Ed Koch: Why I Support the Reelection of President Obama

[babylonsister]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/05/21/why_i_support_the_reelection_of_president_obama_114217.html

Why I Support the Reelection of President Obama
By Ed Koch


The campaign for president – to be decided in the election in November 2012 – is going to be decided, most people believe, by the state of the economy and its impact on each of us as we enter the voting booth. I believe while the economy will hold a high priority with the voters, they will consider domestic policies and foreign affairs as well.

Most Americans understand the difference in views on the domestic agenda between the two candidates – Obama and Romney – and the parties they represent. President Obama and the Democratic Party believe we must never privatize Social Security and Medicare, but instead take measures to keep them solvent, but to always keep them as entitlements. The Republican Party and Mitt Romney and his predecessor George W. Bush have made it clear they are desirous of ending the entitlement contract between the government and the individual American and substitute the concept of privatization with individual stock accounts, making Social Security dependent in part on the stock market and ending Medicare as we know it, providing instead a voucher system, allowing those eligible to receive a government voucher with the beneficiary being personally responsible for the cost of an insurance policy as the voucher buys less with each passing year. The Democrats believe Medicaid – health care for the poor – should remain an entitlement, no matter the number of poor qualifying, while Republicans believe Medicaid should instead become a block grant to the states, eliminating the federal responsibility to care for the poor, giving the 50 states the power to decide the benefits to be provided and the funding.

snip//

Finally, there is the issue of fairness in taxes, collected from the wealthy (millionaires and billionaires) and the middle class. The republicans and Romney do not believe in collecting more taxes from the wealthy; President Obama and most Americans do.

I will, whenever the president asks me, go on his behalf to Florida and anywhere else where I can be helpful to campaign for him. This will not be an easy campaign for either side. I believe the Democratic positions considering domestic and foreign affairs are far more preferable to that of the Republicans, and I intend to do my part to assist in the reelection of President Barack Obama.

[still_one]

1. didn't koch support mccain in 2008? /nt

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

2. I believe that to be true! If he's coming out for Obama, this is major. I remember the Republicans

using Koch to help push the meme that Democrats support McCain and/or were angry that Hillary lost and support McCain because of it.

[Robbins]

4. No

He came up for Obama In the fall although It was partly because of not liking Palin.

After supporting Bush In 2004 and taking part In attacks on Michael Moore the DINO was supporting Hillary for the nomination In 2008.

[BeyondGeography]

3. If that's Ed's last presidential endorsement, good to see that he made the right call

Pleasantly surprised.

[One of the 99]

5. The President's support for marrige equality

must have convinced Koch to make the endorsement.

[frazzled]

7. I think it's the entire crash-and-burn, scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners ...

stance of the Republican party in recent years that has finally made geezers like Koch come back to their senses and become Democrats again. Support for marriage equality (or rather, Republican opposition to it and the party's general homophobia) is a part of that, but it's also the social contract, tax fairness, foreign policy, and other issues that count as well.

[One of the 99]

9. Ed Koch is gay

So marrige equality would be a very big deal to him.

[lastlib]

6. Note: Not one of the evil Koch brothers...

...they would be Charles and David Koch(suckers).

FYI

[Jamaal510]

11. You just answered the question

that I was about to ask.

[JHB]

13. And with Ed, "Koch" rhymes with "scotch"...

...whereas, with the billionaire brothers, "Koch" rhymes with "choke", which also seems to be their economic plan for everyone else.

[JHB]

12. Leo Tolstoy, you mother is calling

Welcome to DU, but Holy Howard! Break that up some and format the pieces to be more readable. This is a message board, not a publishing house.

[Bake]

14. Better late than never, MAYBE, but I'd like to add ...

Ed, go f**k yourself. The reasons why are self-evident.

Bake