1. Elect Howard Dean as DNC Chair to demonstrate an embracing of the grassroots with a responsive leader who lead with an anti-Iraq war message, has delivered on health care and already commands a large following of progressive grassroots activist citizens.
2. In light of the current crisis of confidence regarding our electoral system, ammend the current party platform to include the "Voters' Bill of Rights."
3. Vehemently oppose the appointment of Alberto Gonzales to the position of Attorney General due to his multiple trespasses against our Bill of Rights, International Agreements on torture and the treatment of prisoners, and his repeated undermining of citizens access to crucial documents in regards to Cheney's energy task force and the blatant undermining of the Freedom of Information Act through Executive Order 13233, Nov. 2001 that allows former presidents, their families, and sitting presidents to block the release of information scheduled to become public.

Itinerary:
11:30 AM Bill Moyer of the Backbone Campaign will open the event.

11:35 David Rovics 2-3 songs

11:50 First Speaker (TBA)

12 Noon: "Three Strikes Your Out!" guerilla theater romp/ Satirical audience participation dramatization of three lost elections.

12:10 Moyer will introduce the audience to the plan for the procession/press conference and return. We'll rehearse a little backbone diddy and possibly a chant or two then go.

12:15-12:25 We'll process and we'll congregate around the DNC, arm in arm signing "Your Health Care's connected to your No WAR!, No War connected etc. etc. "... on a whistle signal we will end, at which time we will begin the presentation for the press.

12:30 Awards and statement to the Press: We've invited a couple courageous progressive Democrats to receive Backbone Awards. We will then make a coordinated appeal to the conscience of DNC members, many of whom have dedicated their lives to progressive principles, to embrace their progressive base and assure us we are not being taken for granted. We will urge them to recognize the historical crossroads at which the Democratic Party stands, and entreat them to avert a progressive exodus by taking the following steps:

1. Elect Howard Dean as DNC Chair to demonstrate an embracing of the grassroots with a responsive leader who lead with an anti-Iraq war message, has delivered on health care and already commands a large following of progressive grassroots activist citizens. (We may want to reconsider this language in order to not so much enshrine Dean as a poster child for progressivism, but to embrace his approach and acknowledge the strength and dedication of his mostly progressive base.) 2. In light of the current crisis of confidence regarding our electoral system, amend the current party platform to include the "Voters' Bill of Rights." including: Election Day as a National Holiday, Verifiable, Clean Elections, IRV, etc. 3. Militantly oppose by every means the appointment of Alberto Gonzales to the position of Attorney General due to his multiple trespasses against our Bill of Rights, International Agreements on torture and the treatment of prisoners, and his repeated undermining of citizens access to crucial documents in regards to Cheney's energy task force and the blatant undermining of the Freedom of Information Act through Executive Order 13233, (Signed Nov. 2001 that allows former presidents, their families, and sitting presidents to block the release of information scheduled to become public.) 4. DO NOT "Piratize" Social Security, "Adjust the Income Cap, Eliminate the Benefit Gap."

12:50 We will then blow the whistle, get folks singing and process back to the park.

1 PM: Action items, where we go from here, Backbone Cabinet, PDA conference , Roots Camp announcements: Once there, we'll hand out Spine cards to be sent to DNC voting members and signing folks up. Bill will very briefly speak about the importance of not entrusting all our hopes in the Democratic Party, but always work to build our movement, and the potential for our "Backbone Cabinet" project. 1:10 PDA folks will announce their summit.

1:15 Then we'll close with a song. David Rovics plays or perhaps we sign something together.

Finish by 1:30 and clean-up.

WE NEED YOU! We can't do this without your help. Already, people from our local community and around the country have pitched in with time, money, and tickets, ($600 in the last 48 hours!-Thank You! 1-16) but we're still $1,400 short for this effort. Keeping the momentum of our movement alive, educating, organizing and delivering a mandate for a progressive agenda is the only way to sculpt a future worthy of our children. Please do what you can.

THANK YOU GIFTS! Now available, if you donate $50 or more ($25 low income), we'll send you a Backbone T-shirt. Make sure to include your email address so we can ask you about your size. click to enlarge

"STRIKE THREE!! YOU'RE OUT'A THERE":
by Bill Mettler and Josh Okrent (Skit for Rally)

Announcer: (with big microphone) Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to major league baseball right here in the nationýs capitol. Itýs a great day for a ball game. The sun is shining, the clouds are high, and the only rain in the forecast is the reign of terror. Whoýve we got playing today, folks? Itýs the Republicans versus Common Decency.
Play ball!

Karl Rove is starting pitcher for the Republicans today. Up first for Decency, it's an Environmentalist.

(Environmentalist, in a green uniform, steps to the plate with a huge bat that reads "renewable resources.")

Announcer: He looks like a heavy hitter, folks. He's taking a moral stance, sizing up the opposition, using a bat of second growth renewable lumber.

Environmentalist: This will teach those oil boys to use fossil fuels. I'm gonna hit this one out of the park. This is for you, ANWAR.

Announcer: Here's the wind up, and, Wait a minute! Coach DLC is coming from the dugout with a smaller bat!

DLC Advisor:, speaking to Environmentalist: Here, use this one. It's cheaper, made from petroleum products. You can just throw it away when you're done. It's a softer bat, so we can hit it slow and safe, right up the center.

(Environmentalist shrugs and takes hold of the smaller bat. DLC looks around snakily and tries to hide the big bat beneath his coat. He sneaks off.)

Announcer: And now, ladies & gentlemen, the pitch.

(Rove makes a huge "hawk" and spits all over the ball)

Announcer: Looks like the Republicans are using a spit-ball from the 2000 election, but referee James Baker says it's unfair to point that out. Here's the wind-up,

Crowd: "Sore Loserman! Sore Loserman!"

Announcer: Ooh, the Democrat fans at the pitch but only gets air. If that's what we can expect from wind-generated power, we'll be driving our SUV's for a long time to come. Strike ONE for the Public Good.

(The Environmentalist hangs his head in shame, and slumps away from the plate.)

Announcer: Up next is a young gun from the 108th congress. This freshman hails from the swing state of Minnesota. And today he's really swinging with the heavy bat of Advice and Consent. It says here in the rulebook that congress can ask hard questions about the necessity of war.

(Congressman puts down his briefcase, adjusts his tie, and picks up a big bat with the words "Checks and Balances.")

Congressman: The doctrine of preemption -- the idea that the United States or any other nation can legitimately attack a nation that is not imminently threatening but may be threatening in the future -- is a radical new twist on the traditional idea of self defense. It appears to be in contravention of international law and the UN Charter.

(Suddenly the Congressman is no longer making any noise. His lips move, but he makes no sound.)

Announcer: YIKES!! There seems to be an electrical failure. I thought Enron had fixed this thing, but the microphones arenýt getting any juice. And what's Dick Cheney doing over there with an electrical plug in his hand? Here's Coach DLC again to straighten out the situation,
(Coach DLC comes to plate and pins a red, white and blue ribbon to the congressman's shirt, and then ties another ribbon around his eyes, then gags him)
Coach DLC:, Now pipe down and support the troops! (exits)
Congressman: (Nodds Obediently)
Announcer: Here's the pitch, ooh, seems this batter has been blinded by patriotism. STRIKE TWO for Truth and Honesty in Goverment! This is getting depressing folks, Whereýs the old fighting spirit from the Democrats? Whereýs the razzle-dazzle of civil rights? The magic of the great society?
(Congressman stumbles blind off the field.)
Announcer: It's time for a stretch sports fans as we head into the 2004th inning. It's the end of the game folks, if the forces of Integrity can't pull it out now, it's all over.
And look whoýs pinch hitting for the Democrats! It's a lantern-jawed senator from the Northeast. He's got an education AND a war record, folks. They're bringing out the big guns
(Senator steps to the plate without a bat)
Announcer: But wait a minute, he hasn't got a bat at all! What's he planning to do? Here come the progressives on to the field, looks like they're trying to help.
(A crowd walks in one by one to confront the senator. One man carries a bat that says "No War for Oil.")
Senator :(low aristocratic voice, a touch of "Larchmont lockjaw"): No, I can"t use that bat. I support this war!
(Another man carries a bat that reads "Universal Healthcare.")
Senator: I can use that bat if and only if 30% of the people are taxed at one-third the rate of 50% of low income earners from households of not more than 7-point-one percent of all school age children.
(A woman carries a bat that says "Feedom to Marry.")
Senator: No, not that one. I believe that marriage is a sacred institution between a man and Bill O'Reilly. Did you hear the one about the vice-president's gay daughter?
A fourth man carries a plastic bat.
Senator: Ah, that's the one. A whiffle bat. (He swings the bat a few times while saying "whiffle, whiffle" to himself.)
Announcer: Here's the wind up.

(Rove breaks into a big smile and puts the ball in his pocket.)

Rove: I've got three words for you Senator: morality, morality, morality.

(Rove squats down as if he's about to take a shit, makes a grotesque grunting noise, then pulls the baseball from his ass.

Rove: I call this pitch "code orange." (He pitches it to the Senator.)

(The senator takes an awkward stance, smiles at the fans, carefully swings, and misses.)

Announcer: Strike Three for Common Decency! You're outta there! Looks like the Republicans win once again. They've got the best team money can buy folks, but in this game, the Democrats defeated themselves! (Coach DLC runs out yelling "Good game ! Good Game! Good Game!" Crowd chases him away swinging bats.)