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Left & Right Prepare For November Elections
Glenn Beck Plans Washington Rally Tomorrow – August 28,
One Nation Coalition Plans Demonstration October 2;
In preparation for the mid-term elections of November 2010, civil rights groups have launched the left’s version of the Tea Party movement with the formation of the One Nation Coalition. A grassroots coalition of 170 liberal and civil rights groups, One Nation hopes to help the progressive cause regain its voice two years after the election of Barack Obama.
If the November elections follow the usual pattern of the minority party gaining mid-term support, it is expected that voter turnout will be in favor of right-wing Republican and Tea Party candidates.
“Having been confronted with the specter of the Tea Party . . . we felt it urgent to organize the majority of this country, which voted in 2008 and has gone back to the couch,” said Benjamin Jealous, president of the NAACP, one of the movement’s members. “We’ve been split off in different directions.”
Among the groups involved are the National Council of La Raza, the Service Employees International Union, the NAACP, the AFL-CIO, and the United States Student Association.
As its first major goal, One Nation is planning a march in Washington Oct. 2 that will push for progressive ideals including more government spending on job creation. The march will “demonstrate to Congress that these agenda items have support across multiple demographics,” said Jealous.
Meanwhile, tomorrow, August 28, Fox News and talk radio host Glenn Beck is holding a rally in Washington D.C. that is a right wing counterpart to the One Nation demonstration. Sarah Palin is a major speaker at tomorrow’s event. It is, however, billed as a non-partisan event, one which will promote the concept of ‘restoring’ American values.
Below, the Los Angeles Free Press presents links to both the One National Coalition and Glenn Beck sites that promote their events.
We are also providing information and a link to the National Action Network that is a Sponsor of the Reclaim the Dream celebration that will be taking place adjacent to Mr. Beck’s event.
And, finally, we’ve some information for you on the Party (convention) that is being held right between tomorrow and the One Nation march… it’s the Coffee Party’s do on September 24 (through the 26th).
Categories: Government & Politics Tags:
Categories: Government & Politics Tags:
One Nation Gets Support from AFL-CIO Unions
During its Aug. 4-5 meeting in Washington, D.C., the AFL-CIO Executive Council issued a statement supporting the One Nation coalition and its October 2 Washington D.C. march for jobs. The AFL-CIO said saying we must fight the fear mongering and scapegoating that is dividing our country.
All of us have been dismayed, to say the least, by the failure of the Obama Administration to make more progress on restoring the economy, particularly in regards to job creation, fighting foreclosures and preventing further job losses resulting from budget cuts by state and local governments. We are frustrated by and angry at the obstructionism of Congressional Republicans.
Now, a new coalition (ONE NATION WORKING, TOGETHER) has come together to fight back on the jobs and the other issues necessary to save our economy. They have called for a March for Jobs on October in Washington, D.C. 2nd just two months away. On the same day, the union movement will walk door-to-door in targeted states around the country, mobilizing union members exactly one month before the fall elections.
The administration’s failure represents both a lack of leadership and a political shift toward the position of the “deficit hawks”—those Republicans and Democrats who believe that government spending, even counter-cyclical deficit spending to counter the impact of the Great Recession, represents a greater threat to the economy than the renewed recession the cutbacks the deficit hawks advocate would cause. The influence of the deficit hawks is the main reason that the Senate has failed to pass any re-authorization of the extension of unemployment benefits and why the version the House passed did not include an extension of subsidized COBRA (health care) benefits.
The leadership for this coalition comes from 1199, the New York based hospital workers union, and the national NAACP. Other unions, including the AFL-CIO and SEIU are already involved. A growing list of community organizations is on board. DSA has endorsed the March for Jobs, as did the U.S. Social Forum, when it convened in Detroit in June. In our view this mobilization can motivate grass roots activism that fights back against Congress’s and the administration’s retreat on job creation.
It is vital that this march succeed. The risk of a double dip recession, bringing additional large-scale job losses, increases every day. Without additional public jobs programs and federal aid to prevent layoffs by state and local governments, we will face another major economic contraction.
The March for Jobs coalition web site, OneNationWorkingTogether.org, is up. In addition to calling for Jobs the march demands repair of our immigration system, and Wall Street reform! The coalition specifically demands the change that we voted for.
For more about the One Nation Coalition, go here:
http://www.onenationworkingtogether.org/main.aspx
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Reclaim the Dream: Washington 8/28
Forty-seven years after the historic March on Washington, NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous will join the National Action Network (NAN), along with heads of progressive organizations, unions and clergy in a mass rally and march in Washington, DC on Saturday, August 28, 2010 to reclaim the dream.
The rally will start at 11:00 a.m. at Dunbar High School, followed by a march to the King Memorial. Joining us will be a cross-section of organizations and principals including Rev. Al Sharpton, United States Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, Martin Luther King, III, President, Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc.; Ed Schultz, Television and radio show host; Tom Joyner, The Tom Joyner Morning Show & Reach Media; Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League; Melanie L. Campbell, President of National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable; Dr. Lezli Baskerville, President NAFEO; Clayola Brown, President, A. Philip Randolph Institute; Dr. Barbara Williams Skinner, President, Skinner Leadership Institute; Harry Thomas Jr., D.C. Ward 5 Councilmember; Rev. Willie F. Wilson; Pastor of Union Temple Baptist Church; Rev. Walter Fauntroy; SEIU; 32BJ; SEIU; The Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, Stand Up For Democracy Coalition, Prince Hall Masons (New York State); United for Peace and Justice; National Conference to Bring the Troops Home Now!; representatives from Media Matters; board members of National Action Network, and many other religious groups, labor unions, and organizations.
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National Action Network has been active around the country with our chapters all across America expanding initiatives and fighting civil rights issues that impact all people. Among the key issues that the organization is championing include anti-violence, immigration, education, decency, criminal justice, and much more.
Categories: Government & Politics Tags:
Categories: Government & Politics Tags:
