Democratic Party Fundraiser, Washington D.C.
Richard Douglas had been invited to speak with a few other representatives at a Democratic Party Fundraiser in Washington D.C. He brought his wife and children to the event after having dinner at an Italian restaurant nearby. They had come on a weekend trip, to see their father and visit his workplace and Washington D.C. As well as Felicia, Richard's wife attending the State of the Union Address with him. He had taken his children around the Capitol and some parts of the National Mall that day, after reviewing points from the President's State of the Union Address with his Chief of Staff John Maddox in the morning, both things he was to continue the next day.
After a few representatives spoke at the fundraiser he was called up "Hello everyone" he said as he walked up to the front "How are you all doing today? I'm Richard Douglas, Representative of Minnesota's Fourth District, I suppose not many of you know me. I'm a freshman in this congress, just elected a few months ago. I don't know the political system, but I know you, the people, ordinary Americans, working hard to make ends meet. You need a voice in this congress, you need to be heard, that is why I and so many other Democratic Members of Congress are working hard to represent you, to give you a voice, in a political system that too often rewards elitism. We will continue to fight hard for you, but we need your support, a dollar or two would really help as we continue to fight corporate power, backed by millionaires, giving their money to help government give them more."
"We cannot give anymore money to corporate power, to the rich CEOs, or the millionaires of America. Instead we must give back to you, ordinary Americans, struggling to make ends meet. We must help you, and I pledge that if you help us in our cause, we will give back to you. Presidential hopefuls like Jonathan Jackson want to give tax breaks to large corporations, and reward them for being large, for paying workers less. He wants to get rid of the minimum wage, Mr. Jackson the minimum wage is there because without it, what will large corporations pay their workers when there are no constraints? I'll tell you what, close to nothing, how do we expect the poorest among us to make ends meet, when their pay is so low? I don't think Mr. Jackson knows the answer to that, but living in a low class household in the midst of the Great Depression, I know. The answer to that I posed, is that they don't ends meet, they're lefts for days on end without a meal, without some of the basic principles of human life."
"Where will the dangerous proposals of the Republican Party leave you? The ordinary American struggling to make ends meet? They don't know your struggle, but we in the Democratic Party we know your struggle, and we will do our erst to help you."
