History is a little more complex than some, including Joan, want to admit.

First: No, Bill Clinton is not a racist, but yes, his invoking of Jesse Jackson after South Carolina was a cynical attempt to manipulate he Florida primary vote that followed South Carolina. The antipathy of Jewish voters, particularly older ones, to Jesse Jackson had a long history. Clinton, a very shrewd politician knew hat. The tying of Obama to Jackson was a smart, but treacherous, maneuver.

Second: Remember NAFTA and most favored nation treatment for China? Remember Al Gore carrying the Clinton coals in the debate withy Ross Perot who predicted "a joint sucking sound" as American jobs were drawn over seas. Remember the way the media and the Clinton administration mocked him.

Third, lest we forget, the regulatory freeing of Wall Street from "out-moded" regulations like the Glass-Segal act, was also a pert of the Clinton Administration agenda. BUT

Fourth, Clinton is absolutely right about the vast right=wing conspiracy. Only thing is, it's much older than publicized.

Some have already remarked that the vitriol now present in our politics reminds them of the JFK years. That vitriol had a history that dated back at least to the end of WWII and what became known as the "China Lobby" that birthed Joe McCarthy and Roy Cohn.

Honor Bill Clinton for his real accomplishments. Rue that, like Nixon, he gave his enemies a sword. Pray that only person on earth that Barak Obama really fears, is Michelle.

http://johnklotz.blogspot.com

One blogger criticized Obama quoting Cain about being my brother's keeper,. because Cain was being sarcastic, misses the fundamental point, for a debating point.

The story of Cain slaying Abel is in the very first book of the Bile, Genesis, which even St. Augustine read as allegory.

The fact is, that other than eating the forbidden fruit, the story of Cain and Abel is the story of the first crime:murder.

Cain's question may have been defiant: "Am I my brother's keeper?" but it was the first step in scripture towards what many regard as the universal law of morality: To treat other as we would be treated as ourselves, which is in turn corollary of a deeper command: to love our neighbor as ourselves.

In the New Testament, Mathews telling of the "parable" of the Last Judgment is lecture on what loving your neighbor really means. We demonstrate our love by what we do to the neediest of our fellow human beings. Among other things: "I was sick when you visited me."

The inanity of some fundamentalists who insist that world is only 6,000 years old, and the excesses of religious authoritarians have turned many off to the message of the scriptures, but I can not understand how the self-styled Christians on the Right can so blithely ignore the commandment of love upon which "all the law and prophets" depend. Or as Rabbi Hillel said a generation earlier than Christ: All the rest is commentary.

To those who so mindlessly echo the right wing attack themes, and so easily turn their backs on the stricken among us, and who so openly flaunt their Christianity: be afraid not of Obama, but of the judgment of your God. Be very afraid.

http:johnklotz@johnklotz.com

Is that guy going to be 35 in 2012? If so, I think Joe the Plumber has found his VP candidate.

It always amazes me how some liberals think Obama is betraying "principle" becasue he doesn't jut snap his fingers and announce a single payer plan.

Robert Reich to the contrary, it's just not that simple. And given the so-called wisdom of of the founding fathers, the Seanate will alwys be a tussle. There aren't 60 firm votes for signle payer and likely there would barely be a maajority in the House.

Well why doesn't he try any? some might ask. Maybe it's because he really wants to accomplish something. Push the ball down the road a bit.

Truman couldn't do it. Kennedy and Johnson couldn't do it. Carter couldn't do it and Clinton couldn't do it. The skinny kid with the big ears just might accomplish more in terms of health care than anybody has to date.

But the Left should cut him some slack becausee he is trying to deal with enormous forces arrayed against change.

What little I saw of the Town Hall was just terrific. He is a master communicator and the best weapon we got. Was before and still is now.

http://johnklotz.blogspot.com