Transcript of Rev. Jesse Jackson's Convention Speech

Aug. 15 -- Civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson, a veteran of Democratic conventions, fired up the delegates in Los Angeles tonight in a speech targeted at Republicans and their presidential nominee, George W. Bush. Read a full transcript of his remarks here.

Rev. Jesse Jackson:

The long arm of justice reaches neither for the political left nor the political right, but for the moral center. Vanity asks the question, Is it popular? Politics asks the question, Will it work? Can I win? Morality and conscience ask the question,Is it right? In the end, if it is morally right, politics and popularity has to adjust to the unyielding power of the moral center.

There was a left and right in slavery but no moral center, a left anda right in denying women the right to vote but no moral center.

Tonight we gather here in Los Angeles, home to dream makers whoentice the world, but also home of the janitors and sanitary workerswho clean up your world. Los Angeles, home of a handful of America’srichest people and hundreds of America’s poorest workers.

This Democratic convention is set in that great divide betweenBeverly Hills and South Central, between the dream makers and dreambreakers. And we commit ourselves today to make America better, tostand with the janitors who had to strike to get a dollar more anhour, to stand with the hotel workers who work every day but don’t gethealth care. We are on your side.

Two weeks ago, in Philadelphia, the nation was treatedto a staged show—smoke, mirrors, hired acts the Republicans calledinclusion. That was the inclusion illusion.

In Philadelphia …

(APPLAUSE)

… diversity ended on that stage. They could not mention thewords “Africa,” “Appalachia” or “AIDS” once.

So it’s good to be in Los Angeles, to look over this greatassembly and see the real deal, the quilt with many patches that isAmerica. There are 1,000 union workers here …

(APPLAUSE)

… a thousand African Americans, 1,000 Latinos and AsianAmericans. As many women as men...

(APPLAUSE)

America’s working families are here, headed by a Southern Baptistand an Orthodox Jew. This is America’s dream team, the DemocraticParty.

In this diversity is our strength. Mr. Bush stood with JeffersonDavis and the Confederate flag in South Carolina and Abe Lincoln andthe American flag in Baltimore, but Mr. Gore and Lieberman can say:One America, one flag.

Last week, when Al Gore chose Joe Lieberman as his running mate,he stood up for justice. He appealed to the best in America. Inselecting Joe Lieberman, Al Gore has brought the sons and daughters ofslaves and slave master together with the sons and daughters ofHolocaust survivors, women fighting for self-determination, workersfighting for wage security and dignity.