The Progressive Democrat Newsletter grew out of the frustration of the 2004 election. After much pressure from readers, this email newsletter is now going the blog route. I update the blog once a week focusing on both national issues and issues of interest to particular regions or states. In general, NYC, California, New Jersey, Virginia and the Midwest get special attention simply because those are the areas where I seem to have the most readers. However, these days I am too busy to give each region the attention I used to. As my readership on Daily Gotham and Culture Kitchen goes up, I have to spend more time on those sites. So this newsletter is fading a bit. I hope it is still usefull to you, though.

This week I talk about the Democrats not quite living up to our expectations on FISA and some of what we can do about it, present some chilling numbers from Iraq, discuss the neglect of America further, and bring up an issue too many people dance around: Republican Racism. Additionally I want to bring to your attention a Congressional race in New York (one close to my home and close to my heart, so please read about it and help us out!), the race for Mississippi Insurance Commissioner (happening THIS YEAR) and the New Hampshire Senate race.

In any democracy theoretically parties and their candidates run on their records with the results determined by analyzing those results alongside alternatives presented by the opposition.  In the upcoming November 7 national election it is imperative to keep one's eyes on the ball, as a major league hitting instructor would implore, and avoid the many distractions hurled onto the paths of voters.

The Republican Party knows it cannot run on the most appalling record ever achieved in the United States extending from George Washington's first term of the presidency to the present.  So what are brain trust Karl Rove and his loyal troops of foot soldiers doing?  What is that final standby intended to produce eleventh hour magic when all else has failed, as, according to all respected measuring authorities has occurred?

If your response is "Scare the daylights out of voters!" you have kept your eyes on the ball.  It is no coincidence that America's best publicized fright night, Halloween, occurs less than three days before the nation's voters march to the polls to cast votes on the composition of the next U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

A Washington Post front-page story of October 20 by Dan Balz and Jim VanderHei revealed Republican strategy as America moves into the home stretch of the current campaign season.  Some of the most significant comments come at the end of the story, when Balz and VanderHei register the strategic sentiments of Mary Matalin, long-time Republican operative and recently one of Dick Cheney's majordomos.