The parking lot of a one-time train station became the scene of
an event Friday night that was half upscale political affair, half
rock concert.
The soiree teamed major league Democratic leaders such as New
York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former presidential candidate Howard
Dean with Southern Californian rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers in a
fund-raiser intended to help the Democratic party in its fight to
regain control of the Senate.
Over 2,000 people braved ominous gray clouds to come out to
Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station to show support for the
Democratic Party.
The night started off on an awkward note when Kay Hunt sung a
slightly reinterpreted version of the national anthem. Several
times throughout the song, Hunt seemed to forget the words and
improvised with her own lyrics.
The event quickly hit its stride as a series of speakers gave
brief rally calls to the supportive Democratic audience to get out
the vote, contribute money, and win Senate majority.
Despite the speakers’ confidence, many see a tough road
for the Democrats to regain Senate control. Several of the
important Senate races are in the South, where Republicans tend to
be favored.
Dan Allen, a spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial
Committee, said he believes the strength of the Republican Party in
the South will ensure a Republican majority in the Senate.
But at Friday’s event, many speakers shrugged off the
difficulties the Democratic Party may face and instead hit on
relevant issues they see as at stake in this campaign.
“I know a lot of you care about the Supreme Court
justices,” said New Jersey Sen. Jon Corzine. He said putting
Democrats in control in the White House and in the Senate is the
only way to protect abortion rights.
The next president could be responsible for appointing two or
more justices to the Supreme Court and many supporters of abortion
rights believe incumbent President Bush would appoint justices that
would overturn Roe v. Wade ““ the landmark 1973 case which
legalized abortion.
Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin emphasized the need for Democrats to win
both the presidency and the Senate.
He said if presidential candidate John Kerry gets elected but
the Senate remains in Republican hands, then the Senate
“would do what (former House speaker) Newt Gingrich did to
Bill Clinton.” He said the Senate would wrest control from
the president and stall Democratic legislation in Congress.
California’s own incumbent Sen. Barbara Boxer was
introduced to chants of “Barbara! Barbara!”
“The last two times I ran it was tough. This time it looks
a little easier,” she said, referring to her commanding lead
in the polls over her Republican challenger, former California
Secretary of State Bill Jones.
Boxer served as a lead-in to the night’s headliners.
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean riled up the crowd with a
satirical take on his now-infamous campaign speech, by bellowing
out “We’re going to win in Florida! We’re going
to win in Arizona!” and a list of other states.
Dean called on the crowd to get out the vote.
“We are not going to lose this election because we
didn’t get out every last vote,” he said.
To the loudest cheers of the night up to that point, Dean
introduced Illinois senatorial candidate Barack Obama.
Obama spoke clearly and confidently about the need to
“protect the powerless from the powerful” and invest in
the welfare of the children in the United States.
“We don’t just inherit the world from our parents,
we also borrow it from our children,” he said.
Next in line to address the crowd was former First Lady Hillary
Clinton.
Clinton spoke of the need to win by big margins in states like
California that are not considered “battleground
states.” She also urged people to travel to nearby contested
states such as Arizona and Nevada to get out the vote.
In what was an inevitably difficult transition, Boxer returned
to the stage to introduce the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
A mini-demographic shift then took place as the sound of
Flea’s bass guitar drove some of the audience’s older
members away and brought the younger members toward the stage.
Lead singer Anthony Kiedis came on stage wearing a vintage Super
Bowl T-shirt, which he promptly removed before the end of the first
song.
The band played a variety of songs, including two new ones.
A touching moment occurred when Flea, the bass player, commented
that Clinton had “pretty eyes,” to which Kiedis
responded, “So do you, Flea.”
The concert portion ended with the band’s signature hit,
“Under the Bridge.”
Nancy Greenstein, director of police community services for the
UC Police Department, was in attendance at the event.
She said though she has been to many political events, this one
was unusual in the number of big names present. She said the event
was “really motivating.”
“It reminds me that (everyone needs) to work hard in the
next couple of weeks,” she said.
Rick Jacobs of Democracy for America, a Democratic grassroots
activist organization, said the event raised about $500,000.