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The electoral map for Senate Democrats looks dark, indeed. But a flashing beacon emanates from right here in Nevada.

During the 2018 cycle, Democrats must defend 25 of the 33 Senate seats in play, including two held by independents who vote with the minority party. Of those, 10 are in states West Virginia, Missouri, North Dakota, Montana that Donald Trump won easily.

While politics in the social media age has become increasingly volatile and unpredictable, its not beyond the realm of possibility that Republicans could build upon their current 52-48 edge and find themselves in 2019 with a filibuster-proof majority in the upper chamber.

Nevada, however, offers Democrats a ray of sunshine. The party dominated the 2016 balloting in the Silver State, regaining control of the Legislature and flipping two congressional seats. As a result, Dean Heller is considered perhaps the most endangered Republican in the Senate.

This perceived vulnerability has generated an avalanche of ginned up progressive email blasts, social media posts and press releases attacking Sen. Heller for all manner of supposed transgressions and infractions, most involving his refusal to label Mr. Trump as the anti-Christ. In addition, the hey, hey, ho, ho crowd accuses Sen. Heller of ducking the voters by avoiding town-hall meetings and the like.

This is highly ironic, given that as The Associated Press reported last week liberal protesters are also threatening to eat their own. Many Senate Democrats have been laying low, the wire service revealed, for fear of taking heat from agitators on their port flank looking to push the party even further to the left.

At any rate, we wont presume to tell Sen. Heller how to conduct constituent outreach. Over the past 26 years, hes served in the Legislature, as secretary of state, in the U.S. House and now the Senate. Nevada voters have supported him in nine elections. He must be doing something right.

No doubt, Sen. Heller in the coming months will hold forums, meetings and other public events that Nevadans will be free to attend. Those seeking to protest his presence have a right to be heard and the senator should make a good-faith effort to explain his positions on the issues to those who harbor different views.

But Sen. Heller is under no obligation to endure the abusive, petulant, infantile and violent behavior that has become the militant progressives preferred approach to discourse in the Age of Trump. Recent town-hall meetings in many jurisdictions have presented an excuse for leftist agitators to threaten, disrupt and destroy property.

If those goading Sen. Heller are truly interested in a dialogue instead of a shouting match pre-packaged for the cameras and YouTube, theyll no doubt have plenty of opportunities to speak their piece.

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EDITORIAL: Progressives put the bull's-eye on Dean Heller's back - Las Vegas Review-Journal

DURHAM -- More than 60 progressive organizations filled the pavilion at Durham Central Park Saturday afternoon to share their works and engage the populace.

Organized by the Peoples Alliance, the Resistance Rodeo event featured live music, crafts and face painting for children, food trucks and a beer tent from Fullsteam Brewery.

We found after the (2016 presidential) election, that a lot of people were reaching out to us to find out ways to get involved, said Magan Thigpen, PA co-president. A lot of people were wanting to take action and step up the level of engagement they had around issues and politics. And we knew that there were lots of other great organizations besides just PA that are doing great work in Durham and we wanted to raise the awareness of all the groups that are doing amazing work and bring together all of our friends friends who we are doing work with. And to provide a space for people across the community to come out and find out about the great progressive works that they can plug into and support.

Support can vary from donating time and talents to financially giving back, she said. PA also wants people to know that while attention on the federal government and its actions are warranted, there are things that people can do to make a positive impact in Durham to make it a model progressive city.

Loan Tran, director of the Triangle-based Youth Organizing Institute and whose preferred pronouns are they/them, said YOI wanted to participate in the event to support young people interested in social change.

YOI is out here today because we are seeing a very clear new political moment emerge, they said. There are literally hundreds of thousands of people who want to get involved who are getting newly politicized or have been demoralized for so long that the new political climate is tipping them over the edge. YOI specifically works with high school students and we felt it was important to be part of the Peoples Alliances Resistance Rodeo today to reach out to the young folks, the high school students, the middle school students, who are seeing all of the issues on the news right in their schools.

Bethany Geib-Rosch was at the event with her family because it was a family-friendly event to talk about social justice.

(We wanted to) connect with other people are interested in equality and being treated equally, she said.

Another family, Glenn, Virginia and Ava Lozuke, attended the event because they were tired of feeling discouraged and hopeless. They wanted to connect with others and capitalize on the great energy.

Its just another chance to create a deeper awareness on current issues, and not necessarily take one side or the other, but offer support for our local community, Glenn said.

The Peoples Alliance asked attendees to share stories about why the Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare, matters to them through writing or video to share with members of Congress and to share testimonials about why affordable housing in Durham matters to them that will be shared with the Durham City Council. Attendees were also to voice their opposition to checkpoints and to ask Durham Sheriff Mike Andrews to end all collaboration between local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Helena Cragg, board chair of the LGBTQ Center of Durham, said the organization wanted to participate in the event to support the movement and showcase its Trans and GNC Closet, a place where trans and gender nonconforming individuals are able to receive clothes.

Follow Anna Johnson on Twitter at @anna_m_johnson.

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Progressives rally at People's Alliance 'Resistance Rodeo' at Durham Central Park - Durham Herald Sun

Regional meetings intended to provide more local engagement

The SLO County Progressives Democratic Club announced that meetings will now be held in both North County and South County.These regional meetings are intended to provide more local engagement and provide the full group with recommendations on county-specific issues and candidates.

The North SLO County Progressives regional group was formed by local activists Deborah Scarborough, Janice Mundee, and Susan Robinson. These activists identified a demand for meetings in North County to serve local residents. The North County meetings have grown in attendance from approximately 30 at the first meeting in January to nearly 200 at the February meeting.

We were inspired by the womens march. When I arranged the first meeting I didnt know if anyone would come, but it was a huge success. I proceeded to create a Facebook group on January 22. By the end of the week we had more than 100 members and by the end of the month we had over 300. says Deborah Scarborough, activist and founder of the North County group.

Activist Janice Dundee adds Our country has a precious democracy and we cannot take it for granted; ordinary citizens must value our freedom and feel empowered to step up to defend and promote our government. Theres too much at stake in our cities, our towns, our country and the world.

It was heartening to see so many enthusiastic progressives show up for the North SLO County Progressives meeting on February 9, said Nick Andre, Co-Chair of SLO Progressives Democratic Club.

South County activists Steve Lacki and Jennifer Stover Doula see sufficient interest in their area that they have decided to form another regional group to serve Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Nipomo, and Oceano. The South County groups first meeting is still to be announced but residents of these cities are encouraged to join the SLO County Progressives so they can be notified of upcoming events. Membership in SLO County Progressives is required to join a local group. Visit the website to join or learn more about this grassroots organization dedicated to advancing progressive values

The SLO County Progressives Democratic Club is a grassroots political activist organization with more than 1,000 members dedicated to powering the political revolution by advancing progressive values in SLO County and beyond. SLO Progressives embrace the movement embodied by Bernie Sanders. Driven by the message of economic and social justice, the Club seeks to revitalize and re-energize the Democratic Party with bold progressive change.

About the author: News Staff

News staff of the A-Town Daily News wrote and edited this article from local contributors and press releases. Scott Brennan is the publisher of this newspaper and founder of Access Publishing. Connect with him on Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, or follow his blog. He can be reached at scott@accesspublishing.com.

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Progressives Democratic Club adds North County meetings - A-Town Daily News

Citing his vote confirming Jeff Sessions as attorney general and his outspoken support of President Trumps fossil fuel-based energy policy, powerful liberal groups on Thursday demanded that Sen. Joe Manchin be removed from his post in Senate Democratic leadership.

Nearly a quarter-million progressives signed a petition, delivered to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday morning, slamming Mr. Manchin, West Virginia Democrat, and arguing he no longer represents the values of the party.

The idea that Manchin is considered a Senate Democratic leader is both morally disturbing and politically toxic for a Democratic Party with millions in the street demanding its members stand united in opposing Trumps hateful and corrupt agenda, said Charles Chamberlain, executive director of the liberal PAC Democracy for America, one of the groups that organized the petition. Joe Manchin has spent the last few months aiding and abetting the Trump administration, removing him from Democratic leadership should be a no brainer.

Mr. Manchin currently serves as the partys vice chairman of policy and communications in the Senate. But hes often clashed with his own party on energy policy and other issues, and has been by far the most supportive Democrat in the chamber when it comes to the Trump administrations cabinet posts.

He was the only Democrat to vote in favor of Mr. Sessions, now embroiled in a scandal over his conversations with Russian officials during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Mr. Manchin also was one of just two Democrats joining North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp to vote to approve Scott Pruitt as EPA administrator. He was one of four Democrats who voted in favor of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Whats more, progressives say, Mr. Manchin has been among the strongest proponents of Mr. Trumps plans to roll back EPA regulations, eliminate the federal governments focus on climate change, and promote more coal mining and oil-and-gas drilling across the country.

Joe Manchins been a tool of the coal industry, blowing the tops off of West Virginias mountains, since before entering the Senate. Now hes a tool of Donald Trump and his terrifying agenda for America, said Kelly Mears, an official with the activist group Other98, which also helped gather signatures for Thursdays petition. Why in the world would Senate Democrats want this DINO (Democrat in name only) on their leadership team?

For his part, Mr. Manchin has bemoaned the hardcore left in American politics. In an interview earlier this week, he said progressives are wrong to try to block Mr. Trumps every move, likening such a strategy to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells tack during the Obama administration.

The hardcore left looks back and says, Well, it worked for [the Republicans]. They have both the House and the Senate and they have the presidency. So, why dont we try the same thing, since it worked for them? Mr. Manchin said during an interview Wednesday on conservative Laura Ingrahams radio show. Well, that didnt work for the American people, I can assure you, and thats not what they want. Two wrongs dont make a right.

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Progressives target Sen. Joe Manchin, demand removal from Democratic leadership - Washington Times

Organizers expect thousands of Michiganders will take part in rallies across the state tomorrow in support of President Trump.

Anti-Trump protests have dominated the news for months.

Michigan rally organizer Meshawn Maddock says this weekends events are intended to show the president is loved."

If you watch nothing but mainstream media, it does feel like overwhelmingly people are dissatisfied, says Maddock, and those of us who support the president, and walk every day among each other, know that thats not true.

Maddock says the presidents supporters plan to work to help him push through his agenda. She says shes even organizing now to help Trump win re-election in 2020.

Noon-hour rallies are planned in Lansing, Grand Rapids and a half-dozen other Michigan cities.

More pro-Trump rallies are taking place across the country this weekend.

Meanwhile, Michigan progressives will meet just a short walk from the state Capitol where Trump supporters will rally.

Tomorrow, more than 600 are expected to attend the 2017 Michigan Progressive Summit at the Lansing Center.

Organizer Marissa Luna says people who have been in the Progressive movement for many years will be mixing with others who have been inspired to become more politically active since Donald Trump was elected last year.

She says the point of the summit is to help attendees learn how to channel their energies to move their policies forward.

Well be able to see some immediate effects in the form of folks doing a lot more local grassroots organizing and engagement in their communities, says Luna.

Much like the pro-Donald Trump supporters who will be rallying down the street, the progressives hope to influence the outcome of the next election.

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Trump supporters to hold rallies across Michigan, while ... - Michigan Radio