Wellstone Action is excited about the launch of our new, feature-rich website. Beyond the bells and whistles, the truly great new asset is how the website will improve our ability to communicate with the broader progressive movement and create a forum to share ideas.
Submitted by elana on April 21, 2008 - 9:05am.
"Field organizing" is the new buzz word in this year's presidential campaigns. Pundits and campaign analysts who are used to talking about which candidates are raising the most money, securing the most endorsements, getting the highest poll numbers, and airing the cleverest TV ads, are suddenly talking about who has the best field operation.
Submitted by Jblodgett on April 24, 2008 - 12:47pm.
Stories from the Arab American Institute and their nonpartisan Yalla Vote Campaign.
Submitted by Abarboza on April 29, 2008 - 3:35pm.
Can we organize and stem the tide of voter suppression?
Submitted by elana on May 5, 2008 - 7:23pm.
This month, we are celebrating our fifth birthday here at Wellstone Action! As part of the celebration, we'll be posting visuals and other information to help tell the story of the impact we've had on the progressive movement in the last five years.
Submitted by elana on May 13, 2008 - 11:41am.
This weekend we're bringing Camp Wellstone back to Boise, Idaho. Throughout the weekend we'll be adding live podcasts from the training!
Submitted by Jhaut on May 16, 2008 - 8:34am.
At Wellstone Action! we're always looking for examples of
candidates who have tried to bring community organizing tactics to their
campaigns. Nowadays, the Obama Presidential Campaign is perhaps the
best example. Obama has made an unprecedented investment in on-the-ground
organization, and has in the process cultivated well-trained and highly
motivated volunteers. A number of articles have recently examined this, and
we've compiled several excerpts for your convenience.
Submitted by Jblodgett on May 16, 2008 - 7:26am.
On the heels of its new same-day voter registration law, North Carolina turned out over 22,000 new voters in their May 6th primary.
Submitted by elana on May 20, 2008 - 4:07pm.
At our
inaugural High School Camp Wellstone a few weeks ago, we offered the opportunity
for students to make
their mark on
the history of the camp by participating in some artistic
outlets.
Submitted by Ccyprian on May 22, 2008 - 1:15pm.
Last year, I was honored to accept the Distinguished Minnesotan Award given posthumomously to Paul and Sheila Wellstone at the Bemidji State University Commencement. As graduation time rolls around again, here are some thoughts on engaging in politics and public life.
Submitted by Jblodgett on May 23, 2008 - 9:23am.
Sarah Bruch recently graduated from Camp Wellstone Raleigh in March 2008. Sarah attended the training to help prepare for her candidacy for State Assembly in Hudson, Wisconsin. Wellstone Action caught up with the Bruch family to learn more about the campaign and to hear how their recent Camp Wellstone training is being put to use.
Submitted by Jhaut on May 28, 2008 - 3:41pm.
No post-mortem here, but one "historic" dimension to this primary season is worth noting - the record numbers
of new voters this year.
Submitted by elana on June 5, 2008 - 11:09am.
Our plan to train candidates and campaign workers in the states that will make a difference in '08
Submitted by elana on June 9, 2008 - 4:05pm.
Al Gore tells me elections matter. Author David Sirota tells me that not to
believe the hype that candidates and elections are the same thing as a social
movement. In the thick of the
summer in a presidential year, what's an activist to do?
Submitted by elana on June 19, 2008 - 3:49pm.
The New Mexico
legislature saw a shakeup earlier this month when two progressive candidates won
their primary elections against long odds and powerful incumbents. Two of these candidates, Eleanor Chavez and
Tim Keller, attended our recent Advanced Campaign Management and Candidate School
in Albuquerque.
Submitted by Bgoldfarb on June 23, 2008 - 3:54pm.
What questions do you have?
Submitted by elana on June 27, 2008 - 1:40pm.
We need to urge Congress
to make the Wellstone
Mental Health and Addiction Parity Act law.
Submitted by Dwellstone on July 8, 2008 - 9:25am.
Yes, those of us engaged in the struggle for social justice do give up a lot of our precious time and energy to the cause, but Advanced Campaign Management School alum Erin Byrd has provided us with some inspiration to keep on fighting.
Submitted by elana on July 10, 2008 - 10:31am.
What can we glean from a survey about the best way to communicate with Congress?
Submitted by elana on July 18, 2008 - 11:01am.
Check out this must-read top ten list of tips to win elections this November.
Submitted by elana on July 22, 2008 - 11:38am.
The trivia contest is now closed, but we certainly enjoyed it. Hope you did as well!
Submitted by elana on July 22, 2008 - 1:23pm.
The Wellstone Bill has been a long time coming, and now we're at the finish line.
Submitted by elana on July 28, 2008 - 9:28am.
Take a peek into Camp Wellstone with this video from our Citizen Activist track.
Submitted by elana on July 31, 2008 - 2:12pm.
We spent a whole week with the organizers, leaders, and front-line activists of the Power Vote campaign training them on the skills needed to successfully fight for a clean energy future on their campuses and in their communities.
Submitted by Mweiss on August 19, 2008 - 2:40pm.
This past weekend in Albuquerque,
the buzz was generating around a certain presidential candidate, but for Wellstone Action, the Camp Wellstone participants were the real buzz circulating.
Submitted by Jhaut on August 22, 2008 - 11:13am.
We surveyed our alums to find out how many were running for office this year. Even we were stunned at the response.
Submitted by elana on August 29, 2008 - 3:31pm.
We'll train thousands of people to organize for an economy that invests in renewable energy and creates millions of green-collar jobs.
Submitted by elana on September 3, 2008 - 11:17am.
Comparing her experience to that of Obama's, Sarah Palin said "I
guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer - except that
you have actual responsibilities". So let me outline, for anyone who may be curious, the
responsibilities of a community organizer.
Submitted by elana on September 4, 2008 - 9:14am.
In March of 2008, I met Liz, Jerry, Rollon,
Stacey, and Humphrey, five individuals from the organization Homeless Helping Homeless at Camp Wellstone in Raleigh, NC. I was immediately inspired by their stories
and their mission: ending
homelessness. No small feat!
Submitted by Jhaut on September 12, 2008 - 3:19pm.
Do words matter? Take a look at the words used by speakers at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.
Submitted by elana on September 12, 2008 - 3:42pm.
Newsweek released a poll on Monday showing Presidential
candidates John McCain and Barack Obama in a dead heat. But not among my generation.
Submitted by Mweiss on September 17, 2008 - 12:13pm.
Check out our interactive map of alumni candidates running for office this election year!
Submitted by elana on September 16, 2008 - 2:15pm.
Who says young people are apathetic?
Submitted by hayes on October 3, 2008 - 9:18am.
Warning that communities of color will likely
be excluded from new, green-collar jobs created in the rush to "green" the American economy, author and activist Van Jones proposes an opportunity to save the earth and renew our communities.
Submitted by Mweiss on October 8, 2008 - 10:35am.
The voting rights enjoyed today were not always a given; it has taken many
years, many social movements and much struggle.
Submitted by ross on October 17, 2008 - 9:51am.
Our bite-sized profiles of alumni running for office this year.
Submitted by elana on October 17, 2008 - 1:34pm.
Next up is Kevin Killer, a 29 year old alum and trainer running for the South Dakota House.
Submitted by elana on October 27, 2008 - 10:30am.
When we heard that the final presidential debate would take place at Hofstra University, we were excited. Campus Camp Wellstone has been to Hofstra twice to train progressive students on grassroots organizing. We caught up with Isabelle Goodman, a CCW alum, to hear how students organized in response to the debate.
Submitted by Isabelle Goodman on October 27, 2008 - 11:59am.
The Minnesota Civic Engagement Table is changing the face of non-partisan GOTV in Minnesota.
Submitted by emcdonnell on October 28, 2008 - 1:00pm.
Check out this powerful video from the folks at 866-OUR-VOTE.
Submitted by elana on October 28, 2008 - 3:56pm.
Bite-sized profiles of our alumni running for office this year! Next up is Marge Krupp, running for Congress in Wisconsin.
Submitted by elana on October 29, 2008 - 1:11pm.
Tomorrow's the big day. Track all the results and
explore the different ways that technology is
changing how voters interact with the electoral
process.
Submitted by ross on November 3, 2008 - 10:28am.
Dig into election results as they happen - or look back at historical trends - with these maps from Google.
Submitted by elana on November 3, 2008 - 3:06pm.
The Wellstone Action crew here at the office are watching the reports roll in from our friends in the field.
Submitted by elana on November 4, 2008 - 9:56am.
I'm here in California with 12,000 volunteers to get out the vote against Proposition 8.
Submitted by sscanlon on November 4, 2008 - 10:35am.
2
hours, 1 hour, 50 minutes.....my friends and family are reporting how long it took
them to vote this morning.
Submitted by Fbernhardt on November 4, 2008 - 10:44am.
reposted from the great folks crunching numbers at FiveThirtyEight.com
Submitted by elana on November 4, 2008 - 11:55am.
the Kids Voting program in Minnesota shows kids the responsibilities and mechanics of participating in American democracy.
Submitted by Dvihrachoff on November 4, 2008 - 12:06pm.
Submitted by Louis on November 4, 2008 - 12:48pm.
As you head out to the polls, you might be wondering what you can do while waiting to vote.
Submitted by Fbernhardt on November 4, 2008 - 1:22pm.
Hundreds of volunteers throughout Chicago and Suburbs are geting out the immigrant vote
through door knocking and phone banking today.
Submitted by Abarboza on November 4, 2008 - 1:58pm.
We are drinking coffee, tabulating results, and thinking about what it means to have a community organizer in the White House.
Submitted by elana on November 5, 2008 - 10:01am.
In an election which broke barriers left and right, it is not
surprising that another glass ceiling has been shattered.
Submitted by ross on November 6, 2008 - 9:58am.
Results are starting to come in on the Wellstone Action alumni who won elected office on Tuesday!
Submitted by elana on November 7, 2008 - 10:45am.
Wellstone Action is excited to announce our alumni winners in the 2008 elections.
Submitted by elana on November 10, 2008 - 1:55pm.
The number of winners in the 2008 election went up as you responded to our call for more victorious alums!
Submitted by elana on November 14, 2008 - 2:48pm.
In discussing the surge of participation by different
demographic groups in this election, it is easy for the enormous increase in
Latino civic participation to get lost in the shuffle. However, it
was one of the important ones, and crucial in the outcome of the
election.
Submitted by emcdonnell on November 14, 2008 - 3:51pm.
Congressman-elect Glenn Nye, a 34 year old, first-time candidate, defeated
incumbent Thelma Drake for Virginia's 2nd district Congressional seat.
Submitted by ross on November 19, 2008 - 4:32pm.
Obama has helped to usher in a new era in politics with a new mandate
for change. But he also brings with him into office a new American ethos for citizenship and service. That spirit reminds me, perhaps unsurprisingly, of the work of
community organizers.
Submitted by Jblodgett on November 20, 2008 - 3:04pm.
For all races large and small, we believe there are four key elements to any successful campaign. Jeff Blodgett talks about what those are and how the Obama campaign effectively utilized them.
Submitted by elana on November 25, 2008 - 9:12am.
Will 2009 be the year when millions of Americans can breathe a sigh of relief because their government has finally passed Universal Health Care? We think so and here is why.
Submitted by ross on December 19, 2008 - 5:00pm.
Not only was the election of President Barack Obama a
historic event by electing our first black president. This election also marked a momentous turning
point for the battered women and sexual assault movements in this country.
Submitted by Lstevens on December 5, 2008 - 3:16pm.
Wellstone Action is renewing our commitment to leadership development in 2009. What's YOUR commitment?
Submitted by elana on December 8, 2008 - 2:22pm.
Let's not forget that the best path to the middle class is a good job with union representation.
Submitted by Epeterson on February 10, 2009 - 3:28pm.
Xavier Lopez-Ayala breaks down the key elements of a new media strategy.
Submitted by xlopezayala on December 16, 2008 - 2:06pm.
Originally posted over at the God's Politics blog by Jim Wallis and friends at Sojourners.
It was just a couple of months ago that the country was embroiled in
a debate about bailing out Wall Street. There was a national outcry
from Democrats and Republicans not ready to part with $700 billion with
little or…
Submitted by elana on December 17, 2008 - 10:04am.
The last Camp Wellstone of 2008 or the first after the
election? Either way, what does it say for the coming year?
Submitted by Jhaut on December 18, 2008 - 10:08am.
We partnered with MoveOn.org to organize hundreds of trainings across the country. We'll cover everything you need to know to influence your members of Congress.
Submitted by elana on January 8, 2009 - 10:52am.
A good
question to ask now is - what can future progressive candidates learn
from Barack Obama's candidacy and Presidential campaign that can help
them win elections too? There are at least four important lessons for
any candidate no matter what the seat.
Submitted by Jblodgett on January 15, 2009 - 2:27pm.
While we spend today in service, we should also remember that Dr. King
implored his generation to question why things are the way they are.
Submitted by elana on January 19, 2009 - 6:30am.
Check out this video exploration of the impact of our country's volunteerism by the numbers.
Submitted by elana on January 19, 2009 - 11:10am.
What do progressives want to see in the new generation of leaders emerging after the 2008 elections? See what Camp Wellstone participants came up with.
Submitted by elana on January 28, 2009 - 12:09pm.
With technology transforming both the amount of information we receive
and how we consume it, it is important that government embrace the
change and harness technology to improve our democracy.
Submitted by ross on February 6, 2009 - 1:09pm.
This year organized labor has their best opportunity to pass the Employee Free Choice Act and the glbt community has the opportunity to pass a fully inclusive Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Working together at the grassroots level will make both efforts stronger.
Submitted by sscanlon on February 6, 2009 - 10:40am.
At Wellstone Action, we're connected to the "green movement" in various
capacities, from training environmental organizers to educating
hundreds of thousands of youth how to lobby effectively on climate
change; however, our repeat zero-waste camp gave us the physical and
practical chance to test out our own environmental know-how.
Submitted by Jhaut on February 9, 2009 - 3:33pm.
We know, we know - we've been a little absent from the blog lately. But we have a good excuse - turns out we've been really busy! Check out Wellstone Action's work by the numbers.
Submitted by elana on February 25, 2009 - 2:06pm.
10,000 students from all over the country will descend on DC to get trained and get their point across on climate change.
Submitted by ross on February 27, 2009 - 2:13pm.
Young
People For's 2009 National Summit brought together young, passionate progressives
from all over the country to focus on
leadership development and sustainable strategies to promote social
justice.
Submitted by Mweiss on February 27, 2009 - 1:54pm.
In Washington, thousands rally on Capitol Hill visit with their members of Congress on green jobs and a smart energy policy.
Submitted by elana on March 2, 2009 - 1:09pm.
Should the lack of a home address prevent potential candidates from getting on the ballot? Tell us what you think.
Submitted by elana on March 3, 2009 - 1:29pm.
Jessica Nizar, an alum from Occidental College in Los Angeles, talks about what Campus Camp Wellstone has meant for her.
Submitted by Jessica Nizar on March 4, 2009 - 2:42pm.
It's been a week since returning from the Power Shift
conference in Washington, D.C., home of the largest training in Wellstone
Action's history and what most people believe was the biggest lobby day EVER.
Submitted by Bgoldfarb on March 10, 2009 - 8:37am.
Yesterday, Van Jones was named as the Obama administration’s Special Advisor for Green Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation. This appointment comes on the heels of some exciting circumstances, events, and conferences that have happened just this year (and we’re only 3 months in). But what does having Van Jones as this special advisor mean, not only for “enviros,” but for community organizers in general?
Submitted by Ccyprian on March 11, 2009 - 2:15pm.
How do we, as progressives, take advantage of this "movement moment"?
Submitted by elana on March 20, 2009 - 10:19am.
It is extremely important for young people to have the opportunity to unionize and the option to move up into the middle class. It’s time for workers to get their voice back, and for young people to feel confident about their future.
Submitted by sbrewer on March 23, 2009 - 7:58am.
Let’s face it: our
country is in time of great need and our President has called us to serve.
Submitted by Jhaut on March 27, 2009 - 2:55pm.
Announcing our latest training initiative - Preschool Progressives!
Submitted by elana on April 1, 2009 - 8:50am.
Today's news is filled with images of an economy in crisis -- shuttered
factories, hollowed-out cities, and neighborhood blocks littered with
foreclosure signs. Even before we heard the word "recession,"
America's workers were at the center of our country's economic storm.
Submitted by Jerome Ringo - ... on April 1, 2009 - 1:03pm.
Dylan Anderson knows the difference between union and non-union employment - access to living wages, benefits, and safe working conditions.
Submitted by Dylan on April 13, 2009 - 1:23pm.
We're rolling out a new slate of summer camps, and we're pleased that
two of them are being coordinated with the efforts of our great
alumni. Take a look at our upcoming camps and see what these alumni
have been up to.
Submitted by Jhaut on April 16, 2009 - 8:51am.
After the recent court decisions in Iowa and Vermont, many of us
Californians began questioning our state's progressive identity. But after a weekend Campus Camp Wellstone training at UC Berkeley,
working with the Courage Campaign
to train 80 student activists, I have hope.
Submitted by scarpenter on April 21, 2009 - 1:42pm.
Camp Wellstone participants in the candidate track get the opportunity to try their hand at one of the first challenges of running for office -- boiling down your message into a one-minute speech.
Submitted by elana on May 1, 2009 - 12:09pm.
As Congress and State Legislatures around the country debate critical issues, many of our partners and alumni are engaged in heated citizen lobbying campaigns to a progressive policy agenda forward.
Submitted by elana on May 19, 2009 - 8:45am.
One question we get a lot here at Wellstone Action is - how do we know that running a grassroots, people-powered campaign is an effective method of winning? There is a method to beating powerful, more traditionally well-equipped opponents.
Submitted by elana on May 26, 2009 - 8:56am.
We hit the road to build relationships here in Mississippi and connect with students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) about training to build skills and power. Here's our first update from the trip!
Submitted by Ccyprian on May 27, 2009 - 9:16am.
Our overall impression of today is that there is A LOT of work to be
done, and great potential. Were excited to be apart of moving
Mississippi forward in a progressive direction. Today really validated
the need and importance of this HBCU/Southern initiative.
Submitted by Ccyprian on May 28, 2009 - 8:34am.
As a recent transplant to Minneapolis, I was deeply unsettled when I
learned about the case of Fong Lee, a 19 year old Hmong man shot and killed by a Minneapolis Police Officer, at a recent Campus Camp Wellstone training for
Hmong youth.
Submitted by sbrewer on May 28, 2009 - 5:35pm.
One thing many schools down here, and really around the nation, are facing are major budget cuts.
Submitted by Ccyprian on May 29, 2009 - 3:29pm.
In a new report entitled Race and the Recession, the Applied Research Center details that people of color have been in a recession for decades, not just in the past two years.
Submitted by mjacoby on June 19, 2009 - 11:55am.