JE: "This president will never use Ronald Reagan as an example for change."

[bigtree]

January 17, 2008, 1:30 PM

HENDERSON, NEV. -- John Edwards ripped Barack Obama for praising the way Ronald Reagan brought about change when he was President of the United States.

“When you think about what Ronald Reagan did to the American people, to the middle class to the working people,” said Edwards.

“He was openly – openly – intolerant of unions and the right to organize. He openly fought against the union and the organized labor movement in this country. He openly did extraordinary damage to the middle class and working people, created a tax structure that favored the very wealthiest Americans and caused the middle class and working people to struggle every single day. The destruction of the environment, you know, eliminating regulation of companies that were polluting and doing extraordinary damage to the environment.”

“I can promise you this: this president will never use Ronald Reagan as an example for change.”

Edwards was addressing comments made by Obama during a sit-down interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal. According to Edwards spokesman Mark Kornblau, Edwards was addressing these specific remarks from the interview:

"I don't want to present myself as some sort of singular figure. I think part of what's different are the times. I do think that for example the 1980 was different. I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it. I think they felt like with all the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s and government had grown and grown but there wasn't much sense of accountability in terms of how it was operating. I think people, he just tapped into what people were already feeling, which was we want clarity we want optimism, we want a return to that sense of dynamism and entrepreneurship that had been missing."


http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/01/17/politics/fromtheroad/entry3724550.shtml

[madokie]

1. John gets it

[DemBones DemBones]

2. Right on, John! Obama is way out of line with this Reagan talk.

Or he's in the wrong party and hasn't realized it.

[MindMatter]

9. It is looking that way more every day

It really is remarkable that he has gotten this far. He has virtually no track record, just a nice smile and smooth voice. He is clearly more intelligent than Bush by a mile, so maybe people figure that's good enough.

His recent moves -- making this into a black/white contest (bringing Oprah and Jesse Jr) into center stage -- and now this adoration of Reagan -- seriously make me question his judgment.

I never thought I would say this, but I have come to the point that I prefer Hillary. At least I know what she is. She is a DLC junior fascist who will support 10% of the progressive position.

I certainly hope that people wake up to this situation before it is too late. We have the guy right there with Edwards. His creds are clear. He has been talking the talk for a long time. More than that, he has a demonstrated lifetime of fighting for progressive values.

Edwards has more in common with the average African American than Obama. Like Dr King said, judge by the content of the character.

[lonestarnot]

3. Go go go Johnnie go!

Dance dance dance on that fuckwad's library.

[Blue_In_AK]

4. I trust you saw Lawrence O'Donnell

on Countdown rip into Edwards for saying this. :puke:

[Binka]

12. Makes Me Love Edwards Even More

O'Donnell is pure FUCKWITTAGE.

[riverdeep]

17. Oh, yeah. He was something.

Saying that Reagan is a non-controversial figure in America except among the far left, where John Edwards appeal is. You know, it was the far left that also didn't see what Iraq had to do with anything, saw global warming years before it became 'hot', and has watched an economy that has sucked out the middle class. Maybe the average American is too gullible and clueless to look past the Reagan 'legacy' and find out for themselves what he was.

[ngant17]

5. JE and Raygun

might have both agreed on their policies wrt right-to-work(for less) laws in their home state. To my knowlege, JE never was actively against it in his home state of NC, which is notoriously anti-union.

To his credit, he has supported the national Employee Free Choice Act, but I think all the Dems (HC, BO) have supported it so that doesn't set him apart.

The reason I think that JE co-sponsered the IWR is that NC has a lot of military bases, it's practically the mercenary capital of the world with Blackwater based there, so he has that war-hawk instinct and that's really something he wouldn't be able to shake off once he has the power of the President and he can like Raygun, make up any excuse he wants to invade another country (i.e., Grenada, Nicaragua and contras).

[lonestarnot]

7. Who has that "war-hawk instinct?"

:popcorn:

[ngant17]

10. JE has a war-hawk instinct

otherwise, why was he so quick to co-sponsor the IWR 3 years ago?

[lonestarnot]

11. What does IWR stand for please?

[ngant17]

19. IWR - Iraq War Resolution

This was the Oct. 2002 vote.

You can also go to the DU Glossary, located in DU Research Forum and find the definitions of various abbreviations used here and on the internet.

[AzDar]

6. Right again!

Go, Johnny, GO!!!

[Hoof Hearted]

8. Good for John Edwards! As a Clinton/Obama supporter I think that's the DUMMEST thing he's ever said

I think it's one of the dummest things any Democrat coulds say and I was pretty shaken and very put off by it.

10 points to John.

[MH1]

20. How did you feel about Clinton listing Reagan as one of her favorite presidents?

(it's on Greatest with 58+ recs, if you've somehow managed to miss it)

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. ...

:thumbsup:

[bigtree]

14. video

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x85662

[Blarch]

15. Edwards likes to change the subject.

He got hammered over the bankruptcy bill and Yucca.

Hell, Even Lieberman was against Yucca from the start.

[bigtree]

16. talk about 'changing the subject'

:eyes:

[focusfan]

18. Obama doesn't know what he's talking about

if you can rember the 80's then you know how it was.