An Historic Election

There are many people throughout history with the ability to inspire and motivate, and last weeks election demonstrated it. Whether it was the millions who turned out President-Elect Barack Obama, the re-election of Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the thousands that supported Sarah Palin (although, I am not quite sure what she was inspiring), or the candidacy of Peace Mom Cindy Sheehan for Congress.

Cindy's rise in becoming a household name came at a high price, the loss of her son Casey, who was killed in Iraq in 2004. Most of us know the story. Cindy's passion is driven by the death of her son, but but the platform she ran on was Progressive. Single Payer Health Care, ending the War in Iraq, legalizing gay marriage, ending the the War on Drugs, repealing the Patriot Act, among many others. Hoping to serve California's 8th District and the American people, and prove we can do better.

Now I do not share the disdain of Speaker Pelosi as many Liberals and most Republicans, however, had I been able to vote in Ca., I would have put my support behind Cindy's campaign. When one person puts their grief on display for the world to see, and suffer the criticism she did, it is clear that this is a tough woman who is not afraid to stand up. Was Cindy a viable candidate? Maybe. Maybe not. Nearly 37,000 voters believed she was, and she lost the election by just over 16%.

In 2005, I was honored to hear Cindy speak at one of the largest anti-war rallies the country has ever seen. In addition, I was able to speak with her briefly as well. That encounter took place at an event in support of protecting our men and women in uniform...demanding they are out of harms way. A topic that was left out of much of the discussion in the General Election. While the veterans of IAVA and IVAW struggle for realistic assistance, healthcare, and benefits their voice was relatively silenced by the media . I know the strengths of Cindy, Adam Kokesh, Paul Rieckhoff, Jon Soltz, and Matthis Chiroux will have some success now that silly season is over. I applaud all of you.