Opening Statement

Welcome to the most important page of our website. Ideas in Congress generally come from two sources: tired thinking and the active influence of moneyed interests. The duopoly of the two major parties in our political system; reactionary nature of lawmaking during two-year terms; the proliferation of committees, sub-committees, task forces, and policy caucuses; the importance of senility, ah seniority, in the leadership of these, and the too pervasive influence of private lobbying interests present significant institutional obstacles to new ideas. It is hard for a system to reform itself, especially if it sees no problem. Unsurprisingly then, many of our nation's best, most progressive ideas have sprung from sources outside the partisan political system.

It is important when looking at a problem that we consider all of its causes, and that in addressing these with solutions we consider all of their effects. Both the effectiveness and the effects of one policy will largely depend on a number of other policies. For example, a good education requires not simply a sound education policy, but also access to health care and housing and a healthy home environment for children. The success of a good education for every child, in turn, further gains in educating oneself and others, in working productively and purposefully, in living healthier lives, in caring as citizens for our environment and our communities, and in participating critically and creatively in public debate about the direction of our country.

I believe the ideas found here to be a triumph of substance over style, of long-term solutions over short-sighted conveniences, of our nation's interest above narrower ones, and most importantly, a triumph of concern for the lives of people over abstract ideologies. A reinvigoration of democracy requires not vast sums of money, but wisdom and hard work, and there is much work to be done. In the same way that politicians ought not to leave their responsibilities as thinkers to conventional party platforms, so too do we have the responsibility as citizens to not leave the job of thinking up to politicians and their political conventions in Washington. I invite you in the coming months to contribute your ideas to the political discussion, to explore and ask me to further explain my own, and to promote our best ones through volunteer efforts either with the campaign or in our community. For as Henry David Thoreau once wrote, "Action from principle, the perception and the performance of right, changes things..."