Elizabeth Warren Warns Washington: ‘America Is More Progressive Than You Are’ (Video)

Progressive icon Elizabeth Warren delivered an amazing speech at Netroots Nation, warning Washington and all conservatives that progressive values “are America’s Values.”

Elizabeth Warren delivered the keynote address Friday morning at Netroots Nation, the annual convention for progressive activists. Her half-hour speech was met with cheers throughout, as she laid out her message that progressive values are America’s values.

Warren opened by appealing to her base, acknowledging that the organizers’ choice to hold this year’s convention in Arizona was controversial, and “not because it is hot enough out there to melt your flip-flops,” Warren quipped.

“I’m going to start right off the bat before we get any further in this – as loud as I can: no ifs, no ands, no buts, Arizona’s SB1070 is a stupid law. It is stupid. It is racist. It is unconstitutional and it should be struck down.”

She also started off by mentioning the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling, and by taking pot shots at her former opponent Scott Brown, whom she beat in 2012, and Sarah Palin, who issued a scathing critique of Warren’s Netroots Nation speech last year. The Democratic U.S. Senator from Massachusetts mockingly labeled Palin’s review “deep.”

As is her focus, Warren spoke a good deal about consumer economics and the need to reform and regulate Wall Street, but it was her overall message and in particular her call to action on issues of race that garnered the most applause and attention.

“Progressives believe that it should not take a revolution on YouTube to drive a revolution in law enforcement. It shouldn’t take a hurricane in New Orleans or a massacre in Charleston for Americans to wake up to what is happening, what is still happening to people of color in this country,” she said, to great applause. “And it sure as heck shouldn’t take poll numbers to unite us in our determination to build a future for all of our children,” she said, reinforcing it with a, “that’s right!”

“House Republicans might still want to fly the Confederate flag and Republican leaders may cower in the shadow of Donald Trump, but American people understand that black lives matter and America is not a country that stands for racism, bigotry or hatred,” Warren continued as the progressive audience cheered even louder.

“Yup,” she added as the audience continued to cheer.

“This is a moral issue and an economic issue. To build an economy that creates real opportunity, that doesn’t lock up millions of our fellow human beings behind bars and that uses the talents of all our people. America must prove that on equality and justice, the American people are progressives.”

Warren also called for a higher minimum wage, guaranteed paid sick leave, tax fairness, and protection of social security, along with reforms in trade, campaign finance and student loan debt – all issues she reminded the left that the majority of Americans widely support.

“As different as we are, on these key economic issues — on the economic issues that will shape future of this country — America is progressive.”

And she goaded conservatives to work – or get out of Democrats’ way – on immigration.

“And let’s say it to the Republicans, loud and clear, if you truly want to do something about immigration then get out of the way, get on the right side of history and let us pass comprehensive immigration reform.”

The 66-year old Oklahoma native hammered home her message.

“Our values are America’s values, and America’s values are progressive values,” Warren announced to thousands of her supporters in the Phoenix convention center.

“I’m going to make an announcement to insider Washington: America is more progressive than you are,” Warren warned.

Here’s Warren’s entire speech:

 

Image by Elizabeth Warren via Twitter
Quotes via The Guardian, Addicting Info, Al Jazeera
Video clip via Raw Story
Full video via Netroots Nation/YouTube