dc_dux

My political orientation began on a bitter cold day in January 1961, at the inauguration of JFK, for whom my parents actively campaigned. Fortunately on that day, I was still in the warmth of my mother's womb, emerging two months later as a Democrat!

I was raised to be active in community affairs and gained an understanding from an early age that it takes government, the private sector and the non-profit/volunteer sector working together to make a difference in the lives of all citizens in the community, especially those most in need.

Later, the greatest political influence on my life came from Senator Jennings Randolph of West Virginia. He first was elected to the House in 1932 and he was the last remaining FDR Democrat when I went to work for him for two years in 1983-84, before he retired from the Senate. He was an avid civil rights advocate long before it was popular, an anti-war advocate and a populist in the truest sense. He was the member of Congress most responsible for the passage of the 26th Amendment that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18, believing that those young enough to fight for their country should have a voice in government. He also proposed a Department of Peace long before Kucinich "borrowed" his idea and his other greatest legacy was his bill to establish the non-partisan United States Institute of Peace, which most recently was the front funding organization for the Baker/Hamilton Iraq Study Group that sought to find a solution to the failed policy in Iraq.

The lesson that carried over most from that time was that idealism is a noble trait but in the reality of politics, more can be accomplished through pragmatism, humility and a willingness to compromise and build consensus.

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"The perfect is the enemy of the good."
~ Voltaire