Occupy Wall Street Protests Ignite Progressive Political Fire In Washington (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- With the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations inspiring scores of similar protests nationwide, a progressive conference in the nation's capital has drawn thousands of activists dedicated to harnessing that energy into a full-blooded political movement.

The conference is an overhaul of the annual progressive event hosted by Campaign for America's Future, which teamed up with Van Jones, former adviser to President Barack Obama, for a three-day gathering starting Monday dubbed "Take Back The American Dream." Like most major political events in recent years, the conference was dominated by economic concerns, with the political prominence of too-big-to-fail banks, widening income inequality and rampant unemployment taking center stage. Speakers at the conference and activists in attendance excoriated Beltway politicians for focusing on the federal budget deficit instead of addressing the American jobs crisis.

Leaders at the conference also pressed progressives to focus their energy beyond Obama, highlighting broad dissatisfaction with an administration that has repeatedly derided liberals, dismissing many of the activists present at the conference as "the professional left." The message from progressive leaders -- who included Jones, economist Robert Reich and The Nation publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel, among others -- was clear: Neither political party in Washington is listening to working Americans struggling through the worst recession since the Great Depression. Progressives will have to continue hosting events like Occupy Wall Street that bring voters into the streets and pressure political leaders to take action on the jobs crisis. Progressive members of Congress have already taken note, with the Progressive Caucus -- the largest alliance of House liberals -- endorsing Occupy Wall Street amid the conference cheerleading.

Conference events continue through Wednesday, with an official Occupy D.C. jobs rally scheduled for the early afternoon.

 

Comments

[manofwar]

01:09 PM on 10/10/2011

Follow the Bloodline.

Bloodlines are Strong in this country. People came here after being oppressed and wanting Freedom in their lives.

Yet, the people that came slaughtered and killed for what they wanted and now claim it ALL for their forefathers.

They want "Their" country Back, they do not believe in sharing, (Ask the Native Americans) they have a firm belief

ALL began and Dies with this "Bloodline"

Their words are dressed up and served to ALL "Freedom and Justice for ALL" yea, right!

Forget denial of learning served by death a result for enslaved BLACKS who read, spoke or or corrected any injustice done by this "Bloodline"

Disease and Slaughter of Nations of Native Americans! The absolute denial of ever being "RACIST" Murderers

Stolen inventions, land, black wall street banks,cattle, etc. Claiming the theft was due to Superior abilities, Really-- "GUNS" and HATE

These are FACTS and it still rings true--Thru this "BLOODLINE" which resides mainly within the Republicans Party.

Yet, their are others sprinkled in daily life that Lie and Deceive, Denial of racism is the NEW RACISM!

[amcountertopfab]

05:03 PM on 10/07/2011

You know, when I graduated from college, which I paid for myself with student loans, which I repaid on time, I wasn't out with my friends holding a pity party and blaming everyone else because I didn't get my dream job. Are these people running for President because they bear a personality similarity to the existing "President" who blames everyone and everything for his failures. These peoples cause of action lies with the elitest college professors who filled them full of crap about how a liberal arts degree would open doors to the American Dream and its rewards. What they left out is the work part, which is the only way that you will achieve the American Dream. You don't achieve the American Dream by legislating handouts or entitlements or free college, you achieve it by starting out at the bottom at a menial job and working your way up to management where you then can then use your degree to build on to achieve the good life. I want to point out one thing, if you think that this President Obama and his administration is your friend and ally against the Wall Street Crowd, please remember that he recieved more campaign contributions from banks and Wall Street than any president or officeholder in flippin' history. I am sure that he feels your pain.

[jwm347]

05:52 PM on 10/07/2011

nice article. I wish more people thought like you. Judging from mpost of these articles and comments,,I just wish more people thought,,period.

[manofwar]

01:12 PM on 10/10/2011

"BLOODLINE" a descedant of!!! WOW!!

[smburwick]

03:19 PM on 10/07/2011

TronnyD: If you know nothing about Van Jones, look up Soros.

[traceymarie]

03:36 PM on 10/07/2011

What about Soros...the man who is spending his money to eradicate measels in poor countries, or the self sustaining villags he is helping to create

[smburwick]

03:49 PM on 10/07/2011

Oh, Soros is good and bad too? The problem with you is that you went from independent to democrat. I was a democrat and the party left me years ago. You don't realize that your party has be hijacked by extremists the ilk of Maoists?

[amcountertopfab]

05:15 PM on 10/07/2011

Yes George Soros has done some good things in his life but the bad things he has done, outweigh that good. George Soros wants a one world with one government which he can have a controlling interest like he has with his puppet Obama. The only thing in his way is the United States which is why he is trying to jam U.N.decisions and edicts down our throats to achieve the promised liberal utopia. I want to point out that nobody in this country ever voted for the UN or its demands and thus it has absolutely no legal standing to influence our laws or way of life. This person is vindictive in that he spent about 15 million dollars with the simple goal to discredit George Bush. George Bush is a good and decent man if you research him but 15 million dollars buys a lot of minds to hate. Did you know that he personally is at the airport when any flight brings American Servicemen and women home from war? No cameras, no news footage, no press. He shakes hands with every single one and takes the time to thank them. This is what the truth looks like.

[smburwick]

02:59 PM on 10/07/2011

tmachine2: You smoke too much pot. You are coming from a pipe dream.

[traceymarie]

03:36 PM on 10/07/2011

what an asinine comment

[tmachine2]

10:41 AM on 10/07/2011

I am sick and tired of the media calling progressives liberals. Progressive means to move forward. We had real progressives in both political parties for years. Eisenhower and Teddy Roosevelt were progressives. We need to reopen the debate and come up with bold ideas to reclaim this country. We are headed in the wrong direction and going back to same old failed trickle-down policies and deregulation will make it much worse. I cheer the OWS movement and all of these progressive groups.

[smburwick]

03:22 PM on 10/07/2011

Well there are some progressives who are moderate and don't align with radical left.

[traceymarie]

03:37 PM on 10/07/2011

and you bags are the radical, frightened white thumpers.

[Ezio]

09:37 AM on 10/07/2011

I for one am interested in where this is going.

[jwm347]

05:58 PM on 10/07/2011

I can answer that. The toilet.

[KsAPigButt]

10:28 PM on 10/06/2011

If coporate money was banned from election funds and Congress, and lobbyists were banned from Congress, this article would never have been written, no one would be protesting on Wall Street, and none of the almost 10,000 comments would not have been written.

[tmachine2]

10:41 AM on 10/07/2011

Agreed

[smburwick]

03:16 PM on 10/07/2011

tmachine: I watch all of them even the government controlled stations with all of the pathetic Saul Alinsky lovers.

[amcountertopfab]

05:43 PM on 10/07/2011

Ah, life would be grand but if....Corporate money is no different from union money, foundation money, or any other activist groups money, such as the Sierra Club or Planned Parenthood money. You people have been fed a line of crap to deflect the criticism away from the failures of President Obama. Are corporations responsible for all of your problems? I sincerely doubt it. Did you lose your job or are you unemployed? If you try to kill the corporations or businesses like Barack Obama is trying to do, you may never get a job. You see, these evil corporations create these jobs to make a profit to make more money to hire more people and on and on. When Bush was in office and there was a pro-business attitude unemployment went down to 4.8%. Barack Obama is TOTALLY ANTI-BUSINESS and unemployment is 9.1%. It ain't rocket science

[BlackBryan]

06:10 PM on 10/06/2011

OH how the tables have turned. Blacks have been dealing with this for years.It's funny how white people want to get with the movement now. Blacks have been below the poverty line for decades. With no jobs they are forced into a life of crime. Those same whites that have lost everything with no job wouldn't have hired a black person when they were in a position of power. Haha karma is a female dog!!! Now the middle class white americans have a little taste of what my people have gone through and still going through rite now. Its kinda sad to say but im semi happy thats white middle class is losing everything. Maybe this will wake them up. Even if change happens I highly doubt lower income blacks will see any change. I know if I was down there the police would beat the black off me. So boo who cry me a river,lake and an ocean. NO SYMPATHY over here maybe for their children but thats about it.

[KsAPigButt]

09:15 PM on 10/06/2011

I totally understand what you are saying, BlackBryan, but unfortunately, it's not entirely correct. If there is a major economic crisis, true, the middle class will feel a lot more pain, but the trickle down won't stop with them. Most middle class work for others, and don't do the hiring. You do realize that it's not the rich that help the poor, don't you? If the middle class have got nothing left to give, what happens then? You're right. Bad Karma is not a bit fun, but it can come back to bite you for wishing bad Karma on others, too.

[BlackBryan]

10:54 PM on 10/06/2011

Lets get this clear I have no ill will towards any human being. Secondly you haven't made one valid point. Did you really say and I quote. "The middle class will feel a lot more pain." Are you on drugs? There has been an economic crisis in the black community for years. Black leader for example AL Sharpton have been marching and fighting for economic equality for decades you silly individual. They also have been saying everyone will sooner or later feel the pain. Its doesn't feel good now does it. You must be part of the middle class as am I. It's a shame it has to hit so close to home for white people to wake up .If change happens the black and lower income community will get left behind like they always do!! You're living in a fairly tale I just hope it has a happy ending.

[smburwick]

03:27 PM on 10/07/2011

Middle class hires if they have a business.

[opiniongirl18]

08:32 AM on 10/07/2011

YOU ARE THE DEVIL indisgise aint you the wolf dreesed in a sheep clothing will i don,t see why are you so happy about the midle class white peole beyin so misereable we with midle white people wanted you whathever color you are to be treated with respect and caring like we all deserve to be treated black or white remember just color of skin the blood and the heart is the same colorer is the withe people why you feel that hate in your hearth for the with midle class people is unjustafied i am a girl from brasil we all have hard times but lets be a family help eachother untead of killing eachother GOD die in the cruz for all of us he didn,t say black or withe he say a poor man will enter the GATES of HAVEN BEFORE A RICH MAN so if you feel that much hate for the withe midle class people or you are a black person who hate youself or a indegised teabagerteapotty what ever you are i wish you love happiness and everything you dream off good luck == and one more thing === if you hate midle withe people somuch maybe you should move somewhere else just remember hate is evil we all brothers in sisters no matter whath color we are take care my friend happy wishes to you

[traceymarie]

03:00 PM on 10/07/2011

That was quite the inarticulate misspelled rant.

[BlackBryan]

07:03 PM on 10/07/2011

First of all please use spell check because i can't understand what you are saying. Ok wolf in sheep's clothing you didn't even use that correctly. Back to the matter at hand I don't hate middle class i am a part of the middle class and also black. I have been seeing everything happening to middle class happening to my people and your people for years. I wasn't trying to come off so hateful its more frustration. In the fact it has to happen to them before they start caring.

[Katie Eberle]

05:13 PM on 10/06/2011

We should do an Occupy K Street. Get after the damn lobbyists too!!

[tmachine2]

10:44 AM on 10/07/2011

It's coming

[Anne Agard]

12:26 PM on 10/06/2011

There's something pretty witless about referring to the scruffy young occupiers as "hippies."

Born in 1947, I was one of the kids whom that word was coined to describe. Back in the 1960's, we amused ourselves by creating an alternative lifestyle that was to our liking. We dropped out of schools that our parents could afford to pay for, eschewed jobs that were ours for the asking, and had lots of fun and high times, tacitly trusting to parental and societal safety nets to catch us if we crashed. Most of us eventually went on to careers, raised families, and nestled comfortably back into the American middle class.

Kids coming of age today (some of them our grandchildren, how time flies) have had the middle class pulled out from under their feet. They don't have a future, and they don't have a safety net. There are no jobs for them. To get an education, they must incur ruinous debts that they will never be able to pay off. The way things are going, they will never be able to afford their own homes or their own families. Their protests are the only response that makes any sense.

[KsAPigButt]

09:20 PM on 10/06/2011

I'm ashamed that it took the grandchildren to have the guts to finally speak up and do something. Maybe we can take some credit in that much, but it should have been us making the first move for their sakes. :(

[tmachine2]

10:45 AM on 10/07/2011

The baby boomers need to get off their a$$es and join their kids in this protest.

[buggeroffyou666]

11:46 AM on 10/06/2011

This morning I posted the comment that this is what real grass roots looks like. I immediately had the teabagger tools give fact free accusations attacking me.
Thank you GOPTeabaggers. You let me know I must have said the truth to make you so angry.

[Emmett Wiggins]

12:39 PM on 10/06/2011

Oh, I gave you facts, straight from your talking points site - huffpo impact, maybe thats why you didn't reply to my comment, you ran off and started another rant.

[buggeroffyou666]

03:36 PM on 10/06/2011

I did reply. You just called it a rant....right after you said I didnt reply......GOPTeabagger honesty for you. Fcktard.

[traceymarie]

03:02 PM on 10/07/2011

newbie, you bags have lies and innuendo but not facts

[sidecarman]

11:31 AM on 10/06/2011

the constitution is obsolete

[JubalTHarshaw]

12:12 PM on 10/06/2011

OK. So we can just kill you rather than listen to you? Perhaps you ought to read the Constitution before expressing an opinion that makes you look like an idiot.

[sidecarman]

12:18 PM on 10/06/2011

democracy and capitalism is also obsolete.

the constitution was written by rich white men to protect rich white men.

nothing has changed

[KsAPigButt]

09:23 PM on 10/06/2011

I have no idea how old you are, but the Constitution will be the one thing from this country that will withstand time, and be here long after we're dead and gone. If no one in our history ever did one thing right, the Constitution is it. Please don't ever doubt or forget that.

[mustangdad2000]

10:55 AM on 10/06/2011

Hate to do this but I have to sign off and make a sales call - some of us have to work and have other responsibilities. I will resume defending America, our constitution and Bill of Rights against the street rabble as soon as I can.

[buggeroffyou666]

11:48 AM on 10/06/2011

Translation=I'll get back to being un-American and lying as soon as I can.....Going to watch fox not news for my talking points.

[JubalTHarshaw]

12:14 PM on 10/06/2011

I have to give you full marks for comic relief. Why aren't you out on the picket line instead of hiding behind your keyboard?

[tmachine2]

10:47 AM on 10/07/2011

until you lose your job

[mustangdad2000]

09:10 AM on 10/06/2011

As a point of interest the street rabble demonstrating in several cities was initiated by Adbusters, a radical Canadian environmental wacko group which is also opposed to "consumerism".

As Obama supporters, do they not comprehend that Wall Street is among the biggest of Obama's support base?

In what may soon be a surprise to the boneheads at the demonstartions, without a set of guidelines about what they are "against" other than a mantra of socialist cliches, is that their "movement" is about to be taken over by even more radicalized elements of the Democrat Party.

Van Jones, one of two commmunists brought into Obama's inner circle, who was appointed the "Green Czar", had to leave in disgrace after Fox News exposed his radical past promoting communist causes, is sending minions from his Campaign for America's Future into the fracas.

Union thuggies and malcontent teachers are planning to man the barricades and effectively provide "direction" to the useless eaters already blocking streets and making fools of themselves. Their objective is, of course, to clamor for more government and less freedom for the majority of working Americans.... and more taxes for their redistribution schemes.

Fearing what should be another landslide deafeat of Democrats at the poll in the upcoming election, we are now witness to the last desperate acts of a floudering political party that has sold its' soul to radical leftists.

[mogluver]

09:42 AM on 10/06/2011

Sounds like you just spit shined your jackboots....

[mustangdad2000]

10:36 AM on 10/06/2011

No, child, they were shined when I put them away, after defending you and others of your ilk as a combat officer.

[proudtohaveserved]

09:59 AM on 10/06/2011

MUSTANG : You are sure a tea bagger, thru and thru. We all know where you are coming from. TOP 1% RIGHT?

[mustangdad2000]

10:49 AM on 10/06/2011

Actually, never been to a Tea Party patriot meeting, but from what I have read it does appear that they, like me, support America, our constitution and Bill of Rights. Actually, I am a registered Independent ... who understands that the Republican Party represents the only hope for America.

Since nobody has ever been hired by a poor man, I certainly do understand that the wealthy are taxed entirely too much. But as for me, I am just a working guy probably at the 50% range. I earn an average of about $125K as a straight commission salesman. My wife "volunteers" her time as a teacher in a Catholic school and earns $29K. She could teach again in the failed public school system, making a lot more money, but prefers an environment wherein she can actually teach children, in a school that turns out qualified graduates.

[JubalTHarshaw]

12:18 PM on 10/06/2011

Did you engage in tea-bagging while you were "serving"? Was that an issue for you?

[rjollierroger]

09:00 AM on 10/06/2011

If things do not change in this country, you will see a lot worse than this. Everyday people are tired of the bickering, in our Govt. & nothing being done. Once they get organized, they will be a political force.

[smburwick]

09:30 AM on 10/06/2011

It is important to change the rhetoric and stop the troublemakers on the left. Do these people clean up after themselves? NO.

[tmachine2]

11:03 AM on 10/07/2011

Oh those troublemakers, I like how they are clubbing police officers and shooting pepper spray in their eyes. Oh wait, it's the police officers doing that. How much Glenn Beck, Hannity, O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, and Fox News do you watch?

[traceymarie]

03:08 PM on 10/07/2011

did you bags properly dispose of your diapers after events? see how both sides can make innane comments. Stick to facts instead of hyperbolic nonsense

[JubalTHarshaw]

12:05 PM on 10/06/2011

These sheeple will never be organized. They aren't even bright enough to figure out who is manipulating them. When union members show up to join communists and anarchists with a sprinkling of students and sincere protestors you have to wonder who is pulling the strings. Even a protestor with a BA in Music History ought to be able to figure out that the union guy has a pension invested on Wall Street that he isn't going to anything to jeopardize...

[tmachine2]

11:06 AM on 10/07/2011

Wall Street has been screwing with their pensions for years and putting it at risk. The Occupy Wall Street movement never asked for union support, but they welcome anyone who is disgusted with conservative politics and economics. They are sick and tired of cronie capitalism, greed, and corruption. I guess that's okay with you, until you're affected.