We criticize the repubs for their speakers at the RNC convention?

[trumad]

We criticize them for softening their snarling tone by not letting Santorum, Delay and other far right speakers to speak, but yet we keep Hillary from speaking at our convention? Why is that?

[redqueen]

1. Hillary's not far left

You meant Kucinich, right?

[vi5]

4. Kucinich's record on choice is not far left....

I like Dennis. I just don't like selective application of labels.

[redqueen]

9. blah blah blah

:boring:

[vi5]

14. Good response...well thought out....

I'd love to hear your opinion on any number of other issues. I'm glad a woman's right to choose is boring to you.

[redqueen]

15. Newsflash: he's for it

I fail to see why some would like to harrangue on and on about what his position was years ago.

[vi5]

18. Nobody harangued on it......

I just said that a solidly anti-choice voting record up until a year or two ago, hardly makes someone "far left".

Hey, if we have different definitions of the term then fine. To each their own. But to me far left means someone who has a liberal voting record and a liberal position on all major issues. As long as someone doesn't try to tell me that one candidate is far left except for one or two pesky issues but that another is not a true liberal because of one or two issues where they may have voted differently.

[redqueen]

20. I just leave out the 'all major issues' part

I don't know of anyone like that, frankly. Do you?

And I said harranguing because it irritates me to no end that you can't say "Kucinich" near the word "left" without someone popping up and saying 'but two years ago he was...' Yeah, we know!

[vi5]

22. Not in the democratic party, no...

I don't know anyone who's far left in the democratic party.

My apologies if I took it the wrong way. I'm just dismayed that we've come to accept a party of centrists and applying previously stringent terms where they don't apply. I liked when I used to be able to mean it when I said someone was a liberal. I guess I just get dismayed that such a luxury seems to be in the past. I just don't think it's enough for someone to be anti-war, or to just be economically liberal. I want someone to fit the bill all around and to not be easy about any of their voting record.

That's not to say I think we could have a president who fits that bill (I just don't think someone like that would get elected). But I'd like at least SOME people in congress to fit the bill.

But as you correctly pointed out, nobody like that exists any more.

[redqueen]

24. Tragic, isn't it?

We're off the charts to the right. If it weren't for bush being the closest thing to pure evil since Reagan, I'd vote green... alas.

:(

[Selwynn]

21. Ok try this: on 99% percent of issues, he's far left.

[trumad]

5. I never said she was far left....

[redqueen]

7. Huh?

"We criticize them for softening their snarling tone by not letting Santorum, Delay and other far right speakers to speak..."

Maybe you meant something else... controversial speakers maybe. Except are those guys even considered controversial to swing voters?

[trumad]

10. They are far right, yes?

I did mean it another way and did not mean to imply Hill was far left...My Bad....

[emulatorloo]

2. Not sure what Hillary would add that won't be covered by Dean, Gore, etc.

EOM

[kiahzero]

3. Hillary didn't want to speak, from what I hear

Were the organizers to stand there with a gun at her back?

[Monte Carlo]

6. Myself, I think Hillary would attract more attention than she'd deserve.

I think it was a good idea to leave her off the bill. Good or bad, I think she attracts disproportionately large amounts of attention. We have others who are just as worthy to speak.

[trumad]

8. See...that's what I mean...

This excuse that she didn't ask is bullshit... They in the DNC know what they're doing... Hillary's a lighting rod and the don't want lightning. Same goes for the Repukes... Hence we shouldn't diss the Repukes for doing the same thing...MHOP

[emulatorloo]

11. I thought Delay was about to be indicted

http://www.truthout.org/docs_04/032704J.shtml

I can see why the Repugs would not want to have him

[redqueen]

17. Link to more recent scoop- DeLay's Corporate Fundraising Investigated

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A43219-2004Jul11

DeLay's Corporate Fundraising Investigated
Money Was Directed to Texas GOP to Help State Redistricting Effort

By R. Jeffrey Smith
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 12, 2004; Page A01

In May 2001, Enron's top lobbyists in Washington advised the company chairman that then-House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) was pressing for a $100,000 contribution to his political action committee, in addition to the $250,000 the company had already pledged to the Republican Party that year.

DeLay requested that the new donation come from "a combination of corporate and personal money from Enron's executives," with the understanding that it would be partly spent on "the redistricting effort in Texas," said the e-mail to Kenneth L. Lay from lobbyists Rick Shapiro and Linda Robertson.

The e-mail, which surfaced in a subsequent federal probe of Houston-based Enron, is one of at least a dozen documents obtained by The Washington Post that show DeLay and his associates directed money from corporations and Washington lobbyists to Republican campaign coffers in Texas in 2001 and 2002 as part of a plan to redraw the state's congressional districts.

DeLay's fundraising efforts helped produce a stunning political success. Republicans took control of the Texas House for the first time in 130 years, Texas congressional districts were redrawn to send more Republican lawmakers to Washington, and DeLay -- now the House majority leader -- is more likely to retain his powerful post after the November election, according to political experts.

more...

[stinkeefresh]

12. except that the Democratic speakers represent

the platform and politics of the Democratic leadership. The Republican speakers don't. That's the objection- not hiding their lightning rods.

[trumad]

13. Yes...but if the Far Righties spoke

would it create lightning? But I see your point...

[Monte Carlo]

26. The GOP has little to do with my opinion on this matter.

And I never said anything about her asking to speak or not, I'm just glad that she's not speaking.\. I quite frankly am lukewarm at best about Sen. Clinton, and I'm tired of her getting so much press for her relatively short career.

[bearfartinthewoods]

16. is Sanotorum out for sure?

i haven't seen their line up. where is it? Thanls

[Ducks In A Row]

19. Hillary is a centrist

And I doubt she cares about speaking at the convention. I'll bet she's pleased to has someone like Obama speak and get the airtime.

[Misunderestimator]

23. I don't ... I think it's great that they will have Zell Miller...

they can keep him.

[TexasSissy]

25. A variety of views is represented in the Dems' speakers

From Bill Clinton, a true centrist, to Ted Kennedy, a far lefter. And then there's independent Ron Reagan Jr., speaking on stem cell research.

Seems to me we have a diversity of speakers, unlike the Repub convention. But I don't know who the Repubs think they'll be fooling.

[Malikshah]

27. Wake up and smell the irrationality...

Hillary transcends politics, right-center-left, etc.

She is a lightning rod of controversy that goes beyond the pale.

I don't think that there has ever been a person so irrationally despised in US history.

It's a unique situation, I grant you, and they've made a call. We'll see what happens.