1Over the last two weeks, I received hundreds of phone calls and emails, encouraging me to runfor governor of Colorado. To those who took the time to write or call, let me say that I amdeeply grateful for your support.To be clear, though, this election is not about my job; it’s about yours. It’s about the 100,000Coloradans who lost their jobs last year. Nearly 350,000 Coloradans – that’s one out of everyeight working-age adults – are unemployed or stuck in part-time jobs or have given up lookingfor work altogether.We need a strong governor to continue putting Colorado back to work. John Hickenlooper’sexperience in the public and private sectors makes him well qualified for that job. I’ve had theprivilege to work closely with Mayor Hickenlooper for the last seven years. I admire hiscreativity and his leadership. I support his candidacy, and I look forward to campaigning withhim this fall.It’s not only Coloradans who are suffering, of course. In every state in the union, families arelosing their paychecks, their coverage, and their savings.The problems that afflict America today are too broad and too deep for a state to solve on itsown. We find ourselves at a tipping point. Our economy, our health, and, in many ways, thefate of the earth itself hang in the balance.Yesterday we honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “The ultimate measure of aman,” Dr. King once said, “is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, butwhere he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”This is a time of challenge and controversy. We need bold leadership not only in the WhiteHouse but also
at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue.That’s why I’m running for the U.S. Senate.In recent months, we’ve seen what happens in the absence of leadership. We’ve seen whathappens when senators cut special deals for Nebraska or Louisiana or Florida. What we haven’tseen – and what we desperately need – is at least one member of the U.S. Senate who willstand up for the United States of America. One senator who will say no to backroom deals.One senator who will take on Washington’s political class by turning down the corporate cashthat corrupts it.Fortunately, Coloradans have a choice this year. I say “fortunately” because some folks haveforgotten what democracy is all about. Too many elections are foregone conclusions, contestsin name only, or auctions in which public offices are sold to the highest bidder. The politicianswho prevail pose little threat to the status quo; their victories are bought and paid for by an
2incumbent-protection racket that regards voters as expendable. We have flipped our politicalsystem on its head by cutting citizens out of the electoral process before the polls even open.How do we reclaim our democracy? We restore the power of people. We lead by example.We are building a broad, grassroots campaign, fueled by and focused on the people of Colorado. I’m proud to have enlisted more than 5,000 supporters, covering every county in thestate.Today I am asking every Coloradan to join us. Sign on at www.andrewromanoff.com.Together,
we’ll prove that genuine change comes not from trolling for dollars on Wall Street but fromtalking to people on Main Street.That’s what this election is about. In 10 months, the people of Colorado will decide whether werun Washington – or whether it’s the other way around.That decision begins today. In fact, a lot of outside interest groups have already voted.The nation’s biggest insurance firms, drug-makers, oil companies, and Wall Street banks arepouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into my opponents’ campaign coffers. Why? Whatdo these donors expect to get in return for their money? And what have they already gotten?Those are questions each candidate will have to answer. But here’s what we do know: thesame special-interest groups that are bankrolling my opponents are blocking the reform weneed in D.C.It’s not just a single senator; it’s the whole system. We’ve put our democracy up for sale.Congress has become a wholly owned subsidiary of the industries it’s supposed to beregulating.It’s no secret; it’s a matter of public record. Take a look at the biggest donors on the FederalElection Commission website – that’s www.fec.gov.It’s a “who’s who” of the nation’s most
powerful political action committees. These groups know that the best way to advance theiragenda is not simply to lobby lawmakers – it’s to pick them.For many industries, subsidizing members of Congress is simply a cost of doing business.Companies shell out a certain amount each month for wages, for benefits, and for electedofficials.The problem is: we get what they pay for.
That’s why we spend twice as much as our competitors on health care and are nowpoised to give the insurance industry 30 million more customers – without providing
3Americans the choice of a public option or even discussing a not-for-profit model like somany other industrialized nations use.
That’s why we shield the profits of pharmaceutical manufacturers and offer them a taxbreak on their advertising – rather than negotiate discounts on behalf of consumers.
That’s why we desecrate our environment and disrupt our climate – instead of endingour addiction to fossil fuel and transforming the way we heat our homes and fuel ourcars.
And that’s why we not only allow the biggest gamblers in the world, the speculators onWall Street, to jeopardize our pensions and capsize our economy, we reward them withtaxpayer-funded bonuses – when we should be protecting families from foreclosure andfraud.I want to pause on this point because it’s such a clear example of what’s broken in Washington.Some of the nation’s largest financial firms – call them “bankers without scruples” – have beengambling with our money. They sell mortgages to people who can’t afford them, resell them ata profit, and then make even more money by betting that they’ll fail.They’ve gotten away with this – and they continue to get away with it – only because no oneholds them accountable. That’s no accident; it’s why the banking industry lavishes millions onthe members of Congressional banking committees. For a Wall Street banker, the price of apliable politician is not just a bargain; it’s a steal.It’s a great deal for Wall Street: “Heads I win, tails you bail me out.” It’s a raw deal for everyoneelse.The sight of so many senators sacrificing their constituents for the sake of their contributorsisn’t just unpleasant; it’s obscene.
We’re not going to stand for this. We reject politics as usual. We want a senator whoseloyalties won’t be divided. A senator whose judgment won’t be clouded. A senator who won’thave to pick between doing what’s right for his constituents and what’s profitable for hiscontributors.That’s why our campaign does not accept contributions from political action committees. I amthe only candidate in this race to make that commitment.The people of Colorado understand this decision – and they support it. In the last quarter,more Coloradans contributed to our campaign than to any other candidate for any office in our
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