Dean Wows Albuquerque

UPDATE: The KUNM website has some clips here and here from Dean's speech.

Here he was in Albuquerque, still representing the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party. Well, as much as he can do that, given the reins he has to contend with -- reins held tightly by the DLC Republican-lites, the Clintonista apologists and the Beltway Bores who work to contain him in the Party.

Once again I could say, "I See Dean People!" Many of the worker bees from the Dean run for president were present, in reunion. It became easy to recall the halcyon days of the Dean campaign -- an atmosphere that was so creative and fun and edgy and spine-tingling and surprising and bold and fresh and energized and, ultimately, tragic.

It took me back. In both a positive and negative way. So much hope crushed by so much cynical manipulation about "electability." And who can forget that speech he gave while earsplitting noise enveloped him in the hall in Iowa, and the media tuned it all out so all you heard was him and that infamous scream. The Party, America and the world lost something really valuable in the process. But we struggle on. And on. And so does Howard Dean.

Be sure to read the Santa Fe New Mexican's excellent description of Dean's Albuquerque appearance written by Steve Terrell. And check out our photos from the event.

Dean Sez: Here's what Democrats believe in:

• Honesty and integrity to be restored to our government
• American jobs that will stay in America using energy independence to create those jobs
• A strong national defense based on telling the truth to our citizens, our soldiers and our allies
• A healthcare system that works for everybody, just like they have in other countries (Costa Rica!)
• A strong public education system so we can have optimism and opportunity back in America

Dean Sez: You can sum up what Democrats stand for in one word -- JUSTICE

I can sum up what Dean brings to the table in one word too -- HOPE. Hope for Democrats of all stripes who are pushing and pushing and pushing for the Party, its officeholders and its candidates to grow some cojones and stand up for what's right, because it's right. For more Dems to join the ranks of courageous and feisty Democrats like Feingold and Boxer and Conyers.

For those who may not have paid close attention to Dean during the last presidential primary season, go listen to his "What I Wanna Know" speech in Sacramento in April 2003. Or read a similar speech he gave at the DNC Winter Meeting in Washington DC in February 2003.

I'm certain that Dean still believes what he said in these speeches and it's what he works for every day. He repeated to me several times that GRASSROOTS REFORMERS ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE ALL OVER THE NATION and that WE MUST KEEP IT UP even when things seem bleak. I told him that I cursed him almost daily for reawakening my political activism and pulling me away from a more leisurely life. He laughed and said, "I know the feeling." And he does.

Okay, I can't help myself. I took a little trip back to the Dean campaign days and you can too. Here's Thank You Howard Dean. Here's a video sampler put together by Dean people in Wisconsin and an audio of We Call Ourselves Americans. Remember who started us down this path. Remember what gave us hope and excitement. Realize that the most important thing we can do is to keep it up, to persevere, to fight the good fight and never give up. Our democracy, our nation, even our planet is in the balance. We DO have the power...if we use it.