[2] Creamer has been a progressive strategist and political organizer for over 50 years, beginning during the Civil Rights and anti Vietnam War movements of the 1960s.
At Duke, he expanded his activity as a student activist organizing for civil rights, ending the Vietnam War, and economic justice.
[7] Creamer helped organize "the Duke Vigil" after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.[8][9] The silent "Vigil", which ultimately included thousands of students, demanded that Duke increase the pay of its mainly African American non-academic employees, take steps leading to the recognition of their union (Local 77 of AFSCME), and that the President of the university withdraw from the all-white Hope Valley Country Club.
[13] During his tenure, CAP successfully campaigned to reduce the sulfur dioxide in Chicago's air by almost two-thirds and stopped a major urban expressway.
[17] It was also criticized for the support it received from special interest groups, including personal injury lawyers and a loan from what was then one of the world's most profitable casinos,[17] and for Creamer's failure to register as a lobbyist under Illinois state law.
[2] During the Obama Administration Creamer worked closely with the White House to coordinate the effort to mobilize support for the Iran nuclear agreement, pass the Affordable Care Act, mobilize support for Obama nominees to the Supreme Court, and pass the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
[20] Creamer signed The Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality, an initiative launched by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio on May 12, 2015.
[4] In the early 1970s, Peter Martinez, then Director of the Citizens Action Program (CAP), asked Creamer to become lead organizer of the campaign to stop the Crosstown Expressway in Chicago.
In the end, the coalition of groups conducted a voter education project that helped the Democrat Dan Walker defeat Republican Governor Dick Ogilvie.
Many of the decisive votes had come from the “Crosstown Corridor.” Eventually, much of the money that had been set aside to build the Crosstown Expressway was transferred to fund two major mass transit projects – building the Orange Line from downtown Chicago to Midway airport, and expending the Blue Line rapid transit service to O’Hare airport.
Anderson joined with Creamer in setting up the Illinois Public Action Council which immediately launched a door-to-door canvassing program.
Senator Paul Simon often credited his defeat of Republican Chuck Percy to Illinois Public Action's canvass.
[30] Creamer worked for years in Chicago, where door-to-door operations were often key to winning elections, and where progressive candidates often had to compete with the patronage army of the first Mayor Richard Daley.
[29] Schakowsky won handily, beating the Regular Democratic Organization candidate Howie Carroll and wealthy investor JB Pritzker (current Governor of Illinois).
[37] A campaign to oppose privatization was assembled by major progressive organizations and unions, and was named Americans United to Protect Social Security.
These featured lots of people holding large black and yellow Day-Glo signs with messages similar to "Hands Off My Social Security."
[37] Creamer helped organize groups of angry seniors to confront targeted members of Congress at town meetings and public appearances.
By early fall, the pundits began writing the obits – Bush's plan to privatize Social Security was dead.
His wife, Jan Schakowsky was not accused of any wrongdoing,[46] although she served on the organization's board during the time the crimes occurred,[47] and signed the IRS filings along with her husband.
[53] After President Obama's administration had completed negotiating the agreement to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons in 2015 (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA), it had one final obstacle to consummate the deal.
[54] Creamer and AUC worked closely with the Ploughshares Fund, Win Without War, MoveOn.org, the Iran Project, and J Street to assemble a broad coalition of organizations supporting the Agreement.
Since it was founded in 2007, J Street had established itself as the major organization in the Jewish Community that was both pro-Israel and in favor of a two-state solution to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East.
"[60] In October 2016, activist James O'Keefe's Project Veritas Action released hidden-camera videos showing Creamer and others who worked for firms hired by the Hillary Clinton campaign engaging in conversations about voter registration.
[66] Creamer's Democracy Partners released a statement on October 18, 2016: Our firm has recently been the victim of a well-funded, systematic spy operation that is the modern-day equivalent of the Watergate burglars.
[61]Creamer described the contractor's statements in the video as "unprofessional and careless hypothetical conversations" and said that the schemes discussed had not taken place.
Former interim democratic chairperson Donna Brazile similarly said, "We do not believe, or have any evidence to suggest, that the activities articulated in the video actually occurred.
[62]In June 2017, Creamer, and Democracy Partners filed a lawsuit against O'Keefe and his organization, Project Veritas, seeking a million dollars in damages for various violations of DC and Federal law.
[67] In September, 2022[update] a jury ruled against Project Veritas on a claim of fraudulent misrepresentation, awarding $120,000 to Democracy Partners.
"[69] The book was praised by leading Democratic politicians such as Senator Richard Durbin, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Members of Congress Jamie Raskin, and organizers and strategists such as Heather Booth, Mike Lux of Democracy Partners, Patrick Gaspard of the Center for American Progress, Chuck Rocha of Solidarity Strategies, David Axelrod, Brad Woodhouse, Jim Messina, Geoff Garin.
"[72] The book described specific approaches to targeting and communications, building organizations, planning campaigns, progressive vision and values and creating structural change.