I Cogitate

June 2, 2007
Congressman Paul Hodes (D-NH) Calls on a New Generation of Democrats to Make Its Mark
Delivers Speech at New Hampshire Democratic Party State Convention

"Thank you very much. I am thrilled to be here today with all of my great friends, who belong to the greatest party in the greatest state in the United States of America.  I want to especially thank Ray Buckley, Jen Kuzma and everyone at the state party who is working so hard to build on the success we had in 2006. I want to thank all of you for turning New Hampshire blue.

"And to everyone here who is a member of organized labor- please stand up.  You have contributed so much to this nation and to this party.  Thank you...

..."I'm proud to have been elected president of this historic freshman class- 42 talented and skilled colleagues, including our great Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter. I'm proud to have co-sponsored the first meaningful ethics reform in more than a decade, and I'm proud to be asking tough questions as a member of the Oversight Committee to help expose the damage that this Administration has done to the foundations of our democracy.  And following through on the promises I made to you during my campaign, I was proud to stand up as an independent voice for New Hampshire to vote NO on a blank check for more of the same in Iraq.

"As inspired as I am by working for a new direction, I see with fresh eyes how much damage the Bush Administration and the Republicans have done to our country. Their cowboy foreign policy has weakened our security. Their corruption has damaged our nation's faith in its leadership.  Their assault on open government and their callous disregard of human rights has undermined our role as a moral leader in the world. Their greed has widened the gap between rich and poor, and their refusal climate change has threatened our planet.

"The policies of the Bush Administration have threatened our ability to lead.  China and India are on the rise.  Russia has retreated from democracy.  Europe is increasingly unified and powerful.  We have been diverted by the cancer of the war in Iraq.  The war has undermined our moral leadership, sapped our strength and turned us away from facing up to our dysfunctional health care system, an educational system which punishes schools and teaches our kids to take tests, and looming environmental disaster...

..."To be a Democrat in this modern age means to inherit a fearful nation and give it new confidence and new strength.   It means creating policies that transform our nation into something stronger and more compassionate than it was before. Our great opportunity is to build on the legacy of the Democratic Party, adapt it to modern times and lead with strength and clarity...

..."It would be easy to leave this work to the presidential candidates.  But I believe that we must define this new vision.  The challenges we face are both global and local, but they are all interrelated. How can we address immigration without addressing our trade policies?  How can we deal with fanatical extremists abroad and protect the civil rights of American citizens at home?  The United States earns the respect of the world when we act on our principles instead of violating them.  We spend more on defense than all the nations of the world combined, but we have not bought more security...

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