On Tuesday December 13, 2011 "No Labels," "a group of Democrats, Republicans and Independents dedicated to a simple proposition: We want our government to work again;" On Capitol Hill, with an array of impressive Congressional guests and printed poll numbers proving " the vast majority of Americans agree with us," "No Labels" announced its 12 Ways to make Congress work" Action Plan: all wrapped up in a slick bright orange Madison Ave . brochure guidebook with much oversized lettering, their 12 steps plan includes measures like "No Budget, No Pay" for Congress, votes for Presidential appointments, and even Filibuster reform. "No Labels" clearly was founded by serious can-do professionals.
I first heard of the new "grassroots" organization called "No Labels," a year ago, and once informed of its Mission, was so impressed with its potential to usher in a Happy New 2011 Year for America, I expressed my support with both You-Tube video and online articles, promising to try to embrace their corner stone of, not applying negative labels to those with whom we disagree politically -- a sentiment that was most optimistically refreshing after two years warring exchange of labels both for and against the Tea Party.
For the record, I'm all for any American who feels so strongly about the preservation of our Country, Government and Constitution that they exercise their right to Free Speech -- as long as it is a reminder as well as embodiment of "Peaceful Assembly" as guaranteed by our Constitution's First Amendment.
Still in December 2010, especially after Conservative Blue Dog Democrats lost and ultra Conservative Republicans won U. S. House races, "No Labels" seemed to be remarkably timely ingredient for mending the crevice that has divided our American house, if not since 1980, then certainly since 2000. So wondering if "No Labels" prove to be "too little too late," or the perfect solution to, as they put it, "getting our government to work again," I waited, to hear.
The call came in December this year inviting me to attend and report on "Breaking the Gridlock: National Grassroots Movement No Labels Unveils Sweeping Action Plan to Make Congress Work!" Tuesday December 13, 2011. Then there I was, in the Caucus Room of the Cannon Building of the House of Representatives, along with over 400 hundred "No Labelers," an impressive show of and for Media coverage for a Tuesday morning (registration started at 7:30am) event.
While there was a certain air of pep rally, most ably pumped by The Honorable Lisa Borders (President of the Grady Health Foundation), to get the troops fired up and ready to accomplish no less than altering the M. O. of the United States Congress, it was a day long series of nuts and bolts sessions featuring, as Press Secretary Sarah Feldman put it: "Current and Former Members of Congress, Prominent Opinion Makers and Thousands of Citizen Leaders from Across Country Join Campaign to Change Culture of Gridlock and Make Solutions Possible."
Clearly, during the year of relative decline in the Tea Party and under coverage of the rising uprising of Occupy Wall Street across the country, unlike the TP & OWS, "No Labels" has been in the wings doing its structural, organizational and foundation laying homework. However, "No Labels" is no protest group on or for either Left or Right, preferring instead to move "Forward" by, initially at least, Making Congress Work and on this day of official December launch, they made just under a dozen current and former members of Congress do just that: work with their constituents for solutions.
Even attending such a meeting public goes against the prevailing wind of the current Congressional "Leadership" of both political parties. Sitting atop the provided high chairs, guests answered questions that provided the latest updates on pending legislative votes, explanations of the procedural system that most in the Caucus Room yesterday felt is broken and generally delivered calls for action from American voters, just as "No Labels" makes the same demand of the Congress.
If most typical of the goals of the occasion was the presence input from The Honorable David Walker, CEO of the Comeback America Initiative assisting key policymakers on a non-partisan bases, then what was most a-typical of "No Labels" hopes was Senator Joe Lieberman less than two minute spouting of familiar platitudes before an unceremonious, even abrupt departure.
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