Yarmuth at DNC breakfast: ‘This literally is life or death’

U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) at this morning's breakfast: Politicker photo

DENVER – U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville) framed the significance of the 2008 election in no uncertain terms during his address to the Kentucky Democratic National Convention delegation this morning.

“This literally is life or death. There are 4,100 Americans who gave up their lives because of a Republican president; a miscalculation, dishonesty and totally poor judgment about what should happen around the world and what our role was,” said Yarmuth, referencing the casualty figures from the war in Iraq. “We can’t afford another four years of the policies of George Bush.”

“I don’t think people realize how much damage they have done,” added Yarmuth. “We have got a lot of work to do.”

Yarmuth also bemoaned contemporary politics within Kentucky, pointing to the work of the last legislative session as seriously flawed.

“Because of what that General Assembly did this year, people are going to die,” said Yarmuth. “I am not mincing words. We have got tons at stake.”

The Kentucky General Assembly – which is comprised of a Democratic-controlled state House and a Republican-controlled state Senate – was targeted by some this year who saw the sessions as unproductive.

Speaking to delegates from a state that went overwhelmingly for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in a May 20 presidential primary, Yarmuth pushed the election of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as a key means with which to remedy the problems he perceived.

“The only hope in this country right now – I believe - is the leadership of Barack Obama and the Democratic Party,” said Yarmuth. “That’s why we are here this week – to tell the American people and show the American people.”

The freshman U.S. House member noted he had earlier been frustrated at the perceived lack of direction of the Democratic Party after they suffered losses in 2004.
“We were all licking our wounds. And one of the things we kept saying was the Democratic Party really doesn’t stand for anything – that’s the way we were feeling then,” Yarmuth said.

For 2008, he suggested the actions of elected Republicans had served as a unifying mechanism for Democrats across the country.

“Thank god for George Bush and the neo-cons, because they have shown us the difference between Republican and Democratic philosophies,” said Yarmuth. “Clearly, it makes a difference about who we elect to office.”

The picture in Kentucky for Yarmuth’s favored presidential candidate has appeared bleaker in recent weeks, with polls showing the Illinois lawmaker lagging behind the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by a double-digit margin.

Yarmuth, however, suggested increased voter registration in the state would benefit Obama’s candidacy in a way polls could not pick up.

“We have thousands and thousands and thousands of new Democrats throughout Kentucky who will vote for Democrats this year because they signed up to vote for Democrats,” said Yarmuth. “All these polls that you see that show different people 15 points down, 20 points down -- you can kind of take that with a grain of salt because there are thousands and thousands of new voters out there who are waiting for a chance to change the state and change the country.”