Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

The Leon County Young Democrats are proud to announce our 1st annual (and hopefully only) Filibuster Film Festival next Tuesday, May 24, 2005, at Paradigm downtown. We will be showing Mr Smith Goes to Washington starring Jimmy Stewart at 7:30 pm. The classic 1939 Frank Capra film tells the story of how a naive, good-hearted Senator stands up to powerful, corrupt interests by using the filibuster. Arriving between 6:30 and 7 should ensure you'll get a good seat. The film festival is open to the public, and it's FREE! Snacks will be provided and there will be a cash bar.

We are holding this event to make a statement about the filibuster debate currently being held in the US Senate. Over 200 years of precedent are being threatened with this latest attempt by the GOP to eliminate the last check on their power. The threat of the "nuclear option" is fundamentally un-American, and it's up to all Americans to stop it. We will have a "Save the Filibuster!" petition in support of preserving the filibuster as a means of protecting the rights of the minority. After all in attendance have signed it, we will then forward it along to our Senators in Congress. They can then see in black and white where Leon County citizens stand on the issue.

If Bill Frist and his reactionary supporters are successful in changing the rules to suit them by eliminating the filibuster of lifetime judicial nominees, what's to stop them there? The argument that every judicial nominee deserves an "up or down vote" could easily be then extended to legislation, thus killing the filibuster altogether. The minority would then have no voice in our government.

Jefferson Smith's triumph over corruption will have been in vain.

So come down to Paradigm next Tuesday night to stand up for the filibuster and Mr. Smith!