In my opinion, Doris "Granny D" Haddock is the greatest American alive today and the nation's oldest political newcomer. She is an inspiration to all Americans that one person can make a Difference. Her story should be told in all history and political science classrooms.

A former housewife and office assistant, Doris was retired for over twenty years, but when her husband died in 1994 and then her best lifelong friend in 1998, she needed a reason to live. So at the age of 89 on January 1, 1999, she laced up her sneakers and walked across America to rally against the influence of big money elections during the 2000 elections. Her epic journey galvanized popular attention to a political system gone awry. In city after city she gave her message. It took her almost one and half years to make the journey from Pasadena, California to Washington D.C. where she then lobbied the politician by walking day and night around the Nation's Capitol Building.

After this incredible feat in 2003 she went on a 13,000 mile nationwide tour to help local citizens to register to vote for the 2004 elections. For Doris the walk and voter registration drive was a warm up. Then at 94 and still fed up with politics as usual, she jumps at an unexpected chance to run for U.S. Senate against two time incumbent Judd Gregg and former governor of New Hampshire in the summer of 2004. Of course she walked from town to town to campaign. However, her worst nightmare was that she had to debate the incumbent on statewide television just before the election. Doris only began public speaking in 1999 and had never before been in a debate. If a 94 year old woman can do a public debate for the first time, certainly every American youth could learn to deliver a speech.

The first documentary about her Walk is title "Granny Goes to Washington". It was shown on PBS before the second documentary was completed in 2006. This 76 minute film, "Run Granny Run", has been shown for the last three years on HBO. This talk will show some of the scenes from both films plus a few deleted scenes which are included on the HBO DVD.

Today, Granny D is 99 years old and if available will speak to the audience via a phone connection the last 15 minutes for questions and answers. For more information visit: http://www.fccj.us/GrannyD/GrannyD.html