Obama ratchets up populism message

[TeamJordan23]

Obama ratchets up populism

Obama began a two-day swing through New Hampshire today with a roundtable on “Reclaiming the American Dream” for the middle class, casting the economic hardships of working people as aggravated by well-heeled interests that have captured the government

“It’s time we had a president who sees the government not as a tool to enrich well-connected friends and high-powered lobbyists but as the defender of fairness and opportunity for every single American,” Obama said in his opening remarks. “That’s what this country has always been about, and that’s the kind of president I’m going to be.”

“There’s a direct correlation between the lobbyists in Washington and your situation,” Obama said, arguing that industry-backed provisions in the prescription drug program block the government from negotiating price discounts for pharmaceuticals that he said could reduce the cost to Medicare beneficiaries.

Such roundtables, which feature a conversation between the candidate and a handful of pre-selected voters centered on a selected theme, are a way of shaping local news coverage toward the campaign’s message of the day.

The theme of tamping down the influence of entrenched interests is hardly new to the Obama campaign—Obama has eschewed federal lobbyist contributions since the start and early on offered a plan to reduce lobbyist influence—but he appears to be amplifying the theme at the moment. He spoke quite a bit about fighting lobbyists during a six-day bus tour of Iowa that he just completed.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/obama_ratchets_up_populism.html

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

1. Finally! A candidate with a populist message.

(joke)

[Zueda]

3. If Hillary was a populist Id like her more...

I remember seeing her in an interview a couple years back where she was flat-out asked "Are you a populist?". She refused to answer the question...not in a obfuscated way either...Seemed pretty dismissive of the question as if 'populist' is a bad word. My respect for her dropped quite a bit that day.

[ClarkUSA]

2. He's always been a populist since his community organizer days...

Glad to see a story about it.

[saracat]

4. Sounds like he is ripping off Edwards!

[TeamJordan23]

5. Edwards leaves law school and starts representing corporations; Obama works as a comm. organizer

To me it seems as though Obama has had a longer history of fighting for the average person and for disfranchised groups.

Also, where was Edwards' populism four years ago?

[Mythsaje]

6. Representing corporations?

Uh...no.

Opposing them, yes?

[TeamJordan23]

11. After law school..doing primarily trial work, defending a Nashville bank and other corporate clients

After law school, he clerked for a Federal judge and in 1978 became an associate at the Nashville law firm of Dearborn & Ewing, doing primarily trial work, defending a Nashville bank and other corporate clients.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards

[saracat]

16. From 2007 A&E Television Networks. Edwards bio

He may well have represented a few corporate clients in his early days but that is not where he made his reputation.He also foumded the Poverty Law Cemter im USNC


John Edwards Biography (1953-)

United States Senator. Born June 10, 1953 in Seneca, South Carolina. The son of a mill worker and shop owner, Edwards was raised in the small town of Robbins, North Carolina. He graduated with honors from North Carolina State University in 1974 and earned his law degree in 1977 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Edwards made his career as a trial lawyer, mostly representing families and children against large corporations and the insurance industry. In 1998, he brought this spirit of advocacy to the political arena, running for and winning a seat in the United States Senate.

In Congress, Edwards championed familiar causes: quality health care, better schools, protecting civil liberties and saving Social Security and Medicare. As a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence, Edwards also worked to strengthen national defense and homeland security. In July 2004, Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry chose Edwards to be his running mate. Later that month, Kerry and Edwards were joined by speakers Bill and Hillary Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Madeline Albright and others at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. In November 2004, after a hard-fought and often bitter campaign, Kerry conceded the presidential election to incumbent George W. Bush.

In December 2006, Edwards announced his entry into the 2008 Presidential election. In March 2007, Edwards stated he will continue the campaign despite the reappearance of his wife's cancer. Click here for more on this developing story.

Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, met as law students at Chapel Hill. They married in 1977 and have had four children, including Catharine, a student at Princeton University; five-year-old Emma Claire and three-year-old Jack. Their first child, Wade, died in 1996.


© 2007 A&E Television Networks. All rights reserved.

[asdjrocky]

8. Represent corporations?

I don't think there is anyone here who doesn't know that's a lie.

[Bluebear]

13. 'and for disfranchised groups.' - which is why he hired an anti-gay MC for his concerts.

Please.

[TeamJordan23]

14. Why don't you prove Obama shared any view of the MC? If your standard is guilt by assoc.

than what does that make Edwards, who worked for and invested $$$ in hedge fund that ripped off Katrina victims.

I don't have a problem with Edwards, but I don't buy his phony 'populist' message because where was it 4 years ago or during his stint in the senate?

[Bluebear]

15. I don't need to prove anything. Obama hired him, Obama kept him on despite GLBT's protests

Obama was totally tone-deaf to gays and lesbians, and by keeping McClurkin, whom HE hired, on the program endorsed his views.

[TeamJordan23]

17. Thanks for playing. You cannot prove it. Under your standard

Edwards is the Wall Street candidate who doesn't give a damn in what his hedge fund is responsible for doing.

It's not enough to go work for a hedge fund, but you have to put in your own money.

[Bluebear]

18. Why are talking about Edwards, isn't this about the suddenly "populist" Obama?

Populist lol!

[TeamJordan23]

19. You must have no knowledge of Obama and his past

and his time in the Illinois legislature (or his career before that). But at least he is bringing all these issues up in his first presidential race; not waiting four years and than bringing it up in his second run.

[Bluebear]

22. He is as good as his last actions to me, not his "past"

[annie1]

9. ahhh, it must be because recently edwards referred to him as "friendly" lol...

(to lobbyists and corporations) so now he's got to cover his ass. lol. that's pretty funny. he's getting schooled. and even funnier is hil chasing obama's tail now copying his language on getting out of the war in 1-2 years. funny. Edwards is the man.

[silverojo]

10. He IS ripping off Edwards

Edwards always does things first, then Obama and HRC copy him. :rofl:

[Adelante]

24. There's a difference between a Wall Street Populist

and a South Side of Chicago Populist -- about $53M.

[annie1]

7. This guy puts me straight to sleep. he's a mess. what the hell...

is he spending so much time talking about lobbyist for? is that our number one concern? anyone? anyone? we get it. talk about what we're concerned with, and deal with the lobbyists when you get in there. maybe it's an early states thing.

[TeamJordan23]

12. Yeah, maybe Obama should go work for a hedge fund and than decry Wall Street. nm

[eridani]

20. How does that square with his rightwing talking points on Social Security?

Or does he not intend to favor his high roller Wall Street funders who want to get their hands on it?

[maximusveritas]

23. Same way it does for Edwards

He's also referred to a Social Security crisis and wants to raise the payroll cap.
So why the double standard?

[eridani]

25. All progressives want to raise the cap

Edwards is not advocating privatization as Obama and Clinton are, though.

[ellisonz]

21. Obama rising.