Put your money where your mouth is

I did today, in a way I've never done before. I went to ActBlue and gave money to a candidate that will not represent me, but who does represent my values and ethics. Not a lot of money, as we're not flush right now. But something. Now, why in the world would I do such a thing? I get nothing from it, right? Ha.

I've been reading a great deal about the impact the blogosphere can have on elections around the country. There was an extremely informative post on Daily Kos about how giving money to candidates in the early months of a campaign can tremendously impact the future of that campaign. It's not a new idea (witness EMILY), but it's an idea whose time has definitely come in the fight to regain Democratic coverage of the US. And I decided to join the impact.

I'm supporting candidates through ActBlue/Netroots. Netroots is suggesting you support some specific candidates that have generated interest in the blogosphere. You can read more about this here.

Why fundraise in this way against Bushites and their ilk? Here are a couple of good reasons. How about because of Condi Rice's admission of "thousands" of tactical errors in Iraq by the US? What a load of hooey. Let's say we're sorry, get some good character points for doing so, and keep making the same kinds of errors.

It's not like Bush is actually making anyone PAY for those errors, is he? Other than the thousands of soldier and military folks who've died over there, of course.

Or how about fundraising against Republicans because Bush is now trying to undermine the very quasi democracy he sought to installed in Iraq. Apparently we don't much care for the leader Iraq elected. Problem: how do you get rid of a duly-elected official in a country in which you've ousted the government to replace it with democracy, which elected the duly-elected official?

It is awfully hard to accept that other countries do not way to govern the way we do. That other countries might elect horrible people to lead them.

Oh. Forgot. We've done that. Should Palestinians or Iraqis come here and attempt to bring out government down, by hook or by crook? Interesting problem. But one we wouldn't have if Bush et al weren't leading.

How about electing different people than we've got leading us now because we don't want membership to the Country Club USA to become two tiered? Guest worker programs that don't lead to citizenship are bad. Josh Marshall says it well: "It's bad for America to have a permanent class of residents who are here for their labor but who are permanently barred from becoming citizens. It's bad for our society. It's bad for the immigrants. And it's bad for citizens who have to compete for jobs against an inherently exploitable class of whatever amounts to 21st century coolie labor."

Lastly, why don't we elect some people who have guts? Hardly anyone, Republican nor Democrat, currently representing US is ponying up to call for a Bush censure for breaking the law and spying on Americans. Geez, John Dean thinks the Republicans blew it here. Hello? Where are you, Obama and Durbin? It's embarrassing that my own personal liberal Democrats aren't supporting this.

So, consider tossing down $20 to help a candidate officially unrelated to your political representational life. Who knows what could happen if we all pitched in? Maybe take back one of our representational bodies?

Until sometime soon,
Liz