It will be too late to impeach Bush and Cheney, but the criminal investigation of them and Rove and the rest should get underway on Day One. I'd also add publicly-funded campaigns, a Constitutional amendment to guarantee the right to vote and the right to have your vote counted.

Good luck on that, though. You might try Brian Moore, if he's on the ballot where you are.

Chuck, only in our wildest dreams I'm afraid.

Suppose, though, that a candidate ran on such a platform. Why would you vote, or not vote, for that candidate?

I would have to vote for such a candidate.

I tend to lean toward socialism. Government has a responsibility to care for the people governed. That said, I suggest within reason.

Universal health care, of course. Mandated anti-abortion, of course not. Solar vs nuclear? I've stated my position on this many times. Nuclear produces waste no one knows how too deal with.

I've been pro-union since a child. Could have something to do with growing up in a union household and my being a member of a couple unions.

Bringing Bush and Cheney to justice. Definitely.

There's nothing on your list I dispute.

The list is verbatim from an expoloratory committee for a Nader run.

Eugene V. Debs for President!

I would say that support for third party candidate who has that platform is far more practical than attempting to get anywhere with a Democrat, in general, and a "centrist" Democrat in particular. There is currently no organization with teeth, in a position of some strength, to protect the political flank of anyone who would defy the corporate bukkake artists and quislings who make up the majority of the party's leadership. Those who do get defiant, and do so outside a few safe seats, risk getting picked off by the "third way" vichy. The social democratic tendency, never much more than tepid to begin with, has been whittled down to good voting from a mere handful of consistent congressmen and the occasional querulous, quixotic outburst from a senator. A feisty third party could do quite a bit to monkeywrench the vichy creep.

Control of the party lies in the hands of aisle crossers, who offer nothing positive, cover each others backs and maintain control by the threat of helping Republicans shoot initiatives down. It's a perverse version of a "the worse, the better" strategy. They blackmail the more alert constituents with the threat any display of principles, from voters or politicians themselves, will throw elections to someone even more odious. It's a credible threat, too, as their real collegiality as a party elite comes when it's time to crush intra-party reformers or raise the bar for truly contested elections.

There's only so much ground to be yielded before the "half a loaf" promises become as valuable as collateralized debt obligations. I think we're well past that and have been for quite some time.