edwards on lobbyists and “corporate democrats”

John Edwards, in a speech yesterday, continued to hammer Hillary Clinton and the “corporate Democrats.” Here’s a clip:

…It’s time to tell the truth. And the truth is the system in Washington is corrupt. It is rigged by the powerful special interests to benefit they very few at the expense of the many. And as a result, the American people have lost faith in our broken system in Washington, and believe it no longer works for ordinary Americans. They’re right…

We have even gotten to the point where our children’s safety is potentially at risk because nearly half of the apple juice consumed by our children comes from apples grown in China. And Americans are kept in the dark because the corporate lobbyists have pushed back country of origin labeling laws again and again.

This is not the America I believe in…

Today Hillary Clinton has taken more money from Washington lobbyists than any candidate from either party — more money than any Republican candidate.

She has taken more money from the defense industry than any other candidate from either party as well.

She took more money from Wall Street last quarter than Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney, and Barack Obama combined.

The long slow slide of our democracy into the corporate abyss continues unabated regardless of party, regardless of the best interests of America.

We have a duty — a duty to end this…

It’s true that he may be lashing out in desperation, but I don’t care. I don’t care what his motivations are for saying these things. I just like that they’re being said… If you would like to contribute to the Edwards for President campaign, or otherwise get involved, just click here.

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10 Comments

  1. Ol' E Cross
    Posted October 29, 2007 at 11:25 pm | Permalink

    As an Edwards supporter, at this point, I’d rather see him running against Hillary on the premise that she has a poor chance of being elected since she’s a polarizing person who won’t connect well to swing voters … trying to convince Democrats that he’s the best bet for a Democratic Oval Office.

    Saying that she’s raised more money than Republican rivals makes her sound electable.

    As a citizen who’s sick of elections being bought before I can cast a vote, I’m glad he’s saying it. But, I’m not sure it’s a news flash. I think it’s what we all know, but have no idea how to stop (save voting for Edwards).

    I’m not sure if it’s possible, but it would be refreshing if a candidate who hadn’t raised the most funds won a nomination.

    (Maybe we need to start a “vote for the lowest campaign income candidate” campaign. Who cares who they are. It’s not lot we’re losing our voice in the process.)

  2. Union Household
    Posted October 30, 2007 at 10:07 am | Permalink

    I agree with Ol E. Cross on candidate choice, but unfortunately, Hillary can’t be stopped. Even by republicans. Like her husband, she’ll be a centralist president, not rocking the beltway boat too much. She’ll still be better than any of those stinking, greedy republicans, so she’ll get my reluctent vote in the main event.

    J. Delcamp

  3. Steph's Dad
    Posted October 30, 2007 at 10:17 am | Permalink

    Edwards has to have a big early win in the primaries or he’s toast. If you know anyone in Iowa or New Hampshire, start working on them.

    I agree with Mr. Delcamp that Hillary is most likely better than a Republican, but I don’t look forward to walking into the voting booth and pulling the lever with her name on it.

  4. Robert
    Posted October 30, 2007 at 2:55 pm | Permalink

    I agree with everything you have all said. (That might be a record)

    I too will work hard for Hillary if she is the nominee. But until that time, I am hoping Gore or Obama can take Michigan’s primary from her, and I am working to help Edwards win the Iowa Caucus. I think it is in the best interest of the Democratic Party to have a competitive primary season, at least through Super-Duper Tuesday, for purposes of mass registration efforts in urban areas.

    If and when Hillary becomes the nominee (and I’d guess her odds are better than 80% at this point), I can think of at least two variables which I’ll be clinging to for hope that she can actually get past Rove’s diabolical operation. The first variable is the fact that the Clintons have powerful connections which can anticipate, head-off, and counter, at least some of the Rovian manipulations. The second variable is the female factor. In most elections where a woman is running against a man, the woman tends to get 3 or 4 percent more votes than internal polling predicts. That slight edge might prove to be too much for Rove’s voter suppression tactics to overcome in certain key states like Florida, Ohio, and Missouri. The election would still be too close for my comfort. Close elections are almost never good for the Democrats these days.

  5. egpenet
    Posted October 30, 2007 at 7:42 pm | Permalink

    What he is saying, I believe, IS true.

    It’s ALSO true to a proportionate degree in Michigan. Our State system is broken and the constant rememdy is more taxes to plug the holes in the dam. (Ref. Mosul dam in the news.)

    You know where I’m going with this …

    And in Ypsilanti, by playing ball with the State and the County (that is, not making some required changes in how we prioritize what it is our government does and how we finance that government) … up goes the tax distress signal.

    The timing couldn’t be worse …

    The dollar is declining against every major currency …

    Oil is approaching $100 a barrel for light sweet crude (MR. DINGELL, Wachet Auf!) …

    The midwest’s home owners have lost 4% of the equity in their homes as prices have declined, some even more in spots …

    The Fed will cuts rates tomorrow … and it will have NO effect on the real problem of debt through stupidity by some … and debt through deliberate planning by our municipalities.

    Our cities are us. Money was cheap. It’s going to get REAL cheap once again, thanks to the Fed, who will reinflate. And MORE debt and more refinancing will commence at City Hall, the County and Lansing.

    With the Fed doing what it will do, which is inflate to keep the country from deflating, we will be in what’s called a “growth recession” … very slow economic growth with continuing write-downs of the major banks, a collapsing housing market in homes bought since 2000 with subprime mortgages, and continuing loss of jobs in manufacturing. Meanwhile the prices of EVERYTHING are going up dramatically … prices go up because the dollar is worth less, takes more of them to buy whatever.

    At this point Murph gets very growly with me, but I see little hope for business as usual at the corner of Huron and Michigan. On the bright side, I can think of no better person to be THE official planner for the City. Being self-employed myself, I know it can be scary on the outside, but the greatest city planners, builders and designers were mostly for hire.

    On the other side of the coin …

    I have talked with threee of the latest business additions to Ypsilanti … four if I count Eric Mauer, who I have known for some time … OK five or six … including the Rocket guys and Look In The Attic. OK … SIX! No … VG Kids, too … SEVEN. You GOT THAT! Given all of the above, there’s significant investment in this downtown. OK … you gotta know that I know Leslie and Peter, and also Dave Curtis. POOP! Now, I’m up to 9. NINE! They all researched the area before making their choice to locate here, invest here. They knew what was going on … the talk … the chatter … the blogs.

    Point is … this is NOT the end of the world. If the tax passes … it WILL be regressive Mr. Visitor, we know who you are here.

    But if it’s defeated … HUZZAH! … we ALSO know that police and fire will NOT be cut without a Jacobin Revolution. The walls will come tumblin’ down … as one of my favorite hymns goes. NO reductions at the West end of Michigan Avenue!

    And if the tax is defeated, the world will not end. We have some tough times ahead because of the cuts that will have to be made … but even more so by the continued inflating by the Fed, a tax and spend Governor, and a really lousy economy based upon funny money and debt.

    Vote NO on Tuesday. Then … let’s move on from there.

  6. egpenet
    Posted October 30, 2007 at 8:10 pm | Permalink

    Underneath all of this is a little thing called success.

    You’re a success at Ford if you can build your little job into a small staff and then a department … salaries and budgets get increased … and you get a credenza with a coffee urn and an intercom to the General Manager’s office.

    You’re a success in Washington or Lansing for the same things … by building your beurocracy … building bridges to no-wheree, passing legislation or getting earmarks that pad somebody’s pockets … it’s all about power and more government. Nobody ever got a Presidential Medal for cutting government, as far as I know. That includes Republicans. Gingrich and his crowd grew the government and the influence it has over our lives. Bush has done an even worse job.

    Point is, you’re not a successful manager unless you grow your job, your department, your staff, your city … look at what I’ve done for you, he/she says to the voters. And we fall for that every time.

    Someone on NPR was talking about Colorado and how the demographics are changing out there. What was the most significant comment was, to paraphrase, “Folks aren’t committed Republicans or Democrats out here any more, they just want things fixed right.” They just want things fixed right.

    That’s what we want here in Ypsilanti. We want things fixed right. The street deal was very specific … we said OK to that. The library deal was very specific about what money goes where … we voted for that. The school issues was very detailed about what money goes where … and we voted for that. Based on what we have seen from the city spending habits … we have NOT been told what the money will be spent on … and we have a snaking suspicion the money is going for unncessary salary increases, higher retiremnt packages and other deals. Who knows? Plan A is not detailed enough, bottom line. It’s an open pocketbook.

  7. Posted October 30, 2007 at 8:48 pm | Permalink

    Wait a minute– wasn’t John Edwards in a bit of hot water himself earlier this year for taking (albeit not campaign funds) a boatload of money from Wall Street Hedge Fund traders? Isn’t this a bit of the kettle calling someone black?

    (said by someone who would like to see Obama surge…).

  8. egpenet
    Posted October 30, 2007 at 10:32 pm | Permalink

    The kettle IS black. And I’m a little, loudmouth white guy. And Edwards is right.

    I’m also still waiting to put on my Gore-Obama ’08 button again.

    As an aside, someone wote this week that Gore is going to endorse Michael Bloomberg, New York’s mayor, as an independent presidential candidate, and that Bloomberg, will reciprocate by naming Gore as his running mate! Wild!

    Back to bed. G’night.

  9. oliva
    Posted October 30, 2007 at 11:59 pm | Permalink

    Bloomberg-Gore?! I never saw that one coming, just didn’t. I don’t know what to think about it either, am actually slightly intrigued.

    But meanwhile I saw a bunch of the MSNBC debate tonight and did like seeing Edwards being articulate and daring and passionate and smart. Some other good things to see, including Obama seeming more comfortable, so more of his brightness could show (I think he’s been going through nicotine withdrawal at a most unfortunate time: when he’s got to be his sharpest and ever-ready).

  10. Robert
    Posted December 30, 2007 at 5:46 pm | Permalink

    All of a sudden, in these last few days of the Iowa campaign, Obama is trying to sound like Edwards on the topics of lobbyists and “corporate democrats.”

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