Sometimes, a little Aretha goes a long way.  It's been a long week, and I've been having a Motown and Atlantic Records mix morning here -- and I wanted to share a little of it with you all.

We are five weeks out from the elections in November, and there are plenty of reasons to keep on chugging right through the finish line.  As I said yesterday, I'll be damned if a little disappointment is going to keep me from trying to kick some GOP butt this Fall, but for those folks who need some added incentive, I've put together some reasons to get up, dust off, and get to work:

-- The ACSBlog has been doing a great series this week on upcoming cases to be heard by the SCOTUS.  This includes two crucial cases on women's reproductive rights issues.  If you think the make-up of the House and Senate isn't crucial in the next few years for issues like this, I have one word for you:  Alito.  The whole of the federal bench is appointed for a lifetime seat -- who do you want making decisions on that for the next two years, the GOP or Democrats?

-- If you haven't seen this clip from "Iraq for Sale" about outsourcing essential military jobs to KBR, you should.  And if that doesn't make you angry, there's more.  Wouldn't you rather have Sen. Byron Dorgan and Rep. Henry Waxman demanding accountability from the Bush Administration than what we are not getting at all now from the rubber stamp Republican Congress?  (btw, in case you missed it, we'll be doing a Film Salon with Robert Greenwald on "Iraq for Sale" on October 4, at 2 pm PT/5 pm ET.  Please join us!)

-- Medicare-D donut hole.  Need I say more?

-- The Bush Administration wants to strip the rights of workers to have unions without holding any public hearings on the matter.  (Huh?  you say.  Yes, you read me correctly.)

-- Two words:  Jack Abramoff.

Here's hoping that Glenn is correct and the "Joe Lieberman" lesson has been learned.  What I want, though, is to be able to start teaching the Bush Administration what "separation of powers" means, and for that, there has to be some political separation between the legislative and administrative branches of government.  The only way to achieve that is to elect a majority of members of Congress from an opposing party because the GOP has shown for the last five years that they are either unwilling or unable to live up to their Constitutional responsibilities.

It's time to take America back.  And it is high time for some respect for the Constitution.  Now, let's get to work...have you volunteered for a local Democratic candidate yet?