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Originally uploaded by Red_One.

When you are down, stand tall

You know, it's funny. I listened to John Edwards give his speech this morning, before introducing John Kerry and for the first time in almost 24 hours I felt a glimmer of hope. Tears were still running down my cheeks, but I felt some sort of relief that somebody was still going to stand up and fight for something good in this country.

I listened to John Kerry's concession speech and wiped the tears from my eyes and thought, okay. I can be this bigger person. I can take my own small step towards national unity for my country. I admired his grace and eloquence at a time that must have been very difficult for him.

And I began to have faith again.

Then I listened to President Bush's acceptance speech and heard THE SAME OLD BULLSHIT. Cheney, I'm sorry, but you are a smirky, weasel-eyed evil-plotter. And Bush — he gave his opposition vote -- what? -- two sentences?! It was like an obligatory mention just so he could claim to want to unify the country.

Whatever dude. You know what? I was really disappointed in 2000 but I tried my hardest to get behind this president. I tried my hardest to see both sides. I tried my hardest to believe that obviously these people were seeing options and solutions in places that I could just not see it -- but that surely somewhere there was a grain of decency and smartness... surely there was a solution I couldn't see but they could.

I did my best four years ago to bridge the gap.

And I feel like my effort was trampled on by this administration. They were cocksure. They were smug. They were unapologetic. They were hasty. They were risky. They made miscalculated decisions based on manipulated information. They lied to our faces. And they smiled all the while.

So this year it is different. I am not so willing. I am not so pliable. I am not going to apologize for my viewpoint. I am not going to squint my eyes when I cannot see these so called solutions that are not in plain sight.

I'm going to hold this administration accountable to every last syllable. I will not go quietly.

Today I am standing tall and proud to be a Liberal and a Democrat in this United States of America. And I'm going to be none too quiet to tell you about it.