[glb]

Clinton would make a decent vp, but wouldn't be MY first choice. I really like Richardson: amazing resume, history of success, not divisive.

I do like Edwards. Might he end up as AG?

If Clinton does become vp, for political or other reasons, she could certainly be useful and is good at both crossing over and infighting. She is incredibly smart, for sure.

I have a friend who is the energy "guy" for a major car company. He has great (i.e. depressing) stories about discussing energy with various politicians (who I am not allowed to mention). He said Clinton knew WAY more about these issue than any other pol.

Of course, this knowledge didn't stop her (or anyone else) from touting ethanol as the "answer".


Next point: I am extremely disappointed in this Congress's farm bill. It is no better than what we've seen before and is clearly pandering. This isn't rocket surgery and a good bill would have been easy to create. (Stop all subsidies for non-family owned farms and/or those that make >$500,000, for example.)

Subsidies hurt the entire world and it's farmers, esp in Africa and less developed countries. If we would stop them, Europe would follow and poor farmers world-wide would have a chance to sell their crops on an equal footing/basis.

We know how hard family farms are to run, so pricing them out of competition is unconscionable. Locally-grown crops often stress the environment less.


Next Point: One of our friends on this thread mis-stated some things about Republican "diversity" and how civil rights legislation got passed.

I just wish to mention what LBJ's "War on Poverty" and civil rights push cost him and his party, from today's ppr.

"After signing the Civil Rights Act in 1964, Johnson was defeated in 5 Southern states, four of which Democrats had not lost for 80 years.

"In 1965, he drove the Voting Rights Act thru Congress, and in 1966, he proposed legislation to end discrimination in housing.

"In the 1966 midterm elections, Democrats lost 47 seats in the House and 3 in the Senate. Border-state & Southern Democratic governors and members of Congress demanded that he withdraw his housing proposal and curb his efforts to desegregate schools. Undeterred, in 1968, he pushed the Fair Housing Act thru Congress"

Paraphrased: Johnson knew how to reach across the aisle and courted Republican members of Congress to support his proposals, not only because he needed their votes, but because he saw bipartisan support as the essential foundation on which to build a lasting commitment among Americans.

Reagan used to meet regularly with Tip O'Neill to get stuff done.

Lincoln had a cabinet that sort of didn't like him...or each other.

I truly hope that the divisiveness of the last 7 years (and, on Congress's part, 4 yrs before that) can be pushed aside by our next President and Congress.