Fixing what's wrong with our country

deas . . . Step up, step up!
There is an emerging call for our own leaders in opposition to the current administration, to stop complaining and put forth some new ideas instead. Linked to this post's title is a great piece calling for ideas, by columnist Molly Ivins, and giving her own ideas for how to fix what's currently wrong with our nation.
Senator Harry Reid certainly put forth a new idea on Monday, Rule 21, invoking a closed session of the Senate. Slate Magazine has a link-rich post on this whole delightful episode. Fortunately, like any inventor in the waiting room at the Patent Office, he did not give away his idea ahead of time.
Rep. Henry Waxman turned his young staffers loose with a great idea. They have been investigating the way the administration distorted intelligence in the lead up to the war in Iraq. David L. Mack writes at Tom Paine.com about the most sensible way to begin to withdraw from Iraq. In a related previous post I wrote that,

I think Senator Carl Levin, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has the best idea yet about what to do in Iraq. He recently spoke in more detail about his plan to a foreign policy group in Washington. The Iraqi leaders must move more decisively towards national unity, the senator believes. Saying that we should not make an indefinte commitment to remain in the country, but rather, use our military presence there as leverage. His idea seems like a very rational plan that could move those leaders towards making the compromises that will build a nation. Unless we put more pressure to bear, Senator Levin fears that Irq could "blakanize" into three factionalized regions.

CNN.com readers offer ideas for what Bush should do in a recent call by that network for e-mails. Many very interesting and helpful suggestions were made. Do we think the current president was watching or reading, however?
In the private sector Honda is taking a lead with the first experimental hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. It is being tested by a normal consumer-type who lives in California, where else?

P.S. Here is a follow up story by Reuters on massive protests staged yesterday. And here is a link to a related previous S/SW post on the subject of Democratic leadership.