Doris "Granny D" Haddock, a hero to us here at Public Campaign, passed away yesterday in New Hampshire at the age of 100. Just ten years ago, at the age of 90, she walked 3,000 miles across the country to Washington, D.C. to protest our political system that too often prizes big donors over the needs of everyday Americans.   At the steps of the U.S. Capitol on February 29, 2000, Doris told a crowd of supporters:   This morning we began our walk among the graves of Arlington - so that those spirits, some of whom may be old friends, might join us today and that we might ask of them now, Did you, brave spirits, give your lives for a government where we might stand together as free and equal citizens, or did you give your lives so that laws might be sold to the highest bidder, turning this temple of our Fair Republic into a bawdy house where anything and everything is done for a price? We hear your answers in the wind."   Doris Haddock was a hero to many for her courageous efforts and endless energy to improve our country's institutions. Many on Public Campaign's staff knew her and worked with her over the years.   Susan Anderson, Public Campaign's Senior Policy Advisor, marched with Doris from Arlington, Va. to the capital steps on that day in March:   "My shins still remember the day Doris marched into Washington, D.C. When I first approached the crowd gathering outside the Arlington cemetery, I only saw my office mates and colleagues from other organizations. But as I moved around the group, I began to meet the various folks Doris had met along her journey. Citizens from California all the way to Maryland had traveled to DC to join her on the final leg of this journey. Families, couples, single folks - they all had stories about Doris as well as stories about why they cared. Many were members of citizen advocacy groups and others were down on their luck because of the lack of affordable health care and viscerally understood and genuinely appreciated Doris' commitment."   Doris showed everyone it's never too late to organize and take action. Nick Nyhart, president and CEO of Public Campaign, had this to say today:   "I am so glad our work at Public Campaign allowed my path to cross with hers. She was a doer and a teacher, a serious and feisty role model for the young, old, and everyone in between. One lesson from her that I'll always carry with me is that you don't have to lose your youthful spirit in order to gain the wisdom that comes with age. The steel you could always find in her voice was without exception accompanied by a twinkle in her eye."   She didn't stop at the end of her walk. She returned to Congress year after year to push for important reform measures. In 2004, at the age of 94, she ran for the Senate from New Hampshire. She lost, but not without a fight. Her opponent in that race, Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), said today, "Granny D demonstrated the extraordinary impact that one person can have on the political process. Her commitment to campaign finance reform truly stretched the length of our nation."   For the next five years, she continued to travel the country speaking about campaign reform and the need for Fair Election-style reform for Congress, New Hampshire, and states across the country.   There was a documentary made about her, she wrote a book, and has been covered in news outlets around the globe. Check out some pieces on her here, here, here, and here for an official biography and a collection of her speeches.   In May 2000, Doris was arrested after she walked into the U.S. Capitol Rotunda and began to read the Declaration of Independence. In her court appearance after the arrest, she said, "Your Honor, some of us do not have much power, except to put our bodies in the way of an injustice--to picket, to walk, or to just stand in the way. It will not change the world overnight, but it is all we can do."   While Doris may have left us, we know that as we continue our battle to make sure our elected officials are accountable only to us, and not big donors or lobbyists, we know that her spirit will be there rooting us on.