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can cut it in the studio with us he is the hash it all victories
expenditure official title of the organizers nationally it's easier though
the national director of progressive democrats of america and p_d_ america
dot org and the co-founder tim
good to have you with us tom thanks has been a month already it's good to be
back they have since you were here last we were walking the halls of congress
aside today were back so tell us what you do and a o'brien a_b_c_ ten is a
good day for the progress as we were out there in the cannon office building
folks that have been in washington now longworth rayburn canon the oldest
so historically one of the a nicer houses again and reorganize we called a
progressive roundtable
the chance for progress democrats america it's an invite members of
congress to be our guest
to dialogue with them and talk to them and their staff about uh... sequester
and worry are now going into the union tonight
and more importantly to bring those of us are doing outside work to the insight
as you know inside outside so we had members of the peace community there
with us we have folks are working on talking about are transitioning of the
defense industries to meeting human needs
arctic rina khana me talking to members of congress about
well we could do with a million dollars
uh... personals in afghanistan for home alexa spend that money
so it's a great opportunity for us to dialogue and then to let them know next
wednesday
the big time for all of us hopefully all the listeners
is to get to your member of congress not everybody can come to washington
as we said so we talkin' about next wednesday over a hundred activists i'd
just like you and i on will be taking to our district offices to have the same
dialogue with our member of congress coming up a single you know local office
correctly
so that she will be a don't talk to your member of congress
to cynically about this
rediculous discussion issue for us so eloquently been talking about
this ridiculous discussion of austerity circling about prosperity we can't cut
ourselves out of this we gotta start talking about
job seekers are talking about taxing wall street in
and we got to take this message out here
back charge us across is that so we planted in expansion no country is to
the world has ever taxed its way for exiting as ever cut its way to
prosperity
or yahoo
actually we have to actually aspect i think you would raise their taxes we
accept that money on things like
in a national infrastructure and worked it bring lincoln started threatened
worked quite well
but the no countries are kind of experience this is just it's it's it's
it's it's crazy
it's for what a critic
let me get this right
you'll come to
washing the sea
president across america p_d_ america dot org
and
several
in one of the buildings that were bombers the house representative offices
and you say to members of congress climbed on top of the yet which was that
easy can actually showed well this is a long process we dinesh you know eight
years in the making
uh... takes a while to get a member of congress attention is one thing too
simply going to ya office and get your calendar and get out the door it's
another thing to really engage in this is a result of a lot of work
but precedent across america began four years ago
with the campaign that we call brownback lunch visuals
where we physically went to our district office is not just a drop a letter off
as will do next wednesday but we actually when down from the kamesh
losses and talked to just folks during the lunch hour to share with them where
there are tax dollars for going in real terms what it meant
uh... during the buildup in afghanistan and some more
on iraq was going for what it meant in real terms
so we spent uh... a number of years going to district offices some cases to
three years out of that relationship
uh... we began
uh... what we can now caller press a round table so we this is our third one
we started uh... stew
months ago
with the idea of
rather than being a guessing here not there to say we invited them to come
here what we had to say
so no it didn't just happen by picking up the phone calling them it was a lot
of organizing and as a result of
seventy thousand activist who for the community a
a progressive democrats asker members of congress
to have a discussion with us to create that space
so it's a good thing and uh... we'll be back next what they're really keep going
until we succeed in some of your first paris must you be coming there was a
congress drop by let's quality remember last time i was here with you the only
member we actually met with christian was judge in the governor and the uh...
that point office will close the spanish is right now what
today why aren't there were no actual numbers that came through the doors all
of the
that the key groups that we were quicker the ke group we work with in congress
is a congressional progressive caucus the cpc
robot of people are even where there are some restrict members
that identified themselves as for grace one of the largest caucuses in congress
yet it's is the largest on the democratic side and the two co-chairs
are rolled her father out of tucson arizona
anti telesat so their offices were represented today
uh... the ranking member in the judiciary committee
uh... democrat koshen john conyers
who has been
unwavering
in his support enhanced medicare for our short hair
single-payer he was represented at the meeting
after his staff uh... a number of officers came and went after today we
were there for two and half hours
of what was important almost
that's one of my friends are indicator west eight income discussing felt they
had to or that your pressure
they are so they were rolling up their sleeves and we're having a discussion as
progresses
how difficult a hard it is when you're in or t within a minority
rutherford democrats are ready to minority with a progressive system in
erie within our own party
how can we be relevant
what can we do in this space over the course that next year or two
how can we organize ourselves but inside and outside washington
knowing that we're not gonna pass single-payer but what can we do by
coming here month-to-month out and that's the dollar community to educate
folks for the work we're doing and then to bring it back home and that's what
today was about it was to remind us numbers what we're doing and to get back
into opportunities
as i said when we began not everybody can get to washington
that all of this community community sinking visitor members of congress at
least once a month we thank you very much are i think a lot of people don't
realize that members of the house represents members of congress have
local offices acc
and guitar you can we do not have to come to washington d_c_ d_c_ to too
to talk to people in the office the eight people who actually will
take serious or you have to say and will communicate back to it
to to the big cheese in it to the to the to a member of congress i'm still
idealistic enough to believe in a are governed by and for the people this is
an opportunity next week that's why we're going next week members contravene
recess
the way back in your district offices
pick up the phone organize for five your friend schedule some time
yes i can meet with a member of congress but you're gonna meet with that stafford
and out of that meeting
they're gonna develop a relationship and then you're gonna go back the next time
there's a recess
and then the next time the member does the town hall meeting you're gonna
remind him or her
of your work there and eventually
in some cases and that's what p_d_a_s about
is you will meet with us members of congress we have p_d_ activist now
across the country that routinely meet with their member of congress
has to take a very seriously now that this a citizen
our diplomacy citizen activism at its best at its core
remembers country