I would like to see a Contract for America for the Democrats - and these are issues we would bring up in Congress with a Democratic takeover of Congress in 2006.

1. - Serious investigation into the abuses of the Executive Branch, and if necessary, (and it is appearing it is becoming so) impeachment hearings. It is the duty of Congress to maintain some oversight into the President's actions and this Congress that is bought and paid for by Republicans won't do such a thing. We clearly have a President who has no qualms about violating the rights of Americans, and it's time Americans took drastic action to correct the mistake of 2004 - assuming it was a mistake and just not another outright purchased election

2. - The decriminalization and regulation of Marijuana and Hemp products - this focuses on both reducing the criminal penalities and reclassifying Marijuana as a class of drug similar to Cigarettes and Alcohol. We would also establish a platform for industral hemp and grant farmers the right to add it to their rotation of crops - it will be a GREAT help for American farmers. We will repeal criminal penalities for cultivation and consumption - the original laws written were racial and it's time we admit it and say the war on Marijuana is one based on ignorance, racism, and profit and we won't allow those men to tell us that this product, a naturally growing and occuring product in this country, to be considered illegal to enjoy on a personal basis.

On a side note, Marijuana smokers need to wake up and simply say they will no longer cast a vote for any candidate that thinks they're a criminal for smoking marijuana. By and large, the number of Marijuana smokers who feel strongly about the issues number enough to overcome the slim margins that most elections today become, and they need to educate people on the benefits.

3. - Environmental responsibility - We will accept the fact that we are parasites on nature, and will use what natural resources we have left in a full boar drive for alternative energies - at some point, when oil runs out, we will have two choices - find substitutes or revert to the stone age - I'd like to think my kids will live in a BETTER world, not a worse one - so Environmental regulations and a commitment to renewable living is key - It will reduce health care costs by virtue of simply making people sick less often - it will reduce our footprint on this country's natural resources, and it's the right thing to do for the next generation -

It's like Republicans are this greedy old miser who bought the farm with the family money and then had it in his will that the farm is to be burned when he dies so no one else can have it - this is unacceptable.

4. - A commitment to Freedom of ALL RELIGION, and a commitment to allow our laws to follow a moral code of rights, as given to us by God, but that it is not all right for Religious Faiths to write their beliefs into law - American's freedom starts with Freedom for all Americans, and too many now think that America is here to start their new "heaven on earth" with their moral code written into law and we will resist those people viciously. If those people move to South Carolina and start writing State Law

5. Serious National Campaign Reform - it's a disgrace that we have crap like Ohio and Florida going on every year - national standards for Federal elections should be enforcable and election/lobby reform is key - Republicans have brought the moneychangers into the halls of Congress, and it's time to give congress back to the People, not the special interests.

If the Democrats do this, they will win in 2006 - they will win it all, and they will do the right thing by trying to implement this contract with the American People -

RB