Hey Smart Voter! Ever had that uneasy feeling those old rules designed by the Founders were for another time, a different people.  That today, wanting everything, willing to pay for nothing, we have rendered the political parties dysfunctional, devalued honor and responsibility? Mud-wrestling journalists and mudslinging candidates now own the stage. Even our court system has begun to reinterpret us as something other than simply "We the People." In the modern era it takes courage to believe that citizens can govern even as their choices are cloaked in the abuse, greed, misrepresentation, and manipulation that have now overwhelmed our civic culture. If the people are to have any chance, they must endlessly repair the damage done by those seeking advantage. And that is precisely what you and I do or you would not be at this web site.  There is a chance we can recapture control of the political stage and we at Vote Smart are that chance! As our students, volunteers and staff continue to enrich the most powerful weapon freedom has -- our ability to know –- we could use your help extending it in three more ways in 2010: 1.    Coming  July, 2010: A new Political Courage Test that won't tolerate cowardice from any candidate. Every time the candidate refuses to answer a question for fear of opposition research, their position, anchored by the evidence in our database, will instantly appear. 2.    Coming July, 2010:  Instant research: An interactive visualization that allows any citizen to pick a position on a major issue and then watch their candidates' pictures advance or recede depending on the level of their agreement. 3.   Coming August, 2010:  A Vote Smart K-12 curriculum distributed throughout the nation's schools by the National Council for Social Studies to enable teachers to make civics come back to life in the classrooms. This is the defense of our fellow citizens that we build. Please help us if you can, become a supporting member and help our staff, students and volunteers or better yet, come join us as a member volunteer or student intern. We cannot have enough researchers. Share this message in our struggle to re-capture control and rebuild the the trust and faith, that "We the People" can self-govern. - Richard Kimball, Project Vote Smart President