About two dozen pro-worker pro-union demonstrators met yesterday at noon on the Broad Street bridge (over 49) in Nevada City, most carrying signs like the ones pictured below. This was part of a nationwide, MoveOn-sponsored “April 4 Days of Action” in support of workers’ rights. It was promoted locally by the Nevada County Democratic Party as a “Rally … to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Working People of America.”

After a while the group marched down to the plaza, where several speakers shared their thoughts on politics and the distressed state of workers in the U.S. today. Someone read a passage from Thomas Frank’s The Wrecking Crew.

At one point a motorist driving by shouted, “He’s your president!” Apparently the motorist is from some country that has a different president, or no president, or else he’s an American who has virtually seceded (in other words, an American who’s part of the problem).

There was also a lot of friendly honking and waving from passersby during the 2-hour event.

This is not to say that happiness with President Obama was the dominant sentiment at the event yesterday. On the contrary, several people I spoke to were ex-Democrats now registered DTS, some who voted for Obama but now no longer expect much from him in the way of defending workers or the middle class.

As Jon Stewart pointed out (and I’m paraphrasing): the GOP is afraid of its base and tries to please it, while the Democratic Party finds it politically expedient to publicly attack its base. Both parties nevertheless rely on their base. Go figure.

Upcoming event:

Someone at the rally handed out flyers for the Nevada County Democrats Jefferson/Jackson Dinner on May 21st at the Alta Sierra Country Club, which will honor Peter Van Zant, Izzy Martin and Nancy Weber for “outstanding community service.”

Speakers at that event will be Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and Controller John Chiang.

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