LET US NOT ABANDON THE TASK

He'll proclaim his vision. We'll proclaim ours

Given the astonishing spate of executive orders pouring out of the Oval Office over the last three days, the Democratic Party must operate now like a government in exile. And if I’m Chair of the DNC, it will.

One of the first things I’ll do is establish a DNC Policy Institute. Every morning I’ll sit down with some of the smartest people around, examining everything Trump is doing and articulating what a righteous government should be doing. As he proclaims “Drill Baby Drill,” we’ll proclaim climate change mitigation. As he makes the cost of prescription drugs higher, we’ll push towards universal healthcare. Where he does everything possible to increase the wealth of billionaires, we’ll work hard to increase the wealth of everyone. And as he and his buddy Elon send dog whistles to the haters, we’ll build a political movement based on love.

President Trump will share his vision, with the power of the Presidency to enforce it. We’ll share ours, with the power of the heart to make it so.

My campaign for DNC Chair may or may not bear fruit in the form of a win, and I’m not naive enough to underestimate the odds that it won’t. But as usual my goal is radical truth telling, and I’m very grateful to all of those who are supporting my ability to do so in this race. My forty year career has informed my passions, bringing me up close and personal with much unnecessary suffering in this country. It’s infuriating to see all the ways that a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” is transitioning into a “government of the billionaires, by the billionaires, and for the billionaires” literally right before our eyes.

I’ve seen many things over the course of my career that made me think, I hope one day I can do something about this. From innocent teenagers on Skid Row, to people living in tents, to sick people living without needed health care, to children living in circumstances almost sure to doom them to limited lives, none of this need be so.

It is up to us to change all that, and I am trying to do my part.

Again, my thanks to those of you sharing the mission of making our small but mighty team run. I’m so proud of my team, and of the volunteers who are supporting our efforts. Our volunteers were so amazing in Detroit last week, and I know they’ll be amazing in Washington next weekend as well. I feel uplifted by love, and fueled by a dedication to the good that I know I share with millions of others.

America, despite our faults and our mistakes, is still an idea, and a country, worthy standing for - with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our might.

We’re in this together.

Also, don’t forget! I would be so grateful if you’d sign the petition we’ll send to the DNC members in your state, expressing your support for my campaign.

There is an old Talmudic saying: “You are not expected to complete the task, but neither are you permitted to abandon it.”

Let us not abandon the task.