Thursday, June 3
9:00-5:00 PM
Progressive Majority Campaign Training Track
A parallel program of training for Candidates, Issue Activists and Organizers will be available to attendees throughout the day on June 3 and 4.
8:45-8:55 AM
Welcome to the Conference:
Ellen Miller
Deputy Director, Institute for America's Future
9:00-9:20 AM
The Rev. Dr. James Alexander Forbes, Jr.
Senior Minister of the Riverside Church
9:25-10:15 AM
George Soros
International Philanthropist and Financier
The Bubble of American Supremacy
Introduction:
Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY
10:15-10:35 AM
Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles City Councilmember and former Speaker, California Assembly
Overcoming the Two Americas
Introduction: Harold Meyerson
10:45-11:45 AM
Parallel Plenaries
PLENARY A
Jobs and Growth: Making the Economy Work for Working People
Robert Reich, Fmr. U.S. Secretary of Labor
Beth Shulman, Author, "The Betrayal Of Work"
David Paterson, NY State Senate Democratic Leader
Lawrence Mishel, Economic Policy Institute
PLENARY B
The Populist Moment
Arianna Huffington, Nationally syndicated columnist
Jim Hightower, Commentator, Hightower and Associates
Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-AZ
Nick Penniman, Editor, TomPaine.com
11:45-12:00 PM
Book Signings
Jim Hightower, "Thieves in High Places: They've Stolen Our Country – and It's Time to Take It Back"
Arianna Huffington, "Fanatics and Fools: The Game Plan for Winning Back America"
Robert Reich, "Reason: Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America"
Jo Freeman, "At Berkeley in the Sixties: Education of an Activist"
Mel Goodman, "Bush League Diplomacy: How Neoconservatives are Putting The World at Risk"
12:00-1:00 PM
Parallel Plenaries
PLENARY A
Real Security and the Iraq Debacle
David Cortright, President, Fourth Freedom Forum
Mel Goodman, Senior Fellow, Center for International Policy, Fmr. Analyst, CIA
Gayle Smith, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
Paul Rieckhoff, Founder, Operation Truth
John Podesta, President, Center for American Progress
PLENARY B
Confronting Inequality in America
William Spriggs, Director, National Urban League's Institute of Opportunity and Equality
Sam Pizzigati, Author of "Greed and Good"
Joan Lombardi, Director, The Children's Project
Chris Owens, Policy Director, AFL-CIO
PLENARY C
Indebted Nation: The Real Trade Debate
Leo Gerard, President, United Steelworkers of America
William Greider, Author, "One World Ready or Not"
Barbara Shailor, Director of the International Affairs, AFL-CIO
Jeff Faux, Economic Policy Institute
PLENARY D
The Fight for the Courts and the Future of Justice
Nan Aron, President, Alliance for Justice
Elliot Mincberg, Vice President, People For the American Way
Hillary Shelton, Washington Bureau Director, NAACP
Nancy Zirkin, Deputy Director, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Zixta Martinez, Senior Counsel, MALDEF
1:00-1:15 PM
Book Signings
David Corn, "The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception"
Sam Pizzigati, "Greed and Good: Understanding and Overcoming the Inequality that Limits Our Lives"
David Brock, "The Republican Noise Machine: Right Wing Media and How it Corrupts Democracy"
2:30-3:30 PM
Presentation: Progressive Initiatives — Opening the Conversation
Wes Boyd, President, MoveOn.org
Celinda Lake, President, Lake, Snell, Perry and Associates
Will Robinson, Partner, MacWilliams Robinson & Partners
3:45-4:45 PM
Workshops: Building Blocks — Challenging the Right
A: Message and Media
David Brock, President, Media Matters for America
John Podesta, President, Center for American Progress
Jack Willis, Co-Founder, Link TV
John Sayles, Director of the new film, "Silver City"
Lisa Witter, General Manager, Fenton Communications
B: Devolve This: Taking Back the States
Maude Hurd, President, ACORN
Bob Master, Co-Chair, Working Families Party and CWA
Rep. Nan Grogan Orrock, GA House Majority Whip
Joel Rogers, Director, Center on Wisconsin Strategy
Kristina Wilfore, Executive Director, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center
C: The New Ground Operations
Jeff Blodgett, Executive Director, Wellstone Action
William McNary, President, USAction
Karen Nussbaum, Assistant to the President, AFL-CIO
Cecile Richards, President, America Votes
Steve Rosenthal, CEO, America Coming Together
D: Big Money and Special Interest Politics: Breaking the Money Primary
David Donnelly, Executive Director, Campaign Money Watch
Adonal Foyle, Founder, Democracy Matters
Stephanie Moore, Executive Director, Fannie Lou Hamer Project
Eli Pariser, Executive Director, MoveOn PAC
E: Web Active: The Next Stage
Dan Carol, Principal, Carol/Trevelyan Strategy Group
Michael Kieschnick, President, Working Assets
Duane Peterson, Chief of Stuff, True Majority
Peter Schurman, Executive Director, MoveOn.org
Joe Trippi, Founder, Change for America
5:00-5:45 PM
Plenary: Progressive Champions and Triumphs
Introductions: Roger Hickey, Co-Director, Campaign for America's Future
Gloria Totten, Executive Director, Progressive Majority
Heather Booth, Founder, Midwest Academy
6:00-7:00 PM
Receptions by outside groups
7:00-8:15 PM
Dinner: Barbecue Outdoors on the Lawn
8:30-10:00 PM
Entertainment
Co-sponosored by Vote, Run, Lead/The White House Project, with ice cream from Ben & Jerry's
and sweet things from Cake Love
John Sayles discusses his new film, political satire "Silver City," which stars Chris Cooper, Richard Dreyfuss,
Daryl Hannah, Danny Houston, Kris Kristofferson, Mary Kay Place and Tim Roth
Friday, June 4
8:00-9:00 AM
Morning regional meetings by states
9:00-5:00 PM
Progressive Majority Campaign Training Track
A parallel program of training for Candidates, Issue Activists and Organizers will be available to attendees throughout the day on June 3 and 4. View the training track agenda here »
9:00-9:10 AM
Plenary
Rep. Nancy Pelosi,D-CA, House Democratic Leader
9:10-10:10 AM
Plenary: The Apollo Project — for Energy and Good Jobs
Introductions: Bracken Hendricks, Executive Director, Apollo Alliance Rep. Jay Inslee, D-WA
Terence M. O'Sullivan*,President, Laborers' International Union
Deb Callahan,President, League of Conservation Voters
Gerry Hudson*, Executive Vice President, SEIU Local 1199
10:15-11:30 AM
Parallel Plenaries
PLENARY A
Curing the Kitchen Table Blues
Education:
Rep. Major Owens, D-NY
Health Care:
Jacob Hacker, Yale University, author of "Medicare Plus"
Retirement Security:
Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-IL
Healthy Environment:
Aimée Christensen, Executive Director, Environment 2004
PLENARY B
Strategic Initiatives: Frameworks for Change
George Lakoff, Author, "Moral Politics: What Conservatives Know That Liberals Don't"
Will Robinson, Partner, MacWilliams Robinson & Partners
Ellen Miller, Deputy Director, Institute for America's Future
PLENARY C
Enforcing Corporate Responsibility
William Lerach, Lerach Coughlin Stoia & Robbins LLP
Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen
Nick Penniman, Editor, TomPaine.com
11:30-11:45 AM
Book Signings
Ruy Teixeira, "The Emerging Democratic Majority"
William Hartung,"How Much Are You Making on the War Daddy: A Quick And Dirty Guide to Profiteering in the Bush Administration"
William Greenwald, "Uncovered" (DVD)
11:45-12:45 PM
Parallel Plenaries
PLENARY A
Fighting for Good Jobs and Workplace Democracy
Hon. David Bonior, Chair, American Rights at Work
Marielena Hincapie, National Immigration Law Center
Andy Levin, Director, Voice@Work Campaign
Rev. Calvin Morris, Jobs with Justice National Workers' Rights Board
PLENARY B
Holding Government Accountable, Protecting Rights
Wade Henderson, Executive Director, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Cheryl Jacques, President, Human Rights Campaign
Cecilia Munoz, Vice President, National Council of La Raza
Ralph G. Neas, President, People For the American Way
Gwen Gillenwater, Director of Advocacy and Public Policy at the National Council of Independent Living
PLENARY C
Engaging Young Americans
Ben Brandzel, Executive Director, ClickBackAmerica.org
Ivan Frishberg, New Voters Project
Jehmu Greene, President, Rock the Vote
Jeffrey Johnson, Young Voter Coordinator, America Votes
Brooke Lierman, 2020 Democrats
Lilah Pomerance, Young Voter Project Director, 21st Century Democrats
Hans Riemer, Rock the Vo
PLENARY D
Media Reform and Democracy
Jeff Chester, Executive Director, Center for Digital Democracy
Robert Greenwald, Greenwald Productions
John Nichols, Free Press
Chellie Pingree, President, Common Cause
John Gray, Political Director, Free Press
1:00-2:30 PM
Closing Lunch: Unite to Take Back America
Robert L. Borosage, Co-Director, Campaign for America's Future
Kim Gandy, President, National Organization for Wom
Gerald McEntee, President, AFSCME
Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., President, Rainbow-PUSH Coalition