Swanson holds a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a newspaper reporter and as a communications director, with jobs including press secretary for Dennis Kucinich’s 2004 presidential campaign, media coordinator for the International Labor Communications Association, and three years as communications coordinator for ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now.
Swanson is Co-Founder of AfterDowningStreet.org, creator of ProsecuteBushCheney.org and Washington Director of Democrats.com, a board member of Progressive Democrats of America, the Backbone Campaign, Voters for Peace, and the Liberty Tree Foundation for the Democratic Revolution, a convenor of the legislative working group of United for Peace and Justice, chair of the UFPJ working group on Accountability and Prosecution, and a member of the Robert Jackson Steering Committee.
Swanson’s website AfterDowningStreet was named a Most Valuable Progressive by the Nation Magazine’s John Nichols in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Swanson contributed a chapter to “Project Rewire: New Media from the Inside Out,” by Judy Daubenmier.
Swanson contributed a chapter called “Flame-Broiled Shark: How Predatory Lending Victims Fought Back and Won,” to “The Wealth Inequality Reader” by Dollars and Sense and United for a Fair Economy.
Swanson contributed his article “2009: Year of the Filibuster” to At Issue: Does the U.S. Two Party System Still Work? published by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning.
In 2009, Swanson created a website for CODE PINK and Global Exchange to market a company investing in wind energy in Iran: http://windsofchangeiran.com and another website for Cindy Sheehan’s counter recruitment effort: http://nomorecannonfodder.org He also created a website for a book by Les Leopold: http://lootingofamerica.org
Swanson has created Drupal websites for lots of peace and justice groups, including http://charlottesvillepeace.org and http://acpjva.org and http://www.vawn.org and many others, including sites for short-lived campaigns like this one http://johnsonmustgo.org
Swanson regularly serves as a judge in the annual labor media contest overseen by the International Labor Communications Association.
In 2008, Swanson hosted a weekly radio show at http://thepeoplespeakradio.net
In April and May 2007, Swanson consulted part-time for Kucinich for President 2008.
Swanson was the organizer in 2006 of Camp Democracy.
He has served on the steering committee of the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice (2006-2008).
He has served on the Executive Council of the Washington Baltimore Newspaper Guild (2005).
Swanson has been …
Published in Baltimore Sun, Washington Examiner, Humanist.
Quoted in and reported on in the Nation, In These Times, Progressive, Mother Jones.
Published often on: DavidSwanson.org, Democrats.com, PDAmerica.org, AfterDowningStreet.org, Truthout.org, Alternet.org, TomPaine.com, HuffingtonPost.org, OpEdNews.com, American Chronicle, Democratic Underground, DailyKos.com, MichaelMoore.com, BuzzFlash.com, ConsortiumNews.com.
Heard often on Pacifica, Air America, other progressive radio.
Hosted programs on Pacifica, and a long-running show on The People Speak Radio.
Seen on Fox, CNN, PBS, C-Span, Democracy Now!, Free Speech TV, Link TV, RealNews.com.
Swanson works for Democrats.com as its Washington Director and spends a lot of time in our nation’s capital. He does paid work for other peace and justice groups, including creating websites and organizing campaigns. He consults for Dennis Kucinich each time he runs for president. He also earns money speaking at events, selling ads and raising donations on AfterDowningStreet.org, and writing articles and books. The AfterDowningStreet website is funded by VelvetRevolution.us.
Swanson lives in Charlottesville VA with his wife Anna Swanson and son Wesley Swanson, and can see Thomas Jefferson’s house Monticello from his window. James Madison’s house is also close enough for Swanson to feel it when he rolls in his grave.
David Swanson is the author of the new book “Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union” by Seven Stories Press and of the introduction to “The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush,” by Dennis Kucinich.
