NW Progressive Convention

America In Solidarity is planning to host its first NW Progressive Convention on November 10^th in Tacoma, WA. The event will be from 9am to 4pm at the First Congregational Church (Google Maps link). This will be an all-day event, co-sponsored by AM 1090, and a great chance to meet fellow progressives, share ideas and get involved. Our itinerary includes:

• Keynote Speaker Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey
  
• Retired General Paul Eaton speaking about Iraq and what we should do there
• Congressional candidate Darcy Burner speaking about our loss of civil liberties
• Congressman Adam Smith in a Q & A about recent developments in the Middle East
• Two of the leading NW trade experts talking about our trade policies affect on working families
• A panel about clean elections and campaign finance reform
• Great workshops on immigration and affordable health care
• Presentations by each of the presidential campaigns with a chance for you to weigh in on our straw poll

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey

As Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey is a vocal and visible leader on progressive issues, particularly those dealing with children and families.   A passionate and outspoken opponent of the Iraq war, she has helped move public opinion against President Bush’s failed Iraq policy.  She introduced the first resolution calling for our troops to be brought home and convened the first congressional hearing on military exit strategies, and recently introduced H.R. 508 the Bring Our Troops Home and Sovereignty of Iraq Restoration Act.  The San Jose Mercury News recently called her “the unofficial matriarch of the [anti-war] movement in Congress.”

Some video highlights of recent speeches by Congresswoman Woolsey:

• On Iraq (July 25, 2007)
• Mine Safety Hearing
• On Troop Surge in Iraq

Civil Liberties

Darcy Burner and Sal Munglia from ACLU Washington will be on a panel about the attack on our civil liberties. Burner, a congressional candidate from Washington's 8th District, has been outspoken lately on the Bush Administration's attacks on our Constitutional rights, the FISA controversy and the Patriot Act. The panel will be moderated by Bill Moyer of the Backbone Campaign.

About our panelists:


• Darcy Burner is running for Congress in Washington's 8th Congressional District. She has spoken out about the attack on our civil liberties and is making this an issue in her campaign. Watch her speak on the FISA bill.
• Salvador A. Mungia is a partner in the Tacoma office of the law firm of Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell. He graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1984 with honors. He has been a cooperating attorney with the ACLU-W since 1986 and served on the Board of Directors of the Washington State ACLU from 1987 to 1992. As an ACLU cooperating attorney, he has litigated prisoner right and first amendment cases. In November of 2002, he argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Guillen v. Pierce County, a case involving Congress' authority under the spending and commerce clauses. He has taught constitutional law and judicial processes as an adjunt professor at Pacific Lutheran University. Mr. Mungia served as a Commissioner on the Tacoma Human Rights Commission from 1990 to 1996.

• Bill Moyer is the Executive Director and co-founded the Backbone Campaign in 2003. The Backbone Campaign's organizing during the 2004 Democratic Party caucuses in Washington State resulted in nearly verbatim adoption of Backbone Campaign civil liberties language in the King County and Washington State party platforms. They followed that by sending two activists to the DNC Platform Hearings in Hollywood, Florida with a couple frequent flyer tickets, a pile of Backbone Platform documents, and beer money. Those activists got written up in The Nation magazine for instigating a minor uprising when party rank and file delegateswere pitted against the overly cautious leadership who insisted on weaker civil liberties language.

Ret. Gen. Paul Eaton

America In Solidarity is proud to have Retired Major General Paul Eaton speak at our upcoming progressive convention about Iraq and what he would do there. Eaton, now residing on Fox Island, WA, has recently been featured in a VoteVets ad criticizing President Bush's failure to heed his military commander's advice about Iraq.

In an impressive career, General Eaton commanded the formation of the new Stryker brigades and in 2003 was appointed to rebuild the Iraqi army which he handed off to General Petraeus is 2004. In his retirement, Eaton has been quite vocal about our military and the Bush Administration's handling of Iraq. Months before the November 2006 election, he criticized Donald Rumsfeld in the New York Times. Recently he has been on MSNBC, Bill Maher, PBS, CBS' Face the Nation and testified in front of Congress.

Congressman Adam Smith

Congressman Adam Smith is one of our inaugural pledge signers, joining the AIS family in 2003 at our kickoff and has been a good friend ever since. In January he accepted our invitation to hold a town hall forum about the occupation in Iraq and in May he spoke at our thrid annual May Day Celebration.

Congressman Adam Smith is serving his 5^th term in the United States House of Representatives.  Since 1997 he has represented the 9^th Congressional District of which he is a life-long resident. Bordering the Puget Sound , the 9^th District includes parts of King, Pierce and Thurston Counties.

Adam currently serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House International Relations Committee where he has the opportunity address vital issues affecting military personnel, national security and global development.  Joining members of the House Armed Services Committee, Adam traveled to Iraq this last November where he visited with troops, military leaders and Iraqi government officials.  This was his second trip to the region.

Immigration

There will be an exciting workshop conducted by Maru Villapando of Washington Community Action Network about immigration. Those who attended her presentation at the Washington State Labor Council conbention raved about it and encouraged America In Solidarity to present it at our convention. Here is some information about Maru:

Maru Mora Villalpando is a Community Organizer at the Washington Community Action Network (La Red Activa Comunitaria de Washington).  Maru is the person immigrants go to for help when raids and detentions happen in Washington State.  She has been particularly active in helping women and families create safety plans for themselves in the event that they are deported.  She was one of the main organizers of the recent children's march in Seattle which focused on the need for family reunification and comprehensive immigration reform. Recently she helped developed a toll free line, along with other organizations, to report raids and assistance to relatives of people in detention. She has been active in the Latino media bringing the message of unity and know your rights campaign.

Convention Schedule

 

 

Schedule

 

Upstairs

8:00 - 9:00: Registration

9:00 - 9:15: Opening Remarks by Todd Iverson, America
In Solidarity

9:15 - 10:00: Keynote Address, Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey

10:00 - 11:00: Congressman Adam Smith

11:15 - 12:00: Civil Liberties Panel with Darcy Burner and
Sal Mungli

12:15 - 12:45: Bob Wickline and Family Concert

1:00 - 1:30: Presidential Candidates Campaign Presentations

1:45 - 2:45: Retired General Paul Eaton

3:00 - 4:00: Trade Issues Panel Discussion

 

 

Downstairs

All day: Progressive Groups Tabling

8:00 - 10:00: Breakfast munchies and coffee available

10:00 - 11:00: Short clip of the “Hacking Democracy” and
chance to meet fellow progressives

11:15 - 12:00: Clean Elections and Reforms Panel Discussion

12:00 - 1:30: Lunch available in Pilgrim Hall

1:45 - 2:45: Immigration Workshop

3:00 - 4:00 Health Care Workshop

Elections Reform

Craig Salins, Executive Director of Washington Public Campaigns, and State Representative Mark Miloscia (D-30th) will sit on a panel to discuss the need for campaign finance reform and Washington's attempt to have public financing of campaigns. Miloscia introduced a bill during the previous legilative session that would have allowed public financing and has been one of the movement's strongest allies in the state of Washington. This should be an excellent opportunity to learn about the present and future of campaigns in the state of Washington and beyond.

Silent Auction

There will be a silent auction going on during the convention with all proceeds benefiting our Ottilie Markholt Scholarship Fund. Last year, over 200 applicants applied for scholarships and America In Solidarity has awarded over $10,000 in the last three years. If you have an item you would like to donate, please call our office at 253-471-1123. Items include:

• Signed copy of Screwed by Air America's Thom Hartmann.
• Signed copy of Thom Hartmann's new book Cracking the Code
  
• Signed 8x10 of presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich
• Signed campaign tee shirt from Dennis Kucinich
• Signed copy of Jeremy Scahill's new book Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
• Signed copy of the new book The Secret History of the American Empire by John Perkins.
• Signed copy of John Dean's new book Broken Government
• Signed copy of Naomi Wolf's book The End of America
• Signed copy of Naomi Klein's new bestseller The Shock Doctrine
  

Wishing to table?

Want to reach hundreds of progressives about your great cause or campaign? Then come table the NW Progressive Convention. There is only room for 15 groups and we are asking a $100 donation ($200 for-profit vendors) which includes admission and lunch for two attendees. We will need at least 400 copies of your submitted material to our office by Wednesday afternoon.

For more information or to get your group or campaign part of this exciting event, send us an email or call our office at 253-471-1123.