Dean's speech to the AME in Houston this week Called to serve one another

[madfloridian]

Howard Dean and Ken Mehlman both spoke at the convention of lay leaders in the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/printstory.mpl/politics/3283652

Dean acknowledged that black voters' reliable loyalty to his party had cost them influence. He vowed to change that.

"I know that the Democratic Party has not done what it should do," he said. "We have taken African-Americans for granted, and that was wrong."

Mehlman apologized also.

The DNC has a lot of the text of Dean's speech, and this part impressed me.

http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/07/excerpts_of_dnc.php

""Although we work on different paths, we are united by many of our common goals...

"Our values are far closer than some would have us believe...

"I want to talk to you about what Democrats stand for, and why we are Democrats. We believe that everyone is equal in the eyes of God. We want to bring people together around the common good, and we have a strong belief in the fundamental value of community...

"Many in the political arena want to distort moral values for their own purposes and ignore what's really important. Universally throughout multiple religions and faiths, the idea of reciprocity and treating your neighbor as you want to be treated is a basic tenet...

"I am not a preacher. That is not my calling. But in my public role as Chair of the Democratic Party and in my private role as citizen, I believe that I and we collectively are called to serve one another...

"You can not lift up your fellow man by cutting education programs such as Head Start, Pell grants, or by cutting community development block grants. You can not lift up your fellow man by cutting job training, and Social Security, and small business opportunities. And you can't lift up your country, if you cater to the lower laurels of human nature by using a political strategy that divides Americans by race or religious denomination to win elections..."END SNIP..

Dean and Jesse Jackson will be speakers next week in Birmingham.
Dean to speak at Southern Christian Leadership Conference on August 2 in Birmingham.
http://sclcnational.org/net/content/item.aspx?s=31691.0.12.2607

Labor Solidarity Breakfast
Speaker: Rev. Jessie Jackson, Founding President and CEO of Rainbow PUSH Coalition
Sheraton Birmingham Hotel Ballroom
7:00 AM

Human Rights Luncheon
Speaker: Howard Dean, Chairman – National Democratic Party
Sheraton Birmingham Hotel Ballroom
12:30 PM

Rally to Support Security Workers with SEIU
Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex - East Meeting Room
2:30 PM

[Carolab]

1. Dean and Jesse together? Wow, I'd like to see that. n/t

[lvx35]

2. I love that guy!

He cuts right to the tangible SPIRIT of the democratic party, something you can really sink your teeth into. I'm really grateful he's on the political scene.

[wake.up.america]

3. Dean is much bigger than the Democratic Party....

Dean embodies what it means to be a caring, generous individual.

If you care, you gotta be pissed off at what is going on in America.

[lvx35]

4. Whatever it is, I want to be part of it. n/t

[shance]

5. Great points.

n/t

[lvx35]

6. aren't they? I was just thinking...

...the fact that Dean is bigger than the Democratic party is why he's exactly the kind of leadership the Democratic party needs.

[madfloridian]

8. He does transcend the party.

I like your statement. He is about much more than just party. He has a mission in his soul, he really does. He is not afraid of failure, and that is how you get things done.

[madfloridian]

7. With all the people yelling "I am in charge of the party.."

More and more I want to say again that Howard Dean speaks for me.

Everybody can't be in charge at once, so I choose Howard.

[Carolab]

9. Howard is always FIRST in my book!!!! n/t

[Rainscents]

10. Dean speak for ME!!!

I love this man!!!

[madfloridian]

11. One last kick before disappearing.

Just a remember with all the nit-picking going on that we do have someone in our corner.

The other day in Denver in an interview, he said we only barely learning to be a minority party. We need to fight back.

The timid Democrats for so long have done the "watch your mouth" approach. The great danger now is that we forget who is in our corner, and we nitpick it all to death.

[Capn Sunshine]

12. Yeah we always seem to throw the baby out with the bathwater

look how easy it is to get everyone here at each other's throats.

[Demobrat]

13. As always

thanks MF.