Progressives...for some reason people in the right seem to have the impression that if you are a progressive or a liberal that is, somehow, a bad thing or unpatriotic.

I disagree.  I am a liberal and a progressive and I consider myself every bit as much a patriot as anyone on the right.  What is the difference?  As a progressive I am able to admit that a conservative can be and probably is also a patriot.  They, on the other hand, seem to think they have a monopoly on loving America.

Let me be clear about one thing. BOTH Democrats and Republicans in Congress have sold us out to special interests in exchange for campaign money. Congress is corrupt and incompetent and for some strange reason we keep re-electing the same idiots to "represent" us on the Hill.   Does this make you wonder about the wisdom of the average voter, or how easily we allow ourselves to be manipulated by paid political ads?

So why would I personally support existing progressives but not all Democrats?  It is not that I trust them.  It is only because given what we have to work with in Congress at this time, they still represent the only hope we have of making changes that will actually be good for our nation.  Changes to reform how we regulate those companies who have colluded to destroy our economy and now our environment for profit. One only needs to watch Republicans continue to support and apologize to BP to understand who they really support. Under who's administration did our economy nearly collapse costing nearly 8 million Americans their jobs?  Hint: NOT Obama.

Why do conservative voices continue to cry foul when liberals want to regulate someone who has caused us all great harm?  All one needs to do is look at the public record of who has consistently financed Republican politicians and how these politicians vote in Congress. OpenSecrets.org provides a who's who tally of big money in elections.

When you look at the numbers and who is giving their financial support to the parties and the candidates one thing becomes clear.  Both sides take special interest money.  One glaring difference is from whom they take the cash.

• Republicans are supported by large corporations and their share holders.
• Democrats are supported by large unions and other organizations that represent actual people like you and me.

I would look at a comic I have read since I was a child. Superman.  I would liken the Progressives to Superman and the Conservatives to Lex Luthor.

If you had your options who do you want covering your back?  Superman or Lex Luthor ?

We need to keep the left in power but with a mandate from the voters to fix the problems that have allowed Congress to sell us out to the highest bidders.

We need campaign finance reform, reform of the redistricting process, banishment of corporate funded elections, statements from Political Candidates that they will refuse big corporate and union donations and accept money only from the campaign funds of the US and from contributors who are actually registered voters in their own districts.

As long as pay-to-play politics is the standard in Washington we, the average citizen, have no voice.  Only progressives can do this and mark my words, any attempt to reform corrupt politics will always meet obstruction from the right. After all, their survival and power depends on a corrupt system.

Don't be suckered by their wiley ways for they are not above lying, cheating and stealing to get people to vote against their own self interests.  They have already taken control of the "tea party" movement to help them re-establish a power base, not to help you and me but to help themselves.

Side note: Have you ever noticed that on all the purported "grass roots" right wing web sites you are never permitted to comment on their blogs or are provided any means to contact the owners about anything they have said on those sites?  Wonder why?