If you had an opportunity to sit in a meeting with one of the following presidential contenders, which one would you pick?
H. Clinton, Obama, Richardson, Edwards, Dodd, Gravel.
What would you ask?
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BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
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I’d ask him about campaign finance reform and what quid pro quo he believes the financial services industry may want or expect from him if he is elected.
And/Or, does he believe earnings for private equity principals should be taxed according to normal IRS rules for individuals.
Ditto for Clinton.
.
The people, in ever increasing numbers, voted for change in November 2006. The incumbent is prone to lose his/her seat in Congress by just leaning comfortably backwards. The voters have a distrust of the policy set forth by the President and voice their opinion the US is heading in the wrong direction. On domestic issues, the diversion between rich and poor has increased. The US lacks International credibility and respect as indicated by the leading business community.
The concern is that on major issues, Hillary Clinton will be more a Republican lite instead of a strong leading voice from within the principles of the Democratic party. The President should guard over the well-being of all citizens, especially the weakest in society. The contending candidates of both parties scurry to get elected by risk assessment on issues. The US in politics and the business community are in dire need of leadership. Can you be the person to lead the world community in overall progress the next four years?
PS By leading I do not mean to cross the aisle and take a seat on the Republican side.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."I would ask Clinton “How much more money will you take from AIPAC and the pro-Israeli lobby to sell out US interests in the Middle East?”
I’d have to ask one of those all important cleavage questions of Hillary.
I’d ask Edwards his position on Bush’s reliance on signing statements with a followup asking if Edwards would also fallback on using them.
You have called on other candidates to return Murdoch donations. (Wow. Good one.) What about public financing of all elections?
I’d ask if I could get the band gig for her inaugural party. And whether I could get Bill to sit in on tenor.
AG
My question would be for Biden. How could you support the Bankruptcy Bill?
Question: When you gonna grow a pair?
(And, yes, I mean I literally would ask him that to his face.)
Good question. He’d be formidable if he was more courageous.
If he was, I’d love to profer a serious question on creating a Secretary of Peace, equal to the Secretary of War (let’s call it what it is), and what the job functions of each would entail.
Note: just because somebody raises a wallop of cash, it doesn’t mean they are a top-tier candidate or even a qualified candidate, so why do people buy into the MSM meme that having more money on hand makes you the best person for the job? The rich get more exposure, and more free time in the debates, but prostituting one’s soul to AIPAC or any other large special interest group is not the way to represent American interests.
We can stop choosing the most “electable” candidate on those polls, avoiding pre-determinations, and go with our own interests!
Out of the entire bunch of candidates, Kucinich is the only one to stand up for impeachment and restoration of law.
And the only one I’d trust to get us out of Iraq.
Edwards…and ask him why he can’t commit himself to equal rights for gays unequivically like Elizabeth has.
Part of what I meant by my question, above. That, and his comments on Iran, and the whole haircut b.s.
I do have to give him credit for his focus on the issues of poverty and income inequality. But is it really that hard to make the stretch from there to concern about human rights inequality (so to speak)?
Because she seems more “real” than her husband and the other candidates. But I am a Barack supporter, anyway.
Edwards.
I would ask him if he would find places for Hillery,Obama,Biden,Richardson,Dodd, Kusinich, and yes, even Gravel a place in his White House. They all have views I like,, and I believe all of them would give this country a boost. Its called team work. Its a must at this time for a better America.
I would like to know how Sen. Clinton intends to deal with Bush’s signing statements so that every law passed during the last 8 years is not subject to whims of whomever occupies the Oval Office.
whims = interpretations
Obama. I’d ask him why he’d want to be President when he has enough charisma to be a movie star! 😉
Seriously, I think I’d choose Hillary and ask her exactly who sunk her original health care plan and what she’s going to do different to avoid that this time. I’m sure her answer would be instructive.
What will he do to assure that my rights as an American citizen are rapidly restored. I want a stop to wire tapping and torture as well as restoration of Habeus Corpus and the right to fly on a plane without worrying about really silly and trivial restrictions (such as liquids) and the secret no fly list without any resort to the courts.
I have met a number of authors who know everything but refuse to say it. They know what the line is between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable to say, irrelevant of whether it is true or not. Stating the unacceptable means you will never be gainfully employed, not unlike the recent firing of Ward Churchill and Norman Finkelstein, although it did take a Derschowitz campaign to pull it off. Campaigns were mounted against them because they spoke the unspeakable. Another example would be Michael Parenti who has written many books but has never obtained a teaching job with tenure. I would like to talk to all of them to attempt to figure out how much they really know and how much they would be willing to admit to knowing.
Of course because they are politicians I am sure I would not learn anything of value except from Kucinich and Gravel.
and why is it off the table of our congressional “leaders”?