Villager Alert! Villager Alert! (4.00 / 1)

Some of us have some 'concerns' about this issue....

And but for fears about his flirting with protectionism, he would, in my view, make a great President.

When they come to ship Ol' Larry's job to India I predict he will be humming a different tune.

I guess he figures that won't happen but....

I would not be too sure of that.

Peace, Health and Prosperity for Everyone.

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by: ACitizen @ Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 16:21:48 PM CST

That was the line that caught my eye (4.00 / 1)

Obama will vote for the Peru Free Trade Agreement and any way you look at that it is not a progessive vote. The Peruvian labor movement and farmers were against it.

Edwards is not anti-trade and is concerned for conditions around the world. but is better on his plans for regular workers in America.

Join other progressives at EENRblog

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by: pioneer @ Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 17:55:07 PM CST

[ Parent ]

The need for leadership (4.00 / 2)

My sense is that Edwards is the most strongly committed to countering consolidation of economic and political power across the board, including in telecom and media arenas.  But Obama's proposals with regard to making government more transparent and participatory seem genuinely innovative, and importantly so.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Edwards embrace similar commitments, if he hasn't already.

I was just reading the Vanity Fair piece by Joseph Stiglitz, and as I got to the end, where he talked about the fundamental shifts in collective and individual perspective and behavior needed to reverse the past 7 years of decline, I was struck by the need for a political leader who can inspire this type of fundamental shift among citizens and political leaders. 

One of my fears about Clinton is that she lacks the qualities necessary to do this, and may have lost touch with her motivation to see this kind of change, assuming she once felt it.  My hope, assuming she wins, is that beneath her careful campaigning, there's a passion and willingness to take risks that will be unleashed when she works with a Congress that will be more fully controlled by Democrats, and relentlessly pushed in progressive directions by the netroots...and that the time she and her husband spent in the White House (and her time in the Senate) will serve, rather than work against this underlying progressive passion.  I wouldn't bet on this optimistic scenario, but I also wouldn't bet too much against it.

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by: mitchipd @ Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 17:53:08 PM CST

reply (0.00 / 0)

I believe either Edwards or Obama would be a vast improvement over our previous half dozen or so presidents on the issues of internet freedom and consumer advocacy.

Clinton on the other hand I must admit I am very cynical about. I don't even care what statements she has made about the issue, I simply don't believe her. I'd bet my money if we elect her she is going to just straight  up hand the 700mhz spectrum over to Time-Warner, or some similar conglomerate. Sorry I just don't trust her on this issue she has too many embedded interests with the other side, who I believe will do whatever they can to make sure she is the nominee.

As for Edwards I'm glad the he can speak intelligently about these issues and I hope he will continue to be an advocate in the Senate after he doesn't win the nomination.

The cynical side of me wants to say that all this posturing by these candidates on this issue is aimed very narrowly at winning the support of particular bloggers. As I stated in a previous thread this issue doesn't seem to be even on the publics' radar and I can't imagine that it would be helpful overall in a political way to a candidate. I have a feeling once Clinton gets elected and lets us down on this issue we will have to look for a new hero to help champion it; possibly from the Senate. Let us hope Obama and Edwards don't forget about this issue when they are no longer running for President.

End this war. Stop John McCain. Cindy McCain is filthy rich.

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by: wiretapp @ Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 18:10:56 PM CST

Edwards is on the move (4.00 / 1)

Edwards' recent proposals and policy statements are moving him far ahead of both Clinton and Obama when it comes to core progressive stances.

He is putting much needed substance into his basic economic justice thrust by continuing to inveigh against the corporate corruption of the political process in Washington; the unfairness of past, present and future trade agreements that are destroying U.S. jobs; the "structural" defects of our economy in terms of the windfall and excess profits reaped by the health insurance industry and the gas and oil profiteers.

He is right on target in calling attention to the threats to the middle class posed by these "structural defects" and their contribution to the rising costs of living and stagnant real income stressing American workers across the country. He is going to get a lot of support across the board by insisting on the need for government to step in to make sure that profit-driven corporations in overdrive do not destroy the livelihoods of working people.

In addition, he makes a lot of sense when he talks about Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan and the need for the U.S. to stop relying on unilateralism to solve the conflicts in these areas.

I think he has really honed his message over the past three or four months. The more he fleshes out out his vision of what an Edwards presidency would look like on all these fronts, the more he looks electable as well as presidential. 

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by: Nancy Bordier @ Mon Nov 19, 2007 at 18:29:02 PM CST