Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-CD3) spoke at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this afternoon, as part of today's liberal theme. As co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and one of the first members of Congress to endorse Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Presidential nomination, his full-throated support of presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton was deemed important enough to put him on the Monday roster (along with Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Michelle Obama and others).
His 3:10 speech started with his simple declaration "I stand here in support of Hillary Clinton." Though there are many other Sanders supporters there, the reaction was a cheer, with no boos to be heard. The reaction was even more pronounced at the end, when he pointedly said that he is "proud to be part of a MOVEMENT that is going to beat Donald Trump." (emphasis added)
(The C-Span transcript below is less-than-perfect. We made one significant change near the conclusion.)
MR. GRIJALVA: GOOD EVENING. I STAND HERE IN SUPPORT OF HILLARY CLINTON. ON BEHALF OF OUR FUTURE AND IN RECOGNITION OF OUR PROUD PAST, I AM REMINDED TODAY OF ALL THE IMPORTANT FIGHTS OF THE PAST 50 YEARS, FOUGHT AND WON BY PROGRESSIVE LEADERS OF OUR PARTY. I CAME OF AGE -- FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS, FOR CLEAN AIR, CLEAN WATER, AND FOR PEACE, AND THE MANY OTHER GREAT -- IN THIS COUNTRY THAT MADE IT A BETTER PLACE. I CAME OF AGE WITH A PARTY THAT BELIEVED THE PUBLIC GOOD, NOT THE SIZE OF A DONOR'S CHECK, WAS THE TRUE MEASURE OF AN IDEA. AND, MY FRIENDS, A NEW GENERATION IS COMING OF AGE TODAY. MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE, ALL ETHNICITIES, ALL BACKGROUNDS, ALL INCOME LEVELS, ARE LOOKING FOR US TO STAY TRUE TO THE PARTY'S GREAT IDEALS. THEY LOOK TO OUR HOPE THAT WE WILL PUT THEIR NEEDS ABOVE THOSE OF THE ALREADY RICH AND POWERFUL. THEIR IDEALISM, THEIR OPTIMISM, THEIR BELIEF IN AMERICA, THEY ARE NO DIFFERENT THAN THE IDEALISM THAT BUILT THIS NATION OR THE IDEALISM THAT WON PROGRESSIVE FIGHTS OF A GENERATION AGO. THEIR IDEALISM IS JUST AS POWERFUL AND, YES, JUST AS FRAGILE. IN THIS ELECTION AND IN EVERYTHING WE DO, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT AND BE WORTHY OF IT. I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY SUPPORTING OUR NOMINEE IF THE DEMOCRATS OF 50 YEARS HAD NOT HAD THEIR CURRENT. I WOULD NOT BE HERE IF OUR PARTY WAS BUILT IN THE LIKES OF DONALD TRUMP WHO IS TRYING TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY meaner, hateful
By the way, he came on to a great riff from "Fly Like An Eagle". The house band is hot!
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