Debbie Wasserman Schultz Appears with Glenn Nye

Yesterday I attended a lunch fund raiser for Glenn Nye, with keynote speaker Congressman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.  Do I need to wax on about Glenn Nye some more?  Or do you all know that I've pretty much made it my goal to do anything I can to help him unseat Thelma Drake in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District?  Got it?  OK.

This was, however, the first time I've seen the Florida Congresswoman in person. I've idolized her from afar up until now.  Hell, she's a mother of 9 year old twins and a 5 year old and still manages to make politics look easy.  How does she do that?

When Glenn Nye introduced Wasserman-Schultz, he talked about how much he identifies with her.  Like Glenn, the congresswoman got involved in politics at a young age.  She was 26 when elected to the house in Florida and 34 when elected to the Florida Senate.  She was 38 when elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she serves on both the Appropriations and Judiciary Committees.

Debbie (Can I call you, Debbie, congresswoman?) also chairs the Red to Blue program, which targets Republican seats throughout the country where the DNC believes they can win.  Surprise, surprise!  They're going after Drake's seat this year and giving Glenn support along the way.

I look at her and I wonder what I've been doing with my life!  I think Glenn said it best when he said, "I want to be Debbie Wasserman-Schultz!"  I swear he didn't say it in a kooky, gender-bending way, but in a very endearing, "I'm not afraid to hero worship a woman" kind of way.  Just one more reason to adore Glenn Nye - he said exactly what I was thinking.

Nye then read us an email he'd received from a voter. The voter shared the story of how she had fought to regain good credit after a divorce and, while raising two children, bought her first house.  Then, as interest rates began to rise and it started to cost her $900 to fill her oil heating tank, she lost her home.  After Congress acted to relieve home owners from some of the interest rate mortgage burdens, she wrote to Congresswoman Drake to ask what Congress planned to do to help those who had already lost their homes.

Drake, callously responded in a letter that she had not supported the legislation and did not believe that they should be helping people who had purchased homes they couldn't afford in the first place. Um....way to go, Thelma.  Why not just come right out and call her a lazy, irresponsible freeloader?

Debbie Wasserman-Schultz then spoke briefly about Thelma Drake, noting that they had both been elected to Congress at the same time but that they couldn't be ideologically any further apart.  She mentioned Thelma's vote against S-CHIP and, let's just say that Wasserman-Schultz isn't going to be joining any Thelma fan clubs any time soon.

Wasserman-Schultz has a long history as an advocate for families and children and spoke candidly today about the importance of raising the next generation of voters, as well as the next generation of politicians, with heart, empathy, and ideals.  Glenn Nye and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz are both perfect examples of this new generation of politicians tasked with straightening this huge mess of a nation we've created.

The moment she uttered the words "Raising the next generation," I knew I'd have to give her my last MOMocrats button.  When I gave it to her and explained what MOMocrats is and that one of our taglines is "Raising the Next Generation of Blue," she immediately put the button on and promised to check out our site. Next, I'll be following up with her office to see if I can interview her for our Run, Mama, Run series.

Stephanie Himel-Nelson, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and Glenn Nye. (Note the Congresswoman's MOMocrats button!)
Please ignore what someone called the "Palin-like glare" on my glasses. (Shudder.)  You can be assured that I'll be taking them off for all future photos.  Until the end of time.

***If you'd like to donate to Glenn's campaign (hint, hint), please do.  It's a close race right now and I've heard that McCandidate and his lipstick toting sidekick will be making an appearance with Thelma Drake in Virginia Beach on Monday.

Stephanie Himel-Nelson also likes to pretend that she blogs at Lawyer Mama, even though she hasn't posted there since before the DNC. But someday (after November 4th) she will visit her personal blog again! In the meantime, she serves as Deputy Director for Outreach for Blue Star Families for Obama and does everything she can to help elect progressive Democrats to office.

Comments

[cynematic]

I love Wasserman-Schultz's fierce ability to advocate in no uncertain terms for the people and policies she believes in. She did that for Clinton and now she's doing that for Obama and Nye.

Rock on, Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz!

(I *love* the talent we have among Dem Party women leaders. What a deep talent pool that's only getting better and deeper!)

[Not Joel Rubin]

Glnn wnts t b Dbb Wssmrmn-Schltz? H's lrd cls. Th bth lk mn!! Kddng, jst kddng. ctll, Glnn, frst y'd hv t srv n th stt lgsltr, b yr wn hm nstd f lvng wth yr bg sstr, gt rd f ths flnnl pjms, fnd yrslf grl, gt mrrd, hv kds...Y gt th d. Gln, 'v mt Dbb Wssrmn nd y r n Dbb Wssrmn.

I see someone from the Drake campaign has shown up! Thanks for stopping by, but we don't allow personal attacks on this website. I had no choice but to disemvowel you.

[Heather J]

I'm so glad to see others that are anti-Drake. I supported Kellam and now I support Nye. She is a complete stain. Was happy to see she got bumped at the RNC. Sahhh-weeeeet! Sad to know that McShame/Failin are even coming back to this area, but I know they are desperate.
Hopefully, Nye will win next month and we'll be able to throw a going away party for Thelma. She needs to go back to Ohio and get away from me.

[mom101]

I thought she totally rocked it on MSN yesterday. I'm always so exciting to see her on. Of course I'm not that familiar with Nye being all the way up here in Yankee land, but your vote of confidence is good enough for me.

And boy, I do love a good disemvowelment in the morning.