Progressive Caucus set to be largest Democratic group in 110th Congress

[ProgressiveEconomist]

From http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=10002 :

"November 10, 2006

Progressives Set To Be Largest Democratic Congressional Caucus

US Representatives Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), the co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), have announced that they expect at least seven new members of Congress to join the CPC and that the CPC will be the largest sub-group of the Democratic party in the 110th Congress. The CPC currently has 64 members ... According to The Nation, the CPC will not only be the largest caucus in Congress, but also the most racially and regionally diverse.

... Ed Perlmutter (CO), Bruce Braley (IA), John Sarbanes (MD), Keith Ellison (MN), Carol Shear-Porter (NH), Paul Hodes (NH), and John Hall (NY) are all likely additions to the CPC based on their platforms that resonate strongly with the goals of the CPC, The Nation reports. The CPC has reasserted their agenda for Congress, committing to advocate for a new national security strategy, the reduction of poverty, voter reform, and energy independence.

According to Representative Woolsey, "at least half of the incoming chairs of the House standing committees will be Progressive Caucus Members" and the next House Majority Leader, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), formerly belonged to the CPC before becoming the leader of all House Democrats. The presence of CPC members in such leadership positions will ensure that the CPC will be able to contribute considerably to the agenda in the 110th Congress."

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Sweet!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

8. LINK to article in The Nation mentioned in the OP

.From http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?pid=139093 :

"The Crowded Progressive Caucus

Posted 11/10/2006 @ 08:16am

The largest ideological caucus in the new House Democratic majority will be the Congressional Progressive Caucus, with a membership that includes New York's Charles Rangel, Michigan's John Conyers, Massachusetts' Barney Frank and at least half the incoming chairs of House standing committees.

The caucus currently has 64 members -- up 14 since last year -- and its co-chairs, California Democrats Lynn Woolsey and Barbara Lee, say they expect that as many as eight incoming House Democrats will join the CPC. The number could actually go higher, as several candidates in undecided House races ran with strong progressive support. (The CPC worked with labor and progressive groups to assist a number of candidates in targeted races around the country this year, reflecting the more aggressive approach it has taken since the caucus was reorganized under the leadership of Lee and Woolsey and hired veteran labor and political organizer Bill Goold as a full-time staffer.)

The caucus will need an infusion of new members -- not because those associated with it lost elections Tuesday but because they won. CPC members Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Sherrod Brown of Ohio will be leaving the House to become U.S. Senators. Interestingly, the two members of the "Blue Dog" caucus who ran for the Senate, Hawaii's Ed Case and Tennessee's Harold Ford, both lost. ...

Do the math. While the Blue Dogs are predicting that the membership of their caucus may grow from 37 to 44 members, and the New Democrats hope their membership will edge up from the mid-forties to over the 50 mark, the Progressives are looking at the prospect that their caucus -- the most racially and regionally diverse ideological grouping in the Congress -- could number more than 70 members once the new House is seated."

[Ken Burch]

2. Congratulations!

nt.

[Rainscents]

3. Sweeeeet!!!

[pissedoffprogressive]

4. It feels good

[I_Make_Mistakes]

5. Do u remember when the news got worse and worse with each

day? That was yesterday, since Tuesday, thinks just get better and better everyday! It feels good!

[hvn_nbr_2]

6. Yes!!!! nt

[ProgressiveEconomist]

7. CPC mission statement / membership link

http://cpc.lee.house.gov/index.cfm?SectionID=2&ParentID=0&SectionTypeID=2&SectionTree=2

IMO these congresspeople would be the most receptive in Washington to ideas from DUers, especially from DUers who vote in their Congressional Districts. Many good ideas I've seen on DU already fall within the scope of the CPC Mission Statement.

IMO, this is a great bookmark for DUers who want to move from mere criticism of the WH to helping the 110th Congress actually do some progressive things.

[Maven]

9. K/R

[ProgressiveEconomist]

10. Thanks for the K/R