A New Direction for America with Women Leading the Way
This year’s WLF Issue’s Conference is being dedicated to Governor Ann Richards, an extraordinary woman whose commitment to public service, and the people of Texas, was a big as her spirit.
In a letter to WLF Conference participants, Governor Dean wrote:
Governor Richards graced the WLF conference with her presence many times, starting in 1996 and most recently in 2004, when she delivered one of our keynote addresses. But even more important, Ann Richards graced and enriched our lives and the life of our great Party with her wisdom and wit, her unflappable determination to speak up and speak out, her inspirational leadership and her vision for a better Texas and a better America. Our nation lost a mighty warrior when Governor Richards passed away earlier this month. Her memory and example will long guide and embolden us, and our gratitude for all she was and all she did will stay with us forever.
In honor of Governor Richards, we all took a moment to remember her before lunch began with a special video, dedicated to this great leader, who continues to be a role model for women everywhere.
After the video, and quite a few teary eyes, Governor Dean took the podium to welcome everyone. He spoke briefly, noting that he was on the schedule tomorrow morning for a Town Hall meeting, but passionately, about the hard work that is being done in all 50 states to take back the House and the Senate. He spoke about the role the 50-State Strategy is playing in November’s elections, widening the field, making Democrats competitive in unexpected races, and reaching out to millions of voters in person and at their doors.
There was a lot of applause and a standing ovation, but more importantly there was a sense of urgency and excitement in the room. Democrats know what is at stake this November and we are fighting to take back our country from a rubber-stamp Congress that blindly acquiesces to the Bush administration’s failed policies.
One of the hottest races in the country is a race in upstate New York’s 20th Congressional district. It is there that Kirsten Gillibrand is running for Congress. As she describes it, it is a district that has been gerrymandered red, but is well on its way to turning blue. Kirsten is an alumni of the WLF organization. She has worked over the years to empower more women, particularly to get more young women involved in the political process, and she joined us to talk about her race and to introduce Senator Clinton.
Kirsten first spoke about her District and about her experiences meeting people on the campaign trail and talking to them about the issues that really matter to them. She described how the lack of leadership from the Republican Congress has hurt the people of she wants to represent, making it harder for them to make ends meet in an economy that is hurts the people who can least afford it.
She talked about the need for a vision for America that strives to achieve more, rather than less. And she was especially passionate about the need for real leadership in the area of energy independence. She remembered the kind of leadership America had under President Kennedy’s administration, saying:
John F. Kennedy had a vision and the reason he succeed, was that he created a vision for America to take hold of…We are going to do this, not because it's easy, but because it's hard. That is the kind of leadership we need in America.
Kirsten moved on to introduce Senator Clinton, whom she said has been a friend and a mentor throughout her campaign. She talked about the ways in which Senator Clinton has helped upstate New York, and the difference it has made for the people of the 20th District.
Senator Clinton was the day’s keynote speaker. Her message was one of urgency with a single simple theme: the importance of taking back the House and the Senate in 2006.
It is important for the future of our country - everything we care about is at stake. The damage that has been done to our country is incalculable. We are in a deep hole, and the Republicans want to keep on digging.
She talked about the challenges our country faces and the problems the rubber-stamp Republican Congress and Bush Administration have created.
Democrats know how to fix these problems. We've done it before and we'll do it again. On every issue there are big differences. But the biggest difference is the disregard of our constitutional democracy, the disdain of checks and balances, the denial of accountability. That is our entire system being put at risk. We can not afford to have our Constitution shredded and our country's commitment to freedom thrown out after setting the standard by which others are judged.
She urged the women of the WLF to do everything they could to make a difference in the races this November, and she stressed the ways their involvement has already play a part in getting us this far.
For me it sometimes seems as if November’s elections are forever away. But the truth is that they are around the corner, and there are 40 days left to do the hard work to take back the House and the Senate.
No one could have predicted a year ago how close we would be to so many successes. The hard work that has been done by Democrats up and down the ballot, by our elected officials, and by our State Parties, has created a super-competitive field, with dozens of races in play, and a team of amazing candidates who have stepped up to the plate to serve our country.
Those candidates are our friends and neighbors. They are school teachers and veterans, lawyers and ranchers. They are the face of the Democratic Party across our nation, and they are the face of America.
Together, we can send these men and women to the United States Congress and the United States Senate where they will serve us with honor and with purpose, but it’s going to take hard work, every day, until November 7th, to make it happen.
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