Invitation

As with many of you, 2004 was a seminal year in my level of political participation. My anger and frustration with the Bush Administration drove me to quit my job teaching high school in Washington, DC and devote myself full-time to coordinating a grassroots political campaign. Together with seven friends I founded Run Against Bush. Some of you may have seen our members in blue "Run Against Bush" t-shirts... and some of you may even own one of those shirts.

In the days after our loss two Novembers ago, I spoke with people who had walked precincts for days in Ohio, Nevada, Florida and beyond. Our collective frustration was palpable, but our desire to keep fighting for what we believe in is even more powerful. Since those days I've continued to talk to activists around the country, who are fighting day-to-day battles against the Bush Administration and working on building a more powerful infrastructure for progressives so that we never have a day like November 2, 2004 again.

That's what I'm writing to you about; I've been working on a project called the Online Progressive Caucus (OPC), which is designed to help build a more powerful, connected, and representative progressive community. Today, after many months of development, we are opening our doors to ACT supporters and activists to participate in an early stage beta-test.

Join our beta-test today: http://www.onlineprogressivecaucus.org/signup

Over the last several years, progressive activists like you have been at the forefront of developing state-of-the-art Internet tools and organizing strategies. The OPC is designed to be the next step in this process by building an online caucus to develop progressive positions, endorse progressive candidates and help get them elected.

Our goal is to create, support and maintain a dialogue among millions of people in a way that identifies and defines our collective interests and beliefs. We need your help to continue refining these tools, maintaining our dialogue, and creating a community that can become more than what any of us can do alone. The OPC beta-test allows you to join the conversation right now.

Join the beta-test today: http://www.onlineprogressivecaucus.org/signup

See you on the floor of the Online Progressive Caucus and thank you for your passion and energy,

Marc Laitin
Representative to the Online Progressive Caucus