DEMOCRATIC DECLARATION:
HONEST LEADERSHIP AND OPEN GOVERNMENT
On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln traveled to a battlefield cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and urged his countrymen to dedicate themselves to the preservation of “government of the people, by the people and for the people.” It is to this same cause that we, the undersigned, dedicate ourselves today.
Throughout the history of our democracy, there has been an ongoing struggle to put the people’s interest ahead of the special interests. Since the Republican Party took complete control of the White House, the House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate, cronyism and corruption have become widespread in the people’s government.
The culture of Republican corruption is an affront to the idea of a representative democracy, and its consequences are devastating. When Vice-President Cheney’s Chief of Staff Scooter Libby, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and others bend government to serve their own interest, or the special interest of their friends, the public interest suffers and the urgent priorities of the American people go unaddressed.
Today, Democrats across America—including those in the U.S. House and Senate, our governors, mayors and state legislators—are declaring that it is time to end the Republican culture of corruption prevailing through all levels of government. We are committed to immediate change to lead this country in a new direction, to put an end to Republican business as usual, and to make certain this nation’s leaders serve the people’s interests, not special interests. For us, this commitment spans our lifetime, as we were elected to represent the people, not the powerful.
Our goal is to restore accountability, honesty and openness at all levels of government. To do so, we will create and enforce rules that demand the highest ethics from every public servant, sever unethical ties between lawmakers and lobbyists, and establish clear standards that prevent the trading of official business for gifts.
Honest leadership is not a partisan goal. It is the key to a stronger union. We must all work together to put progress ahead of politics. Together, America can do better. We can change this government, and the American people deserve nothing less.
Our government must reflect the absolute best of the people it serves. With honest leadership and open government, America’s leaders can once again focus on the urgent needs of the American people: real security overseas and at home, economic strength and educational excellence, affordable health care, energy independence, and retirement security.
In 2006, we, the undersigned, hereby declare that we will once again provide honest leadership and open government for all our citizens and put the Republican culture of corruption behind us, so we can make progress on the real issues facing America.
