To my fellow Democrats, some members of our Party elite utterly fails to understand the power WE hold in the palms of OUR hands. To them, they see a power of just a small number to see us as a treat to the seat they hold. I am talking about those in our Party who refuse to join in the filibuster and/or those who refuse to against Alito.
As Howard Dean, we have the power. We do have the power to significantly reform American government and it is right here in front of us. So far, we have refused seize it for our own. Some refuse to see it. Is power in politics such a frightening thing? My fellow activist, I SAY NOT!!!
I have heard their arguments the argument for their reason not to support a filibuster. It’s a fight Democrats would lose in the court of public opinion; a fight that could cost some Democratic senators seats; a fight of going back on an agreement made by the Gang of 14. But I say these reasons are inexcusable!! May I remind my fellow activist, the last time Democrats used these reasons against us, WE TOLD THEM ENOUGH!!!
May we remind these senators the last time they decided to go against the wishes of their base.
The year was 1991, Thurgood Marshall announced his retirement from the bench and George Bush I nominated Clarence Thomas to fill his seat. Thomas also drew fire from the Democratic based on his stand stance on abortion, affirmative action and his allegations of sexually harassment on one of his female employees, Anita Hill. His highly charged, controversial hearings went before the Senate and was televised nationally and it too polarized the nation. In the end, the Senate confirmed Thomas 52-48.
But it took ONE PERSON in Chicago, IL who said enough was enough and she decided to run for Senate against a two term incumbent, Alan Dixon. This person was Carol Moseley-Braun.
It was her out rage in the Senate that encouraged her to run.
“I thought that the Senate had failed to do its job appropriately,” she said in 1992. “The angrier I got at the way the Senate was carrying on, the more I became convinced that it absolutely needed a healthy dose of democracy.”
I know this because it was my first vote in the electoral process. when she made her decision. Her anger fuel our desire set things right in Congress.
True, incumbents have an unfair advantage, during the primaries. Yet she still beat him and became the first female African-American Senator, something nobody can take away from her.
There is other historical precedent to show WE, THE VOTERS, have the power when we finally had enough.
No one thought Evo Morales would become Bolivia’s first indigenous president.
No one thought Michelle Bachelet would become Chili’s first woman president.
No one thought Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf would not only become Liberia’s and Africa’s first female president.
And no one thought Hamas would take control of the Palestinian government.
This is OUR YEAR to turn things around! This is OUR YEAR to make the impossible possible. YES, WE CAN DO IT!
Our voices were not silence back in 1992 and our voices will not be silenced now! So my fellow activist, spread the word to everybody you know, call your friends, tell you neighbors, tell anybody on the street and do it loud and proud! And when you do, them to call, fax and email those who continue to ride the fence of indecisions to be part of history and SUPPORT THE FILIBUSTER and if there is none, VOTE NO ON ALITO, but most importantly, let them know we will not be silenced, anymore.
They may say, “Democrats would lose in the court of public opinion” But I tell them NO! We will NOT stand in silence! We will make our voices heard on the streets!
They may say, “a fight that could cost some Democratic senators seats.” I would tell them to have faith in US because we will NOT stand in silence!
We will NOT stand in silence while the GOP continue to fan the flames of fear with untruth!
And we will NOT stand in silence as the GOP stacks the court to enshrine discrimination in our constitution!
We are here and we will NEVER be silenced!
YES ON A FILIBUSTER AND NO ON ALITO