At a time when Washington remains gripped in partisan warfare based on the Bush administration's narrow and ideologically driven agenda, it's a good time for Democrats to look beyond the Beltway and talk honestly with each other about what we stand for. That will be the primary purpose of the DLC 2005 National Conversation, which will be held from Saturday to Monday, July 23-25, in Columbus, Ohio.

The event will be attended by more than 300 state and local elected officials from more than 40 states, hosted by Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman. Its theme is Heartland Values, Bold Solutions: An American Reform Agenda. As that theme suggests, the National Conversation will revolve around an effort to sketch out a nationally relevant policy agenda which addresses the four big challenges facing our country today:

• Making America safer and winning the war on terrorism;


• Creating an opportunity society to restore economic growth, upward mobility and economic security;


• Standing up for American values and for the parents who play so important a role in protecting them;


• Reforming our broken political system, especially in Washington.

Monday's plenary session will include discussions of these topics featuring a number of key speakers:

• Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, who will assume the chairmanship of the DLC at this event;


• Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY);


• Outgoing DLC chairman Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN);


• Sen. Tom Carper, the DLC's new Vice Chairman;


• Gov. Mark Warner (D-VA).

Monday's session will also include a panel discussion on national security featuring former Congressman And 9/11 Commission member Tim Roemer, and New Republic editor Peter Beinart; and a panel discussion on Progressive Family Values featuring Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson, Progressive Policy Institute Fellow Barbara Defoe Whitehead, and University of Massachusetts professor Ralph Whitehead.

But the public events on July 25 are only a part of the National Conversation. On Sunday, July 24, attendees will be participating in 25 separate workshops on topics ranging from health care innovations and budgeting strategies to tax reform, election and redistricting reform, and the intersection of faith and politics.

We will have a full report on the 2005 National Conversation in a New Dem Dispatch next Tuesday. It is our hope that the discussions begun in Columbus will be an important part of the Democratic Party revival of the immediate future.