Comments on: Barack Obama: NOT The Candidate His Supporters Believe Him To Be

By: Centristdem

Centristdem — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 13:54:51 +0000

I’d like to address one in your comment now. I’m planning a longer post on the subject in the coming weeks…

Obama specifically rejected overtures from the DLC back when he ran for Illinois Senator.

Actually, he didn’t. He admitted to the Black Commentator to filling out the DLC’s questionnaire to be included on their list of Senate New Dems. Obama now contends he wasn’t aware that answering the questionnaire amounted to being included on their list of Senate New Democrats. However, the meaning of the questionnaire is something that wasn’t missed by hundreds of elected DLC officials around the country. Interesting that Obama missed that point – if he really did.
It also can’t be overlooked that Obama’s mentor in the Senate was Joe Lieberman, Tom Daschle is an unofficial advisor to the Obama campaign, and that Obama created a PAC to help finance 14 of his senatorial colleagues – ten of whom are DLC.
So we have major policy agreements with and written props to the Third-way by Obama, he filled out DLC membeship paperwork (unknowingly, he said), and DLC members are playing a major role in Obama’s Senate career.
If it quacks like a duck…

By: VCubed

VCubed — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 14:08:31 +0000

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, but as Abolish the Death Penalty points out on their website, Obama pushed through with a unanimous vote the first state-wide mandatory videotaping of homicide interrogations and confessions in the nation while strongly opposed by law enforcement – that would eliminate most politically-motivated new death penalty cases. 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. Obama’s the only Dem fighting to end employment discrimination against ex-felons and provide long-term transitional help to get and stay employed – not a DLC policy point by a longshot. Maybe you should differentiate between progressives who want to get their agenda passed by working to convince others, and “radical revolutionaries” who want to see the entire system thrown out even if some/most citizens still want parts of it.

By: Blogger News Network » Obama Redux

Blogger News Network » Obama Redux — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:56:39 +0000

[...] picked it up, Total Drivel linked to it, and Bartcop quoted it on his page after it appeared on his blog. The comments it has gotten from some leftwing Obama supporters have been a riot, though none have [...]

By: BartBlog - The Blog of BartCop.com » Obama Redux

BartBlog - The Blog of BartCop.com » Obama Redux — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:50:37 +0000

[...] Barack Obama: NOT The Candidate His Supporters Believe Him To Be [...]