Senator Cory Booker gave me the best birthday present ever on Tuesday, when he stood on the Senate floor and spoke for 25 hours and 6 minutes, breaking the record for the longest speech in U.S. Senate History.
It was a wake up call to Americans and a plea for each of us to do something about the existential crisis our country is facing. While I’ve not yet watched the entire marathon, I was deeply moved by the many excepts I’ve seen. The ironic imagery of this Black Senator breaking the record for the longest filibuster in 1957 held by Senator Strom Thurmond, a segregationist who was trying to block the Civil Rights Act was especially powerful. “I’m not here because of his speech. I’m here despite his speech. I’m here because as powerful as he was, the people were more powerful,” said Senator Booker.
Tears welled up in my eyes when he spoke John Lewis of Georgia, civil rights leader and Georgia Congressman from 1987 until his death in 2020. “It is time to heed the words of the man I began this whole thing with: John Lewis. I beg folks to take his example of his early days when he made himself determined to show his love for his country at a time the country didn’t love him, to love this country so much, to be such a patriot that he endured beatings, savagely, on the Edmund Pettus bridge, at lunch counters, on freedom rides. He said he had to do something. He would not normalize a moment like this.”
I ask you to read Heather Cox Richardson’s summary of Senator Booker’s speech, which you can find HERE.
I’ve always been impressed by Cory Booker, but his speech this week reminded me why. (Hint: It’s about character.)
You might not know about this, but Cory Booker was the subject of an Oscar-nominated documentary film twenty years ago called ‘Street Fight’. It’s about Booker’s campaign for Mayor of Newark New Jersey in 2002. As a 32-year old City Council Representative, he challenged the city’s popular, but corrupt, mayor in an unbelievable battle. I saw the film 16 years ago, before Booker was nationally well-known. Karen and I watched it last night (she had not seen it before) and we were both blown away by how mature he was as such a young age. But hour biggest take-away was how similar Booker’s opponent and his campaign tactics were (dishonest, corrupt, narcissistic, prejudiced, ruthless, etc.) to our current President. Booker was accused of being White, Republican, Jewish, and gay, among other things. We HIGHLY suggest you watch the film. It’s on YouTube. Watch this film HERE.
Twenty three years later Booker has found his voice as a senator, crying out against the regime that is trying to destroy our country’s constitution and government structure. Each one of us needs to step up and join him in our own ‘street fight’ to save our democracy.
“These are not normal times in America, and they should not be treated as such,” Booker said in his Senate speech. “This is our moral moment. This is when the most precious ideas of our country are being tested. In this democracy, the power of people is greater than the people in power.”
He also asked reminded us of John Lewis’s idea of ‘good trouble’. “(John Lewis) said for us to go out and cause some good trouble, necessary trouble, to redeem the soul of our nation. I want you to redeem the dream . . . We need that now from all Americans. This is a moral moment. It’s not left or right — it's right or wrong.
Thank you, Senator Booker. You’ve given me hope. I hope this is a turning point for Americans, that new leaders on both sides of the aisle will emerge, speak up, and somehow stop this train wreck. Let’s make America the good guys again.