Or, as John Kenneth Galbraith said, “Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.”

We can probably agree that politics is not the art of perfection.  It’s not for purists.

But it’s the only way that citizens of a democracy can bring about a better future.

The untiring efforts – over decades of service — of people of good will are occasionally rewarded by an inching forward of progressive legislation.  It has been painful to follow the developments, but the health care legislation passed first in the House of Representatives, and then in the Senate on Christmas Eve, may become law early this year, if difficult compromises can be made between the House and Senate versions.

If it is does become law, once all the provisions are implemented (which will occur over several years) it will provide a significant relief for millions of Americans who now can barely pay their health insurance premiums, or can’t afford any insurance, or are denied insurance because of ill health, or who must stay in a terrible job just to maintain insurance for their families.  It will also mean that the rest of us don’t fall into those categories in the future. Many lives will be happier, healthier, and longer.

The disastrous choice is what we have today for a health insurance “system” for those not old enough for Medicare. Without the new legislation, in the coming years our health and our country’s economic well-being would be further threatened.

In future it may be possible to pass laws that do more to improve access to appropriate health care. (Other advanced countries have done it, with far less political turmoil.) Historians point out that when Social Security was first enacted, many Americans were not entitled to its benefits. In later years, as the public became more conscious of its positive effects, Social Security was expanded.

One of the clear lessons of the present health care debate is that political parties do matter. 

Republicans in Congress are doing everything they can to block progress on health care. This isn’t new. Republicans have traditionally voted in large numbers against legislation that would improve the lives of millions–such as Unemployment Insurance, Social Security, and Medicare–when it was first introduced.  After programs become popular with voters, Republican opposition is less vocal, but it’s always lurking (remember that our last Republican President tried to “privatize” Social Security).

Another lesson is how hard it is to get progressive legislation through the Senate even after it has passed in the House.

It takes 60 votes in the Senate to prevent a Republican filibuster. Currently the Senate has 58 Democrats and 2 independents. One independent is Sanders of Vermont, always a progressive voice; the other is Lieberman of Connecticut, who left the Democratic Party during the last election but whose vote was desperately sought in order to prevent Senate Republicans from blocking the legislation.

Another staggering fact about the Senate is that every single state has two senators and therefore gets two of the hundred possible votes.

Rural states get two votes. Industrial states get two votes. Heavily populated states get two votes (for example California, with almost 37 million residents). States with almost no one living there get two votes (for example Wyoming, with half a million people). Southern states get two votes. Northern states get two votes. States with more Republicans get two votes. States with more Democrats get two votes.  And so on.

Massachusetts has two precious votes. We must keep our two Senators in the Democratic column, working and voting – like Kennedy and Kerry –for the common good, for improving the lives of people, for a more just and compassionate society.

Don’t forget to go to your polling location on January 19 to vote for Martha Coakley, Democratic candidate for Senate in the special election to fill the seat formerly held by Kennedy. Polls are open from 7am to 8pm.

If you know that you won’t be able to get there on January 19, call or visit your town /city hall today to make arrangements for an absentee ballot:

Gloucester City Clerk, Dale Avenue, 978-281-9720

Manchester Town Clerk, 10 Central Street, 978-526-2040

Rockport Town Clerk, 34 Broadway, 978-546-6894

Your vote affects what gets done – or not done – in Washington. Many close elections have been lost because a few supporters stayed home.  Circle Tuesday, January 19, on your new calendar now!

On December 8 you can vote in the primary for the special election to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy. The result of the primary election determines who will represent each party on the general election ballot in January. In Massachusetts, you may vote in the primary of your party, or, if you are “unenrolled” (registered but not enrolled in a party), in any party’s primary.

You’d be shocked at how few people participate in the selection of the parties’ candidates. If you’re concerned about the quality of your representation, please participate in this critical winnowing process and vote on December 8.

The Senate has enormous power to help our country make progress on all fronts – or to block progress.

Ted Kennedy used his influence on Senate subcommittees to help millions of people in Massachusetts and many more millions across the country and the globe. Kennedy led and sponsored hundreds of bills that were enacted into law – a list far too long to include here.

Kennedy’s work in the Senate benefited—in various ways– the lives of everyone among your circle of family and friends…and also of those with no family and few friends.

Kennedy helped low-paid workers, workers who lose their jobs, people who work in unsafe conditions; children needing health care, better nutrition, an earlier start to learning; seniors receiving “meals on wheels” or dependent upon Social Security; the disabled; those needing assistance improving their home’s energy efficiency. He led the fight to end discrimination in voting, housing, education, and the workplace. He helped millions of students afford college. His efforts led to national community service programs.

But all of us are better protected by Kennedy’s persistent fight against an array of ills, including –to name a few–unsafe food, drugs, medical devices, guns; bioterrorism threats; and money in politics.

You probably wish we were further along when it comes to our country’s overall economic and social well-being.

But remember what Kennedy said in 1980 at the Democratic convention and take heart:

“For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”

It’s up to us, We the People, to make sure that the work goes on.

Step 1: If you’re not registered to vote, register soon. Fill out a voter registration form (available at city/town clerk offices, by mail or Internet – see Voter Information below). In order to register, you’ll need to be 18 or older on election day, a US citizen, and a state resident. You can vote in the primary if you’re registered to vote by Wednesday, November 18.

Step 2: Register as a Democrat. If you appreciate what Senator Kennedy did for our state, our country, and our world, register to vote as a Democrat. Although Kennedy is famous for “reaching across the aisle,” he never gave up trying to achieve his Democratic goals. He also knew when to compromise — when otherwise he wouldn’t get enough votes to transform his ideas into action.

You’ll send a message to all politicians if you register as a Democrat and thus make clear your preference for the fundamental Democratic Party philosophy –so well exemplified in Kennedy’s achievements– of working for the common good.

Step 3: Vote in the Democratic Primary. On December 8, go to your polling place and vote in the Democratic primary. Help decide who becomes the Democratic candidate for Senator in the general election.

Step 4: Vote for the Democrat in January. If you’re registered to vote as of December 30, vote for the Democratic candidate on Tuesday, January 19.

Only a Democrat will carry on Kennedy’s work for the common good, ensuring that the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream – of a world healthier and safer for all –doesn’t die.

Information for All Voters
• Election day: All Massachusetts polling locations are open 7 am – 8 pm for state elections.
• Locations: Call the city/town clerk if you don’t know where to vote – or check out http://www.wheredoivotema.com.
• Absentee ballots: If you can’t be in town during voting hours, make arrangements in advance to cast an absentee ballot. Ask your city/town clerk or see the rules at http://www.sec.state.ma.us/ELE/eleifv/howabs.htm.
• Registration forms. The US Elections Assistance Commission http://www.eac.gov/voter links to a national voter registration form, which can be printed out and mailed. Or contact:
Gloucester City Clerk, 9 Dale Avenue, 978- 281-9720, hours (through Nov. 1): 8:30 am – 4 pm, Tues-Wed 10:30 am – 4 pm, Thurs 10:30 am – 6:30 pm, Fri 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Manchester Town Clerk, 10 Central Street, 978-526-2040, hours: Mon-Wed 8:30 am- 5 pm, Thurs 8:30 am – 8 pm
Rockport Town Clerk, 34 Broadway, 978-546-6894, hours: Mon 8 am – 4 pm, Tues 8 am-6 pm, Wed-Thurs 8 am – 4 pm, Fri 8 am – 1 pm
Secretary of State, 617-727-2828 or 1-800-462-VOTE

A few years later, our most important document emphasizes the “blessings of liberty”: “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution.”

What do “liberty” and “freedom” mean? 

Should we be free to dispose of contaminants where we like, or should we be free from pollution-related sickness? 

Should freedom to choose a good school for our children be based on our family’s money, or should all children be free from poor learning environments? 

Should freedom to obtain medical care be based on ability to pay? Or should we be free from treatable illness no matter what our financial status? 

Should we be free to decline paying for public libraries, or should we all be free from lack of access to newspapers and books? 

Should we be free to discriminate against people of different race, religion, national origin, or gender in work and public settings, or should we be free to earn a living and pursue happiness regardless of those aspects of our background?

Clearly the words “freedom” and “liberty” can be used to promote very different values.

One of the most precious freedoms of our democracy is the freedom to choose leaders through voting—freedom from despotism.

The outcome of the free vote has profound consequences for how our society interprets, protects, and works to improve liberty.

For a famous example of a Democrat’s perspective, consider President Franklin Roosevelt’s address to Congress in 1941, months before we entered World War II, when he described his vision of the future: “We look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms”:

“The first is freedom of speech and expression—everywhere in the world.
“The second is freedom of every person to worship God in his own way—everywhere in the world.
“The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world.
“The fourth is freedom from fear—which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.”

Another crucial liberty is the freedom to learn about our government’s decisions and actions—a freedom from unjustifiable secrecy—made more feasible with the 1966 passage of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The intense efforts of a Democratic congressman from California were largely responsible for getting FOIA enacted, and later FOIA was strengthened through amendments passed by a Democratic Congress over Republican President Gerald Ford’s veto. 

(Can you guess who persuaded Ford it was bad legislation?  Déjà vu: His chief of staff Donald Rumsfeld, deputy Dick Cheney, and Antonin Scalia, now one of the backward-looking justices on the Supreme Court, then a lawyer in the Republican Justice Department.)

Democratic President Bill Clinton and his attorney general used an executive order to increase federal compliance with FOIA, directing agencies to assume a “presumption of disclosure” rather than permit legal ambiguities to prevent release of information.

Sadly, our freedom to learn what our government is doing has been challenged by the unprecedented degree of secrecy in the administration of George Bush.  The extensive use of non-government emails is just one example.

Congressional hearings (made possible this year with Democratic control of committees) are beginning to uncover facts that have been hidden from public view, even though Administration delays and missing emails make more difficult our freedom to know.

Given the Bush administration’s irresponsible foreign policy, it is painful to remember that when Bill Clinton left office, among his last official words were these:.

“People all around the world look to America to be a force for peace and prosperity, freedom and security.”

Let’s all exercise our freedom to vote. With the next election we can bring about a government that constantly strives to secure the blessings of liberty for all.

Most of us have a tendency to dwell almost exclusively on what “They” should be doing differently – meaning senators, representatives, governors, mayors, municipal boards, political party leaders, appointed officials, and so on.

We tend to get frustrated when They don’t act exactly in accordance with our own notions of the right step to take on each matter that comes before them. We tend to forget that They represent people of diverse views, that They struggle with competing priorities, that compromises with other representatives of the People are often necessary.

Now is a good time to put a little more emphasis on the “We,” because in a democracy it’s We the People who have the power to improve our government. It’s We the People who are responsible for the society we live in, whom we elect to represent us, and what our government does in our name.

Think what a difference it would make if – heading into the 2008 elections – each of us took at least one of the steps below. 

1. Register to Vote

It’s much easier to register to vote than it used to be. Here are just a few of the options.
 
* Stop by your city or town clerk’s office during office hours. Office hours vary but can be determined by a phone call or an Internet search.
* Register when you’re at the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
* Call the Mass. Secretary of State at 617-727-2828 or 1-800-462-VOTE and ask them to mail you a form. (Call during state office hours, 8:45 am to 5 pm.)
* Use the Internet to request a form from the Mass. Secretary of State. (If you type “register to vote Masssachusetts” into a search engine, you’ll probably find a link to this page: www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/eleifv/howreg.htm.)
* Use the Internet to download the national voter registration form. You can print the form on your own printer, fill it out, and mail or deliver personally to your city or town clerk. The 33-page document looks intimidating because of the details provided for various states, but you can simply read page 3 (the instructions) and print page 4 (the form).  Go to www.eac.gov/docs/nvra.pdf.

2. Persuade Others to Register

In every neighborhood, a remarkable number of citizens eligible to vote have never registered, or don’t know whether they’re registered any more.

Some have deduced from others’ cynical views about politics and politicians that there’s no reason to vote.

Some have intended to register but haven’t gotten around to it, or don’t know how to do it.

Your encouragement will make a difference.

3. Register as a Democrat

If you’re not affiliated with a party but your philosophy is much closer to Democrat than Republican, become a registered Democrat.

Most people consider Massachusetts a Democratic state, but that’s not truly accurate. Half the state’s registered voters are unaffiliated. (Of the other half, about a third are registered Republicans and two-thirds registered Democrats.)

In my view, it’s the Republican Party that has benefited from a perception that parties don’t matter. Until a few months ago, We the People of Massachusetts elected a Republican for our most important elected office every time we had the opportunity, for four straight elections over sixteen years.
By registering as a Democrat you’ll send a signal to candidates and elected officials that you want them to work for the common good.

4. Share Your Views

Talk with others about politics, and the differences between Republican and Democratic priorities. The more people know about how politics affects their lives and their futures, the more likely they will be to vote for progressive candidates.

4. Vote

Get in the habit of voting in every election, not just every four years. Vote in each primary and each general election. (Many voters don’t participate in primaries yet wish they had different choices in November.) Don’t make the mistake of “voting for the man, not for the party.”

5. Encourage Others

Convince others to vote. Let’s have a huge Democratic turnout, in every state of our union, in 2008. Then we’ll be a lot happier with what “They” are doing in Washington.