By Robyn Landis
Reproduced from the original located on the Backbone Campaign website

Jim Hightower, Sheril Smith and David Van Os with Spine Award The Backbone Campaign collaborated with the Progressive Populist Caucus in honoring David Van OS on Saturday, December 3. Van Os, a progressive Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Texas in 2006, received the Backbone Spine Award at his campaign's kickoff event at the Barr Mansion in Austin, Texas.

A former chairman of the Travis County Democratic Party, Van Os made news last year for representing a source connected to the "60 Minutes" reports on President Bush's military service.

Henry Knight of the Progressive Populist Caucus said the following:
"David Van Os has dedicated both his professional and private life to fighting for the little guy. He has sacrificed financial rewards and his private life to be the advocate of the people in Texas. David has been training for the job of Texas Attorney General for most of his life.

David Van Os is the man that has been standing up and saying 'No' when others are afraid of stepping on corporate toes. David is not afraid to speak his mind and to support the Democratic Party even when the Democratic Party appears to be fractured. I cannot wait for David to start taking on some of the corporate giants that now rule our state. There is no single person more qualified to receive my support and my thanks for all of his efforts to help Texas."

Backbone Campaign Executive Director Bill Moyer said, "David Van Os is neither weak-kneed nor a bleeding heart. He exhibits strong, principled, and compassionate progressive leadership, leadership with backbone. His impressive grasp of history, and his commitment to the Constitution and the guiding principles of this democracy, make him the perfect progressive Attorney General candidate for these pivotal times."

Moyer continued, "Hell with the the DLC, poll-addicted Democrats who allow their opposition to define them. We need more candidates to follow David's lead into the patriotic and righteous battle to protect and advance our democracy. We look forward to his election for Attorney General of Texas. It'll be a great day for Texas and a great day for our democracy."

The Progressive Populist Caucus (PPC), the "democratic Wing of the Texas Democratic Party," is an organization working toward "reclaiming the Texas Democratic Party's purpose of achieving a more just society by returning our Party and our government to the people first."

PPC chairwoman Sheril Smith, speaking at the event, said, "The David Van Os campaign stands for something. The David Van Os campaign is a campaign of the people. We don't have anyone with lots of bucks standing behind David and pulling his strings. We have the people, many of whom have never been involved in politics until now--Democrats and Republicans that are part of a larger movement, a populist movement, to take back Texas and our country from the elitist, deep-pocketed, corporate powers that be. David Van Os is leading the people in a new resurgence of a populist movement."

The text on the Spine Award plaque read: In Honor of His Determination & Perseverance To Assure That "In Texas... No Graft, No Crime, No Public Wrong Shall Ever Stain Or Corrupt Our State." -James Stephen Hogg. (Hogg was the first native governor of Texas and a lawyer, judge and attorney general who fought vigorously against corporate corruption for all of his career.)

Van OS formally filed the application for his Attorney General candidacy on December 6, but began the David Van OS for Attorney General Whistlestop Tour on December 3. His platform focuses on grassroots power and progressive values and issues, including election reform, withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and reducing corporate influence and dominance. Check out his website for more: http:// www.vanosfortexasag.com/