I'd like to see a Connecticut that understands the difference between Democrats and Republicans. So many people I talked with in CT are Dems who vote Republican and then say "Oh, I vote for the person, not the party." I get their point, but they need to realize that when it comes time to make the hard choices, Republicans will still be voting down the party line--irresponsible tax cuts, less school funding, and restriction of our civil rights. It's one thing to act bipartisan when you're in the middle of a blue state. It's quite another when you're in DC and have Bill Frist or Tom DeLay breathing down your neck.

Congratulations Aldon! I hope you bring the same energy for democracy and progressive change as so many of the Mayor's key people. Here are three themes that I would like to see the DeStefano campaign, and in particular the blog, help emphasize:

1. ORGANIZING. Part of the reason Democrats have such a mediocre performance in Connecticut and find themselves out of power in so many places is because they have forgotten how to organize. Use the blog to teach us how the DeStefano campaign is going to develop a novel approach to organize stronger neighborhood level party organization, as well as how it is going to push the broad social justice advoacy community (from labor, to environment, to good government, and human rights) to see their fate interwoven into the Democratic Party. We need to move beyond a progressive network that coordinates press releases and campaign contributions. We need to share responsibility for leadership development, agenda setting, and public persuasion. If the conservatives can use politics to mesh the coalition, so should we.

2. MORALITY. We need to take back the language of morality. We should be outraged that we spend more time protecting the wealth of the dead than making sure we end poverty amongst the working. Predatory credit and poor healthcare destroys marriages; gay marriage doesn't. Teach us how the DeStefano campaign is going to recast the debate on these issues so that progressives can use it to nourish their own tactics.

3. NEW IDEAS. The campaign and this blog should illuminate how new policies can help win over skeptical voters and create a permanent progressive majority in Connecticut. What kind of policies? Let's create a "baby bond" for every kid born in Connecticut that sets aside a small amount of money at birth that can gain compound interest and generate real wealth by the time the kid is in his 20s. If they can do it in the U.K. we can do it in the CT. Let' have a publicly-funded venture capital fund for renewable energy. Let's create the best transporation and smart growth investment strategy in the nation. And let's adopt a democratically-funded campaign finance system. All of these are policies that can bridge rich and poor, business and the environment, and transcend status quo divisions.

I know that that is a lot of aspirations, but I am confident that if you all work hard, you will pull it off.