Comments on: Nation Article Gets Results on Blackwater, So Let’s Celebrate, Okay?

By: tmwolfe

tmwolfe — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:07:46 +0000

That said, Scahill has done excellent work on this issue and in stories about the Kosovo conflict (and NATO bombing). He’s on the journalistic front line. So even though he could have handled Sen. Clinton’s reaction a bit better, it’s important to remember that he does very incisive work. The post mentions his “superb” book on Blackwater. But I just wanted to say it again, lest it appears that my post throws the baby out with the bathwater (a disturbing saying . . . makes me imagine a confused child spinning over a drain as it empties).

By: tmwolfe

tmwolfe — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:45:16 +0000

I agree with this post in its entirety. I voted for Obama several weeks ago. But Clinton made the right choice here and Obama should do the same (and quickly). It’s wrong for Scahill to react to her action in this way. His article might effect real change. All that matters is that this legislation gets drawn up and passed.

I prefer this site to Huffington Post as well. You can criticize the candidate you supported here, without a great gnashing of teeth in reply. We need to hold politicians accountable on these issues, no matter their party.

By: texanna

texanna — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:24:05 +0000

I, too, am a newbie. I linked to FDL from HuffPo and find the tone much better. I agree completely with the point of your post. I would much prefer someone in my government to be listening and considering and changing positions when it’s correct to do so than someone who’s so convinced they are right they will waiver. I really don’t care if the change is politically expedient or not, if it’s for the better.

By: MSSS

MSSS — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 16:15:16 +0000

Question is: Will the progressives freak?

Wouldn’t it be nice if, after Hillary sponsored this important and desired legislation, progressive voices said THANK YOU! That’s just the right thing to have done, Hillary. (Instead of saying, ‘why didn’t you do that yesterday?’)

THANK YOU to Hillary for being smart on this. Your timing was great. You did what was required, in this situation!!

By: Rayne

Rayne — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:19:00 +0000

Apparently you haven’t noticed that the netroots spawned in 2003 with “People-powered Howard” Dean’s campaign; we’ve been at this for five years now, and we’re fully aware this is a marathon that will last several lifetimes.

Some of these youngsters who’ve become new participants are our own kids, have been watching us become more engaged and now see this as the status quo. I’m conscious of this with my kids, one aged 10 and the other 14; one of them will vote in 2012 and the other in 2016. They both participate by helping with literature preparation before lit drops, for example. They’re pretty literate on the issues — which is more than I can even say for their fence-sitting independent father. While neither of these is part of the Obama movement, they are watching it carefully as it uses all the bells and whistle they know as lingua franca. And they know for whom to root when watching floor votes on C-SPAN now, so I expect that after the election they’ll continue to stay engaged.

What are you doing to help these youngsters stay engaged? They need examples, role models. I know I was late to the game, not becoming politically active for this reason. Somebody else was taking care of business, my family didn’t have to worry about the political. And this is what we got after a generation or two of such disengagement. How will you change this formula? Perhaps it’s not the youth vote we need to worry about.

By: glennmcgahee

glennmcgahee — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:05:48 +0000

This a problem I see with what is to come after the primary season. We see such a groundswell of internet work on a candidate’s behalf all of a sudden. Tapping into facebook, myspace, etc. I’m not really familiar with them, I just see the networking results for sen obama. Are they going to be there for the long haul? They are gonna have to help with pressure for legislation too. They are gonna have to help get a better democratic majority in congress. Some, especially the “youth vote”, don’t have the attention span that this is gonna require. There’s alot more that has to happen than just electing your choice for president. Will they stay in for the long haul ahead?

By: megpiepie1

megpiepie1 — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 11:57:24 +0000

That You Tube was priceless. I am kind of new to FDL and read the articles everyday but very rarely respond. I really enjoy the back and forth. Are you all getting ready to set up a 527?

By: shell

shell — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 10:24:19 +0000

I am confused.

“If politicians are going to be greeted like this for their efforts, what’s the upside for them?”

Doing the right thing? I am not naive — I know politicians don’t do things because they are right, but that is the answer. DO IT BECAUSE IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Not because it will get you attention/votes. I am not picking on Hillary Clinton — most (all?) politicians do this. It makes me absolutely sick.

By: ThingsComeUndone

ThingsComeUndone — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:52:38 +0000

Hey Dul do you find the “Prince’s “description of Mercs on target anything you can add pro or con is good. The Prince is my main source for material to yell at blackwater about. Strengthening my arguments or accepting holes in it can only help.

By: gallery

gallery — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:41:03 +0000

Hi sangemon,
I have been calling my congressman about blackwater and about the sexual crimes committed by haliburton, as well as FISA, net neutrality, Gitmo, torture, contempt of congress, and on and on and on.
Defeatist?
Give me closure on any ONE of these issues and I’ll gladly congratulate whomever is responsible for meting out some justice.

There has been plenty of discussion about the massacre in Iraq and the sexual assaults on employees of haliburton.
If this news to a presidential candidate, then they just aren’t paying attention, or it hasn’t effected them politically.

These are CRIMES acted out on our behalf as a nation. It is not a personal wishlist of mine to be solved so I can sleep easier at night.

Perhaps I would show more enthusiasm and congratulate them when they actually accomplish something meaningful.
If you don’t think that upholding the constitution doesn’t apply to you as well, then yes, I make no sense making a point about what WE should expect as citizens.
Have a great night.