The Democratic party *IS* using that argument.

THEY ARE MAKING IT *TO* THE RICH AND POWERFUL.

AND LO AND FUCKING BEHOLD, IT IS INDEED A VERY POWERFUL MESSAGE FOR THE PARTY.

For us… not so much.

KayInMaine @ 89

Dodd is very “presidential looking” (not a high bar after having Lunkhead in there for seven years now) and also has a commanding voice. If Dodd, Kucinich, and Gravel were the top 3 right now, I would be more motivated than I am. The top 3 candidates chosen by the ROM (republican owned media) are just not doing it for me. I don’t think they ever will unless they do a 180.

I think Edwards is the best of the three, primarily based on his understanding of the country’s structural problems, but he has negatives, and not just the blowing-up-Iran-is-still-on-the-table thing.

Edwards has no ‘problems’ except those you imagine or make up. His ‘keeping everything on the table’ is standard US boilerplate and has been forever.

If you want to say he’s a war-monger then you’re gonna have to show your work because I’m not buying into this crap about how he gets domestic policy but not foreign policy. He’s spent a lot more time talking about domestic policy because that’s what the electorate wants to hear about most.

If you recall, all his foreign policy speeches sound better than the other candidates, except for this ‘on the table’ talk with regard to Iran. I say, trust him.

OT but-
This is a John Edwards quote from a recent speech delivered by satellite to a conference in Israel. It really scares me.

Iran must know that the world won’t back down. The recent UN resolution ordering Iran to halt the enrichment of uranium was not enough. We need meaningful political and economic sanctions. We have muddled along for far too long. To ensure that Iran never gets nuclear weapons, we need to keep ALL options on the table, Let me reiterate – ALL options must remain on the table.

The war in Lebanon had Iranian fingerprints all over it. I was in Israel in June, and I took a helicopter trip over the Lebanese border. I saw the Hezbollah rockets, and the havoc wreaked by the extremism on Israel’s border. Hezbollah is an instrument of the Iranian government, and Iranian rockets allowed Hezbollah to attack and wage war against Israel.

link

Are the things he said true?

If they are, and given all the other great intelligent things he’s said, why would you be afraid to have him lead — even on very tough issues like the Middle East?

Huckabee would hurt the Republicans more, but he’d also take some votes that would otherwise go to Hillary, because Giuliani would be seen as the vote for continuity, while those who want a change would have two choices.

And that means we support anyone who wants to organize a party and get a candidate on the ballot, because having only two parties is not only not good for our country, it does NOT REFLECT the complexity of American life.

THE MORE VOICES THE BETTER.

Finally, a comment on populism’s upside that I couldn’t integrate gracefully into the rest of the post: When done right, like in John Edwards’ great New Hampshire speech, it reminds people who are struggling of why they’re struggling. They’re not struggling because of the blacks or the gays or the immigrants or the women’s lib, they’re struggling because the rich and powerful have rigged the system for their own benefit. This would be a very powerful message for the Democratic party, if they cared to use it.

Eli, this is SUCH a powerful point. I was trying to make part of it in a comment on a diary of Jane’s the other day, but I only got the first part: I was attempting to explain my understanding of why folks might feel anger on the immigration issue, on a basis other than racism.

However, I never got to your MOST powerful point [and as a die-hard Edwards supporter, I should have]: that individuals’ anger at their own situation while completely justified, should NOT be directed at those who could be their allies, but should be directed where it belongs, at the corporate shills and others who’ve engineered it this way.

[I do have to give myself credit for pointing out that the “Americans won’t do these jobs” meme that the corporate types love to spout REALLY should be rephrased “Americans won’t do these jobs at the wages offered.” We could then proceed to a discussion [that the corporations don’t want] about what it would look like to pay wages sufficient to attract non-immigrants to these jobs.

In any case, thank you very much for this analysis and for bringing it here.

Eli, this is SUCH a powerful point. I was trying to make part of it in a comment on a diary of Jane’s the other day, but I only got the first part: I was attempting to explain my understanding of why folks might feel anger on the immigration issue, on a basis other than racism.

However, I never got to your MOST powerful point [and as a die-hard Edwards supporter, I should have]: that individuals’ anger at their own situation while completely justified, should NOT be directed at those who could be their allies, but should be directed where it belongs, at the corporate shills and others who’ve engineered it this way.

[I do have to give myself credit for pointing out that the “Americans won’t do these jobs” meme that the corporate types love to spout REALLY should be rephrased “Americans won’t do these jobs at the wages offered.” We could then proceed to a discussion [that the corporations don’t want] about what it would look like to pay wages sufficient to attract non-immigrants to these jobs.

In any case, thank you very much for this analysis and for bringing it here.

-

I disagree, Dodd Biden and Kucinich are not “real” candidates. Dodd and Biden are super insiders in at least Dodd’s case going back generations. They are both a bit scary rich, and coming from a state like Conn that is super rich.

I did like Dodd at the last debate. Biden is a bit scary and I like his one liners but thats about it.

When it comes down to it I guess the real point is that top to bottom they are full of warts and we do not know where they are telling the truth and were they are full of crap.

It will be interesting when the Dems win in 2008 – it could potentially be the first election where the persons own party actually keeps tabs on what the people in power are doing (with the help of the internet).

Well if anything good happens for people the bad guys will probably just kill them all anyway.

The real problem is you can’t turn your back on any one of these nuts for a second or they are off transfering 3 Trillion in wealth or some such punk move.

David W. Bartoo @ 237

So then, in our ’security-crazed’ society, what purpose would such an ID serve? If it were coupled to sweeping and meaningful electoral reform, not merely as ‘voter ID’ but part of genuine and honest empowerment of democracy, then I could see its value. Otherwise what use has it beyond ‘enforcement’ and or coercion?

Hell, I’m still not entirely sure just what purpose a “national ID” is supposed to serve that a state-issued ID can’t.

I don’t have a problem with it in principle, I just don’t like the idea of it being either mandatory, or used as an impediment to voting.

State ID and Driver License databases are all, already, integrated into a centralized law enforcement database, aren’t they. Of course having one isn’t “mandatory” but unless you have a Passport or tote your Birth Certificate around with you and have some other bunch of id try to get anything done.

To vote you have to initially document your citizenship status. Usually you carry it over each time you vote and re-register. But if your registration lapses expect to have to re-esatblish your citizenship by documentation.

I do know some folks that essentially live “off the grid” in terms of having documentation. But they can’t do very much on their own. They can’t rent an apartment (they sublet), drive (legally), or even work some jobs. They can’t get credit, go to college, get financial aid, etc. Many of them eventually break-down and get the ID they need to survive.

So ID may not be technically mandatory but it is de facto a requirement to participate in manyof the things we take for granted. And once you have ID you are in the informatics matrix.

And if you are arrested and don’t have identifiaction ON YOU…you are entering a Twilight Zone!

I wanted to know who they were….Instead I got side tracked with this….It was from 04 before elections, I think….I thought it was interesting…

http://video.google.com/videop…..&q=ron paul brushfires&total=8&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=5
I live in Ron Pauls district and I seem to be leaning to him….
At least with him I not only get the whole truth, I also get the past truths, as well.I have been wondering for years what was happeing….I have found out, and it is, lets say, disappointing, to say the least….I feel he and Dennis Kucinich have more in common then people let on and they both speak very highly of each other.
Something Ron Does not often do, (because it wastes taxpayers time and money to do so!!!!!)

now Im going to sleep…Had to brush my teeth
:)