DISQUS

The Washington Independent: Collateral Damage

  • jane · 1 year ago
    Battleground States Endorsement
    Over the last few days, Democrat Barack Obama racked up a bevy of newspaper endorsements from battleground states that, as much as they praised him, soured on Republican John McCain.
    "We believe the person best equipped by temperament and intellect to firmly grasp the reins of government and guide it safely forward in these uncertain times is Barack Obama," said the Toledo Blade. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch opined that Obama "has emerged as the only truly transformative candidate in the race. In the crucible that is a presidential campaign, his intellect, his temperament and equanimity under pressure consistently have been impressive. He has surrounded himself with smart, capable advisers who have helped him refine thorough, nuanced policy positions.
    "Meanwhile, Mr. McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, became the incredible shrinking man," the Post-Dispatch added. "He shrank from his principled stands in favor of a humane immigration policy. He shrank from his universal condemnation of torture and his condemnation of the politics of smear. He even shrank from his own campaign slogan, 'County First,' by selecting the least qualified running mate since Arthur Sewall in 1896."
    The Dayton Daily News complained that "Sen. McCain's campaign has been as disappointing as his move toward party orthodoxy. He has run a relentless stream of commercials that have been discredited by nonpartisan fact-checkers. He has articulated no vision for the country other than to suggest that it should believe in him as an individual, as a war hero of independent judgment. His selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate was stunning. Sen. Obama is the more promising leader. With his agile mind, often pitch-perfect judgment and preternatural calm and self-confidence, he seems built for the job of sorting through this thing, if anybody can." The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the State Journal in Madison, Wisconsin, were among other papers backing Obama.
  • matty · 1 year ago
    there have been reasons, since the idea of Universal Health Care was introduced, reasons multipllied over decades for why we just can't have it here. Well,we can. The reasons not to have it in the US have been so discredited the only thing stopping it is the money from the insurance lobby. Any candidate that takes hospital, insurance or pharmaceutical money should be made so ashamed of particpating in any further fleeceing of US citizens that , well...he'll just have to reverse his position. It is SO time now, no matter what. A small tax on all Wall street transactions would cover the systems start up. My country really is on a third world rail. This can begin to turn around. just free the people, "promote the general welfare, and get all that money back from the financial markets. The big expense will be atonement for two dreadful wars.