Nixon's the One

Nathan Newman nathan at newman.org
Tue May 14 14:56:47 PDT 2002


----- Original Message ----- From: "Justin Schwartz" <jkschw at hotmail.com>
>On that basis, Clinton is a progressive figure.
>-- Nathan Newman

-Ya'll are welcome to him. In my book. Clinton capped the Reagan revolution -by suckering people like you into supporting policies you would never have -swallowed from Reagan. jks

What suckering?-- I personally helped organize a 100-organization coalition against "welfare reform" which denounced both Clinton and the GOP for the 1996 welfare bill, including a campaign of rallies and disobediance to fight its implementation. In Alameda County, one arrest action I helped organize (and participated in) helped prevent the Alameda (Oakland area) Board of Supervisors from implementing a time cap on General Assistance. Before that I was helping to organize statewide anti-NAFTA and anti-GATT work.

I can chew gum and walk at the same time-- support Dems as the progressive alternative at election time and denounce and organize against policies I don't like like welfare deform or NAFTA. The day Clinton was elected, I made a bet with a friend on how many months it would take before Clinton pissed me off so much I took the Clinton 1992 bumpersticker off my car; I was too generous, since it only took three months with the Lani Guinier nastiness. I actually think it is because I had no illusions about Clinton from day one that I was less disillusioned than many people. I can praise him as better than the alternative and denounce his failings as easily. I don't need to hate or even dislike a politician to organize against him or her when they are on the wrong side of an issue.

-- Nathan Newman



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