Posted on 07/24/2004 8:25:10 PM PDT by presidentbowen
Michael Moore to Speak in Boston During Democrat Convention By Robert B. Bluey CNSNews.com Staff Writer July 23, 2004
(CNSNews.com) - Filmmaker Michael Moore will join fellow liberals Howard Dean and Jesse Jackson in Boston next week for three days of events designed to rally the Democratic Party's left, members of whom will be in town for the nomination of John Kerry as the party's standard bearer in this year's presidential race.
The Campaign for America's Future is organizing the "Take Back America" events. The group held a conference in Washington last month that brought together more than 2,500 attendees who vowed to defeat President Bush on Nov. 2.
Moore, director of the Bush-bashing film Fahrenheit 9/11, and Dean, the former presidential candidate and Vermont governor, will kick off the events next Tuesday. Starting at 2 p.m. each day, attendees will hear from an assortment of other prominent liberals.
"There is a broad movement for progressive change that is pretty independent of the Democratic Party, and it's going to continue no matter who wins this election," said Roger Hickey, co-director of the Campaign for America's Future. "We're interested in fostering and energizing that activist base. We know we have our work cut out for us, even if the White House changes hands."
The "Take Back America" events begin only a day after independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader leaves Boston. Nader has outlined his own slate of events appealing to liberal voters.
But it's the invitation of Moore that has created a buzz in Boston. A spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Democratic Party told the Boston Herald that having Moore in town "adds a lot of excitement to everything else going on."
Moore's anti-war film has generated nearly $100 million at the box office, and has also served as a rallying cry for Democrats. He has become a favorite of liberals, even though he has been accused of distorting some facts in the documentary.
Hickey said he was unconcerned about Moore's appearance becoming a possible liability for Kerry, who has distanced himself from controversial liberals, including Moore and billionaire financier George Soros.
"Michael Moore has gotten the mass media to ask questions that they were never asking about Iraq before his film," Hickey said in defending Moore's invitation.
Besides, Hickey said, the Democratic National Committee welcomes satellite groups to hold events throughout convention week. He said about 1,500 people have already signed up to take part in the events, which exceeds the 800-person occupancy limit at the Royal Sonesta Hotel.
On the second day of events, attendees will hear from U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and former ambassador Joe Wilson, who accused the Bush administration of exaggerating claims about Iraq. Wilson, however, has recently been discredited by both a U.S. Senate investigation and a report from a British commission.
Former vice president Al Gore is slated to speak on the third day, along with Jesse Jackson, U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) and Steve Rosenthal, chief executive of America Coming Together, a group that has been criticized for using convicted felons for its door-to-door voter registration effort.
Missing from the "Take Back America" roster is Soros, who spoke at the Campaign for America's Future conference in Washington. It was at that event that Soros equated the abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.
The Washington conference also featured NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, who created a stir by singling out Republicans as enemies of black Americans and comparing conservatives to the terrorist-sponsoring Taliban government that once ruled Afghanistan.
Republicans have dismissed such attacks, including actress Whoopi Goldberg's vulgarity-laced remarks about Bush earlier this month, as hateful and full of anger.
"The progressive movement," Hickey responded, "is inspired by a vision of a better country and hope. The anger simply comes from the fact that we've got an administration that is stymieing that hope and is thwarting people's larger vision for this country."
Take Back America at the Democratic National Convention
Join Howard Dean and Michael Moore in Boston
The Campaign for America's Future will host three days of progressive issue debates, rallies, and action events at the Democratic National Convention in Boston, headlined by Howard Dean, Michael Moore, Robert Reich, and others. See the event schedule and speaker line-up, and reserve your FREE spot at the Convention today. Working together, we will continue our surging momentum there to Take Back America!
http://www.ourfuture.org/
Let the Dems trot out the FARRRRRRRR left to their hearts' content. I love it. They're so out to lunch, it does nothing but help us. More more more Moore more.........
L0L
Oh for petes sake.... if I whined and complained that I didn't get invited to speak, do you think they'd ask me? Probably be best for all if I didn't, as it wouldn't be pretty at all. Its never nice to open up a speech with "HEY YOU GRAVY SUCKING PIGS..." :)
**NOTE: IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES PLANNING TO COVER THE CONVENTION **
5 CAMBRIDGE PARKWAY, CAMBRIDGE, MA
Standing Up to Take Back America (2-3pm)
Gov. Howard Dean
Democracy for America
Michael Moore
Producer & Director, Fahrenheit 9/11
Issue Campaigns to Take Back America (3-4pm)
Hear leaders and experts on "kitchen table" economic issues: Jobs, Health Care/Medicare, Wages and Incomes, Education, Apollo Project on Energy and Jobs.
Robert Reich
Fmr. U.S. Secretary of Labor
Barbara Ehrenreich
Author, Nickel and Dimed
Reg Weaver*
NEA President
Carl Pope
President, Sierra Club
Bracken Hendricks
Apollo Project
Deb Callahan*
President, League of Conservation Voters
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
A Strong Coalition to Take Back America (4-5pm)
A progressive majority of Americans is uniting around a program for change. A dynamic new alliance — representing working families, women, people of color, the middle class and the poor — is working together in 2004 and beyond to advance that progressive program.
John Sweeney
President, AFL-CIO
Kim Gandy
President, National Organization for Women
Antonio Villaraigosa,
Los Angeles City Councilmember and former Speaker, California Assembly
Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL)
More...
http://www.ourfuture.org/projects/dconrsvp.cfm
What a snoozer.
New TomPaine.com Takes on the Right-Wing (NUTCASE!)
The Institute for America's Future recently unveiled an enhanced TomPaine.com website that provides a one-stop center for daily progressive analysis and actions on the Web. » more
Forging a Bold Plan to Revitalize Education (THEY DID SO WELL SO FAR /sarcasm!)
The Institute for America's Future and the Center for American Progress created a national task force to ensure excellence in public education. The task force will engage business, public policy and community leaders in a national series of major public hearings across the country. » more
The Take Back Medicare Campaign (Take it back from what?!)
A campaign to educate and mobilize Americans to reclaim Medicare from drug and insurance companies and to push for progressive healthcare reform. » more
3.3 Million New Jobs, Freedom from Imported Oil (Kerry/Edwards should go first!)
A broad coalition of labor activists, environmentalists, business and political leaders formed the Apollo Alliance to bring about a more secure energy policy and end our economic decline. » more
35 States Have Fewer Jobs On Bush Watch (which is a LIE!)
The Bush administration predicted the “Jobs and Growth” tax cut would stimulate the economy to create 5.5 million jobs by the end of 2004. The national economy has fallen over 2 million jobs short of the projected growth, with Hawaii being the only state ahead of projections. » more
Social Security Information Project (BS!)
IAF is the leading organization for education about current threats to the Social Security system. Through policy studies, talking points, survey research, and other activities, IAF provides materials that educate the public about Social Security and the pitfalls of privatization. » more
http://www.ourfuture.org/institute/index.cfm
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "The Wussification of America: Fallout from Arnold, John and Sandy"
If you haven't already joined the anti-CFR effort, please click here.
TOMPAINE.COM MERGES WITH INSTITUTE FOR AMERICA'S FUTURE
Progressive Groups Combine to Build Stronger Movement This Election Year
WASHINGTON – Two major progressive organizations merged today, creating a powerful progressive center in Washington. Institute for America's Future President Robert Borosage and TomPaine.com Publisher Ellen Miller announced the marriage of the two non-profit groups that provides new capacity to the progressive movement.
"Progressives are pulling together to counter the right-wing machine that now dominates Washington," said Borosage. "The right has no answers for the great challenges facing our country, but they dominate the debate by sheer institutional weight. A serious challenge must be organized so Americans can learn that another way is possible. Our merger positions the Institute for America's Future at the center of that fight."
"Over the next few years, we will drive progressive issues into the national debate and help build a majority movement for progressive change in this country," Miller noted. "TomPaine.com has always been a strong voice for progressive values. As part of the Institute for America's Future, its capacities will be magnified many times over."
Both organizations are designated 501(c)(3) non-profit groups under the tax code. The merger makes the Institute for America's Future and its sister organization, the Campaign for America's Future, one of the largest multi-issue progressive groups in Washington. CAF and IAF together now operate an annual budget of $5 million with more than 25 employees.
The Institute was founded by Borosage and Roger Hickey in 1996 with more than 100 progressive leaders. It has encouraged progressive groups to work together to fight for an economy that works for working people and good jobs with good benefits, affordable health care, a secure retirement, high quality public education and energy independence.
Borosage is a veteran strategist and institution builder. He worked on many progressive campaigns including Jesse Jackson's 1988 presidential election campaign and the U.S. Senate campaigns of Paul Wellstone and Barbara Boxer. Hickey co-founded the Economic Policy Institute. Together they rallied more than 2,000 progressives last year at their annual "Take Back America" conference — the largest annual progressive gatherings of its kind. The group's political clout attracted all the Democratic presidential candidates along with important progressive leaders like League of Conservation Voters President Deb Callahan, Sierra Club President Carl Pope, pollster Stanley Greenberg and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.
TomPaine.com is a voice of insight and democratic discourse on the Internet. With a weekly readership of 150,000, the site has published more than 8,000 original commentaries and news stories since its founding in 1998 by John Moyers. Its issue-based ads on the opinion editorial page of the New York Times have attracted national acclaim.
The group will unveil a new TomPaine.com website this summer. The new site will provide comprehensive progressive analysis and actions on the Web. The Campaign for America's Future this June will convene thousands of activists in Washington for this year's "Take Back America" conference.
# # #
**NOTE: Media representatives interested in more information on the Institute for America's Future and TomPaine.com's profile should contact Toby Chaudhuri at 202-955-5665 x133 or chaudhuri@ourfuture.org.**
Oh, and for those of you who think I'm not taking this election seriesly, I just made another $100 contribution to the Bush campaign, and I'm working it out to take election day off to work the phone lines.
but will they allow cameras and recorders into these looney left events?
There is a total blackout of woopie goldbergs drunken rants, why not this?
O M G .. hehehehehehe
Looks like I'll be busy getting all my house work done tomorrow .. I ain't missing this for anything
The proposal on my latest book, on Tom Paine, went out the door this week. I look forward to its publication for a variety of reasons, one of them to stick a thumb in the eye of these people.
Congressman Billybob
Latest column, "The Wussification of America: Fallout from Arnold, John and Sandy"
If you haven't already joined the anti-CFR effort, please click here.
CNS has a misleading headline. He won't speak at the convention, but at an event taking place at the same time in Boston. I presume Kerry has no control over these satellite events.
I imagine that Rove and Co. will be up to something or the other.
to Speak in Boston
He's NOT speaking at the Dem Convention:
Dems Close Convention Door To Moore
The Democratic Party apparently doesn't want Michael Moore.
The famed filmmaker who delivered a major assault on the Bush administration in his blockbuster film "Fahrenheit 9/11" was declined credentials to the Democratic National Convention in Boston next week, according to Sam Riddle, a longtime political consultant and friend of Moore.
"He's done more to galvanize the (Democratic Party) than anyone else," Riddle said. "He's just very hurt. That's all."
Riddle released to The Flint Journal on Friday portions of an e-mail Moore sent him about the snub.
"Can you believe the Dems are not going to give me credentials?!" Moore said in the e-mail signed "mm."
Moore, a Davison native, could not be reached for comment at home or through his publicist. Officials for the Democratic National Convention did not return a phone call seeking comment. A woman who answered the phone at the convention press office paused when asked about Moore and said someone would have to call a reporter back.
Moore's Web site, www.michaelmoore.com, which frequently details his personal and professional clashes, did not mention the convention dispute as of Friday evening.
But the proud liberal figures to be nonetheless popular at the convention.
He will speak and sometimes screen his latest film at receptions for the Congressional Black Caucus, union leaders and a rally dubbed "Take Back America" in Boston next week. Those events are all separate from the actual convention, however.
Traditionally, Moore has not had a chummy relationship with either major parties. He was a vocal critic of Democrats and Republicans - calling them virtually indistinguishable - in the 2000 presidential election when he actively campaigned on behalf of Ralph Nader on the Green Party ticket.
This year, he briefly supported the Democratic campaign of retired Gen. Welsey Clark.
Riddle said he still is working with politicians he knows to get Moore access to the convention floor, but said it still isn't right.
"Michael Moore should not have to go through the back door of the Democratic primary," Riddle said.
The Institute for America's Future and the Center for American Progress created a national task force to ensure excellence in public education — co-chaired by Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, Philip Murphy, senior director of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, historian and former Washington, D.C. School Board member Roger Wilkins. The task force will engage business, public policy and community leaders(HA!!! They hate business owners!) in a national series of major public hearings across the country.
At a Washington luncheon yesterday, two of the task force co-chairs outlined the task force's plan. Click here to see highlights from the launch.
The task force will document challenges facing public schools and examine a wide array of proposed solutions, from reorganizing schools, classrooms and curricula to rearranging the school day and the school year. They will begin with an examination of early education (How much earlier can they get? ). They will look for innovative new designs for the outdated K-12 system. The task force also will look for effective ways to expand access to at least two years of postsecondary education for every student.
"We are trying to prepare today's students for tomorrow's economy with yesterday's ideas," said Napolitano. "Our school system was designed in the early 20th century and hasn't seen significant changes in more than a generation."
The Task Force noted that the Chamber of Commerce has predicted that approximately 5 million jobs will be left unfilled at the end of this decade because our schools do not provide students with the preparation they need to work in these positions. (They even contradict themselves, I thought there weren't enough jobs in this country?)
"America's next biggest economic threat looms in our schools. We need to ensure that our children have the skills that they need to fill the jobs of the future," Murphy said. "The Task Force will think outside the box in order to create a new vision for public education in the United States so we can maintain our position as the leading world economy (What economy, I thought it was horrible according to them?)."
You are correct.
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