[lbo-talk] Kuchinich explains backing Obama over Edwards

[John Thornton]

Doug Henwood wrote:
> On Jan 8, 2008, at 1:42 PM, John Thornton wrote:
>
>   
>> Obama uses the Republican talking point when discussing the Social
>> Security "crisis" and referred to the SEIU as a special interest group
>> in a rather negative way.
>>     
>
> It wouldn't surprise me at all if he, or some other Dem, took office  
> amidst recession and declining tax revenues and declared that Bush  
> left behind a fiscal mess that means all options are on the table.  
> Blue-ribbon bipartisan panel duly appointed, recommends SS  
> privatization and Medicare cuts. The government of national unity  
> declares we all must sacrifice. Etc.
>
> Doug

Unlike Edwards Obama will not state that privatizing SS is NOT part of 
his agenda which means he will likely support such a plan if he deems it 
politically expedient. I don't know why Max states that Obama is against 
privatizing SS. Max, if you have something from Obama specifically 
claiming he opposes privatizing SS I'd like to see it.
While I agree with Max that a health care system funded from general 
revenue is best if not that then it must be mandated to work. Obamas 
plan sucks worse than Edwards for that reason just as I said earlier.
Obama has been unable to get any national union support, unlike Edwards, 
and has again adopted Republican talking point on labor issue so while 
it may be going to far to state he is anti-union there is no evidence he 
is pro-union that I know of except his vote for the Employee Free Choice 
Act. Something many Republicans supported so it doesn't exactly 
demonstrate much of anything that I can see.
If someone wants to claim all three Dems suck I'm with them on that but 
if they want to claim that Obama is no different than Edwards then I 
believe they are mistaken and I invite them to demonstrate how they came 
to that conclusion.
Truthfully the complaints Kuchinich claims he has with Edwards hold 
equally or more true for Obama so at the very least he is being 
disingenuous with his claims.

John Thornton