Middle class isn't middle of the road: Take politicians’ populist shpeil and make it real
We know that populism wins elections, but once a politician wins how do we make sure that pro-middle class policies are actually implemented? Blue Dogs and the media conflate being pro-middle class with being “centrist”.
The debt stricken, under-insured public's realization that their personal economic struggles are really political struggles presents an opportunity for lasting progressive change. Barack Obama's agenda includes healthcare and transportation among other investments in our country that the middle class needs-- but these aren't free. How can the netroots mobilize to make it politically possible to pass Obama's domestic agenda in a Grover Norquist-shaped world?
Since 2002, Andrea Batista Schlesinger has applied her background in public policy, politics and communications to turn the Drum Major Institute (DMI), originally founded by an advisor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, into a progressive policy institute with national impact. Under Andrea's leadership, DMI released several policy papers including "TheMiddleClass.org 2007 Congressional Scorecard” and “Election '08: A Pro-Civil Justice Presidential Platform." Andrea studied public policy at the University of Chicago, is on the Editorial Board of The Nation and a contributor to Huffington Post. Andrea diarys at: www.dmiblog.com/archives/authors/4.html
Julia is Online Political Director for the California Courage Campaign. She got her start in politics working for Common Cause and then the Alliance for a Better California. Julia continued her work within the labor movement serving as the Online Communications Director for Working Californians. Her background is in connecting the netroots and the labor movement to bring about progressive change. She is currently an editor at Calitics and a regular contributor to Crooks and Liars, when she isn't blogging at her personal site Ruck Pad. Julia currently serves as a trainer for the New Organizing Institute.
Elana Levin works for Workers United, an SEIU affiliate, representing workers in the US and Canada in the laundry, food service, hospitality, gaming, apparel, textiles manufacturing and distribution industries. Workers United is a new union with a 100 year heritage, and includes members from predecessor unions like the ILGWU ("Look for the Union Label"), ACTWU, UNITE and UNITE HERE. Our members make Obama's suits.
Elana has worked for The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy, other unions, community organizations and has worked NYC primary elections while keeping some of her belongings intact. Some.
She blogs at Dkos & twitter.com/Elana_Brooklyn
David Goldstein is an accidental activist who stumbled into politics in 2003 with a satirical statewide initiative to officially proclaim Washington's serial anti-tax initiative sponsor, Tim Eyman, "a horse's ass." A year later, Goldstein transformed his campaign website into a local, political blog. A mix of snark, satire, muckraking and surprisingly thoughtful analysis, HorsesAss.org quickly became the most influential political blog in Washington state. Goldstein also blogs at Huffington Post, has been published in The Nation and The Stranger, and is a fill-in host on Seattle's News/Talk 710-KIRO.
David Sirota is a political journalist, nationally syndicated weekly newspaper columnist and bestselling author living in Denver. His most recently published book, The Uprising, was recently named to the New York Times Best Seller list, joining its predecessor, Hostile Takeover. He is widely known for his reporting on political corruption, globalization and working-class economic issues often ignored by both of America's political parties. His weekly column, which was launched by Creators Syndicate in the Fall of 2007, now appears in newspapers with a combined daily circulation of more than 1.6 million readers.
