Letters to the Editor

• @ Peter Maranci: If Only Obama Would Come Clean

  [Read the article: Hillary Clinton's long strange journey on Iraq]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  I can just never resist replying to posts that raise the "other" issues about Hillary Clinton that prevent people from voting for her. This poster has done just that. However --and here is where it gets really troubling -- Sen. Obama has some questions to answer, also:

  Energy: In 2005, Obama voted for the "clean energy bill" that gave $14.5 billion in tax breaks to the oil and gas industry.

  http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=9490 (Energy)

  Class Action Fairness Act: In 2006, Sen. Obama voted in favor of this bill to limit class action lawsuits against corporations, like Enron (and Bear Stearns). This bill was heavily-lobbied by business interests, Chamber of Commerce, and President Bush.

  http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=s2005-9

  Bankruptcy Bill: In 2005, Sen. Obama voted against an amendment that would have limited the amount of interest charged to credit card consumers as part of the Bankruptcy Bill. Sen. Clinton voted for the amendment and against the Bankruptcy Bill:

  http://votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=55463 (Business and Consumers)

  Patriot Act: In 2006, Sen. Obama voted to reauthorize Patriot Act:

  http://vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=9490 (National Security)

  Iraq: Since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004, Sen. Obama has voted in favor of funding for the war and voted twice against amendments to set a firm timetable for withdrawal of U.S. troops. One such amendment was introdoced by Sen. John Kerry (who has endorsed Obama).

  http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=9490

  Washington Post legislative database

  Other: Sen. Obama has the fourth highest missed vote record of any U.S. Senator. He has missed crucial votes:

  -- to implement recommendations from the 911 Commission Report

  -- the "No Confidence" vote on AG Alberto Gonzales

  -- to authorize funds for extending grants to low-income college students eligible for PELL Grants

  BTW: Sen Clinton is ranked 9th out of 100 in the U.S. Senate for her leadership, her legislative efforts, and the ability to work with her Senate peers to get things done.

  http://www.congress.org/congressorg/power_rankings/index.tt

  Permalink Friday, March 21, 2008 12:14 AM

• @ Settembrini: No Golden Age Of Journalism?

  [Read the article: The worst, sleaziest press corps possible]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  What about the old "muckrakers"? I thought they served a pretty terrific purpose, even if old Teddy Roosevelt did accuse them of spending too much time looking down in "the muck", instead of 'heavenward'!

  Some of those folks (Ida Tarbell springs to mind) were responsible for what we know now as modern antitrust laws, as well as raising the Rockefeller Family's hackles about its corporate ownership of oil and transportation to move it.

  Weren't they the forerunners of investigative journalists?

  Permalink Friday, March 21, 2008 12:33 AM

• @ Fredrick Bernanke: And Obama Is...

  [Read the article: Hillary Clinton's long strange journey on Iraq]
  [Read more letters about this article: Here]

  The "Ready From Day One" nonsense that served as the foundation for her candidacy has crumbled. Her "experience" assertions have proven to be illusions, padded accounts of typical First Lady duties. And beyond her First Lady experience lies nothing.

  An inexperienced "dilletante" (to quote his own U.S. Senate colleagues) who changes his position and his words every time he gets caught in a lie; who has the fourth highest missed votes record of any U.S. Senator; who has spent most of his time since he was elected in 2004 running for POTUS; who said nothing to his "friend" Tony Rezko about cleaning up his South Chicago slums; who took a powder on 'controversial' issues in the Illinois Senate by voting "Present", according to his colleagues; and who apparently said nothing to Rev. Jeremiah Wright, his 20-year "close friend and spiritual advisor", about his "hate speech."

  I think I'll stay with Clinton.

  BTW: Sen. Obama isn't doing very well in Pennsylvania polls, in national Democratic polls, in significant states polls, and in national matchups with Sen. McCain.

  http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/ 2008/latestpolls/index.html

  http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08078/866068-100.stm

  http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/favorable_ratings_for_presidential_candidates

  I think I'll stay with Clinton.

  Permalink Friday, March 21, 2008 12:57 AM