LANESBOROUGH - There's a local political activism group working behind the scenes to influence the future of the country - and you probably never heard of them.

"We don't get a whole lot of publicity but we're out there trying to make change," said Russell Freedman, chairman of the Progressive Democrats of Berkshire County.

Whether its lobbying legislators to support key resolutions or urging voters to back regional candidates, the Progressive Democrats are working to promote their priorities - which include putting an end to the war in Iraq and advocating clean, fair and transparent elections - within the Democratic Party.

"If you get polls of Democrats in this country and what they want, most would say they're concerned about global warming. They don't want torture and murder, they don't want to be spied on, they want to end the war. These are all issues we're talking about," said Freedman.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE PROGRESSIVE AGENDA 

Progressive Democrats of America formed during the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston by members of Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich's presidential campaign. Focused on "building a party and government controlled by citizens, not corporate elites," the PDA encourages political leaders to take a stance on their progressive issues.

"Democrats and Republicans have met in the middle to the point where there is no opposition and the Progressives were left in the dust," said Freedman. "There is a real progressive caucus in Washington and we're working to build up the ideas, to get the word out."

With no state or national endorsement for any candidate yet, PDA members are still holding conversations and public discussions about what kind of leader they'd like to see take office in 2009. In a straw poll held late last year, more than 19,000 progressives nationally selected Kucinich as their choice, with former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards taking a close second. Neither candidate garnered more than 50 percent of the vote, though, so the official endorsement is still open to any candidate.

"I hope people look beyond the blather of the campaign, get down to the issues and vote for the best candidate," said Freedman. "I hope somebody comes up with some solutions to move this country forward and hopefully, voters choose the best person for the job."

Though the PDA is split up by congressional districts, Western Massachusetts boasts two chapters - one in Lanesborough and one in Northampton - because of the distance from Pioneer Valley to the Berkshires. Hosting between five and 50 people in monthly meetings, the Berkshire chapter has members from Adams, Pittsfield, Lanesborough and Williamstown but it's always looking to add on more interested residents.

"There's strength in numbers," Freedman said.

The next meeting of the Berkshire County chapter is tonight at 7 at Lanesborough Town Hall. The group, which discusses a range of political issues, meets every third Thursday of the month.

For more information, visit their Web site or call Freedman at 413-447-8010.