I'm here at Take Back America where the opening session's highlight so far has been a rousing speech by Campaign For America's Future's Robert Borosage (Donna Edwards hasn't spoken yet...), who expressed great optimism that now is the time, the conditions are right, to finish what we started in 2006 and truly re-make our country in a progressive image. That same message was at the heart of the next two speeches, one on universal healthcare by Diane Archer and one on global warming by Van Jones. But it's not just blind optimism about our electoral prospects in November; there's also an acknowledgement that should we win the presidency back and expand our majorities in both houses of congress, there will still be much work to be done, in fact it will only be beginning. Which is why I think the event today at 5:30pm here at the conference where some of our congressional challengers will be unveiling a plan to get us out of Iraq.

From Open Left:

Darcy Burner (WA-8), Chellie Pingree (ME-1), Donna Edwards (MD-4), Jared Polis (CO-2), Tom Perriello (VA-5) and Sam Bennett (PA-15) will be in attendance at the unveiling of a detailed strategy document at the Take Back America Conference in Washington, DC. The release of the document will take place at:

Palladian Room
Omni Shoreham Hotel
2500 Calvert St. NW    Washington, DC
5:30 pm EST

Other challengers participating in the effort but unable to attend include Eric Massa (NY-29), Larry Byrnes (FL-14), George Fearing (WA-4), and Steve Harrison (NY-13).

Originating outside the Beltway and based on consultations with retired generals and other national security experts on a path forward to end the war, the challengers' document lays out a series of actions for Congress to take to end United States military involvement in Iraq, strengthen America and improve our standing around the world, restore accountability and checks and balances to our government and work toward energy independence.

"I wholeheartedly endorse this plan as a responsible and forward looking plan for ending the war in Iraq. As Burner and her colleagues correctly note, bringing our troops home is the first, but not the only step that must be taken to ensure a debacle like Iraq never happens again," said Dr. Lawrence Korb, former assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan administration. "This plan addresses the root causes that allowed the Bush Administration to lead this country into this mess, and sets us in the right direction. I applaud their efforts on this ambitious and sound strategy. This is progressive strength on national security in action."

I'll be covering the event and the plan once it's unveiled and I look forward to challenging more of our challengers all over the country to join up.