I have been a Democratic activist since I was 12 years old and handed out flyers in my New York neighborhood for John F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign. I have always supported the Democrats because I believe that they have stood up for the working man and woman, for the human and civil rights of all people, and for a set of values that I can share.

Howard Dean is eroding my belief not in the Democratic Party but in the ability of the Democratic National Committee to speak for the party. I have long ago stopped contributing to the DNC. I first did so when I was concerned that they would give any of my money to Sam Nunn for his reelection. But I give as generously as I can to individual Democratic candidates because I still believe that we are the best hope to see that the nation lives up to the ideals and ideas that we were founded on.

Howard Dean must go. I was not a supporter of his in the last presidential primaries and didn’t support his effort to become Chair of the party. I have always been suspicious of his pandering to the GLBT community when he thought he needed us. It is clear now that he thinks we are a burden on the Democratic Party and is moving away from us as fast as he thinks he can get away with it.

This is clearly a mistake by him and for the party if they allow him to continue to do it. I think the Democratic Party will have to have more trust in the people of the nation than they appear to have. People don’t want wishy-washy statements they want clear statements of the views of their politicians and parties. That is what wins supporters and elections.

The Democratic Party took a clear stand on opposing constitutional amendments against gay marriage and said that these issues should be left to state legislatures. Though I would like a statement of support for same-sex marriage I am willing to support a party that clearly states that they are against a discriminatory constitutional amendment. I am not willing to support a party who’s titular leader can go on the 700 Club and I believe purposely misstate the view of the party. This issue has been too much in the news and too much in the forefront of party issues for anyone to believe that Howard Dean didn’t know what the 2004 party platform said. And if he didn’t then that is just as troubling.

I understand the desire of the Democratic Party not to allow gay marriage to be one of the defining issues of the next presidential campaign. But they are making a big mistake if they think that by obfuscating on issues like abortion or gay marriage you make things better. You never do. It is only by stating clear unambiguous positions that people will trust you and understand that these issues are sidelines in the future of the nation. The issues of the elections in 2006 and 2008 will be the future of the nation in regards to our policies on how we decide to take the nation to war, how we deal with the community of nations, our goals and plans to improve the nation’s economy and how we will deal with achieving energy independence. We can see from the polls that the ultra conservatives have given up on their best hope to move the moral compass of the nation in their direction with George Bush. We see that most Americans are realizing that on the national level we need to deal with the issues that will make their lives better and move the country forward and these are not the issues of the ultra right wing. They are also seeing that the old saying is true, that too much power in the hands of one side leads to corruption on a grand scale.

We will only win the people back to the Democratic Party if we are honest and forthright in how we approach the world. We cannot do one thing and say another because when we lie we lose. The Democratic Party needs to understand that.

We have always been the party of the people and that includes all the people; men, women, gay, straight, black, white, Latino, Asian, immigrant and native born. We have always understood that to achieve real diversity we need to address the often unique needs and issues of each of these constituencies. Doing that is not divisive or wrong but morally right.

So if Howard Dean doesn’t understand that, and it appears he doesn’t, it is time for him to go for the sake of the future of the Democratic Party and the nation.