I am an Independent and a progressive. And I'm mad as hell at the Democratic party (well, most of it).
I'm writing to you today in the hope that you can find the time to call your Democratic senators and tell them to shake off their political stupor and start showing some support for Russ Feingold. I live in California, called both Boxer and Feinstein and said, basically, "if you don't support Russ on the censure, then you lose my vote next time around." That may not be what the Dems want to hear, but it's how I feel. It doesn't mean I'm going to vote conservative, but it means I'm going to stay home... and DRINK :)
Here's why...
If the Dems in D.C. don't start showing some spine, the Wingnut machine is simply going to march right over them again and continue making reasonable progressives look like extremists. Don't get me wrong - I want the Wingnuts OUT - but the last thing I want is for Dems to get control of the government and spend all of their time trying to come off as "center-right," have no real message and allow the Wingnuts to say "told you so."
I feel strongly about this not only because I utterly loathe what W's administration has done to our country, but also because I believe that hearts, minds and elections are won in either the "center-right" or the "center-left." And it seems to me that what we have currently in the Democratic party are a bunch of D.C. players trying constantly to appear "center-right" or "play it safe" when they need desperately to demonstrate their convictions in the "center-left."
As far as I'm concerned, the Dems' continued love affair with the "center-right" (which leaves a vacuum in the "center-left") is part of why W and his cabal have succeeded for so long in suggesting that their Wingnut ideologies are somehow not extremist. Support Dems like Dean and Feingold. They ARE NOT "far-leftists" by any stretch of the imagination - but the lack of support from the rest of the Dems enables the Wingnuts to brand them as such. Politics is perception, and without brave souls like Feingold, there is barely any CONTRAST.
For a voter like me, I am energized and motivated by Dems like Russ Feingold. So to the rest of 'em who are "playing it safe," I say: carpe diem! The time is now to convince other people like me that the Dems are proud to be "center-left" instead of focus-grouping every issue RE how to appear "center-right." The "center-right" is reasonable and you can win those hearts and minds by demonstrating some spine. Haven't they figured it out yet... the fetish with appearing "center-right" is killing the progressive brand.
So, you have here an Independent who is ready to vote Democratic across the board simply because of Russ Feingold, his convictions and his bravery in the face of so much "positioning."
Please get your senators on board and make this a trend. If they won't get on board, find somebody to replace 'em with! November can't come fast enough.