"I don’t recall a time when the Democratic Party’s most prominent office holders sounded as meek."

[Triana]

. . .

Yet I don’t recall a time when the Democratic Party’s most prominent office holders sounded as meek. With the exception of Elizabeth Warren, they’re pussycats. If Paul Wellstone, Teddy Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, or Ann Richards were still with us, they’d be hollering.
. . .


Not in ninety years has America harbored a greater concentration of wealth at the very top. Not since the Gilded Age of the 1890s has American politics been as corrupted by big money as it is today.

If Hillary Clinton is to get the mandate she needs for America to get back on track, she will have to be clear with the American people about what is happening and why – and what must be done.

THE REST:

http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/04/11/the-defining-moment-and-hillary-rodham-clinton/

[DonViejo]

1. Let's see what her tone is after she announces her candidacy...

allegedly in about 15 hours. Reich needs to spend less time peeing his pants and start dealing with reality; she isn't a candidate yet.

[kath]

2. "Yet I don’t recall a time when the Democratic Party’s most prominent office holders sounded as meek

With the exception of Elizabeth Warren, they’re pussycats. If Paul Wellstone, Teddy Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, or Ann Richards were still with us, they’d be hollering."

Man, ain't that the tragic frickin' truth.

[appalachiablue]

5. Amen. LBJ, Mario Cuomo, Shirley Chisolm, so many others-

[RealityAdvocate]

28. Amen. So many sound like republicans did just a few short years ago.

It's scary what passes for a democrat these days. Where have all our progressives gone?

[Comrade Grumpy]

3. I remember Tom Daschle. n/t

[Autumn]

4. Hillary is one hell of a fighter, my question is what will she fight for?

he nailed this part

Almost all the economic gains are still going to the top, leaving America’s vast middle class with stagnant wages and little or no job security. Two-thirds of Americans are working paycheck to paycheck.

Robert Reich is a long time Hillary supporter.

[appalachiablue]

7. Exactly-

All my grandparents, greats and parents had families with children and -ONE- wage earner. That was enough for generations to live a decent, good life in the US, as Warren says about her mom who went back to work for Sears at age 50 and supported Three in their household when her father had a heart attack.

The long work hours, job juggling, stress, income insecurity, mounting debt and lack of social programs that Americans are enduring now is appalling. Humans can go a couple decades at this pace, then they will break down with illness and problems. This America isn't normal, it's corrupt and wrong and it has to be stopped. A post here yesterday pointed out that people are now giving 86 cents per dollar to the wealthy, to live and eat compared to 6 cents per dollar in 1980 !

[kentuck]

9. Thank you...

...for understanding the gravity of our situation.

Somehow, there has to be a political consensus...

[kath]

10. + a brazillion!

[Dragonfli]

15. It is the new gilded age with all that implies

The effects are always as you describe, during such times we can expect no help from a corrupted guild of lawmakers, they are little more than lackeys, paid well, but lackeys nonetheless of their wealthy paymasters.

There may be leaders that rise, as some have in the past to bridge the gap to a better age, but they will not be found among those giving speeches to their masters about how it is unfair that the wealthy are not loved by their victims and paid so very handsomely for such consolations.

Someone may announce tomorrow, but that person is not the leader the people need, not the leader the people that work so hard for so little deserve.

[zeemike]

18. And we think we are better off because we have toys to play with.

But the fact is that we are paid half as much or even less than we were then...so they got twice the labor for the same cost.
And it has been at the expense of society as a whole but particularly the family.
And all we can hope for is things not to get worse.

I am glad I am not a young person having to start out in this world.

[CrispyQ]

21. The new ways of scheduling are dehumanizing, demanding that employees be 'on call' all the time.

Mean, greedy fucks running ruining the planet. It was a bad sign when companies changed the name of the employment department to human resources. That's all we are. Resources to be used & spent like any other resource.

[Hoyt]

26. It's not just an American problem. Our median household income is more than advanced country

except Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Australia, Luxembourg. And those aren't a lot more. Of course most other advanced countries have better safety nets including health care.

[Doctor_J]

6. They're not meek, they're complicit

Hillary and Obama aren't talking about wealth concentration because they're on the same side of the argument as the repukes. Same with drilling, school corporatization, healthcare profiteering, and so on.

[appalachiablue]

8. +1

[840high]

12. +10

[Triana]

13. +1000 n/t

[WillyT]

11. Huge K & R !!! - Thank You !!!

[blkmusclmachine]

14. Hillary ~

Meh.

[fadedrose]

16. Campaign contributions might be the reason

They know that if they say anything, the money will be cut off and they'll be out.

There is an astronomical amount of money in this election already, and they haven't even showed us what it went for, which is something we'd all like to know.

[L0oniX]

17. All that campaign mandate bullshit will be put aside because ...well ...war.

[midnight]

19. This week a bill to fast track TPP is being introduced to Senate.

[CrispyQ]

22. Dems have run scared from the right wing media machine since Reagan poked fun at the word liberal.

Most of them are now on the same gravy train & are complicit. They will talk about income inequality & the middle class during the campaign & it will be business as usual when they are in office & they wonder why there is an enthusiasm sink on the left & why so many unregistered voters say voting doesn't make a difference.

[KoKo]

23. K&R!

[Octafish]

24. There's a reason for the quiet.

A nice summation of the situation BEFORE the bank bailout:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/19/400029/-Hillary-s-connection-to-Harken-Energy-and-BCCI#

[progressoid]

25. Rec!

[treestar]

27. I've heard this before

over and over again.