Franken implores activists at Netroots convention to fight

Source: CNN

Using some of his trademark humor and dire predictions, Minnesota Sen. Al Franken implored thousands of his fellow progressive activists Saturday to redouble their efforts to prevent the Democrats from losing control of Congress.

He jokingly called the Netroots Nation convention of bloggers, leaders and others "the most exciting political gathering of the year without guns."

On a serious note, he said, he shared many of the frustrations of those in the audience about a lack of progress on some of their key priorities.

"You really haven't gotten your moneys' worth," he said, specifically mentioning such ideas as a public option government-run health care plan or education reform or public financing of elections. "I know progressives are frustrated...because it feels at times not everyone in our party is pushing at the same pace," he said.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/25/franken-implores-actvisits-at-netroots-convention-to-fight/?fbid=31XWRiQdXJ4

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Full speech posted in the videos forum by Tx4obama: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x488879

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.

But I've grown to be more patient. Some thing are too unwieldy to fix or change quickly, and that includes governments and societal views.

I haven't given up the fight, but I may have given up fighting for some of THESE leaders, because they don't fight for us.

That's why I no longer contribute to the party, only to select national and local figures who deserve it.

There are some good Dems who fight for the people - the usuals like Franken, Grayson, Kucinich, Boxer, and others. But as a whole, I am not impressed with how the Dems have handled things after 8 years of Bush hell, especially Obama. What better opportunity to make real changes? They had the country behind them. And... they sold us out to big corporations instead.. again. Dems better learn that not being a Republican just isn't good enough - they have to actually have their OWN agenda and fight for it - and us.

Exactly how much does everyone think can humanly be done in only 18 months?
The amount of accomplishments President Obama has put under his belt in the year and a half he has been in office is mind-boggling. Everyone needs to remember that Obama is not superman, he is human. Change takes time and eighteen months is not a very much time.

In case you've missed some of them, here's some of them outlined on the following links:

1) Midway thru Obama's videoed message to Netroots Nation there's a clip from the Rachel Maddow with a compilation that highlights many of the accomplishments: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x488750

2) Here's a different clip from Maddow that highlights a huge list of Obama's accomplishments: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x488610

3) Here's link to a list of 90 accomplishments during Obama's first year: http://www.tellingthoughts.com/asides/obamas-90-accomplishments-email-list

4) Here's a link to The OBAMETER (on the right side of the front page) which is tracking & rating the 500+ Obama campaign promises
(so far Promises Kept 120, Promises in the Works 244): http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

I hope everyone (especially everyone here at DU) can find the time to watch Senator Al Franken's Keynote address to Netroots Nation:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x488879

how come only Dems have to get 60? Seems odd but I'll let that one pass - it's an lame excuse used to doctor down legislation to make it more conservative/pro-business but nevermind. What about his embrace of this pointless, horrible, murderous war for profit in Afghanistan? There is no excuse for that. If we're going to leave, leave now before we waste a shitload more money over there. We've been there longer than we were in Vietnam. And in Iraq we're already talking about paying tens of thousand of contractors an insane amount of tax payer money to stay over there INDEFINITELY. We are in a crisis, right here, where we all eat, sleep, live and breathe and I don't feel like Obama is treating it as such. The middle class will be gone if we do not end NAFA. We are quickly headed towards a country where a few are insanely rich, but most of us will be dirt poor. You've seen the statistics. I'll post them if you haven't. What exactly is Obama doing to stop what is already the hugest money and power grab in the history of the country? Letting the Bush tax cuts expire? Something that requires - no action at all - just, let it happpen. And even that tiny bit of good is not a given at this point. But we're supposed to see it as some kind of victory?

So, to me, it seems, at times, like the Dems are as much of the problem as they are the solution. Perhaps they are here to provide just enough hope that people don't riot in the streets. I hope that's not the case, but at times, it seems that way. The senate - that's a hell of a lot of power to give to just 100 people in the entire USA. I'm not surprised they are so corrupt, but I don't deny that they are. Look at Feinstein's husband's company. Last I checked he had made over $3 million in Iraq. I'm sure it's higher now.

Yes, the Dems are better than the Republicans without question. I'm just not sure they are the answer.

Two very different concepts.

Blind Faith has a lot to do with where we are as a society today, as my Evangelical Christian mother-in-law tells me "some people need to be told".

I put my resources in to who deserves them and it sucks when they set it up so that we're always voting for the politician that's least "damaging" to our political system.

I wish there were some way to vet these guys deeper or more thoroughly. I was for Obama before his acceptance speech cause thats when I can remember for the first time hearing the phrase "Bipartisan". "O shit" was my first thought and it's been downhill ever since.

As for keeping up the fight, always for my family anything less would be letting the "other" side win.

-p

I can't always tell that we're all pushing in the same direction?

Cadillac taxes?
Mandates?
Afghan escalation, Gitmo. It'd be one thing if they were just going slow, going in the wrong direction is a whole 'nother thang.

Gitmo makes for an excellent example.

Obama already issued a shutdown order... and yet, it remains open.

They've only filled out a change of address card. They have no intention of closing the facility, they just want to move it to Illinois.

Does "closing GITMO" mean a new location? A change in treatment at the existing location? Trials for all being held? Unconditional release for all being held? Release with monetary compensation for holding them?

Regardless of the pace, it's hard to ignore the lack of uniform agreement on the priority of issues, let alone desired outcomes.

Giveaways to health insurers is not a matter of pace. And THAT gone done PDQ.

But that can't be because Franken's a "progressive activist",not a DLC fellow traveller,right?Haha,so played.

ChhhhhhhhChhhhhhhChhhhhanges....

Al "Gets It"

What matters is getting elected to office. Organize. Find candidates - be one yourself - to run in primaries, win the primary and the following general election.
If you want a progressive majority in Congress -- you have to elect a majority!

Unless they want us to rally for war -- then NO

If they want us to rally for single payer -- MEDICARE FOR ALL -- GREAT!!

Wiretapping and "national security state" -- eh... NO!


Does Obama want us to rally for his "Cat Food Commission" --- more NO!

is Franken giving that any thought?

I may donate one of these to old Al', but I'm not "fighting" for mandatory private insurance. :hi:

I'm on the side of anyone who is on MY side. There's damn few of those.

Or even in the same direction.

Look at ya
Yeah, take a look in the mirror now tell me what you see
Another satisfied customer in the front of the line for the American dream
I remember when we was both out on the boulevard
Talkin' revolution and singin' the blues
Nowadays it's letters to the editor and cheatin' on our taxes
Is the best that we can do
Come on

Look around
There's doctors down on Wall Street
Sharpenin' their scalpels and tryin' to cut a deal
Meanwhile, back at the hospital
We got accountants playin' God and countin' out the pills
Yeah, I know, that sucks – that your HMO
Ain't doin' what you thought it would do
But everybody's gotta die sometime and we can't save everybody
It's the best that we can do

Four score and a hundred and fifty years ago
Our forefathers made us equal as long as we can pay
Yeah, well maybe that wasn't exactly what they was thinkin'
Version six-point-oh of the American way
But hey we can just build a great wall around the country club
To keep the riff-raff out until the slump is through
Yeah, I realize that ain't exactly democratic, but it's either them or us and
And it's the best we can do

Yeah, passionely conservative
It's the best we can do

Conservatively passionate
It's the best we can do

Meanwhile, still thinkin'
Hey, let's wage a war on drugs
It's the best we can do
Well, I don't know about you, but I kinda dig this global warming thing