"Granny D"
She met with newspaper and television reporters along the way, calling for a cleaning up of America's campaign finance system. She walked with reporters from most major American news organizations, including the New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters, and all the television networks.
She climbed the Appalachian Range in blizzard conditions, reaching Cumberland, Maryland on her 90th birthday. When a dramatic snowstorm made roads to Washington unwalkable, she sent for her cross country skis and skied the last 100 miles to Washington along the historic tow path of the C&O Canal. She was met in Washington by over 2,300 supporters, who marched with her noisily along K Street on their way to the Capitol steps. Several dozen Members of Congress, who pledged to move the bill to victory, walked with her or met her on the steps.
During the following two years she walked and fasted in Washington to move the bill through the Senate and the House. Her often round-the-clock walking vigils around the Capitol were used to force appointments with Members of Congress, where she shared what the American people had told her about their fears for the corruption of American democracy.
The bill stalled in the U.S. House when Speaker Hastert used procedures to derail it in late 2001. When the Enron scandal rose in early 2002, Ms. Haddock and a group of supporters she had met along her walk picketed the House buildings with large "Enron Congress" banners that advised House Members to "Redeem Your Sorry Selves: Support Shays-Meehan." Shays-Meehan was the House version of the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Bill. On Valentine's Day she passed out handmade valentines to all the House Members, urging them to "not break our hearts--vote for campaign finance reform." She also used an extensive e-mail list and friendships with leaders of other organizations, including Common Cause, The League of Women Voters, and the AARP, to make the Capitol switchboards light up with support.
Senator McCain visited with her on the sidewalk. House Minority Leader Gephardt invited her up to his office, out of the cold, to tell her that he had the votes for passage.
Ms. Haddock was honored from the galleries of the House and Senate when the bill passed each house. Senator John McCain (R-Az) spoke as follows from the Senate floor:
"She has taken up this struggle to clean up American politics ... Granny D, you exceed any small, modest contributions those of us who have labored in the vineyards of reform have made to this Earth. We are grateful for you."
She wrote a book, published this year by Random House, titled: "Granny D: You're Never Too Old to Raise a Little Hell."
She is currently working on an effort to get America's working women registered to vote (see http://GrannyD.com ). Only half are registered.
"This is a democracy and each of us makes a difference. It is not acceptable for anyone to slink back and say that their voice, their vote, doesn't matter. It does matter. Each of us matters. It is not easy work to be a member of a real democracy. We have to study the issues. We have to study the candidates. We have to fight like hell for our values so that there will be a better nation and a better world for our children and grandchildren. I am delighted today that the Supreme Court has done the right thing with the campaign finance reform law. I have a lot of shoe leather invested in that little news item. But more importantly, I feel that a small beginning has been made to return American democracy to the human scale. We have gotten some of the biggest check writers out of our way. Now we must work from the other end, to get people registered, to get them voting, and to get them supporting, with little donations and not large donations, the men and women who will truly represent them. I think we are seeing some progress there."
"I am truly thankful to the leadership of Senators Feingold and McCain, and Congressmen Shays and Meehan. I am truly thankful for the many people who helped me, and continue to help me, so that my own efforts would have a larger effect here and there. I am thankful to Common Cause and the other good government heroes to whom we owe our democracy. I am finally thankful to those five Justices of the Supreme Court and their staffs who made a good decision today."
Ms. Haddock is taking a brief break from her voter registration work to rest and recover in Dublin, New Hampshire. She heads back to the trail, and specifically to Florida, next week.
Contact information: Doris@AmericanTownHall.org
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