Nearly one in six Americans – about 47 million people, including 400,000 Minnesotans and 9 million children nationwide – is living without health insurance. Many families are one injury or major illness away from financial ruin.

Some of the uninsured don't get the health care they need because of the high price. Others pass on preventative care and end up being treated later in far more costly emergency rooms. If they can’t afford to pay, the expense is simply passed on to the insured – further driving up health care costs for everyone.

Members of Congress swear an oath to “support and defend the Constitution,” but this hasn’t stopped many of our representatives and senators from trampling on the very rights that make our country great.

By ignoring the principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence and codified in the Bill of Rights, Republicans and Democrats have compromised the basic strength of our nation.

Each time we consider retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies that aid-and-abet the Bush administration’s assault on our freedoms, we weaken our country.

ANOKA—Bob Olson, a DFL candidate in the 6th Congressional District, has received the endorsement of the Stonewall DFL caucus, which advocates on behalf of the GLBT community.

Olson, who has made fighting for progressive values the centerpiece of his campaign, said he was honored to receive Stonewall’s support.

ANOKA—Bob Olson, a DFL candidate in the 6th Congressional District, participated in a live blog discussion with Minnesota Monitor readers Thursday evening.

Excerpts from that dialogue are pasted below. To read the entire live blog, click here.

Question: Your campaign literature features clean energy as a major theme (with the big windmill in the background).....are clean and renewable energy still big issues on the campaign trail? What are you hearing from voters as their major concerns?