To all Conservative and Moderate Democrats,

For the past 15 years, critics and party defectors have claimed that the Democratic Party has been completely abandoning its base in favor of pandering to and legislating for groups and individuals on the far left of the political spectrum. These critics and defectors have often been labeled by Democrats as being "politically motivated", or in the case of the defectors, as "in it for their own good". Recently, more and more moderate democrats, who have been completely alienated by the liberal party leadership, have defected to the GOP in hopes of being able to serve the country honorably without having to cater to any group on the fringes of the political spectrum. Many notable defections have happened right here in Georgia, from Sonny Perdue, our Governor, to former Governor and former U.S. Senator Zell Miller (although he still calls himself a Democrat). As can be expected, both men have been blasted by the Democratic Party.

But now, Democrats across the nation are beginning to turn on other Democrats. The best example of this internal cut-throating can be seen in Connecticut, with Senator Joe Lieberman. Lieberman, a moderate Democrat who supports the war in Iraq, is in extreme danger of losing his Senate Seat after 18 years of Service, to leftist millionaire Ned Lamont. Lamont's platform: Lieberman voted for the war, therefore we should vote Lieberman out. As a conservative or moderate Democrat, you should be extremely concerned about the effects this type of rhetoric is having. In order for Lieberman to even make it to November, he will most likely be forced out of the party and will run as an independent. You should be very concerned about how your party treats its moderates.

Another example of internal cut-throating, is Hillary Clinton's more moderate stances. As we all know, Hillary Clinton is far from being a moderate and is light years away from being a conservative. However, some of Hillary's more moderate positions have caused her to be booed off stage at Democratic events, have caused her to loose Democratic straw polls by significant margins, and have made her an even longer shot to win the Democratic presidential nomination. As a moderate or conservative Democrat, you have to ask yourself the question, "What has become of my party if Hillary Clinton isn't considered 'left-wing' enough to win?"

I also encourage you to examine how your party treats racial minorities who refuse to accept the principles of the Democratic Party, particularly blacks. Black conservatives such as Herman Cain, J.C. Watts, and Colin Powell have received some of the most racially-charged criticism not from Republicans (who many on the left see as unsympathetic to minorities) but from Democrats and leftists who have labeled these men as "Uncle Toms" or "House Negroes". Is this the type of elitist attitude that you want associated with your party?

I strongly encourage you to re-examine your own personal values and compare those to the values of the individuals and leftist groups that have come to control your party. I think you will find that your party is abandoning you. The only time your party leadership is interested in your opinion in on election day. After that, it's right back to the leftist agenda. I also encourage you to look into other political parties such as the GOP. You can start by looking at the Republican Liberty Caucus. The RLC is a group that emphasizes free markets, personal responsibility, fiscal conservatism, and individual rights. Whatever you choose to do, I hope you find a place in which your values are respected for what they are, rather than rejected by leftist elites.

Respectfully,

Jace Walden