Other celebrities have made their feelings known about Mrs. Clinton's tack to the right: Kathleen Turner, Sharon Stone, George Clooney. But what's really important is how a lot of us rank and file Democratic voters in New York feel about our junior senator. Let me tell you, we are fed up.

We are fed up with her vote to authorize the use of force against Iraq in 2002 when other mainstream Democrats like Senators Durbin, Levin, Mikulski and Wyden (all members of the Select Committee on Intelligence) had the integrity to say no because they knew that the case for war was based on faulty intelligence (see John Walsh's excellent, What Did The Democrats Know and When Did They Know It: The Lies of John Edwards at http://www.counterpunch.org/walsh1205200 5.html)

We are fed up with her retreat from a vigorous defense of a woman's right to choose whether or not to bear a child (a "right" that is now all but non-existant in many states), her pandering to Christian Right and support for bogus Republican ploys like making flag burning a federal crime (how many flags have you seen burning lately?).

Too many Democratic leaders think that the road to majority status lies in becoming a lightweight parody of the Republican Party. This didn't work for the Republicans in the age of the New Deal and Great Society and it will not work for Democrats today. Democrats have got to get over their fear of standing up for ideas that sound radical or chancy today like an anti-imperialist foreign policy, adherence to international law and the expansion of Medicare to cover all citizens who are in need of health insurance (an idea proposed by Senator Kennedy in January, 2005). We have got to force the ground of debate to shift in our direction and stop merely reacting to the Republicans. We have got to start providing real leadership again.

Win or lose, Tasini is this kind of candidate and that is why 4 local New York Chapters of Progessive Democrats of America have endorsed him with more sure to follow.

Our work will not end once this campaign is over. Win or lose with Tasini, the NY PDA is going to form chapters in every single New York congressional district and we are going to start winning elections for local district leader, state committee and, eventually, even higher offices. We are going to try to reform the Democratic Party in order to make it once again a party of the people and a party that we can be proud of.

So, thanks again Susan, for the inspiration.

Al Ronzoni, Jr.
NY PDA 14th Congressional District Chapter