al has given us through the d.l.c. a consistently invaluable repository of ideas for the laboratory of the 50 states. through the national conversations, the new d.l.c. fellows program, or simply through the d.l.c. website, he invites us in and sends us out armed with ideas that strengthen our communities, keep our family safe, implement fiscal discipline, ect our children and spur on economic development. through the decade i have known him, just one small chapter, i know, i have witnessed the genius of his short and long-term vision, a powerful reminder of the capacity of one person to impact systemic change. with his magnetic intensity, he is constantly seeking and finding new challenges, pushing the frontier a little farther. now, of course, the responsibility is ours to meet his challenge. the tremendous challenge of al from to move beyond politics to build and enhance a culture of citizenship and leadership. as a d.l.c. fellow, i've had the opportunity to join 24 other young elected officials from around the count

i first met al from in the d.l.c. nearly a decade ago as a senate staffer working for jean carnahan. the contact was both direct, our staff work closely with theirs on a variety of issues. we attended the excellent d.l.c. policy retreats. but it was also indirect. our missouri police departments called us frequently about the cops program, young poem called about america corps, the earned income tax credit, d.l.c. programs but without ever mentioning the d.l.c. the political current al created was so strong that it was mainstream and seminal. in a place lick missouri he could provide direction for national leaders like dick gephardt, high profile governors lick mel carnahan, for jean carnahan during her 10 newer in the senate or state legislators like me navigating the rock y waters of a tricky political climate. i know over time he has guided every one of my political heroes including our former president. al has given us through the d.l.c. a consistently invaluable repository of ideas for the laboratory of the 50 sta

the d.l.c. and for what you said about al tonight. thank you, bruce reed, for all of your wonderful service in the white house and your friendship to me and for leading the d.l.c. and for what you said tonight. thank you, will marshall, thank you gyinger and sarah and jenny. and mark. and thank you, elizabeth. this is really all for you, after all. i would like to thank those who, like me, had the benefit of serving as chair of the d.l.c. they are all here and they have all been introduced. but it was a club i wanted to be part of. and world championship really blessed in those early years by chuck robb and sam nunn and dick gephardt, later joe lieberman, ev evan bayh. by senator carper, and there is a really, i think, magnificent person that will speak after me that proves the d.l.c. fellows program, rachel storch i'm glad you are hear representing the state and local representatives affiliated with the d.l.c. that was a really good movie. it had the virtue of being at least except for the stuff

the d.l.c. begins to build a vault of protocols to reconnect democrats to the forgotten middle class. job creation, welfare reform, a strengthened military. a tough approach to crime and a new embrace of national service. despite fierce resistance, the courageous new democratic agenda marks the beginning of a long climb back to power, resuscitating the dying party by making it once again the party of opportunity and growth. in april of 1989, al travels to arkansas to recruit the state's young governor to assume the chairmanship of the d.l.c. together bill clinton, al and others write the new orleans declaration which lays out a bold new governing policy for the party. soon thereafter clinton delivers a peach in cleveland that -- a speech in cleveland that propels him to the forefront of politics. then he launches a presidential campaign as a different democrat. >> we offer a new choice based on old values. we offer opportunity. we demand responsibility. we will build an american community again.

in the new orleans declaration, the seminal document of the d.l.c. and new democrat politics, we brought it back. we declared in clear and simple terms that the promise of america is equal opportunity. that the purpose of the democratic party is to expand opportunity, not government. and that economic growth and the private sector is the prerequisite for opportunity for all. but with opportunity comes responsibility. as we further declared in new orleans, we believe that american citizenship entails responsibilities as well as rights. we mean to ask our citizens to give something back to their communities and their country. i hope i have done that and i intend to keep on giving. we've evoked a lot of memories tonight. we should enjoy and savor every one of them, but as we do, let us not forget that our work has just begun. that we still have so much more to do. opportunity and responsibility are the cornerstones of the poll stick -- politics of the future, not the past. finding new way to further them is a never-ending challenge, even as we look back