What I've heard about him is not very encouraging to date, but I cannot say I'm surprised.  Bush was not going to name somebody that we could stand.

Does anybody know anyting more about this guy?

I have been a strong and fervent Democrat, hoping and praying that our progressive cause would once again lead this country to greatness.  But as I sit here in the dark night of our soul, I wonder if we are not in for many more years of darkness.  And I wonder it because I have seen nothing but fighting and arguing back and forth amongst our own kin.

The GOP, I remember it well.  For I once was a member of that party, a true-believer in all that was conservative.  All of the lies and justifications and self-righteousness belonged to me, and I was a master of them.  But then, seedlings of doubt grew in my mind, and I came to understand the truths of the world, and I broke free from the conservative orthodoxy and understood what truly had to be done.

For a few years I was able to enjoy the Clinton presidency, knowing that despite the GOP's control of Congress, There was a Democrat at the helm, and things could never really be all bad.  But then Bush siezed office, and everything has seemed to go downhill since then.

But yet, in this time of bad poll numbers for the GOP, I had hope yet that Democrats would once again strike and gain back some of the power that they had lost.  But then I come her, and I read the comments, and I mourn for this party that I fear may not be able to do enough, sabotogued from within by those who do not truly want it to succeed.

There has been a strain in liberalism that has believed that it would be impossible to recover from the damage done by conservatives, and that they would just have to start over again from the ashes that will remain.  This group wants failure.  This group wants to see conservatives tear everything down so that they can tell it to the world for generations to come.

I do not want failure.  I want us to stand up and succeed now.  This is not easy, and it will require us to compromise in unpleasant ways at times.  But the screaming and the anger and the unwillingness to help must stop.  We must be united and firm in our commitment.  

But no.  Too many are so determined that things must go this way, they cannot be humble enough to just do their darndest and hope for the best.  Come on folks, we must win now, or there may be nothing left but ashes, ashes from which it will take many generations to recover from.

Engage the candidates on issues.  Write your complaints to those in power in our party so that they might listen more.  Be pro-active in this regard.  But be humble enough to still support them even if they don't do exactly what you want.

Originally posted on View from the Dinosaur, this is the copy of a letter I sent today to Sen. John Warner(R) and Sen. George Allen(R).  While I do not expect Allen to listen, I hope that John Warner will at least do the right thing in the end.

Greetins fellow progressives.  Virginia has a law that forbids candidates for office from fundraising during the Gneeral Assembly Session.  That session begins Wednesday.  The last day to make donations of any kind is tomorrow.

Tim Kaine, our Democratic Lt. Gov, needs all the help we can give him.  He is aiming to reach $100,000 by the start of the session and is presently $15,000 short.

If you can donate a few dollars to elect a progressive Democratic governor of Virginia, all of us here in the state would greatly apperciate it.

http://www.kaine2005.org/

I apologize for asking for this, but I very much want to see Kaine win this race.  Our state was a mess before Gov. Warner(D) cleaned it up.  If the GOP wins this, they will mess the state up again even worse.