There's no can't in American. Sounds trite, simple, and even childish. But this simple phrase can freeze even the most hard-boiled conservative. It questions their Americanism, their courage, and their belief in what is truly possible. Want to get out of our "crushing" debt. A massive public works program for green energy, high speed rail, better roads, bridges, and dams and watch every federal dollar turn into 5 or 6 or 7 as the money flows through local economies.

There's no can't in American. We won't try because we're too stupid? Not clever enough to figure out complex problems. Tell that to Eisenhower in WWII. Tell that to Thomas Edison. We've been figuring out complex problems and issues for as long as we've been a country. Now you wish to quit. Well, I don't think we're a nation of quitters.

We want a better country, not to keep living in the mess we have today. We owe it to future generations.

There's no can't in American. We're not stupid quitters. We want to take care of our grandchildren. Why are conservatives against any of these ideals? This war of words and ideas can be fought successfully if, as Thomas Frank and others remind us; if we learn to use the right messages.