Dean For America's Declaration of Independence

[Closer]

WHEN IN THE Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

Two centuries ago, our founders brought into this world a new republic. This republic brought to the world a new era of self-government. It ensured the rights of the citizenry and gave them the vote to elect representatives.

Throughout this nation’s history, the American people have struggled to keep their rights and make their government work for them. We have seen the populists, progressives, women, labor, and civil rights movements.

Today our government has become overrun by special interests. Working with President George Bush, they have turned our government into a system that works for the profit of the few not the benefit of the many.

They have in the last two elections flooded our politics with over 5.1 billion dollars in contributions.

They have walked into the Vice-president’s office and written energy legislation that keeps us shackled to fossil fuels.

They have written health care legislation denying access and affordability, and keeping prescriptions away from seniors.

They have purposely misled this nation into an unnecessary war.

WE, therefore, the architects and builders of Dean for America, appealing to the Wise Judgment of the American people on our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these United States, solemnly Publish and Declare, the People of these United States are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT OF SPECIAL INTERESTS and that as FREE AND INDEPENDENT CITIZENS, they have full Power to participate, deliberate, pursue the common good, protect their own interest from corruption, and to do all other Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT CITIZENS may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, we mutually pledge to each other to write letters, knock on doors, organize our neighbors, self- fund this effort, and vote.

Signed,

Howard Dean, Lanya Shapiro, Aldon Hynes, Kim Hynes, Jasper Hendricks, Peng Her, Susan Hudgens, Jerome Wiley


http://www.deanforamerica.com/site/PageServer?pagename=declaration_text

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Right on!

The PEOPLE are sovereign in this nation. It is about time for the people to reclaim what is theirs. It will take hard work and dedication, but it will be worth it.

[FubarFly]

2. Brilliant.

Dean not only opts of matching funds, but in doing so, he turns this race into a contest of WE THE PEOPLE vs. the special interests who are tearing apart this country. This is the theme that could destroy shrub in the general election. Dean already has the grassroots support to make this an enormously effective message.

Go Dean!

[Eric J in MN]

8. FubarFly - what is the connection between matching funds and special

FubarFly - what is the connection between matching funds and special interests?

How does turning down matching funds make Dean less beholden to special interests?

[FubarFly]

10. Two seperate issues

Dean needs to opt out to compete with b*sh's $200 million raised mostly by and for special interests. The $45 million federal limit is inadequate for this purpose. So far, Dean has raised his current fund primarily by small donors. The average contribution is $75 dollars. He has pledged that he will continue to do this, and now it's up to you, me, and other ordinary Americans to fight the special interest driven Republican money machine. He is not forgoing federal funds in order to raise money from big donors which he may be beholden to, but rather to put democracy back in our hands. This is very cool.

[Eloriel]

18. Eric

It's not so much the turning down of matching funds that makes his campaign not beholden to special interests, it's the fact that the vast majority of his funding has been from The People, in small donations. I myself give in dribs and drabs, as I'm sure most other contibutors do as well.

It's not that he hasn't taken corporate money -- he has, but not very much. You can view his top contributors here:

http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/contrib.asp?ID=N00025663&Cycle=2004

It's the grassroots support that's funding this campaign.

Eloriel

[liberalmuse]

3. Beautiful!

I couldn't have dreamed up this campaign--though in truth, this is our collective dream. This campaign never fails to impress me.

[Larkspur]

4. Awesome!

I'm proud to be an American again! I'll be prouder when Bush gets booted back to Texas.

[Gin]

15. Same here....Makes me proud.

Go Dean! :)

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

5. Oh that's very good

I think Dean's rural strategy is finding it's legs and the Revolutionary America angle is really really good. Plus, the spin of guns and abortion as private choices and civil rights is going to give a bipartisan "libertarian" appeal in the culture wars. Can Dean pull this off in public and when he is put on the spot?

Hate the candidate, but love the campaign. :)

Trippi DNC Chair 2004!

[tsipple]

11. Exactly, Exactly!

Now you're getting it!

Mountain West, here we come!

[DinahMoeHum]

6. Classic, guys, classic !!

Wonder if Aldon and Kim are having another house party soon?

:kick:

[Khephra]

7. Brilliant!

I love it how they can always take a smaller issue and turn it into something bigger, something more important!

:toast:

[NicoleM]

9. Wow.

They should make posters out of that. I'd buy one.

[FubarFly]

12. 85-15! Wasn't even close.

BURLINGTON-In a ceremony here today, Democratic presidential candidate Governor Howard Dean, M.D., announced that, following an overwhelming vote by supporters over the last two days, Dean for America would not accept public matching funds.

"Today by an 85-15 margin the people who made this campaign have voted to decline public financing. We support public financing, but the unabashed actions of this president to thwart our democratic processes with a flood of special interests money have us forced to abandon a broken system," Governor Dean said.

"Our campaign has not been talk of campaign finance reform, it has been actual reform. Over 200,000 people have given an average of $77 to bring us here and they have now overwhelmingly refused to be intimidated by George Bush and his cronies," Dean added.

http://blog.deanforamerica.com/archives/002194.html#more

[robsul82]

13. Dayum!

85-15. In the word of Keanu, whoa.

Later.

RJS

[ibegurpard]

14. He's a hypocrite dammit! Can't you see it??

(that was sarcasm by the way)
Dean, Dean, Dean! LOL!

[Valarauko]

16. Bravo! Except I disagree with the contributions part

but then again I never agree with anything or anyone completely.

[Hep]

17. OMG!

Lanya Shapiro is a friend of mine, big into NC4Dean in Durham County.

Reading this made me so proud!