Jesse Jackson's remarks today re the Lamont race

[me b zola]

I have transcribed some of Jesse Jackson's remarks made today at the DNC's general session. Jackson spoke to many issues, but for this post I focused on his remarks about the CT Senate race.

(...)
There's been a big debate lately, Chairman, about how and why did Lamont win in CT. How did he reclaim the moral center? As we move toward the fall, the team with the broadest most (?) coalition, whose direction and priorities address our fears and hopes will win.

There'll be two teams on the field. You must not be decieved even by those who seek to be on one team, and gains benifits from another.

There will be black and white and brown players on both teams. We cannot choose teams by skin color, but by direction, by uniform color, by where they are going. So one team, so all players must be on their own team, in their own huddle.

There's a Trent Lott from MS team, he rolls with Strom Thurman. There's a Tom Delay on their team, with gerrymandered districts for black and Latino voters, & forced to resign from office in disgrace. There's the Bill Frist. There's George Allen with his love affair of the confederacy. There's Gingrich, who authored the infamous contract on America. There's Condaliza Rice, & there's Steele, and Swan, and Blackwell and bush & cheney--that's their team.

Now, they have a right to be on that team, but not in our huddle.

We applaud them as the loyal opposition in this battle of ideas. They cannot be on their team and in our huddle. There's another team--Senator Harry Reed and Hillary Clinton, and Congresswoman (?), and Loretta Sanchez, and Nancy Pelosi, and Maxine Waters, and Senators Obama and Kennedy, and Gov. Richardson, and Mayor Shirley (?), and Congressman Woo and Watt and (?)---that's our team.

Stay on your team.

It's not a perfect team, but it's our team. It looks like America. It's contrast is strong. It's not a perfect team, but it's a clear alternative. Last week Ned Lamont showed us the way and CT people responded.

Watch this. Why did Dick Cheney and Chairmen Melman try to choose our winner? Exault the loser and denegrate the winner? What interest do they have in our huddle? What interest do they have in the party huddle of the Democratic Party? We do not need Cheney and bush* to explain Lamont. The people of CT did that--thank you.

How did Lamont win? He ran as a Democrat--with spine and strength, and touched the souls of those who long for change hope. He was a rich man teaching poor children to learn. Inspiring their parents to become involved. He learned first hand the life options. He didn't treat them as pariahs. He knew the results of children with a late start at home and at school with inadaquate resources leading to early dismissal. In contrast to kids a few miles away in the sub-burbs with resources driven by property taxes and (?) advantage.

He was attacked for being wealthy, as if he had betrayed some covenent. The Good Samaritan was a man of means. Charactor is measured by how you treat people, not by what you have. How did he win? He stood for universal pre-Kindergarden care, a life often afforded to the well-off. (....?....). How'd he win? Support for universal health care. A coal miner dies every six hours of black lung disease, 500,000 die every year from cancer. We need comprehensive health care for every American.

He won because he made sense. It was not a one issue campaign.

How'd he win? He supports public education for all, not vouchers for a few. He supports affirmative action, a law designed to off-set years of negative action imposed upon women and people of color. Thus it is a majority issue, not a minority issue.

How'd he win? He declared that war is not a single issue--in Iraq it is the central issue. Impacting terror in the world and our national security. The impact of this war is not limited to one corner of the earth. This war is built on a false foundation. We've been lied to, spied on. We're losing lives, and money, and honor, making bad choices. We chose to (?) in Iraq over UN observers which bush* sought to discredit.

We went to the dentist with a toothache and pulled the wrong tooth. Now we have a mouth full of blood and we're still aching. It's time to change the direction. It's time to change the direction.

These positions are not some lunatic left, this is the moral center.

(...)

Jackson goes on to close with scalding the rw with their hypocracy using the word moral to describe their policies, and explains why the Democratic platform is truly moral--but that should have a thread of it's own!!

Jesse Jackson was fabulous!!!







edited to correct a spelling error.

[bigdarryl]

1. Jackson needs to shut the fuck up

Idiots like him are not helping Lamont.

[CollegeDUer]

2. The black lawmakers who speak the truth are always attacked like this

I'm not surprised you'd do that to him. The anti-establishment types are evil, right?

[me b zola]

3. Did you read his remarks?

Or do just wait to attack one of our strongest Black activist?

[madfloridian]

4. Jesse Jackson is a good man who has a right to speak.

You should be ashamed for calling him an idiot.

[NobleCynic]

45. No, he is a bad man who says good things.

There is plenty to dislike about him personally, but the causes he champions are usually just. He is articulate, intelligent, and phrases his arguments in a very effective manner. Still doesn't make him a saint. A tragic and flawed figure, noble in many respects, but divisive enough that he can hurt causes he embraces as much as he helps.

As a note, it isn't fair what the media has done to him. Many politicians have much worse things hidden away in the personal and marital lives, but catch far less flak for it. Doesn't change the fact that it can and will be used against him, and against anything he supports.

[H2O Man]

54. silly n/t

[chrisau214]

63. What a Load of Nonsensical Nonsense

Jesse Jackson is a good man who has done more good work than most people on this planet. Does he have flaws and does he occasionally take the wrong side on certain issues? Of course he does. He is, after all a human being. This doesn't make him a 'bad' man it makes him human.

If you perceive him as divisive it is either because you have have blindly followed the marching orders of the right wing spin machine that attempts to demonize anyone and everyone that they perceive as a threat to their represhive hateful ideals or because you expect strict ideological purity on every issue.

Jesse Jackson may not be a perfect man but there is no question that he is a good man.





Chris

[NobleCynic]

64. It is an unfortunate truth that

if the right wing spin machine has latched onto someone as an iconic figure to demonize, he has indeed become divisive. Supporters of the status quo are usually forgiven their sins, all the while they scream and shout the sins of their enemies to the skies. You're absolutely correct that Jackson has done incredible good in his political life. He is on the forefront of almost every important issue, and almost always on the more noble side.

Maybe I was a little excessive in my speech regarding him. I offer an apology for that.

It is just that I understand perfectly why many, while they agree with most of his positions, at the same time distance themselves from him. His past mistakes make it very easy to attack him, and the conservatives use ad hominem attacks on issues he supports because Jackson supports those issues. The day the voting public becomes intelligent enough to analyze the man's arguments instead of simply judging the man, Jesse Jackson will be an acclaimed hero outside of just the black and liberal communities. As it is though, a public appearance with Jesse Jackson is more likely to cost a politician more votes than it gets in almost any district.

It is an unfortunate truth that those who wish to effect change are always demonized completely out of proportion compared to those who support the status quo. It is also an unfortunate truth that in our society that this applies doubly to a black man with political aspirations. That he is flawed makes him human, that he lapsed in vigilance is tragic, that he might have expected different treatment is foolish.

[kerstin]

6. Keep talkin', Jesse.

All Democratic candidates should follow suit and make the matter of morality the centerpiece of their campaigns.

[elehhhhna]

7. DAmn. I rarely have this problem...

do I hit REC first, or Alert first? Decision decisions.

[me b zola]

10. Thanks, elehhhhna

It not only bites to read that comment at all, but as the first response it managed to stink up the entire thread. If the poster really is interested in seeing a Lamont victory this Nov, he would have done well to read what Jesse had said. I thought that Jackson's remarks were spot on and was a strong message to Dems to get behind our Democratic candidate.

[Cha]

14. Trust me, m be zola, it doesn't

stink up the thread at all..and thank you so much for posting. I'm all emotional reading Jesse's words..cause they're so eloquently true.

[me b zola]

18. Thanks, zidzi

I hope c-span replays the event. The little bit that I watched was great. The Dem candidate for Ohio SOS spoke about all of the voting issues/problems in Ohio. But the best was hearing Jesse.

Jackson's clearity of thought and eloquence of language touches me deeply. He usually leaves me with goose-bumps. Just wow.

[brer cat]

30. some people need to be ignored.

me b zola, this is an important thread and thanks for transcribing and posting for us. Your efforts are appreciated!

Jesse Jackson is indeed an eloquent speaker who represents the best of the Democratic party. I don't always agree with him, but I don't ALWAYS agree with ANYONE.

Our tent is larger thanks to Jackson; it is diminished by the poster you reference. Just ignore it.

[TankLV]

25. Boy, you hit the nail on the head.

What a complete JERK that idiot is for saying that!

[flyarm]

43. ahhhh go for the alert!!!!!!!!..good going!!..n/t

[KingFlorez]

8. What is your problem?

[Cha]

11. WTF!

[Vincardog]

19. And idiots like you are? How does your comment help anything?

May be you are on the wrong board.

[flyarm]

44. looks like a "hit and run " to me!!...a little gutless eh??..n/t

[mod mom]

20. Rev Jackson was one of the few Dems who came to Ohio and fought for the

disenfranchised Dem base vote in 2004. He is now one of the few Dems working with a multitude of different groups in Ohio attempting to prevent another blackwellian experience in 2006. He is also working to convince Af Am clergy not to defect from Dem Party to support Blackwell for Gov. (As hard as it is to believe, there is significant defection to support Blackwell. I understand their anger at the Dem Party after the '04 campaign promises of counting every vote, and after waiting in 3-5 hour lines to vote Dem, not have the party fight for those votes-BUT a vote for Blackwell is a danger to democracy.)

Did you read the text of his speech? I can't understand how you could call those words "idiotic".

[Cha]

22. Thanks, for reminding us of all

of that 2004 disenfranchisement working overtime! Jesse's so brilliant the corporate media is scared shitless of him!

[TankLV]

24. What the fuck are you spewing about?!?!?!?!

You have truly lost your mind.

We need MORE Democrats like Jackson.

It's our loss that we don't.

I have a nickle somewhere in my pocket - go buy a clue...

[Kahuna]

26. Why? Because LIEberman is using him as a boogey-man at

Rove's urging? LIEberman is using Jesse and Sharpton as boogey-man, even though they both spoke on our national stage at the 2004 convention. If the Democratic party thought they were polarizing do you think they would have given them that platform? Joe the slug is the problem. Not Jackson. And for the record my young friend (You must be young. Only youthful ignorance can justify that outburst), Jackson got more votes when he ran for President then Lieberman did when he ran. So, I suggest Joe is the one who needs to STFU!

[Vidar]

27. Tell it like it is, Jesse!

[spooky3]

28. "A personal attack is committed when a person substitutes abusive remarks

for evidence when attacking another person's claim or claims."

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/personal-attac...

[Bjornsdotter]

29. Excuse me?

How is he not helping Lamont?

I may not always agree with Jesse but I want him to keep talking.

Cheers

[ima_sinnic]

31. wtf are you talking about? do you take the time to read the posts,

or are you just a knee-jerk flame thrower?

speaking of idiots . . .

[xchrom]

33. back away from the rovian drugs.

[bananarepublican]

51. Me thinks he could be a subject of the CIA's MKULTRA program! n/t

[chrisau214]

34. What About His Words Bother You?

Everything quoted in the OP was dead-on correct. Every Democrat in the Senate and Congress needs to repeat them and repeat them often.





Chris

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

36. We are STILL waiting for your explanation about where exactly

is the "idiocy" in the OP article.

[Sparkly]

37. Jackson needs to keep speaking out!!

Idiots -- and there are many -- need to shut the fuck up.

Just sayin'.

[femrap]

38. darryl is looking a bit wittle today...

not big like he thinks he is.

wittle darryl lost his moral way in the big, bad world....and doesn't like to hear it from truly BIG men.

[KaptBunnyPants]

39. Wow, a personal attack on Jackson

with no substantial criticism of either him or his message. How convincing...

[KaptBunnyPants]

40. repost

repost

[LSK]

41. 5 years ago I might have agreed with you, however

After many years at the University of DU, I have come to realize that 5 years ago I hardly knew anything about Jessie Jackson. I didnt know a lot of things 5 years ago. So I might have parroted the right wings smears on Jessie Jackson, because that is what uninformed people do. And they do it about a lot of things, not just Jessie Jackson.

The right wing MACHINE plays the attack game and ridicules people like Jessie Jackson, Hillary, Howard Dean and movements like the election fraud movement and the 9/11 truth movement.

You have drank the cool-aid and proven that the Swiftboating of Jessie Jackson has been successful unfortunately.

What exactly has Jessie Jackson done to deserve your scorn? This is a man who has worked most of his life for the progressive movements to advance the life of the poor and disenfranchised. Nothing in his speech today yields that he should shut the fuck up.

I am sorry you are not at the stage of being free from the brainwashing the right wing machine produces. I hope someday you too can see the light.

[Autonomy]

48. I don't think I've ever seen a response

seem so out of place on DU, not even obvious flamebait. You could not have read the same speech I just read. I am very curious what provoked that response. I'd really like to hear an explanation of that post.

(My money is on the ignorance of the subject combined with having had a really bad day.)

[w4rma]

50. self deleted.

Its enough for you to know that it was a really pissed off message at yours.

[H2O Man]

52. Someone should

but not Jesse.

[mmonk]

53. Explain

why he should shut up and how he isn't helping Lamont. Can't do it? I didn't think so.

[Little Star]

55. May Jesse Jackson and

Al Sharpton NEVER STFU! Those two speak truth to power better than most anyone!

[rosesaylavee]

58. And who is better in your view

to speak to the issue? Who would you choose to speak to minority voters?

Why shouldn't he speak in support of Lamont?

[elehhhhna]

5. Recommended #1.

Love him or hate hime, Jesse's speech is DEAD ON!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

9. Great speech. He says it better than just about anybody.

[Cha]

12. KNR! Football metaphore, I love it!

"There's Condaliza Rice, & there's Steele, and Swan, and Blackwell and bush & cheney--that's their team.

Now, they have a right to be on that team, but not in our huddle."

"How did Lamont win? He ran as a Democrat--with spine and strength, and touched the souls of those who long for change hope. He was a rich man teaching poor children to learn. Inspiring their parents to become involved. He learned first hand the life options. He didn't treat them as pariahs. He knew the results of children with a late start at home and at school with inadaquate resources leading to early dismissal. In contrast to kids a few miles away in the sub-burbs with resources driven by property taxes and (?) advantage."

[mourningdove92]

13. Excellent

Why did Dick Cheney and Chairmen Melman try to choose our winner? Exault the loser and denegrate the winner? What interest do they have in our huddle? What interest do they have in the party huddle of the Democratic Party? We do not need Cheney and bush* to explain Lamont. The people of CT did that--thank you.


Well said, Jesse Jackson.You can keep on speaking for me.

[Beausoir]

15. Excellent analysis. n/t

[Stinky The Clown]

16. "Jesse Jackson was fabulous!!!"

When isn't he?

[cspanlovr]

17. What a wonderful, wonderful speech he gave. He is simply great.

And BTW, he looks terrific. He must have been a beautiful baby.

[Straight Shooter]

21. Jesse needs to KEEP TALKING the fuck up!

Speaking truth to power. I can hear the spirit of Martin Luther King whispering in those words.

Great analogy about having the tooth pulled and a mouth full of blood. But bush and cheney and lieberman want to punch us in the mouth and break a few more teeth.

[midnight]

23. Very inspirational message.

Must have come from above.

[xchrom]

32. lol -- jesse rocks the house!

[Sparkly]

35. He was AWESOME!!!!

I LOVED the parts about the "moral center," too!!!

[malaise]

57. Jesse was great n/t

[LSK]

42. K&R

I liked how Jessie worked in Contract ON America.

[flyarm]

46. I love JesseJackson..i was

a dem delegate to the dem convention and i got to meet Rev Jackson several times..he is just wonderful..he talks to you like you are the only person in the world..

and he is a huge man..and as my dad would say..he is a man's man...and yet gentle at the same time..

he has a presence that is unmatched..you feel his greatness when you share space with him.

I have such respect for this man..and thank you me b zola..i have tears in my eyes reading your post..

about a man i truely love!!

fly

[me b zola]

47. I have never had the privilage to meet Jesse

...But I had the good fortune to hear him speak in person. Clinton was running for re-election and Jackson came to the school that I was attending to speak on the issues. Just wow--he was electrifying. I felt his greatness and I was in the standing room only section!

[misanthrope]

49. Continuing the analogy:...

...What happens when you have a few players on the team vying to be leaders--one who, in fact, has been the starting quarterback before--and a couple of assistant coaches who insist on training the team to only run a few plays that have been given to them by the opposing team and coaching staff? What if we have a great running attack but refuse to use it simply because the opposing coaches keep telling everyone that a valid passing offense is the only thing that will work? What if the referees continually make some suspicious calls but we never file a protest with the league office?

[symbolman]

56. Thanks for posting this

Jesse is THE MAN. I'd follow him to the ends of the earth..

I created a flash about this LIEberman situation, see it here:

Here's my latest work all about Joe LIEberman's ridiculous run as a "Party of One", which reminds me of "Army of One" (which gives ME a mental image of a guy stuck under fire in a foxhole, looking around and saying, "WHERE the hell IS EVERYBODY!!") -- Makes about as much sense in a marketing vein. Party of One, Translates into "Party of NONE" when it involved LIEberman, might as well be saying, "Party of ME", eh?

This flash also incorporates the fact that the Terror Lockdown on Liquids, etc came so close on the heels of Joe's Smackdown by Lamont as to not be considered credible - even today they are confirming that people will walk FREE because they don't have the evidence to hold them, let alone that there were NO Explosives in their possession, they hadn't even made reservations, etc, etc..

Meanwhile they talk about charging a PREGNANT woman for having some water, and a face wipe - this flash addresses those concerns as well, the fact that WE are being used as PUPPETS in a The Politics of Terror.

Remember, a republican said they'd ride this last nonThreat all the way into November. Let's prove them wrong.. Let's VOTE for Lamont, as we all know this last Primary was a referendum on Bush and his faked "war". The Nerve of LIEberman to shit all over the Democrats. It's like using a girlfriend to get you through medical school and then snatching up the Trophy Wife once you've graduated. How can we ever trust this Puppet again?

One of my best Flash works ever, and to the Tune of "Masters of War" by Mr Bob Dylan, and no truer words were spoken in our time.

Have a look at:

http://web.takebackthemedia.com/geeklog/public_html/sta...

[CanSocDem]

60. Good flash...

Democracy needs eloquent spokespersons...You and Jesse are two of the best.

[immoderate]

61. Great work, Symbolman!

...and an honorable mention to Mr. Dylan for the soundtrack.

--IMM

[me b zola]

59. "...they have a right to be on that team, but not in our huddle."

I love this speech. Pick a team and stay on it. If you don't want to play on that team any longer--because you are a Loserman--then you are off the team. Period. If you defect, then you lose your place on the team that you were on.

[The Wielding Truth]

62. "He ran as a Democrat--with spine and strength, and touched the souls

of those who long for change hope. He was a rich man teaching poor children.." WOW!! Yes we need this!