On the Mall in Washington D.C. this morning I had the opportunity to introduce 40 remarkable candidates for the United States Congress to a terrific gathering of supporters and the press corps. It was a remarkable collection for two reasons. First, every single one of the men and women with me on the Mall today is a veteran. And second, they are all running as Democrats, every single one of them. As I think you'll be hearing a lot about this group in the weeks and months to come, I thought you might enjoy reading some excerpts from my remarks.
"Many years ago, a small group of soldiers faced overwhelming odds in their battle against a determined enemy. Their leader spoke to them the night before the battle. He used words that William Shakespeare later wrote as a classic inspiration for men fighting at war. 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.'
You assemble here today as a band of brothers and sisters, who have all served in the uniform of the United States. That makes you unique. You have all taken the oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, against all enemies foreign and domestic. Many of you have seen combat. All of you have been there, done that and gotten a few holes in your tee shirt. That makes you a part of the very few Americans who have done the fighting and risked dying for their country. You are very special people.
You are people like Eric Massa from the 29th district in New York, whose career in uniform spans 24 years in the U.S. Navy.
You are people like Tim Dunn, who has served in the Marine Corps Reserves since 1994, and just recently returned from Iraq.
You are people like Mike Weaver from Kentucky who has served his country continuously in uniform since he was very young, signing up for the Navy at age 17, and then serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
You are people like Patrick Murphy and Chris Carney, both sons of Pennsylvania, who have taken on the responsibilities of defending our country in a post 9/11 world.
You are people like Andrew Duck from Maryland who was chief of a counter intelligence operations cell in Bosia.
Together, you have over 400 years of military service under your belt....you have been through the crucible of military training and military experience. You have shown leadership, courage and patriotism. You do not have to prove that to anyone. When the paid political assassins come after you, and they will. Remember to believe in yourself - you're here doing the right thing, remember you are special.
In many ways you fight not just for yourselves but for each other. You veterans have invested more in this country than most Americans will ever know. You are the ultimate stakeholders in our nation. The preamble to the Constitution which we've all pledged to support starts with the phrase, "We the people."
When I look out and see your faces, I think of the words of the poet Emily Dickinson, who once wrote. "We never know how high we are, until we are called to rise and then if we are true to form, our statues touch the skies." I believe that this band of brothers and sisters is called to rise and called to help your nation as well.
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers. God bless you."
There are Fighting Democrats running from New Hampshire to Florida to California. I can think of no better way of getting this country back on the right course than supporting each and every one of them.
