Progressives Form 'One Nation' Coalition to Compete With Tea Party

Politics Daily ^ | July 12, 2010 | Christopher Weber

[2ndDivisionVet]

Progressives have launched the left's version of the Tea Party movement.

Dubbed "One Nation," it's a grassroots coalition of 170 liberal and civil rights groups that organizers hope will help the progressive cause regain its voice two years after the election of Barack Obama and "counter the Tea Party narrative," The Washington Post reported.

"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 (pictured, left, with SEIU Local 1199 President George Gresham).

The coalition came together out of political necessity, Paul Starr, a professor of public affairs at Princeton University, told the Post.

Liberal leaders see "much of the progressive agenda at risk in this election," said Starr, who also edits the American Prospect, a liberal magazine. "There is no choice but for these groups to get together. The historical pattern is that voter turnout falls disproportionately among minorities and young people at these midterm elections, so they are fighting a historical trend."

[Fresh Wind]

A Hippie Circus just before the election....priceless.

Not exactly priceless. It will cost the taxpayers plenty for extra police and a massive trash removal operation afterwards.

[skimbell]

"...ONE PEOPLE.....

ONE PARTY..........

ONE NATION..............

I seem to remember this from some other national socialist group..."

This what you're looking for? It is pretty close.

Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer

[gthog61]

hahahaha

so the professional protestors are going to try to fake like they are a “spontaneous” movement?

hahahahahaha

[Mike Darancette]

It will cost the taxpayers plenty for extra police and a massive trash removal operation afterwards.

You are assuming anyone will come.

[RegulatorCountry]

Progressives have launched the left's version of the Tea Party movement.

Kos Koffee Klatch, take two.

[Eye of Unk]

This will only further divide the nation, another strategy coming from the puppetmasters of Obama.

A divided weakened America is how it will fall.

For all of the chest heaving that the NAACP with Michelle Obamas prodding they will never be as large and organized as the Tea Party, they will be constantly fighting each other, let them try, but it will fail.

[Fresh Wind]

You are assuming anyone will come.

They may have to do what King Obama did for his Berlin worshipfest. Sign up some rock bands and provide an ocean of free beer, and the faithful will show up.

[FreeAtlanta]

I wish there was truth in politics/advertising, and they would be forced to stop using the “Democratic” party name, the word “progressive” and would have to call themselves what they are, “Marxist” “Elitist” “Communist” “Snobs” “Lawyers”

[FreeAtlanta]

Somebody needs to have a serious sit down talk with Jimmy Buffet. There is ZERO reason for him to keep backing Obama and Marxists. He seems like a good guy. He needs to stop.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

it's a grassroots coalition of 170 liberal and civil rights groups

Oxymoron alert!

My sentiment exactly - any "coalition of 170 liberal and civil rights groups" is Astroturf.

[listenhillary]

No money, the cupboard is bare.

SS, Medicare and Medicaid now consume all of our current tax receipts. EVERY government dollar spent outside of these programs is a borrowed dollar.

We spent 700 BILLION last year on interest alone. Out tax receipts at last look were 2 trillion dollars. Our options are hyper inflation or cuts government that will make people moan.

[Mike Darancette]

Sign up some rock bands and provide an ocean of free beer, and the faithful will show up.

Moon Bats and beer? It just keeps getting better and better.

[MrB]

“An organizer must stir up dissatisfaction and discontent. Your one function [is] to agitate to the point of conflict.” -— Saul Alinsky

[MrB]

The thing that they don’t seem to “get” is that they’ll never reproduce the energy of the “Tea Party” movement with a top-down, organized-by-diktat organization.

---

The thing is, they have no concept of any other way of doing things than “top-down, organized-by-diktat”.

This is why the Tea Party is driving them nuts - “who’s the LEADER of the Tea Party!!???” (so we can attack him).

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

astro-turf-roots?

Yup.

[Oceander]

Oh, this I love! This is going to be another one of those gifts that keep on giving!

Anyone recall any of the dustups in Australian politics in the 1990s? If you do, then you'll recall the One Nation Party - a group that was lambasted by the lefties as being nothing but a bunch of white, racist, xenophobic rubes.

It will be such a pleasure to tie that can onto the tails of the liberals here and now - that they have now shown their true colors by affiliating with such a group.



Visit their current website, and I think you'll realize that, for the most part, their racism and xenophobia were over-hyped by the left-wing media for ulterior political motives; nonetheless, I do not believe for a moment that the liberals in this country (not the same as the Liberal Party in Australia, which is more akin to our republicans than our neo-fascist lefties) will want to be associated, even if solely by virtue of a common name, with these folks.

Ah, liberalism - the gift that keeps on giving.

[VideoDoctor]

It'll die without ever getting off the ground.

[Lorica]

Liberal leaders see "much of the progressive agenda at risk in this election," said Starr, who also edits the American Prospect, a liberal magazine.

There's a lot riding on the midterm elections.

[GregoTX]

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.

The should call it the Democratic National Committee or simply the DNC.

[UCANSEE2]

I wonder how much of OUR tax $$$ is going to organize Progressive’s ‘One Nation’

All of it.