Enough is enough. In my short political life, I have gained an incredible amount of enlightenment. There are entities that will do everything in order to maintain their power, even at the expense of democracy. Why?
It is quite simple: the string pullers think they have the intellectual corner on what is best for our country, my country. They will block funding, media, and do what ever they can to keep our voices silent. One area they have not controlled is here in the blogoshere.
Like many of you, I am mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it any more! I made a pledge in Washington less than a week ago, a pledge to back my band of brothers. I will not try to talk Maj. Hackett back to political life, but I will share my experience in how the party works in recruiting and dismissing possible candidates.
When we 40 veterans showed up on the Mall of our capital, we represented a new rise of populism. The vast majority of the Veterans for a Secure America were not recruited by the DCCC or DLC; we stood up on our on hind legs and looked over the battlefield and saw that our country needed our service once again. We figured out how to run for office on our own. We gained political clout very quickly and in less than six months, offered the voters real choice. We have solutions, plans, and ideas, and we will share them. The Democratic Party has been busy reacting to Republican control, and now we 52 are on the attack, on our own, without our strings being pulled by the party machine. I'm sure there are some who believe that we are threatening the authority of the Democratic leadership now in control. Paul Hackett led this effort last summer, and the swelling of support for his senate run put the light on him. He was alone then, but now there are 52 of us.
The Veterans for a Secure America is one group of 52, but there are many others in our court. Over the last two or three years we have seen a progressive uprising. The principles of these groups represent the new challenge to the established party. Promoting leadership for the people by the people puts all career politicians on notice. Promoting a government of the people will redirect our country away from government controlled by money.
Major Hackett was in a battle some of us are also are experiencing: the battle of principle over money. Many of us veterans have not raised great sums of cash, because we're focusing on reaching voters with the issues, and not focusing on pandering to the wealthy few. Money buys access and access provides control.
We happy few believe in the Constitution and have defended it with our lives. We see the freedom it guarantees in jeopardy. Freedom is why our ancestors came to this county and freedom is what we fought for to give our children and grandchildren. It is this freedom that we will fight for, even within our own party. The people of Ohio needed to be the ones to choice who they wanted to be their Senator and who will fight for their freedom, not Washington.
They can stop the big money, but they can't stop the voters from supporting the candidate of their choice.