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Democrat-dissection

May 23, 2007 9:25 AM

There are some interesting memes out there worth a look regarding our friends on the Democratic side of the 2008 White House track.

First off is Johnny Reid Edwards. It was recently disclosed that the former North Carolina Senator was paid $55,000 for a speech about poverty to students at my cousin Judith's alma mater University of California at Davis, where students at the state school shelled out $17 a ticket.

Ap_edwards_070523_blog

The San Francisco Chronicle's political writer takes a look at all of these troubling side issues -- $400 haircuts, Edwards' new manse, his payday from controversial Fortress Investments (CLICK HERE).

"The problem now facing the Democratic presidential candidate is whether the pileup of headlines, including the latest regarding hefty fees from university speeches reported Monday by The Chronicle, threatens to obliterate Edwards' dominant campaign theme. The former senator, who has been portrayed as the champion of the poor and the son of a humble mill worker, now faces the possibility that voters will have a different image: that of a millionaire trial lawyer who talks one way and lives another."

The liberal Nation magazine, meanwhile, sets its sites (CLICK HERE) on the Democratic frontrunner, Sen. Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, D-NY, by noting the corporate clients of the Clinton campaign's many senior staffers, and saying, "It's hard to see how her advisers' corporate work doesn't reflect poorly on Clinton's progressive claims or create a liability for her with Democratic voters. Ap_clinton_070523_blog There's no evidence that she has taken a position specifically to benefit one of her advisers' clients or a top supporter. More likely, the ties to corporate America, along with the bruises of past defeats, have limited what she believes is possible and will fight to achieve. 'If you surround yourself by people who live off of big corporations, that's going to affect the advice they give you and your own worldview,' says a former Clinton adviser."

Then there's Sen. Barack Hussein Obama, D-Illinois, whose wife Michelle just resigned (CLICK HERE)from a lucrative job at TreeHouse Foods, a supplier to Wal-Mart, an inconvenient truth that was something of a problem for this new hero of populists.

A big question for this week -- How will Clinton and Obama vote on the Iraq funding bill, now cleared of the timetables for US troop withdrawal the president loathed so? 

Sen. Christopher John Dodd, D-Conn., is taking credit for pushing Clinton and Obama to the left on last weeks vote to almost immediately begin withdrawing troops (CLICK HERE).

"Chris Dodd has been challenging the other candidates to support the Feingold-Reid-Dodd amendment to end our involvement in Iraq's civil war," THE AD SAYS "It worked. Now Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have changed their positions to follow Chris Dodd."

What do you think of all this?

-jpt

May 23, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6)

User Comments

Vanessa - Lets see Edwards made most his money off Hedge Funds controlled by George Soros (hmmmmm), (overseas bonds, nontaxable by US.) which he states he is against. Hypocrite ! Clinton , well not enough gigabytes in Internet to say all that she is corrupt in. but lets just say Black Panthers for now. Obama well look it up in his state, he is already be questioned about improprieties. and no experience.

Yes we can not put the Republican values against the Libs, well mainly because the Libs have no values moral or otherwise!

So please, the haircut would be no problem if he did not want to tax the poor and middle class, so they can never make it. By the way if you ever listen to them they want to lower the poverty number so they can tax more, Bush increased it to 20,000 from 15,000 under Clinton, so those making under 20,0000 don't pay taxes.

Note you will find interesting, Kerry probably the richest senator paid only 13% in taxes, while people making far less paid 20% or more, so please when the Dems/libs say they are for the poor makes me sick. They just want to control, if you are indebt to them for your needs you will always vote for them, and that is the issue, they want control period.

Posted by: spock | May 24, 2007 10:25:51 AM

Please don't try to impose Republican problems on the Democratic candidates. Edwards is for real, I am not for him, but he is for real. Let's face it Mitt Romney and others have no center core and will say and do anything to get elected and confuse and mislead people. Edwards is not the same. He's just a smart guy who is rich and loves a good haircut. Who cares? Not the voters.

Posted by: Vanessa | May 23, 2007 4:58:07 PM

Beverly - Where has Pres. Bush gone against the Constitution, Please Elaborate.

It is the Libs that are destroying the Constitution, and if need be I will elaborate.

Posted by: spock | May 23, 2007 2:18:25 PM

I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that Sen. Edwards is most concerned about poverty--his own--considering the lapses in judgment that he's recently shown. It's difficult to maintain a populist message when you pay for $400 haircuts, get over $50K for a speech, and make out like a bandit at a private investment firm. Sen. Edwards appears to be his own worst enemy and is losing a lot of his appeal. Maybe it's the Joe Trippi "curse."

The "Nation" article concerning Sen. Clinton, though, is speculation heaped upon speculation, since there has been no trace of any link between her actions and their theories, no matter how intriguing. An "article" like this is more of an opinion piece than serious reporting, and deserves the appropriate consideration.

As for the conflict in which Sen. Obama's wife finds herself, it's worthwhile to know that TreeHouse Foods is a major supplier of pickles to Wal-Mart. Mrs. Obama was simply trying to, ahem, get out of a pickle by resigning.

Posted by: chuck | May 23, 2007 1:22:45 PM

You know what I don't give a damm about how much someone spends for a hair cut.

I want to know if Bush as decided he is not responible for the constitution.

What difference is there between us and Iran if he is going to try to overthrough thier government. This so called report about terrist in America does not scare me as much as Bust does I don't believe anything he administration says in the first place.
Congress Must Stop the Funding it is the only way the American people will feel safe and feel that we still have control of this country.

Posted by: Beverly | May 23, 2007 1:08:17 PM

The mainstream media is just trying to cover it left leaning opinionated news with these few thing to cover up. 95% of the politicians running on both side last count there was a total of 21, I am losing track but anyhow 90% are hypocrits, 100% of the Libs running are Hypocrits, They say they are moderate but then gloat when they go to the left.

Posted by: spock | May 23, 2007 9:52:40 AM

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