Governor Dean Launches "Democracy for America"
SEATTLE--In a speech here today, former Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D., announced that he was launching a new political organization, "Democracy for America," to support progressive causes and candidates and continue the grassroots activism that powered his presidential campaign.
"We will begin with this proposition. In 2004, to start taking back America, we must take back the White House. We must expose and defeat George W. Bush and his radical agenda. Our new enterprise will help in every way possible. We intend to focus on key battleground states, mobilizing our national network of supporters and the groundbreaking organizing tools we developed during our campaign. We will help some with support through our political action committee. I will travel to speak on behalf of candidates. We will put to work our national grassroots network and organizing tools to help candidates win," Dean said.
In his remarks here today at the Westin Hotel's Cascade Ballroom, Dean laid out the four founding principles for Democracy for America: (1) a commitment to a strong, sustained grassroots involvement in democracy; (2) a commitment to promoting an America where candidates and office holders tell the truth about policy choices and stand up for what they believe; (3) a commitment to fighting against the influence and agenda of the two pillars of George W. Bush's Washington: the far right wing and their radical, divisive policies, and the selfish special interests who for too long have dominated politics; and (4) a commitment to fighting for progressive policies, like health care for all, investment in children, equal rights under the law, fiscal responsibility, and a national security policy that makes America stronger by advancing progressive values.
"It's clear that George W. Bush is a failed president. On George Bush's watch, America has lost three million jobs, including many good manufacturing jobs that have gone overseas. There are solutions to this challenge. But George W. Bush shuns the labor and environmental standards that would make global trade work better and protect more American jobs," Dean said, in remarks as prepared for delivery.
"The first round of Bush television ads was widely condemned for seeking to exploit the 9-11 tragedy. But what was also troubling was the effort in these ads to blame the weak economy on someone else-maybe President Clinton, but not George W. Bush. He's been President for three years and two months, and yet the weak economy is someone else's fault. That's not leadership; it's abdication," he continued.
"I will do everything I can to help John Kerry beat George W. Bush in 2004, to revitalize grassroots democracy, and to move America in a better direction," Dean said. "To defeat George W. Bush, we must stand up strong for our principles, not paper over our differences with the most radical Administration in our lifetime. To win, we must aggressively expose the ways in which George W. Bush's policies benefit the privileged and the most extreme ideologues. To win, we must confidently advance a policy agenda rooted in hope and real American values--opportunity, integrity, and community."
Dean explained that Democracy for America would have five goals:
1. Recruit and encourage progressive candidates to run for office at every level. We will help them find the resources to campaign successfully with small donations from grassroots supporters, to begin to break the stranglehold special interests have on the political process.
2. Raise funds for Congressional candidates for whom financial support could be the key to winning, and whose election will be key to winning back a House of Representatives that has become the tool of the Republican right wing.
3. Develop strategic partnerships with other progressive organizations to maximize resources for candidate recruitment, training, and organization.
4. Build relationships with other political initiatives to focus on the failed, destructive policies of the Bush administration.
5. Harness the power of the Internet to enlarge and support our grassroots organization committed to taking back America from special interests that control the right wing leadership of our Congress and the White House.
Dean explained that he also hoped to encourage supporters to continue their efforts through Dean Corps, the former campaign's grassroots community service effort, and to get involved in local politics. He also thanked the more than 600,000 Americans who had supported his presidential bid, saying, "We may not have won the nomination. But you changed the debate in 2004. You toughened the Democratic message and readied this Party to challenge George W. Bush. And you have changed politics forever, showing that a campaign that is truly powered by ordinary Americans can emerge from nowhere and build support."
The complete text of the governor's remarks, as well as more information and the ability to sign-up for Democracy for America's email list is at www.democracyforamerica.com.
Dean will speak about Democracy for America later today in San Francisco, and in New York City tomorrow. The details of the New York event are:
Democracy for America Announcement Speech
March 19, 2004 - 11:30 am EST
Tishman Auditorium
The New School
66 West 12th Street
Use this outline at your local events tonight as a platform for discussion on the future of our organization.
[
Big George W. blunder on the news here last night. The Dutch prime minister visited the oval office yesterday. The press was positioned on the inside as Jan-Peter Balkenende knocked on the other side. In the footage show last night (watch it 
