Good Morning, and I know I always say this when I am in this situation, but I am always so happy to be in a room filled with Democrats!

I want to add my thanks to the organizers of this event.

I also want to extend my personal welcome to Nelson County and look forward to getting together with all of you at Al's beautiful farm and winery for lunch after this convention. The setting is as wonderful as our candidate is himself!

I have known Al Weed and his wife, Suiling Weed, for over thirty years; our children grew up together here in Nelson County. I am here to talk about why we need Al to be our voice in the US House of Representatives in Washington.

Now, at the local level of government, what's happening? We take care of your garbage, provide water and sewer, support our public schools, manage public safety, suffer over land use issues, etc.

At the state level, what's happening? Not much this year in Virginia!! Just kidding, as we did actually get a budget from the General Assembly yesterday. And our Democratic representatives and Governor Warner have worked hard on important issues.

But at the national level, what is happening is everything that matters to us as human beings, as citizens, as parents, as…..Democrats! The national issues are those that are at the very heart of our country, of what we hold close and are willing to fight for.

And what, I ask you, are those things we care about, that bring us to our feet, that cause our hearts to beat faster, that bind us together as Democrats?

I will name a few, and there certainly are others.

Health care. Hillary Clinton recently wrote an article in the NY Times entitled "NOW are we ready to talk about health care?" Who among us here today has not experienced the frustrations of our current outmoded health care system? We are paying dearly for a system that is inadequate, unfair and is making some people very rich, and I do not mean the doctors! How much longer do we tolerate this situation? Al has a lifetime of exposure to these issues- he was a medic in the military, his wife is a nurse, and his son, Tracey, is about to finish his surgery training. He knows from the heart what needs to be done.

And education? What has this administration given us lately? No Child Left Behind-a program bereft of understanding about the real issues of education. Al's daughter, Julie, is a teacher, and they talk-he knows the real issues: children cannot or do not learn for many reasons, and punishing our schools and our teachers is NOT the solution.

What about the war in Iraq? If anyone knows about war and the military it is Al. He was a soldier for most of his life and understands the military. He, like the rest of us here today, is appalled by the situation and disastrous mess America is in, which seems to worsen every week, if not every day. We need a strong, experienced voice in Washington- to speak out for all the good that is America and all the good that America can do.

The environment. What good is all the good we can do if we have no world to live in? We need an energy policy in this country! This administration is backsliding on environmental protection and what will our children say? Al has worked long and hard locally and regionally on growth issues and this is the core of all our environmental problems. Al has a fundamental understanding of what needs to be done.

Jobs, the economy, globalization, the future of farming-these are things that worry us mightily. Al's long and remarkable experience in each of these areas-read his bio!- gives us hope for a voice of reason in Washington-and we can all use a good dollop of hope right about now..

Did I forget freedom?? How are we doing with freedom under the Bush administration??
Affirmative action: threatened.

Freedom of speech: does our news media still have it? Read the foreign press for a wake-up call.

Reproductive choice: threatened and threatened. Al was there for the March for Women's Lives on April 25. He will be there for the important votes in Washington to protect our women and their families' right to choose their own destinies.

And how about the incredible push for a Constitutional amendment that would restrict personal freedom? Since when has an amendment to our Constitution constricted freedom instead of protecting it?

And this Republican idea that Congress should have the power to overrule the Supreme Court. I could never even dream up something as odious as this.

These are perfect examples of why we need an intelligent, strong and vocal person to stand up and help protect the freedoms for which many Americans have lost their lives.

Al has a long and admirable history of working for working people, for farmers, and teachers and small businesspeople. He will be a voice for those who need one and will fight against the mean-spirited policies that prevail in Washington.

I cannot tell you how excited I am that we have a candidate of such intelligence, integrity, experience, dedication, energy and heart.

And now I am so proud to nominate Al Weed as the Democratic candidate for the House of Representatives from the 5th District of Virginia!!"

- Connie Brennan, May 8, 2004