You should go to the PDA movie screening

If you can't send $100 to PDA for the premiere pass that gets you into
the theater for the screening as well as into the post-show reception,
you have another option--signing up as a PDA change
makes change partner for as low as $10-per-month, and you'll
receive a free ticket that covers both events that night if you enter
WME in the special funds drive box.

The film's big-screen debut in Manhattan will benefit PDA's 2008
organizing efforts in New York congressional districts, and also
launch a documentary that Howard Zinn calls "superb" and The Nation
magazine describes as "chilling and persuasive." PDA supporters will
gather at 7:00 that night--Friday, March 14--at the Quad Cinema, 34 W.
13th Street.

see: PDA event to raise funds for NY Congressional races

Join PDA's email list

More on the PDA endorsement

PDA's recent endorsement of Steve Harrison is quite significant given their recent success in MD-04 primary. PDA joined with DFA and several unions including SEIU to help Donna Edwards defeat an incumbent nine term Democrat in the primary. In a national email to their membership Donna thanks PDA for their role in the election;

I want to thank the hardworking PDA activists across the country who helped with the predictive phone bank and contributed to my campaign, as well as, those people throughout the district who worked as human billboards, distributed campaign literature, made phone calls, and performed other forms of voter outreach.

PDA could bring invaluable volunteers into this race and if I had the option of having the volunteer advantage or the fund raising advantage I would gladly take the volunteers. You can buy ads and literature all you want, but if you don't have a ground game distributing those, talking to voters and getting them to the polls they are useless. If Democracy for America (DFA) follows suit and gets involved in this race on Harrison's behalf, which would not surprise me given DFNYC's involvement, I would think Harrison would quickly have the advantage in this race. I would also give him a sizable and experienced volunteer advantage. DFNYC enthusiastically campaigned for Barbaro in 2004 so they do have some history with this district and wanting to take out Fossella.

One question I will have to follow up on is whether some of the elected officials who are backing Recchia can turn out their volunteers and GOTV on his behalf.

I am trying to find details on how much money PDA brought into the MD-04 race, but the FEC page is acting up.

Harrison picks up national PDA endorsement

This is a major endorsement for Steve Harrison considering the ability for PDA's membership to both raise money and provide volunteers for the campaign. Additionally this goes a long way to solidifying Steve's standing as the progressive candidate

Congressional candidate Steve Harrison (NY 13th Congressional District Staten Island and Southwest Brooklyn) captured the Progressive Democrats of America’s (PDA) national endorsement on February 28. The local 13th CD chapter endorsed Harrison on February 23.


Harrison is seeking to unseat New York City’s only Republican House member Vito Fossella. Harrison received a higher percentage of the vote running against Fossella in 2006 than any Democrat ever under the district’s current configuration.


PDA works inside and outside the Democratic Party to further the progressive agenda, addressing issues such as healthcare, ending the Iraq war, election integrity, economic justice and ending global warming. PDA mobilizes the progressive grassroots base for Congressional races and social justice movements.


“With PDA’s endorsement on the local and national level, Harrison has demonstrated his ability to attract grassroots support,” says PDA regional spokes person, Frances Anderson.


In addition to the local and national PDA endorsements, Harrison has recently been endorsed by the progressive Staten Island Democratic Association (SIDA) and the more centrist Democratic Organization of Richmond.


Iconic Democratic and labor leader Frank Barbaro endorsed Steve in December. Barbaro represented parts of the current 13th CD in the assembly. Ms. Magazine founder Gloria Steinem has also endorsed Harrison.

update: Tom covers the endorsement.

If you know of any other endorsements for Domenic Recchia or Steve Harrison please pass them along and I will post.

PDA event to raise funds for NY Congressional races

I received an email today from PDA, Progressive Democrats of America announcing a March 14th theatrical premiere of War Made Easy. Iraq can be a pivotal issue of this Congressional race and thus this movie should be great impetus to get active in the upcoming elections. But the best part;

Proceeds from the evening will benefit Progressive Democrats of America's 2008 organizing efforts in New York congressional districts. All in all, a great way to spend $100 for a ticket that gets you into the theater for the special screening as well as into the post-show reception. Seating is limited, and I hope you'll click here now.

This is the national PDA group organizing this event. The local chapter of PDA in the 13th has endorsed Steve Harrison. There are no promises that proceeds of this event will go into campaigning in the 13th but certainly we can try to get them involved. Speaking of which one of the best ways to get them involved is to get involved in their organization.

Join PDA's email list

update: via Tom;

Harrison hopes that the local PDA support will lead to an endorsement from the national PDA, "which would translate into troops and treasure for our campaign."

Local PDA chapter endorses Steve Harrison

I have been traveling for several days without internet access, sorry for the light coverage.

The local chapter of Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) has endorsed Steve Harrison;

The local chapter of Progressive Democrats of America, representing the 13th Congressional District, voted tonight to unanimously endorse Steve Harrison for Congress at a meeting at the Armory Inn in Westerleigh. At the meeting, Steve Harrison spoke about the importance of defending the principles of the U.S. Constitution and the need to create real energy independence in the United States, including revitalizing our manufacturing capabilities in the process. After his talk, he fielded several questions in a lively Q&A session. In answering the PDA candidate questionnaire, Mr. Harrison responded, “Our current Congressperson, Vito Fossella, poorly represents our district. As NYC's only House Republican, Fossella votes with Bush and against our interests 90% of the time. He supports Bush's fiscal policy that has cut critical middle class programs, while bankrupting this country. And he wants to indefinitely continue the failed war in Iraq, which costs us billions of dollars and countless American lives.”

Steve Harrison’s challenger for the Democratic nomination, Domenic Recchia, was invited to the meeting but did not attend.

Formed in January 2005, Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) works to build a Democratic Party controlled by citizens – with policies that serve the broad public interest, not just private interests. It is a grassroots PAC that works inside the Democratic Party, and in coalition with other groups working to end the war in Iraq, advocate for health care for all, ensure clean elections, and slow global warming.

PDA played a key role in the stunning electoral victories of Democratic Congressional candidates of November 2006. The 13th Congressional District Chapter of PDA was started in January 2008 to bring attention to the 2008 local congressional election.

Steve is quickly wrapping up the activist support in the district with the recent SIDA endorsement, the DFNYC activity (no endorsement yet) and now this. I am curious to see if the local PDA group can give this race some attention with their national group. PDA was very active with the Donna Edwards race in MD-04 where she knocked off a Democratic incumbent thanks in large part to tremendous activist support both in terms of money and volunteers on the ground.