Cumberland County Debate
Moderated by Malory Otteson Shaughnessy
April 9, 2006 - New Gloucester
Opening and Closing Remarks
by Jean Hay Bright
One-Minute Opening Statement
My name is Jean Hay Bright. I'm a writer, an organic farmer, and a Democrat running for U.S. Senate.

We all know the current administration in Washington is incompetent and corrupt. And that won't change as long as Republicans are in control of Congress.

Your vote in June and November will make a difference in what happens next in this country. Democrats in Maine need to decide not only who can beat Olympia Snowe, but who will best represent Maine in the U.S. Senate.

Do you want a Senator with backbone, one who has always stood by the courage of her convictions, one with a vision for America and hope for the future, one who speaks out for what she believes in - and what you believe in? I think you do.

I hope you will listen closely to what we say here tonight. When you do, I believe you'll come to understand how I love my country, how I view the world, and how my life experiences have brought me to this place.

And I hope you will see that my values are your values, and that a vote for me is a vote for the America we all want to live in.

Two-Minute Closing Statement
Thank you all for coming tonight, for listening to what I had to say, for asking thoughtful questions, and for being involved in the Democratic process.

My campaign is about ending the war, about getting our troops and our corporations out of Iraq, about ending the tragic loss of life of our young men and women, and about bringing peace, not conflict, to the other parts of the world.

My campaign is about providing national single-payer health care for all Americans, so that our industries can be competitive, and we can unleash an entrepreneurial spirit in America not seen in generations.

My campaign is about true homeland security; not confiscating pen knives and authorizing illegal wiretaps, but about economy, and energy, and environment and education. It's about building a sustainable economy, restoring our nation's manufacturing capacity to its former luster, recognizing the skill of American workers, and providing them with a safe workplace, where they earn a fair day's pay for an honest day's work. It's about a real commitment to renewable energy, based on conservation, solar, wind, hydro, and other technologies, so we can develop a foreign policy based on peace, not exploitation.

It's about providing everyone with the opportunity for ample education. Not teaching to the test, but teaching how to think, and reason.

And my campaign is about the environment, understanding it and protecting it, about being good stewards, and about leaving this earth a better place than we found it, so that those who follow us will be healthy and productive.

Most importantly, my campaign is about values, and about giving all of you the confidence you need to make the best choices for the days ahead.

As you've listened tonight, I hope you've found that your values are my values, and that a vote for me is a vote for the America we all want to live in.

Thank you.