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Left-wing groups plan giant rally on Mall; will 're-commit to change'
By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
09/25/10 11:52 PM EDT
Stung by political setbacks and scrambling to avoid a repudiation of Democrats at the polls this November, a coalition of labor unions and liberal activist organizations is planning what it calls "the biggest progressive demonstration in decades" at the Lincoln Memorial next Saturday, October 2.
The march, called "One Nation Working Together," is sponsored by the AFL-CIO, the NAACP, the Service Employees International Union, La Raza, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the American Federation of Teachers, the Rainbow Push Coalition, the Campaign for America's Future, and several other activist groups. The event is also being promoted by Organizing for America, the permanent wing of the Obama presidential campaign, which is sending out email notices to members asking that they travel to Washington to take part.
"Hundreds of thousands of people from across America will gather at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to demonstrate our re-commitment to change," organizers say. "The One Nation march will feature human and civil rights leaders, labor leaders, environmental and peace activists, faith leaders, celebrities and sports figures&hellip"
In addition to the main organizers, participants will also include left-wing fringe groups like International ANSWER, Code Pink, and the Communist Party USA. The leaders of those groups are known for loud, confrontational demonstrations, which virtually assures that anyone looking for extremist elements in the One Nation gathering will be able to find them.
The goal of "recommitment to change" suggests that liberal leaders are fully aware they have lost momentum in the 20 months of the Obama administration. AFL-CIO chief Richard Trumka says One Nation will "demand a renewed focus and investment in people." Benjamin Jealous, head of the NAACP, says the march will show that "this nation will rise again toward the mountaintop." Renewed focus and rise again are not phrases that such organizations use when they are winning.
Attendance at the march will likely be viewed as a test of liberal organizing strength at a time when polls show Democratic base voters are far less enthusiastic about the upcoming election than their Republican counterparts. In particular, it seems likely the press will compare turnout to that of the "Restoring Honor" rally staged by Fox News personality Glenn Beck at the Lincoln Memorial August 28. (The One Nation march was already in the planning stages when the Beck march was held.) One big difference will be that the Beck rally was self-consciously non-political, while the One Nation rally will be frankly partisan. "It's time to stand up and march for the change we voted for," say organizers.