Coffee & Conversation with
U.S. Representative Adam Schiff

 

By Mikki Royce, Communications Committee

 

Sunday afternoon, October 31st, not a pumpkin in sight, a room packed with happy Democrats in the West Palm Beach Downtown Marriott Hotel, gathered for a sold out event to hear Representative Adam Schiff, the adopted Palm Beach County Congressperson.  After an enthusiastic welcome to all from Chair Terrie Rizzo to our first live event in 18 months, she introduced Party Officers and guests to the crowd.  Vice Chair Mindy Koch then introduced “our favorite son,” Adam Schiff, Representative from California and Chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

 

Schiff opened to a standing ovation, with the statement that we are in a dangerous moment in US history, because one of the two great political parties has become a reckless user of lies and disregards the law. The current Republican Party is using the mechanism of Democracy against it, stripping the right to vote away from people, hounding conscientious people out of their jobs, and pushing the Big Lie about the results of the 2020 Presidential election.

 

He told the room that the COVID lockdown gave him the chance to write his new book, “Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could,” because up until that point he never would have been able to.

 

Telling small tidbits of his personal experience of January 6 when he was on the House floor and noticed that the Speaker had vanished, Schiff explained that he hadn’t been paying too much attention. He really didn’t know how serious it was until two Republicans came up to him and told him he couldn’t be seen. One Republican was holding the wooden post of a hand sanitizer dispenser he’d ripped out of the floor like a weapon and escorted Schiff out of the room to a safe place. That’s when Schiff asked him how long he had been in the House and was told that the concerned Republican had only been elected 72 hours before. Yet in spite of everything that happened, when the House later reassembled, Republicans continued the Big Lie and continued to try to overturn the election results.

 

Schiff is most upset about Trump’s relentless attack on the truth. He called him a world class grifter, making payments to porn stars. Schiff also observed that the Republicans he worked with did not believe anything that they were saying. These Trump Republicans were focused solely on their ambition and position in the Party. Schiff opined that there is nothing wrong with the Constitution, but what is wrong is the Trump Republicans who have no regard for right and wrong. Trump’s attacks have revealed the bigotry under the surface in this country. Trump followers buy into the confederate flag heart and soul.

 

However, for every tale of corruption there is one of heroism. Schiff believes we will get through this, with various individuals standing up for what is right regardless of their Party, Democrats reaching out, putting in place the Stacy Abrams method of reaching voters, and fighting as if Democracy itself is on the line, because it is.

 

Thank You to Our Host Committee and Event Volunteers

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Hosts

Congressman Ted Deutch, Congresswoman Lois Frankel, Tonio Burgos, Jay Foreman, Hon. Anne Gannon, Debra Kanter, Democratic Club of Greater Boynton, Judith Teller Kaye, Hon. Jeff Koons,  Hon. Pat Mathis, Terrie Rizzo, Kenneth Sommers, Lesley Shriberg, Norman Taplin & Derek Wooley

 

Co-Hosts

Mark & Marsha Harris, Rhonda & Howard Levin, Reesa  Levy, Rabbi Mark & Suellen Winer, Hon. Robert Weinroth

 

Supporters

PB-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO, Hon. Ann Brown, Rhonda Cohen, Tuny Page

 

Very special thanks to outgoing Events Committee Chair Nicole Galante, Ana-Christina Acosta, Felonice Merriman, and our wonderful event volunteer team for another terrific event!

 

Click here to see more photos of the event. Check out all the happy Democrats!