WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY...

Yeah, yeah. I know it's been eons since I posted on this blog, but it's a new year and this will change. But with what happened yesterday, I feel the need to share. Or vent. Whichever.

A year ago today, I stood in the freezing cold with millions of other Americans to watch the newly elected President take the oath of office. A president I had sweat and worked my ass off for (yeah, we all know where I was at for the primaries, but we were all together at the end and we kicked it). I remember turning around and watching the crowd and remarking to my then-manfriend, "This is the moment where I am forgetting the hours and the work and enjoying it. This is what we worked so hard for." I'll never forget the feeling of that day, the electricity in the air, the crowd seeming to be leaning forward, understanding that we were on the brink of something important and something amazing. I'll never forget the cheer that went up when he was announced or the even louder cheer for Ted Kennedy that day.

A year later, I am sitting here feeling like despite our hard work, despite the promise of what was about to happen, the American people suddenly feel much differently. One year. What a difference time makes.

I was in Western Mass yesterday, knocking on doors. Folks there seemed to understand the importance of the election, bringing their whole families to the polls, voting early, not wanting to let anything slip by. And every election day since 2000 and 2004, I simply keep walking the doors, not sure how the day will go in the end; never believing anything I hear.

And so in the end, we lost. Yes, I'm pretty darn upset about losing a seat held by Ted Kennedy and his brother Jack before him for almost 50 years. Anyone that knows me at all knows the love I have for that family. But at the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves, what next?

Sure, I've heard a few people lament over the loss of Camelot. But Camelot wasn't simply about the Kennedy's, it was about continually pushing to that brighter future ahead. That our best days were still in front of us, but we had to fight to get there and change the way things were to get to the place we were supposed to be. Camelot is supposed to stand for our ideals and where we want to be. So in essence, Camelot is always going to be there, reminding us that we can do better and must.

We lost a battle yesterday, but not the war. I hope this is a wake-up call to the Democrats who seem to think it's okay to back down on their principles, despite being in the minority. Who think it's okay to back away from the things and issues that we really care about before the Republicans even shoot across the bow (I'm thinking single-payer here). Just because we won an election and the power back means jack when it's all over.

I said this in 2006 when we swept and I'll say it again, after what was a pretty damn momentous election cycle: Winning is fine, but what you do with it is what counts. I hope and pray this reminds them that we're still in power. I'm all for bipartisanship, but it's pretty damn obvious to me that the Republicans simply wish to be the party of "no". So grow a set, remember why you were elected and do the job.

Or we're all coming after you in November. You have 9 months. We voted for change. Not more of the same. Show us the leadership. And I'm talking from the top, down. We gave you the responsibility and the power. Do something or it'll be gone.