We need to rally under someone, NOW! We need heros now more than ever.

[NNguyenMD]

This is the chance to bring the GOP machine down and we need to unite under a champion to fight back. Right now it seems those people are Harry Reid, Howard Dean, and Hillary Clinton. John Kerry seems to be asking for a second chance, but I'm still conflicted and heartbroken about the election. I want to give him another chance but I'm not sure if I trust him to do the job anymore.

But now is the time to unite under a fighter to take out this cancer that calls itself the GOP once and for all.

And if moderate Republicans offer us the scrapplings that are McCain, Chafee, and Snowe to appease us, I say NO SURRENDER!!

Gut the bastards in the belly and let 'em bleed to death.

Whatever happens, its got to happen soon.

New York will unite under Spitzer and if there are no other Democratic candidate, California should unite under Angelides. We need heros now more than ever.

[pstans]

1. Feingold keeps on keeping on

Feingold hasn't stood out because he is still doing what he usually does. Recently, he proprosed a PAYGO amendment to the budget, to change the rules back to the way they were in the 90's and help curb the budget deficit. He has proposed the SAFE Act to re-establish Civil Liberties that were taken away by the Patriot Act AND help law enforcement fight terroism. And he has also asked tough questions to Gonzalez, Rice, and others.

[rzemanfl]

5. Let him get over his divorce first before you make him be a hero.

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Heroes?

As in "Leaders"?

Führer (German): Leader.
Duce (Italian): Leader.

I like your sentiments, but not the Hero thing. I think we need more people who are the equivalent of Japanese ronin -- masterless samurai.

--p!

[mikehiggins]

9. Ronin? Clark

Reid is an insider who is fighting the good fight now. How long that will last, and why it took this long for him to get started, is an open question. Or two open questions, now that I reread that.

Dean is the real deal.

Hilary is right out of the DLC playbook. They've already told us what they want to have happen to the progressive Dems so why play games? Again, she is fighting the good fight now, but what would President Hillary be like? Something to think about, bunky.

I'd prefer Dean to any of the other three, but of course I'd prefer Clark to any of them.

[Dogmudgeon]

14. Don't fear the DLC

Clark, I agree, is an excellent man. He's a bit of a Ronin himself, but most Generals also know how to build and lead an organization. I also like the example of Audie Murphy, the teenager in WW2 who damn near defeated Mussolini single-handed; that's the kind of individual and small-group activist we need. All the truly illustrious military leaders, in war and peace, know what leadership is. Sadly, history gives us those kinds of military people far too infrequently.

But don't fear the DLC. It will go where the wind blows. They crack the whip for their own edification alone. Let them fuss and act as square as they want.

The important thing is to get a Democrat (or other non-Conservative) into office. Even with a DLC politician, access is hundreds of times easier. Also, to keep in mind, most DLC candidates talk a lot more conservative than they act. The local Republicans get their panties in frequent and painful wads over that.

Grass-roots, individual, not-completely-political, and Gramscian (i.e., "cultural") activisms of many types are what really make the difference. This is how the Right came to power; and once people realize who's pulling on the leash, the GOP will leave power in a big hurry. And Hillary will follow us obediently -- happily -- with bells.

--p!

[K-W]

3. We need citizens, not heroes.

I want a party driven by the voters, not the politicos, thank you.

[Kablooie]

4. I'd follow Mo Rocca. How 'bout you? nt

[Royaras]

6. No Hillary, Please!

Look, don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Hillary, I really don't. But if the Democratic Party thinks that their best candidate is Hillary Clinton, we might as well all give up and concede.

Hillary is a lightning rod for the right wing. Let us not forget that during Clinton's terms we had every conceivable accusation hurled at her, from Whitewater to being a lesbian to actually murdering Vince Foster with her bare hands. I frequent many newsboards and there isn't ONE that doesn't have some joker refer to her as Hitlery.

But I agree with you that the Democrats in office need to start speaking up now. My senators are Feinstein (a DINO if ever I saw one) and Boxer. I got to hand it to Boxer for going to the mat on several occasions and calling a spade a spade, but I can't understand why Dean is so silent right now. He needs to be out and about and on every possible talk show saying what needs to be said.

Is it frustrating to anyone besides myself that the only person who seems to be holding a mirror to GOP hypocrisy consistently and unapologetically is Jon Stewart? Where the hell are our elected officials?

[Beacho]

7. cult of personality is so 20th century

we have individuals working together.

I don't need a knight in shining armor, I just need another crate of ammo and I'll be fine.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. Very well said

We need to get away from this fawning for one person crap. We need a leader, to be sure, but we need foot soldiers and lieutenants even more, People that believe as we do and work altruistically for the good of the whole. A peek at my avatar shows who I support, but even more I support a strong party with a common message. The "leader" is the figurehead. The strength, however, comes from the masses.

I'm tired of an American political scene wherein everyone fawns over this politico or that politico. That reduces the serious of running our fucking society to the moral fucking equivalent of being groomed for a shot on Entertainment Tonight. This is real life. If you want a hero, go to a ball game or watch NASCAR. Cultishness there, while silly, is at least safe. Cultishness has no place in politics. We need open eyes and a clear message ... and a ton of human and humane storm troopers to push out the cultists now controlling the other side and trying to control our side.

Just using DU as a microcosm of the left, we see the flaming that happens regularly where the people supporting candidate A trash the people supporting Candidate B, who in turn trash the people supporting Candidate C. That is nothing more or less than childish cult worship. Stop it and get fucking real. Spend some time in thoughtful contemplation rather than living your stupid persecution complexes while we witness - and live - the 21st Century version of Rome's burning. Stop the fucking fiddling, already, and get fucking busy. Shooting at other people who believe 95% of the same things you do does no one any good ... least of all this once great country. Get off the fucking cult bandwagon and get on to the bandwagon of beating the other side.

Sheesh ......

[Just Me]

8. We NEED to join together, as "heroes".

We have common enemies who deserve our wrath.

[sandnsea]

10. We need a tag team

We need all the leadership to constantly support each other and stop jockeying for the top dog position. I've noticed a sad trend of Democratic leaders refusing to mention the name of another Democrat in their statements and press releases, even when they mention an issue that another Democrat has fought on or introduced legislation on. It's just stupid and it is not helping. If people can't put aside their personal ambitions for 2 years to help the party in 2006, then I don't want them as President anyway.

[Just Me]

11. Yes,..."a tag team"!!!

That's what we should be,...a tag team!!!

[BuyingThyme]

12. Dean & Boxer.

They're the only one's willing to stir the pot.

[Mallove Fan 71]

13. But whom? I hear Jesse Ventura's available.

Being a realist makes me a Clark supporter, but my dream candidate would be a juggernaut like Jesse was in MN. I ponder it often... the Michael Jordan of Washington politics. Who could take the country by storm? We're talking name recognition here.

Trouble is, everyone I think of is already stinking rich. They're compromised. There are a handful who show up on Real Time with Bill Maher and the like who I could trust, but when you get down to it, what big names do we have behind our movement?

Robin Williams? Alec Baldwin? George Carlin? George Costanza?

President Donahue?