Back to the Moral Center

Against incredible odds, Governor Howard Dean, M.D. has been elected Chairman of the Democratic National Committee.

It's a very welcome surprise. His goal to empower the grassroots, helping state parties become more effective, and ensuring support for local candidates at all levels will be a welcome shot in the arm for a party beset by apathy.

Even more important, to paraphrase Jesse Jackson, it's about time we move back to the center - the moral center, and to get there, we need an outsider who will ask, "Is it right?" instead of "Is it expedient?"

Thank you Governor Dean for taking the risk and stepping up to the plate!

To send your thanks the Governor's way, enter the amount, below. If you're a DFA member, be sure to tack on six cents (.06), so they'll know.

[UPDATE: You can check here for the running total.]

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At a Bend in the River

Look! We've made things better for women in Iraq - as long as you define subjugation under Sharia law as "better." The actual women might have a slightly different definition of better.

“Please dress appropriately next time you come here.” The man said to me. I looked down at what I was wearing- black pants, a beige high-necked sweater and a knee-length black coat. Huh? I blushed furiously. He meant my head should be covered and I should be wearing a skirt. I don’t like being told what to wear and what not to wear by strange men. “I don’t work here- I don’t have to follow a dress code.” I answered coldly. The cousin didn’t like where the conversation was going, he angrily interceded, “We’re only here for an hour and it really isn’t your business.”

“It is my business.” Came the answer, “She should have some respect for the people who work here.” And the conversation ended. I looked around for the people I should be respecting. There were three or four women who were apparently ministry employees. Two of them were wearing long skirts, loose sweaters and headscarves and the third had gone all out and was wearing a complete “jubba” or robe-like garb topped with a black head scarf. My cousin and I turned to enter the room the receptionist had indicated and my eyes were stinging. No one could talk that way before the war and if they did, you didn’t have to listen. You could answer back. Now, you only answer back and make it an issue if you have some sort of death wish or just really, really like trouble.

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The Bill Comes Due

When you don't pay your bills, you get in trouble. Businesses that can't pay their bills fail. People who can't pay their bills end up on the streets. Countries that can't pay their bills crash.

The administration hasn't been paying America's bills. Instead, they've run up a massive credit card bill to hand down to our children, because they are afraid to admit that their tax cuts were a mistake. With that in mind, here are some ads I envision to get the point across:

Bright New Day
[scene: Hosptial, beaming new parents. Dad holding precious newborn close]

Dad: “Such tiny fingers! There’s a whole world of opportunity waiting for you, Pumpkin.”

[scene: Shadow looms. Parents look up, startled. Baby starts crying. Large man, wearing dark cape, and a fedora pulled low steps into room.]

Mom: “What are you doing here?”

Dad: “Keep away. Don’t you come near her [moves baby away from stranger].

Stranger: “It’s her share.” [stuffs a massive credit card into swaddling, with bill]

[fade]
[scene: close-up of credit card bill for $36,000]
[voiceover]
Thanks to the President’s deficit, each of our children owes $36,000 before they earn a penny. Don’t like it? One party has balanced the budget in the last 50 years. It wasn’t the Republicans.

But that’s not all…

---

At Home
[Scene: Kitchen. Dad at the table, opening envelopes. Mom puttering about in background. Baby in baby carrier, sleeping.]

Dad: “Hmm, what’s this? Our little Pumpkin is awfully young to be getting mail from the government.”

[Scene: Dad opens envelope]

Dad: “What the?! It’s a credit card bill for $36,000!”

Mom: “That can’t be right!”

[Scene: Dad keeps reading, brow furrowed, as Mom steps across to table]

Dad: “No, no, it says right here – she owes $36,000. It’s something about the deficit.”

Mom: “Let me see. How could something like this happen?”

[fade]
[scene: close-up of credit card bill for $36,000]
[voiceover]
Thanks to the President’s deficit, each of our children owes $36,000 before they earn a penny. Don’t like it? One party has balanced the budget in the last 50 years. It wasn’t the Republicans.

---

School's Out
[Scene: Front foyer of house, door flies open, child runs in (7-8 years old)]

Child: Desperate, “Mommy! Mommy!”

[Scene: Mom runs in from the next room, squats down to hug child]

Mom: “What’s the matter, Honey?”

[Scene: Shadow looms. Mom and child look up, startled, child screams and buries his/her head on Mom’s shoulder. Large man wearing dark cape, and a fedora, pulled low steps into room.]

Mom: “What are you doing here?”

Child: screeching: “Nooooo!”

Stranger: “It’s her share.” [stuffs a massive credit card into child’s backpack, with bill]

[Scene: Stranger steps out of scene, Mom opens credit card bill]

Mom: “$36,000?! How could this have happened?”

[fade]
[scene: close-up of credit card bill for $36,000]
[voiceover]
Thanks to the President’s deficit, each of our children owes $36,000 before they earn a penny. Don’t like it? One party has balanced the budget in the last 50 years. It wasn’t the Republicans.

---

Evening Routine
[Scene: Mom walks into kitchen with the day’s mail. There’s one abnormally large envelope, the rest are normal. She puts mail down on counter, picks up big envelope]

Mom: “Oh, this must be our tax refund.”

[ Scene: Mom opens envelope]

Mom: “Wow, this is almost a thousand dollars! That’ll come in handy.”

[ Scene: Mom notices another, large envelope inside the first envelope. Pulls it out. Opens it. Out comes a large credit card and a bill.]

Mom: “Hmmm, what’s this?”

[ Scene: Mom reads the bill]

Mom: “What on earth?! Honey, come here for a minute. You won’t believe this!”

[Scene: Dad reading to toddler in rocker. Gets up, puts book down, lifts toddler to shoulder, walks to kitchen.]

Dad: “What is it?”

Mom: “It’s a bill. … For $36,000! … For Jesse!”

[Scene: Toddler starts crying.]

Dad: “$36,000?! That’s outrageous! It must be a mistake.”

Mom: “No, no, it says right here – she owes $36,000. It’s something about the deficit.”

Dad: “How could something like this have happened?”

[fade]
[Scene: close-up of credit card bill for $36,000]
[voiceover]
Thanks to the President’s deficit, each of our children owes $36,000 before they earn a penny. The tax cuts for the wealthy and the illegal war are now your child’s burden.

Don’t like it? One party has balanced the budget in the last 50 years. It wasn’t the Republicans.

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