John Edwards revisited: The candidate who takes money from lobbyists "will lose this election."

Today's NY Times ponders the role of John and Elizabeth Edwards in the primary battle between Obama and Clinton asking: "What will the Edwardses do?" There are rumors that Elizabeth Edwards wants to endorse Hillary Clinton.

Who knows if either will actually endorse. But it is probably helpful to review the speech John Edwards gave called "The Moral Test of Our Generation." It was one of the most powerful speeches Edwards gave during his campaign. Which candidate passes the moral test laid out by Edwards?:

And a few weeks ago, around the sixth anniversary of 9/11, a leading presidential candidate held a fundraiser that was billed as a Homeland Security themed event in Washington, D.C. targeted to homeland security lobbyists and contractors for $1,000 a plate. These lobbyists, for the price of a ticket, would get a special "treat" -- the opportunity to participate in small, hour long breakout sessions with key Democratic lawmakers, many of whom chair important sub committees of the homeland security committee. That presidential candidate was Senator Clinton.

Senator Clinton's road to the middle class takes a major detour right through the deep canyon of corporate lobbyists and the hidden bidding of K Street in Washington -- and history tells us that when that bus stops there it is the middle class that loses.

When I asked Hillary Clinton to join me in not taking money from Washington lobbyists -- she refused. Not only did she say that she would continue to take their money, she defended them.

Today Hillary Clinton has taken more money from Washington lobbyists than any candidate from either party -- more money than any Republican candidate.

She has taken more money from the defense industry than any other candidate from either party as well.

She took more money from Wall Street last quarter than Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Barack Obama combined.

The long slow slide of our democracy into the corporate abyss continues unabated regardless of party, regardless of the best interests of America.

We have a duty -- a duty to end this.

I believe you cannot be for change and take money from the lobbyists who prevent change. You cannot take on the entrenched interests in Washington if you choose to defend the broken system. It will not work. And I believe that, if Americans have a choice, and candidate who takes their money -- Democrat or Republican -- will lose this election.

For us to continue down this path all we have to do is suspend all that we believe in. As Democrats, we continue down this path only if we believe the party of the people is no more.

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Home foreclosures double

Not a problem though because we just bailed out Wall Street so Mozilo, O'Neil, Prince and their millionaire buddies could all keep their tens of millions in bonus money. They're all a great bunch and the trickle down economics will surely be kicking in at any moment.

If the Democrats fail to speak out and join the rest of America, they deserve to get kicked aside in the fall. People are furious and yet the Democrats miss another opportunity to join voters of all political stripes. Read More......

McCain offers bold '$5,000 tax credit' for health insurance

Wow. To think some find him out of touch but what a home run. Who wouldn't want a tax deduction that will lower your taxes a few bucks in return for an annual average cost of at least $12,000 for a family. What a deal! It sounds like such a practical plan because we all know how easy it is to shop around for a good deal on say, a 401K plan. Business always makes it clear and easy to understand what charges are there and what you get for your money so there is no possible way consumers could be bamboozled.

Tax rebates and throwing people to the wolves in McCain's "you figure it out" system could only make sense to the personal-jet-flying-fraud from Arizona. Creating tomorrow's problems, today...it's John McCain. Read More......

Pansies for Hillary

Not so much.

The New York Times blog weighs in on Hillary's pansy-gate episode from this morning. (I am amazed that Team Hillary seems to think that in order to woo votes in North Carolina they need to pander to bigotry. Talk about an elitist attitude.) We still haven't heard Hillary reject and denounce the anti-gay slur said right in front of her, said while she laughed about it. Maybe that will be coming tomorrow. Or maybe Hillary doesn't want to say the word gay, and worse yet, do something pro-gay right before the North Carolina primary. Tick tock tick tock.

UPDATE: Sullivan weighs in...

She's on O'Reilly and her surrogate is accusing her opponent of being a "pansy". Classy - but vintage Clinton. Never miss an opportunity to exploit homophobia. Remember DOMA? Remember doubling the discharges from the military? Remember inaction on AIDS? Remember the Clintons' using anti-gay marriage ads in the South in 1996? And yet the gays keep coming back for more. I don't understand why. I really don't.

Ambinder too:

Not the most comfortable choice of words, but was Easley really saying that Clinton made Balboa look like a gay person? Or just an effeminate weakling? Who wrote that line for him?

Two points. First, an effeminate weakling IS a gay person. The stereotype doesn't discriminate between the fag and the faggy guy. They're the same thing. Second, Marc is right - everything in the Clinton campaign is scripted - so who wrote that line, and why? Read More......

Speculation grows that Hillary was behind Rev. Wright's loony Press Club appearance

The NY Daily News and the LA Times are bother wondering what Hillary's role was in getting Wright his spot at the Press Club yesterday. Read More......

Who the hell is Lamont Williams? And, who is paying for misleading calls to African-American voters in North Carolina?

This is a big story developing in North Carolina. African-American households are receiving deceptive phone calls about voting. Progressive South, in a recommended diary at DailyKos, has the details -- and it's been happening in several states:

As reported yesterday in the Raleigh News & Observer, African-American households are receiving anonymous robo-calls with misleading information about voting. Facing South has now learned that those calls are very similar to tactics recently used in Virginia and Ohio, suggesting they may be linked to a national voter deception strategy.

In one North Carolina call, the caller falsely states that voters must send in a "voter registration packet" before voting. The State Board of Elections released a transcript of the call (you can also listen to it at the Democracy North Carolina website):

"Hello, this is Lamont Williams. In the next few days, you will receive a voter registration packet in the mail. All you need to do is sign it, date it and return your application. Then you will be able to vote and make your voice heard. Please return the voter registration form when it arrives. Thank you."

Facing South has learned that voters in Virginia received calls with the same message before that state's Feb. 12 primaries -- although, the Virginia State Board of Elections curiously viewed it as an attemhttp://draft.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifpt at identity theft, not voter disenfranchisement. As WAMU 88.5 reported:

State police and elections officers in Virginia are warning residents about a possible identity theft scam. The state board of elections says at least a dozen people in central and southern Virginia have received automated phone calls this week telling them to expect a voter registration packet in the mail. The residents say they were instructed by the caller to fill out the packets and mail them in. State Board of Elections Secretary Nancy Rodrigues says the state did not make these calls and does not register voters in that manner.

I called the , and a spokeswoman told me they did not have transcripts of the calls and did not know whether or not they came from "Lamont Williams." She said they had referred the matter to state police.

Facing South has also learned that, last year, voters in Ohio received almost the exact same calls, using the same name of the supposed caller in North Carolina.

This appears to be a multi-state voter suppression effort. Too bad we don't have a Justice Department that cares about voting rights. But, the Attorney Generals from each state should be investigating and coordinating.

Who would have an interest in suppressing the African-American vote? Read More......

Poor Hillary. Life has been so tough for her.

Think about your daily existence and compare it to Hillary's "tough" life.

When was the last time Hillary Clinton:

Went to the grocery store?

Pumped gas?

Had to argue with her health insurance company about a bill?

Had to wait for the cable guy?

Had a spontaneous, unscripted moment?

The woman has lived in a protective bubble for over 16 years. She and her husband have hauled in over $100 million over the past seven years. Everyone around her is either paid to be around her -- or pays to be around her. And, she has paid Mark Penn a lot of money to tell her about the lives of real people, gleaned from focus groups and polls. That's her reality and she's not exactly roughing it.

And, yes, I know all candidates live in a bubble and are detached from reality. So, if voters think for a second that Hillary has any clue about their lives, they are delusional. A lot of people would trade their truly tough lives for her rarefied life of privilege. It's comical that she can call anyone an "elitist."

She wants you to know she's no pansy. Read More......

Obama blasts Rev. Wright

Good. Because Wright truly crossed over into cuckoo-land yesterday, saying that our government created AIDS, among other things. That's insane conspiracy talk, and it's race-baiting (white people created AIDS to oppress minorities? - give me a break). Obama really blasted him this time. Good. I appreciate the position Obama is in. It's difficult to see someone you once respected turn into a crazy man. A craven politician, Hillary comes to mind, would turn on that person (or constituency) in a flash. A normal person, a good Christian, would struggle with the fact that the now-crazy man has done good in his life as well. How do you reconcile the two? Politicians don't. Real men - and real Christians - do. Read More......

VIDEO:Hillary laughs while NC governor says anti-gay slur

From Queerty:

We previously informed you that North Carolina Governor Mike Easley used the word “pansy” in his Hillary Clinton endorsement. Said Easley, “[Mrs. Clinton] makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy.”

One reader sent us a note on this poor word choice, which we’d like to share:

You might point out [to your] readers that one would use that term, say, when chasing a gay guy with intent to harm. Or, say, not hiring him. Or maybe not letting him rent an apartment in one’s building.

I expect more from her. She’s no dummy. She knows exactly what that word means.

Considering the Senator’s silence, we get the impression that she simply doesn’t care. And this is a gay ally?

Here's our previous post on this. Read More......

Superdelegates as enablers (but they get to go on t.v.)

Jed has a great post excoriating the superdelegates for sitting back and letting Clinton run her kitchen sink strategy against the Democratic frontrunner:

For most of this campaign, the Democratic Party has been unified by optimism that our eventual nominee would trounce the Republican candidate in November, 2008. That began to change towards the end of February, when the contest between Senators Clinton and Obama began to turn sharply negative.

The media and the Clinton campaign deserve their share of blame for this. And Obama is not perfect, either. But the people who deserve the most blame are the superdelegates, for it is their indecision that has made this mess possible in the first place.

Since late February, it has been clear that the Clinton campaign's only hope for victory rested in their hands. Over the past two months, the sole uncertainty about the campaign has been whether or not superdelegates will stage a coup against the voters.

At any point during the last two months, superdelegates could have made it clear that they would support the will of voters. Instead, by declaring their indecision, they provided Clinton with a new rationale for her campaign. Effectively, they encouraged her coup attempt. It was if they said to her: if you can prove to us that Barack Obama is unelectable, we will overturn the judgment of voters.

Let's face it. If you're a DNC member who is a superdelegate, this is as good as it gets. The candidates and their surrogates are calling. The NY Times and CNN might call. You're in the limelight. And, chances are, you're also afraid of the Clintons.

Well, look at what you have wrought. Nice work. It's easy to forget that from 1994 - 2006, the GOP controlled the House and the Senate. Under the "leadership" of many of the Republicans controlled everything from 2000 - 2006. That's who is enabling the current debacle. Read More......

Gingrich pushes Hillary candidacy on "The View"

I rest my case. Newt Gingrich is on TV presenting pro-Hillary talking points, that are lies, in order to push her candidacy. He just told ABC's audience that Hillary actually has more votes than Obama (which is absolutely untrue, though it is a new lie the Clintons came up with last week), and then suggested that we hold a revote in Michigan at the beginning of August. Yeah, he'd like that, wouldn't he - prolong our civil warn until August. So now Gingrich joins Limbaugh and all the rest of the nutjobs in being a Hillary fan. Tell you anything? Read More......

John McCain was against the 100 year commitment in Iraq before he was for it

John McCain as craven political opportunist exposed by Sam Stein:

Three years before the Arizona Republican argued on the campaign trail that U.S. forces could be in Iraq for 100 years in the absence of violence, he decried the very concept of a long-term troop presence.

In fact, when asked specifically if he thought the U.S. military should set up shop in Iraq along the lines of what has been established in post-WWII Germany or Japan -- something McCain has repeatedly advocated during the campaign -- the senator offered nothing short of a categorical "no."

"I would hope that we could bring them all home," he said on MSNBC. "I would hope that we would probably leave some military advisers, as we have in other countries, to help them with their training and equipment and that kind of stuff."

Host Chris Matthews pressed McCain on the issue. "You've heard the ideological argument to keep U.S. forces in the Middle East. I've heard it from the hawks. They say, keep United States military presence in the Middle East, like we have with the 7th Fleet in Asia. We have the German...the South Korean component. Do you think we could get along without it?"

McCain held fast, rejecting the very policy he urges today. "I not only think we could get along without it, but I think one of our big problems has been the fact that many Iraqis resent American military presence," he responded. "And I don't pretend to know exactly Iraqi public opinion. But as soon as we can reduce our visibility as much as possible, the better I think it is going to be."

This was, of course, before McCain completely morphed into George Bush. Or maybe McCain just forgot what his position on Iraq was. That's not out of the question either. Read More......

Hillary's top NC surrogate bashes gays in front of her this morning, she does nothing

Pansy? Standing next to Clinton, her top surrogate in North Carolina actually used the word "pansy" this morning.

After touring a bio-manufacturing training center, Gov. Easley, First Lady of North Carolina Mary Easley and Clinton held a ceremony at NC State University. The Governor formally expressed his support saying that there was "nothing I love more than a strong powerful woman." Easley concluded his remarks saying Clinton -- "makes Rocky Balboa look like a pansy".

In case anyone has been living under a rock, pansy is slang for "fag."

pan·sy
a. Used as a disparaging term for a man or boy who is considered effeminate.
b. Used as a disparaging term for a homosexual man.

So, Hillary isn't gay? Or Hillary isn't a weak gay? And of course, gays are something bad that need to be avoided. Now why would Hillary embrace gay-bashing to help her campaign? Well, putting aside the Clintons' history of embracing gay-bashing when it suited them, take a look at what Ben Smith wrote this morning:

Easley is a meaningful ally in the culture war she's waging against Senator Barack Obama, as she seeks to cast him as a hopelessly unelectable liberal elitist...

Oh, so Hillary has launched a "culture war" against Obama. And what are the three elements of the culture wars? God, guns, and gays. Hillary already pulled the God and gun card on Obama in Pennsylvania, where she couldn't even say when she last went to church, and then claimed she was a hunter after a lifetime as one of America's top gun control advocates. And now she's gay-bashing.

And actually, she started subtly gay-bashing a while back. Remember all of her "San Francisco" references? Then there was her top aides calling Obama supporters "latte sippers who only care about "feelings" (i.e., they're a bit effeminate and effete). (Then again, look who's advising her.)

It's ironic. Hillary is afraid to use the word "gay," and gets visibly uncomfortable when answering questions about gay issues. But using slurs for "fag"" doesn't bother her in the least. Hillary and her people will say anything to get elected. And if that means gay-bashing to win the bubba vote, then so be it. And her people wonder why so many have turned on Hillary in the past few months. Read More......

'Gas tax holiday' benefits receive two Pinocchio's

Say it isn't true. McHillary pandering for votes?

The advocates of a "gas tax holiday" are exaggerating the benefits to consumers from their proposal. If the Illinois experience is a guide, there is likely to be some reduction in the price of gas, but it would fall well short of the size of the tax reduction. In order to pay for the tax cut, the government would have to cut back on highway construction and maintenance or find some other way of plugging the shortfall in revenues to the Highway Trust Fund.

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Clinton supporter invited Wright to Press Club

Ben Smith has the details. And I'm with Andrew on this one. Read More......

High gas prices leads list of concerns in US

For everyone who boldly stated that the weak dollar would never have an negative impact at home ought to be eating their words about now. Sure a weak dollar can mean better exports for the US but for just about everything else, costs are going up. Republican policies including the war, the deficit, the tax cuts and a pro-business (at the expense of consumers) policy have all added up to create a headache for Americans both rich and poor. Add to this list the increasing problems due to the biofuel craze and you have a serious problem that will not be corrected by a simple action or two as both McCain and Hillary are suggesting.

Obama may not be saying the popular thing when he argues against a temporary tax cut on gas but it's the right thing. McCain and Hillary, who both supported the Iraq war, haven't explained where the money will come from for such a big tax cut nor have they or anyone else explained the financial consequences of the Wall Street bailout. (The bailout continues to be the 800 pound gorilla in the room that remains untouched by Democrats and Republicans alike.) Someone needs to start acting like a grownup instead of telling voters how easy answers are going to magically cure years of bad policy. Read More......

Tuesday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

One more week til North Carolina and Indiana. Can we stand another week of the growing absurdity? Remember back when this nomination process seemed exciting and, even fun? The good ole days before the kitchen sink hit.

Meanwhile, what's McCain up to? Still flying around in Cindy's jet. I love that his wife has a jet and let's him use it. But, he pretends she doesn't give him any of her vast wealth for his campaign. Her vast wealth is the reason he has a political career. What is in those tax forms of Cindy McCain? We need to know.

Okay, get started. Read More......

Bush preference for political operatives hurting EPA

Who needs science when you can have a political hack instead? Everything about this administration is politics over competence time after time which is probably why Bush has such a low approval rating.

The head of the EPA's pesticide and toxic chemical office was to testify Tuesday before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, along with an official of the Government Accounting Office that has just concluded an investigation of the EPA's chemical risk assessment program.

The GAO report, obtained by The Associated Press, said the EPA's ability to conduct timely, science-based risks assessments was being undermined by allowing greater involvement in the process by nonscientists, often in secret.

The administration's decision to give the Defense Department and other agencies an early role in the process adds to years of delay in acting on harmful chemicals and jeopardizes the program's credibility, the GAO concluded.

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Afghan heroin trade builds Taliban weapons arsenal

Another lost opportunity turned failure by the Republicans. No one in the GOP could ever both to ask questions so guess what happens then?

The drugs are destined for Britain's streets. The guns go straight to the Taliban front line. The weapons on sale include machine guns, sniper rifles and anti-aircraft weapons like the ones used in the attempt to assassinate the Afghan President Hamid Karzai last weekend.

"We never sell the drugs for money," boasted one of the smugglers. "We exchange them for ammunition and Kalashnikovs."

The drugs come mostly from Helmand, where most of Britain's 7,800 troops are based. The opium grown there is turned into heroin at factories inside Afghanistan, sold into Tajikistan and smuggled to Europe. The guns are broken down into parts, smuggled back into Afghanistan and delivered to the Taliban. One kilogram of heroin can buy about 30 AK-47 assault rifles at the bazaar.

Nato claims the Taliban get between 40 and 60 per cent of their income from drugs. The smugglers' claims suggest the real cost could be far higher.

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NY cardinal criticizes Giuliani for taking Communion

Thank God my people left that church (or vice versa) a thousand years ago. Read More......