of the intrepid Wellstone Action supporters who have been organizing for progressive change. We put out a call on Facebook and Twitter, and here were a few of your responses.

What else do you all think? Despite the fact that there are many steps ahead of us, this first major passage may be a barometer for the bills and negotiations to come. How will progressives continue to wield power, as they did in this process? How can they leverage more?

Joanne: I think we've got to pass something before Christmas or we won't have a chance in passing anything else for a long, long time.

Ben: Not happy at all. I am not one of those "it's better than nothing people". Single payer is the way to go but as long as BIG BUSINESS is running our country nothing will ever get done. We as AMERICANS not Repulicans or Democrats need to take OUR country back.

Adam: a great 1st step, not a full victory. We need to keep pressing, b/c there are still 47 milion people withouth healthcare!

Chris: Wish that it was more robust. I hope that by conceding some ground, it will play better. Hopefully, if it does get through the Senate, the implementation will be relatively smooth. Medicare D was a disaster (I work with a lot of seniors as a homecare physical therapist). It has to decrease premiums or it will be a political/PR disaster. The average citizen has no idea how much power the insurance and pharmaceutical industry wield. That is what people should be marching on the Capitol for, not 'government takeover'.

Tami: Last minute Stupak amendment is a leadership epic fail.

Photo by Patrick_PJM

People Before Banks

elana — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:09:37 -0500

A large coalition of progressive allies are on the ground in Chicago protesting Big Banks and CEO bonuses.

Dubbed the "Showdown in Chicago", thousands of people from labor unions, community organizations, and progressive policy campaigns have gathered to demonstrate against the greed of the financial institutions and their use of taxpayer bailout cash.

Check out the AFL-CIO's take on the event over at their blog, and follow all the action (including great photos) on twitter using the hashtag #abashowdown.

28 million views, 900 donors, $23,000 - and one fantastic couple.

Dvihrachoff — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:37:07 -0500

28 million views, 900 donors, $23,000 dollars - and one fantastic couple.

When Minnesota residents Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz went dancing down the aisle over the summer, hundreds of Wellstone Action members joined in the wedding celebration. Jill and Kevin - and their entire wedding party - became overnight Youtube sensations this summer with their sweet, funny and incredible wedding entrance set to Chris Brown's "Forever" tune. No Cha-Cha Slide or Macarena moves here - the groomsmen and bridesmaids got down on the aisle and Kevin marked his entrance by somersaulting into the church.   You can see the rockin' wedding party entrance here.

The story could have ended there, but given the controversy surrounding the song "Forever", Jill and Kevin asked the millions of people that viewed their wedding video to make a donation to the Sheila Wellstone Institute to help in the struggle to end domestic violence. Compelled by giving to a good cause with a great visual (who doesn't love the sight of a groomsman doing handstands during a wedding?!), the Sheila Wellstone Institute received more than $23,000 from 900+ donors from all over the world! The average gift received after viewing Jill and Kevin's video was $25.

Here at Wellstone Action we know that having many supporters giving small donations is a great way to sustain your organization and get investment from committed individuals who want to be part of our work. We teach this method of fundraising in our trainings and we use it in-house here at the Wellstone Action office. Dollar by dollar, it is these smaller sized gifts that have enabled us to train more than 30,000 activists since we opened our doors in 2003. These donors have helped to give Wellstone Action a national presence as a training and leadership organization helping to shape the progressive movement.   These active, committed donors who give what they can, when they can have helped to preserve the legacy of Paul and Sheila Wellstone.

As donors, we might hesitate to give to a cause we believe in because we don't think we can give enough to make a difference. Being part of Jill and Kevin's big day, and their joyous celebration, showed us that hundreds of people can be compelled to give by a powerful story. It also reminds us that many donations of $5, $10, and $25 quickly add up to a huge difference in the lives of the survivors and advocates we work with here at the Sheila Wellstone Institute.

On November 4th, Wellstone Action will be reaching out to our members and asking them to help us as we participate in America's Giving Challenge through Facebook's "causes" function. To win, we have to receive more donations than any other participating organization on that day. The cool thing about this challenge is that it doesn't matter how much folks give, but rather how many gifts we receive that day. Our hope is that we can receive enough gifts on November 4th to win the daily award of $1,000.   We'll send out more details soon, but in the meantime please join our cause on Facebook and check out our page for more info. We'll be doing lots to encourage all our supporters to give on November 4th!

Organizing Case Study: Working Families Party

elana — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:33:41 -0500

The odd-numbered years may sometimes seem lacking in campaign drama, especially this year following a momentous Presidential race. But if you know where to look, municipal campaigns around the country are often true testing grounds for a grassroots-based politics -- races can be swayed by smaller blocs of voters, and the issues can be more directly connected to voters' everyday lives.

New York's Working Families Party (WFP) has been shaking up progressive politics in the state for over 10 years now - building power as a permanent coalition of labor unions, community organizations, and progressive voters. New York is one of a handful of states in the U.S. that still allows electoral fusion, which provides that candidates on the ballot may be endorsed by more than one party. By endorsing progressive Democratic candidates, the Working Families Party can influence the candidates' platform and mobilize a progressive base that may not be energized by New York's Democratic party. This system of fusion gives third parties greater potential power and influence over the debate.

This year, New York City's municipal elections are cast under the pall of the City Council's vote last year to extend mayoral term limits, allowing Mayor Michael Bloomberg to run for a third term - a controversial decision reversing a 1996 referendum. In addition, the New York Times calls NYC's Democratic party "forlorn and disorganized".

These things may have helped the Working Families Party during last month's primary election (usually the decisive election in NYC politics), but wasn't the only reason that their endorsed candidates had tremendous success at the ballot box and are now considered by some "the pre-eminent political force in New York City politics."

WFP ran an aggressive ground game for this year's election, knocking on 227,928 doors and talking to 62,112 voters, according to a party official, and placing hundreds of organizers out in the field on primary day. Not to mention sending dozens of members to Camp Wellstone New York in July! The effort paid off - their endorsed candidates won unprecedented come-from-behind victories for City Council, Comptroller, and Public Advocate races.

In addition to being outspoken opponents of the term-limits change, WFP organizes voters based on a progressive platform of worker's rights, housing access, and responsible development. Their success at engaging and turning out voters speaks to the power they've built as an organization and the interest New Yorkers have in voting for a progressive policy agenda while still casting their vote for a viable candidate.

In an interview with New York's Indypendent, WFP Executive Director Dan Cantor explains their unique approach by saying, "It’s not enough to publish manifestos. You actually have to be willing to knock on doors and make phone calls and talk to people who don’t agree with you. And that’s how you build power with and for working people, and that’s what we hope to accomplish."

Working Families Party is a progressive organization working year-in and year-out to build power in New York - and using the tactics of grassroots campaigns to expand their base and grow their capacity to influence decisions in the electoral and government spheres. They are a great example why it is crucial to have permanent organizations, with a clear issue agenda, involved in elections -- and not just the typical boom-bust of the political cycle.

Best Practices: Nonprofits and Social Media

elana — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:03:42 -0500

This post is the first in an ongoing series of best practices and resources for nonprofit organizations on effective communications. Check back soon for more.

For nonprofits looking for guideposts in today's changing media landscape, there is certainly no shortage of places to point your mouse. Many bloggers, thought leaders, and consultants are devoting extensive discussion to the role that social media can play in nonprofits' fundraising, marketing, communications, and programmatic work. (For but a few examples, look to Beth Kanter's blog, the Nonprofit Technology Network, M+R Strategic Services, and many, many others)

There is also a great deal of filler out there on the interwebs for nonprofits looking for help in social media: in the last 12 hours alone (from time of posting), there have been 63 new blog posts containing the words "twitter tips".

Because the transition into a new media strategy represents such a paradigm shift for many organizations, and because of the information overload of (often contradictory) advice, many groups get stuck and don't know where to start.

That's why I was very excited to read the new report from the Hatcher Group on New Media and Social Change: How Nonprofits are Using Web-based Technologies to Reach their Goals. They surveyed (an admittedly tiny) sample of 30 nonprofit organizations working on state-level issue advocacy. The report focuses on how these organizations are using social media tools like twitter and facebook, and how they are reaching out to bloggers -- and the impact that they've seen on their goals.

We learn, for instance, that of the groups surveyed, 83% are reaching out specifically to bloggers about their organization. But it goes on to report the benefits of that outreach - over 80% of organizations were subsequently cited in blogs, and about 20% were invited to post on blogs themselves. 60% of organizations were currently on facebook, and of those, 34% said it increased traffic to their website, and 20% said it increased media coverage.

Too many organizations start engaging in social media because it's "the thing to do", without thinking about how it helps them achieve their mission. Check out this report for a great sense of how your nonprofit may fit in with how others are using new media in their communications strategies, along with clear, easy-to-read best practices. Their guidance on blogging and reaching out to bloggers is a must-read.

photo by matt_hamm

Photos from the Sheila Wellstone Institute Annual Event

elana — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:26:27 -0500

Check out these great photos from our event in Washington last week:

all photos © Amy Blodgett Walker

Advocacy Organizations Winning in the Electoral Arena

Jblodgett — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 13:23:16 -0500

I recommend this article in The Nature Conservancy Magazine about the successful ballot initiative in Minnesota in 2008 to constitutionally dedicate a sales tax increase protecting Minnesota's natural resources and funding the arts. The article paints a great picture of what it takes for advocacy organizations to organize a successful electoral campaign around an issue on the ballot rather than a candidate or political party.

The Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment campaign is a story about a large coalition of issue advocacy organizations crafting and running a strategically and tactically smart campaign. The Amendment won in Minnesota with more support than Obama did (a tax increase nonetheless!), despite the huge hurdle that if a voter skips a ballot amendment question-for instance they just vote for Obama and leave the rest of the ballot blank-it counts as a "No" vote.

A must-read case study on electoral strategy for issue advocates.

Read the article here: http://www.nature.org/magazine/autumn2009/features/voteyes_multi1.html

Twitter for Candidates

Deanna — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 16:51:14 -0500

This blog is cross-posted from http://www.deannazandt.com/

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I've been following the NYC public advocate race for the past few weeks, and noticed a while ago that all of the candidates are on Twitter. As I started following each of them, it became clear that they might not understand the full potential of social media and networking, because most of their tweets have been one-way broadcast tweets-posting how they feel about an issue, where they're speaking that night, etc.

I griped a little yesterday about this, and Elana over at Wellstone Action asked me what advice I'd give candidates running for office. Here's a quick, handy-dandy list of pointers for candidates, from the position of a voter:

Talk with me, not to me. Twitter is a media platform for conversation, not broadcast. A rule of thumb that's used for organizations also applies to candidates: only about 20-30% of your tweets should be about you. The rest should be about what your community cares about. Which leads me to...
Find out what your community cares about. Read what your followers are tweeting and respond with helpful information. It doesn't just have to be related to the office you're running for, either... in fact, it's better if you mix it up a little. For example, someone you follow tweets about heading to a restaurant you love. Respond and say you go there often, too, and be sure to try the blackened sea bass.
Stay on top of hot topics. Look for people talking about issues you care about with Twitter search. You can either save them as saved search in your Twitter app (Tweetie, Tweetdeck, Twitterific, etc.), or as an RSS feed for your news reader (Google Reader, Netvibes, etc.) Then respond to those tweets, even if you're not following each other.
Give back to the community. Retweeting others' ideas and suggestions is a great way to show appreciation, and to spead the good word.
Use your own, authentic voice, not a press release voice. I'm a voter, a human, and I want you to be a human too. Robots don't do so well in the voting booth.
If you don't have time, assign a staff person to monitor and respond to items - just make sure they're clear that they're your staff person, and not you. For example, NYC mayoral candidate Reverend Billy Talen has a personal account, as well as his campaign staff's group account. If your staff person uses your account, ask them to note that they're a staffer.

In short, act like a normal person who cares about the people around them, because we know you do!

Note: Bill de Blasio was the only public advocate candidate who responded to my gripe, and he gets extra Twitter points for both that and at least retweeting people once in a while. Go Bill!

Yes Virginia, There are Progressives on Capitol Hill

elana — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:51:29 -0500

We tend to think that winning public office is the only path to influencing real public policy change and wield progressive power. In the midst of this rancorous health care debate on the Hill, our alum, Darcy Burner, is teaching us two important lessons about Washington:

1) It takes an organizer to understand what real progressive power is and how to leverage it, and

2) Progressive support in the House for a public insurance option is strong and isn't going to go quietly into that good night.

Darcy is the executive director of the American Progressive Caucus Policy Foundation, and is helping the Progressive Caucus in the House hold strong on a public health insurance option. And she isn't pulling any punches.

Darcy ran two heartbreaking campaigns for Congress in 2006 and 2008 in Washington's 8th Congressional District, losing by tiny margins to conservative Dave Reichert. Undeterred, she joined the progressive caucus' foundation in April to shore up campaigns to win progressive victories. Darcy understands that there is a large, organized progressive base that has the back of House members willing to take courageous stands.

Progressives are bemoaning President Obama's failure to lead on a public option, but as Darcy pointed out in Roll Call yesterday, "If Progressives aren't willing to do the work to make the president do the right thing, it's unlikely he will."

This, folks, is what we at Wellstone Action mean when we talk about building power: demonstrating a base of support, rallying leaders to take stands, and making sure that they have the capacity to lead on progressive issues. Darcy's organization is also in the process of setting up a political action committee (PAC) to protect vulnerable progressive incumbents and screen new candidates, and providing rank-and-file liberals with the latest messaging and polling on health care and other progressive issues to be better equipped for grassroots advocacy.

Check out the American Progressive Caucus Policy Foundation's one-stop messaging resource to help progressives understand and talk about healthcare reform.

And keep your eye on Darcy Burner - an alum that exemplifies what it means to do politics the "Wellstone way".

‘JK Wedding Dance’ internet sensation directs buzz toward charity

azucker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:35:44 -0500

One of the most revolutionary aspects of the web 2.0 revolution is the ease with which content - be it news, videos or even rumors - can go "viral," spreading like wildfire with the click of a button.

Viral sharing has been leveraged most recently by businesses and marketers, who use the phenomenon to extend the life of a marketing campaign far beyond what the organization itself could accomplish.

Yet the phenomenon also has important implications for philanthropic giving, as seen recently in the case of the internet sensation surrounding a certain couple’s wedding ceremony.

The video titled JK Wedding Entrance Dance made the internet rounds recently, as the web 2.0 community became enamored with the couple who choreographed their wedding entrance to Chris Brown’s popular song, Forever.

Mashable.com reported that, since the video’s July 12 debut, it has reached 12 million views from 100 different clips.

Leveraging the surprising popularity of the video, the couple - Jill and Kevin - decided to link the video to the Sheila Wellstone Institute, dedicated to ending violence against women and children.

"We are so grateful for all the love, kind words, and joy that have been shared with us from around the world," wrote Jill and Kevin on their wedding website. "We hope to direct this positivity to a good cause. Due to the circumstances surrounding the song in our wedding video, we have chosen the Sheila Wellstone Institute."

The "circumstances" refer to the domestic abuse allegations directed toward Chris Brown, who sang the song in the video.

The wedding website - jkweddingdance.com - is linked to a unique donation page at the Sheila Wellstone Institute, where supporters can choose their donation amount and read more about the cause.

Viral video sharing can be an extremely useful tool for charities and nonprofit organizations - as evidenced by the wedding video - as it quickly and easily spreads information and awareness for a cause.

Wedding dance video generates $15,000 for Sheila Wellstone Institute

azucker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:04:05 -0500

After the St. Paul wedding dance video became an internet sensation last month, the couple turned their new-found fame into an opportunity to raise some cash for a local group aimed at preventing domestic violence.

The video of Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz dancing down the aisle on their wedding day has received more than 20 million hits on YouTube and put them in the spotlight on most network morning TV shows. They even recreated their dance on NBC's Today Show.

Since the couple dances to a song by the now infamous lady-beater Chris Brown, the couple chose to ask fans of the video to donate to the Sheila Wellstone Institute. And their site has paid off and is continuing to generate donations.

The Institute is reporting at least $15,000 in donations from the couple's site and donations continue to come in.

If you've been living in a internet-free cave lately, check out the wedding video below. Or just watch it again to make your Monday a little brighter.

From Dancers to Do-Gooders

azucker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:53:40 -0500

Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz, the newlyweds whose YouTube wedding procession went viral last week, are using their fame for a good cause. On their newly created Web site jkweddingdance.com, they ask for donations to the Sheila Wellstone Institute, an anti-domestic violence organization named in honor of the wife of the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone; the couple was killed in a 2002 car crash. The institution was specifically chosen to address criticism of their use of the song “Forever” by Chris Brown, who was convicted of abusing fellow singer Rihanna. [Minneapolis Star-Tribune]

Newlyweds' New Cause

azucker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:44:09 -0500

Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz, the newlyweds whose choreographed wedding entrance video went viral earlier this month on YouTube, are asking their fans to support an organization that works to end domestic violence.

In less than two weeks, 13 million people have watched the St. Paul, Minn., couple's wedding video, which features their exuberant wedding party dancing into the church while Chris Brown's hit "Forever" plays. But some viewers questioned the song choice, given Brown's recent sentencing and apology for assaulting his ex-girlfriend, pop singer Rihanna, in February.

According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, digital downloads of "Forever" have skyrocketed since the video went online July 19, jumping from below 3,000 to 50,000 by July 26. The song was released in 2008.

On a new Web site, Jkweddingdance.com, Peterson and Heinz write: "Due to the circumstances surrounding the song in our wedding video, we have chosen the Sheila Wellstone Institute," which -- according to its own Web site -- works to end violence against women and children. (And by the way, that divorce court dance video suddenly gone viral is a copycat parody; Jill and Kevin's Web site reports that their love is still on the upswing.)

Wedding video now a tool to fight violence

azucker — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:22:18 -0500

Those dancing St. Paul newlyweds whose YouTube wedding procession video has been a viral hit are now using their global fame to raise money to combat domestic violence.

And it's no accident that Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz chose that cause. The video's music comes from Chris Brown, the R&B vocalist and convicted domestic abuser of fellow singing-star Rihanna.

While the overwhelming response to the video has been positive, some comments left with the YouTube link and on news websites lament that the couple chose a song from a man who assaulted his then-girlfriend.

Wrote one YouTube member in the video's comments: "chris brown???? r u serious the guys a convicted woman abuser ... get some sense."

Peterson and Heinz explain on their new website, http://www.jkweddingdance.com/, "Due to the circumstances surrounding the song in our wedding video we have chosen the Sheila Wellstone Institute."

Peterson and Heinz note that "Sheila Wellstone was an advocate, organizer, and national champion in the effort to end domestic violence in our communities."

On Friday, Wellstone officials reported that the video had inspired 100 people to donate more than $3,000.

The song in the video, "Forever," also has collected a surge in digital downloads of the hit since the wedding video went live July 19. Nielsen reports that digital downloads for the song went from fewer than 3,000 for the week ending July 19 to 50,000 for the week ending July 26, even though "Forever" was released in 2008.

The couple's video from the June 20 wedding at Christ Lutheran Church in St. Paul has collected more than 13 million views as of Friday night. It also includes an ad for downloading the song.

Also this week, a video producer in New York twisted the popular hit to produce "Jill and Kevin's Last Day." Playing off many of the dance moves in the St. Paul couple's video, this 3-minute clip also uses the same Chris Brown song while the "divorce party" enters a courtroom.

On Sheila's Birthday, Still Dancing Down the Aisle

elana — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 11:28:44 -0500

Last month, just like in offices around the world, a viral video made the rounds from cube to cube here at Wellstone Action HQ. Footage of the uniquely choreographed wedding processional of Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz, now at a mind-blowing 20 million views on Youtube, captured our hearts and made us proud of these boogie-ing Minnesotans.

Imagine our delight and surprise when the following week, we got a call from Jill. Due to the unexpected meteoric rise of their video to the forefront of pop culture in the space of a few days, they wanted to do something to turn that popularity and support into something positive for the world. And given that they danced down the aisle to a song by Chris Brown, who in the time since the dance was conceived and choreographed was arrested and plead guilty on charges of domestic violence, Jill and Kevin wanted to encourage their fans to donate to an organization that worked on violence prevention and ending domestic violence. This issue is one that has always been a high priority for Jill and Kevin.

We were honored that Jill and Kevin chose the Sheila Wellstone Institute - our program that continues the work of Sheila Wellstone to ensure that ending violence is a national priority. The SWI ensures that survivors and advocates join elected leaders on the front lines working to guarantee safety for every woman and child.

Today, on what would have been Sheila's 65th birthday, the fact that we've received such an outpouring of support from Jill and Kevin's website has special resonance. As of today, we have raised $16,498.69 from 674 donors. More than half of these donors gave contributions of less than $20, and they came from 47 states and more than 20 countries.

This tremendous support speaks not only to the deep commitment of many people to violence prevention, but also the inspiration that Jill and Kevin's joyous wedding gave people to imagine a world, as Sheila did, where women will be safe in their homes and relationships.

Visit Jill and Kevin's website and read more about why they support violence prevention. And take the opportunity, on Sheila's birthday, to read more about what the Sheila Wellstone Institute has been up to, and browse the Paul and Sheila Wellstone Archives for writings and speeches from Sheila.

Grassroots vs. Astroturf: Are We Missing the Point?

azucker — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:57:50 -0500

If you haven't heard or seen already on the news--town hall meetings across the country are being hi-jacked by aggressive anti-health reform protesters, turning them into televised shouting matches. Since these protests began over a week ago, many in the progressive movement and the Democratic Party, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and even the White House, have characterized them as ‘astroturf'--artificial grassroots organizing. But are they missing the point?

Many of those dismissing the organized lobbying effort have taken to criticizing the conservative organizations that appear to be behind it. One of the groups, Americans for Prosperity, in a macabre twist, exacerbated the public health crisis by advocating around the US to defeat smoke-free workplace laws. Another, called FreedomWorks, created a fake grassroots website designed to urge homeowners to oppose bailing out mortgage companies. Both were leading organizations behind the April 15 ‘Tax Day Tea Party' protests that took place across the country, and now they're agitating skeptics to end the discussion about health care by disrupting town hall meetings.

And the worst part about it? It's working. Whether we like or even respect the message they are sending (and the tactics they are using), we can't question its effectiveness.

Despite the fact that polls show tremendous support for a health care reform bill that mandates coverage and includes a public option (both of which will likely be included in proposed health care legislation), support for congressional health care reform has been on steady decline. Just this week, a Rasmussen national telephone survey indicated that 53% of Americans actually opposed congressional reform, a nine point increase since late June.

Many are blaming the lawmaking process itself--remember the old saying about laws and sausages? Others point out that health care reform advocates still have no bill to advocate for. And we all know that it's easier to be against something than it is being for something. These all may be true, but each misses the central point-for the first time since before the 2008 election, opponents of reform are organizing at our level.

If it wasn't before, it's obvious now that the right still knows how to organize. And with powerful channels of message dissemination (see: Fox News) sending misinformation, anti-reformers are riling up a small but vocal group that could dismantle the best shot at real reform we've ever had.

That's why it's not enough for progressives to just dismiss the vocal minorities we're seeing in the news and wait for the political backlash. We have to turn our anger and frustration into action. So, don't just get mad--get organized.

Wellstone.org adopts Creative Commons license!

mjacoby — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 11:43:48 -0500

Here at Wellstone Action, we are dedicated to disseminating leadership tools and campaign organizing best practices to a diverse range of people in the progressive movement. In that spirit of openness, we have now made our website more accessible by adjusting our copyright status using Creative Commons.

I hope the idea of copyrights has not already bored you because this is way more exciting than your standard copyright. Creative Commons allows us to have more control over our copyright. In this case, instead of 'all rights reserved,' we have 'some rights reserved.' More specifically, we have an attribution-noncommercial license. This means that you can tweak or remix our images, print our articles, or reproduce any content as long as it is for non-commercial use and you give attribution to us. Besides those restrictions, you have the freedom to use our articles and redesign our pictures and put them to your own use.

Creative Commons is dedicated to making information on the internet free, easily accessible, and open for collaboration, all according to what the creator wants. We share these values with Creative Commons and believe that the same spirit should be applied to the progressive movement and the skills and education needed to be better candidates, organizers, and activists.

Creative Commons has created special projects such as Science Commons, which makes it faster and more efficient to search for scientific research. They also created ccLearn, which seeks to support educational resources and limit legal and monetary obstacles. Many prominent universities have made learning material available through Creative Commons. Musicians hoping to encourage creativity with their work have also licensed it freely. If you want to learn more about Creative Commons, visit their website.

So explore our website and let us know if you found a creative way to engage with it. Redesigned a picture? Upload it to our Facebook page! Want to share our Organizing Tools with your local community group? Print it out and share it! We hope that this is only the beginning of our foray into sharing information online, so tell us what you think about it.

Wellstone Action Goes Down Under

azucker — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 07:19:02 -0500

This past week, Jeff Blodgett, our Executive Director and former State Campaign Director in Minnesota for Barack Obama's presidential campaign, was in Australia speaking to the Australian Labor Party about why the Obama campaign was so successful and about others can duplicate its success. Here are a articles about Jeff's trip oversees:

Jeff Blodgett on Australia's Lateline TV program:

See the complete video by clicking here.

Jeff on ABC's Breakfast Studio.

Jeff's feature in the Sydney Morning Herald.

My Health Care Story

Mike Saindon — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:27:39 -0500

Mike Saindon is working with Wellstone Action as an Online Communications Specialist.

As we watch the health care debate unfolding in Washington and on the television, and talk about it on our blog and around our kitchen tables, it makes me think about the human stories behind the policy debates. One recent run-in my family had with the health care system illustrates the difficult position so many of us are in.

Anyone who has small children will tell you-loading the car can be a hectic event. Late Monday afternoon was no different. My wife, Stacy and I decided to pack our daughters, Tess and Ruby, into our car and take a family walk around a lake in suburban Minneapolis. While I was locking up the house and in my mind, making sure we had everything for our walk, Stacy was strapping Ruby, our 11 month-old, into her car seat. During this time, Tess began the standard routine of crawling through the diver-seat, then ultimately into her chair in the back. When Stacy finished placing Ruby in her seat she closed the door.

Unbeknown to Stacy - Tess had placed her hand in the back door jam. As soon as she closed the door and heard Tess cry out, she snatched her up to comfort her spirits and examine her hand. By the sheer sound of the door closing and the decibel level from Tess' cry I knew it could be serious, but my next thought was just as troubling. How are we going to pay the medical bill? Not, "is she ok?" or "do we need to go to the emergency room?"-the only thing I could think about was opening the invoice a month from now.

At the beginning of my unemployment, 6 months ago, we purchased limited, temporary health insurance; my deductible is $1,000.

But my story is not unique. I, along with millions of Americans, fall into the category known as ‘underinsured, and the thought that I'm only a heart beat away from thousands of dollars of debt is a frustrating position to find myself in. The potential for terrible injuries and disease is bad enough as is, but with a young family, routine check-ups and shots are important milestones that can't and shouldn't be missed.

Fortunately for us, Tess' injury was ultimately ok-by the time our neighbor, who happens to be a nurse, was able to examine her hand and determine it was fine, the only thing my daughter was really concerned with was her ability to do fist bumps-I'm not sure what we would have done had her injury been more severe.

But I know I'm not alone in these concerns - but Congress needs to hear from us. If you've been through an experience like I have, or if you have strong feelings about health care or other issues, please, take the time this month to get in touch with your members of congress. Millions of Americans are counting on us.

Ex-campaigner for Obama discusses his success

azucker — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 10:58:09 -0500

Some of the most interesting and colourful debates at the ALP national conference are being held at its fringe events. Drawing a crowd today was Jeff Blodgett, the former Minnesota campaign director for Barack Obama. He spoke about why the Obama campaign was so successful and what lessons can be drawn from it and joins Lateline to discuss this:

Transcript

LEIGH SALES, PRESENTER: Some of the most interesting and colourful debates at the ALP national conference are being held at its fringe events. Attracting a crowd today was Jeff Blodgett, the Minnesota campaign director for Barack Obama. He spoke about why the Obama campaign was so successful and what lessons can be drawn from it. Mr Blodgett joins us now.

Thankyou very much for coming in.

JEFF BLODGETT, FORMER MINNESOTA OBAMA CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR: Oh, it's my pleasure. Thanks for having me.

LEIGH SALES: I don't imagine today's Labor Party conference was quite as colourful as the hoopla you see at American political conferences?

JEFF BLODGETT: Well, it is sort of like comparing apples and oranges. Our conventions are really designed to coordinate our nominee for the party, every four years, and, you know, this party here, the ALP convention is really to help craft the guiding principles of policy for the governing - for the Government. So, they're really very different, and this was a very serious policy-making convention and ours is just a stage-managed hoopla.

LEIGH SALES: The political systems broadly, and the political cultures between the two countries, are very different. Nonetheless, are there universals of campaigning that can be applied to both?

JEFF BLODGETT: Yeah, I think so. I mean, in the US and with the Obama campaign, what I'm very interested in is how you include people in elections and also in policy-making. And I think that's something that any democratic process, you know, should be interested in. So, I think that's a real universal, is candidates who are able to draw people into their campaign and then use them to help them win elections, and then stay involved in the policy-making process.

LEIGH SALES: And Obama had a great deal of success with that. How did he go about doing that?

JEFF BLODGETT: Yeah, he included people in his campaign in ways and in numbers we've never seen before in the US. And there's a couple of reasons for that. First of all, it was the kind of candidate he was. He's very authentic. He was real to people, he inspired young people, he spoke about what our country can do, it was a very positive campaign. And that really attracted huge numbers to his effort. And then the campaign invested in organisation. Organisers and a technology that helped really bring people in and use them effectively. So, it was both the candidacy and the kind of candidate he was and the style and the way the campaign was organised.

LEIGH SALES: Let's talk about the organisational side of it first. Have those people remained politically active after the election?

JEFF BLODGETT: Yeah. Well the Obama administration is working to do that. They are asking their supporters for help, helping pass healthcare reform and climate change bills that are right now working their way through Congress and they're running into roadblocks. So, yeah, that's the whole point. And i think, you know, there's a huge number of young people and I think they're very interested in the policy debates, they're very engaged, and many people are going out and now doorknocking and lobbying their members of Congress and writing letters and standing up and telling their member of Congress to support the Obama agenda.

LEIGH SALES: We hear a lot about how social networking was a part of mobilising those people. How big a factor was it and what were some of the other ways that people were mobilised?

JEFF BLODGETT: Yeah, well, his campaign supporters really came together through the internet and the website and the social community that was built. And that was - and so people felt very included in the campaign. They felt that there was a two-way conversation going on. It wasn't all just being told what to do. People felt like they had input, and then, when the campaign asked for their help, people were more enthusiastic than ever to go out and do work. And so, that was very important. But, also, there was organisers, you know, people on the ground who would make sure that supporters would come into the office, and then go out and doorknock, which is what we were doing a lot of on the Obama campaign - going out and talking to voters at the door about why Barack Obama was their candidate and to ask for their support. So, it was definitely an online, community, it was virtual and then we turned people into real supporters on the ground to actual go out and talk to voters.

LEIGH SALES: When you are so inclusive and have such a broad tent like that, is it hard though to maintain discipline and keep everyone on message?

JEFF BLODGETT: Yeah, that's a really good question, because that's a main focus of a campaign is to be very strategic, very focused. And this campaign was. The way it was done, though, is that we explained to supporters why it is we were saying the things we were saying to voters, why we were going out to talk to them, why we're going here as opposed to somewhere else, and then their role in the race. So, we actually revealed the campaign strategy to our supporters. And then they were all in favour of going out and doing what the campaign had decided what was the most strategic thing to do. So it was a disciplined campaign. But first, we shared information with our supporters and made people feel like they were really part of why we were doing this. And then they went out and did it.

LEIGH SALES: Is there something deeper to the political activity surrounding Obama than just the Obama celebrity, than the, I guess, coolness of his persona, if you like?

JEFF BLODGETT: Yeah, I think so. They talk about the Obama celebrity, but he wasn't a celebrity when he ran for office; he was really unknown. And so, I actually think it's his leadership style. He - first of all, he told a story, he revealed something about himself and why he was running for office. And when he talked about the issues, it was always connected to the values that he grew up with, that was part of his life story. And it turned out that story really was something that resonated with people.

Secondly, he had - he inspired people. His speaking style was something we don't often see in US politics. A lot of times it's very policy-based conversations that candidates are having. But he talked about big issues and talked about inspiring people to be their best selves.

And so it was those things that actually, I think, really attracted huge numbers of people to his candidacy.

LEIGH SALES: You used the word authenticity before and talked about the importance of that, and I guess that's what you were getting at there with that answer. Are people craving authenticity as a reaction to excessive political spin?

JEFF BLODGETT: Yeah, that's right. You know, people are pretty cynical about politics in the US. And even, some people really have contempt for elected officials and for candidates. And so, when they find a candidate that seems real to them, it can be really powerful. And so we talk about authenticity, we train candidates, in the work I do, beyond the Obama campaign, and we talk about how you come across as real and authentic to voters. And it really has to do with, instead of just talking about your policy positions or trying to be all things to all people, talk about what are your convictions, what are your values, what do you hold dear, how did you come to hold those and why are you running for office, what's your motivation for running? Those things are really important, and in fact, most voters, they're looking for that, as opposed to whether or not the person is on the right side of a given issue.

LEIGH SALES: On this question of authenticity, though, I'm reminded of an old Bill Cosby gag, where he says - he asks a friend, you know, "Why do you smoke marijuana?," and the friend says, "Oh, because it enhances your personality." And Bill Cosby says, "Yeah, but, what if you're an idiot?" Although he didn't use the word idiot. So in terms of politicians, I mean, what if authentically, you are a bore, or what if authentically you are ill-tempered, how is being authentic going to help you?

JEFF BLODGETT: Well then you probably not really suited to be a candidate for office. I mean, not everyone makes a good candidate. But, you know, if you're getting involved in politics because you care about issues and care about changing the world for the better, then you need to figure out how to convey that in a way that is real to people, that comes across as real. If you can't do that, then you're going to have trouble connecting voters. And you still can win. There's a lot of inauthentic politicians running around in the US. But for someone like Barack Obama, who at one time was kind of a long shot candidate when he first ran, it was that authentic style that actually, I think, launched his candidacy in such a big way and attracted the huge numbers of people, particularly young people, who I think have a pretty keen sense of who is real and who is trying to pull one over on them. And so I think the fact that there were so many young people involved is really a sign that Obama was able to communicate really who he was in an authentic way, and that started his - I think that really launched the candidacy on the scale that he needed to win, and we saw.

LEIGH SALES: As an expert on campaigning, if you were looking for the sort of candidate that could appeal against a Barack Obama, what sort of a person do you think would give him a good fight?

JEFF BLODGETT: I think someone similarly who lays out a different world view, and who genuinely has deep disagreements based on their own experience and values. And so, I think it's someone who, you know, in not an attacking way, but in a genuine way, lays out the differences.

LEIGH SALES: John McCain, in a lot of ways, was a candidate like that. He did have a very compelling narrative and personal story and strongly held values.

JEFF BLODGETT: Yeah, he had that, but there wasn't much beyond that. I mean, he actually moved around a lot on the issues. He took different positions, he switched positions. So, yeah, he had a compelling story as a hero, but he didn't necessarily connect that to what he wanted to do for the country. So, it's not just the story, it's then the message that you deliver. And if the story and the message align with each other, then that's really the authentic piece.

LEIGH SALES: So does this mean that you don't support the use of negative campaigning or attack campaigning?

JEFF BLODGETT: No, I wouldn't say that. The way I view it is that contrasting yourself with your opponent is important and legitimate. You know, elections are a choice. I think that becomes negative in the style and the tactics that are used in certain ads. And so I don't agree with that, but I do think that it's actually very important to lay out the choice that voters have from your perspective as a candidate, and the opponent will do the same. And so I really think a good debate, a good debate with serious disagreement - that's what the country's looking for in the US. And, you know, we don't have compulsory voting, so we have trouble with our turnout. And I think when we don't give voters choices, they don't vote. And we've had a lot of candidates that hover around the middle, that seem to be saying the same thing, regardless of the party. And so, I'm interested in real contrast and real debate and real clash about the very different world views that are out there. And so, I think Barack Obama presented a very definitive, a progressive view, and, you know, I think a good candidate, a good opponent for him would be someone who really comes out strongly on the other side.

LEIGH SALES: Jeff Blodgett, thankyou very much for coming in. Safe travels back to Minnesota.

LEIGH SALES: Yeah, thanks for having me.

Increasing the Youth Vote

mjacoby — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:18:34 -0500

The Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) just published a report on election law reform and its connection to youth voter turnout. More specifically, they found election day registration (EDR) is key to increase the youth vote.

In the nine states that currently have EDR, youth are 41% more likely to vote than youth in other states. In addition, five of the eight states with the highest youth vote, Minnesota, Iowa, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Maine, all have EDR. Although CIRCLE acknowledges that EDR is not beneficial for all ages or even all youth, it is an important step in encouraging youth to be active citizens.

This report is supported by the first-hand experience of our own Andrew Zucker, who was the Youth Vote Director in Minnesota for the Obama campaign. He found that EDR allowed him and his colleagues to focus on getting indecisive youths to focus on supporting a candidate, not on having to register. This resulted in a real sense of community support behind Obama because less attention was paid to intensive voter registration. Many youth in non-EDR states have not decided on a candidate by the time the deadline for registration comes, so they are left out of the election.

This is an exciting finding because youth are increasingly an active part of the election process and the political landscape. It is key to the success of our democracy to encourage and include such an important element of the electorate. The innovation that comes with a fresh perspective on the political scene is essential in creating fundamental change. Hopefully more states will embrace EDR and increase their youth vote.

Laws and Sausages: How Health Care Reform is Really Made

azucker — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 10:55:18 -0500

Crossposted on Dailykos.

"Laws are like sausages." No one wants to see them being made--or so the saying goes. As we watch pundits and politicians zero in on health care reform, it's obvious, now, why.

Since President Clinton's attempt at health care reform, the opposition arguments haven't changed. Remember Bill Kristol's now-famous memo? Even today, some opponents of health care seem to be putting politics before policy and principle. And the worst part is that it's the only conversation we seem to be hearing.

In Washington and in the news, all we hear about is who's up, who's down, who's attacking who-it's disheartening, and a disservice to the millions of Americans who really need help. It's easy to forget what's at stake. That's why we're seeing an unprecedented effort to take the conversation out of Washington.

Since February of this year, SEIU has been organizing the broad-based Change That Works campaign around health care reform and the Employee Free Choice Act in 22 states across the country. States like North Dakota, where nearly 20 full-time organizers are mobilizing teams of volunteers to plan events, host house parties, knock on doors, call their friends and neighbors, and write their elected officials to tell them why we need reform. And they're only getting started. Right now they're planning a GOTV-style escalation that will include public events, calls to congress, and canvasses during and after congressional recess to make sure the North Dakota congressional delegation knows about the widespread grassroots support for affordable healthcare reform. They aren't doing it alone, either; just in North Dakota, they're working with ND People, the Consumers Union, Working America, AFLCIO, Health Care for America Now, and Organizing for America (OFA).

Created as a successor organization to Obama for America (Barack Obama's presidential campaign), OFA is building support around the President's agenda and working to maintain the massive grassroots network that was organized during the campaign. Their focus now is on health care. In more than 40 states, all of which run unique campaigns, they're doing what they call "citizen contact"-making phone calls, knocking doors, and collecting declarations of support for the President's principles on health care. At the end of July they held a Health Care Week of Action, during which OFA supporters and volunteers participated in thousands of events in every state, including door-knocking, phone banking, and community gatherings. OFA too, plans to ramp up campaign operations during the recess, and like SEIU, they work with local organizations in all 50 states.

One of those organizations is TakeAction Minnesota, an alliance of individuals and more than 30 organizations, including the largest grassroots organizations in Minnesota, "united behind a vision of racial, social, and economic justice." Part of that vision is a commitment to health care reform. As a part of the Health Care for America Now (HCAN) campaign, TakeAction is organizing door knocks and phone banks to build support for reform, but they also have another, unique, focus-on July 24^th they organized for more than 70 of their coalition members to descend on Washington, where they spent 2 days advocating to their congressional representatives for health care reform. And before the end of the month, they plan to organize a large community meeting between the Minnesota delegation and ordinary Minnesotans to discuss the need for reform.

The work these organizations are doing behind-the-scenes is the story you haven't been reading or hearing about on the news. But when we finally pass comprehensive health care reform, it will be the reason why. "Block by block, brick by brick," as President Obama might say-that's how laws are made.

Photo by Fossil Farms.

Recess Isn't Just for Playing Kickball and Monkey Bars

elana — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:22:50 -0500

I am a big fan of the Ethicist Randy Cohen's blog in the New York Times - the Moral of the Story (it's both ethical AND punny!). However, his recent take on whether or not Congress' August recess is ethical fails to underscore the importance of this time for grassroots lobbying.

In his post, Cohen debates the point that the Congressional recess is the moral equivalent of slacking off at work, or worse, "exploiting a position of public trust for personal gain". He barely acknowledges that members of Congress continue to work while on recess in their home districts. But still, I think this misses a key point.

Even in these days of instant communication across many platforms (I am facebook friends with my Congressman), we feel more disconnected from our elected representatives than ever before. What is happening in Washington can feel very far away, disconnected from our daily lives despite the fact that critical issues that impact them -- including major health care reform -- are being decided there.

Members of Congress work for us, and the August recess is a great time for an annual review. While they are home in their districts, we need to take the time to reach out and develop a relationship with them, and arrange a meeting to let them know how we feel about those critical issues.

Check out our Organizing Tool - a step-by-step guide to grassroots citizen lobbying - and take that opportunity to meet with your representatives this month. There has arguably never been a more important time for them to hear from the real voices they represent in your community.

Photo by .Nichole. on flickr

Choice USA - Winning the Wellstone Way!

azucker — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:55:06 -0500

17 years ago, Gloria Steinem (famed author and activist) and other feminist leaders formed the non-profit organization, CHOICE USA, a group that mobilizes and empowers young people to lobby for reproductive choice and social justice.

Today, they stand in a unique position as the only youth-run national reproductive organization in the country. In that capacity, they provide youth leaders with the tools they need to organize, advocate, and to work with other organizations within the progressive movement to influence public policy and build lasting coalitions.

Earlier this summer, Campus Camp Wellstone helped put on a joint training at Choice USA's annual Gloria Steinem Membership Conference to prepare students to organize in the fall. This year, Choice USA will focus their efforts on building consensus support for the REAL Act (Responsible Education About Life Act), which would provide federal funding for comprehensive sex education programs in public schools. Currently, only abstinence-only programs are eligible for federal funding. The REAL Act would fund programs that include information about abstinence and contraceptives. Here are some specifics, according to one of their fact-sheets:

Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA-9) introduced the Responsible Education About Life Act (REAL Act) (S. 611, H.R. 1551) that would provide young people with the tools to make informed decisions, build healthy relationships, and have the information to protect themselves against sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.
The REAL Act would set up the first-ever dedicated federal funding stream ($50 million) to provide federal grants to states for the purpose of conducting comprehensive sexuality education programs.
This education would be evidence-based, medically accurate, age-appropriate, and provide full information about both abstinence and contraception, among other topics.

Choice USA's 40 chapters will spend the next year planning and hosting events to raise awareness and build support for the REAL Act. They'll be collecting signatures, organizing supporters, and lobbying their representatives for co-sponsorship. But that's not all; as a grassroots organization, they're also committed to working on local sex and reproductive issues--

Like last year, when the Choice USA Chapter at Mills College in California won their struggle to open a women's health center on campus. And at the University of Georgia, where the Women's Studies Student Organization (WSSO) and other student activists collaborated with their Women's Studies Department to lobby the administration to move the department from a dilapidated building to a better space on campus. And like what happened at Williamette University in Oregon where a resolution was passed to allow previously-removed condom posters to hang in Res-Halls.

All across the country, Choice USA chapters are organizing, and winning!

If these are issues you care about, get involved with CHOICE USA or start a chapter at your school.

Let the supporters in, says Obama director

azucker — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:29:08 -0500

FROM one of the architects of Barack Obama's groundbreaking US election campaign comes a message to politicians aspiring to emulate his success: Get real and lose control.

It was authenticity - including authentic language - that inspired a grassroots army of millions of young volunteers to became ‘‘passionate participants'' rather than mere supporters, says Mr Obama's Minnesota campaign director, Jeff Blodgett.

In Sydney for the Labor national conference, Mr Blodgett concedes that an email list of 16 million volunteers - 2 million actively involved in the Obama presidential campaign - flowed from having an inspirational candidate to start with. But electoral success came from harnessing that energy.

The creation of an internet social network along the lines of Facebook allowed the Obama camp to use volunteers in far greater numbers than ever before.

‘‘Usually in campaigns, you don't want to give up control. They basically let this network go and people could communicate and talk about issues and even debate whether the candidate should be doing this or that,'' he said. ‘‘That kind of free-flow of discussion, and some liberty within the campaign, really attracted young people.''

The trick is to keep the free-flowing, grassroots army on message, which Mr Blodgett says was done by ‘‘letting them in'' to strategic decisions. The national campaign supremo, David Plouffe, discussed his ideas using a laptop video camera as a strategy to keep followers engaged.

Political parties everywhere, including US conservatives, are trying to mimic those tactics: witness the rise of the Twittering politician. But Mr Blodgett says that unless you have something to say that young people are interested in, the technology on its own won't work.

Jo-Anne Schofield, the executive director of the think-tank Catalyst, which is hosting Mr Blodgett's visit as part of the Labor Fringe program, said: ‘‘There is this myth that people are apathetic. There are not a lot of points in the political process where people can get involved and have a say.''

Mr Blodgett - the executive director of the non-profit Wellstone Action, which trains aspiring candidates for public office - says there is another advantage to the motivated volunteer army. They can also be hit for cash. The campaign was bankrolled on millions of small donations. ‘‘Obama was asking people for their time and also their money,'' he said.

Jeff Blodgett to Deliver Keynote Address to Australian Labor Party Convention

elana — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 10:30:12 -0500

Winning With Obama - Building a Grassroots Movement

Jeff Blodgett, Executive Director of Wellstone Action and the Minnesota State Director for Barack Obama's 2008 President Campaign, is in Sydney, Australia this week to speak at an event hosted by Catalyst as a part of the Australian Labor Party's 45th National Conference.

He'll be talking about how Barack Obama won and how to build winning grassroots campaigns. From their official website:

"Catalyst is pleased to present leading US political strategist Jeff Blodgett. Jeff was State Director of Obama's Campaign for Change in Minnesota. He has over 25 years experience in community organizing and has served in key positions on dozens of campaigns in addition to training, teaching, and writing extensively on political skills, public management, and leadership.  Jeff is the Executive Director of Wellstone Action! - a unique center for training and leadership development in the US. Wellstone has mobilized millions of Americans to become engaged in politics in the lead up to the 2008 election."

Read more here.

Taking Liberties with John Mellencamp

elana — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:30:51 -0500

In the activist track at Camp Wellstone, participants spend the weekend working through a Green Housing case study, putting their new skills into practice based on a campaign to pass a green housing ordinance through the Greenville City Council. In one of these exercises, they must convey their message through a press event. Participants tend to get creative with these events, but one group at our recent Camp Wellstone in Chicago may have taken the cake, rewriting the lyrics to John Mellencamp's "Little Pink Houses" and performing it for their fellow campers.

See for yourself:

Wellstone Action and the Blue Green Alliance

azucker — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:53:00 -0500

One of the biggest challenges we face as we continue through the current recession is how to retool our economy to not just preserve jobs, but create new jobs that stand the test of time. One answer is to invest in and expand the number and quality "green-collar" jobs. The Blue Green Alliance, a national, strategic partnership between labor unions and environmental organizations, is dedicated to doing exactly that.

This unique labor and environmental coalition works on a range of national issues that include passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act, designed to lower carbon emissions and invest in clean and alternative energy, and the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that will make it easier for workers to organize and unionize.

Last week here in Minnesota, the Blue Green Alliance teamed up with Wellstone Action to put on a train-the-trainer session as the Alliance begins organizing for the coming battle over climate change legislation.

At their HQ in Minneapolis, trainers lead a variety of exercises, one of which showcased the importance of building relationships to successful organizing. Here at Wellstone Action, we call this the Issues-Interest-Values triangle or, more affectionately, the "little guy". Here's how it works:

You start by defining what you need to know about a person that you are organizing with to understand what motivates them to act and how to develop a real organizing relationship. In the training, participants imagined someone typical of the audience they are working to organize--Patty, a nurse and union member of SEIU.

Participants learned how to assess Patty's interests, issues, and values by finding out not only what issues Patty cares about-health care, job security, education-but why does she care about those things? Because she's worried about all of people she sees in the emergency room, because we're in the middle of a recession, and because she's a single mother with 2 kids with asthma. Those things define her interest, or stake, in the issues that she cares about. Her values on the other hand are the things that influence her interests and her issues. For example, Patty is concerned with the state of health care because she believes in equality and she sees people get turned away because of inadequate insurance. She cares so much about her children's education because she sees parenthood as a sacred duty. Given all this information, why should Patty care about climate change legislation?

Patty has a stake in this debate because her children have asthma-they're directly affected by the state of the natural environment. And as a caregiver, she wants her kids to inherit an earth better than what we have today. Those are just a couple reasons why Patty should be concerned with climate change.

Now, as an organizer for climate change legislation, imagine trying to talk to or persuade Patty to become active in her community without knowing any of the above information. It would be nearly impossible. That's why the first step to being a good organizer is building relationships. And with climate legislation toward the top of this year's legislative agenda, organizing is even more important.

To learn more about the Blue Green Alliance, go here.

Campus Camp at the Campus Progress 2009 National Conference

Mweiss — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:44:50 -0500

Earlier this month, Campus Progress (part of the Center for American Progress-read more here) held their annual National Conference in Washington DC. At the conference were tons of big name progressives like President Clinton, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, John Oliver from the Daily Show, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, John Podesta--even celebrities like Joel and Benji Madden from Good Charlotte came to this year's National Conference. But Campus Progress does more than just hear from cool politicos.

They work to empower young people across the country and build new progressive leaders by developing fresh ideas, coming up with new ways to communicate, and by pushing a policy agenda that supports young people and strengthens the progressive movement. So, when Campus Progress needed a partner to help train this next generation of youth and student leaders, they came to Wellstone Action.

On July 7^th, Campus Camp Wellstone partnered with Campus Progress on a Grassroots Training Day where we trained more than 100 students and youth activists how to organize their campuses and communities and to build movements around issues they care about.

After a session on understanding and building power, our trainers taught power mapping and strategic campaign planning using a fictional campaign about passing a green jobs initiative through a local city council. Then participants broke into small groups to practice planning campaigns on the specific issues that are important to them, including reproductive choice and access to contraceptives and medicine, climate change and carbon emissions, and the rising costs of tuition and availability of financial aid.

Participants also engaged in sessions on grassroots organizing, coalition-building, leadership development and grassroots lobbying.

Students left the training with a game-plan to build power and ignite change in their communities when school starts back up in the fall.

For more info on Campus Camp Wellstone, go to www.wellstone.org/our-programs/campus-camp-wellstone or click here to bring Campus Camp to your school!

The Case for Reform: Why We Can’t Wait to Fix Health Care

azucker — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:28:50 -0500

Yesterday, for the first time in history, three separate congressional committees (Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Education and Labor) came together on a single bill for comprehensive health care reform, going further than the infamous 1994 fight for health care reform. And today, the Senate Health Committee approved its own health care bill--both are huge steps toward finally reforming health care. But we aren't there yet.

There's still a long way to go before a bill is passed or even voted on. First, it has to pass the House of Representatives. Then, if it goes through the House, their version of the bill is markedly different than the Senate version. And before it's voted on in the Senate, the Finance Committee needs to find a way to pay for it. Assuming the stars align and all of the above occurs, the House and Senate will have to agree on a final bill that can pass both houses and sustain a Senate filibuster.

As if that wasn't enough, the health care industry is spending more than $1.4 million a day lobbying Congress--they've even hired more than 350 former government staffers to try and influence their old bosses in Washington, according to disclosures. With all this going on, it's important to remember what's at stake, and why we can't afford to wait.

Here are just a few of the facts:

Nearly 46 million Americans don't have health insurance, and according to CNN, 25 million more are underinsured.
The US spends more on health care than any industrialized nation (all the others provide universal coverage), and 52 percent more per person than the next most costly nation, Norway.
Since 1999, employee-based health insurance premium have increased 120 percent. Wages have grown 29 percent during the same time period.
A recent study by Harvard University found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses.

And these are just a few. You can read the National Coalition on Health Care's entire fact-sheet on health care here.

Given all of the evidence above, opponents still say that this isn't the time for health care reform-that we have to fix the economy before we fix health care. That argument doesn't fly. According to the CEA's (Council of Economic Advisers) conservative estimates, chronicled in their report released June 2 (here's a summary), health care reform will actually improve the economy--by as much as 8 percent or more by 2030!

For the first time in more than a decade, we have a real chance to reform a system that's been broken for far too long, but it won't happen without the work of thousands of organizers and leaders working for change. The health care industry is spending millions on lobbyists to influence the fight for reform, but many of our partner organizations representing workers, young people, and communities around the country are building power to demand that this time, we don't fail to act.

President Obama was elected by a sweeping movement for change-the same thing needs to happen to ensure we achieve comprehensive health care reform. Like Paul Wellstone would have said today, "it's time to organize."

The picture above originally appeared here.

Obama, Wellstone, and the Movement to End Nuclear Weapons.

Jblodgett — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 14:06:52 -0500

Last week's announcement of an historic nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia came as the result of more than two decades of movement building and organizing - including the work in the 1980s by two community organizers: Barack Obama and Paul Wellstone.

Before Paul Wellstone's first groundbreaking grassroots campaign for the Senate in 1990, he ran another race for statewide office - one little remembered (or heard of) outside of Minnesota. In 1982, Paul ran for State Auditor -- without much background in finance or budget management -- and made nuclear non-proliferation of all things a centerpiece of his campaign.

At the same time, in the midst of the Cold War, future-President Barack Obama was a senior at Columbia University, writing in a campus publication about his vision for "a nuclear-free world"

On the heels of last week's accord between President Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev announcing the foundation for a new nuclear arms control treaty that will cut both US and Russian nuclear arsenals, it's telling to look back at the movement that brought us here.

For Obama's part, it seems that the seeds for his vision of a nuclear-free world were planted as a student organizer and writer. In an article in the campus publication The Sundial, Obama wrote about two campus organizations seeking to raise awareness and agitate students into action to counter "the growing threat of [nuclear] war."

He also castigated "first versus second strike capabilities" that suited "military-industrial" interests and criticized the Reagan administration for stalling during the Geneva talks, and denounced the "twisted logic" that said more nuclear weapons would create safety and stability. Obama concluded declaring that the US should "work towards a peace that is genuine, lasting, and non-nuclear."

Around the same time, Wellstone was making a similar case as a participant in the Nuclear Freeze movement, and then from his campaign pulpit and on campus as a political science professor at Carleton College in Northfield, MN.

Running for State Auditor in 1982, a job many considered to be non-political, Paul felt that the auditor should be a voice for the people and a policymaker. He made his campaign about a host of national issues, including his opposition to nuclear weapons and his devotion to ridding the world of the threat of nuclear war.

In a speech before to Minnesota COACT (Citizens Organized Acting Together), Wellstone had this to say about the possibility of nuclear war (read the entire transcript here):

"Under this Administration, we face the grim realities of the nuclear arms race - nuclear war being made thinkable, and possible and even portable... Only 200 of the 50,000 weapons in existence would be enough to destroy the world's major cities - the outcome of nuclear war would be the sudden death of hundreds of millions of people and the destruction of our civilization as we know it. I can live with my own mortality, but not the mortality of our children and grandchildren. We must organize."

Suffice it to say, Wellstone lost that election.

But his efforts at organizing, and that of Obama's, joined a national movement in the 80s for nuclear disarmament. Victories then seemed small-bore compared to the threat of destruction posed by nuclear proliferation, but laid the groundwork for last week's game-changing deal with Russia. This serves as a reminder to those fighting the big fights of today-for health care reform, climate change legislation, alternative energy, better worker's rights-that sometimes change takes a long time. But if you have the vision to see things through, a movement that takes the long view will amount to real change over time.

PS: This article from the New York Times talks about Obama's youth activism in the 1980s, it's an interesting read.

photo by lance_mountain

In Your Own Words: Why YOU Support Community Organizers

azucker — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:37:12 -0500

When Sarah Palin announced her resignation as Governor of Alaska last week, she said it was so she could "take a stand and affect change outside government." So we here at Wellstone Action asked the question--is Sarah Palin resigning as Alaska Governor to become a community organizer?

With so much important, progressive legislation on the horizon--health care reform, climate change, the Employee Free Choice--community organizers are more important now than ever before.

That's why we started this petition: I Support Community Organizers. The response so far has been fantastic--here's a small sample of what you had to say when asked "why do YOU support community organizers?":

Brian in California wrote: Because of grassroots hard work, the country is slowly moving in the right direction. I'm hopeful and optimistic about seeing real progress on both health care reform and climate change legislation, and it will be because of bottom-up efforts.

Cindy in North Dakota wrote: Because I am one!! And I love it. Working with people who are negatively affected by one thing or another is the most rewarding work that exists. It used to be that I had to explain my work to friends and family. Thanks to President Obama that is no longer the case!!

Lindsey in Kentucky wrote: Real change comes from the inside out. PEOPLE, not politicians, should be the masters of their own destiny, and community organizers help normal people become their own best advocate.

Laura in Minnesota said: They are the unsung heroes who give of their time and talents, not for recognition or political gain, but because they truly want to make a difference within their communities.

And Gary in Connecticut had this to say: Positive social change, whether for labor, civil, or consumer rights comes not from the top down, but from the bottom up. As Paul Wellstone once said, politics is really about improving people's lives. That's why I support community organizers.

If you haven't already, comment below and click here to sign our petition in support of community organizers!

PS: The image of President Obama as a community organizer was borrowed from here.

Palin's New Career Choice?

azucker — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:54:26 -0500

For Immediate Release Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Contact: http://www.wellstone.org/

BREAKING: SARAH PALIN ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION AS ALASKA GOVERNOR TO BECOME A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER

WASILLA, AK--Sarah Palin announced today that she will be taking on a new, higher calling: community organizing.

"I've never believed that I nor anyone else needs a title to do this - to make a difference, to help people," Palin said. "So I choose, for my state and my family, more freedom to progress, so that Alaska may progress... I will not seek re-election as Governor."

"My choice is to take a stand and effect change outside government at this moment in time... because we need hardworking, average Americans fighting for what's right! And I will support you because we need you and you can effect change. And I can too on the outside."

###

Well, we all know that's not really the case, but it sure does sound like Sarah Palin's had a change of heart doesn't it?

Consider her disparaging remarks about community organizers during the Republican National Convention in St. Paul last September. About President Obama's community organizing experience, she had to say, "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer - except that you have actual responsibilities."

Here at Wellstone Action, we know all about what community organizers do, and know that their work is more important now than ever before.

We're all seeing that simply having a progressive in the White House isn't enough to pass progressive legislation. That's why we need more community organizers to help build support for health care reform, the Employee Free Choice Act, climate change legislation, and to make sure that people with power meet the needs of the communities they represent.

And there's already been some movement--just this past weekend, Organizing for America (Pres. Obama's former campaign organization) mobilized thousands of supporters to remind lawmakers that people want to see action on health care reform. And only a week ago, activist groups across the country rallied to support the climate change bill--but there has to be even more if we want to see real progress.

That's where organizers come in, putting in the real work that creates change in this country. For little money and even less credit, they put the needs of their community before their own, each and every day. They talk to who they know and who they don't, and even more importantly, listen to people's concerns so that they can find ways to make progress, not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up.

What we need today are more community organizers.