Win Back the House

MoveOn.org has endorsed some progressive candidates for House seats around the country (IL, NC, MN, PA). They have a webpage where you can learn more about them and also donate to their campaigns, if you so wish. Howard Dean and the Democracy for America campaign have been endorsing candidates, as well, including at the state legislature level.

I'm delighted to see progressives and liberals stepping up to try to re-balance our political landscape. I wish we'd been this organized in 2000. This country would be in a different place now, I suspect.

I was at a house meeting for AMOS (A Metropolitan Organizing Strategy), which is a fascinating grassroots organization. They were asking us what we thought were some major local issues that needed to be addressed, and it got me thinking. I've had this notion for some time that what has felt 'wrong' about our country at every level for the last few years has been the lack of *balance*. Not just politically--though I think we work better when the parties are more balanced, not only between each other, but within their own ranks--but also socially.

We're polarized, angry and miserable all over. I sometimes joke (?) that this country needs a 12-Step program. And that's not too far off. We need to admit what's wrong with our country, not gloss over it in denial. We need to face up to the problems, then begin to work together and compromise to do what we can to fix them. Sound pie in the sky? Why? We're capable. Especially at the local level. The minute we assume we're powerless is the minute we become so.