John
If ever there was a reminder that politics and government are not a game, and that leadership matters, the fires raging in Los Angeles are it.
Multiple blazes across southern California have converged on America’s most populous county, and 100 mph winds—equivalent to a category 2 hurricane—have made them almost impossible to contain. For days, embers of fire have rained down on homes, businesses, churches, and schools.
It is a heartbreaking scene, and we are rallying our community to lend their support. If you can donate even $5 to the California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund, you can help make a difference and lift up our country in the face of this tragedy.
Too often in America, we lose sight of the real purpose of government. It is not to score cheap points. It is not a sport where we paint our faces red or blue. The job of our leaders is to protect our people and solve problems, which requires setting aside differences.
That spirit was on display at President Carter’s state funeral yesterday, where all living U.S. presidents came to pay respect to the late president.
In one particularly poignant moment, Steven Ford, son of the late President Gerald Ford, read a eulogy written by his father before he passed. Carter and Ford, who once competed for the presidency, became so close that they agreed to eulogize one another when they died.
“I’m looking forward to our reunion,” wrote Ford to Carter. “We have much to catch up on. Thank you, Mr. President. Welcome home, old friend.”
What a powerful reminder of what true leadership looks like.
Times of crisis like this one call for unified leadership of exactly that caliber—not those who will point fingers, but those who will point the way forward.
Today, the crisis is in Los Angeles. But going forward, there will be others that demand both parties to band together, whether it is the near-term crises of immigration and wars abroad, or the impending storm of a debt crisis on the horizon.
No Labels is all about building coalitions of leaders in Congress, and increasingly in the states, who have the mutual trust and relationships to lead the way when these storms hit.
We are more committed than ever to that work in the year ahead. Thank you for being a part of it.
In the meantime, please join us in praying for all of those affected by the fires in California, and for the leaders tasked with steering them through.
Sincerely,
Ryan Clancy
No Labels
