In an angry, frustrated fit last night after the FISA vote I dashed off an email to my Senator, Amy Klobuchar asking her if she was worthy of following in the path of Paul Welstone and Mark Dayton. The conclusion to me was so obvious I didn't feel like it needed to be stated. I ended the letter by telling her she had lost my money and my time, something she had last summer. Last summer I worked 12-14 hours a day on a congressional campaign in Minnesota as a field staffer. Worked like a dog, and when I wasn't working on my campaign, I volunteered for Amy. I only met Amy once, and so I know this is absurd, but it felt like a personal blow to see her name on this list of Senators who voted for the FISA bill.
I don't want to turn this into a rant, or a list of Democratic capitulation on things like the Alito nomination or the Iraq funding bill.
Rather I want to point to something more precious to me than my time or money.
That's my vote.
And now the Democrats have to earn it. I used to vote Democrat, even when I had reservations. Hell, I worked for a Democratic candidate for Minnesota state congress who was not pro-choice, but he and I saw eye to eye on everything else, and that was good enough for me.
No more.
In 2008 not a single Democrat will be getting my time, or my money unless they show that they are worthy of it. And they certainly won't be getting the most precious thing I have. My vote. I never thought I'd say that.
I'm sick of being told the Democrats are my party, and I should support them come hell or high water. I want to be shown.