Clinton courts AFSCME crowd

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.radioiowa.com/gestalt/go.cfm?objectid=E68CAF90-B1C7-F4F2-1C6ABBA1B055CE53

Clinton courts AFSCME crowd
Friday, July 20, 2007, 8:42 PM
By O.Kay Henderson

New York Senator Hillary Clinton paid homage to Iowa's largest labor union on Friday night, one of five Democratic presidential hopefuls who're stopping by this weekend's AFSCME convention in Des Moines.

Clinton sounded themes popular with the union workers, like ending the practice of outsourcing unionized jobs in government to private contractors.

"Let's start by ending these no-bid contracts that go to the cronies of the Bush and Cheney Administration," Clinton said, to applause from the crowd. "Let's quit outsourcing our government to all of these contract employees."

Clinton proposed firing half a million private contractors currently on the federal government payroll. "They are not proving to be cheaper, as advertised. They are totally unaccountable. I am tired of sending off important functions of the United States Government to people that don't perform," Clinton said. "They didn't perform in Iraq and they didn't perform after Hurricane Katrina along the Gulf Coast. Let's end this outsourcing of America's policies to (foreign) countries and companies."

Clinton also mentioned the criticism the Bush Administration fired her way after Clinton asked the Pentagon to report to senators about the plans they may be laying for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq.

"If we begin to move troops and equipment, that's complicated and has to be done in a careful, orderly way and it takes planning so I asked them to come and give us a briefing that will tell us what they were doing to get ready," Clinton said. "I got a letter back from one of (the) Cheney acolytes at the Pentagon saying: 'How dare you ask these questions. You're giving aide and comfort to the enemy."

FULL story at link.

[Yael]

1. Want to impress me?

Stop the incentives to send our manufacturing jobs overseas. Rescind your hubby's NAFTA program.

For a start...

[Gman]

2. Edelman's ideology blinded him so badly that he handed Hillary something

she will harp on until November next year. Personally I love that kind of attitude in a candidate that will turn an assumed weakness into a strength.