Jeff Smith endorses a candidate for president....

[ikojo]

I received this email from the Jeff Smith campaign. He's the guy who ran against Russ Carnahan and a host of other Democrats for the seat vacated by Richard Gephardt in 2002.
He is now a state representative in the MO Legislature. He's one of a few progressive Democrats in that body.




As you may know, I lost my first bid for office. When I was 29, I jumped into a wild 10-way primary for U.S. Congress. I decided to run for several reasons.

First, I wanted to end the reckless war started by George W. Bush.

Second, I believed that our system could use an infusion of fresh blood - and young people. In a nation that has accumulated $9.2 trillion of debt, a new generation of voices must rise - voices of the generation that - unless we quickly reverse course - will be forced to pay that enormous debt.

Third, I ran for office to improve outcomes in struggling urban schools. In a city where 60 percent of kids fail to complete high school and less than 10% of incoming freshmen go on attend four-year colleges, we've got to try innovative solutions, even if those solutions may offend certain interest groups.

Fourth, I wanted to shake up the political establishment, and reconnect regular people with politics by running a true grass-roots campaign that engaged people of all backgrounds, but especially attempted to engage young people who are too often disconnected from the political process.

Finally, I ran for office to help bridge the racial divide in this city and this country.

If I were to create a presidential candidate from scratch, a candidate who could do all of the things I dream of doing, I couldn't do much better than Barack Obama.

Barack Obama had the judgment and the foresight to oppose the war in 2002.

Barack Obama represents a new generation of leadership and has the courage to propose bold, progressive, and feasible solutions to the looming troubles with Social Security and the crisis of 47 million people without health insurance.

Barack Obama is the only Democratic candidate to propose innovative solutions for the problems plaguing urban schools, solutions that are based on solid research and grounded in the belief that poor children deserve an education every bit as good as affluent children.

Barack Obama is the only Democrat who has truly engaged young people, transforming presidential primary politics by holding $15 grass-roots fundraisers and attracting hundreds of thousands of young people, most of whom are enjoying their first political experience.

And he's clearly the candidate best equipped to heal our nation's racial divide. The day Barack Obama is sworn in, every kid in this country, regardless of their color, can look to the White House and say, "I could be president someday." And electing a leader whose father would not have been allowed to drink from the same fountain as his mother in many states just one generation ago would be a powerful statement of America's capacity for forgiveness and goodness, in a time when our image abroad is suffering.

Barack Obama's intelligence, judgment, empathy, and vision make him the perfect remedy to 8 years of George Bush and Dick Cheney. That's why I'm supporting him for President. I hope you'll join me. If you can help, please reply to this email and we'll connect you to the Obama campaign.

Best Wishes,

Jeff