By David Swanson

In Andrea Miller Virginia's fourth Congressional district has the opportunity to replace a Cheney Republican with a real progressive, and the first African American our state would ever have chosen to represent us in Congress. Here's a race that can make a difference not just in the head-count for the two increasingly indistinguishable parties, but in what actually happens in Washington.

I know Andrea. She's a leader and she pulls no punches. She would energize the progressive caucus and the black caucus or start her own caucus. She would put her money - our money - where her mouth is. If she gets elected to end a war, she won't turn around and borrow a trillion dollars from our grandkids to fund it. If she sees an impeachable offense, she will introduce an article of impeachment without asking anyone's permission. As long as we do not yet have single-payer health coverage, she will push with everything she has to make it happen. And nobody could have bribed her into shredding our Fourth Amendment.

Take a look at how Andrea Miller's policy positions, as laid out on her website, compare with those of the incumbent Randy Forbes:

HEALTHCARE:

Miller backs HR 676, a bill with 92 members of Congress already signed onto it, a bill that would create a single-payer system. Private medicine: choose your own doctor. Public coverage: pay no individual bills, and collectively save all the money we waste on that uniquely American catastrophe known as the health insurance industry. Forbes accepts PAC money from the health insurance industry and obeys its wishes.

IRAQ

Miller favors ending the occupation of Iraq, would use the power of the purse to do it, and would never have authorized the invasion. She also connects the massive borrowing and spending involved to the downturn in the economy and the lack of public funding for useful projects. Forbes has consistently backed the invasion and occupation of Iraq but pretends on his website that no such nation exists. Can't you take some pride in your actions, Randy?

ENERGY AND GLOBAL WARMING

Miller would seek to reduce energy costs in the short term and to address the record profits being squeezed out of the public by oil companies. But she would put her focus on developing renewable energies and moving us off of fossil fuels. Forbes claims to support alternative energy use, but also advocates for increased oil drilling, nuclear energy production, and - of course - hugely expensive and destructive wars for control of foreign oil.

EDUCATION

Miller would seek to create universal free quality pre-kindergarten, and to replace endless test-taking with higher quality learning, including music and the arts. Forbes supports Virginia's test-taking, test-teaching regime, and he would solve the problem of underfunded schools by giving large tax breaks to corporations if they donate supplies.

ECONOMY

Miller supports fair trade and the recently introduced TRADE Act. Forbes supports corporate trade. Miller would work to support safe small-scale farming, and does not support the production of biofuels. Forbes doesn't comment on farming in the issues section of his website.

OUR CONSTITUTION

Miller's concerns include the loss of habeas corpus, the use of torture, and Bush's newly seized power to announce his right to violate laws through "signing statements." She supports holding everyone, including Bush and Cheney, to the rule of law, and impeaching them. Forbes believes we all need to wave flags more and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, that we should pretend this nation was founded as a Christian nation, and that it's important to discriminate against gay people and to expand our right to possess guns.

MEDIA

Miller is concerned by the monopolization of communications media ownership. Forbes apparently is not. Miller would fight for net neutrality. Forbes apparently would not.

REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

Miller has a well-explained pro-choice policy. Forbes doesn't express an opinion in the issues section of his website.

Progressives nationally should be getting behind truly progressive nominees with everything we have. Let's elect Andrea Miller to Congress: http://andreamiller.us