Pearsall's Books

Earlier this month I mentioned that I went along to a conference organized by the Principles Project. Basically, the Principles Project was an attempt to articulate core progressive principles, a sort of statement of liberal intent. Having never participated in a political conference like that, it was quite an interesting experience. Anyways, over the weekend there was an article about the project in the Washington Post which is worth a read.

"The Principles Project's declarations represent a partial answer to two questions that have percolated in Washington since the November election. One is whether the grass-roots activity and political energy that was mobilized on the Democratic side against President Bush would continue after his reelection.

"This is an antidote to the disappointment right after the election," said Rollert, the chairman of the project. At the same time, Rollert added, he and his fellow organizers believed that "we on the left" had not matched conservatives in thinking in a long-term way about the ideas and values that drive politics. "This is an attempt to think not just about the election cycle but through 10 or 20 election cycles."

The effort also helps answer what some of the big Democratic-supporting independent groups that were created to influence the 2004 election will do now that their original mission ended in defeat.

The Principles Project has received endorsements and modest financial support from such groups as America Coming Together, the big labor-supported effort that spent heavily to promote Democratic nominee John F. Kerry in key swing states."