Standing Up for the Democratic Party (For a Change)

Today, I was a guest on the nationally syndicated Bill Press radio show. Bill is out due to the sad death of his father and guest host Karel and I had at it for about 15 minutes. Karel was pretty worked up about the disciplined Republican spin machine and we pretty much agreed that Dems need to get in the game and define ourselves.

In the second segment Karel came after the Democratic Party on not standing up for gays and lesbians or abortion rights enough. I have taken after the party a lot on this page and in other publications, but that's where we disagreed.

If there is one thing Americans know about Democrats it is that we are on the side of African Americans, gays and lesbians, labor unions and a woman's right to choose. Poll after poll shows it and in every campaign I have ever worked the Democrat has had to defend himself against Republican attacks that he was too close to the issues those Americans care about. Democrats get beaten up too much by our opponents for supporting these issues in political campaigns for our friends to attack us on them as well.

Our party is better than the Republicans at standing up for minority rights. We are better on securing opportunity for all Americans. We are better at ensuring there is a safety net for people who try to succeed and have missteps. We are better at keeping the government out of our bedrooms and our doctors' offices.

As an African American, I want a Democratic Party that will live out its commitment to diversity by increasing the ranks of minorities and women in the strategic leadership of the Party. I also want to see the party support more candidates of color for statewide office like Deval Patrick who is running for Governor of Massachusetts and Harold Ford, Jr. who is running for the U.S. Senate from Tennessee. Barack Obama is not the only great black candidate out there!

What Americans don't know enough about is our plan to secure the country, our efforts to keep women from ever having to make the anguished choice to have an abortion, our commitment to increase home ownership and small business creation and revolutionize education to empower the American work force to compete in the 21st century economy. Those are the issues that will help Democrats get elected again so we can stop complaining about the Republicans and start ACTING on our values.

www.jamalsimmons.com