2006: plus le change, plus le meme chose.

So what's it going to be:

• shall I step up to the possibility of being elected chair or associate chair in the SD 61 DFL organization, or
• shall I hold on to my independence and "follow my bliss" on my own time.
  

There are some mutually exclusive properties involved here. Most salient is that the DFL leadership roles come with an obligation to stay on the reservation.

As a DFL ward coordinator, ties to the DFL can be pretty gossamer and in the case of Minneapolis' near-south side, the substantial Green Party presence is a fact of life. There are other forces in play that run on non-partisan time. Having a substantial DFL leadership role is a limiting factor in these venues. One must also bear in mind that whatever the descriptive language, these inner-city areas are overwhelmingly progressive. Whatever capacity-building can be achieved will register from moderate to well left of center and stand in sharp contrast to the ideological pretensions of the Republicans and their allies in the religious right.

As a freely chosen DFL leader, one has the comfortable support of several nearby DFL incumbents, access to the DFL's many organizational assets - much better framed these days than prior to spring, 2005 - and recognition that frankly speeds up negotiations with mainstream DFL voters and personalities who are sometimes not so enamored of the the left's enthusiasms. One has a more coherent set of colleagues, a budget, and a game plan that permits more than one focus of corporate energy.

Well, what about others' intentions?

I'm not the only game in town, after all. Others may be better suited to the leadership roles. I'm really quite old for the rigors of a two-year leadership commitment, so my admittedly reasonable interest in the top DFL jobs has to be taken cum grano salis. I could well not be equal physically to the organizational grind whatever the policy flavor du jour. Conversely, senior status carries with it the likelihood of a respectful hearing even if it comes in the door leaning on the arm of a young stalwart.

Are there alternative vehicles for my communitarian interest?

They breed like rabbits, alas. I have been focused on cartography lately and that remains an open road. But wait, there's more! I feel strongly that networking and reinforcing desireable communities of interest means every bit as much and perhaps more than the scraps of target-marketing technology available these days. I've got some pretty good friends who urge me not to bite off too much - got to make room for those afternoon naps, after all!

Like Judge Alito, I plan to keep an open mind.

Whatever that means!