CAF In The News

blog.aflcio.org — The Campaign for America’s Future awarded AFL-CIO President John Sweeney its Lifetime Leadership Award last night in a gala dinner that capped the first two days of the three-day America’s Future Now! conference in Washington, D.C. In presenting the award, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin noted how Sweeney’s commitment to working families began when, working as a caddy at a golf course, the teenage Sweeney organized a work-stoppage for a wage increase.

politico.com — Billing it as their largest health reform campaign ever, progressive leaders are planning to spend at least $82 million to push reforms that include a public health insurance plan option.

The campaign, expected to be announced Monday, is designed to put public plan opponents on notice that supporters are ready for a fight.

nationaljournal.com — Progressive groups banded together today to launch an $82 million campaign to support President Obama's effort to pass a healthcare overhaul this year. The bulk of the spending will go toward advertising and grassroots organization.

nydailynews.com — WASHINGTON - As the White House launches its bid to reform health care, the big questions bedeviling the activist base of the Democratic Party are how and when to nudge President Obama to the left on key issues.

The recent three-day conference of the Campaign for America's Future - an amalgamation of hundreds of unions, advocacy groups, student organizations, liberal think tanks and anti-war organizations whose turnout helped elect Democrats from coast to coast - featured a vow to get behind Obama's push to reform health care this year.

washingtonpost.com — A media environment that tilts to the right is obscuring what President Obama stands for and closing off political options that should be part of the public discussion.

Yes, you read that correctly: If you doubt that there is a conservative inclination in the media, consider which arguments you hear regularly and which you don't. When Rush Limbaugh sneezes or Newt Gingrich tweets, their views ricochet from the Internet to cable television and into the traditional media. It is remarkable how successful they are in setting what passes for the news agenda.

wamu.org — June 03, 2009 - Some leaders of the nation's progressive movement are meeting in Washington this week. Among the speakers at the Campaign For America's Future convention is freshman Congresswoman Donna Edwards of Maryland, who is emphasizing the importance of electing more progressives to Congress.

afterdowningstreet.org — Here's a second-hand report. No single-payer advocate was included on the panel, but because of agitation for it all day long, Roger Hickey asked a question about it, and each panelist gave their opinion, none of which involved any criticism of single-payer on its merits. Howard Dean was reportedly best in saying that single-payer should be on the table. Hickey, confronted later about his refusal to include a supporter of single-payer was reportedly very defensive and said he could do what he wants with his conference.

discuss.epluribusmedia.net — Walking in to the hall on the first day of the America's Future Now conference my first response was "Ooops! Wrong room."

Flashing by on two screens, placed on either side of the speaker's podium, were clips of President Bush. But no. That was just a warm up.

Soon Pres. Obama was on screen giving a rousing speech to the crowd at an earlier Conference sponsored by Campaign for America's Future (Then called Take Back America Now). He attended both their 2007 and 2008 conferences. Here he was with his signature call to arms: Change comes from the bottom up not the top down.

floridaspeaks.blogspot.com — 11:00: This session is moderated by David Sirota and includes Digby and Matt Taibbi.

11:04: Sirota: The 2008 election was just the potential beginning of something, not the conclusion. The Democratic Party is still having an identity crisis, a lot of internal battles. In reality, there is the Money Party (most Republicans and many Democrats), and the People Party (a smaller group of Democrats).

dailykos.com — Every year in Washington, D.C., the Campaign for America's Future (CAF) convenes the largest conference of activists positioned anywhere to the left of wherever the center has drifted off to. Labor and community groups and civil rights groups play a big role, most of them strictly loyal to the Democratic Party. The focus is on domestic issues, and the approach is an inside strategy of nudging and honoring those in power. You can sense my cynicism, and yet this year I was very pleasantly surprised.