Comments on: Barack Obama: NOT The Candidate His Supporters Believe Him To Be http://www.bloggernews.net/17906 High-quality English language analysis and editorial writing on the news. Mon, 28 May 2012 02:44:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Robert Earl Lewis http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-45126 Robert Earl Lewis Fri, 22 Jun 2007 12:44:14 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-45126 Who does the Black Agenda Report support? and why? Who does the Black Agenda Report support? and why?

]]> By: Ruth http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43773 Ruth Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:14:59 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43773 Since entering the Senate, Obama has voted 24 times for war. How is that a peace candidate? Obama voted 5 times to renew USA-PATRIOT. How is that pro-freedom? Obama sponsored the coal into liquid fuel bill (and environment-gutter) and voted to fund Yucca Mountain and nuclear bunker busters. How is that pro-environment? Obama says one thing and does the exact opposite. This is why the Black Agenda Report (blackagendareport.com) does not support him. Check out their article in today's edition about how Obama is the phony anti-war candidate. Don't think Obama is pro-choice, either. He regularly votes to confirm anti-choice justices. He even voted for cloture on Priscilla Owen, who Gonzales considers a right-wing extremist. Since entering the Senate, Obama has voted 24 times for war. How is that a peace candidate? Obama voted 5 times to renew USA-PATRIOT. How is that pro-freedom? Obama sponsored the coal into liquid fuel bill (and environment-gutter) and voted to fund Yucca Mountain and nuclear bunker busters. How is that pro-environment? Obama says one thing and does the exact opposite. This is why the Black Agenda Report (blackagendareport.com) does not support him. Check out their article in today’s edition about how Obama is the phony anti-war candidate.

Don’t think Obama is pro-choice, either. He regularly votes to confirm anti-choice justices. He even voted for cloture on Priscilla Owen, who Gonzales considers a right-wing extremist.

]]> By: VCubed http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43660 VCubed Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:52:49 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43660 Obama specifically rejected overtures from the DLC back when he ran for Illinois Senator. Obama is the only front-runner in the Dem Party Primary who is not and has never been a member of the DLC (Clinton is, Gore was, Edwards was maybe still is, Richardson is). The comment above is correct: The DLC is about catering to the same corporations as Republicans, but Obama speaks against oil and pharmaceutical giants, tells Detroit automakers to increase their energy efficiency and alternatives, and puts health insurance companies on notice that they will not be able to limit or deny access to anyone or continue pushing up health costs. Obama worked on the Death Penalty Moratorium in Illinois, though he is not against the death penalty altogether and that is very disappointing, as Abolish the Death Penalty points out on their website, Obama pushed through the first state-wide mandatory videotaping of homicide interrogations and confessions in the nation while strongly opposed by law enforcement. Obama is the first candidate since Public Campaign Financing to request a hearing and get pre-authorization to go back to Public Financing after the primary if his opponent does also - he could not rely solely on Public Financing in the primary after Hillary refused to and stay competitive. He's not a saint, just a conscientious citizen and community activist-turned Senator, trying to lead the U.S. out of infamy without millions in personal money, or in PAC money (again only frontrunner not taking any), or in federal lobbyist money (which includes defense contractors and the entire military industrial complex - also only frontrunner doing so). I'm glad you can still appreciate his ability to work across the aisle - the alternative is pretty undemocratic - but the DLC-association is sadly misleading. Claims the "left" has embraced him are also wrong. The most determined separatist/identity-politics and anti-capitalist groups certainly don't adore him. Pacifists don't adore him; he's stated repeatedly, clearly he's not against all wars. Maybe you should differentiate between progressives who want to get their agenda passed by working to convince others, and "revolutionaries" who want to see the entire system thrown out even if some/most citizens still want parts of it. Obama specifically rejected overtures from the DLC back when he ran for Illinois Senator. Obama is the only front-runner in the Dem Party Primary who is not and has never been a member of the DLC (Clinton is, Gore was, Edwards was maybe still is, Richardson is). The comment above is correct: The DLC is about catering to the same corporations as Republicans, but Obama speaks against oil and pharmaceutical giants, tells Detroit automakers to increase their energy efficiency and alternatives, and puts health insurance companies on notice that they will not be able to limit or deny access to anyone or continue pushing up health costs. Obama worked on the Death Penalty Moratorium in Illinois, though he is not against the death penalty altogether and that is very disappointing, as Abolish the Death Penalty points out on their website, Obama pushed through the first state-wide mandatory videotaping of homicide interrogations and confessions in the nation while strongly opposed by law enforcement. Obama is the first candidate since Public Campaign Financing to request a hearing and get pre-authorization to go back to Public Financing after the primary if his opponent does also - he could not rely solely on Public Financing in the primary after Hillary refused to and stay competitive. He’s not a saint, just a conscientious citizen and community activist-turned Senator, trying to lead the U.S. out of infamy without millions in personal money, or in PAC money (again only frontrunner not taking any), or in federal lobbyist money (which includes defense contractors and the entire military industrial complex - also only frontrunner doing so). I’m glad you can still appreciate his ability to work across the aisle - the alternative is pretty undemocratic - but the DLC-association is sadly misleading. Claims the “left” has embraced him are also wrong. The most determined separatist/identity-politics and anti-capitalist groups certainly don’t adore him. Pacifists don’t adore him; he’s stated repeatedly, clearly he’s not against all wars. Maybe you should differentiate between progressives who want to get their agenda passed by working to convince others, and “revolutionaries” who want to see the entire system thrown out even if some/most citizens still want parts of it.

]]> By: Lee Larson http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43287 Lee Larson Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:29:22 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43287 All right, Obama is young and enthusiastic, and he smiles a lot, but what real qualifications for the office of President does he have besides the fact that he wants the job? The movie 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington' has already been made, and Obama is just a bit anti-climactic. All right, Obama is young and enthusiastic, and he smiles a lot, but what real qualifications for the office of President does he have besides the fact that he wants the job? The movie ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ has already been made, and Obama is just a bit anti-climactic.

]]> By: ben http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43208 ben Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:55:48 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43208 I think you overstate the case about progressives disliking the DLC. It is not about anti-competiveness and anti-market. It is anti-coporatism. The reason this is important is that their is a misconception that corporate America likes competition. Do 3 major oil companies like competition, do the pharmaceticuals like competition? Does Microsoft like competition? No, in fact they use the government and its policies to help quash competition. What progressives dislike about the DLC is the it kow-tows to the wrong interests. Their are many examples of progressive countries that use markets and competition to encourage more effective policy that are not "corporate". Look at school choice in the Netherlands. You can basically go to any school you want and you have money on your head, but there are no private schools. I agree with you that Barack is willing to go further with markets and competition than many progressives are comfortable (see his health care plan). But he has gone really far towards avoiding ties with corporatism (he flies commericial). This is a narrow distinction, but a highly important one. I think you overstate the case about progressives disliking the DLC. It is not about anti-competiveness and anti-market. It is anti-coporatism. The reason this is important is that their is a misconception that corporate America likes competition. Do 3 major oil companies like competition, do the pharmaceticuals like competition? Does Microsoft like competition? No, in fact they use the government and its policies to help quash competition. What progressives dislike about the DLC is the it kow-tows to the wrong interests. Their are many examples of progressive countries that use markets and competition to encourage more effective policy that are not “corporate”. Look at school choice in the Netherlands. You can basically go to any school you want and you have money on your head, but there are no private schools. I agree with you that Barack is willing to go further with markets and competition than many progressives are comfortable (see his health care plan). But he has gone really far towards avoiding ties with corporatism (he flies commericial). This is a narrow distinction, but a highly important one.

]]> By: J http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43185 J Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:59:19 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43185 Umm, the DLC has endorsed Clinton's candidacy so this post is pretty much irrelevant. Umm, the DLC has endorsed Clinton’s candidacy so this post is pretty much irrelevant.

]]> By: scheduler http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43173 scheduler Tue, 19 Jun 2007 20:34:22 +0000 http://www.bloggernews.net/17906#comment-43173 There needs to be a progressive party, be it a third party or no, there needs to be one. There needs to be a progressive party, be it a third party or no, there needs to be one.

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