I pledge to identify the best Dem candidate for Pres in 08 that I can

[dusmcj]

and then support them with all my vigor. I also pledge to accept nothing less from the Democratic Party than fearless support of the principles it has always stood for and the platforms it has always supported, and that I will publicly speak and work against candidates who suggest mealymouthed accomodationism and conciliation with our opponents, who don't give a damn what we do and have worked tirelessly for 30 years to vandalize normal modern civil society and culture. The positions I expect the Democratic Party to support fearlessly and with the full weight of its resources include:

- support for a woman's right to choose to abort a pregnancy

- rejection of abstinence teaching in public education as a conservative brainfart, and support for full, accurate and coyness-free education about birth control and STD prevention. Time to stop mincing words about the fact that some standards of social decorum are as outdated as, and similar to, foreign societies that institutionalize abuse of women, and need to be discarded.

- a plan for a rational energy policy that focuses on development of decentralized alternative energy supplies, rather than either corporate gimme boondoggles like hydrogen from fossil fuels, or more of the same shit in the form of nukuler energy, welfare for the oil industry, etc. Concomitant with acceptable energy policy is an attitude of put up or shut up to American car manufacturers reflected in rising CAFE standards appropriate to the disastrous state of the world's petroleum supply and consumption rates.

- a plan for addressing global warming which includes participation in international convertions including Kyoto and its follow-ons, aggressive regulations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and an end to pandering to the whining of the inefficient American business community

- regulation on American businesses operating overseas which prevent them from saving costs at the expense of workforces, here in the US or abroad, or at the expense of resource waste and environmental devastation.

- engagement in development and human needs support abroad which is predicated on need and justice rather than a properly deferential attitude towards US policies and wishes.

- defence policy directed at the dismantling of all nuclear weapons controlled by state actors, across the globe

- foreign policy which respects international standards and the interests of foreign publics instead of advancing an imperialist/corporo-fascist agenda.

- labor policy which clearly places the interests of the productive classes before those of the holders of capital (you wanna call me a Marxist for that one, go ahead; it'd be shortsighted, supporter of justice and access to opportunity for all the people would be more accurate)

Just to name a few.

All generally summed up as, I expect the Party to demonstrate that it still understands what it always used to, that government, society and business all exist solely to serve the interest of the People. Government is Of, By, and For the People. The public comes first.

After 8 years of the best President since FDR, we lost two elections in a row in squeakers. Let's not waste a moment with moans that one or both elections were stolen - that's a practical matter to be addressed legally. The fact is that we squandered our own advantage by resting on our laurels on the one hand, and trying to hamhandedly pander, in the best Republican tradition, to all corners of the electorate on the other. The result was that we looked pretty similar to the Republicans in terms of absence of intellectual capital and of a policy platform which was well-formed and for which we were vigorous partisans, rather than a collection of reactions to the opposition.

Time to stop fulfilling stereotypes of mealymouthed softassed liberals, and decide that what we've always advocated is superior to the absence of content the GOP offers, and then drive them into silence with it. The retardates currently in power in Washington ought to ensure that they are out of power for decades. If that does not come to pass, we have only ourselves to blame.

You bet I'm pissed off.

[dusmcj]

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