Calling for a Civil Democratic Contest  

Dear Senator Clinton -

As proud members of the Democratic party, we are pleased that the 2008 Democratic presidential primary has attracted such an inspired and talented field of leaders - now narrowed to yourself and Senator Barack Obama.

We have become alarmed in recent weeks as the primary has turned increasingly negative, we believe largely through the actions of your campaign and its supporters.  We are disappointed by this turn of events.

We, the signatories of this petition are divided on the question of whether you or Senator Obama should represent the Democratic Party in November.  We see that there are some real differences between Senator Obama and yourself in substance and style.

However, given the similarity of many of your positions with those of Senator Obama, particularly in comparison to the positions of John McCain, the stridency of your campaign's sweeping criticisms of Senator Obama defy logic.

In particular, it is inaccurate to characterize Senator Obama as inexperienced.  He has ably served the public for most of his adult life and has spent a not dissimilar period of time to yourself serving in the U.S. Senate and state government. Former President Bill Clinton began his presidency with far less foreign policy experience than Senator Obama or yourself and ably rose to the foreign policy challenges of his Presidency.

Your campaign%u2019s attacks on Senator Obama's experience are short-sighted and serve only to help Senator McCain and the Republican Party, should Senator Obama become the nominee at the Democratic convention in Denver this summer.  

For the same reason, we also urge Senator Obama to refrain from similar attacks on you, as he has admirably done to date.

Please bring this campaign back to the high road %u2013 let it be a contest between equals, arguing your somewhat different aspirations for America.  Let remaining primary voters and superdelegates compare the pragmatic policy solutions you both have proposed and on which you are both so knowledgeable and passionate. 

If the Democratic primary becomes mired in and is ultimately won through negative campaigning, you will find us now-hopeful and inspired Democrats left deeply disappointed and disillusioned voters come November and this, we fear, could lead to the eventual defeat of the Democratic nominee for President.