SOME DEMOCRATS SEEKING A NEW DIRECTION

Fort Myers News-Press columnist Betty Parker makes note this morning of a new political group forming in her area, Progressive Democrats of Lee County. Reportedly about 30 people attended an organizational meeting of the group last week in Fort Myers.

The local group, which plans to affiliate with the national Progressive Democrats of America organization, is different from the usual partisan political organization. Since it is not an official Democratic Party organization, individuals who are not registered Democrats may join, and it does have the potential of endorsing/supporting non-Democratic candidates.

Ms. Parker writes:

Most joined because they sometimes want to help a Republican, Piesco said, perhaps because of longtime friendships.

Considering that most of the Republican candidates in this neck of the woods are hard right wingers whose ideology is quite different from most of the Progressive Democratics' membership, in reality that idea would be a bit far fetched. More than likely, any non-Democratic candidate the group would endorse/support would be a like-minded independent/write-in contender.

Any Democratic Executive Committee member joining such a group should remember that party bylaws prohibit any DEC member from publicly endorsing or helping a non-Democratic candidate running against a Democrat. I'm sure the GOP has similar rules as well.

Affiliates of PDA already exist in several areas of Florida including Alachua, Broward, Palm Beach, and Volusia counties plus the First Congressional District (Pensacola area) and South Florida.