Campaigning in my hometown of Syracuse and throughout the 25th District of New York has been one of the most valuable learning experiences of my life. I am thankful to have the opportunity to meet voters at parades, festivals, rallies and other community events and even more thankful to have the opportunity to hear from voters. Believe it or not, retail politics has become one of my favorite new pastimes. It allows me an opportunity to listen to the concerns of real people, not beltway insiders.

Day after day I’ve learned what voters want in their Representative. It’s rather simple actually. They want leadership. I firmly believe that no seat is safe in 2006. People are, quite frankly, fed up with a Congress they perceive to be doing absolutely nothing to helping make their lives better.

Voters in my district believe that we need new priorities in Iraq. Beltway pundits debate each other everyday as to whether or not we’re involved in a “civil war.

No amount of Republican spin will hide the following: nearly five years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the bipartisan 9/11 Commission gave the Republican-controlled government 5 "F's", 12 "D's", and 2 "Incompletes" for poor progress in terrorism prevention and readiness. In fact, just this weekend, the Republican Chairman of the 9/11 Commission said "We're not protecting our own people in this country. The government is not doing its job." Clearly the Republicans have been spending more time on rhetoric than producing results, whether it comes to port security, airline screening, or capturing Osama Bin Laden.

Democrats, however, have been fighting for tough, comprehensive policies that will protect America and restore our leadership in the world. Our Real Security Agenda provides a framework of forward-looking policies that addresses all aspects of our national security, from our homeland security to our energy security, and is a central part of how we plan to lead American in a new direction.

The Federal Reserve reported today that industrial production rose a solid 0.4 percent last month after soaring 0.8 percent in June.  While a red hot July caused utility output (to power our air conditioners) to surge 2 percent, manufacturing output rose a subdued 0.1 percent to a new all-time high!  Still that's not too bad considering the 0.8 percent rise in manufacturing production in June.

All told, manufacturing output has increased 5.8 percent over the past year, led by double digit growth in primary metals, computers and electronic products, aerospace, and electrical equipment.

Not too bad...not too bad at all.

We're going to try to get this appropriations bill conferenced during August. Also, our strategic reserve is depleted, and if you don't have a strategic reserve of forces, then our troops are undeployable.

I'd like to see us pass the permanent tax repeal package - whether it's a compromise between the House and Senate or not.  I don't know what they're going to hold until after the elections, but the agenda will change depending on what happens in the elections.

Our #1 priority is to make sure during the August recess that the many good candidates we have running aren't carpet-bombed by GOP attacks. We have a whole plate of business that Congress can be working on.  I'm not optimistic that in the month of September we will move forward on these important issues.  We haven't moved forward on the minimum wage, the energy package is weighted toward oil and gas companies.  I'd like to move forward but I don't have a whole lot of confidence that the Republican Congress would.

I was outraged when I saw that the DSCC released a video titled "Feel Safer?," intending to highlight the "gap between the GOP rhetoric and the GOP record on security."  It reminded me of when the DCCC released a fundraising video depicting flag-draped coffins and invoking 9/11, which they later pulled after Republicans and Democrats called for it to be taken down.

In this time of terrorist plots by Islamic extremists, the Democrats trivialize our national security.  They think this is a game.

Last week, America's counterterrorism efforts thwarted a plan to detonate passenger planes in mid-air across the U.S.  I encourage the Democrats to continue releasing these videos, which contradict national headlines and demonstrate their loose grip on reality.  With our nation in a war against Islamic extremists, it's good for the American people to consider 'WWPD' - 'What Would Pelosi Do?'

If I had my druthers, I would pass a minimum wage law and a meaningful and comprehensive energy bill with CAFE standards so that we could impact the cost of gasoline.  I also wouldn't dare go home without insuring America's children.

I'd like to get a GSE bill through and get affordable housing that way.  There's a good bill to protect rural housing and I want to reform the housing voucher program.  As someone who represents a fishing district, I'd like to see improvements on the Magnuson Act for a bill that protects fish stock but allows for flexibility.