I posit two observations: one, that New York has a Progressive movement, and two, that this movement faces clear challenges and opportunities, in the electoral and policy sphere, and also as far as infrastructure is concerned.

In terms of common electoral and policy goals, I would identify several.

On the Federal electoral level, obviously, there is the Presidential contest. The conventional wisdom has it that Hillary will carry New York easily; I'll believe that when the other candidates cede this state, and when I see a primary poll that has the Senator above 50%. Also on the Federal level, there are three Congressional seats well worth targeting: NY-03 (Peter King), NY-13 (Vito "Independent" Fossella), NY-29 (Randy "Shotgun" Kuhl).

The Albany Project is offering something I'd like to direct your attention to:

[N]ext Wednesday the TAP Book Club will meet again right here on the internets at 7pm. Our guest will be Mr Frameshop himself, Jeffrey Feldman. Jeffrey will join us to discuss his fantastic new book, Framing the Debate: Famous Presidential Speeches and How Progressives Can Use Them to Change the Conversation (and Win Elections). I hope we can really get to the heart of what Jeffrey is trying to say in his book about building our own progressive frames whilst ignoring the frames of the right, though I'm sure there will be at least some discussion about what it feels like to be "Fairbanksed".

I know it's short notice and all, but Jeffrey's book is widely available now and I read it in one sitting on a flight to LA a couple of weeks back. I so hope tht you'll join us for the discussion of this great piece of work and the ideas therein.

Framing is the critical skill for Progressives. Feldman has literally written the book on it. I haven't read it myself, yet - perhaps the publisher could send over a copy? - but if you've followed his work on the Kos, you'll love it, I'm sure.

I already posted the footage of Bill Richardson and Barack Obama's responses. Here is the one I had missed so far.

While Karl Rove was dancing his Dance Macabre at the National Correspondents' Dinner (see Lorraine's diary on Culture Kitchen), his Swift Boat Liars were firing up their attack machine and aiming for one of the progressive grassroot's top candidates. Congressman Jerry McNerney came up from behind to defeat a corrupt Republican incumbent largely because the progressive grassroots, including Democracy for New York City (even though he's in California!), backed him heavily. And, as you would expect from a man who resigned from West Point to protest the Vietnam war and who became an engineer to design wind turbines, Congressman McNerney has taken a real leadership role in the fight to get our troops out of the Iraq quagmire and to build an alternative energy infrastructure to help mitigate global warming. Congressman McNerney has already started to live up to the promise we all saw in him.

So now that he is under attack, I hope we can back him up against Karl Rove's jive. This comes from McNerney's campaign:

Yesterday, our campaign got hit with a one-two punch. First, a scandalous House hearing unearthed a secret document from a deputy of Karl Rove revealing that the GOP “architect” is targeting me as #3 on his political hit list.

From NDM:

NDM Special Event Alert | Steve Behar tonight

Dear Member,

please join us tonight for a fundraiser to benefit one of our own, Progressive candidate for City Council Steve Behar. Steve is running for the City Council in the 19th District, and is a true Progressive that will make all of us proud. Please review the invitation below and give the man some love.
-
Steve Behar for New York

Red Sky
47 East 29th Street
March 27th, 2007
6 – 8:30 PM
$3 beer specials, $4 Martinis and Cosmos from 6 – 8 PM

Donation levels:
Pal $10
Buddy $25
Old Chum $50
Fan $100 or above

Please make checks payable to Steve Behar for New York.

RSVP
Please RSVP to cway175 at aol dot com

Host Committee
Albert Baldeo, Steven Beard, Michael Bouldin, Wayne Brooks, Joanna Coleman, Costa Constantinides, Paul Curtis, Jimmy Dahroug, Miriam Danar, Ed Hartzog, Dan Jacoby, Melanie LaRocca, Merle McEldowney, Dana Northcraft, Liza Sabater, Brian Schneider, Carolyn Schultz, Chet Szarejko

Give the guy some love, will ya?

There's a big story in The New York Times today, confirming what many people involved have long suspected: the NYPD's intelligence unit infiltrated and subsequently filed reports on various Progressive left political groups in New York City that were engaged with the 2004 Republican National Convention under the pretext of stopping criminal activity in opposition to that event. This also provides a case study into government dysfunction in New York on several levels.

But potential troublemakers were hardly the only ones to end up in the files. In hundreds of reports stamped “N.Y.P.D. Secret,” the Intelligence Division chronicled the views and plans of people who had no apparent intention of breaking the law, the records show.

These included members of street theater companies, church groups and antiwar organizations, as well as environmentalists and people opposed to the death penalty, globalization and other government policies. Three New York City elected officials were cited in the reports.

In at least some cases, intelligence on what appeared to be lawful activity was shared with police departments in other cities. A police report on an organization of artists called Bands Against Bush noted that the group was planning concerts on Oct. 11, 2003, in New York, Washington, Seattle, San Francisco and Boston. Between musical sets, the report said, there would be political speeches and videos.

“Activists are showing a well-organized network made up of anti-Bush sentiment; the mixing of music and political rhetoric indicates sophisticated organizing skills with a specific agenda,” said the report, dated Oct. 9, 2003. “Police departments in above listed areas have been contacted regarding this event.”

Madam Speaker.

Charlie Rangel.

Wyclef Jean.

More, including commentary, on the flip.

You bloggers really are becoming the 800 pound Gorilla in the room.

That is what a good friend said to me today (paraphrased), I think with some surprise behind it. He will laugh that I am using that line, but in retrospect it really sets the tone for this evening.

My friend is a major player in Brooklyn politics. I'd say who because I have lots good to say and he has some ambitions, but I think he prefers to keep his name out of the blogs. But today he said that bloggers have become the 800 lb. Gorilla in the room. I laughed and let it pass as we talked about local politics. But tonight I kept coming back to that statement as I stood, among some of the biggest big wigs of the party, and realized that it was true.

Yesterday a bunch of us got invited as guests to a major DCCC dinner in Manhattan honoring Nancy Pelosi. This really was playing with the big boys, and we got invited. The venue was Cipriani, a prime ballroom on Wall Street with Corinthian columns that make everyone, even Eliot Spitzer, look short. The ceiling is dilapidated and needs major restoration, but the rest of the place was spectacular...in a way that is gaudy and I largely dislike. But this is the kind of place where the big boys play.

Via Politico, and privately confirmed: due to his wife's recurring bout with cancer, Presidential candiate John Edwards will suspend active campaigning. He is still, however, running for President, and supposedly, this will be only a short interruption depending on Elizabeth Edwards' status.

Warm thoughts and prayers for Elizabeth Edwards, I'm sure, would be warmly appreciated.

[Update]: Live press conference. Nope, the campaign goes on, he's still running, and nothing will change.

Well, this is very interesting and potentially very useful: People for the American Way emails over to announce their new web site, PFAW-NY. The site, it appears (I didn't get a press release) is intended as the state-level organizing and messaging portal for People For's Northeast Regional office.

What's truly exciting about this is that it provides yet another new tool for organizing and activism in New York. There's been a lack of these in the past, which is perhaps a contributing factor in this state's sorry condition. People For's engagement at the state level also continues a trend of national actors getting involved in state and local matters; for example, the Center for American Progress started its StateProgress project some time ago. Notably, the New York office has been instrumental in the past in forging grassroots Progressive coalitions, for example in the Supreme Court fights of recent memory.

So give them a big hand, check out the site, sign up for emails, and all that good stuff.

On the web:

People for the American Way
PFAW-NY