John Nichols, The Nation
John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, has written the Beat since 1999. "What a difference a year makes! Last year The Nation’s Honor Roll recognized courageous, if often lonely, battlers against an austerity agenda, an ascendant Tea Party and a Republican electoral wave that had put Democrats, working folks and the unions that represent them on the defensive nationwide. This year we celebrate the remarkable movements that have arisen not just to stem the conservative tide but to build a new vision of progressivism for the twenty-first century. How much has changed? As 2011 finished, even Barack Obama was sounding populist themes. And progressives were organizing, fighting and winning critical battles on the streets, in the polling places and in the media. The events of 2011 did not transform America. But they did confirm that millions of Americans are ready to fight for the 99 percent."
MOST VALUABLE SENATOR: Sherrod Brown
MOST VALUABLE REPRESENTATIVE: Raúl Grijalva
MOST VALUABLE STATE SENATOR: Nina Turner
MOST VALUABLE STATE REPRESENTATIVE: Diane Russell
MOST VALUABLE LOCAL OFFICIAL: Sheriff Dave Mahoney
MOST VALUABLE STATE COALITION: Mississippians for Healthy Families
MOST VALUABLE NATIONAL COALITION: The New Bottom Line
MOST VALUABLE AGENDA: The National Nurses’ “Main Street Contract”
MOST VALUABLE CONFRONTATION: Iowa CCI
MOST VALUABLE RAPID RESPONSE: Iraq Veterans Against the War
MOST VALUABLE MUSICIAN: Tom Morello
MOST VALUABLE ECONOMIC NEWS SOURCE: Beat the Press
MOST VALUABLE WEBSITE: Save the Post Office savethepostoffice
.com
MOST VALUABLE JURIST: District Judge Jed Rakoff
MOST VALUABLE BOOK: Who’s Afraid of Frances Fox Piven?
MOST VALUABLE UNION: International Association of Fire Fighters
MOST VALUABLE CAMPAIGN: Draft Elizabeth Warren
MOST VALUABLE IDEA: Occupy Together
. . . continue reading at The Nation.
