November 8th: The Morning After

So November 7^th was an historic election for the United States. But what does it all mean? We may not have achieved a complete “magnetic shift” but clearly it is time to set a new course.

The votes were not so much an affirmation of a party platform or agenda as a clear rejection of our current president and his policies and performance (more performance) in foreign affairs and the war. It was as though Americans realized they were headed on a course for disaster, and a turn had to be made. But a turn where? Clearly more to the “center.” But now to what destinations do we plot our new course?

Those who will be moving to D.C. into their new congressional offices were often elected by slim margins. They should travel light and not unpack everything unless they are willing now to set a new national course and not just drift.

That new national course should include a vigorous and clear set of initiatives and legislation that inspires Americans to be proud of their nation once again. Even if the going is rough in the Senate and the President threatens with veto power, Congress can give us renewed faith in America by focusing on one project over the next two years:

· End the occupation of Iraq, deal with the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and begin repairing our international relations, foreign policy and credibility.

AND get reelected in 2008 with a Democratic platform that includes:

· Redefining national security as not isolationism from but engagement with the rest of the world

· Adjusting our tax policy to achieve a more equitable and fair distribution of our economic wealth

· A major reassessment of our foreign policy

· An aggressive program to end our fossil fuel dependency

· A complete overhaul of our national health care program

· Serious reform of our educational systems – K-12 and higher education

· Working with international alliances that seek to reduce world poverty and hunger and thus reduce probability for terrorism

· Advocacy of free and fair trade

The doors of opportunity seem to have opened once again for our Nation. Let us work to make sure our optimism is well grounded.

Merle