Speech by Vice-Chairman Anthony Campisi,  seconding the nomination of Joe Sestak

I rise tonight to second the nomination of Joseph Sestak for Congress.

My mother was a history professor…a military history professor. At the time of her death ten years ago she was studying for her PhD in 20th Century Military History at Temple University.

Her greatest passion was US Naval operations in the Pacific theater of World War II. She spoke often and admiringly of the great Naval admirals who fought in that war to preserve the values we cherish as Americans and Democrats – Ray Spruance, Bill Halsey, Chester Nimitz.

Joe if she were here today I have no doubt that she could sit with you for hours and re-fight the great Naval battles of the Pacific that turned the tide of the War against Japan – Battles like Midway, Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima.

And if she were alive today she would realize that the political battle we face today is equal in its importance in the struggle against tyranny.

Our nation struggles under an imperial Presidency. We are governed by a right wing cabal who are attempting to use their power to institutionalize themselves in our government and who believe that political power is more important then helping people. We live in a nation that tortures prisoners of war, that spies on its citizens, that initiates wars of aggression. We live in a nation ruled by right wing extremists who seek to deny the blessings of liberty and justice for all under our Constitution to anyone to whom certain qualifiers apply – religious minorities, racial minorities, sexual minorities, and political opponents. And they use taxpayer money to initiate propaganda to convince us all that they are right! If that’s not fascism I don’t know what is!

We have an opportunity this year to undo the Republican Revolution in its entirety and we can start right here in Delaware County. We have a unified party. We have a terrific candidate for Congress and we have the political winds of change at our backs. In the words of Bill Clinton: “This is our time...let us embrace it.”

I proudly second the nomination of Joe Sestak for Congress.

 

Copyright 2006 Delaware County Democrats