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Good morning from a cold, post-blizzard Augusta, where Maine Democrats are on the hunt for someone to lead them out of the political wilderness after the 2016 cycle that brought you President Donald Trump, aided by a win in the 2nd Congressional District.

Its leading to calls among Democrats to draft Maine Senate Minority Leader Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, to run for governor in 2018. The longtime lawmaker has only gained stature in the party of late as the top surrogate here for Bernie Sanders during the presidential caucuses.

The Vermont senator beat eventual Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton easily in Maine. Jackson, a plain-speaking logger and labor Democrat, is perhaps better positioned than any state-level politician to capitalize on the Sanders-type brand now having a moment in the party.

Until now, Jackson has ruled out running to replace the term-limited Gov. Paul LePage in 2018, citing the financial toll of his unsuccessful 2014 primary run for the 2nd District, which was marked by big-money Democratic groups who rallied behind Emily Cain and against Jackson.

But these fresh calls have gotten the attention of Jacksons son, Chace, who authored a public Facebook post on Thursday saying people have been expressing this sincere hope that his father will run, but I dont know what he ought to do and we really dont talk about it.

Noting that hell catch hell for writing the post, Chace Jackson laid out what progressives should do to draft his father, including avoiding a repeat of 2014 by not only lobbying him, but urging legislators, progressive groups and Sanders political organization to get behind him.

Imagine how dominant a Jackson campaign could be in a primary by fusing the massive base of Portland progressives with rural populists in Aroostook, Oxford, and elsewhere? he wrote. Thats not just a winning primary campaign, thats the nucleus of a winning Democratic (coalition) against the Republican nominee and a new dawn for Maine Democrats.

Its worth noting that former U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud tried that in in 2014 and lost to LePage, who got more support in Michauds own 2nd District. That longtime blue-collar Democratic district helped elect Trump and is represented now by second-term Republican Bruce Poliquin.

Any Democrat will have a hard time turning the rural tide, but Sanders win may have showed a path forward for the party in Maine. Whether Jackson will be that movements chief standard bearer will be a top question in state politics this year. Michael Shepherd

With tips, pitches, questions or feedback, email us at politics@bangordailynews.com. If youre reading The Daily Brief on the BDNs website or were forwarded it, click here to get Maines only newsletter on state politics and policy delivered via email every weekday morning.

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How Troy Jackson's son thinks progressives can try to draft his father for governor - Bangor Daily News

WINCHESTER The day after President Donald Trump was elected, Winchester residents Jennifer Eden and Rachael Schoellen started Shenandoah Progressives.

According to the groups Facebook page, The purpose of this group is to promote progressive political action and social justice in the greater Shenandoah Valley area.

About 35 members attended the groups second meeting at the Hideaway Cafe on Friday night.

Blindly following a president is not American, Eden, 35, said. Standing up for the founding principles of this country is American. If we feel those principles are being squashed, its our obligation as patriots to stand up against it.

The group does differ from those similar in the area. Eden said instead of resisting the Trump presidency, she wants to see the group focus on progressive movements beyond the years of this administration. She also pointed out there is no mention of Trump in their mission statement.

While his election was the catalyst for starting the group, I had issues with the last administration and the administration before that, she said.

With President Obama, Eden was unhappy that he didnt undo the Patriot Act, which she said was a threat to civil liberties, and she didnt like the drone campaign.

Through Shenandoah Progressives, Eden wants to reach out to other groups in the fight for equality including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Winchester chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

We want to push forward with progressive ideals and equality for everyone, Eden said. I want a safe, open space where all voices can be heard.

In attendance at Fridays meeting was Pam Kennedy, a Frederick County Democrat in her mid-60s, who is exploring her avenues to promote positive social change. Although President Trump has been in office for three weeks, Kennedy said it feels like three years.

I am appalled, horrified and aghast at what is happening to our country, she said. There is nothing he has done in a positive way. It has all been destructive. Thats why Im here tonight.

Winchester resident Matthew Chonko, 28, was thinking about joining a progressive group in the area when he saw information about the meeting for Shenandoah Progressives in The Winchester Star.

I think there is a resistance of civic engagement on the left and the right, he said. Its important to be part of it. I support progressive values and the progressive idea.

Chonko is a language arts teacher in Berkeley County, W.Va.

I saw this as a good opportunity to get involved, he said. To be with like-minded people and have a positive impact in the community.

Eden presented members with a variety of committees they could join to promote the groups mission in the area. Members had the option to join committees focusing on local community outreach, equality and human rights, health care, the environment, education and legal reform.

We feel attacked from all sides, Eden said. In a committee we can focus on one issue, or two.

The committees will function as an autonomous group. Meetings of the Shenandoah Progressives will take place every six to eight weeks and will be announced within the Facebook group.

The first Shenandoah Progressives meeting was held in November, but Eden said they decided to pump the breaks until after the inauguration. After President Trump was sworn in the group grew in size and now has 545 members on Facebook. Members include residents of Washington, D.C., and Harrisonburg.

The group was also instrumental in organizing the Winchester Womens March on Jan. 21, which drew 1,300 people downtown.

The Shenandoah Progressives is holding a postcard party at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the Hideaway Cafe. They will send postcards to members of Congress, senators and the White House. The issues addressed will depend on the person writing the postcard. Scripts and a list of issues will be available for those who dont know what to write.

Shenandoah Progressives is not affiliated with a larger group.

We are our own thing, Eden said. We can shape this group however we want. We have a lot of flexibility of what we can do and how we can grow.

Read more here:
Shenandoah Progressives meet, talk of their mission to fight for equality - The Winchester Star

As our fearless leader appeases his way through the Orient, the families of the victims at Fort Hood are left picking up the pieces of their broken lives. The massacre hardly made a blip on Obama's radar, his administration is trying desperately to portray this as your garden variety slaughter, but for those of us with a brain, this attack is not so insignificant, no it's enormous. This was a terror attack that probably could have been avoided, if not for our societies ingestion and acceptance of political correctness, the proper steps would have been taken long ago to imprison this slug.

The military is consumed by PC fear, liberals have been quite successful in their campaign for loathsome white guilt. They've created an atmosphere of tolerance for the intolerable. This sworn Islamic soldier penetrated our military, and with their careers in the balance, our guardians looked away, and for that 13 hero's are dead.

Liberalism infects everything it comes in contact with. The liberal elites, like President Obama, Harry Reid, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Nancy Pelosi and others take pleasure in controlling their naive left wing minions. The elite's pander to this peace, love, and happiness crowd, making slaves of millions. They don't believe in any of it. These are progressives in liberal clothing, sure they believe in abortion, not because it's a women right, but because it controls the population and supports selective breeding, weeding out the less desirable.

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Well when our high government position are picked solely by Washington and Multnomah counties and bypasses the rest of the voters, you get the likes of Gov. Brown. Proclaiming Oregon to be a sanctuary state!

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Statesman Journal 10:55 a.m. PT Feb. 10, 2017

Letter to the editor.(Photo: Stock art)

Well when our high government position are picked solely by Washington and Multnomah counties and bypasses the rest of the voters, you get the likes of Gov. Brown. Proclaiming Oregon to be a sanctuary state!

Has it ever crossed her mind that her real job is to care more about the actual citizens of this state? Citizenswho pay the taxes, citizenswho have been reduced to third-class waifs,who have been told money is short and wait in line for any leftovers not needed by benefactors of her social engineering?

The answer is no, because it is more sexy to progressives to care about people from other countries.

This is a mystery to me as, like most of you, I was raised to believe charity begins at home.

Progressives dont care that most of these folks hate us, our culture, our country and especially our Constitution. They ask us to change our way of life for the invaders and give up everything we hold dear, least we offend the very people we have to care for lock, stock and barrel.

Keep it up, progressives; you are becoming irrelevant. This is the reason you lost the election.

Stephen A. Moser

Salem

Read or Share this story: http://stjr.nl/2kXL8os

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Progressives put undocumented immigrants before citizens - Statesman Journal

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4th District

Baltimore U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, the co-chair of a group of centrist Democrats, on Thursday criticized efforts by progressives to try to sideline centrist messages at the annual gathering of House Democrats.

All human institutions my marriage, the Ford Motor Company, the Democratic Caucus, the Roman Empire they win and survive when they adapt, listen to lots of different points of view, challenge orthodoxies, invite people who think differently than they do into the conversation, and have a really robust conversation, said Himes. Thats a winning organization.

He said a losing organization, in contrast is one in which you are convinced that the orthodoxy is exactly right, and you shut down other points of view. Himes is a co-chairman of a group of business-friendly House Democrats called the New Democrat Coalition.

Progressives protested the scheduled appearance of Jim Kessler, the senior vice president for policy of Third Way, a prominent centrist think tank, at the Democratic retreat on Wednesday.

Kessler says the Democratic Party needs to grow geographically, demographically and ideologically not move decisively to the left to regain power

For House Democrats to seek advice from a Wall Street-funded think tank that preaches timidity, that shows them learning the exactly wrong lesson in the Trump era, said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. I think Democrats need to fight more strongly, with backbone, and not let Trump steal the mantle of economic populism.

Himes said the policy of exclusion is counterproductive.

So, we bristle a little bit at the idea, that my gosh, that this person should not even be allowed in the room, Himes said.

The retreat aimed at party unity and at agreeing to a strategy that would allow the battered Democratic Party to move forward after their electoral loses in the fall.

Some Democrats argued party members should work with President Donald Trump on infrastructure and other areas of common interests. But others vowed their only job is to resist the White House.

The Democrats began their retreat in Baltimore on Wednesday and will wrap up their meeting Friday afternoon.

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Himes knocks progressives for rejecting centrist speaker at Dem retreat - The CT Mirror