The Higher Ground of Values

I had the privilege of being in the audience today to hear three Members of Congress speak today: Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (if Newt Gingrich can be Mr. Speaker Nancy Pelosi can be Madam Speaker, thank you very much).

Obviously, getting the leader of the Democratic Party to come to Houston on a hot August day during the summer recess is a big deal and the room was full to overflowing to the extent that I was starting to wonder when the fire department would show up.

The Speaker spoke. She spoke a lot. There was a lot to speak about. Obviously uppermost on the minds of lots of people in the room was the monstrosity of a budget bill that House Republicans recently passed, one that promises an end to Medicare and Social Security. One that undoes a bunch of good things that the Affordable Healthcare Act made possible. One that trades our future so that the rich can buy just one more trinket.

And Speaker Pelosi framed the argument just right I think. In the past, evangelical conservatives have placed a lot of stock in Values Voting. Their values being religious in origin. Speaker Pelosi frames the argument as Values Voting as well, but not the usual fare of Republican homophobic and misogynistic values. Putting it another way, a better way, that it isn’t about who is getting what tax break, it’s about what we Americans value most is just the ticket, I think.

And hopefully, in this short clip, I have captured the essence of Speaker Pelosi’s message.