`Out of the Bushes
And Into the Future'
by Lakesha Rogers
Lakesha Rogers delivered the following address to the Texas Democratic Party Convention on June 10, 2006.
Hello Democrats, my name is Lakesha Rogers, and I am running for your Democratic Party Chair. I am running because this nation is in great danger.
We are in danger right now, of losing our great nation, losing our Constitution, and losing the principles which shaped this great Republic! We're losing those principles, because thugs like Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay, have destroyed our country, and the values which we represent. We have to take them back! This is why I've launched a campaign with the slogan, "Out of the Bushes and Into the Future."
And those of you who know what that means, know that we must fight now, to take Texas back, and take this nation back. [applause] I have fought, in the Democratic Party, and been a Democrat for the last 29 years. I'm 29 years old. I started as a precinct chair for many years, and I've taken on the fight which is necessary to adopt the principles to take the country back to the ideas and the legacy of Franklin Roosevelt; to those ideas that were once shaped by great leaders such as Henry B. Gonzales and Ralph Yarborough, who understood that we have to stand up to the devices of those of Wall Street and the financier interests, those who are now trying to come in and hijack and cripple the Democratic Party.
Those like Felix Rohatyn, who want to destroy our party, and individuals who want to make sure that we don't have a nation any longer. I want to let you know that I have led the fight on the ground to build a groundswell in the Democratic Party, to bring the fight back to the people once again. We cannot be mechanical about this. This party is not about business. It's about bringing in ideas from young people, bringing in ideas to shape the future once again.
Bringing in those ideas that are going to challenge, challenge the traditions which are necessary to have a real impact in the population, fighting for the forgotten men and women of this nation. The first order of business for the Democratic Party, has to be to get Cheney out now! [applause] And Maxine Waters, Representative from California, has just recognized this, and I am going with her on that one. I stood strong in the fight to bring down Tom DeLay, going door to door, organizing day by day.
I want to let you know, I am an organizer! After graduating college, I found that our generation had no future. We're not trained in skilled labor, our productive capabilities are falling. We're losing our labor forces right now. We have to bring labor into discussions of the Democratic Party. We have to bring the forgotten men and women! Why is it that we have almost 36 counties not here, represented? We should have made sure that they were here! Why is it that we don't have more young people here? I'm going to bring them in! [applause] Why are we not addressing the needs of our farmers? We have to bring them in, now!
And I ask you today, that you join me. I am ready to join with you, as your leader and as a candidate for the Texas Democratic Party Chair. I'm ready to work with you, to reorganize and to change this party, back to the traditions which it once represented. I know I'm young; I don't know everything. But you and I, together, will take this party back. We'll take it back to the people, and we'll make sure that we win the fight to take Texas back Out of the Bushes and Into the Future! And we are going to do it without DeLay! [cheers]
Democrats: I'm counting on you to make a change. Join me, now! Thank you.
