By David Lytel

In the first few months of the year watching the machinations of the U.S. Congress was hugely frustrating. And the only strategy then-minority leader Tom Daschle had available to him was to outmaneuver the GOP to claim the vast center of American politics. And all he had was words and the uncertain strength of a fragile coalition of Democrats in the Senate. It was like watching scorpions in a bucket -- you might have cared which one won the fight, but there wasn't anything you personally could do about it.

Now, however, as George W. Bush put it, a new era has begun. With Daschle and the Democrats in charge of the machinery of the United States Senate they can do a great deal to slow Bush's hard right turn, or even stop it. But they have to know that they have popular support or they'll be killed by the relentless right-wing drumbeat from Fox and other "objective" people in the news business.

Please join us today in calling Tom Daschle's office to express your support for tactics every bit as aggressive as those the Republicans used to "win" the election last fall. And when you're finished send an e-mail to ICalledTom@Hotmail.com so we can keep track.