Change for America: Julian Bond For President

text from a speech Julian Bond, the current president of the NAACP, gave at a recent conference. My favorite parts:

About conservative Republicans (with my edits): "They preach racial neutrality and they practice racial division. They celebrate Dr. King and they misuse his message. . . Their idea of a pristine environment is a parking lot before the lines are painted in. . . Their idea – their idea of compassion is to ask the guest at the millionaire’s banquet if they want an extra helping or a second dessert. They’ve tried to patch the leaky economy and every other domestic problem with duct tape and plastic sheets. They’ve written a new constitution for Iraq and ignored the Constitution here at home. (Applause.)"

About Democrats (emphasis mine): "And what about the opposition party? Too often they’re not in opposition; they’re an amen corner. With some – (applause) – with some notable exceptions, they’ve been absent without leave in this battle for America’s soul. (Applause.) When one party is shameless, the other can’t afford to be spineless. (Applause.) These economic imbalances not only mean difficult times for many, they also undermine democratic values. The danger is that plutocracy will prevail over democracy, that the free market will rule over the free citizen."

The current administration: "We have a president who talks like a populist and governs for the privileged. We were promised compassionate conservatism; instead we got crony capitalism. We have an attorney general who’s a cross between J. Edgar Hoover and Jerry Falwell. (Applause.) And we have a Senate majority leader who has voted consistently against labor rights, against civil rights, against women’s rights, and he’s the one who replaced the bad guy."

There is more. I wish I could have heard this speech - as powerful as it is to read, I imagine it was much more when heard. Thanks to Change for America for posting it.