HADLEY, MA: Like Roosevelt in 1933 and Newt Gingrich in 1995, Democrats under Senator Harry Reid and Rep. Nancy Pelosi have a unique and short-lived opportunity to make real change, says politics/ethics blogger and long-time activist Shel Horowitz--but if the Democrats fail to exercise their option, it will leave the public bitter and ready to once again throw the bums out.
Laying out a five-point program at times in direct conflict with the Democratic Party's own "New Direction for America: Six for '06," Horowitz tells Pelosi and Reid, "The Democrats have been given a window to make real change. I'm writing to ask that we not squander it...before the window slams shut and the American people once again have the sad image of a spineless do-nothing Congress."
While the Democrats call to "Double the size of Special Forces...Rebuild a state-of-the-art military capable of projecting power whenever necessary," Horowitz, 49, argues, "Democrats must work to rebuild our standing not as a rogue state but as a leader among nations in the campaign for world peace and prosperity...Get us out of Iraq NOW! That troubled country will face a civil war regardless of how long we stay. The longer we stay, the longer and more bloody that war is likely to be." Horowitz also sees a strong US role in moving other flashpoints toward peace: Iran, North Korea, Israel/Palestine/Lebanon, and Latin America.
Again going far beyond the Democrats' call for "energy independence - lower gas prices," Horowitz also calls for "a Marshall Plan-style campaign for true energy independence, based on renewable and nonpolluting technologies." His other three points, not even addressed in the Democrats' document: fair elections, the role of Congress, and addressing "the many high crimes and misdemeanors of the Bush administration." (He proposes a South Africa-style Truth and Reconciliation Commission.)
Active in the struggles for peace, justice, and a sustainable environment since the late 1960s, Shel Horowitz's victories include successfully mobilizing an entire community to save a local mountain...initiating the first nonsmokers' rights regulations in his community...and gaining participants in 26 countries so far in a movement to change the culture of business toward ethics and cooperation http://www.business-ethics-pledge.org.
Journalists: Horowitz is available for interviews at 413-586-2388, shel AT principledprofit.com His five-point platform is contained in an open letter to Reid and Pelosi posted on his blog at http://principledprofit.com/good-business-blog/2006/11/29/an-open-letter-to-nancy-pelosi-and-harry-reid/, and may be freely reproduced or excerpted with attribution and a link to the post.
Contact: Shel Horowitz, 413-586-2388, shel@principledprofit.com