Earlier today on the Al Franken Show, Howard Fineman quoted an "unnamed GOP governor" on an interesting parallel.  This governor confided in Fineman that the debate on stem cells is for republicans as late-term abortion is for democrats.

This unnamed GOP governor understands that republican leadership and their religious base are at a crossroads: appealing to moderate America's clear desire for this country to develop stem cell research defies the right-wing religious stance.

This is such an important issue for democratic congressional leadership to spearhead.  So many republican senators and congressmen relied on the religious base for money and votes.  This opportunity may clearly show a line in the sand between those same republicans who will support stem cell research and those like Senators' Santorum (PA) and Allen (VA) who will not alienate the religious base.

Democratic leaders should continue to introduce and promote legislation that will force republicans to choose between their respective voters and the political money machine of the religious right (not to mention pharmaceutical companies).  Making republicans choose will divide their caucus.  A divided caucus allows democrats to expose the Santorums of congress to the all-important independent and moderate-leading voters.

There is so much work to do - and it must be done carefully!  What will the democratic leadership do?  Who is that governor who confided to Fineman?  Will the DNC follow the GOP playbook during the late-term abortion debate: choose, divide, then expose?  How can the blogoshere help, or are we willing to help?

Forgive me if I do not correctly "link" this article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58894-2005Feb2.html

(If you cannot get to it, go to www.washingtonpost.com and scroll down to Education).

I live in Fairfax County.  Overall, moderate to  conservative.  However, Kerry won this county in 2004 (last time was LBJ in 64)!  If you do not already know, Fairfax is in northern Virginia, and a suburb of Washington DC.

The school district is the 12th largest in the country, about 167,000 students.  The county has a little over 1 million residents.  

As we all know, this is the road that conservatives want to go.  Even more frightening, this school board member clearly thinks it is just fine to suggest a moral authority.  His term expires in December 2007.  Repulsive.

This is in regard ot Mr. Brigham's earlier blog:
"2 unacceptable, 2 also-rans...DNC Chair"
by Bob Brigham

I am a Roemer supporter, and a large contributor to the Democratic Party.  My entire family is entrenched in Colorado and Pennsylvania politics.  We have spent thousands of hours helping state and national races in CO, PENN, VA, MD, IL, WI, IA, and Florida.  I am pro-life, yet my mother is pro-choice.  All of my family members bring different beliefs to the table.  Yet we find COMMON GROUND.  We find the beliefs and principles of the Democratic Party have always outweighed our personal values.

To all of you who celebrate a closed mind and are not concerned that a blogger "blew off" an opportunity to meet Roemer and hear him out, SHAME ON YOU!

You want to make this the Deniac party?  Go right ahead!  You will alienate yourselves from people like me who understand that diverse values, not Dr. Howard Dean, are the party's greatest asset.  I am not alone in this belief.

How many people like me are democratic supporters?  Well, ask yourself why Reid and Pelosi found COMMON GROUND to ask Roemer to run?  They understand that the Democratic Party can only be successful if we embrace our diversity while sharing our principles for an America we want!

Don't you Deaniacs get it?  If Dean becomes the next Chair, Dean will always be the center of attention, the easy scapegoat for anything that happens with the DNC.  WE, ALL of US, are the DNC.  Not one man.

Reid and Pelosi were incredibly smart for asking Roemer to run because of the shared belief that the Democratic Party is a very diverse party.  Unfortunately, most bloggers have tunnel vision:  They believe that DEAN is their savior.  But this is not about your savior, it is about the PARTY.  Many of your attempts to discredit a good man like Tim Roemer have consequences.  Instead of keeping an open mind, agreeing to disagree, and keeping a productive discussion, most of you played the Republican game:  Discredit, divide, and show other's in the party that it is your way or the highway.  

Instead of showing this country that this party welcomes different values while committed to the same principles, all you bloggers have done is give the perception that all of you care about are your own fears.  Petty.

I am a 34 year old Pro-Life Catholic, self-made and retired.  I am married, and we have an 8 month old son.  I care about my mother's values, your values, Dean's values, and Roemer's values.  As a loyal Democrat, I contributed to Dean's campaign last March, but I just cannot support him for DNC Chair.  I do support Roemer.  Is that really a bad thing?  Is it a bad thing that I found it refreshing for senior democratic leadership to push for diverse values?  Can the small group of bloggers that willingly cut Roemer down without at least talking to him be open to reconsider a discussion with Roemer?  Can we find COMMON GROUND?

BTW - For the conspiracy theorists: I am not on Roemer's staff or an unpaid volunteer.