The Feld-Blog

Progressives cannot deny that we are a country at war. National Security must become a central tenet of the progressive platform. Luckily, progressives can offer a viable, responsible and superior defense strategy. I call it: 'Progressive Strength.'

War Hawk Conservatives sent hundreds of thousands of troops, reservists and national guardsmen abroad, draining the forces we needed at home to protect against Katrina. War Hawk Conservatives forced the defense industry to pillage their own Research and Development funds to pay for the billions of dollars of repairs the Administration failed to budget for. War Hawk Conservatives are scraping the barrel - desperately begging the poor and destitue in our country to replenish our diminishing forces even as the Administration hacks military health care and benefits.

Progressive Strength will protect our nation's interests at home - not just abroad. Progressives understand the necessity of keeping troops at home to protect this country. Progressives understand the need for R&D to maintain America's military edge in an increasingly globalizing market. And Progressives seek to help the poor and destitue in our country and give our men and women in uniform the health care, pay and benefits they truly deserve for serving their country.

War Hawk Conservatives have squandered our military assets. Progressives can take it back.

It's all about marketing. It's all about packaging. It's all about the pitch. Progressives have come up with bold solutions to our nation's national security problem, but they are still afraid to shout this plan from the rooftops because the 'compassionate conservatives' have 'owned' the national security issue for so long.

Progressives need to sell their plan to the American people and do it in a way that will convince them it is a viable alternative. Actually funding the military, budgeting for it rather than begging for billions in supplementals, increasing not decreasing health and retirement benefits - moving our military forward: this is progressive strength. The strength of our nation is progress and Progressives are its core.

We need these tag lines. Rove has been feeding analogous ones to Conservatives for years. It's about time we fought back.