The People's Party Podcast: Recent Episodes

Movement For a Peoples Party

Join the Bernie campaign organizers who are throwing out the establishment parties and building a major new people’s party! Tune in to our podcasts that are recorded during our national organizing & state leader calls where we talk about how we’re bringing working people, students, political groups, unions and community groups together for a progressive party. #JoinTheMovement at PeoplesParty.org

2/27/20 Monthly National Organizing Call (Movement for a People's Party)

Issues discussed:

Peoples Convention planning
Confirmation that DNC is planning to steal nomination from Bernie Sanders
Chuck Todd verifies that all corporate candidates will pool delegates to overcome Bernie’s lead resulting in a...
Brokered DNC Convention
NY Times article about interviews with 93 Super Delegates that all said they are united in stealing the nomination from Bernie
Warren’s new attack line against Bernie about the primaries
The Unity Reform Commission was a sham
Politico Article - DNC discussing bringing the Super Delegates back to 1st Ballot
Caucus shenanigans
Two billionaires running in Democratic Party to prove US Elections are auctions
We need to build a major new party that Americans are asking for

You won't want to miss this call! We discuss plans for creating an alternative convention in Milwaukee, a People’s Convention. As the primary election unfolds, the establishment will become more and more brazen in their attempts to cheat progressives and install another oligarch friendly nominee.

MPP members and allies can join #BernTheDNC in nonviolent civil disobedience and invite allied groups and individuals to attend a People’s Convention. It will take all of us to accomplish this, so once you volunteer at the link below we will ask everyone to please choose which working groups they would like to join.

Milwaukee Working Groups

Action (civil disobedience)
Finance
Media
Organizing (promotion and attendance)
Political (inviting allies)
Programming (schedule of events)
Social media
Tech (website and app)
Venues (people's convention logistics and housing)

The Movement for a People’s Party is going to Milwaukee! Join us at the People’s Convention July 13 – 16th

While the Democrats break their own rules to nominate an establishment candidate at the DNC Convention, we’ll bring people from all walks of life together next door to launch America’s next major party, the People’s Party!

Join progressives and independent thinkers from across the country for events, workshops, breakout groups, speakers, social activities, celebrations, performances, and a momentous convention vote on forming a genuinely progressive party free of corporate money.

We’ve been building this movement since 2017. Now’s the time to scale up. MPP invites you to join us in Milwaukee July 13 – 16 as we build the future that works for the people and the planet.

RSVP VOLUNTEER DONATE

In Solidarity, the Movement for a People's Party Team of Super-Volunteers ✊🗳️

Hi! Here's wishing a Happy New Year from all of us at the Movement for a People's Party! Join our January National Call as we discuss our new Direct Democracy app which you can download for free at the Apple and Android mobile stores to cast your votes. We discuss our support for 'peace with Iran' actions, and our outlook on the Democratic presidential primary, and our plans for the 2020 Democratic and Republican Conventions. Listen in so you can stay in the know about what is happening on the ground with Progressives. #NoWarWithIran #PeoplesParty

Join our December National Call for all our political action updates, organizing news and caroling with the Movement for a People's Party. "MPP Jingle Bells" written by Trudy Hess. Come ready to sing if you want! 🎤 🎼

🎶 🛷 ☃️ Dashing through our days, as busy as can be, finding lots of ways of building MPP. Create a better land Is what we aim to do. We work to build democracy for more than just a few. Oh MPP, MPP We are here to stay You can play a part, and make A better USA, hey! Join the show, help us grow, here’s where you begin -- Come and volunteer with us, together we can win! 🎄 🎶 🎅🏽

Join our November National Call for updates and organizing with the Movement for a People's Party. Nick Brana updates us about climate hunger strike that he has participated in. Suzanne updates us about the MPP website and Election Integrity event that is coming up. Michelle shares what the National Organizing Team has been up to speaking with new volunteers from different places around the country. The Team has been busy on-boarding new volunteers into graphics, social media, and the Ambassador Program. Michelle discusses the petition drive for future ballot access and lots more. So, join the call to hear what MPP Progressives are up to.

Join our October National Call for updates and organizing with the Movement for a People's Party. Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party establishment are escalating their fight against us. This week Clinton unleash a McCarthyite attack on Tulsi Gabbard and the possibility that she would go independent. We'll discuss that, our party creation strategy report to movements and labor, and much more.

Join our September National Call for all things #peoplesparty and to get active in the movement at https://peoplesparty.org! Today we will vote on whether to endorse #MovetoAmend’s We the People Amendment, a constitutional amendment to abolish corporate personhood and get money out of politics. Move to Amend’s National Director, Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap, will join us to speak about the amendment. We will also vote on whether to endorse the Global Appeal for Peace, an organization demanding that the US respect international law and refrain from starting illegal wars. The Appeal is sponsored by #PopularResistance.

WE’RE BUILDING A PARTY THAT WORKS FOR US

Our vision is a coalition party that will deliver what regular people take for granted in so many other countries:📌single payer health care,📌free public college,📌money out of politics,📌an infrastructure jobs program,📌a $15 minimum wage,📌financial regulations, and more.

We need actual representation in our government. A majority of people in the US don’t feel represented by either the Democratic or Republican parties. We’ve watched these parties turn their backs on us to answer every call of the billionaires and donors. Overwhelming numbers of Americans understand these parties cannot be salvaged. Polls show that almost two out of three Americans are now calling for a major new party. It’s time to build the party we’re looking for — one that brings us all together.

On this month's call we have two big votes, a guest speaker and a packed schedule on our August National Call.

Nick will start us off with updates, including our strategic party-creation white paper and the DNC's refusal to hold a climate debate. He'll announce plans that he just shared on livestream with Jimmy Dore to Shut Down Washington D.C. this September with a broad climate coalition, including Extinction Rebellion and youth climate groups.

MPP August National Call

Our Political Director Carol Ehrle will share our new immigration justice partnerships and teach best practices on effective coalition building. Our tech developer Spencer will announce the new People's Party App.

Yasmeen Silva with Beyond the Bomb joins us to share their campaign to abolish the U.S. policy of first use of nuclear weapons. Then we will discuss and vote on whether to endorse Beyond the Bomb and support their campaign.

Next we will discuss and vote on whether to introduce a dues-based membership model to crowdsource the revolution like Bernie and other progressive groups and parties have done. The establishment parties have their billionaires and corporations, but we have the people.

We will hold a digital handraise to join our graphics team and another to sign up to volunteer in general. Then we will discuss the Election Security & Rigging Forum the MPP is co-hosting with Tim Canova next week.

We'll also share Ron Placone's invitation to table for MPP and get two free tickets to his upcoming shows in the Midwest, as well as his campaign to ban facial recognition. Join us for these important discussions, updates and votes.

If you can't make the call tonight, we make the recordings available in our podcast. You can listen to the podcast on Apple iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, and Podbean.

To a people's party!

The National Organizing Team Movement for a People's Party

Apologies for being away for one month. The month of June national call was actually suspended due to volunteer staff attendance at the Left Forum. We will post last week's episode from 8/15/2019 tomorrow on 8/21/19.

This episode's call agenda includes:

Nick discusses MPP's attendance and events surrounding the 2019 Left Forum
Extinction Rebellion DC & SF - Nick
Surge - Elise tells us about Surge
Carolyn tells us about MPP tabling happenings at Ron Placone comedy shows
We go on to discuss MPP's support of the "Hands off Venezuela," "March for Peace," and the 100 year anniversary of Bank of North Dakota public bank - Sunday Monday day of action
MPP's Action Network launch to better help us organize & utilize grassroots funding (we don't do ActBlue)
MPP's new Website Launch and how it will help us spread our message of the need for a new party of, by, and for the "people," not just the 1%
We will also hear from Victor from our South Florida chapter talk about our support of local Extinction Rebellion activists that highlight the #ClimateEmergency. Upcoming events are announced.
- Climate Emergency
- DC
- SF
- September *
- Extinction Rebellion - Extinctionrebellion.us
- San Francisco
- Upcoming dates of action
- Partners -- The Climate Mobilization, Earth Uprising, Endangered Species Coalition (today); Coalition to Close the Concentration Camps national partner and Bay Area partner -- protest July 2 in Palo Alto, upcoming protests
- Event with Tim Canova
  - Testimony Tuesday Working towards a watershed break with the Democrats and Republicans
    - 100th anniversary of public Bank of North Dakota on Sunday -- celebrating a century of public banking -- day of action on Monday. Especially in California AB 857 The Public Banking Act.
    - Youth Climate Summit
    - Unite For Peace and Nuclear Justice in Toriumi Plaza in Little Tokyo Los Angeles
Please join us as we commemorate the victims of all nuclear atrocities of the past and present and unite to take action for a nuclear free future.

Endorsed by: - Veterans for Peace Los Angeles
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- MLK Coalition of Greater Los Angeles
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- IN CLOSING & VOTES:

Action Network - everyone can create events now!

· Training video- Elise made them available on our organization platform Rocket Chat. If you would like to help us organize we’re going to have a handraise -- press 1 on your keypad now. You can also always go to our website and click on the volunteer tab.

· And now we are going to have our vote … on the Global Animal Rights March. So I would like to open it up for discussion before our vote. If you have a question, please raise your hand and I will try to address.

· Carolyn helped with the voting tally. If you think MPP should endorse the Global Animal Rights March press 1, if not, press 2, to abstain press 3.

On this month’s call we discussed the espionage charges leveled against Julian Assange, the GOP's escalating assault on abortion rights, and the DNC’s appointment of an openly anti-Bernie lobbyist and Clinton bundler as Party Finance Chair.

We had guest speaker Emma Fiala, executive board member of the Women’s March on the Pentagon share plans for Rage Against the War Machine March. She took some questions then we voted to endorse their efforts. Our Political Director Carol Ehrle talked about a Green New Deal and our work with the surging youth climate rebellion. After some questions and discussion we voted to endorse a Green New Deal. Lastly, we voted to endorse the Zero Hour Youth Climate Summit in Miami this July.

Cheers to a people's party!

On this month’s call we discussed Joe Biden’s vacuous run for president and how the DNC has saved Americans the trouble of voting by pre-selecting him (how thoughtful of them!). Then shared how the Democrats have given themselves the power to reactivate the super-delegates and the chaos ensuing from the DCCC’s new ban on campaign contractors working with progressive challengers. We discussed Julian Assange’s arrest and how the Democrats are racing Trump for the privilege of criminalizing journalism (it is too great an honor for one plutocrat alone). MPP steering committee member and Public Banking Institute staffer Suzanne O’Keeffe gave us a special presentation on the great strides being made towards public banking.

We voted on whether to join two alliances that we've been invited to. The first is whether to join the Grand Alliance to Save the Postal Service, which the establishment parties are trying to privatize. The second is whether to join youth climate activists in the Last Chance Alliance, dedicated to halting all fossil fuel extraction in California, the world’s fifth largest economy, and replacing it with renewable energy.

Cheers to a People's Party!

On this month's call we discussed the Democrats' latest attempt to defeat progressives: the new rules to deter challenges to incumbents. The DCCC announced recently that it will withhold contracts from any firm that works with candidates running against incumbent Democrats. This is the latest example that the Democratic party has not changed, the main goal is to keep out progressives. Another story mentioned was the newly released summary of the Mueller report that marked the complete collapse of the Russiagate narrative. The nearly three year Neo-McCarthyist campaign was a result of the Democratic party's failures and refusal to accept that voters want a new direction. The likelihood of an upcoming rigged primary & looming economic downturn will create an incredible mandate for change. History shows that when the working class has been struggling and frustrated, shocks like these can shake people out of complacency and cause them to demand change. We must be ready for this and to provide an alternative. As we build up ahead of 2020 we need more volunteers in several areas including social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; field organizing: speaking to other groups and individuals about MPP, tabling, etc; and fundraising. Click here to volunteer! Listen for more exciting updates on new organizing tools and events, as well as our question and answer portion of the call. To a people's party!

In this episode and national organizing call Nick Braña and the National Organizing Team share the great results of a meeting with top labor endorsers from across the country earlier this week in Washington, D.C. They also announced the new members of the coalition for a major new party.

Next Nick and the Team discussed Bernie's presidential campaign, the teachers strikes in several cities, MPP's organizing plans through 2020, and introduced three votes:

1. Endorsing the Hands Off Venezuela March, sponsored by the Answer Coalition and taking place nationwide on March 16, 2019.

2. Endorsing the No to NATO Protest & Peace Festival, sponsored by World Beyond War and taking place in Washington D.C. on April 3-4, 2019.

3. Becoming an official Allied Organization with the California Progressive Alliance.

Each vote was discussed and then attendees voted on whether to support and join them. Finally Nick took questions and closed out the call with the usual cheer to a people's party! If you would like to sign on to support the Labor Community Campaign for an Independent Party you can do so at http://bit.ly/LaborCommunityCampaign. If you would like to volunteer for MPP please go to https://ForAPeoplesParty.org/volunteer. To donate visit https://ForAPeoplesParty.org/donation-form.

In this 24th podcast episode and first call of the new year Nick and the team told us about the teacher strikes and how labor has been reinvigorated from that. The Central MPP Florida team shared about their organizing work at a Ron Placone event and shared tips for new volunteers. Nick spoke about the latest endorsement of MPP's Labor Community Campaign for an Independent Party from famed Producer/Director and award winner Oliver Stone. Other additional new endorsements also came from the Labor Education and Arts Project in Ohio, and the South Carolina Labor Party. Many original members of the South Carolina Labor Party participated in the 1990's organizing for a major independent labor party and can lend us their skills and experience. Nick also spoke about current events regarding the 116th Congress convening and how their 2 Progressive wins, and swift act of endorsing Nancy Pelosi and most voting for PayGo shows us why MPP's labor party organizing work continues to be so important.

In solidarity,

Movement for a Peoples Party

Join Us!

or Donate here

In this call/episode we discuss upcoming Ron Placone events, tabling plans, MPP's monthly organizing update, SoFla yellow vest organizing events, and more. Call Attendees vote to decide if we should work with Power Shift. We congratulate and welcome new state leaders, including Laura Irwin for joining the Steering Committee. Nick goes over a review of 2018 events, actions, and accomplishments. Nick mentions his interview series with Jordan Chariton about LCCIP the labor coalition building for a new labor-based party.

Message From MPP Political Director Carol Ehrle

We devote everything to the movement rather than taking salaries, but we still have monthly expenses. In one way or another, they’re all related to the ways that we get our message out: Maestro for national calls, Action Network for organizing, MailChimp for emails, ZenDesk to take your questions, plus web hosting and maintenance, conferences, printing and supplies.

Looking back, we're proud of what we've accomplished with you this year. Our Labor-Community Campaign won the support of unions representing tens of thousands, along with AFL-CIO executive council members and state presidents. We led civil disobedience actions as national partners with the Poor People’s Campaign. We rallied for climate justice with Zero Hour and for peace with the Women’s March on the Pentagon. We boycotted Driscoll’s berries with farm workers and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with striking teachers and hotel employees. We brought our message to Left Forum and Labor Notes. We helped institute Ranked Choice Voting in Maine and propel the public banking movement.

We helped Gayle McLaughlin lay the groundwork for the California Progressive Alliance and stood against injustice and fraud with Tim Canova. We established ourselves as a leading voice in understanding the duopoly — a voice that is both supported and sought for analysis by revolutionaries like Chris Hedges, Ralph Nader, Abby Martin, Jimmy Dore, and Lee Camp among so many others. Through it all, we’ve built the bonds of partnership, trust and respect that will be the foundation of a people’s party.

We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in our first year and even more excited about what lies ahead. In the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood, we ask you to include MPP in your #GivingTuesday (or end of year) donations.

With heartfelt gratitude and in solidarity for the work that lies ahead,

Carol Ehrle Political Director Movement for a People’s Party

As Blue Wave Sweeps in More Corporate Democrats, Election is a Serious Wake Up Call for Progressives

Since 2016, energized progressives have sought to break the cycle that has seen power swing between establishment politicians in the Democratic and Republican parties for decades. After disappointing results in New Jersey and Virginia in 2017, the 2018 midterms offered another test of the progressive movement’s chief strategy for coming to power: taking over the Democratic Party. The results are a serious wake up call.

The four leading progressive organizations that emerged from Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign endorsed Democratic candidates across 46 states. Nearly all of the candidates for Congress, governor, lieutenant governor, and Senate lost.

Our Revolution, Justice Democrats, Brand New Congress and the Democratic Socialists of America endorsed a combined 107 candidates for Congress this year. Forty-four of them won their primaries and only 12 won their general elections. Five of those 12 were already incumbents. Five more of them were longtime party politicians in line for higher office, rather than insurgent candidates. Only two of them were actually opposed by the party and unseated establishment Democrats in the primaries — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley. There are 435 members of Congress.

The song at the beginning is the song that Ron Placone wrote for MPP. It plays while people are waiting for the call. We thought you might like to hear it, as well.

On the call we talked about the failure of the Democrats, the regression of Brazil, and the progress of MPP, including the latest from Tim Canova’s campaign and our labor coalition. Our members who attended the Women’s March On The Pentagon tell us about their exciting weekend with peace activists. And, in questions, a great discussion on the upcoming election and options for independents. UPDATE As we now know Tim Canova was once again cheated by Debbie Wasserman Schultz and her corrupt machine in South Florida. He has been calling out Broward and Florida officials on Twitter daily at https://twitter.com/Tim_Canova.

Join us at https://ForAPeoplesParty.org/volunteer or help us keep growing to bring down the Duopoly in the next 2-4 years at https://ForAPeoplesParty.org/donation-form

Tune in to hear the latest from MPP with special guests Al Rojas and Cindy Sheehan. This month we discussed our groundbreaking Labor Community Campaign for an Independent Party, labor's greatest break with the Democratic Party in years. We had Al Rojas, co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America with Cesar Chavez, to tell us about the international Driscoll's Boycott day of action this Saturday September 29, 2018. The Driscoll's corporation produces berries and pays its mostly-Latino workers slave wages, employs child labor, forces people to work 12-hour days, and sprays workers with toxic pesticides. He'll also talk about the Sacramento labor-community alliance. Cindy Sheehan will join us to talk about the Women's March on the Pentagon on October 20-21. We'll also talk about each of our organizing programs, Tim Canova's campaign, and how to get involved. To a people's party!

*Hope you enjoyed our new intro/outro song courtesy of Ron Placone "Time for a Revolution" because it certainly is time!

This episode features Tim Canova discussing what he is doing in South Florida to unseat the infamous Debbie Wasserman Schultz in Congressional District 23. We discuss the postcard campaign to reach voters in Tim's district to fight back against the ongoing media blackout. Alan Benjamin joins the call to disccus MPP labor party advocacy efforts and alliances forming in California and around the country and how you can get involved. Nick discusses how MPP is assisting Gayle McLaughlin with her California Progressive Alliance events in August. Nick also discusses how the Democratic Party was caught passing a secret rule by only 30 members of the Rules & By-Laws Committee to back-pedal and accept fossil fuel money. Tim takes a few questions and Nick also takes calls and answers questions as usual.

If you're interested in helping Tim tip the scales in defeating the Duopoly and breaking the electoral firewall, give what you can at https://TimCanova.com or join in on the phone banking into Debbie Wasserman Schultz' district. If you can donate to the Movement for a People's Party to help us keep working for a better future for all of us go to https://www.ForAPeoplesParty.org/donation-form or follow what we are doing at https://www.ForAPeoplesParty.org

1)Michelle discusses the new MPP Welcome Packets we are requesting input for. 2)Lezlie discusses the MPP Ambassador Program and how you can implement it in your local area 3)Nick Brana discusses the ballot line progress in Colorado and takes questions 4)Nick discusses the MORENA Progressive Party in Mexico with the recent victory of Lopez Obrador (AMLO). This is the latest international example of how electoral politics can be changed by the people and the historic significance for us. This was a full scale political revolution that threw out the two establishment parties that have ruled Mexico for the last 100 years. This victory vindicates what we at MPP are trying to do. It took them 4 years and they started as a movement. This is an amazing parallel for what the Movement for a people's party is trying to do in U.S. politics. Join us and please share this podcast. To learn more about how we are working to reform politics in the US please visit us at https://www.ForAPeoplesParty.org

(18th podcast episode) MPP members resoundingly approved on our June 28 national call to partner with two organizations who are planning marches and actions in Washington, D.C.

First up is the Zero Hour Youth Climate Lobby Day and March July 19-21. This effort is being spearheaded by 16-year-old Jamie Margolin of Seattle along with a team of other high school and college students. Nick Brana will interview Jamie on MPP TV July 10 at 7 p.m. where it will be livestreamed from our MPP FB page.

Youth will begin taking over Capitol Hill at the July 19 Lobby Day to deliver to our politicians specific demands about saving our climate that are being developed in consultation with leading scientists. The next day, July 20, will be Art Build Day around the D.C. metro area in preparation for the march.

The main event will be the Youth Climate March July 21 at 10:30 a.m. on the National Mall where young people on the frontlines of the climate crisis will give speeches and lead song as a statement of their rights to a safe and livable future. People of all ages will rally and walk up Constitution Ave. as a demonstration of youth power and show how #ThisIsZeroHour will be leading the way on environmental action.

Sister marches are being planned the same day at major cities in the U.S., Canada and abroad. It’s not too late to plan a companion march if you are age 25 or younger or if you are an adult who would like to partner with a millennial or Generation Z youth. Go here to register your march, find one on the map, and to sign up for the days of action.

MPPers on the call also voted to partner with the Women’s March on the Pentagon Oct. 20-21. Details on times, locations and speakers will be released soon about the D.C. event, while organizers are looking for people to plan sister marches across the country.

The event is an attempt to pressure members of Congress to redistribute the trillions of dollars spent on the military budget toward social programs, stop the continuing acts of military aggression and put an anti-war agenda back on the table of activists.

The march will commemorate the 51st anniversary of the 1967 anti-war event in Washington D.C. and subsequent march on the Pentagon that drew 50,000 people. The march is led by long-time anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed by enemy fire in the Iraq War.

MPP supporters are taking a more visible role in what the Poor People’s Campaign calls a moral revival. From the recent PPC Forty Days of Action to the Families Belong Together rallies over the weekend to the Free Our Future rally yesterday in San Diego, MPPers were out in force making their voices heard.

These demonstrations show how permitted marches, such as those supporting women’s rights and school safety, have given way to acts of civil disobedience. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, congressional cutbacks on programs for the poor, Supreme Court decisions on voter and labor rights, the war budget, health care increases, skyrocketing tuition, attacks on black lives, have all emboldened protesters nationwide.

We lock arms with you and ask you to fight for a new major people’s party so that these and so many other violent measures can be overturned and stopped.

Help support MPP and its drive to build a viable independent alternative by becoming an MPP ambassador. Find a local organization that advocates for the dispossessed, the oppressed, and the issues on our platform. Support labor by joining with other progressive organizations in strike actions. Show up consistently and represent MPP.

Have ideas or need help identifying a group with whom to partner? Drop our national field team a line at organize@forapeoplesparty.org. More information to come!

As we observe our Independence Day, here is a reminder from the Cap Times in Wisconsin that on a distant fourth of July a radical vision was also taking shape led by then former Congressman Robert M. La Follette who launched a progressive crusade against the corrupting influence of corporate money. Speaking in Mineral Point in 1897, he addressed the subject of "The Danger Threatening Representative Government.”

“Let us here, today, under this flag we all love, hallowed by the memory of all that has been sacrificed for it and for us, dedicate ourselves to winning back the independence of this country, to emancipating this generation and throwing off from the neck of the freemen of America the yoke of the political machine.”

After his movement launch, La Follette went on to become the progressive governor of Wisconsin, a U.S. senator from that state, and a transformational presidential candidate in 1924.

The Poor People's Campaign was at the top of discussion on the May 24 national call. Nick encouraged MPP supporters to attend the 3 remaining direct actions at your state's capital every Monday at 2 p.m. local time. Please write testimonials and get involved with your state's PPC coordinating teams. Links are in the recap going out Wed., May 30. MPP will be at the culminating action in Washington D.C. June 23 at 10 a.m. on the National Mall. Check out the poorpeoplescampaign.org website for information. MPP will also participate in the Poor People's Economic Campaign March at various times June 2-12 from Philadelphia to D.C. This march is led by the working poor and homeless or formerly homeless. To sign up go to: http://economichumanrights.org/2018-poor-peoples-march/ Sat., June 2 will be a big day for MPP as our own Nick Brana hosts and speaks on a panel of leading independents: Gayle McLaughlin, Tim Canova, David Zuckerman and Eljeer Hawkins, moderated by Jim Vrettos. The event will be livestreamed from our FB page at 10 a.m. EST.

In this podcast episode recorded during the first few minutes of the state leader call Nick provides a wrap up of the devastating electoral defeats suffered by the #DemEnter #Progressives. The May 8th primaries in Ohio, W.VA, Indiana and N. Carolina provided some of the most definitive evidence yet that efforts to take over or reform the Democratic Party are failing miserably. Every candidate backed by Justice Democrats & Our Revolution for Congress, Senate or Governor lost in the 4 states that voted. Nearly all of the down-ballot candidates lost as well. The few that won were either incumbents, or running uncontested in deep-red districts. There is no way to sugarcoat these results & Democrats have barely tried to. The primary election demographics of older more conservative voters coupled with the DCCC & DNC suppressing progressive candidates makes it nearly impossible for them to be elected. In fact, the Dem Party has now shifted from denying that it rigs elections to openly admitting and defending it. Nancy Pelosi recently said that she did not see anything wrong with rigged elections. The Dem Party is normalizing election rigging in America. That's not the Russians doing that. The only way forward in our country is a major #NewParty that has structural mechanisms in place to prevent the kind of maneuvering that Democrats use to crush competitive primaries and steer resources to hand picked candidates long before the party publicly announces a preference. Each day that the progressive movement continues down a failed path is another day that working people are suffering.

In this call Tim Canova spoke about his independent bid for congress against Debbie Wasserman Schultz. MPP voted on whether to endorse his campaign or not. Tune in for the results.

Carol spoke about the Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign and their upcoming march on Washington. A vote was held on whether to ensorse that campaign.

Lezlie spoke about a bid in Arizona to get dirty money out of politics there. MPP held a vote on whether to endorse that effort which requires the gathering of over 200,000+ signatures.

Randi spoke about the ongoing teachers strikes in Colorado and Arizona and how we can continue to support their efforts. Finally, Karena discussed a planned social media day of action where MPP volunteer artists and meme makers, and anyone so inclined would help the DNC come up with their new slogan. :)

Help build the strategic coalition that topples the Duopoly at forapeoplesparty.org/volunteer

In the latest show of contempt for their constituents, Democratic U.S. senators joined the Republicans and the banking lobby yesterday to pass legislation that allows banks to racially profile their customers and significantly weakens financial protections. This is why progressives are no longer waiting for the Democratic Party to discover its conscience and serve working people over Wall Street. Movement for a People’s Party launched its Colorado chapter in Denver with several dozen people who are enthusiastic to start building a genuinely progressive party. Coloradans travelled from as far as three hours away to attend the gathering. MPP National Director Nick Brana spent the weekend meeting with public banking experts in Loveland and spoke Wednesday at a joint Working Families Party and Our Revolution candidate forum in Denver. The call covered our many recent events. Check it out!

On this week’s call, as part of Movement for a People’s Party one year anniversary, we summarized the this form to make comments and propose amendments. Be sure to share your thoughts on our American Mission Statement preamble, which gives our country the goal of maximizing human well-being.

JointTheMovement at Volunteer or donate to help keep the people funded movement going.

Guest speaker Susan Pai, an immigration attorney from Fla. who appears regularly in the media says that unless MPP is successful at creating a viable independent alternative, President Trump will double Obama’s deportation numbers and will win a second term. Dreamer Jasiel Lopez, is a college student who risks being deported to Mexico, a country where he has family ties but little memory. He spoke of the mental anguish that he and 11 million other undocumented immigrants suffer.

MPP members voted overwhelmingly in favor of endorsing the Contract for American Renewal. CFAR,(a campaign to get candidates to sign a contract that binds them to supporting progressive policies if elected) co-founded by Victor Tiffany.We spoke about efforts to build our grassroots movement in states all over the US. Thanks to our increasing number of volunteers, we are forming more chapters, planning local info events, and attending coalition building events with other progressive groups.

Eve Majure discusses a history of economic injustice that has developed in our country based on the book Runaway Inequality by Les Leopold. Eve is a professional facilitator who delivers workshops on wealth & income inequality. She emphasized that both Democratic and Republican elected officials have passed legislation for decades that has resulted in inequality. We also discussed how Democrats continue efforts to block progressive candidates in primaries by filing expensive lawsuits against them.

We discuss how Progressives have been denied access to VAN, an important organizing tool for candidates. They've been forced to sign a unity statement in which they pledge to support the victorious established Democrat. There are reports that the DCCC is requiring primary candidates to raise a certain amount of money via phone calls in order to be placed on the primary ballot. Progressive candidates running inside the Democratic Party can be assured of being sabotaged one way or another.

Our guest was Brad Lathem, a #DSA leader in Georgia who is part of Refoundation Caucus. This is a revolutionary caucus within DSA that believes we need to form a major new party. Brad helped write the proposal, an Independent Socialist Strategy, which he discussed. Brad conducted a Q & A., proposal was voted on and MPP overwhelmingly voted “Yes” to endorse this strategy! We look forward to collaborating as we work to make a clean break from the Dem Party and create a party for working people.

Nick Brana discussed his recent interviews, upcoming events, successful peoples’ movements in Europe, and updates concerning ranked choice voting (RCV) in Maine. Jud talked about the Democratic Socialists of America’s Reformation Caucus’ proposal for an electoral strategy and his meeting with Georgia DSA member Brad Lathem. Carol Ehrle outlined our upcoming days of action and best practices for hosting MPP chapter meetings. Finally, Todd talked about MPP’s presence at the upcoming Labor Notes conference in Chicago in April.

Our 1st 2018 call focused on the importance of planning MPP chapter meetings, including campus chapters, and continuing to attend progressive group meetings to build up our coalition members. We discussed Ranked Choice Voting #RCV effort in Maine. Last year voters in Maine bypassed the legislature and passed it by a statewide initiative. However, the Democrats and Republicans banded together to sabotage it. Fortunately, voters in Maine have the final say in a process called the ‘People’s Veto.’

We encouraged callers to participate in 2 actions.The 1st involved Ranked Choice Voting, where election integrity expert Dr. Paul Thomas of Voter Choice MA shared how MPP can help phonebank into Maine where Dems are trying to kill this voter approved initiative. RCV’s ability to more fairly represent voters horrifies the status quo parties because it eliminates the spoiler effect, making it easier for progressives to be elected outside the duopoly. A success in ME could spread to other states. Learn more about #RVC & MPP Maine Chapter launch.

Nick discussed the upcoming #DNC #URC and how it will kick the can down the road by sending the Sanders supporters’ proposals to Rules Committee where the deck will be stacked with Clinton supporters. We have received an excellent response from our outreach to Academics in coalition-building efforts. MPP voted to endorse its 1st candidate, Gayle McLaughlin, progressive Independent running for Lt. Governor of California. We have launched MPP TV on our Facebook national page to feature DemExiters.

1) Movement for a People’s Party will start making official political endorsements of candidates! 2) MPP will begin its very own interview series on our Facebook page. Interview series will feature people who are leaving the Democratic Party. 3) Organizing actions discussed regarding Net Neutrality. 4) Reaching out to unions, campus groups, academics, communities of color, progressive groups, political parties, organizations & more. https://www.forapeoplesparty.org/coalition-building-guide/

This week on our Movement for a People’s Party national organizing call, Nick talked about the upcoming meetings of the DNC Unity Reform Commission on December 8 and 9. Lezlie talked about holding chapter meetings and reaching out to coalition partners. Randi spoke about our field team structure and recruited more volunteers. Nick then discussed the groups and individuals we should be reaching out to, and took questions and comments from callers.

JoinTheMovement for a #PeoplesParty at https://ForAPeoplesParty.org

This call is our 1st Movement for a People’s Party (MPP) nat'l conference call. As a result of Nov. elections, Ralph Northam, newly elected Gov. in VA, is a conservative Dem who twice voted for G. Bush. NJ Gov-elect, Phil Murphy, is a former Goldman Sachs exec. In both states’ Democratic primaries, the Democratic Party successfully worked to eliminate the progressive candidate. They've spent millions shutting down progressives. They're saying GO AWAY!.We're saying we need a people’s party NOW!

Learn more, volunteer, donate, or follow this campaign at https://ForAPeoplesParty.org

Nick Brana, founder of Movement For a People's Party (formerly Draft Bernie For a People's Party), says that the revelations of DNC corruption have boosted the momentum for a new major party free of corporate cash. "Donna Brazile confirmed the primary was rigged, and to such a substantial degree. The DNC essentially acted as a subsidiary to the Clinton campaign,” he said in an interview for IVN.