For the past three years Progressive Majority of Washington has been bringing Camp Wellstone to Seattle, a three-day candidate, activist and campaign manager training program conducted in cooperation with Wellstone Action. And during that time, twelve Camp Wellstone alum have gone on to win public office in Washington state:
- Island County Commissioner John Dean
- South Prairie Mayor Peggy Levesque
- State Representative Marko Liias (21st LD)
- Tacoma Parks Commissioner Ryan Mello
- State Senator, Eric Oemig (45th LD)
- Shoreline City Councilmember Cindy Ryu
- Issaquah City Councilmember Joshua Schaer
- Shoreline City Councilmember Terry Scott
- Snohomish County Councilmember Dave Somers
- Seattle Port Commissioner Gael Tarleton
- Kent City Councilmember Elizabeth Watson
- Shoreline City Councilmember Janet Way
I attended that first, Seattle-area Camp Wellstone back in June of 2005, and I recognize the names of at least two camp mates from the list above: State Rep. Marko Liias and State Sen. Eric Oemig. It was also there where I first met Darcy Burner, who clearly learned an entirely different lesson out of the inspiring session on campaign fundraising. (I learned I didn’t have what it takes to raise the money to run for office. She learned that she did.)
I can’t recommend Camp Wellstone highly enough, but this year Seattle area prospective candidates and campaign managers have an even better opportunity to hone their skills, when Progressive Majority brings Wellstone Action’s Advanced Candidate and Campaign Management School to Federal Way, April 25-27. Slots are limited, so in order to be considered, hurry up and send your resume and/or a letter explaining why you wish to participate, by March 15 to dkelley at progressivemajority.org.
A nominal fee of $150 helps cover the cost of a hotel room and meals during the training; a small number of scholarships are available to low-income or unemployed participants.
Great. Just what we need: more “progressives.” Kinda like celebrating more tiral lawyers or celebrating having shingles.
I’ll try to save all the trolls some valuable time by pre-posting their drivel, blather, and other crud:
1. Camp Wellstone is probly a socialist-loving, Cuban-flag-saluting, secret libral handshake shaking, health-care providing, deficit-paying, education-improving, environmeddler-meddling meeting to finger out how to get more of our hard-borrowed tax dollars.
2. It must be bad because Goldy likes it.
3. I haven’t heard about it on Rush or Hannidty or Ann Coulter yet, so I really haven’t fingered out how to think against it so far
4. All of the folks listed probly lost thier elections but got snuck in by the Govner while nobody was looking when we was trying to win our lawsuit in our hand-picked court over there in Wenatschkee.
s/
The Pianist
(a genuine musician)
Goldy: Thanks so much for posting this announcement and supporting Progressive Majority candidates! I know there must be some budding campaign managers, and would-be candidates among your readers…and I can’t wait to meet them.
Hey, Goldy, quick question.
Did any of the winners unseat a conservative?
Big ups for Ryan Melllo!
So big of ups I seem to have gotten an extra L in there.
@3
Yay Edie, you rock!
Keep up the good work.
In answer to GBS: Yes, all but 1 defeat conservative opponents:
5 won open-seat contests, defeating conservative opponents.
6 were challengers, defeating conservative incumbents.
1 (Marko Liias) was appointed to the legislature to fill Brian Sullivan’s seat. He also ran a successful race for the Mukilteo City Council.
Hope that helps! ~~Edie
Thanks, Edie.
That certainly helps satisfy my curiosity, but more importantly, it speaks volumes to the value of the techniques learned in the Camp Wellstone project.
Kudos.
Goldie .. dates? venue?
I went to the site and I think I see. This is the advanced training, I assume it is only for people who have already been working in campaigns?
The training is for anyone who wants to run for office in the next couple of years, or those that want to run a campaign (soon.) Preference will be given to those with previous experience, or are currently/soon to be employed by a candidate.
We’ll send out times, locations, and lodging info to accepted participants.
(Also, I forgot to mention Wellstone grad. Barry Peters on the Bainbridge Island City Counci–he won, but he ran unopposed.)
Thanks to everyone willing to step forward and make government function.
How can we support Camp Wellstone?
I recognize some of those names from my own city council.
Keep up the awesome work helping more and better Democrats get elected.
Being an elected ain’t easy. I know several local elected officials. Folks feel they can accost you at the grocery story or at your kid’s school events. There are no off hours, even for part time council members.
great post. and hey, with the passage of public campaign finance today (thanks sen oemig), maybe even you could run, goldy.
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinf.....?bill=5278
Hey Goldy: I miss you on the radio – and also your deep voice (oh sorry, that was Dave Ross – just kidding – you did a great job with real issues and I did sign the petition)
You got a lower level camp for those of us political novices? Maybe I’ll run for dogcatcher first….I know it is a waste of all my advanced degrees – but I can always go out and become a vet…..
I am still trying to line up Puddy as my campaign manager. I wonder if he will support a democrat as a dog catcher? As a democratic dog catcher I will have to take into account whether that wayward dog comes from a good home or not… and I am also in favor of dog amnesty (as long as they are not in the telecom spying business).`
I also will need a slogan – something catchy – like vote for me and I’ll let the dogs out (I think Mitt knows the song) or….does your dog bite? (a bit of Peter Sellers/Pink Panther here).
Goldy! What are you going to run for? Maybe Puddy and I could team up as your co-campaign managers?
Asks J. Kane’ala:
The website you’re looking for is Wellstone Action! Information about their range of programs, training sessions, advocacy, and much more. Such as Paul Wellstone’s 2002 Senate floor speech opposing Bush’s war against Iraq.
re 2: To which I would add: “Who’s Paul Wellstone? And, When’s he going to fly into town so we can meet him?”
Politically Incorrect @ 1: “Kinda like celebrating more tiral lawyers.”
What the fuck is a “tiral lawyer?” By the way, dumbfuck, have you paid any attention to what lawyers in Pakistan are doing? Those of you who believe that “lawsuit” goes with “frivolous” the same as butter and warm honey haven’t read the Magna Carta lately, nor, of course, the Constitution. Have you folks ever considered what the right to trial by jury means?
@20: Creighton whoever:
Paul Wellstone was a Senator who had an intelligence and a sense of duty and a respect for the constitution that….you may never understand.
So why am explaining honesty and integrity to a republican troll…those are terms that just don’t exist in your small world.
The Lord taketh and the Lord Giveth
He took from us by allowing for Darcy “Homeowners my ass, I run for congress” Burner and he gave…by …well, not having you run. But the latter could be interesting. :-)
What? No Dusty tonight? I feel cheated. Hillary must have flown him down to Texas in her campaign aircraft, “Broomstick One”.
There is something very disturbing about @ 20.
BuddyPud seems to think it is Headless Lucy, But this comment is very off.
“fly into town”
It must be a wingnut troll all along.
Hell, it might by BuudyPud using a fake name.
Vigilance! The wingnuts are going to pull out all the stops this election season.
@24: Mike
I hear you – the constant dusty shilling for Hillary clinton is missing. Gee – he has so much to add…..
@17 Does your dog bite?
No.
[reaches down, sticks hand out, gets bitten]
I thought you said your dog did not bite?!
I did. That – is not my dog.
I think ‘Who let the dogs out’ would be a great campaign theme for a dogcatcher. Just try not to run up on folks while campaigning and make exclamations about their ‘bling bling.’
Tlazolteotl @ above
That was one of those remarkable Pink Panther scenes. Then, you combined that with that theme song of the Mariners playoff theme song of what? 1997? I’m guessing. In the meantime, I’m listening to the Boss’s latest disk. He asks, “Who will be the last to die for a mistake?” We’re all going to die for GW’s mistakes.
I may need to apologize to Creighton Baril.
I did not see the connection to the post @ 2 re: “What the trolls would say”
forget what I said @ 25
Correctnotright: PAY ATTENTION! You lefties have no memories at all.
Creighton Baril is the 15th chosen name for headless lucy, resident racist[insert evil] of HorsesssssASS! He ain’t a Republican troll.
You and GBS repudiated him for his racist rants. BTW he knew who Paul Wellstone was… It was another of his cheap rhetorical tricks…
BO@25&25:
It is painfully obvious (PO) that you’re oblivious (YO) to facts.
The LAST PERSON IN THE WORLD I’d emulate is Creighton headless lucy Baril.
What a fool you are BO.
I am not surprised this state follows the Paul Wellstone model. I still remember his funeral “party” and the words from the NEW PROGRESSIVES back then.
“Progressive” is another way to say “socialist.”
@ 32:
What the Hell kind of racist comment is that????
We Irish drink and party at a funeral, we just call it a Wake.
You know, we party so hard we WAKE the dead.
Are you putting us Irish down?? What about the Black Irish??
Are you putting them down too? With your racisit comments?
Bro!
Just laughing at you. I’m sure your fingers were starting to fly all over the keyboard.
Goooooooooood morning, Puddybud.
Puddybud,
What’s up with posting at 4:30 this morning? Wife kick to the sofa for snoring??