Obama Takes Big Risk on Driver’s License Issue
Sen. Barack Obama easily won the African American vote in South Carolina, but to woo California Latinos, where he is running 3-to-1 behind rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, he is taking a giant risk: spotlighting his support for the red-hot issue of granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants.
It’s a huge issue for Latinos, who want them. It’s also a huge issue for the general electorate, which most vehemently does not. Obama’s stand could come back to haunt him not only in a general election, but with other voters in California, where driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants helped undo former Gov. Gray Davis.
Clinton stumbled into that minefield in a debate last fall and quickly backed off. First she suggested a New York proposal for driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants might be reasonable. Then she denied endorsing the idea, and later came out against them.
Asked directly about the issue now, her California campaign spokesman said Clinton “believes the solution is to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”
“Barack Obama has not backed down” on driver’s licenses for undocumented people, said Federico Peña, a former Clinton administration Cabinet member and Denver mayor now supporting Obama. “I think when the Latino community hears Barack’s position on such an important and controversial issue, they’ll understand that his heart and his intellect is with Latino community.”
Obama’s intention is to draw distinctions between himself and Clinton on what are otherwise indistinguishable positions on immigration. Both have adopted the standard Democratic approach of favoring tougher enforcement along with earned legalization.
The Illinois senator is differentiating himself in three key areas: driver’s licenses, a promise to take up immigration reform his first year in office, and his background as the son of an immigrant (his father was Kenyan) and a community organizer in Chicago.
Obama made the promise to Latino leaders to take up immigration reform in his first year after Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., chairman of the Democratic caucus, said his party might not raise the divisive issue again until the next president’s second term, assuming a Democrat wins.
Latino leaders felt betrayed. For them, an immigration overhaul is a top priority in light of state and local crackdowns on illegal immigrants and federal raids in workplaces across the country.
Clinton has not made such a promise, saying only that she would make her best efforts.
“Those issues are huge,” said Obama supporter and state Sen. Gilbert Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, vice chairman of the California Latino Legislative Caucus.
Democratic pollsters Stan Greenberg and James Carville issued a direct warning on the driver’s license issue in an analysis last month designed to guide Democrats through the treacherous immigration quagmire.
“The findings about driver’s licenses are particularly notable,” they said. Two-thirds of surveyed voters oppose them, the pollsters found, and the safety argument fails to dent the widespread conviction that granting a driver’s license rewards illegal behavior.
But it will definitely work with Latinos, said John Trasviña, president of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. “Clinton and (Sen. John) Edwards have said no driver’s licenses for unauthorized immigrants,” Trasviña said. “Sen. Obama has said you get a driver’s license if you know how to drive. And that message I think will resonate in the Latino community as we get closer to California.”
The latest California Field Poll shows Clinton leads among Latinos 59 percent to 19 percent. That’s bigger than the margin that handed her Nevada just over a week ago and about how well former President Bill Clinton did with Latinos in California when he won the state in 1992 and 1996, said poll director Mark DiCamillo.
One in 3 Californians is Latino, and although they make up just 14 percent of the electorate, they are 1 in 5 Democratic primary voters, according to the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California.
“That’s a very sizable group and a leading indicator in terms of younger and new voters,” president Mark Baldassare said. “That’s just the demographics of our state. They’re a really crucial group.”
Clinton’s biggest asset is “El Presidente.”
Thanks to Bill Clinton’s presidency, during which he lavished attention on California, and her own eight years as first lady, Hillary Clinton enjoys enormous name recognition among Latinos.
She has also done her spadework. Clinton picked up early endorsements from leading Latinos such as Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and fabled farmworker organizer Dolores Huerta.
Clinton opened her new East Lost Angeles campaign office Saturday with three Latina members of Congress: Hilda Solis, Grace Napolitano and Lucille Roybal-Allard.
Obama has lined up several lesser-known officials, including Assemblyman Joe Coto, D-San Jose, chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus, as well as Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Cerritos, who split from her sister, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, a Clinton backer from Garden Grove.
While Clinton has the backing of the United Farm Workers, Obama has picked up the endorsement of Unite Here, a heavily immigrant service workers union.
Both camps discount speculation of simmering racial hostility that might make some Latinos reluctant to vote for a black man.
“The familiarity with President Clinton has given her a very, very big lead from the beginning,” said Maria Elena Durazo, secretary-treasurer for the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor who is campaigning for Obama.
If there were racial animosity, “obviously we would have to address that very directly,” Durazo said. But mostly the response Durazo gets when she asks Latinos about Obama is, “Who is he? I don’t know who he is,” whereas with Clinton, the answer comes back, “We know Presidente Bill Clinton.”
Maria Echaveste, a UC Berkeley law lecturer advising the Clinton campaign, agreed. “Everyone is so quick to jump on” the racial angle, she said. “But, frankly, I think the explanation is a much greater number of people know her and love Bill Clinton.”
Huerta, a longtime Latina activist and co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, scoffed at Obama’s credentials with Latinos. Clinton worked in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas as a young woman, she said, while Obama was missing in action during two major activist events in Chicago, once when Elvira Arellano sought church sanctuary to avoid deportation, and another time when two Latino men were falsely accused of murder.
“He’s now trying to build a relationship, but it’s just not there,” Huerta said. In Nevada, casino workers dubbed themselves “Hilarios,” she said, meaning Hillary supporters. “This came from the people.”
With Obama, she said, “A lot of them would say, ‘Señor como se llama?’ They didn’t know Obama’s name.”
Latinos also trust Clinton, Huerta said. “Support for her is not just support; it’s enthusiastic support. In fact, I haven’t seen anything like this since the Bobby Kennedy campaign back in ‘68.”
Obama has begun airing campaign ads on Spanish-language TV and his supporters are working hard to promote Obama’s activist Chicago roots, which Peña declared forged “a personal connection with Latinos that no other candidate has had.”
Added Durazo, “He’s the son of an immigrant, he’s the son of a single mother who sacrificed a lot to make sure he got his education. All of those issues resonate with a hotel housekeeper, a construction worker, a day laborer. … I have great hope that we’re going to break through that gap in a big way.”
E-mail Carolyn Lochhead at clochhead@sfchronicle.com.
© 2008 The San Francisco Chronicle
It is beyond stupidity to give driver’s licenses to ILLEGAL immigrants. An ILLEGAL immigrant needs to be deported and given papers stating HOW they can enter the USA legally.
Sucking up to these illegals is a huge slap in the face to all the immigrants that spent all their money, waited in line for hours at the immigration office, and carried around green cards for years before finally getting their citizenship. The road an immigrant walks is a rough one and when they take the oath they realize a dream. I’ve seen it and many of them cried they were so overwhelmed. Now you’re going to cater to ILLEGALS. Immigrants deserve our respect and admiration but ILLEGAL immigrants who cut corners and try to jump fences should get nothing. Obama is NOT fit to run the nation.
Just curious TheLorax, these ILLEGALS you want deported are involved in almost every aspect of food production in this country.
From the Coachella Valley to Maine and everyplace in between. I know, I drove a refrigerated semi over the road for years picking up this food.
What comida do YOU eat amigo? These beautiful people should be welcomed. Screw barbed wire. They were here first. We stole over 500,000 square miles from them through superior fire-power…..now they are criminals here huh?
Again-what food do you eat?
There is another important issue with this. Premiers and Governors want to developed an enhanced drivers’ license that could be used to cross from Canada into the United States and visa versa instead of requiring a passport for day trips. Granting driver’s licenses to those who are not yet citizens would undermine this effort.
That said, economic refugees should be treated with a bit more respect.
Does Mexico issue driver’s licenses? If so, a compromise could be the Mexican embassy in the US setting up its own office for issuing driver’s licences.
Why would the UFW support “Hilaria”? The UFW should stop endorsing politicians and challenge them to step up and work for farm worker justice. Endorsing Clinton is just a political move for the UFW and is not in the interest of real farm workers or Latinos. Didn’t the Clinton administration pass NAFTA in 1994? That trade agreement has hurt the workers here and in Mexico. Also it is a big reason of why many people are choosing to cross over to the US. I don’t see nothing wrong with giving “illegals” a license. It is not like they are getting them for free. Plus it has more to do with safety on the road. A license does NOT make someone a citizen, and at least Obama has taken a stand on the issue rather than waiting to see what the polls say. What does Clinton have to offer Latino’s?
Obama he might be “hoist by his own petard” of over-strategizing on this one.
he doesn’t seem to be aware that the Illegals and the Chicanos are two entirely different interest groups! The Chicanos are US citizens, so they are the only ones who can vote, and they (including the UMWA members) dislike the illegals nearly as much as the Anglos do!
Even I know that much about California culture.
Very few of these people are criminals.. they should be allowed to stay and receive driver’s licenses, and helped, to work toward citizenship.. for many reasons.. most importantly we are all Americans (everyone from North and South America) and Earth Citizens… unless someone is a known criminal.. then whats the problem? They contribute tremendously to our work force and purchase products just like everyone else… The entire state of Texas and other areas, were part of Mexico until we forcefully stole it from them.. wake up folks.. unless you are Native or Spanish.. your family immigrated also… The crew that needs to be deported would be the Bushites & co-workers…
Obama may not be perfect, but he embodies great qualities that will help us to get back on the right track.
Wake up, folks.
The ruling class loves illegal immigrants, because they work cheap and don’t unionize.
Then they use the “threat” of immigrants to push through the Real ID act, which is a major invasion of our privacy and civil rights.
Keep your eye on the guy behind the curtain, and quit arguing about trivialities.
http://www.realnightmare.org/
pollshep,
I mostly agree with you, except for this:
“The entire state of Texas and other areas, were part of Mexico until we forcefully stole it from them.”
The Mexican War was about forcefully stealing California, not Texas. Texas was under the domination and control of Native American Indians when the Spaniards declared it belonged to Spain. When Mexico broke away from Spain, it inherited what Spain had claimed, including Texas. The Mexican leadership invited US immigrants to come in to cultivate the land, create wealth that could be taxed, and push out the natives, because Mexico had neither the interest nor the wealth to cultivate and populate Texas. The Texians did what was expected, and then they successfully revolted (in part because Mexico outlawed slavery, so nothing to be proud of), but there was a lingering land dispute in southern Texas, which continued after the US annexed Texas. The US government at the time had a keen interest in California, and offered to buy it from Mexico. The Mexicans sternly refused, and informed US officials that they would never sell California. The US then invaded Mexico with the pretext of being compelled by the land dispute in southern Texas, but the real reason was so the US could steal California, which of course it did, with Arizona and New Mexico thrown in.
kivals…
thanks, I’m always eager to learn and understand…
Doesn’t it strike anyone as suspect that Obama comes out with this undocumented immigrant stance a week before Super Tuesday? This candidate engages in the lowest of sleazeball politics when it’s convenient to him, yet somehow Hillary is the person progressives love to hate. Nobody asks how Obama, a freshman senator, managed to build up a $100 million campaign chest two years ago, but if you do a little research, you’ll find that G.O.P. fundraisers and the indicted slumlord Tony Rezco formed his base early on. Does this sound like the proximity group of an “agent of change”? Actually, it sounds more like Karl Rove wheeling a trojan horse into the Democratic primaries. For more on what the dirty trickster is up to, check out my piece at TheCityEdition.com.
YRM…
It appears to me to be the total opposite, Ms Clinton is the one who keeps throwing out diversions and lies… She attempts to distract everyone from the real issues… I like her better than the repugs, but I think she is part of their scheme.. She keeps talking about experience, but what has she accomplished in those years?.. She has been part of what we have now.. a big part! Obama being a freshman senator has done a ‘wonderful’ job at accomplishing great things already.. that in itself should speak volumes!! You can’t pin Tony Rezco’s resume on Obama… it seems funny to me that you can’t find any real dirt on him, than an associate of a client of the firm that he worked for.. Who’s your employer? Are you responsible for their actions and everyone who crosses their path?…
Big Bad Bob, “spics” huh, to use that rascist language on Common Dreams says a lot, what do you call black people? Women? Jews?
Do you scare Mexican people when you can Big Bad Bob?
“SPICS?” You are filth.
Obama’s team use of the driver’s license wedge issue is a purely tactical attempt
at creating a “mob effect” at the polls and in the media. The problem with the mob effect
is it doesn’t historically work whenthere is established, popular support on the ground.
The “color revolution” techniques of Eastern Europe should not work in CA. Popular support
appears too strong for Clinton, whereas, Obama’s name is less known.
Shouldn’t “paths to citizenship” include driver’s licenses? There are many more benefits to it than downsides (unless you’re a rabid regressive who wants to deport the brown people, except for the ones who work for them for under-the-table pittance).
greenerthanthou January 29th, 2008 4:33 pm
“The ruling class loves illegal immigrants…”
Nailed it!
I live in California and without the “illegals” it’s hard to see how we’d function without them. Contrary to the media pundits, I really doubt anyone is waiting in the wings eager to take over their wretched jobs once they get deported. I once heard a right-wing idiot actually make this argument.
Let me add they pay sales tax on everything and the ones I’ve met are hard-working, morally upright people. Many of their kids go on to college and become productive and successful citizens.
Lastly, notice how the term “illegal” is only used against the poor and powerless. When the settlers pushed out the Indians and stole their lands they weren’t called illegals. Are the Israelis illegally occupying Palestinian lands called illegals? Are the US soldiers illegally occupying Iraq called illegals?
YRM January 29th, 2008 5:21 pm
“…a week before Super Tuesday?”
Nailed it right on the head!
TheLorax January 29th, 2008 2:32 pm
“…slap in the face to all the immigrants that spent all their money,..”
Although I disagree with you I think you have a valid point about the immigrants who entered legally. Okay, just give them back their money and put the war on pause for just one day and we would have enough money to do that and buy them a TV set.
I just read the article YRM referred us to in claiming that Obama was a Republican tool. Her charges on that are based entirely on a Time magazine article that said that he’s getting a surprising amount of Republican support, despite a more liberal voting record, because people were sick of things like “Bush’s Neanderthal positions on global warming.”
I see this as an asset, not a problem
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1680192,00.html
RE: - Didn’t the Clinton administration pass NAFTA in 1994? That trade agreement has hurt the workers here and in Mexico.
Let’s not forget Reagan’s role in this also. And if Reagan was too riddled by Alzheimers at the time to be held accountable for his actions - what were Cheney and Papa Bush doing then?
RE: - Then they use the “threat” of immigrants to push through the Real ID act, which is a major invasion of our privacy and civil rights.
Does it require that you have photo ID to vote?
Big Bad Bob, calm down Captain America and eat your coconuts.
Looking at this from a purely political strategy point of view, I think holding this position is going to mean the end of Obama’s bid for the presidency. The governor of my state, Eliot Spitzer, tried to push licenses for illegal aliens here and got kicked in the arse for it. Hillary is going to take California, I think.
Ok, then why not just end the charade of immigration and let people pour into our boarders unabated? We all know why: that cheap labor would lower the standard of living for everyone and fatally burden our infrastructure, UNLESS those industries and businesses profiting from the cheap labor are forced to pony up and pay a living wage and provide benefits. These poor immigrants are more than willing to take your job for less than half of what you are paid, and unscrupulous business owners are more than glad to fire you and hire them.
No industrialized country anywhere, I dare say, allows unrestricted immigration; it would be economic suicide for their legal residents and citizens. Here, in many areas, it is already putting a strain on human services, and many businesses are getting a free ride while raking in the profits.
And TheLorex has a VERY valid point; they make people who follow the immigration rules jump through hoops and pay out the nose. I know, I’m married to a legal immigrant (not Latino). The ruling class is laughing all the way to the bank while we bicker among ourselves.
The only way to solve the problem is to go after those businesses profiting from the labor and make them pony up. Perhaps an arrangement can be made that industries be responsible for ALL the costs of keeping these workers, including paying for the costs of getting them naturalized–see how much they would want them then. But unless and until that happens, the unabated influx will eventually strain our infrastructure to the breaking point, and guess who will ultimately pay the price for that? YOU and ME!
Americans owe Latinos a huge favor — we’ve been exploiting them ever since we stole the northern half of Mexico. Some people have been listening too much to the fascist shill and thug Lou Dobbs.
Before tackling immigration laws, why not first reform the major labor issues that exist already–lack of health care, poor health coverage, a minimum wage that is unlivable, lack of unemployment benefits that allow a family to survive, and the shameless Workman’s Comp. and Social Secuity Disability systems which impoverish and discourage those too ill or injured to work. The exploitation of Latino immigrants is no different–they can’t speak for themselves, are easily exploited, and easily deported if they strike, complain, or are injured. Finally, if NAFTA had been drafted right, then all those factories that went to China could have been put in Mexico, and then there would be jobs for them, and we wouldn’t have an illegal immigrant population.
Obama is determined to shoot himself in the foot, and give the elections to the republicans. In my opinion I believe that if the election get down to Clinton and McCain, McCain will win. Hillary has pissed off too many people lately. McCain is one of the people that both deomcrats and republicans can support. Clinton will not carry most republicans and a lot of democrats.
Driver licenses are a hot button issue that can rapidly hand an election to the Republicans and set back immigration issues even further. Not to mention everything else at stake in this election. Wake up Dems. and get behind Senator Hillary Clinton. Once again, Senator Obama shows his naivete, in both the political and immigration arena, while Senator Clinton shows her experience, realism, and ability to listen to, and work with, all the People.
As for Ted Kennedy, he can no longer distinguish the trees from the forest. Nor does he know any longer what it means to trust the intelligence of the People. It is even painful for me to watch him and Caroline resurrecting Jack.
Thank goodness for the discernment of Bobby’s children. (Including a major human rights activist and former female attorney general who has known Senator Clinton’s work for 25 years.)
Nor has Dolores Huerta has lost it, like Ted. I greatly admire this extremely intelligent and experienced woman leader in the Latino community. It is no surprise to me that the perceptive farm workers’ community endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton. Or that Ms. Huerta is supporting, not denigrating their choice.
I, too, stand with the farm workers of Cesar Chavez’ and Dolores Huerta’s historic union.
Hillary Clinton is also being endorsed by the National Organization for Women.
Remember who they are, progressives?
An African American Republican, a woman Republican, a Morman Republican, an old insane Republican…Gee, it’s so hard to decide? Why won’t the man on the TV just tell me who to vote for? Oh well, I’ll just watch football until the TV tells me.
Stick up for Hillary! Though she asks her husband Bill for help, I think no matter who is elected they will ask the last previous Dem president for advice. The more they use him, the more they will accomplish. And I think eight years of being a very politically involved First Lady do count for something in terms of experience. And I find the book “For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton” tells everything:
http://dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=75031&ru=279
Ruthru, then you haven’t been listening to your t.v. man closely enough. The Murdoch instructed far right doesn’t want you to vote for Senator Clinton, and they do want you to choose between Senator Obama or Senator McCain. That should tell you clearly which ones are Republican or very weak candidates, and which one isn’t.
Tragically, I think, this decision of the Obama camp will put an end to his dream for 2008. No doubt born of both good will and an effort to break the lock Clinton has on the Latino vote, Obama has tweaked perhaps the most sensitive and barely hidden nerve of American politics today: the rights of “illegal” immigrants in the U.S. It doesn’t matter what our personal opinions are, or what the merits of the proposal to issue drivers’ licenses to illegal immigrants might be, the fact is that the overwhelming majority of Americans are strongly against it. As soon as Clinton herself earlier recognized that fact, she quickly and ungracefully backed away from her support of the proposal. I hope I am wrong, as I continue to support Obama, but I believe we may have seen the beginning of the end for his, and our, hopes this year.
The method being used here dates back to B.C. Some Romans came up with the saying “Bread for Votes”.The Exgovernor of California thought the same thing about the Latino vote,and lost the recall.Obama should try something different for a change,Its called Respect.
People in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks.
We’ve all been illegal aliens at some point in our history. It’s our nature to try and survive. And bless the souls of the people who have made it here to a better place. They feed us, clean for us and do pretty much every dirty job in between. The least we can do is let them drive legally.
Hopefully the true story below will inspire some readers.
“Why Obama?” Three brothers share their story.
A guy watched Senator Barack Obama tell a story about one person, Edith Childs, who energized others with a “fired up, ready to go,” chant at one of his campaign stops. Inspired by Obama’s “One voice can change the world” speech, he wrote some lyrics and rough chords then called his brother to help him compose and arrange the song. They named it after Edith’s chant. After many phone calls, emails, and sleepless nights, they had assembled the team. Ten days later an epic recording was born with the intention of spreading Obama’s hopeful message. Contributors include lead singer the renowned Total Experience Gospel Choir, Pearl Jam Drummer, lead singer thier younger brother, other top studio musicians, sound engineers, video teams, photographers, caterers, local news teams and a renovated theater with recording studio. From the first word written to the last note performed, this entirely donated and collective effort demonstrates Senator Obama’s unifying message and Americans’ desire to act on it. We were in awe of how freely people said, “Yes!” to this project. His words “For that is our unyielding faith-that in the face of impossible odds, people who love their country, can change it” demonstrate that great leaders motivate others.
Barack is a great leader.
“I would have never imagined participating in an event like this, suddenly having a bunch of people come together on behalf of a political candidate; contributing immediately, so fully and unconditionally,” said one of the project contributors.
Edith Childs said in the Greenwood Index Journal “I just had no idea that something done spontaneously would go this far — in a good way,”
Childs said. “But as far as the song, I think it’s cool. And I’m going to go online and see the (music) video when it comes out. But look, I did (the chant) in June, and I had no idea this is where we’d be on January 25.”
Watch the music video at: Fired Up, Ready to Go
Watch the “making of” video at: Making Fired Up, Ready to Go
Stay in touch with this project at:
Fired Up in Seattle!
Bergevin Brothers Music
“Obama should try something different for a change,Its called Respect.”
Right on. Also, it’s not only the Latino vote, but the union endorsements that Senator Obama can’t get on his own. This is just not his turf. Even coming from a union state, he has none, and his one big endorsement in Nevada was NOT supported by union membership, and complaints of Obama camp intimidation proliferated among union members who wished to caucus for Senator Hillary Clinton instead. Well, is this a surprise from the leader who has big complements for Ronny Reagan!
Ted Kennedy, in my opinion, is making a big mistake using immigration to tell the unions what to do, and possibly compromising his previously important position in the Senate with future immigration issues. Along with compromising future immigration reform. This is not in the best interests of the nation. And should speak volumes to the public about Obama’s candidacy and future leadership abilities. People do not realize how hot this issue is. I am very disappointed in Senator Kennedy. I suspect he has simply lost his way.
Senator Clinton just picked up another big endorsement from the head of the Navajo Nation; and public support statements have recently been issued by Maya Angelou and Magic Johnson.
Senator Clinton is the strongest candidate for the People!
cara,
I think you should add a few words to your last statement, “Senator Clinton is the strongest candidate for the People,” such as “of America’s boardrooms and of the military industrial complex!”
As for NOW’s endorsement, it is progressive on women’s and related issues only and supports Hillary simply because of her gender. Hillary could advocate nuking Iran and Venezuela for fun and profit, or eliminating Social Security and Medicare, and NOW would still support her.
In America, if you can pass the “road test” you will be issued a driver’s license. That’s how that goes. Anything else is a form of discrimination. The word “illegal” is a poor choice for an “undocumented” worker. Being “illegal” does not make anyone a criminal. It only means “undocumented.”
Good for the Clintons’ –Chaos For The U.S. From The Clinton’s Chaos To Meltdown– Clintonian Entitlement is Tearing Our Country Apart
In the 90s, when Bill Clinton brought 5 million poor Mexicans into our country–why did he not grant them minimum wage instead of dragging down lower-middle and poor Americans into competition with slave wages and ultimately sacrifice the standard of living Americans fought for? Largely uneducated, these immigrants work for wages that give parasitic CEOs “collecting” 10 & 11 figures (notice, I didn’t say “earning”) wet dreams. They are now the Clinton’s best voting bloc–
When things don’t go their way, the Clintons will incite grossly adhominen dissension, divisions, upheaval, and, are willing to twist, distort, cause chaos & violate the rules; they have no problem watching the whole process meltdown –with them. Mere dishonest politicians, are no match for those whose lives are pathologically dedicated to the “art” of deceit. Good For Clinton: Bad For the USA.
IT WAS in the 90s, with NAFTA, that the transformation began in earnest!, & our democracy began its descent Into a destabilized two-Class (Ruling & Peasant) Society. Ambitious world “leaders” Republican, Democrat, Fascist & Tyrant annually celebrate the World Economic Forum inspired & energized by Bill Clinton’s NAFTA & his message of entitlement at Davos, Switzerland, birthplace of the Ruling Class NWO (New World Order). Monica was really trifling!– but with respect to their clandestine hard right policies & POLITICAL activities!–they were/are! scrupulously! secretive.
It was Romney, of all people who lacking the Clinton’s cunning inadvertently blurted out the conservative goal was to “level” the playing field. He didn’t spell it out, of course, but in the context it wasn’t hard to figure out he meant enslaving American workers until our expectations met the quality of life even with that of the world’s most impoverished.
Our prison population soared under Clinton and the social safety net started to unravel as he undid the work of Democratic administrations from Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson and sent jobs abroad.
And the Democratic Party paid for it. According to the National
Conference of State Legislatures, Democrats held a 1,542 seat lead in
the state bodies in 1990. As of 1998 that lead had shrunk to 288.
Good for the Clintons’ –Crisis For The U.S.
Kivals,
Why should I add a few words when they are not my own? You have no right to speak for me!
“women’s and related issues only” — Only? SNORT! Over 1/2 the United States and over 1/2 the world are WOMEN! Most people living in poverty or more likely to wind up in poverty are WOMEN, and women are still the ones raising children in both two parent or one parent homes! While they are still paid less with less job opportunities or work recognition.
In the international picture, do you have any idea as to the rate of prostitution in just Iraq, for example, while our government hands out jobs to men, not women! Are you aware of the statistical rates of violent crimes against women internationally, let alone this nation? And do you have any idea how many men are affected by these insignificant women’s issues?
Of course, if you are a twenty-something Obamite who lives in a fashion magazine, and lives for slogans and marketed images, probably not.
Not to mention that Senator Clinton is well known as the best candiate on social security and health care. While Senator Obama, friend to Ronald Reagan, is telling the Republicans he’ll let them all slide!
It is no surprise to me that Dolores Huerta and the United Farm Workers support her, a number of important Civil Rights and anti-war voices, including Charles Rangel, and now, the head of the Navajo nation!
There are also two Supreme Court seats likely up for considerration. In the hands of a McCain, you can expect to see American law change significantly over the next decades, on a number of Constitutional issues, including “women’s issues”, civil rights and labor.
Senator Clinton will make excellent appointments; she is most definately the most highly qualified of all the candidates. Her record speaks for itself. And thank your lucky stars for her board room connections — including Kerry Kennedy, daughter of Bobby, who is a well known human rights activist, on board with many human rights organizations, including Amnesty International. See her website, “Speak Truth to Power.”
That speaks more to me than Caroline Kennedy telling America that she wants her dad back.
Senator Clinton knows how to get the job done!