Open Letter To Every California Democrat Running For Congress

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

The Responsible Plan to end the war in Iraq is the first tangible and conprehensive strategy to not only end the war, but to reform the structures that caused this disaster in the first place.  It accords with the first principles of all Democrats, to responsibly protect our citizens while restoring our moral and political authority at home and abroad, renewing our capacity to self-determination in our national economy, and return the rights and protections of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to the American people.  I urge you to watch the presentation and read the Responsible Plan, as I have done.  And then please understand that, speaking just for myself, the only way you can earn my support in your electoral battles in 2008 is by endorsing it.

When I say "support" I do not mean voting; I would happily vote for any California Democrat over any California Republican in a head-to-head matchup.  I mean my SUPPORT.  That means my time, my energy, my effort, my enthusiasm, and my dollars.  For five years, progressives have stood by helpless as they watched their country taken to war based on deception, and kept in an occupation based on fecklessness.  While this plan, which encompasses not just the military, humanitarian and diplomatic solutions for Iraq, but stopping torture, restoring habeas corpus, starting a new green energy economy, media consolidation reform, ending the use of signing statements, and all of the other structures that have brought us to this point, parallels in its comprehensiveness the Contract With America, there is one crucial difference.  Newt Gingrich supplied the Contract With America from the top-down, giving it to Congressional candidates as a tool to use in their campaigns (also, he didn't do it until 6 weeks before the election and it was used mostly as a media tool).  This is a candidate-written, candidate-implemented, candidate-structured proposal from a group of progressive challengers who hold no current power in the Congress or the leadership of the party, culling from the ideas and concerns of the rank and file to put forth a full set of policy options to end the war and radically change how we view national security.  This is the FIRST plan that citizens can use to do something real and tangible to truly revolutionize the debate in Washington.  This is coming from the bottom up, and as a Congressional candidate you can catch the wave and join the commitment of the people, or sit at home.

As a California Congressional candidate, you have a unique role to play in this debate.  You can support this plan and avow that you are committed to this nation's security, and earn my support, or you can choose not to support it, and earn nothing.  This is non-negotiable.  There are 10 candidates signed on to this plan, and plenty of others that I'm sure will welcome the support from myself and millions of others like me who are desperate to end this war and change our failed national security strategy.  We are the people who stuff envelopes and walk precincts and write about candidates and generate buzz and enthusiasm.  And we will work like hell for the candidates behind the Responsible Plan.  And they will win, and receive a mandate to implement these policies and change the conversation on national security in this country.  

Incidentally, as a California congressmember, you have the ability to co-sponsor a number of these initiatives, as they have been introduced in the House already.  Please do so immediately.  Thank you.