http://www.washingtonpost.com/...
Howdy Folks, I stayed up till the wee hours of the mornin' to watch CSPAN's replay of Senator Clinton's speech yesterday in Concord, New Hampshire. And I found her words to be especially inspiring. I want to urge those of you who might be undecided to take a look at what Senator Clinton is offerin' this country because it is most substantial. And even if you think you are decided, I hope you'll watch it anyway, cause it's a really good speech.
Using a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., she referred to this time in country as the fierce urgency of now. She emphasized the need for change and challeged those who suggest that an insider cannot bring about change, saying
you can't just ignore the system...pretend it's not there.
She directly addressed the dichotomy that some have drawn between being a change agent and an experienced insider, saying,
I know some people think you have to choose between change and experience...Well, with me, you don't have to choose. I have spent my whole life fighting for change
I have to say, I never thought I'd be thinkin' of Hillary Clinton as bein' "establishment" because I associate her with change. I remember her championing some pretty unpopular causes (back then) in my home state--including Women's Rights, educational change and health care for the poor. But now, after all these years, she's become "part of the system"; still she has never lost her connection to those who need help the most in this country.
I've spent many years listenin' to great political speeches delivered by leaders from John Kennedy to Bill Clinton, including some of the greatest orators in the world, and I have to say that this is one of the very best. I hope the Clinton campaign will publish it in it's entirety, and if you have the chance to read it, please do. Far more than just a stump speech, the Senator laid out her agenda and her priorities for this country. She's clear about wantin' to work toward a consensus, as a unifier,
Over the past 14 years I've learned that when you want big changes, you need to build a big consensus," she said, adding, "Even a president has to get 60 votes in the Senate to pass a law, and that is a painstaking, roll-up-your-sleeves process that involves a lot of preparation and just plain perspiration.
but she's also very clear what she won't compromise on, includin' a woman's right to choose and equal rights across race, sex, religion sexual orientation, etc.
Senator Clinton is offerin' all of us a place at the table, a place where we, together, can work toward urgently needed change. As Robert Kennedy was fond of pointing out, it is never too late
to seek a newer world
.
Speakin' as one whose had the chance to follow Hillary Clinton since she was a young woman, and an activist First Lady of the state of Arkansas, then an international activist First Lady of our contry, and now a two-term Senator from New York, I have no doubts that she's the best experienced candidate for bringin about desperately needed changes in our country. And most important, she knows how to get it done. I hope you'll join us. --mollyj