Bob Edgar has called for radical change with Common Cause's Fresh Start for Democracy Campaign.  GrannyD, Doris Haddock, veteran champion of election and campaign finance reform, likes to characterize what is needed as a "velvet revolution," a term borrowed from the Ukrainian transformative election of 2004.  

This kind of revolution implies the absence of the weapons of war, but no less the fervor.  Edgar's emphasis on urgency reflects that fervor and the immediacy of the need for change.  He speaks of 2008 being the year in which "we have got a fundamental choice to make."  That choice, to be embraced, has to be predicated on a truthful understanding of what went so terribly wrong and why.  Understanding the past is an important step in formulating enduring change for the future.

A revealing example of the diabolical nature of our democracy's recent decline and the intricate strategies used by those responsible can be examined through the lens of the theft of the 2000 and 2004 elections and is continuing today.

One only needs to be reminded of Orwell's 1984, to begin to understand what is going on in plain sight.  In a recent priceless example to divert attention from the truth, the Cleveland Plain Dealer editorialized on Nov. 24 that:

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.