New Democrat Update - August 2006
A CONVERSATION IN COLORADO
Over 370 state and local elected officials - a record high - from 41 states participated in last month’s 10th annual National Conversation in Denver. More than 130 of them were from Colorado alone. Photos of Coloradans at the conference can be viewed here.
Attendees heard from Colorado’s own U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Denver Councilwoman Rosemary Rodriguez, as well as DLC Chair Governor Tom Vilsack of Iowa, Vice Chair U.S. Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, American Dream Initiative Chair U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and former Chair U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana. Governors Chris Greogoire of Washington, Janet Napolitano of Arizona, Bill Richardson of New Mexico and Jennifer Granholm of Michigan also spoke.
Two major themes surfaced at the Conversation. Due to incredible Republican bungling, Democrats have a great opportunity to make significant electoral gains this November. Second, for the sake of America, as well as the long-term political health of our party, Democrats must offer a provocative alternative set of big ideas, including a national security strategy that is both tough and smart.
Military strength is key to keeping America safe, but it is far from enough on its own. Vilsack emphasized how, especially in the age of terrorism, it is critically important to have more friends and less enemies around the globe:
“In the Secretary of State's office there is this wonderful waiting room, and on the wall of the waiting room is a speech that was given by a man by the name of George Marshall. And it was Marshall who suggested in 1947 following World War II that we needed to create a new opportunity to rebuild Europe. And what he said in that speech was simply this, there is not a nation who is our enemy; our enemies are a set of conditions, and he mentioned poverty and illiteracy and hunger. Those are the conditions that together with our military strength we can become an inspiring world leader. I want and you want an America that the rest of the world is inspired by, not an America that - not an America that fears and places fear in the heart of people around the world.”
Clinton, in announcing the American Dream Initiative, focused on how the middle class and those less fortunate have been financially squeezed by the economic policies of the Bush administration:
“It's time for a new direction. For five years we have lived with deficits. This agenda will help bring back fiscal responsibility. For five years we have lived with stagnating wages. This plan will make the basics of life in the middle class, healthcare, education, and retirement affordable for those who take responsibility. For five years we have allowed the rest of the world to overtake our higher education system. This plan puts us on the road to universal college and lifelong training.
“For five years, the doors of opportunity and ownership have been closing for too many Americans. This agenda will open those doors to everyone who is ready to work and walk through. For five years, we have seen poverty increase for millions of Americans. These ideas will make sure every American will get a fair wage, access to college and home ownership, and a path out of poverty and into the middle class ...We can replace trickle-down economies with rise-up economics, and we can make sure that everyone has a chance to rise up and fulfill their dreams for the future.”
In his talk, Carper told the story of a Colorado family that has truly lived the American Dream:
“I want to close this morning by briefly sharing with you the improbable story of another family, a Latino family from Colorado that truly has lived the American dream. They raised cattle and grew alfalfa, potatoes and barley. The grandparents never made it to high school, but they valued education. The grandfather used to say to his grandchildren, ‘You can lose a ranch and other riches, but no one can ever take your education away from you.’
“The mother and father of eight of those grandchildren believed that, too. Even though they raised their eight children on a ranch with no telephone and no electricity, they made sure that all eight kids graduated from high school.
“They didn't stop there, either. All eight went on to college. Each one of them graduated, too, and several went on to earn graduate degrees before making their way in the world. One of them was elected to the state legislature here and now serves in the U.S. House of Representatives. His brother became Colorado's Attorney General and serves with distinction in the U.S. Senate today.
“Their name is Salazar. They've lived the American Dream. It's up to the rest of us to make sure that millions of other American families have the opportunity to live that dream, as well.”
Some of the discussion also focused on politics. DLC Founder and CEO Al From made the case for why Democrats must make the case - both to loyal Democrats and those who sometimes do not support us:
“Here in the West, for example - a region of great promise for Democrats - people don't care about the daily fray that preoccupies Washington. They want to hear how they're going to leave their children a better life. Our job as Democrats is not to tell people what's wrong with their lives. It's to show them what we're going to do about it.
“The ideas we are presenting and discussing today - to use all our weapons, including but not only the military, to defeat the Jihadist terrorist threat - to make America and Americans winners in the global economy - and to restore the American Dream - are ideas that are good for our country, and they are ideas around which all Democrats and a majority of Americans can rally. They remind Americans that we are the party of security, opportunity, and responsibility.
“Campaigns, as President Clinton so often reminds us, are an argument. They are not a shouting match. We will win the argument this fall and in 2008 by the power of our ideas, not the decibel level of our voices. We will win with an agenda that builds up America, not one that tears it down - an agenda that unites Americans - liberal, moderate and conservative, Democrats, Independents, and even Republicans - not one that rips our country or our party apart.”
Of course, that was only a small sampling of what some of the major speakers had to say. For complete transcripts, please click here.
The prior day was filled with 18 separate workshops focusing on topics such as state energy innovations, Democrats and cultural issues, building an education system for the 21st century and fighting poverty. Coloradans played a prominent role here as well. State Rep. Michael Garcia led a session on immigration reform in the states while State Rep. Terrance Carroll participated in a discussion about connecting with people of faith. House Speaker Romanoff, Ted Trimpa and Al Yates reviewed the factors behind why 2004 was such a successful year for Democrats in Colorado.
This Conversation was a major boost to the New Democrat movement in Colorado and across the country. Thanks go to all those participating Colorado elected officials for taking the time out of their very busy schedules.