Hey folks,

Just wanted to take a moment and share my speech from this weekend's Maine Democratic Convention.

I'd love to hear what you think.

Thanks,
-Ethan

Hey Folks,

JonB had a great diary at TurnMaineBlue the other day about how keeping the internet free and fair will continue to be a boon for democracy, and I wanted to follow-up in that.

Last year, I sponsored a bill that became the first-in-the-nation resolution regarding Net Neutrality.  It ordered the Maine Public Advocate to prepare a report monitoring state and federal level initiatives to protect what has been a driving principle since the creation of the internet: that all content should be treated fairly and equally, regardless of source, destination, or who owns the lines through which the content passes.

Last month, the Public Advocate Office released its report, "Resolve, Regarding Full, Fair and Nondiscriminatory Access to the Internet".

This past week was National Sunshine Week, a period dedicated to furthering open government and discussion.  So I guess this announcement is fitting.

I've spent years advocating for Maine's public financing laws, because I feel our campaign finance system needs fundamental changes.  So in my campaign for Congress, I'm putting my money where my mouth is.  I'm banking my campaign on the support of individual voters, not the support of special interest lobbyists or federal PACs.

Today, I'm taking my commitment to clean elections one step further.

I'm proud to announce that moments ago, even though my internal polling shows that I am neck and neck with my opponent, I signed on with the Change Congress Movement, a plan to start eliminating the influence of big-money contributors in politics, and to restore our government to the people.

Five years ago this week, our nation was taken down a dark and dangerous path by a President we now know repeatedly deceived the American people.  Because of George W. Bush's deception and determination to take our country to war, almost 4,000 of our fighting men and women, and countless Iraqi civilians, lost their lives in the sands and streets of Iraq. Thousands more have come home battered and broken, with wartime injuries they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. No words we speak now can ever remove this stain upon our history, and no amount of grief will ever return those we've lost back to us.  

That is the very steep cost of this war.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Another Maine summer has nearly come and gone and our grassroots campaign to reclaim the values of the Democratic Party and change the direction of the nation continues to gain momentum heading into the fall.

I've spent much of this summer connecting with voters across the First District, from marching in parades to speaking at picnics and lobster bakes to meeting new supporters at house parties.

Click image to play

Activist, advocate, researcher, teacher, social worker, and former Senate Majority Leader Michael Brennan announced today that he is a Democratic candidate for Congress in Maine's First Congressional District.

"Today is the beginning of our campaign to reclaim the values of the Democratic Party, and make it a party that stands proudly for doing right by people," Brennan said in a speech to supporters outside of Portland's Oxford Street Shelter. "This campaign is about whether the Democratic Party regains its status as a party of leadership, or whether it remains a party of opposition."

Michael Brennan for Congress Campaign Update

May 19, 2007

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

There is a real thirst among Maine Democrats to return progressive principles to Washington and change the direction of the country.

In January I announced the formation of an exploratory committee to look at running for Congress in the First Congressional District.  The response has been outstanding and because of the support and encouragement offered to me, I began my campaign for Congress in earnest last month by filing paperwork with the FEC. I will make a more public announcement of my candidacy in the coming weeks.

Our job in November of 2008 is to change the direction of the country. Our job right now, though, is to make sure that our party - and our nominee for Congress - stands for the change we want.  After speaking with hundreds of Democrats, and after spending a lifetime working on progressive issues, I believe I know what we, as Democrats, want in our candidates and what we want in Congress.

• We want a Democrat who has spent a lifetime fighting for social and economic justice, peace, and a better life for working people.  That has been my life's work, as a legislative leader, a teacher, a social worker, a community organizer, a father, a husband, and a friend.
• We want a Democrat who is a recognized leader on health care and education policy, and who has played a major role in the national debate in these critical areas.  In the Legislature, I was a leader on major education and health care initiatives that have helped improve access to quality education and high-quality affordable health care for Mainers of all ages. My years of work outside of politics, as a teacher, policy researcher and social worker, add greatly to my understanding of these issues.
• We want a Democrat who will stand on principle and declare without hesitation, "It is time to bring our troops home from Iraq now." I have worked with other legislators to pressure our congressional delegation into opposing the war, and I am running for Congress because I am committed to ending this war immediately.  We need Congress to stand with the American people and with our men and women in uniform - because the President won't.
• We want a Democrat who has steadfastly advocated for a cleaner environment and an end to global warming.  In the Legislature I helped lead the effort to promote the use of renewable energy in Maine, including wind and solar - and I opposed legislation which would have allowed the continued pollution of Maine rivers.

If you share these values, I urge you to get involved in my campaign today.

How You Can Help

I am working to meet with voters in living rooms throughout the first district, from Kittery to Camden. If you would like to host a coffee hour with some of your friends to meet me and discuss why I am running, please contact the campaign.

We are already in need of volunteers for many aspects of the campaign.  Please sign up on our volunteer page of our new website, BrennanForCongress.org, to get in touch.

And of course, in order for the campaign to spread our message, we need your financial contribution - whatever you can give is a great help. You can donate online to our campaign at [ActBlue https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/en tity/17995] or send contributions to Brennan for Congress, PO Box 285, Portland, ME 04112.

Let's work together on this grassroots campaign to make our party and our Congress what we want.

Sincerely,

Michael Brennan

Michael Brennan for Congress
PO Box 285 ~ Portland, ME 04112
votebrennan@brennanforcongress.org
http://www.brennanforcongress.org