I've been pretty busy lately, but I did have time to stop by Tenth Dems U last night. Jan Schakowsky spoke about various issues including the election, Iraq, the economy and Bill Foster. I've missed a lot of spring semester, but heard from one of the faculty that I'm still eligible for the Dean's List.
Jan's comments on Foster's victory in the IL-14 included the facts and figures. republicans spent about 20% of their congressional committee coffers on Oberweis and still lost. The comment that caught my attention the most was when she discribed her door to door experience. She said she met people who are really hurting as victims of the Bush administration and they "got that". She also saw that they got the connection between their economic hurt and the Iraq War.
Jan was also at the Take Back America Conference in DC and noted that people had tears in their eyes listening to Obama's speech on race in America.
On McCain, Jan reminded us that these supposed senior moments McCain is having about a relationship between Iran and al Qaeda are reminicient of the outright lies about a relationship between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda told by the Bush administration to get us into Iraq. She also wanted us all to remember and remind voters we know that McCain isn't so very middle of the road when it comes to a woman's right to choose. McCain is anti-choice and has been so for his entire career.
There was a lot of talk about the Iraq war among audience members. One person reminded us all of the Frontline series Bush's War. Click on the link to watch it online.
Another member of the audience brought up the problem we've caused by using depleted uranium in munitions. This problem is not new. Depleted uranium was used in Gulf War I and is often credited with what is called Gulf War Syndrome. Childhood leukemia has been a big problem in Iraq since that Bush I war. The story has gotten recent traction because of recent reports of soaring cancer rates not only among Iraqis, but among our US Soldiers.
On the economy, Jan talked about the laws that reward US corporations for moving jobs and their HQ off shore. She suggested we change tax and trade policy to stop these rewards for taking jobs out of the US and work to create green jobs. She also mentioned Barney Frank's effort to further regulate financial services to help prevent another mortgage meltdown in the future. You can read about Frank's proposal here.
Jan said not to worry, the Michigan and Florida bylaws committees of the DNC will figure out how to seat the delegates and that we are going to be very proud of our country the day we elect President Barack Obama.
Lucky for me Jan didn't assign any Tenth Dems U homework, but you can read this article in The Nation, Progressives for Obama.
Oh, by the way, it appears that Hillary is a reader of the blog: see this and this (#2 on the list).
1 comments:
anon 9:14:
Ethical lapses?
If McCain REALLY supports campaign finance legislation, why has he overspent the amount stipulated by his pledge to only accept Federal money for his presidential campaign?
And why are insider lobbyists running his campaign, lobbyists for whom McCain has carried water in the past?
McCain is just like Bush/Kirk--he says high minded things for the press, and then it's just business as usual, continuing the policies of the worst president in U.S. history.
McCain's tax policies will bankrupt America-everyone knows this--probably even McCain himself. He's just spouting this kind of tax policy to attract hard line conservatives who haven't lined up for him yet.
As soon as the Democratic nomination is over, I hope the press will give some serious analysis time to McCain--it would do the American public a lot of good.
And anon. 9:14, if you think the Chicago Tribune is such a good judge of character (a dubious assertion, if I ever heard one), you should be more impressed with Bill Foster, who received the Tribune endorsement over Oberweis.
Post a Comment