Eat Lunch For Peace - - Become A "Brown-Bagger"

Eat lunch for peace--become a "brown-bagger" | Progressive Democrats of America

Southern Indiana's new PDA chapter participated in its first event this past Wednesday, when four of us (Darleen Cox, David Cox, Linda Mitchell and Carol Tvaroh) went to Congressman Baron Hill's office in Jeffersonville and met for about an hour with Hill's assistant, Adam Dickey, who told us that he was already aware that we had started a PDA chapter. We explained that we would support Baron Hill, but that would also continue looking for the likeliest candidate to back our progressive agenda in the future.

Hill has privately voiced his support for single-payer healthcare, but we have yet to get him out of the closet on this issue. It looks as though he's planning a run for governor in 2012, but he says he doesn't want to make a definite commitment at this time, since he'd like one last term in the House and wants to give that his full attention. Should he run for governor and win, we might get his cooperation in pushing a state single-payer program.

We made our feelings clear about pulling out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (also Yemen), and at least starting to close down our 700+military bases throughout the world—a blue dog shouldn't be so profligate with our money.



Since it was the day after the Massachusetts special election, our delegation discussed it with Adam, and we mentioned that the administration has to start taking a more populist approach, getting serious about controlling the Wall Street establishment, and prepare to counter the (assumed at the time) Supreme Court decision to roll back campaign finance reform and allow corporations to make direct contributions to political campaigns. We also talked about the election as a form of referendum on the healthcare bill. Adam asked whether we would favor passing the Senate bill; two of us were for killing it, and two were for passing it—but only because they feared healthcare would die as an issue were this to fail. We made very clear that we would continue fighting for single-payer healthcare and that we would consider anything that might be passed now a temporary measure at best, and would feel free to publicly point out its flaws.



We also requested that the congressman support an ERISA waiver, to enable states to go ahead with their own single-payer programs, and Adam said he'll take up our suggestion to check out the Pennsylvania legislation in the works. 



So far, we have a pretty good relationship with Baron Hill. He and his staff are willing to listen to us and explain his position on various issues.
But he is a blue dog, and the search is on for a progressive congressperson. Replacing Evan Bayh is more urgent, and will be a difficult task.