Candidate for
Member, Democratic Party County Central Committee; County of Sacramento; State Assembly District 5

I come from a long line of political activists. I remember both my parents circulating petitions and walking precincts in our lily-white, suburban, and very Republican neighborhood near Chicago. My father, an economist at the University of Chicago, traveled regularly to Washington DC to serve on the Board of Economic Advisors during every Democratic administration; he stayed home when the president was a Republican and wrote furiously. I vividly recall his writing to President Nixon after the bombing of Cambodia and getting one of those meaningless responses we get now from Bush. I know for sure he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and I'm pretty sure he was on Nixon's enemies' list.

It's my turn now. I owe it to myself to do absolutely everything I possibly can to change the course of the country I love so much. The timing couldn't be better: I am mature enough to handle it if I lose, and young and active enough to serve faithfully if I win.

Other qualities I bring to the table include creativity, ability to write, a great sense of team spirit and the ability to work well with just about everyone. I am an active member of the Town and Country Democrats, Gray Panthers, and Sacramento for Democracy, so I am attuned to what is happening in this area across the political spectrum. I am tech-savvy and can operate a computer or a website with the best of them.

I have the courage of my own convictions, but I am also a good listener. I have been known to change my mind, and can admit it when necessary. But I am also a person of unflinching loyalty to my core values: democracy, the rule of law, and the Bill of Rights. I believe that the beauty of this nation is its respect for all, and nothing is more worth fighting for than that.

The Democratic Party I love believes "We're all in this together," not "You're on your own, Buddy!"

I want my country back.