Democracy for America
Encyclopedia
Democracy for America is a progressive
, people-powered political action committee
, headquartered in South Burlington
, Vermont
. Founded by former Democratic National Committee
Chairman Howard Dean
in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists, and provides funding directly to candidates for office.
The organization has more than 1 million members in the United States and internationally.
in advance of a planned campaign for President. In March 2004 the organization was renamed "Democracy for America".
Following his unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election
, Dean used the organization to build on the grassroots momentum for Democratic
candidates around the country. DFA used the Internet-based, grassroots organizing that Dean had created for his presidential campaign to help like-minded Democrats get elected. In 2004 the organization endorsed and supported Democrats (known as the Dean Dozen
) on the federal, state, and county levels.
In 2005, Dean turned over control of the organization to his brother, Jim Dean
, when he became DNC Chair.
Since then, Democracy for America has helped elect over 600 progressives into office, including President Barack Obama
, while building their membership to over a million like-minded progressives across all fifty states.
In 2007, DFA became the first carbon-neutral political action committee in the United States.
Notable past DFA endorsements have included:
of the American political spectrum
. Although they often endorse and advocate for Democratic Party
candidates, DFA opposes the official Democratic Party on issues such as same-sex marriage
, which they favor legalizing. Their support of a system of public health care in the United States is also to the left of many national and state Democratic lawmakers.
DFA's liberal policies have led them to oppose established Democrats whose policies contradict their own. In 2006, the group supported Ned Lamont
over incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman in Connecticut's primary and general elections
. Lamont eventually won the primary election, but lost the general election to Lieberman, who ran as an independent. That year, DFA also supported political newcomer Carol Shea-Porter in her successful Democratic primary and general election victory
. in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district
. In 2008, the group supported newcomer Donna Edwards
in her upset primary victory against former Rep. Albert Wynn
of Maryland's 4th congressional district
During the 2008 Minnesota Senate election
between Al Franken
and Norm Coleman
, Democracy for America partnered with the Progressive Campaign Change Committee for the "Donate a Dollar a Day to Make Norm Go Away". Through the campaign, participants give a donation of a dollar a day for every day Norm Coleman continued to contest the results of the election, which he lost to Franken following an official state-wide recount. The campaign has raised more than $150,000 to "help progressive candidates run effective campaigns and win."
In 2010, DFA launched their "Primaries Matter" campaign with the goal of electing better Democrats into office, instead of just any Democrat. In the Pennsylvania
Democratic primary, DFA endorsed Joe Sestak in his successful primary challenge to incumbent Senator Arlen Specter
, who switched to the Democratic Party in April 2009 after 44 years as an elected Republican
. DFA also endorsed Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall
in North Carolina's
Democratic primary run-off for U.S. Senate. Marshall went on to beat fellow Democrat Cal Cunningham
, who was endorsed by national party leaders. DFA got deeply involved in the Democratic run-off in Arkansas
as well, backing challenger Lt. Gov. Bill Halter
in his race against incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln
. Halter went on to lose, but only by 4% in a state that went overwhelmingly to John McCain
in the 2008 presidential election.
has been the focus of most of DFA's activity since the 2008 presidential election. DFA believes that it is a travesty that currently 47 million Americans do not have health care. Over 14,000 lose their health insurance every day, and more than 44,000 Americans die each year. Because of this DFA has concentrated on promoting legislation that is designed to achieve universal coverage, mirroring the advocacy of the group's founder, Howard Dean. The organization launched a website, "Stand with Dr. Dean", to campaign for a reform of the American health care system with the creation of a public option. A petition on the website has gathered more than 400,000 signatures as of November 2009.
DFA has also worked to restrict legislation from being passed that requires voters to present government-issued identification cards, birth certificates, and passports before they are allowed into the voting booth. The organization has at various times deemed the laws "excessive" and "Draconian," and has argued that the laws inhibit ordinary citizens from being able to enter the polling stations.
DFA favors legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States
. In 2009, the organization sent volunteers to Maine
to campaign against Ballot Question 1, which nullified a same-sex marriage law passed by the state's legislature
. In 2010, DFA worked with the Courage Campaign
to push for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
, getting nearly 100,000 members to sign an open letter to President Obama and the nation's Senators.
In response to the Wall Street
-driven financial crisis, DFA launched their “Move Your Money Campaign” with The Huffington Post
and filmmaker Eugene Jarecki
. The idea is to move money out of the big banks and into more community driven financial institutions.
In reaction to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
, DFA introduced their "Boycott BP" initiative to get BP
to make the clean-up effort in the gulf their #1 priority, rather than their bottom line.
Before the invasion in March, 2003, Democracy for America members were outspoken critics of the war. Since then they have continued to fight against the war, with phone calls and letters to congress. In 2006 and 2008, they helped elect a new democratic majority congress, laying the groundwork to demand that American troops are withdrawn from Iraq.
Also in 2008, Democracy for America endorsed outspoken Iraq war critic Barack Obama
, who later went on to become the 44th President. In February of 2009, President Obama stated unequivocally that American combat operations in Iraq will end no later than August 31, 2010.
"DFA Night School" is the organization's online
training program. Each session is an hour-long interactive conference call and web presentation where trainees participate and ask questions.
gers, known as the "Netroots Nation Scholarship". In 2010, DFA sent 60 online activists to Netroots Nation, held in Las Vegas, NV from July 22–25. Other sites for the Netroots Nation Convention have included Austin, TX in 2008 and Pittsburgh, PA in 2009.
. Similar to Sen. Russ Feingold
's Progressive Patriot corps, organizers will represent an in-kind contribution to the recipient campaign. The goal is to hire, train and place field organizers on key progressive campaigns to get more real progressive Democrats elected in all 50 states at all levels of office. The program failed pathetically.
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
, people-powered political action committee
Political action committee
In the United States, a political action committee, or PAC, is the name commonly given to a private group, regardless of size, organized to elect political candidates or to advance the outcome of a political issue or legislation. Legally, what constitutes a "PAC" for purposes of regulation is a...
, headquartered in South Burlington
South Burlington, Vermont
-Economy:CommutAir, a regional airline, is headquartered in the city, by the airport. The Magic Hat Brewing Company, one of the United States's larger craft breweries, is located here.One measure of economic activity is retail sales...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. Founded by former Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
Chairman Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
in 2004, DFA leads public awareness campaigns on a variety of public policy issues, trains activists, and provides funding directly to candidates for office.
The organization has more than 1 million members in the United States and internationally.
History
Dean created the PAC Fund for a Healthy America in 2001 in MontpelierMontpelier, Vermont
Montpelier is a city in the U.S. state of Vermont that serves as the state capital and the shire town of Washington County. As the capital of Vermont, Montpelier is the site of the Vermont State House, seat of the legislative branch of Vermont government. The population was 7,855 at the 2010...
in advance of a planned campaign for President. In March 2004 the organization was renamed "Democracy for America".
Following his unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Dean used the organization to build on the grassroots momentum for Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidates around the country. DFA used the Internet-based, grassroots organizing that Dean had created for his presidential campaign to help like-minded Democrats get elected. In 2004 the organization endorsed and supported Democrats (known as the Dean Dozen
Dean Dozen
The "Dean Dozen" in American politics, was the collective term for six groups of 12 candidates endorsed by Democracy for America, the political action committee led by former Vermont governor and presidential candidate Howard Dean, in the 2004 elections....
) on the federal, state, and county levels.
In 2005, Dean turned over control of the organization to his brother, Jim Dean
Jim Dean (DFA)
James H. "Jim" Dean is chair of Democracy for America , the nation's largest political action committee based in Burlington, Vermont.DFA was founded in 2004 after the presidential campaign of Dean's brother, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. Jim Dean has raised money, given speeches, and...
, when he became DNC Chair.
Since then, Democracy for America has helped elect over 600 progressives into office, including President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, while building their membership to over a million like-minded progressives across all fifty states.
In 2007, DFA became the first carbon-neutral political action committee in the United States.
DFA-List
DFA focuses on endorsing candidates, at all levels of office, both local and national. DFA's endorsements are often orchestrated by members of local groups, and they provide resources, such as funds and addresses, to endorsed campaign. According to their own records, the group endorsed over 578 candidates. Candidates wishing for an endorsement may apply on the organization's website.Notable past DFA endorsements have included:
- Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
for U.S. Senate in IllinoisUnited States Senate election in Illinois, 2004The 2004 United States Senate election in Illinois was held on November 2, 2004. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald decided to retire after one term. The Democratic and Republican primary elections were held in March, which included a total of 15 candidates who combined to spend a...
and U.S. PresidentUnited States presidential election, 2008The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365... - Al FrankenAl FrankenAlan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
for U.S. Senate in MinnesotaUnited States Senate election in Minnesota, 2008The 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 4, 2008. After a legal battle lasting over eight months, Al Franken from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in one of the closest elections in the history of the Senate... - Mark BegichMark BegichMark Peter Begich is the junior United States Senator from Alaska and a member of the Democratic Party. A former mayor of Anchorage, he served on the Anchorage Assembly for almost ten years prior to being elected mayor in 2003...
for U.S. Senate in AlaskaUnited States Senate election in Alaska, 2008The 2008 United States Senate election in Alaska was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Stevens ran for re-election. It was one of the ten Senate races that U.S. Senator John Ensign of Nevada, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, predicted as... - Ned LamontNed LamontEdward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the...
for U.S. Senate in ConnecticutConnecticut United States Senate election, 2006The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman lost the August 8th Democratic primary to Ned Lamont. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.-Democratic primary:The... - Jeff MerkleyJeff MerkleyJeffrey Alan "Jeff" Merkley is the junior United States Senator from Oregon. A member of the Democratic Party, Merkley was a five-term member of the Oregon Legislative Assembly representing House District 47, located in eastern Multnomah County within the Portland city limits...
for U.S. Senate in OregonUnited States Senate election in Oregon, 2008The 2008 United States Senate election in Oregon was held on November 4, 2008. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Smith decided to seek re-election. Smith was the only Republican Senator from the west coast and the only Republican holding statewide office in Oregon... - Howard DeanHoward DeanHoward Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
for DNC Chair - Deval PatrickDeval PatrickDeval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
for Governor of MassachusettsGovernor of MassachusettsThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:... - Jon TesterJon TesterJon Tester is the junior U.S. Senator for Montana, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served as President of the Montana Senate.-Early life, education, and farming career:...
for U.S. Senate in Montana - Sheldon WhitehouseSheldon WhitehouseSheldon Whitehouse is the junior U.S. Senator from Rhode Island, serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
for U.S. Senate in Rhode Island - Bernie SandersBernie SandersBernard "Bernie" Sanders is the junior United States Senator from Vermont. He previously represented Vermont's at-large district in the United States House of Representatives...
for U.S. Senate in Vermont - Martin HeinrichMartin HeinrichMartin T. Heinrich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district includes the central area of the state, in and around Albuquerque.- Early life, education and career :...
for U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of Representatives elections in New Mexico, 2008The 2008 congressional elections in New Mexico were held on November 4, 2008 to determine New Mexico's representation in the United States House of Representatives. The party primary elections were held June 3, 2008. Martin Heinrich, Harry Teague, and Ben R. Luján, all Democrats, were elected to...
for New Mexico's 1st districtNew Mexico's 1st congressional districtNew Mexico District 1 of the United States House of Representatives serves the central area of New Mexico, in and around Albuquerque. The current Representative is Democrat Martin Heinrich, who became the district's first Democratic representative in 2009.-History:Until the 1968 elections, New... - Joey Novick for mayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of FlemingtonFlemington-Places:United States* Flemington, Georgia* Flemington, Missouri* Flemington, New Jersey* Flemington, Pennsylvania* Flemington, West VirginiaAustralia* Flemington, New South Wales, a suburb in Sydney**Flemington railway station, Sydney...
, New JerseyNew JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... - Sam YoonSam YoonSam Yoon is a former at-large member of the Boston City Council. He currently serves as the executive director for the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations in Washington, DC. He was the first Asian American to hold elected office in Boston...
for Boston City CouncilBoston City CouncilThe Boston City Council is the legislative branch of government for the city of Boston. It is made up of 13 members: 9 district representatives and 4 at-large members. Councilors are elected to two-year terms and there is no limit on the number of terms an individual can serve... - Jerry McNerneyJerry McNerneyGerald "Jerry" McNerney is an engineer, energy specialist, and the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party...
for U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of Representatives elections in California, 2006The United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2006 were elections for California's delegation to the United States House of Representatives, which occurred along with congressional elections nationwide and state elections on November 7, 2006...
from California's 11th DistrictCalifornia's 11th congressional districtCalifornia's 11th congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of California. Based in Northern California, it encompasses parts of San Joaquin, Alameda, Contra Costa, and Santa Clara counties.... - Jack Markell for Governor of DelawareDelaware gubernatorial election, 2008The election for Governor of Delaware took place on November 4, 2008, coinciding with the United States presidential election. Democrat Jack Markell was elected governor, succeeding incumbent Ruth Ann Minner, also a Democrat, who was prevented from running for a third term.As of 2008, Democrats had...
- Linda McCullochLinda McCullochLinda McCulloch is the current secretary of state of Montana. A Democrat, she was elected to the office in November 2008 and took office in January 2009, having defeated incumbent Republican Brad Johnson. McCulloch previously served as state superintendent of public instruction from 2005 until...
for Montana Secretary of StateSecretary of State of MontanaThe Secretary of State of Montana is one of the elected constitutional officers of executive branch of the U.S. state of Montana.The current Secretary of State is Linda McCulloch.-Organization:The Secretary of State's Office is composed of five divisions:... - Debra BowenDebra BowenDebra Lynn Bowen , a member of the Democratic Party, has been Secretary of State of California since January 8, 2007. Before that she was a member of the California State Legislature from 1992 to 2006. In March 2008, she was given the Profile in Courage Award by the John F. Kennedy Presidential...
for California Secretary of StateCalifornia Secretary of StateThe Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U.S. state. The Secretary of State is also responsible for the California State Archives, as well as chartering corporations. The Secretary of State is elected to four year terms, concurrent with the other constitutional... - Denise JuneauDenise JuneauDenise Juneau is an American politician from the U.S. state of Montana elected as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction heads the Montana Office of Public Instruction. A member of the Democratic Party, Juneau is the first American Indian...
for Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction - Donna EdwardsDonna EdwardsDonna F. Edwards is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
for U.S. Representative in MarylandUnited States House of Representatives elections in Maryland, 2008The 2008 congressional elections in Maryland were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who would represent the state of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives, coinciding with the presidential election...
from Maryland's 4th districtMaryland's 4th congressional districtMaryland's 4th congressional district comprises portions of Prince George's and Montgomery County. The seat is currently represented by Donna Edwards, a Democrat, who has represented the district since 2008.... - Jim HimesJim HimesJames A. "Jim" Himes is an American businessman and U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
for U.S. RepresentativeConnecticut's 4th congressional district election, 2008The 2008 Connecticut 4th Congressional District Election was held on November 7 to elect the representative from the 4th District of Connecticut, which includes 17 towns in southwest Connecticut. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; the elected representative will serve in the 111th...
for Connecticut's 4th districtConnecticut's 4th congressional districtConnecticut's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in the southwestern part of the state, the district is largely suburban and consists of Bridgeport, the largest city in the state, and Stamford.... - Alan GraysonAlan GraysonAlan Mark Grayson is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party and loves cookies. After losing the election he moved to Austin to start stand-up comedy and a cookie business. The district Grayson represented lies in central Florida...
for U.S. Representative in FloridaUnited States House of Representatives elections in Florida, 2008The 2008 congressional elections in Florida were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Florida in the United States House of Representatives. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 111th Congress from January 4, 2009 until...
from Florida's 8th districtFlorida's 8th congressional districtFlorida's 8th congressional district lies in central Florida. The district takes in parts of Orange County, Lake County, Marion County and Osceola County. Most of Orlando is in the district, including Walt Disney World...
Political positions
Democracy for America's status on various social and economic issues places the organization firmly on the leftLeft-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
of the American political spectrum
Politics of the United States
The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States , Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments.The executive branch is headed by the President...
. Although they often endorse and advocate for Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidates, DFA opposes the official Democratic Party on issues such as same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, which they favor legalizing. Their support of a system of public health care in the United States is also to the left of many national and state Democratic lawmakers.
DFA's liberal policies have led them to oppose established Democrats whose policies contradict their own. In 2006, the group supported Ned Lamont
Ned Lamont
Edward Miner "Ned" Lamont, Jr. is a businessman and heir and most recently an unsuccessful candidate for the 2010 Democratic nomination for Governor of Connecticut. On May 22, 2010, Lamont received more than fifteen percent of the vote at the state Democratic convention, and appeared on the...
over incumbent Sen. Joseph Lieberman in Connecticut's primary and general elections
United States Senate election in Connecticut, 2006
The 2006 United States Senate election in Connecticut was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman lost the August 8th Democratic primary to Ned Lamont. Lieberman formed his own third party and won in the general election to a fourth term.-Democratic primary:The...
. Lamont eventually won the primary election, but lost the general election to Lieberman, who ran as an independent. That year, DFA also supported political newcomer Carol Shea-Porter in her successful Democratic primary and general election victory
United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire, 2006
The New Hampshire congressional elections of 2006 took place on November 7, 2006, in which New Hampshire's two congressional districts each elected a representative. New Hampshire has historically been a stronghold of the Republican Party, although the common political tradition has been likened to...
. in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district
New Hampshire's 1st congressional district
New Hampshire's 1st congressional district covers the southeastern part of New Hampshire. The district consists of three general areas: Greater Manchester, the Seacoast and the Lakes Region....
. In 2008, the group supported newcomer Donna Edwards
Donna Edwards
Donna F. Edwards is the U.S. Representative for , serving since a special election in 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
in her upset primary victory against former Rep. Albert Wynn
Albert Wynn
Albert Russell "Al" Wynn is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. He represented the 4th district of Maryland from 1993 to 2008...
of Maryland's 4th congressional district
Maryland's 4th congressional district
Maryland's 4th congressional district comprises portions of Prince George's and Montgomery County. The seat is currently represented by Donna Edwards, a Democrat, who has represented the district since 2008....
During the 2008 Minnesota Senate election
United States Senate election in Minnesota, 2008
The 2008 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 4, 2008. After a legal battle lasting over eight months, Al Franken from the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party defeated Republican incumbent Norm Coleman in one of the closest elections in the history of the Senate...
between Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
and Norm Coleman
Norm Coleman
Norman Bertram Coleman, Jr. is an American attorney and politician. He was a United States senator from Minnesota from 2003 to 2009. Coleman was elected in 2002 and served in the 108th, 109th, and 110th Congresses. Before becoming a senator, he was mayor of Saint Paul, Minnesota, from 1994 to 2002...
, Democracy for America partnered with the Progressive Campaign Change Committee for the "Donate a Dollar a Day to Make Norm Go Away". Through the campaign, participants give a donation of a dollar a day for every day Norm Coleman continued to contest the results of the election, which he lost to Franken following an official state-wide recount. The campaign has raised more than $150,000 to "help progressive candidates run effective campaigns and win."
In 2010, DFA launched their "Primaries Matter" campaign with the goal of electing better Democrats into office, instead of just any Democrat. In the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Democratic primary, DFA endorsed Joe Sestak in his successful primary challenge to incumbent Senator Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
, who switched to the Democratic Party in April 2009 after 44 years as an elected Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. DFA also endorsed Democratic challenger Elaine Marshall
Elaine Marshall
Elaine F. Marshall is the current North Carolina Secretary of State; she is the first woman to be elected to that office and the first woman elected to statewide executive office in North Carolina. Marshall was the Democratic Party's nominee for the United States Senate seat currently held by...
in North Carolina's
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Democratic primary run-off for U.S. Senate. Marshall went on to beat fellow Democrat Cal Cunningham
Cal Cunningham
James Calvin "Cal" Cunningham III is an attorney, captain in the United States Army Reserve, and a former member of the North Carolina Senate...
, who was endorsed by national party leaders. DFA got deeply involved in the Democratic run-off in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
as well, backing challenger Lt. Gov. Bill Halter
Bill Halter
William A. "Bill" Halter was the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to succeed the late Republican Winthrop Paul Rockefeller in 2006, defeating Republican challenger Jim Holt by a margin of 57%–43%.Before his election as lieutenant governor,...
in his race against incumbent Senator Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Lincoln
Blanche Meyers Lambert Lincoln is a former U.S. Senator from Arkansas and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected to the Senate in 1998, she was the first woman elected to the Senate from Arkansas since Hattie Caraway in 1932 and, at age 38, was the youngest woman ever elected to the...
. Halter went on to lose, but only by 4% in a state that went overwhelmingly to John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
in the 2008 presidential election.
Domestic issues
Universal health careUniversal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
has been the focus of most of DFA's activity since the 2008 presidential election. DFA believes that it is a travesty that currently 47 million Americans do not have health care. Over 14,000 lose their health insurance every day, and more than 44,000 Americans die each year. Because of this DFA has concentrated on promoting legislation that is designed to achieve universal coverage, mirroring the advocacy of the group's founder, Howard Dean. The organization launched a website, "Stand with Dr. Dean", to campaign for a reform of the American health care system with the creation of a public option. A petition on the website has gathered more than 400,000 signatures as of November 2009.
DFA has also worked to restrict legislation from being passed that requires voters to present government-issued identification cards, birth certificates, and passports before they are allowed into the voting booth. The organization has at various times deemed the laws "excessive" and "Draconian," and has argued that the laws inhibit ordinary citizens from being able to enter the polling stations.
DFA favors legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States
Same-sex marriage in the United States
The federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage in the United States, but such marriages are recognized by some individual states. The lack of federal recognition was codified in 1996 by the Defense of Marriage Act, before Massachusetts became the first state to grant marriage licenses...
. In 2009, the organization sent volunteers to Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to campaign against Ballot Question 1, which nullified a same-sex marriage law passed by the state's legislature
Maine Legislature
The Maine Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. It is a bicameral body composed of the lower house Maine House of Representatives and the upper house Maine Senate...
. In 2010, DFA worked with the Courage Campaign
Courage Campaign
The Courage Campaign is a California-based human rights campaign and progressive advocacy organization with more than 700,000 followers, working on a variety of causes, including the repeal of Proposition 8, California budget reforms,, and ballot procedures...
to push for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
, getting nearly 100,000 members to sign an open letter to President Obama and the nation's Senators.
In response to the Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
-driven financial crisis, DFA launched their “Move Your Money Campaign” with The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
and filmmaker Eugene Jarecki
Eugene Jarecki
Eugene Jarecki is an author and a dramatic and documentary filmmaker based in New York.His works include Why We Fight, which won the 2005 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, The Trials of Henry Kissinger, Reagan, Freakonomics , Quest of the Carib Canoe, and Season of the...
. The idea is to move money out of the big banks and into more community driven financial institutions.
In reaction to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, DFA introduced their "Boycott BP" initiative to get BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
to make the clean-up effort in the gulf their #1 priority, rather than their bottom line.
Foreign policy issues
Democracy for America favors the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.Before the invasion in March, 2003, Democracy for America members were outspoken critics of the war. Since then they have continued to fight against the war, with phone calls and letters to congress. In 2006 and 2008, they helped elect a new democratic majority congress, laying the groundwork to demand that American troops are withdrawn from Iraq.
Also in 2008, Democracy for America endorsed outspoken Iraq war critic Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who later went on to become the 44th President. In February of 2009, President Obama stated unequivocally that American combat operations in Iraq will end no later than August 31, 2010.
Training and scholarships
DFA members at both the national and local levels have participated in numerous training programs, intended to instruct prospective candidates on running a successful political campaign. DFA's main training initiative, called the Campaign Academy, consists of 16 hours of interactive workshops that bring hundreds of local activists, campaign staff and candidates together for 2 days of intensive campaign training. Topics have included; online organizing, shutting down a campaign, canvassing and phonebanking, recruiting volunteers, how to increase voter turn out, developing a finance plan, sustaining your media presence, winning with social networks and building a grassroots army: volunteer recruitment."DFA Night School" is the organization's online
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
training program. Each session is an hour-long interactive conference call and web presentation where trainees participate and ask questions.
Netroots Nation Scholarship competition
DFA also awards scholarships to progressive or liberal blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
gers, known as the "Netroots Nation Scholarship". In 2010, DFA sent 60 online activists to Netroots Nation, held in Las Vegas, NV from July 22–25. Other sites for the Netroots Nation Convention have included Austin, TX in 2008 and Pittsburgh, PA in 2009.
Dean Corps
In 2010, DFA will be sending field organizers to progressive campaigns for a program called Dean CorpsDean Corps
Dean Corps is a program run by Democracy for America to further its goal of electing progressive Democrats at all levels of office in all 50 states. It is similar to Sen. Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriot program.-Current Status:...
. Similar to Sen. Russ Feingold
Russ Feingold
Russell Dana "Russ" Feingold is an American politician from the U.S. state of Wisconsin. He served as a Democratic party member of the U.S. Senate from 1993 to 2011. From 1983 to 1993, Feingold was a Wisconsin State Senator representing the 27th District.He is a recipient of the John F...
's Progressive Patriot corps, organizers will represent an in-kind contribution to the recipient campaign. The goal is to hire, train and place field organizers on key progressive campaigns to get more real progressive Democrats elected in all 50 states at all levels of office. The program failed pathetically.
Social networking
"DFA Community" is a political and social networking tool that allows DFA members to meet like-minded people in their area, form groups and organize events. Members typically meet on the first Wednesday of every month in organized groups around the country. DFA Community is currently listed as having over 600 online groups, with representation in every congressional district. While DFA members in local groups regularly implement the priorities of the national organization, DFA local groups are voluntary, autonomous, and not officially affiliated with the national organization. Some of DFA's most notable groups include East Bay for Democracy, Democracy for New Jersey, Philly For Change, DFA Columbia (Missouri), and Democracy For New York City.External links
- Democracy for America
- Stand with Dr. Dean, health care reform site affiliated with Democracy for America.
- DFA-Link
- Blog for America