It's like Deja Vu all over again.

NEWS FLASH: There's a "politically progressive" South Dakota group forming to change South Dakota politics. It's bipartisan, and was formed to counteract the political capital being wasted on issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

They don't care what your political affiliation is, and several are Republican. And it's not the group you think I'm talking about.

Mary Garrigan with the Rapid City Journal has an article today on the "Democracy in Action" group that's forming in a couple of places in the Black Hills. Here's a snippet from the article:

After all, Democracy in Action bills itself as a group of politically progressive women working to change South Dakota politics. And South Dakota politics, at least in its current form, is overwhelmingly Republican.

But Republicans Lorraine Collins of Spearfish and Judy Brothers of Rapid City believe that adjectives like moderate, centrist and, yes, even progressive, can apply to Republicans, too.

and...

Unfortunately, the problems facing women in South Dakota — low-paying jobs, access to affordable health care, funding for day care — are much the same in 2005 as they were in 1975, Collins said.

She hopes that DIA can be a voice for those issues.

DIA began with the voices of three Rapid City women talking politics over a cup of coffee at the Colonial House restaurant in January 2004. Less than two years later, that gang of three has grown to more than 300 women who connect through an e-mail list, meetings, study groups, educational forums, lobbying efforts and political action events. “We quickly outgrew the Colonial House,” Karen Miller, one of DIA’s founders, said.

Today, DIA has weekly meetings at Rapid City Public Library from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month. Another DIA meeting is held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month at Dunn Brothers Coffee in Rapid City.

I was going to see if this group has a national or organizations in other states, and whet their platforms are, but they seem to be taking the same name as a left-leaning group that sells software for fundraising, and it's also a tagline for Moveon.org.

So, in other words, what the article contains on their positions is what's available for research. The article notes that their efforts lately have been directed at abortion, emergency contraceptives, and forums on issues sich as stem cell research.

Per the article, "For more information about DIA, contact diadakota@yahoo.com or write to DIA, P.O. Box 123, Rapid City, SD 57709."

Now, from their listing on the Rapid City Journal community website, it's a slightly different take -

• Democracy in Action

  9 a.m. to 11 a.m. each Tuesday, Rapid City Public Library. A grassroots movement created by a group of women committed to informing and energizing voters and creating a climate in which progressive candidates are elected. Karen Raben, 716-2778; diadakota@yahoo.com; P.O. Box 811, Rapid City, SD 57709.

where it notes that they are "creating a climate in which progressive candidates are elected."

It's interesting to say the least. Yet another issue discussion group coming to the forefront, much like the Grassroot Democrats and the Mainstream Moderates. My biggest question will be to ask "what do they intend to do during election time when the rubber meets the road?"

Because when you come down to it, you can discuss what you want to all day long. But the debate is affected the most by the people who are elected.

Now, that's not a criticism. You want to truly affect the debate? Then you better be in the electoral process rather than talk about it.

There's one year until the next general election, and if they want to affect things, they should start to articulate who they are going to support and why.