I am an avid DKos reader and respect the discourse on this site. I've come here to share my news and ask for your help.
Since the 2000 election, I have been increasingly agitated, waiting for things in my America to improve - but I have waited in vain - things just go from bad to worse. As a life-long Democrat, active in party politics, I am deeply dedicated to creating a world where there is civility, opportunity, and trust in government as an agent for good. After volunteering tirelessly for decades in local and national campaigns, I said: "Enough already!" As Paul Wellstone said "The future will not belong to those who stand on the sidelines."
I'm not on the sidelines any more! On Monday, I declared my candidacy for Congress in the 8th Congressional District of Arizona, which includes Tucson and Pima County. People say that an incumbent can't be beaten, but I don't believe that. With your advice and support, I hope to retire our Republican representative, Jim Kolbe.
I intend to post more extensively on the issues, here at dKos and on my website (
http://www.francineshacterforcongress.com), about national issues and the issues important to us here at home in Arizona's 8th Congressional District.
Briefly, I believe the following:
We are a tragically divided nation, often at each others throats on issues where consensus could be achieved by people committed to solving problems rather than inflaming passions.
1) We must eliminate the tyranny of the majority.
I believe in a government which is of the people, by the people and for the people - all of the people - not just Republican people or rich people or religious people - but all of the people. Since the Republicans have controlled the Presidency and the Congress, they have shown a flagrant disregard for the basic tenets of fairness, of comity which should exist between the parties. They have been willing to break their own rules to get their way. This is not democracy!
2) We must bring our brave women and men home from Iraq, alive.
Our troops are dying and being hideously injured in Iraq yet the President says we must stay the course - a course that was based on lies and deceptions, has killed more than 2,000 Americans and tens of thousands of innocent Iraqis. It is time to stop the lying, end the killing and bring our brave troops home.
3) We must restore fiscal responsibility in the government. We must not balance the budget on the backs of the poor. Tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans must be eliminated.