Kerry might have made a great president, (god knows we couldn't have any worse than we have now), but we need someone who stands up to the lying Repukes with a big stick and is ready and willing to swing it. Both Gore and Kerry backed down to Bushit lies. I have had liberals say to me, "We can't stoop to their level." Well we better, or we will lose. We don't need to lie like they do to get our points out, but we better learn how to grab the lead in the public discourse and kick the right wing media in their collective asses. Take off the gloves, Democrats, and keep them off. I don't want a "nice" party that takes impeachment off the table and backs in to every debate. Liberal America is mad as hell (at least I am) and I want leadership who don't want to take it anymore.

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And to prove your point, if I may, I will cite the movie "Mississippi Burning" when W. Defoe tells G. Hackman ". . . don't drag me into the gutter with these people!". And G. Hackman replies, "These people crawled out of the sewer . . . Maybe the gutter is where we should be!!!!"

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"An inspiring beginning" - You mean after being in the game for years in the Senate and running for VP, Edwards could be an inspiring beginner, naive enough to have not gone ballistic the second the swiftboating began? Come on, even I saw it coming and Handsome John cudda picked up on the slime machine coming for his cute tush. Kerry's dilemna shudda come to mind. He took WAY too long to muster a counter offensive and then his anger was akin to shagrin, not seething condemnation that was righteously needed. If there's no fire in the belly (see Cheney's preoccupation with stomach references), how do you expect to ignite the frustrated electorate yearning for a strong leader? Clinton, Edwards, Obama - the media has hyped them incessantly, turning them into our inevitable choices. That crapola started ASAP, secnds after the '06 election results. How effin convenient! We all bemoan the lack of patriots and yearn for the Tom Paines, but, when a Kuchinich strongly states the truth, when a Feingold asserts his principled opposition to those obstructionists in his own party, we allow our perverted media to marginalize and vilify them with their cynical critical low-aimed potshots. There are some worthy elected representatives that should be seriouly supported. Sen Webb, Gov Richardson and Al Gore are out there and they wouldn't consider it a compliment to be called inspiring beginners. This is war - we need warriors, not chickenhawks, chickenshits or chicken littles!

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Although I was bitterly disappointed that John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, et all supported Bush's immoral, illegal, and stupid invasion of Iraq, at least I've got to give credit to Edwards for apologizing for his mistake. We all make mistakes, I wish others would also apologize sincerely for their mistakes, and not make the same mistakes again!

These "mistakes" have cost the lives of thousands of Iraq men, women, and children, and thousands of American soldiers, not to mention billions of dollars...and have earned the hatred of much of the Arab and Muslim world toward the USA, and the loss of respect of many of our allies....

Do Hillary and other candidates have the courage to apologize and try somehow to atone for their support of the current administration's abysmal foreign policy?

Human lives are more important than oil prices, or winning an election....

Gary

Gary James Minter
http://aidsvillagechina.blog.sohu.com
www.healthchina.org

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Of the three potential Democratic contenders, he's clearly the one Rupert Murdoch would least like to see win the primary - because Edwards could easily knock any Republican out of the ring, while Hillary and Obama are far more questionable.

In fact, the corporate media in general seem uneasy about Edwards - which means he's probably the best choice for the American people by far. He's no tool - and that's why the press is giving him less coverage than either H or O.

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...mean jack and...well...cr4p.

If you're going to come down hard on a right wing "maccaca" spewing ideologue, then you must be willing to come down equally hard on a li'l left wing one, no matter how pretty the face, no matter how potty-the-mouth (yes, even untoward righty-wingnuts). In short, you have employ a little equal opportunity in divorcing yourself of destructive nonsense.

The obvious reason that the Edwards campaign sh1tcanned the bloggers (esp. Ms Marcoote) was with regard to their permanently on-the-record ignorant, stereotypical, denigrating, and malignant statements regarding folks who were only likewise speaking their minds in our free and liberal society.

Consider these bloggers the George Allen's of the early democrat hopeful's candidacy, and count your blessings (if you're truly throwing your lot in with Edwards) their prior body of filth didn't malign his campain as an October "memo-gatish" surprise.

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Can't we call them "wrongwingers"? What are they "right" about?

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It is disgusting how the right wingnuts will infest a progressive site with abusive posts. I've noticed the quality of discussion on alternet has become less interesting simply because of the vile comments of the right wing bloggers. My suggestion is that we don't allow them to take over over sites and drown legitimate progressive discussions with their crap. John Edwards is at least standing up to these bastards. Let's follow his example and continue to sass these "strict father" types back.

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... responses to these attacks. He stays calm when pushed but firmly pushes back and seems to stay on point with the truth. I am seriously considering him since he appears to be centered on integrity and principle in a broad way rather than just issue specific. That speaks well for him. We might just have a real candidate here that I can vote for.

If the right is going after him, they are worried and he is not part of their inside group like the Clintons are, so that makes it even more important to go for him if possible. I think I will watch some more, but right now I am definitely leaning toward him to send money and work for him.

Thanks for this info.

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Come on, Evan, don't even try to portray the milquetoasty "statement" made by Edwards as "standing up" to the right wing nuts. That's disingenuous at best. Over at Orcinus yesterday, Sara Robinson, in a rant called "Silencing the Netroots," was more lucid on the issue at hand, more poignant and demonstrative of what "standing up" to an ideologiocal bully actually looks like than John Edwards' feeble handwringing.

Additionally the incongruent "apologies" made by the two "spared" women were disturbing to say the least. There is absolutely no room in this violent era for people like Edwards who cannot stand up and defend his own ideas, his own circle in the face of bullies, especially no room in leadership. Sara Robinson ought to be running for President. She can defend her circle, and even when red-in-the-face, she can make a spirited principled argument that is reasonable and peaceable without any handwringing. I wondered why John's slinking under the chair act in the face of Chris Matthews' latest on-air diatribe disturbed me so much. His wife should be in his job! She can clearly defend her circle and held up very well, putting Matthews in his place and winning the audience. If politics in the USA costs so many people the world-over their very lives, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for Edwardian wimpy statements and incongruent apologies to right-wing fanatics and bullies.

And people, it's time to quit being squeamish about the "F-word" and other "strong language" in public discourse. The days of "polite" politics is OVER! There is no room for the equivocation for, and placation of genteel sensibilities when we're in a war for our, and others', lives against Xtian Nationalism and other political fundamentalist movements that RELY on the polite discourse as cover for their hate. Stop giving them that cover and start speaking your mind without fear. John Edwards and men and women milquetoasts like him have NO PLACE in leadership, smart as we might think them to be. We need Budo, peaceable warriors, not equivocating emotional children who are too quick to apologize to a bully. I am extremely disappointed with Evan's portrayal as much as I'm extremely disappointed in Edwards' emotional weakness. I realize we're all learning this stuff, but Edwards is supposed to be a pro at this, Evan's getting paid to write accurately. It's unacceptable to misrepresent weakness as strength. The fact that he retained teh women bloggers is not enough to merit "standing up" to bullies. He was apologetic when he did not need to be and should not have been, and if a social-feminist martial artist can spot it, if a female blogger can spot it, if his wife on camera can spot it, you damn sure can expect a redneck male chauvanist to spot it. The bullies surely did, hence their ramping up the hate. The stakes are too high for this nonsense.

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