Tuesday, August 28, 2007

US-Infighting in the Democrats

As the campaign for the Democratic party nomination has gained momentum so has the level of attacks from Barack Obama and John Edwards on Hillary Clinton. Obama has described Hillary as "Bush-Cheney lite" on foreign affairs.


Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, criticised Clinton for taking campaign donations from special-interest lobbyists. Hillary has pursued a skilful strategy of nuancing her policies in accordance with the wishes of the electorate as expressed in public opinion polls. She is attempting to pursue a centrist position while genuflecting to the left. She is aware that that a leftist policy platform will cost her the Presidency. The problem for Hillary is that she is not a centrist by conviction. Obama has run into serious problems when he attempted to put flesh on his policies.

Problems will arise for Hillary in the course of the presidential election campaign if she is the Democratic Party candidate. It will be encumbent upon her to cease flip flopping and to take a definite position on such issues as health care, foreign policy, taxation ,illegal immigration et al. She has consistently changed her position on Iraq.

There are straws in the wind as to her real intentions. She is in reality a covert leftist who camouflages her real intentions with a centrist mask.

In 1993, President Clinton appointed his wife to head and be the chairperson of the Task Force on National Health Care Reform. The task Force recommended a plan that would mandate employers to provide health coverage to their employees . The plan was quickly labelled "Hillarycare" by its opponents. The plan was ridiculed in the House and Senate though both were controlled by the Democrats. The proposal was abandoned in September of 1994. The Clinton health care plan was a major campaign issue of the 1994 midterm elections. It cost the Democrats control of both houses. Some of the documentation that relates to Hillerycare will not be released until after the 2008 Presidential Election -luckily for Hillary.
"Hillarycare" will surface in 2008 as a major election campaign issue.
Senator Clinton also voted against the tax cuts introduced by President Bush. Republicans can legitimately claim that she favours high taxation.
John Edwards is upfront about his left wing platform. Obama continues to score own goals,whilst Hillery relies on sound bytes to obscure her left wing policies.
The fault lines in the Democratic Party have begun to open as increasingly Edwards and Obama snipe at Hillary.

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