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 PDA Director Tim Carpenter addresses the Congressional Progressive Caucus while Rep. Lynn Woolsey and Rep. Barbara Lee stand by. |
The newly reinvigorated Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) sprang to life June 28 as more than 150 friends gathered to organize. In the process, they also demanded withdrawal from Iraq, insisted on health care for all Americans, opposed CAFTA, and denounced the President's continuing refusal to answer questions about the Downing Street Memos.
The Institute for Policy Studies' John Cavannah was Master of Ceremonies for the energetic evening celebration which was held in the House of Representatives Rayburn Building banquet room. The event honored the CPC, which welcomed its first Executive Director, Bill Goold. The evening also marked the official kick-off of the "Out of Iraq" Caucus within the CPC, with a fiery speech by Maxine Waters (D-CA). Led by Caucus Co-Chairs Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), twenty five members of Congress attended and a dozen briefly addressed the gathering. House members present included John Conyers, Maxine Waters, Maurice Hinchey, Hilda Solis, Marcy Captur, Tammy Baldwin, Jim McDermott, Raul Grijalva, Gerald Nadler, Dennis Kucinich, Sheila Jackson Lee, Diane Watson, Pete Stark, John Tierney, Xavier Beccerra, Gwen Moore, Major Owens, and Don Payne.
Rev. Jesse Jackson spoke on the state of voting rights forty years after the passage of the Voting Rights Act. He urged those in attendance to rally for voting rights and against the occupation of Iraq at a major demonstration planned for Atlanta on August 6th.
Other guests included Gold Star Families spokesperson Cindy Sheehan, Bill Mitchell of Families Speak Out, Robert Borosage of the Campaign for America's Future, Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer. One memorable moment occurred when Minority Leader Pelosi's staff member informed Tim that the Minority leader wanted to speak with him. When Ms. Pelosi arrived, she recalled Tim's work 25 years ago in California with PDA's spiritual predecessor, Democrats for Peace Conversion. PDA, an initiating co-sponsor of the event, was well represented. In attendance were PDA Board members Rev. Lennox Yearwood (Hip Hop Caucus), Vice Chair Joel Segal (Conyers' staffer), David Swanson (co-founder of AfterDowningStreet.org), and Joe Libertelli. PDA Senior Political Advisor Steve Cobble (co-founder AfterDowningStreet.org), PDA Director Tim Carpenter, PDA Political Director Kevin Spidel, PDA Maryland Coordinator Mike Hersh, and a number of local activists also worked the room.
