Thank you Sen. Edwards and Rep. Kucinich

by Jim Dean [courtesy of Blog for America]

During the last week, two Democratic Presidential candidates have decided to end their campaigns. Regardless of whether you supported John Edwards or Dennis Kucinich, all of us owe them our gratitude for what they have accomplished. Sen. Edwards and Rep. Kucinich were clear on the issues, put their convictions above the spin of the Beltway pundits, and spoke truth to power. If you watched the debates, you knew where they stood on the issues. You knew what kind of people they were, and you were clear on what they would try to accomplish if their campaigns for President were successful.

We hope the remaining presidential candidates understand that they have an opportunity to demonstrate to the voters that they have the same qualities as John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich. That they are committed to getting our troops home from Iraq, committed to affordable health care for every American, and committed to the sacrifice that we all must make to clean up our environment, political system, and a whole host of other challenges that our country faces.

John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich may not be running for president, but they have plenty of backbone. They have challenged the culture of incumbency and every American is better for this.

Our best wishes and support go to each of these fine candidates and their extended families. We hope the remaining candidates will carry their torch; because only the Party that Empowers will be IN power.

Finally, please remember our engagement in the remaining primaries is critical. In the case of the February 5th primaries, all of the delegates are allocated proportionally. What we do going forward will directly impact the delegate count, so, it is critical that we keep up the pressure to put forth the progressive agenda.

Our best to you all!

Jim Dean