A Word About This War

by
Todd Bennett





A word about this war. There are those who say the soldiers died for nothing. That is wrong. For as long as there are men and women willing to die to support the cause of freedom, there are millions of Americans who are inspired to contribute more themselves. Though the interests of freedom have not been well served by this war, the interest of self-governance and political activism have been. Casey Sheehan's courage was indeed exploited, along with thousands of others. However, the great lie of this war is not able to overshadow the great truth of soldiers like Casey: That belief in and love for one's nation can never be in vain, for it is the purity of that love which cleanses our country of the tyranny of those who would undermine it. Our fight to end this war bears that point out. We have lost brave men and women in this war, but their sacrifice has bestowed upon us a great gift: We have our will back, and this administration was not planning on that.





Cross-posted at: http://www.mydd.com/

John Edwards: Like FDR, He's the Real Deal

by

Its Like Herding Cats of mydd.com /Postscript By Todd Bennett

This article first appeared in the November 26th issue of The Nation magazine, and is published jointly online in collaboration with Huffington Post and OffTheBus. This is one in a series of eight essays by leading progressive commentators making the affirmative case for each of the Democratic presidential contenders.
The recent news that SEIU's chapters in twelve states--representing more than a million workers--endorsed the candidacy of John Edwards is a loud wake-up call. The race for the Democratic nomination is still that: a real race. For my money, there is no other candidate who will work as hard as Edwards for the nation's low-income families, the working poor, struggling students and the 47 million Americans who desperately need health insurance. Organized labor sees him the same way, which is why he has garnered this seal of approval and the boots on the ground that it represents--even in the face of the Clinton juggernaut. They know that Edwards is the candidate who can actually win the general election, the one who is thinking about people like them.
They know because Edwards stood with them through every state-level campaign to raise the minimum wage long before he announced a run for the White House. They know because he was first out with a health insurance plan that actually provides universal coverage while acknowledging what we all know to be true: the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans will have to be rolled back to pay for it. And they know because he has been solidly, unambiguously in favor of withdrawing from Iraq, even as the Democratic Party has tacked back and forth on the issue, despite overwhelming public support for ending the war.

I first met Edwards at a gathering at the University of North Carolina's Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity. Hurricane Katrina had devastated the Gulf Coast only a few months before and exposed the "two Americas" of which Edwards had spoken throughout the 2004 campaign. He called the country's experts together--across party lines--to debate the causes, consequences and remedies for poverty in an era of unprecedented wage inequality. For two days we discussed what should be done to enhance the mobility of the working poor, how we should deal with the competition from low-wage countries like China and what the trends in out-of-wedlock births mean for single mothers below the poverty line.
Most politicians would have given their obligatory keynote address and retired to the comfort of their leather chairs. Edwards stayed the whole time, ran virtually all of the sessions, asked intelligent questions, probed for more practical answers and stuck around to talk with the presenters about how to cull from their academic research workable ideas that could form the basis of a campaign that has as its centerpiece the eradication of poverty in this wealthy nation.
My conversations with Edwards persuaded me that he is the genuine article. Some doubt his commitment because they think a wealthy trial lawyer is not a credible force on behalf of the dispossessed. The next time Nation readers are tempted to think this way, I suggest they take a ride up to Hyde Park and check out the sprawling Hudson River mansion FDR called home. No greater contribution to the welfare of the indigent, the elderly, the unemployed and the sick has ever been made than that which Roosevelt enshrined in the New Deal. Not­withstanding the New Deal's flaws (and there were many), the social policy triumphs of the 1930s stand as an exemplar of what can be done when the will is there. If those victories could be catalyzed by one of the richest men ever to occupy the White House, then it can be done again by a self-made millionaire who earned his fortune attacking negligent corporations in the courtroom.
But enough of the cheerleading based on background. What exactly does Edwards propose to do for the country's low- and moderate-income families? First, he tells us, we must raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2012 and put legislation in place to ensure that it does not fall behind again. Second, he pro­poses the creation of public employment opportunities for those who cannot find jobs because they live in rural areas, blight­ed neighborhoods or communities without transportation.
He stands with organized labor, even as it has taken body blows over the past forty years. Despite opinion polls showing that workers want union representation, the ranks of unions are dwindling. Why this disconnect? Edwards has part of the answer: the rules governing the organizing process were written to favor management. Edwards has endorsed the Employee Free Choice Act, which will give workers a chance to organize and use their clout to increase their wages and benefits. At a time when the gap between CEOs and the rank and file is at an all-time high, this is a critical first step toward returning to workers a fare share of what their extraordinarily high productivity has contributed to the bottom line.
And while we're at it, how about focusing some attention on the regulatory structure that ensures we have safe food, clean water and working conditions that do not expose employees to hazardous chemicals? The protective legislation we rely on is all but devoid of enforcement capacity as a result of budgetary strip mining. Inspectors are disappearing, fines are not levied or enforced and families have to worry about whether the spinach on the table is safe to eat. Edwards is the only candidate who has emphasized the importance of targeting abusive industries that sacrifice worker safety and public health.
Edwards has also made serious, imaginative proposals for improving public schools, protecting people from predatory lenders, increasing college access and extending the school system to incorporate the millions who have dropped out and need a second chance. These are not pie-in-the-sky ideas or handouts: they are sound investments in the fiscal health and educational well-being of the country.
There is every reason to expect that the Democrats will end up with solid majorities in the House and Senate in 2008. We need a President who will grab this brass ring. We should not squander the opportunity on tepid, middle-of-the-road, blow-with-the-wind candidates who will be too busy trying to paint themselves as tough on crime or hard-nosed on Iran to seize a chance that may not come again in our lifetime.
Katherine S. Newman is the co-author of The Missing Class: Portraits of the Near Poor in America.

Postscript from Todd: As we gather this day of thanks, let us remember those with less and resolve, nay, vow to improve their lives as part of our repayment to those who have done so much for us. John Edwards understands that the United States is a family-a large family, but one nonetheless, and we all suffer for the tragedy of poverty even if we have money, because sooner or later our indifference and divisions will doom us to irrelevance on the global stage. We must reclaim our place as an inspiration for the world by showing what we are capable of doing at home, my friends.

Keep Your Mouth Shut, Steny Hoyer! A Diatribe Not For Children-Rated R

Keep Your Mouth Shut, Steny Hoyer! A Diatribe Not For Children-Rated R

by Todd Bennett,

So now this asshat resorts to Reaganology in his efforts to get the ultra corporate Hillary elected? All of my efforts to be proper and friendly have temporarily paused, for those of you who love a good ole' cussfest, here it goes-Look at this garbage:

"I like Reagan's rule applied to his party: speak no ill of Republicans. I don't like it when our party, that agrees on 95 percent of the issues, so exacerbate the nuances of differences."
-- House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, in an interview to air later tonight on Bloomberg's Political Capital with Al Hunt, critical of the "mud slinging" during last night's Democratic debate.

Nuances? You stupid fool, you think the difference between warmongering and peace is nuance? Guess what, Asshat? Our candidates do not agree on 95 percent of the issues. In fact, we agree on very little, and your dumb ass should stay out of a business that is for professionals. The future of our party is at stake and I guess you are one of the "Feinsteinocrats" who think that endless triangulation and posturing is beneficial to progressives. Well I am here to tell you something, Mr. Asshat, I am a progressive first, Democrat second. Which means I am shopping Mr. Asshat. In fact, call me a "Feingoldocrat", which is latin for "more guts than the average Democrat".

I have fucking had it. This is not about the Senator from New York. She is but a symptom, not the disease. In fact, she might could be a good President if she has courage to break free from the weak, shiftless, ineffectual so called "leadership" that plagues my party. Until that point, what choice do I have but John Edwards? I am fed up. This party capitulates on trade, it capitulates habitually on Iraq, now fucking Iran, prescription drugs, Social Security, gay rights, oh and did I mention WAR, Asshat?
If you like Reaganolgy so fucking much, I suggest you join them, because unlike the groupthink of the enemy, us Progressives/Democrats have an opinion, and the courage to express it. If the rhetorical train of Progressivism threatens you get off of the tracks Asshat because it is coming through and you can either stay tied to the tracks or join us, and personally, I don't give a flying Monkeyfuck what you do-you can be replaced! Got it? This has been a diatribe brought to you by Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll will rejoin shortly. Thank You!

Cross-posted at: http://www.mydd.com/

Manipulated Again, Media Hands McCain Nomination

by
Todd Bennett

It is amazing how otherwise intelligent people have no clue about politics, especially when it is their job to. The fact is I have known for a while with plus 95 percent certainty that McCain would get the nomination. Now I am plus 99 percent sure.
For Rick Sanchez to talk about John McCain being finished is preposterous, and ignorant, beyond words. While I applaud his willingness to hold McCain's feet to the fire, he fails to realize that he is not only not harming him, he is effectively handing him the nomination.
There are two reasons for this: One, is the notion that John is feeding red meat to the base. He now has, as Todd Beeton cleverly points out, run into good fortune.
From the front page of mydd:

More on John McCain and the "B" Word by Todd Beeton, Thu Nov 15, 2007 at 09:40:02 AM EST
Since Tuesday, when the man David Brooks calls "among the finest men" allowed Hillary Clinton to be insulted in front of his face, the whole John McCain/Hillary Clinton situation has heated up. Talking Points Memo has been ably tracking the story.
First, as I wrote on Tuesday, John McCain stood by while a supporter of his referred to Senator Clinton as a "bitch" in a question to him demanding to know how Clinton can be defeated. McCain's response was notable for what it lacked, a refutation of the insult; in fact, on the contrary, he said:
That's an excellent question.
This led CNN anchor Rick Sanchez subsequently to ask.
Is John McCain done as a result of this?
And to post on the screen:
"An Excellent Question?"
John McCain and the B-Word
So what does the McCain team do? Not believing its luck that it now has both Clinton and the media to serve as the foil for, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis sent out an e-mail blast including the video of the now infamous exchange and a demand for an apology from CNN.
The CNN Network, affectionately known as the Clinton News Network, has stooped to an all-time low and is gratuitously attacking John McCain for not defending Hillary Clinton enough when a South Carolina voter used the 'B' word to describe her when John McCain stopped into a luncheon yesterday at the Trinity restaurant in Hilton Head, SC.
A voter used a word that I would not have used to describe Senator Hillary Clinton and asked the Senator how he was going to beat her. Senator McCain first responded by saying that he respected Senator Clinton, as he has said repeatedly throughout the campaign...

The effect of this is to make the Senator the "dragonslayer" of his party. Short of wrestling Osama Bin Laden to the ground on ESPN and FOX on live television, this ranks among the best turn of events possible for McCain.

Reason number two this is so helpful is the concept of "presumptive nominee" . We know elections really start when folks come together on Labor Day, have barbecues, and arguments get made. This creates the first true narrative in terms of poll position for a General Election. For a primary, that becomes Thanksgiving. So a week out from our beloved family holiday, John McCain becomes cast as the "Anti-Hillary". The effect of this is to bring the "just now paying attention Republicans" onto the stage thinking John McCain is their standard bearer. It is very likely Republicans will spend Thanksgiving proudly defending him, and I would guess he will surge in the polls by December.
This sucks, due to the fact that we were looking at the electoral gift of Giuliani as a possibility, and now it looks as though we will have to beat their most electable candidate. Which we can do, but still, instead of a blowout we will have to look for another tense election day.
You may be wondering why I was so sure about McCain in the first place, and what I can tell you is simple: For Republicans, South Carolina is their key state, and almost all of the Bush money folks are backing McCain there. When he takes South Carolina, he will be cast as a "comeback kid" and sweep the rest of the way. Easy, really. You can argue with me, and point out your credentials, but my instincts are good and to be honest, too many of you spend too much time looking at polls when you should be looking for other indicators. The dominoes that line up for a successful candidate have a little to do with polls, but the money and the machinery are more important. The big establishment machinery have been behind McCain all along, guys. Just like......Kerry!
And just like Kerry, he will lose in the General. He is the past. Who is the future? Not Hillary. Why not Hillary? Because our establishment is undergoing a takeover. We are going from Feinstein to Feingold. I say, good for us. Say hello to either President Edwards or Obama, depending upon Iowa.



Cross-posted at: http://mydd.com/

John Phenomenal at J-J Dinner

by

Todd Bennett

John Edwards was absolutely incredible at what some are inclined to say is the biggest event of the caucuses. Check this out: http://mydd.com/story/2007/11/10/234410/04

An Announcement

I believe destiny is comprised of two things: one, of course, what you were meant to do and two, your willingness to accept that. I have been in politics for quite a while, I have worked for candidates, causes and all manner of various ballot initiatives. I have agonized in defeat and I have celebrated in victory. I have felt the highs and lows and have amassed quite a collection of connections. Yet, despite all of this it was only when I realized how little all of the above meant did I finally feel ready to do what I am about to announce.
Greatness I have come to learn is not achieved with victories. It is not the blood spilled in a winning endeavor that makes one great, rather it is the willingness to spill one's blood when faced with an uncertain outcome that is true greatness. Watching John Edwards this past year, I have come to realize that his greatness needs no electoral validation. I have realized that it takes a special person to motivate others to act. Through his ability to overcome his trials he has both advicated for causes and inspired untold millions to achieve. John is a special person because he does not seek validation. He seeks team members. Unlike so many other politicians who act as if they are above us, he walks our planet with his feet firmly planted to the ground, by our side and ready to lend a hand. With this in mind, I have come to the inescapable conclusion that I must offer him more than my support, I must offer him, and the people of my district, my candidacy for the Missouri House of Representatives. I am announcing here that I am forming a PAC with the intentions of raising funds necessary to win the 101st District of the Missouri House of Representatives in 2010, when our popular Democratic incumbent is term limited out.
Thus this day, the 5th of November 2007, I embark upon a journey with an undetermined destination. I will go as far as I can get. I will fight for our values in a manner the state of Missouri has not seen since President Truman. One could say that I am well suited to take this journey given my political background. That would not be the case. Nothing I have ever done in politics could possibly qualify me if I were to lack the kind of education gained only through public interaction. My experience with poll numbers pale in comparison to the fire in my belly built by the sight of an expectant waitress with poorly supportive shoes. My political experience pales in comparison to the indelible image of a handshake that I have received from the gnarled fingers of a bricklayer. My connections pale in comparison to the sight of the second generation Mexican-American working 18 hours a day in a Chicago suburb in hopes that the third generation will have it better than he. And all my connections and political experience put together pale in comparison to the motivation I have caused by the knowledge of elderly choosing between medicine and heat. My fellow Americans, I have but one thing to say to that, Not in my country.
You see the actual truth of the matter is the reason I am doing this, other than the inspiration created by John Edwards, is not for power but to assuage my own pain the only way I know how-and that, my friends, is to run. I seek not power, or a place on Rushmore, no I seek only to one day experience the pleasure of enjoying a better night's sleep due to the fact that every fiber of my being has done everything I can to make a difference. I am doing this to honor a promise that I have made to so many friends I have made in my travels. I owe them this. I promised so many that a better America was on the way. I promised so many that happier times were on the way. To Billy White of Canton, Texas, this is for you. To Rob, the server at a Big Boy in a dusty desert California town, this is for you buddy. And to everyone else that I have made that promise to, I say to you, my friends, I am now at the table, I have my stake, and I want dealt in.
Of course, in order to do this, I feel a person must have a vision to implement. So in order to make a better America, this is a sampling of my vision: The Living Wage Subsidization Act. Within my first 100 days of elected office, I propose that all low income workers who are willing to honor two requirements be subsidized up to $12.00 per hour for holding a job and being willing to enroll and to attend further education courses. Simply put, if you live in Missouri and you make $8.00 per hour at, say a Wal-Mart, and you are willing and able to attend for 2 years classes on furthering your education the state will subsidize, out of the general revenue fund enhanced by closing corporate loopholes, $4.00 per hour.
Secondly, the Secondary Education Contribution Fund. Partially funded by a small tax increase on large corporations, the state of Missouri will match dollar for dollar all income up to $5,000 per year generated by teenage and young adults with the purpose of paying for college.
Third, and this applies only if and when I achieve federal level elected office, I intend to propose the Social Security Tax Elimination Act. This proposal consists of ending a workers 7.65% social security tax burden after paying in for a period of 12 years. This would be funded by a small tax increase on global corporations such as Microsoft and the aforementioned Wal-Mart. I choose 12 years because late twenties to early thirties is usually when a family starts to grow. By eliminating this burden, workers who qualify would receive a median average of nearly $3000 back in their pockets annually, without a dime of it affecting the general revenue fund. This is but a taste of the wide ranging proposals I have in mind both statewide and nationally.
As I embark on this journey, accompanied by my devoted wife Valerie who so you know is being kind enough to type this as I dictate it, I urge all of you to embark upon this journey with me, to use this day to mark a new beginning. A beginning where Clinton and Edwards and Obama supporters and supporters of all candidates recognize the value of unity and the strength of not only their arguments, but the arguments of others as well. You should know that I have a deep and abiding love for the American people, and though I disagree with some, I work for the good of all. I recognize that if I were to choose who I thought was worthy of my efforts it would result in making all of my cumulative efforts meaningless. So now I say to you that I extend my hand to all, to my allies and my opponents, to my friends and my foes. I ask you to grab onto it, and then I ask you to, with your other hand, reach out to another and encourage them to reciprocate until we have a chain of decency and compassion and love and devotion to our progressive values that could encircle the world many times over. I ask that this day be the beginning of building an unbreakable bond based upon achieving the common good for all mankind. And I ask you to realize that the sword of indifference can be as lethal as the sword of hate and to also understand the value of one kind act because for every day you treat your fellow man with love and respect is a day you have not contributed to the swords of hate and indifference wounding the heart of our nation.
Join me now, will you, and let us show strength in numbers the likes of which this country has never seen, the likes of which no media slant can temper. The likes of which no voting machine, no evil, no corruption, no transgression of any kind can threaten. I will not make a habit of making promises except for this one: that should we pledge and honor the pledge to these things I have described, we will not only ensure our greatness, we will not only have ensured our place in history, we will also have ensured that this grand experiment we call the United States will not have failed.

Thank you and may God Bless The World.

-Todd H. Bennett

Cross-posted at: http://www.mydd.com/

In Support Of My Candidate, My Friend, John Reid Edwards

by Todd Bennett

Cross-posted at: http://www.mydd.com/

It has been a while since I have posted a diary on mydd. I could tell you that I have been busy. I could tell you that I have been out of town on business. I could tell you a lot of things, but the truth is the main reason I have not posted here is because I did not feel that my anger has sufficiently lowered to the point where I can engage in respectable political discourse. Though I am still angry, I am going to attempt to engage because my candidate deserves no less of an effort on my part.
As for the level of discourse on this blog, it has degenerated to the point where I am beginning to wonder if it has been taken over by a cadre of high school students. I myself am not without blame for this, however, I understand that dignity and grace are key components of a champion and if someone truly hopes for their candidate to be victorious, dignity and grace are pre-requisites.
It was cold and blustery in Manchester, New Hampshire, in early January 2004, not the kind of cold where you need a jacket. No, this was the kind of mind-bending, breath-reducing cold that one would only endure if you truly believed in the candidate. For me, at that time, my candidate was General Clark. No one else could get me to New Hampshire, not in January. While in the course of canvassing, we happened to run across supporters of the other candidates. I myself happened along a young senator from North Carolina by the name of John Edwards. We struck up a conversation, discussed the importance of the election, he agreed with my opinion of General Clark and then said something to me that made him unforgettable. He said that if General Clark happened to withdraw, he would be honored and humbled to have someone willing to come up to New Hampshire from Missouri and endure this kind of cold and join his team. He also said let the good folks of Missouri know he cares about them. Now he didn't say that like a senator, you see, there was no distance. He said it like my brother. Though I didn't know it then, I was very soon to join his team.
Fast forward to spring 2005, a Missouri state senate candidate, Rick Johnson was in deep trouble in his race. Faced with an unscrupulous Republican challenger and the Democrat turned Independent, the local Democratic Party desperately needed some energy. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Arnold, Missouri, John Edwards came to help a friend. Those aren't my words, those were his. Rick, sadly did not win that race, sometimes champions don't hold the trophy. But on that day, after his speech, John came up to me and said, much to my surprise, "good to see you again, Todd". I told him it is not many people who get to shake a future presidents hand, not once, but twice and would you believe what that son of a mill worker said, he said, and I can't forget what he said "that that meant so much to him but that he wanted me to know that it was an honor for him to shake mine". Where no cameras were, where no microphones could hear, a classy gentleman showed me friendship. I don't know how he remembered my name, though I know some of our staff ran across after our meeting in New Hampshire and we all kind of melded after the convention, but I can tell you that the respect he showed me was not fake. Much to my shame, I've bought into notions that looking back on it now sickened me. After making my apologies, I have come to my senses and have jumped to his defense.
I will not use this post to try to sway votes. I will not use this post to disparage my fellow bloggers. I only ask that you show a man who cares about you more than you will ever know the respect and decency that you would show to a friend. Because whether you know it or not, you do indeed have a friend in John Edwards. I am not going to sit here and tell you that I am certain he is going to win. I am not his supporter because I think he will win. I am his supporter because I think he is right. Every bit of DNA the Democratic Party has in its' blood courses through the veins of John Edwards. Everything we were raised to believe in or have grown to believe in is embodied by John Edwards. With that in mind, I want all of us the next time we see a homeless person to think of that scrappy son of a mill worker. You should realize that he has spent a good portion of his life, not just his political career, but his life trying to do something about this tragedy. The next time you see New Orleans, I want you to think of the people John Edwards hugged, who he consoled, the next time you hear about the California wildfires, I want you to think about the fact that he was the first one to speak out and pressure this administration for assistance. And the next time you see a flag draped coffin, pray to god that it isn't one of your family in that box, be thankful if it isn't, and pray for whoever is in that box and their family and realize one thing: that on the floor of the Senate people including candidates for this nomination, had an opportunity to display in action that they had truly learned a lesson and would not again doom this nation to the consequences of the deeds of the blind and ignorant and failed to do so. One man has stood up consistently in this campaign. One man has criss-crossed this nation trying to rectify his mistake and one man traverses this nation unabashedly and without equivocation trying to stop another war, proving that he has learned his lesson and that he is worthy of our vote.
My friend and yours, John Edwards, has in the course of his lifetime buried a son and may yet have to bury his wife. For those who would question his strength and his integrity, I have but one response to you: it takes a very strong and dignified man to bury his son and face the very real possibility of burying his wife yet still have the character to do everything he can to keep his nation from being buried too. What pray tell, have YOU, Edwards detractors, been contributing to the cause of saving our country?

Still time to be a Dad

by Todd Bennett

Even as busy as he has to be, John can still find time to be a Dad. What's your excuse? From the Associated Press:

“The long sleeves don't exactly work out the way you want them to.”
What do you get on Halloween if your father is running for president? A big media entourage.
Democrat John Edwards, his two children and some friends went trolling for candy Wednesday in a neighborhood of long driveways and mini-mansions, trailed by still photographers, a half-dozen videographers, sound technicians, reporters and costumed campaign aides.
'Thank you, thank you very much,' Edwards called out to people who opened their doors. He reminded Emma Claire, 9, and Jack, 7, to do the same.

Debates and issues aside, this speaks volumes about his character.