Because I live in Washington D.C. which does not have full and meaningful representation in the U.S. Congress, I regard every Senator and Representative as responsible for representing me - it is a second best solution until Congress awards the residents of the nation's capital proper representation.

Ed O'Reilly, running for Senate against John Kerry in the upcoming Massachusetts Democratic Primary, is somebody I want in Congress representing me. I have been researching Mr. O'Reilly for a while now, since a friend drew my attention to him. Unlike the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Mr. O'Reilly is for universal health care, because Mr. O'Reilly understands that without genuinely universal coverage the economics of the idea of universal coverage will not work. This is just one instance of Mr. O'Reilly adopting the right position for the right reasons. Learn more about Mr. O'Reilly in latest nationwide coverage.

John Kerry has not been challenged in a primary since he was first elected to the Senate and it does not appear he's best pleased with having to work to keep his position as the Democrat to beat in November. His campaign has used all the smear tactics we've seen used by Democrats against Democrats this election cycle. Not a pretty sight. But Mr. O'Reilly is just sticking with one of the hardest aims in American politics: defeating a very well-funded opponent who many people do not scrutinize as carefully as they should.

Ed O'Reilly: the sort of Democrat I want to see in Denver - and Washington, D.C.