John Edwards: Honest Leadership

[benny05]

Opinion piece by EJ Dionne of WaPo

Balanced Priorities

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, January 19, 2007; Page A19

Ask yourself which politician you trust more.

On the one side, a president who campaigned on a balanced-budget pledge, then dug the country hundreds of billions of dollars deeper into debt with huge tax cuts and an unpaid-for war, and now promises a balanced budget four years after he leaves office.


On the other side, a former senator who says that while he wants to contain the deficit, he has higher priorities than a perfectly balanced budget, specifically universal health insurance coverage and substantial investments in alternative energy.

That is the choice offered by George W. Bush and John Edwards, the North Carolina Democrat whose left-of-center presidential candidacy will have the salutary effect of challenging Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton to respond with specifics of their own.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/18/AR2007011801510.html

This is leadership. Edwards is not waiting around to put his finger in the wind.

[cyclezealot]

1. my candidate Dennis Kucinich had nice things to say of Edwards.

He choose David Bonior as his campaign manager. That also says very positive things about Edwards. Still, many of us knew bush's WMD lies were lies at the time of his lies. I called Kerry telling him they were lies. Edwards fell for those lies. Anyone who reads the international press knew better. My major disappointment in Edwards. But that was long ago.

[benny05]

2. Dennis is an honorable guy

and this time around, he has a great partner, his wife, Elizabeth.

[MontanaMaven]

5. Yeh, such a smart guy and he thought Bush could be reasonable

Well, he learned pretty quick that this was a mess and Bush was a liar as did the majority of Americans. So he speaks for them. He's shown now how all those folks who didn't read the Nation and listen to Bill Moyers can get their support of the war behind them by getting behind the "BRing them how now" crowd. I think he reads The Nation religiously now.
He knew right away how crappy and insular Washington is. I give him Kudos for getting the hell out of Dodge. This is not a small flip flop. He sincerely feels the burden of his bad vote and wants us to get out now. His emphasis is on negotiating. His overall vision is to make allies not enemies. "To build things up, not tear things down." I heard him talk about how it was urgent to Educate young Muslims, not stick them in those Madrassahs. Bill Moyers, David Korten, E.J. Dionne and others are asking us to rewrite the story of the last 30 years. Success should not be about money or GDP. It should be about the quality of life for all Americans and the world they live in. We need to build a movement and get more than John Edwards on this bandwagon of peace and prosperity. Right now he's pretty much alone besides his wife and Dennis, of course.

[Skwmom]

10. He learned pretty quick?

DIdn't he come out against the wars only AFTER support for the war reached an all time low (as in years later)? Nothing like trying to rewrite history.

[dk2]

3. I don't care about the vote before.

Bush wanted to go and he would have found away, even if the whole congress said no, I think he still would have gone. I think Edwards has the right issues in the forefront.

He is the candidate that I have chosen. Thanks for your post.

[cyclezealot]

7. It is reasurring to hear Edwards learned from his Iraq vote.

I will be working for DK early on, because those who were right all along; is who I will stick with. Second round, Edwards learned from being deceived, we will be there for him. DK respects Edwards, as I heard him say, I believe his turn around real. The way he goes after McCain. We all should be proud. My other reason for sticking with Kucinich, he has the only solution to our health care crisis that will work. Dont think Edwards has come around to my liking on that issue as of yet.

[Skwmom]

11. Yeah. What's trillions (when it's all said and done) in wasted

treasure and thousands dead, wounded or emotionally scarred for life.

[Lord Byron]

4. Dennis

My vote. My interests.

[chimpymustgo]

6. "Edwards deserves points for honesty"

-snip-
Edwards deserves points for honesty and for stating the politically difficult truth that both fiscal and social balance demand a comprehensive health-care fix.

-snip-

And if they want to trump Edwards's candor, Sens. Obama and Clinton should take the lead in showing how they would begin to clean up the mess they hope to inherit in 2008.

****

[cyclezealot]

9. I might come around to Edwards

when he comes around on Health care. We get emotional about leaving Health Care in the hands of HMO's as a administrator of health care services. We hate insurances companies. Their 'gatekeepers,' jeopardized my wife's health with their telling doctors what treatments are allowed. As long as insurance companies are in control, health care will be unaffordable nor user friendly.
Americans don't trust their government, yet trust insurance companies. That is nuts.
Edwards shows the last bit of courage to take on health care monopolies, we will come aboard . Until then,we stay with Kucinich due to a workable/affordable health care plan.

[durtee librul]

15. Your post touched me in a really

emotional way as well. Years ago, our son (age 11) was diagnosed with cancer. At the time we had a large well known insureance company thru a big 3 automaker. They REFUSED to let him have the latest chemo therapy because it was still 'experimental' and not yet proven to FDA standards (yet was in wide use all over the globe). We had to declare bankruptcy to get the 'experimental' treatment for our son to bypass the red tape the supposed insurance company imposed. (our union told us of this 'outlet', otherwise we would have been stuck) Best part of all of this - - the decisions were being made by some clerical person, not a nurse, not a doctor or a pharmacist, a damn clerk. (nothing against clerks, but they shouldn't be allowed to make medical life and death decisions)

Our son is now 37 years old and still in remission (can't say cured because of the type of cancer it was) thanks to some Italian physicians and their idea to alternate protocols.

No thanks to big insurance, no thanks to the FDA ...and I could go on and on.

Universal health insurance is a must for ALL of us, regardless of income.

We also need to clean out the FDA and their crooked little pockets. If there ever was an agency that needed oversite and monitoring, it's that bunch of crooks and liars...and if you doubt me, look no further than the Vioxx scandal.

Edwards, DK and Obama (to a certain extent) know firsthand what it is to fight like we have had to to obtain even less than adequate health care with a heck of a fight. I am glad it is coming again to the forefront.

[cyclezealot]

16. Hollywood has made movies about patients going bonkers

and going postal when insurance companies mess with them. Was it not Denzel Washington? I can understand. Wonder Hollywood would cross over insurance companies. ( Did not see the movie. ) The morining my wife was to start radiation the doctor said was vital. We had selected a doctor we trusted and had been recommended to us.
Well, after being approved ; the morning it is to start. The insurance company cancels the treatments. Said some kind of administrative snapo. Turned out those who control the 'global budgets' of HMO were fighting over who was going to pay the bill. It delayed the treatments for over a month.On the phone that morning , I WENT POSTAL. Caused the gatekeeper to repeatedly hang up until I got my composure back. Took awhile. What if the surgery had not gotten all the cancer? What would that have done.
I have no use of politicans that cower to Insurance companies power. At least not the first choice. Until Edwards commits himself to the COnyers/ Kucinich plan, he will not be my first choice.

[cyclezealot]

17. ps/ Had the gatekeeper been closer than my cell phone;

I am afraid,I'd been arrested. Insurance companies is not there for the well being of the American people, but for the benefit of pharmacies and HMO CEO's.

[seashorelady]

12. Truth and guts, a winning combination.

[Catchawave]

8. Good article !

thanks for posting this Benny :hi:

[lligrd]

13. I Like Edwards But...

I'd prefer someone who could smell obvious while it is being laid to someone who has to find out whne the patties are lit on fire.

[Catchawave]

14. Like who?

So many great Dems, none are perfect.

[GreenArrow]

18. oh, he smelled it all right

and it smelled like...the Presidency!

Yep 'e smelled it, but he was counting on the rest of us not smelling it, and in a way, I guess, he still is. Too make matters worse, bloody hands leave a stain.

NO thanks.