Big Dems Talk the Talk to Big Labor

The Democrats are at it again, only this time in front of their home crowd. Big Labor has always been with the Democratic party practically since Big Labor was. However, as we saw in 2004 and 2006 the partnership has bee strained. Let me be the first to say, it is not strained anymore. There were some funny Antidotes during the debate, a few of the usual interruptions that caused a laugh. Senator Dodd cracked a fundraising joke. Everyone laugh/cheered at Hillary's now famous comment, "...for 15 years, I've stood against the right wing machine and know how to come out stronger.

If you want a winner, if you want to take them on, I'm your girl." A very post-feminist statement I must say. It is now acceptable to be in politics and say you're a girl! Anyway, back to matters at hand. Senators, Biden, Clinton (D-New York), Dodd, and Obama (D-Illinois) participated in the debate along with Representative Kucinich of Ohio and former Senator Edwards of South Carolina. Governor Richardson of New Mexico also attended. The debate lasted an hour and a half and they were able to touch on almost every topic including the ones that bothered Big Labor the most. Not surprising Big Labor cheered loudly at their individual posturing on the Iraq war and how they planned to undo what Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois) called "...the biggest foreign policy disaster in our generation." In that same quote he was accusing those Senators (everyone else except him because he was not elected until 2004) of being apart of driving the United States to war in 2002 when they gave the President authorization to go to war with Iraq.

Because of who they were in front of everyone wanted to seem like Labor's candidate. John Edwards pointed out about his 200 picket lines that he has walked and how he helped 23 unions organize workers. Senator Obama pointed out his post-collegiate and state senate work with steelworkers. Meanwhile Rep. Kucinich (D-Ohio) was saying plenty of things that made him sound like Labor's candidate.

But of course this one of the final topics to be discussed. NAFTA, CAFTA, the WTO, and China were also discussed along the way; and they gave the AFL-CIO exactly what they wanted to hear. Oddly enough all the candidates said it was time to leave NAFTA and protect American workers. Although they said these things AFTER Kucinich had already looked right into the crowd and promised to do it. Hillary pointed out her vote against CAFTA and Kucinich pointed out almost regularly that he would lead a "working man's White House" and that his first act would be to notify Canada and Mexico that the United States was leaving NAFTA and then to notify the WTO that the United States was withdrawing from that organization as well.

Only one person acknowledged China's military rise and that was Senator Dodd, when asked the question from Moderator Keith Olbermann, "China, enemy or competitor?" Everyone rated them as a competitor but a dangerous one. John Edwards came out strong (and a touch angry) on the matter of getting American products to Chinese shelves and other countries shelves that we trade with where our products are under-represented. Senators Biden and Clinton pointed out all the Chinese owned debt we now have and Biden made a great quote saying, "..its hard to negotiate with the Chinese when they own the mortgage on your house." Senator Obama was posed the question if Americans, who are tying to get by and make ends meet, would buy an American t-shirt as it would be more expensive. To which his response was interesting, he stated that if Americans have a good-paying and steady job to afford a t-shirt in the first place that they would buy American.

After all these questions the audience got to take their crack at the candidates and their big concerns were outsourcing, veterans affairs, and collapsing companies and lost pensions. I think the most shocking thing that I saw out of this debate was that if elected every candidate will begin work on a European style healthcare plan. The only alternative was Kucinich's not-for-profit healthcare that would surely turn into plans like the other candidates. What shape any of these plans will take is unsure. Senator Clinton has her health plan on her site which is basically what she was pushing for in 1993-1994. All the candidates were in favor of getting business out of healthcare but transferring it in the wrong direction. Instead of leaving it up to people they all desired a government funded and controlled health care system which would surely lead to dramatically higher taxes.

During the audience questioning the verbal sparring started over American policy in Pakistan as that country is declaring a state of emergency. Senator Clinton (who during the entire hour and half entered with jeers but picked up the biggest cheers at the end) dynamically came out in favor or backing the Pakistani government under the argument that US did not want Al Qaeda like extremists with Pakistan's nuclear weapons. It was surprising to see her so hawkish on national security. On the same note and he did this with China and some of our less savory allies, John Edwards brought up Human Rights abuses by China and other nations. He did seem very angry at times and in a crowd that likes him fell flat on his face.

Senator Dodd got the crowd going over his energy policies, that while radical are reasonable. He is in favor of the 50 MPG standard by 2012 and the energy independence it will cause and other energy efficient products that we can product at home.

Senator Clinton also managed to get some cheers with her voice raising to correct "No Child Left Behind." Education has always been one of her pet issues.

Funding sources also managed surface. Besides not really distinguishing himself Edwards poorly defended his excessive funding from trial lawyers by simply saying that he would continue doing so (what was your first clue Nancy Drew?) He also pushed for public funding of political candidates. Obama jabbed Ms. Clinton for appearing on the front of Fortune 500 magazine as the candidate corporate America was betting on.

The lobbyist question was pointed first at the head of Ms. Clinton and she defended as regular people hired to do a job and then quickly pointed out that she has not catered to any special interests and that she is against their excess involvement in government. Of course all the candidates came out against the no-bid contracts and the outsourcing of government jobs. Senator Dodd also pushed for the collective bargaining rights of Homeland Security workers along side saying that Homeland Security has failed. He pointed out his expertise on the issue and the committees he sits on that handle that problem.

I think we can conclude the debate with the fact that Clinton turned the crowd around and undercut Obama on his home turf and pushed her big three priorites of education, energy independence and a national healthcare plan. Edwards fell flat on his face up to and including using a sad case of someone who couldn't get healthcare as an example of the broken healthcare system, while it may work in the courtroom it didn't go over so well with the crowd. Kucinich won the day by saying all the right things to the right crowd and showing that even without the Presidency he is already in Congress pushing his agenda on healthcare, Iraq, and infastructure. Dodd and Biden can't decide if they want to be President or just in Senator Clinton's cabinet because they kept leaving opportunities for her positions to shine. In short, the win goes to Kucinich and that man is worth watching especially if he continues to do this well in these debates.