Bill Ayers speaks out! An In These Times exclusive.

Political Climate Change

By Joel Bleifuss

Paul Krugman, president of the Hillary Clinton fan club, writes in his New York Times column that if Barack Obama gets the nomination, there is no chance “that we will get universal healthcare in the next administration.” He has criticized Obama for not supporting mandates, as Clinton does, that require everyone to buy insurance. Lost in this debate is one… return to article

  • subscribe to print magazine

  • Zoom OutZoom In Reader Comments (3)

    Page 1 of 1 pages

    I appreciate your points about defense budgets, and campaign financing, and single payer, etc., and in response I’d just add the url for the True Majority “Oreos” animation.
    http://www.truemajority.org/oreos/

    But the swipe at Krugman just isn’t right. It’s true he’s critical of Obama, but he’s hardly the “president of the Hillary Clinton fan club.” That’s just childish, Mr. Bleifuss.

    Germany Posted by monkyhead on Feb 19, 2008 at 6:13 AM

    “Clinton, Obama and others who aspire to federal office are constrained by the political realities of a system that was bought and paid for long ago.”

    Yes, unfortunately there is little self-constraint in making un-fundable promises.

    Al Gore said he wanted all of us to have the same kind of health care the Congress has, which was of course, a totally unaffordable goal.

    I would be satisfied if somehow we could limit the Congress to benefits and salaries based on their constituencies. We would see much more effort to solve real problems and a lot fewer committee blocked proposals.

    Before we can expect tax reform, health care, or any other significant “change” we need to restore government of the people, by the people and for the people.

    Those in D.C. —
    • Set their own pay (automatic increases)
    • Create their own benefit plan
    • Control the agenda (committee mtgs off camera)
    • Put on a show of working for the masses

    We are powerless to impose term limits, force election varification, or any other action to remove the power which Congress has gradually assumed.

    What are the chances of a Constitutional Convention or amendment to limit their powers?

    We are evolving from a two party system into a two class system — those who make the rules and the rest of us.

    United States Posted by whattheheck on Feb 19, 2008 at 9:02 AM

    Well put, sir, especially your reference to The Department of War. Whether a progressive challenge of the established order is a viable option remains, of course, THE question. Observing the demise of the no-nonsense Congressman from Ohio and the ballsy litigator from Carolina was disheartening for those of us who cling to the prospect of at least token endorsement of leftist ideas from the Democratic party. Reading your writings for the past 20 years, I realize that no one has to convince you of our political system’s entrenched mockery of equal justice for all and that slogan hailing of, by and for. In the end, we have the comfort of knowing that, as always, virtue remains its own reward.  Without the Democratic party, we have, at present, nothing. I would urge you to devote yourself to exposing the opposition’s dangerously undemocratic predispositions and presentiments rather than score the likes of Mr. Krugman, who remains a rare example of mainstream journalism’s “liberal” commitment. Go get ‘em, Joel. Considering the Republican party’s actions and plans of the 21st century, they deserve no mercy and we need, desperately, the incisive and relentless journlism that has earned you the editor’s chair of one of the principal prongs of our attack on propriety, ITT. We have no choice but to support an establilshment candidate. You can’t wear a red star to the ball, but you can shadow those who seek to maintain that shadow of evil that GOP machinations have envinced from Mitchell to Gonzalez, Haldemann to Rove, Agnew to Cheney, Nixon to Bush. Si?

    United States Posted by Bud Wizer on Feb 20, 2008 at 6:10 AM
    Page 1 of 1 pages

  • register a new account »Posting Security

    To participate in our forums, please register for a free account.
     

    Retreive lost password »

Article Appeared in this Issue

Full contents
Past issues

Popular Discussions