By Dave Lindorff

I don’t want to overstate the case for Barack Obama, who has been fairly circumspect about his intentions if elected. While saying he is against the Iraq War, he has not acted very forcefully to help bring it to an end. And he certainly has not called for any downsizing of America’s bloated military budget or any end to its imperialist foreign policy—absolutely essential if there is to be any progressive change of consequence in the US.

That said, those who believe that the Democratic Party is firmly in the hands of a malignant and self-serving corporate and political elite have to explain why “their” candidate, Hillary Clinton, seems to be sinking.

Excuse me, but I have to vent here.

Having grown up in a college town (Storrs, CT, home of UConn), and then having attended college in two cities that were not my hometown, in both of which places I voted in local elections (Middletown, CT and New York City), I want to take issue with the candidates, like Hillary Clinton, and the people in the Democratic Party leadership in Iowa, who are claiming it's somehow untoward for a candidate, like Barak Obama in this case, to urge students who are from out of town or , god forbid, out of state to vote in the Iowa caucuses. Officials in other states have made the same kind of complaint.

Students, in case these people haven't noticed, are full-fledged citizens with full rights.

How to Get on the Ballot as a Kucinich Delegate in PA

MoveonGate has hit the Netroots like a hard kick in the gut. As well it should - we poured out our hearts and wallets to elect Democrats in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006. We watched two presidential races stolen and our war heroes trashed without a peep from the Democrats. These losses were deeply painful but we mourned, analyzed, and vowed to work harder the next time. And in 2006 there was (finally!) a miracle, and we won the Senate and the House without losing a single seat.

So what have the Democrats done for us since we gave them the long-sought keys to the Congressional kingdom? Not much besides raising the minimum wage slowly over many years and holding a lot of hearings that have exposed just a few of the infinite number of White House scandals.

Just in from Senator Feingold:

Over the last week, I've held Listening Sessions across Wisconsin and heard the same sort of comments that thousands of people like you have emailed my way over the last week - it's time to hold the President, and his administration, accountable.

Become A Citizen Co-Sponsor of Censure

The President and Vice President led our nation into an unwise war, under false pretenses, without adequate planning, and have mismanaged the situation that continues today. The President and Attorney General have time and time again thumbed their noses at the Constitution and the rule of law - on everything from warrantless wiretapping to undermining Congress' role to conduct adequate oversight.

Tell The Senate To Go FURTHER Than The House In Stopping the Iraq Occupation/War

Call your members of Congress now toll free at 800-828-0498, 800-459-1887 or 800-614-2803.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.peaceteam.net/troops_home_now.php

If there is any good news to come out of the House last week, it is that the headlines read that the Democrats are standing up to Bush, even though they still aren't doing so nearly sufficiently. And for his own part Bush painted himself further into the rapidly shrinking corner with an another angry veto threat. Barbara Lee, the sponsor of a TRUE "end the war" amendment was pragmatic afterwards, recognizing that she might have only gotten 100 votes for her measure, even if that vote had been allowed by Pelosi. Why? The answer is self-evident. They need to hear from MORE of us.

Call your members of Congress now toll free at 800-828-0498, 800-459-1887 or 800-614-2803.

ACTION PAGE: http://www.peaceteam.net/funded_withdrawal.php

Usually when we contact our members of Congress our great challenge is to get policy hostile Republicans to understand that even in THEIR districts we have enough people opposing them to threaten their reelection. But we certainly expect our OWN representatives to listen to us. So why is it that STILL some of our most progressive House members are not fully behind Barbara Lee's amendment for a fully funded withdrawal of our troops from the hopeless sandpit in Iraq. You would be astounded by the names of some of your own representatives who have not yet committed to taking a real stand to end this war.