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Over the last six years I have watched, along with all of you, as the Bush Administration's arrogance, coupled with a failed Republican agenda, has sent this country in a dangerous direction--one far from the direction that Paul, I, and many of you have wanted us to go.

We are involved in a war in Iraq which we should not be involved in. Our health care system is on the verge of a breakdown, and our nation still has yet to truly face the continued and steady march of global warming.

But what's worse is that, even though all of us can easily identify these problems, our country still stumbles.
We can't seem to have a conversation about universal health care much less find a way to implement it.

We can't seem to lead by example on the environment much less convince other countries to change their practices.

Our brave soldiers in Iraq, who we should withdraw and who should return home and share in the security and freedoms they were sent to protect, face an uncertain future exemplified by the scandal of Walter Reed Hospital and the fact that, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, their peers account for 23% of all homeless people in America. Almost 200,000 veterans go without a home every night.

This is not the more perfect union I have worked for. It is not what many of you have worked for.

But I know that all is not lost.

My life has given me a deep and personal understanding of the power and purpose of public service, of what can be accomplished when those of us who are committed to good causes decide to work together for the betterment of ourselves, our family, our community, and our world.

I am the proud daughter of an Air Force Colonel and grew up on air bases all across the United States, Germany and Japan--an experience that taught me about service and sacrifice, the importance of family, and the need to understand and listen to cultures and ideas that are not always my own.

I am the mother of three, wonderful daughters, who, like their parents, have also answered the call of public service.

I am an activist who has continually worked for progressive change. In fact, I worked for progressive change long before the word "progressive" was needed to distinguish one type of Democrat from another. From 1968 when I went door-to-door with Gene McCarthy in New Hampshire to the time I returned to the Granite State to work for Paul's presidential run, I have held sacred the importance of community organizing, of listening and being principled.

I am a lawyer who opened the first female law practice in Lowell.

I am a dean at one of our state's community colleges where I have seen first hand what happens when public education is properly supported and what happens when it is not.

I believe strongly in equal marriage and a woman's right to choose.

I support gun control and oppose the death penalty.

Now I know you have questions: about who I am, about what I stand for, and how I plan to accomplish change. And I have questions for you too--about finding solutions, about who you are, and what we are facing that I might not know about. Not all of these questions can be answered in this short post, but I look forward to answering them over the next few months as I travel the 5th Congressional District.

I also hope that if you are supportive of this cause, you consider joining our efforts.

Thank you so much for your time and your consideration.

Niki Tsongas
Candidate for Congress

PS: We have a website: www.NikiTsongas.com. It's in its early stages, but we hope to build it out over the coming weeks to make it a centerpiece for your participation. Also, rather than hosting our own blog, we decided to do something a bit different and use a diary on Blue Mass Group to keep people engaged on what is going on in the campaign.