I have long supported and defended Dennis Kucinich and expect I will always appreciate his steadfast courage and actions speaking truth to power. His recognition of the need to stop our Congress from backing the neo-con conspiracy to force the “benchmark”, corporate-friendly hydrocarbon law on the Iraqi parliament and his call to impeach Cheney for his massive crimes against the Constitution are singularly crucial to supporting the very concept of justice. We all owe Dennis our gratitude. He is a leader with integrity standing high above his opportunistic colleagues.

But circumstances have converged to undermine my confidence. I just finished reading Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine”, and it has had a profound effect on me, illuminating a wider arena of our political circumstance than I knew existed and confirming many of my greatest fears. Some of those fears, ironically, had been brought to my attention by Dennis Kucinich. Free-market corporate control through forced privatization is the essence of both the proposed “Iraq oil and gas law” which Dennis exposed on the floor of the House in a historic hour last May, and the decades-long disaster capitalist conspiracy detailed in Naomi’s stunning compilation.

I guess I must have been in denial since Dennis proposed a cross-party ticket with himself and Ron Paul about a month ago, a slip I couldn’t let interfere with my appreciative loyalty to one who carries the banner for progressivism. I was aware of Paul’s Libertarian position and often tried to wake up his zombie-like followers, who appear ready to follow him blindly into ridding our society of any vestige of social justice as a side-effect of their honest zeal to quit our involvement in Iraq and disastrous free-market agreements. Maybe he was mis-quoted, or I didn’t really read that. After all, they’re diametrically opposed on health-care and tax reform. Can’t be.

I didn’t even rationalize it. I just denied it.

Now this. Throw support to Obama over Edwards? To say Edwards has a flawed record is an understatement. But to compare Obama’s regrets for his faults to Edwards’ honest contrition on Iraq and the bankruptcy bill, well, Obama seems to have no regrets for comparison, yet his short record certainly has much cause for regret. There is no single issue on which Obama is more progressive than Edwards. Yes, both are flawed candidates, but now, clearly, so is Dennis Kucinich.

This could have left me at quite an impasse, but I was really awakened by Norman Solomon’s comments today, and one in particular, “Presidential candidates have to be considered in the context of the current historical crossroads.”

Edwards is challenging power. He recognizes the dangers of oil dependence and global climate change. Edwards is pointing to excessive corporate influence as he appeals for economic justice. He is openly challenging the insurance and pharmaceutical industries. If he hasn’t read “The Shock Doctrine”, he is channeling it’s warnings.

Thank you Naomi, thank you Norman, and thank you Dennis. I won’t forget you, but it’s that crossroads where I must re-assess which road I should take. More than one has promise for real progress, but I can’t afford another breakdown on this journey.

May the best person win!

I think we should give the guy a break… sure your comparisons with Huckabee are natural since you just saw him the night before, but I doubt many at the hall saw the F*ckster the night before.

Go Edwards! I’ll be so depressed if the corporate media succeed once again in leading Iowans, and by default, the American sheeple astray.

Here’s to you. Praedor.

Give the guy a break… sure your comparisons with Huckabee are natural since you just saw him the night before, but I doubt many at the hall saw the F*ckster the night before.

Go Edwards! I’ll be so depressed if the corporate media succeed once again in leading Iowans, and by default, the American sheeple astray.