Hope '06

When I walked into room 125 at the Capitol and the site of Ford Bell's U.S. Senate withdrawl announcement today, filled with soon-to-be-unemployed campaign staffers and I'm sure some loyal volunteers, there was indeed a sense of, oh, longing? Sadness? Even a little hope maybe?

Hope not so much for the things that Mr. Bell stood for--I mean, what good progressive doesn't think the troops should get out of Iraq or that the government should implement a single-payer health care system? Ok, we might differ on when the troops should leave the Middle East, or which populations exactly will be eligible for health care, but generally speaking we're on the same page.

No, hope because it increases Amy Klobuchar's chances of winning. And more importantly, hope that the U.S. Senate will fall into Democratic hands. And hope that the Democrats will step strongly into their leadership role and set a real policy goal for Iraq, begin a renewed discussion about health care, and maybe even hold impeachment hearings.

Agree or disagree with Klobuchar on the nuances of her positions compared to Bell, she is going to be a tough opponent and a solid U.S. Senator--exactly what Minnesota and our country needs. Hope.

Now, someone needs to have a discussion with Becky Lourey....