There seems to be much more complaining about certain politicians as we get closer to the midterm elections (no surprise there). Rather than rehash who in politics we don't like and why we don't like them, I'd like to hear who you do like and why you like them. Who do you consider to be admirable and worthy of praise?
What I'm eager to hear is why you like someone in local, state or federal government. Give me a reason or reasons why. Hell, don't limit it to one person unless that's all you got. Give us a full list--top 3, top 5, even a top 10 if you can manage it!
Try to keep the focus on who you LIKE and WHY you like them. No bashing someone else's choices simply because they aren't yours. Here's my list.
And my list is in no particular order so who I mention first or last shouldn't be considered a numerical rank!
Senator Barbara Boxer
Boxer is the Senator for my District and one of Congress's strongest supporters of LGBT rights. She's tough and eloquent and is one of those "better" Democrats that we at DK talk so much about electing more of. (Plus, I met her once in Napa Valley and she corrected me about something I said without making me feel stupid--so yeah, I'm a bit biased here.)
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Many in the MSM have noted that she may be the most powerful Speaker in decades. I concur. A huge part of her success is due to her laser-like focus on vote counting for each major piece of legislation the House has passed. Plus, she's one of the most intelligent people ever to serve in Congress.
Senator Harry Reid
Like many others here, I prematurely bought into the reports of Reid's greatly exaggerated demise. Yet few in Congress have managed to pull off as amazing a comeback as he has. I was particularly impressed with his tenacity at shepharding the Healthcare Bill through the Senate while coordinating his efforts with Pelosi. The man deserves a great deal of credit for his role in helping Democrats pass one of the most significant pieces of legislation in our lifetime.
Barack Obama
There are many good reasons why President Obama is frequently compared to the likes of FDR and JFK. It's not all about the "hopey-changey" thing. He and his team ran what I consider to be the smartest, most effective political campaign I've ever seen in the past 25 years. His legislative agenda is based on substantive policy with genuine concern for improving the lives of the middle class and the poor: healthcare reform, financial reform, the energy bill, etc. Frankly, I believe he's the smartest man in the entire Democratic party whose maturity, temperment and grace under pressure redefine legislative pragmatism and electoral strategy.
So that's my list. Who's on yours?