After years of war, corruption, abuse of power, and disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law, the American spirit has taken quite a beating.

It's time for renewal, time for civic-minded people all across America to join in launching a fresh start for democracy in 2008.

We need to lift our sights, renew our passion for participation and act together to restore democracy's promise.

That is what Common Cause's Fresh Start for Democracy Campaign is all about.

In this critical year of transition for our country, we can't settle for modest improvements.  We need fundamental change. Rampant corruption doesn't need to be scaled back.  It has to be ended.  Abuses of power don't need to become less blatant.  They need to disappear.

We're not looking to weaken the hold that special interests have on American politics.  We're out to break their grip once and for all.

In 2008, we've got a fundamental choice to make: Will we settle for modest change and incremental gains?  Or will we demand the broad, all-encompassing fresh start for democracy that our country so urgently needs?

As it should be in a democracy, it's up to us.  I urge you to join Common Cause in an all-out effort to reclaim the full promise of our democracy.

Together, I know that we can spark a movement capable of producing the broad, powerful changes we need to enliven civic life in America and produce genuine, deep-seated progress on issues that will define our future.

That's the promise of democracy.  Let's work together to achieve it.

What's your vision for a "Fresh Start for Democracy"?  Please leave your answer as a comment.

Last week, reporters seized on a detail revealed in FEC filings: John Edwards gets $400 haircuts. The story reinforces what a lot of us think about politicians - that they raise too much money and that they waste most of it on extravagant luxuries.

But the truth is that, while the candidates may splurge on a few indulgences while on the campaign trail, they don't keep the money they raise nor do they spend most of it on themselves. Where does most of that money go? To television stations.

In competitive races, between 50 and 60 percent of a campaign budget goes to 30-second spots. 30-second spots that make broadcasters rich, but too often leave our democracy poorer.

$2.1 billion was spent on political ads in 2006. Experts say the presidential candidates alone could spend $1 billion on ads this cycle. But you won't hear that story in the mainstream media. They'd much rather you focus on a silly haircut than their massive profiteering on our publicly-owned airwaves.