The Vatican has had a similar thing happen to it though it has gone largely unreported. All of the money spent in litigation over the sex offenders in the Church has taken away money used for anti choice activities such as buying hospitals so that they can be stripped of reproductive health services.

The DailyKos camp is ga-ga for Edwards but he is sinking in the polls, and his catastrophic mistake in pledging to use only public finds DOOMS him should he get the nomination … the Republicans would so outspend him, it’d be ridiculous and they’d win easily. Whoever in Edwards’ camp talked him into that outta be drummed out of his campaign. And Edwards was an IDIOT to go for it, and that gives me one more reason to be disgusted with him. I am also sick of his wife’s attacks on HRC, which she gets away with more because of her tragic illness, but which is incredibly unhelpful to the eventual Democratic candidate’s general election campaign.

I have many reasons for being for HIllary Clinton. Among them:

1) she has pledged, the day after she is elected, to send emissaries throughout the world, to every country, to begin to rebuild our international relations — she will NOT wait until her inauguration because she realizes it is so vital we begin immediately, and

2) she has pledged to rescind the unitary powers that the Bush presidency has assumed. This is of the UTMOST importance. It was in the Boston Globe a few weeks ago, and Leslie featured it here — you should be able to search for it and find it using our search engine. I’m sure that the leftie blogs like FireDogLake — snort — managed to overlook that vitally important, historic statement and article, but she said it. I have not heard other candidates say the same; perhaps they have, and more power to them.

Furthermore, she has the political experience to handle all that the GOP will throw at ANY of the Democratic candidates. She is tough enough to take it.

She is brilliant and she is a student of public policy and international affairs, and has been for a very long time.

She also has a superb team with her who will guide her, wisely, in matters of state, and she’ll be READY TO GO when she assumes office. She will need far less of a learning curve than Obama or Edwards, neither of whom have the direct White House experience she has.

ALL OF THAT said — and there is much more I could say — I will support the Democratic nominee, whoever that is (well, there is the goofball Mike Gravel, but thank god he’s not a realistic possibility).

WARNING: DO NOT BELIEVE what candidates promise in campaign speeches as the gospel truth. Edwards’ braggadacio that he’ll defeat the insurance/pharmaceutical companies is among his more absurd claims … they’ll bury him long before he affects them … he’s not being realistic and he’d have to play ball with them because they’re so powerful and, uh, furthermore, they do employee a hell of a lot of Americans.

JUST BECAUSE people like Ron Paul or Bill Richardson brag they’d end the war in Iraq immediately does NOT mean they will be able to do so. They will NOT. And any of their supporters who believe them are DELUSIONAL.

Even Edwards, Obama, and Clinton know that and refuse to make that ridiculous claim. There are hugely complex logistical and safety considerations for the withdrawal of our troops and equipment — Pat Lang, and Larry, have written brilliant pieces about the complexities. Then there are huge geopolitical considerations … this must be done very carefully, and in full concert with regional, and worldwide, intensive diplomatic efforts. That means it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

P.S. There is one more thing, and this is a hard thing for people to recognize in themselves, let alone admit. But if I can admit it, so can others. I used to say, “I hate Hillary” all the time. I supported Richardson’s campaign. Then, one day, for some reason, I asked myself why I said “I hate Hillary.” I didn’t have any specific, factual reasons…. then it really hit me. The rightwing attack machine has been labeling her for over 16 years, and has been teaching people to say “I hate Hillary.” I had unwittingly, unconsciously BOUGHT INTO the Bill O’Reilly/Sean Hannity/Faux News/Rush Limbaugh campaigns against her. I was stunned that, yes, I too could be unconsciously used as a TOOL by them.

it was very hard for me to admit that to myself, and then to admit it to others. I “came out” here a few weeks ago in comments here at No Quarter. It was not easy. I cannot believe I’d been unconsciously “bought” by the rightwingers.

The shock of that realization caused me to re-examine her candidacy, and my memories of her — times when I’ve seen her on Charlie Rose’s show, and she was absolutely brilliant on every question Rose gave her. And much more.

If I can admit how I was used by the rightwing, I hope others can too. Their pervasive messages are so insidious that we often don’t know how we have absorbed what they say. We THINK we are superior to them, and that they can’t use us. WRONG. They succeed far more often than we realize because they get to us in our subconscious.

I keep wondering what many in the MSM have against Edwards. They have been ignoring him the last six months.

John Edwards came out and called our government “broken and corrupt”

If you did not see this interview with him it is worth the listen

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=3818010

Aside from that I keep wondering what the MSM has against John Edwards. They have been ignoring him for months (including Matthews). It makes me wonder what the MSM does not like about Edwards.

John Edwards came out during the last debate and was willing to take on those who lied us into the illegal and immoral war in Iraq head on. He called the neo-cons out. He called Hillary out on her yes vote for the Kyl Lieberman admendment

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/10/29/152057/38

Hillary will not call them out in any way shape or form.

John Edwards was on George Stephanapolous last Sunday and said our government is “corrupt and broken”

John Edwards on “This Week”
http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=133369

Rudy and Bernie: B.F.F.’s

By GAIL COLLINS
Published: November 10, 2007
The past seven years have given us some helpful hints on what we want to avoid in the next president. I’m starting to make a list.

Quality to avoid No. 1: Loyalty.

Whenever you read that a candidate “values loyalty above all else” — run for the hills. Loyalty is a terribly important consideration if you’re choosing a pet, but not a cabinet member. …

READ ALL.

Haven’t looked at the TPM roundup yet….but thanks, Susan.

Wonder if they remembered the Judith Regan (book publisher) affair…in which their tryst took place in an apt. overlooking Ground Zero that was meant/designated for use to relieve the workers there.

He used it, instead, to screw his mistress. Ah, September 11. Used…in so many ways.

(retch)

Let us PLOT.