Carol Moseley Braun Press Coverage in October

[gottaB]

As per usual, Braun ranked last for the month of October in press mentions both in print and online. However, there were a few people paying attention. Here are some highlights.

• Star Spangled Manner. A very good overview from the Sunday Herald. Do check it out.
  
  
• Candidate warms to challenges The Denver Post reported on Braun's address to the 24th annual Tribute to Black Women Celebration in Denver. It sounds like she gave them a version of the "Declaration of Intent" speech.
  
  
• Moseley Braun says death penalty on way out. Moseley Braun's speech to the National Coalition to End the Death Penalty was covered by the Tennesean, and then picked up by a few other sources as well.
  
  
• Pell grants, taxes topic of Candidate Braun. The Iowa State Daily covered Braun's appearance at Iowa State University. For those of you of college age who might be thinking she's just pandering, or that talk is cheap, know that when she was in the Senate she successfully fought for expanding the program and also restoring the interest deduction on student loans. If you think it's in shambles now, just imagine how awful it would be without Braun and other Dems standing up against the Republicans. When she says she's for increasing Pell grants, she means it.
  
  
• In Milwaukee, Moseley Braun Discusses Civil Liberties. WisPolitics covered her appearance at the American Black Holocaust Museum. In general I think Milwaulkie has been friendly territory for Braun.
  
  
• CAROL MOSELEY BRAUN: Aid inner cities, fix health care. After the Debates in Detroit Carol stopped by the Detroit Free Press and had a conversation with the editors.

I want to expand upon one topic that came up in the Detroit Free Press interview: mass transit.

Would you increase funding for mass transit?

Absolutely. The reason that it is so important to focus in on mass transit is not just so as to provide transportation options for people who don't necessarily have cars, but we have the environmental issues to deal with as well. I think that is a real way of incentivizing environmental protection. . . .

I can imagine a few people gacking at her use of "incentivizing" but let's get real for a moment. Braun actually has a record of getting funds for high speed rail, and, separately, for mass transit subsidies for people on AFDC or what became of it after welfare reform passed. This is actually very telling, because of course Braun vigorously opposed the welfare reform legislation. But when it passed despite her opposition, she did what she could to make things better for women living in desperate poverty. So I think that it shows that Braun is a caring person and that she means it when she says she absolutely wants to fund mass transit. But it says something else. It says she's practically-minded. She knows what has to be done, and what she can do to get it done.

So, the language of "incentivizing" isn't meant to appeal primarily to greens. Duh. But it's the kind of argument serious politicians need to have in their toolbox, because it works. It appeals to business leaders and people of a certain mindset about government which is not rooted in traditional political activism or the struggles of organized labor, i.e., people who don't see things in terms of class conflict, and if they did, would see themselves as being above and opposed to the lumpen proletariat.

Is it morally bankrupt to persuade such people that it's in their interests for government to invest in mass transit, education, health care and renewable energy, to name a few? I don't think so at all. If you're going to criticize the ideological underpinnings of Braun's rhetoric, I think you would do well to remember that above all she is practically-minded. Now what do the Marxists say about praxis? Or to use another idiom, "Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?"

Peace.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

1. Wasn't there another article about

her visit to Howard U? I meant to post it and got sidetracked...

[gottaB]

2. There was a late one from the Hilltop

which requires registration so I didn't post it, but if people want to read it it's here. Once you register (free) you just enter your email to read a story.

The stories from her announcemnet in September were generally pretty good. This one was the one specifically about Howard that I liked. BET also covered the announcement from Howard. IIRC the NYT sent a reporter there to get some digs in. The AP I know covered it from Benedict, but may have also gone to Howard, I can't recall. Carol's speech as prepared is up at her website. I watched it via cspan. It should still be in their archives--just checked, it's still the first link if you search for "moseley braun." The video if you want to launch from realplayer should be:

rtsp://video.c-span.org/mdrive/c04_021903_braun.rm

There's a good question and answer session.

[a_lil_wall_fly]

3. gottaB...very nice

tallying of information on Ambassador Braun. I hope more people will start listening to her. Because of the all the snipes from the leading candidates towards each other is getting very :boring:. Since I'm a Precinct Person here in Oregon...her value is getting higher and higher for staying above the in-fighting.

[democratreformed]

4. I, too,

wish that CMB would get more attention. She is a great lady.