Optimistic

I just wanted to mention this. It's a rare optimistic note from these pages, so please savor it.

Despite what many American think, democracy does work. When an informed electorate expresses it's will via polls and elections, politicians respond.

Witness the events of the last week. The Republicans in Congress have literally turned on a dime.

The offset cuts in human services are stalled....and stalled in the HOUSE!

ANWR is off the table.

The phase II investigation into the White House's use of intelligence in the run-up to the war is moving along (like pulling teeth, but moving anyway).

Further tax cuts were blocked in the Senate by Olympia Snow, a Republican

Republican candidates are hiding from the President.

Democrats are starting to smell the coffee and oppose the Iraq war (John Edwards admitted it was a mistake this week).

Hell, even Ahhhnold has apologized and is meeting with California Democratic leaders this week.

It's incredibly important that we all keep the pressure on the media to help the electorate to stay properly informed. It really is a cornerstone of a successful democracy. And once and for all, Democrats should be well informed by recent events that you must pursue an agenda aggressively. It's what the media understands. In the current media environment, shrill is what gets ratings. And ratings equal messaging.