Is Hillary Clinton a Corporate Stooge?
In Iowa, John Edwards makes the case.by Jonathan Stein; posted on www.motherjones.com - on November 05, 2007
In John Edwards' America, no issue matters so much as the fight between you and the system. Speaking this weekend to a crowd of roughly 150 mostly elderly Iowans in the Charles City town library, Edwards tied every one of the Democrats' bread and butter issues to a singular idea — "This system is corrupt. And it's rigged. And it's rigged against you."
"There are huge issues facing America," the former senator said, standing in front of a massive American flag and a smaller Iowa state flag. "We have a dysfunctional health care system, desperately needs reform. We have huge issues with social security. The prescription drug law under Medicare. We've got issues with protecting our planet from global warming. Extraordinary economic inequality." Here he pauses, then speaks slowly, his southern drawl becoming more pronounced with each syllable. "But whatever the positions of the candidates on these issues, I want to make it very clear where I stand. I don't think we can change these things unless we do something to change this system."
In packaging his stump speech this way, Edwards passes on the opportunity to feed his audiences the red meat conventional wisdom suggests they want. He doesn't discuss Iraq for longer than a few sentences. He hits the Bush administration for its warmongering on Iran, but only as an addendum.
He doesn't even describe the details of his universal health insurance plan. Instead, standing in jeans and a blue sport coat, he asks attendees why they think America doesn't already have such a plan. "Drug companies, insurance companies, and their lobbyists in Washington DC," he says. "It's that simple. Really."
Rest of article:
"Money is the mother's milk of politics." - Jesse Unruh
Is there any way around this old maxim?
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posted by TheOldMan @ 11:20 AM
