Howard Dean: the real straight talker

Here’s a taste of the reason why I was a Deaniac back in 2004; because the man is a real no-nonsense straight talker — unlike McCain, whom just posses as one.

And now, Mr. Dean on faux, er, fox news:

Dean: Chris, the Republicans… for the last 30 years, the Republican (play)book has been to race bait and to use hate and divisiveness. In 2006, the American people said no to that; I think they’re going to say no to that in 2008. It is true that the economy, the war and healthcare are more important to the American people. They are tired of the divisiveness of what the Republicans have done to them. And that’s why the Republicans are in trouble. Deep trouble. Another four years of George Bush is not what we need…

Wallace: Governor, are you suggesting that bringing up Jeremiah Wright is “race-baiting” and hate and divisive?

Dean: Yeah, I am suggesting that kind of stuff. I think when you start bringing up candidates that have nothing to do with the issues…uh when you start bringing up things that have nothing to do with the candidate, nothing to do with the issues, that’s race-baiting. And that’s exactly what it is. Just like Willie Horton was race-baiting so many years ago. I think we’re going to take…we’re going to turn the page on this stuff. I’ll tell you, there’s a lot of difference between the Republicans and the Democrats on issues, but the biggest issue of all is we don’t use this kind of stuff. We never have used this kind of stuff and we’re not going to start now. America is more important than the Republican party and that’s the lesson the voters are about to teach the Republicans.

It’s business, not personal

If this comes to pass, I’d hate to be amongst those that disrespected the family when it was vulnerable:

I’m beginning to think Hillary Clinton might pull this off and wrestle the nomination away from Barack Obama. If she does, a lot of folks — including a huge chunk of the media — will join Bill Richardson (a.k.a. Judas) in the Deep Freeze. If the Clintons get back into the White House, it will be retribution time, like the Corleone family consolidating power in “The Godfather,” where the watchword is, “It’s business, not personal.”

So, who is Fredo in this tragic family epic?

Dean, Reid and Pelosi may step in

Yes, please! Reid and Pelosi hint that the party’s leaders will seek a way that will help put and end to this quixotic primary fight, via the HuffingtonPost:

Reid said he would consider writing a joint letter with Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) demanding that superdelegates make their endorsements public.

“The three of us, we may write a joint letter [to superdelegates],” said Reid. “We might do individual letters, we are in contact with each other.”…

However, when asked by a reporter if he would be forced to intervene if the undecided superdelegates did not make up their minds, Reid replied “I might have to.”

At this point even I, someone that’s strongly interested in politics, am eager to arrive at a resolution. So, yes, please, pressure the so-called superdelegates to make up their mind long before the convention.

What does $109 million dollars say about American democracy?

I don’t begrudge hard working, well educated, public servants from making a good living. Dang, I wish firefighters, cops, nurses and teachers all made a great living (given the hard work that teachers perform, their salaries should start at $75k - $85k); after all, the sacrifices that they make for the rest of us are immeasurable. That said, it is simply astounding that a former president, a servant of the people, can shoot up to such meteoritic income heights after leaving office. Yesterday we learned that since leaving the White House in 2000, the Clintons are now “in the top one-hundredth of 1 percent” of all American taxpayers:

The bulk of their wealth has come from speaking and book-writing, which together account for almost $92 million, including a $15 million advance — larger than previously thought — from Mr. Clinton’s 2004 autobiography, “My Life.” The former president’s vigorous lecture schedule, where his speeches command upwards of $250,000, brought in almost $52 million.

During that time, the Clintons paid $33.8 million in federal taxes and claimed deductions for $10.2 million in charitable contributions.

To me, this is outrageous and a clear indication of the revolving door that exists between Washington, D.C. and the gleaming corporate boardrooms of America; proof, too, of how access is paid for and bought by monied interests, and who — ultimately — has the ear of OUR public representatives.

Of course, the Clintons are not the only ones that have benefited from this revolving door policy, they just happen to be the most recent example of this corrosive practice eating away at American democracy. The $109 million dollars that the Clintons have received since 2000 does not just place them in the top hundredth of one percent of American taxpayers, it places their descendents in an all together different strata — that’s right, $109 million dollars is generationally changing money. Thus, public service in the White House, or even in Congress, coupled with the revolving door policy leading is antithetical to the very anti-aristocratic principles that America was founded on; thus, a threat to our democracy.

Barack Obama’s “The Speech”

I was an Edwards supporter, but voted for Sen. Obama after my candidate of choice dropped out of the primary. However, even after voting for Sen. Obama, I remain lukewarm towards him. Because, frankly, I’ve found him to moderate his positions too much, while seeming to back away from muscular progressive positions — admittedly, this critique is primarily style over substance. Additionally, I’m not naive enough to believe that one man alone will be able to bring about a so-called “post-partisan” epoch to our nation’s capital; since, at the end of the day, politics is about power, and there’s no way in hell that any politician — much less partisan republicans — will willingly give up hard fought for power. That said, today’s speech by Sen. Obama on Race in America, or The Speech, as some have called it, has raised my enthusiasm for the junior Senator from Illinois.

If you haven’t seen Sen. Obama’s speech, I encourage you to listen to it — there’s a lot here to be hopeful for and enthusiastic about: