I want a new party.

I am a liberal. There it is. I am a card-carrying member of the Democratic Party. I like most of what the Democrats stand for. But, God love 'em, the party makes me nuts sometimes. Friday I received an email from the Washington State Democrats. I get a goodly amount of email from them and most of it makes me crazy - Friday was the last straw.

It seems that the Mayor of Mt. Vernon, WA (pop. 31,000, a pretty little town about an hour north of Seattle), is giving the key to the "city" (which seems a fairly grandiose term for Mt. Vernon) to Glenn Beck, a conservative talk show host on Fox News who is primarily known for crying on cue and sounding outraged over pretty much everything liberal. The WA Dems are livid. They would like me to sign a petition to tell the town council of Mt. Vernon to "overrule" this presentation. It is useful to know that the Mayor of that burg - one Bud Norris - was a classmate of Mr. Beck's at Mt Vernon High School. Hence the "honor" he is bestowing.

So why am I ranting? Because there are important issues in this state and this country. Health care anybody? How about quality education? How about jobs? Just to name a few from the top of the list of REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT. Glenn Beck getting the key to the city of Mt. Vernon? That isn't even on the list.

Why does this need to be explained to the folks in charge? It makes my head hurt to think of the amount of time it took to just send out the stupid email in the first place (and really, that was probably automated). Still, the Chairman of the State Party put his name on it, and even took the time to reply to my email back to them. A reply that equated Glenn Beck with Joe McCarthy. An obscure talk show host on Fox News with a US Senator, a comparison that is laughable.

Even on the home page of the State Party this is the headline. Healthcare is there, in the guise of telling the party faithful that we can all get wristbands that read "Health Care Now!" because as we all know, wristbands are the key to getting good policy passed. We have petitions for Mt. Vernon to consider, petitions that we are to send to All Our Friends. But for healthcare we have wristbands.

I wonder if it is time for a new political party. The Common Sense Party. Perhaps have some sort of test to join - or at least an essay. If you can't focus on the issues in rational, sensible way you can't join. Anybody interested?