The Populism That Dare Not Speak Its Name

The Times "covers" the new populism in the Democratic Party:

New Populism Is Spurring Democrats on the Economy

By Robin Toner

WASHINGTON, July 15 — On Capitol Hill and on the presidential campaign trail, Democrats are increasingly moving toward a full-throated populist critique of the current economy.

Clearly influenced by some of their most successful candidates in last year’s Congressional elections, Democrats are talking more and more about the anemic growth in American wages and the negative effects of trade and a globalized economy on American jobs and communities. They deplore what they call a growing gap between the middle class, which is struggling to adjust to a changing job market, and the affluent elites who have prospered in the new economy. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Democrat of New York, calls it “trickle-down economics without the trickle.”

Populism is hardly new in the Democratic Party. Al Gore vowed to fight for “the people versus the powerful” in his presidential campaign seven years ago, and Republicans have long accused the Democrats of practicing “class warfare.”

But the latest populist resurgence is deeply rooted in a view that current economic conditions are difficult and deteriorating for many people, analysts say, and it is now framing debates over tax policy, education, trade, energy and health care. Last week, Senate Democrats held hearings on proposals to raise taxes on some of the highest fliers on Wall Street, the people at the top of private equity and hedge fund firms...

Let's see, I am trying to think of a recent topic that dominated the headlines and related to jobs, stagnant wages, changing communities, and globalization.... gosh this is tough.

Oh, here we go - Ms. Toner finally mentions immigration reform in the 18th paragraph and really makes the key points:

Democratic leaders say that unless Congress restores the confidence of the middle class, it will be hard to sell Americans on more trade or even an immigration overhaul.

“I don’t think we’ll be able to do trade agreements, immigration reforms or any of these other kinds of reforms,” Ms. Pelosi said, “until we present a positive, aggressive economic agenda to the American people — until they know where they stand, now and in the future.”

Nobody covers the issues like the Times.  Oh, well - in their world it was racists and xenophobes that opposed the immigration reform; the notions that populist Dems had trouble with the guest worker program, or that waving in unskilled workers might actually depress the wages of the native unskilled rattles their coffee cups on an otherwise pleasant Monday morning.

And the Pelosi position amounts to "Don't send the unskilled jobs abroad; bring the unskilled voters workers here".  Great.

 

Comments

[Freedom Advocate]

Watch Teletubby and Moses get arrested at the Capitol while angry bystanders demand the release of the purple teletubby, the “moral fiber of America.” See activists hit the streets demonstrating against Ted Kennedy’s Thought Control Bill to give homosexuals special privileges. Go to http://publicadvocateusa.org/ or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUBj51aLV1A

This shows Public Advocate demonstrating in Washington, DC, protesting the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Protection Act (H.R. 1592), which would grant special rights to homosexuals. This law would add sexual orientation to federal hate crimes statutes.

[maryerose]

I pay less taxes now than I did under Clinton. Drug prices are a different story. We need to fix our health care system but the dems' way is nuts!

[clarice]

Excellent job, TM. Of course, it's not a narrow target.

[Carol Herman]

Let 'em move. Winning is a whole other ball game.

And, it would seem to me that getting a woman into the Oval Office would be tricky business, at best. Something one side of the spectrum still seems unsuited at doing.

Yes, the GOP had problems all its own! Tom DeLay's book maps out what went wrong with Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey. It's an insider's tale. And, it shows ya that you can talk a good game; and have no leadership skills, whatsoever.

Obama has about as much of a chance as the other "perenial," Jesse Jackson. And, if you don't think the Bonkeys have had trouble fielding candidates for the Oval Office, you've misplaced their list: Truman. 1948. Ran away from the fight. LBJ. 1968. Ran away from the fight. Jimmy Carter. Couldn't understand why he wasn't re-elected. Dukakis. Think of it. After failing with McCarthy, another college professor, they ran a college professor against the elder Bush. What were people smoking?

Of course, you can then add both algore and kerry [jon cary] to the list.

While, at least on the GOP side, sensing a weakness in Bush, none of the condendah's (now short Gilmore, whose left the stage); are running, all, on their own steam.

It's keeping the public happy. It's as if the possibility for real choices is out there.

Politics, in many ways like hollywood, are used to the perks of stardom. But it's been quite a while since they've produced anything that comes close to the stuff that got produced during its golden age.

It will make it easier for future historians to pigeon-hole things, I suppose.

[Chris]

Mary,
That would make you part of the problem, then./

[Ralph L]

Lock up your printers.

Someone is Robin Toner.

[LindaK]

There's something oxymoronic about getting economic advice from folks like Nancy Pelosi who have never met a payroll or indeed, had a meaningful private sector job.

[maryerose]

Pelosi is from the rich San Francisco district and is like Edwards in her perception of poverty. Remember this is the same gal that wants a private jet to cart her back to Marin County ever other weekend. I don't listen to a thing she, or "I got my own special illegal land deal" Reid has to say.

[cathyf]

Drug prices are a different story. We need to fix our health care system but the dems' way is nuts!

Ok, here you go, here is how you can have your own private personal health care reform, without anyone having to pass any laws, or even to participate. You can do it all by yourself and not wait on anyone else to do anything.

Patents last for 17 years. Imagine that Democratic congress of 1990 (17 years ago) passed a law, which George H. W. Bush signed, which gave us a single-payer for drugs in the US who set prices the way that governments of every other country in the world negotiate prices. (i.e. the way every other country in the world is a free rider on the American drug buyer.) At the moment the law passed, all drug development at every drug company halted, huge layoffs and facility sell-offs occured (usually in the form of "cost cutting" as part of a merger/acquisition), with the leftover bits of once much-larger pharma companies went into the sole business of impotence drugs and diet drugs (which people pay for out of pocket) and pesticides and industrial chemicals.

Ok, keep with the story now... Every drug that was on the market in 1990 is now out of patent, and thus available as a generic. If you are willing to buy only generic drugs, you can create for yourself your own little world where the high price of drugs was solved in 1990. Go to Wal-Mart, and you can get every generic prescription, a month's supply, for $4. There, you have solved for yourself the "problem" of the high cost of pharmaceuticals.

What? You say that you can't live without drug XYZ that costs $200/month? Well, drug XYZ was surely patented after 1990 (otherwise it would be $4/month at Wal-Mart), so if GHW and the DEMs had "fixed" the prescription drug price crisis back in 1990, the drug wouldn't exist and you wouldn't be able to buy it at any price. So how is dying because you won't pay the price for a drug any different than dying because you can't get the drug at any price because it was never discovered?

[Jane]

Cathy,

So often when you write stuff I wish you had an index so the next time I'm talking about prescription drugs with someone, I could just go to the source and refresh my memory.

[clarice]

Glad to know I'm not the only cathy groupie around.

[hit and run]

From Drudge (from KLo):

**EXCLUSIVE**: JOE WILSON TO ENDORSE HILLARY... DEVELOPING...

[Jane]

It's all over H&R:

Joe Wilson endorses Hillary
July 16th, 2007 · 1 Comment

Oh, man…Elizabeth Edwards has to be pissed today:

Wilson just said that “she is the one candidate in my judgment who understands the need to get America out of harm’s way,” and into a “political process.” He added that she best understands the need to “end the war but end it in a way that preserves some shred of our strategic position in the region.”

…

Wilson also says that one thing that bonds the two is their mutual experience with the “meat grinder” — a.k.a., the right wing slime machine.

Todd Beeton opines:

As Sargent notes, this is clearly part of Clinton’s strategy to gain support among the liberal base, the blogosphere in particular, which she has conspicuously held at arm’s length. Coming as it does via conference call with liberal bloggers 2 weeks prior to the start of YearlyKos, the Clinton campaign apparently believes Wilson’s endorsement will give her a sort of she’s-one-of-us cred among bloggers, if only to lessen the boos she gets at the YearlyKos presidential forum. And it just may work.

Think about that for a minute. Elizabeth Edwards has been courting the lefty bloggers for three plus years now, on Democratic Underground, Daily Kos, and several other lefty sites. John Edwards has based his entire campaign on netroots populism, veering so far left as to become a caricature of himself. And in swoops Hillary Clinton, nabbing the endorsement of perhaps the biggest leftosphere celebrity extant (with the exception of his wife, Valerie — who has not participated in the ’sphere). And MyDD thinks this endorsement might just swing the netroots around.

Update: The long awaited Sister Souljah moment?

Well, he would probably like a job in the next administration, and placed his bet on the frontrunner.

I hope her YK (ed. — YearlyKos) appearance isn’t too contentious; it seems like a Sister Souljah opportunity for her, and we don’t need that.

If there’s one thing we know about Hillary Clinton, it’s that she gets even with those who try to screw her over. If I were Markos, I’d be getting nervous about now.

http://cadillactight.wordpress.com/2007/07/16/joe-wilson-endorses-hillary/

See also: http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/jul/16/joe_wilson_endorses_hillary

[Jane]

For some reason that falls under the "Two for the price of One" meme for me. I find it quite delicious.

[Jane]

Another thought - maybe Joe is hoping Hillary will pardon Val for perjuring herself in front of Congress.

[clarice]

Do we suppose she is doing cartwheels over this endorsement?

[Topsecretk9]

Maybe Hillary likes Joe because he has lots of french contacts.

[windansea]

Bubba has triangulated the deal

Joe gets to be special envoy to Iran and Val will head up Bubba's world ambassador intelligence team

"Joe, I really need Val to go on this trip"

[PeterUK]

Joe Wilson throws his support behind Hillary Clinton Hillary says,"Thanks, but she can't wear it

[Sue]

Wind,

I was thinking I bet Bill is trying to figure out how to get Val inside the inner circle, if ya know what I'm talkin' about, and I think ya know what I'm talkin' about.

[clarice]

Ralph Nader is thinking of running again. Yeah!

[Neo]

Today Edwards, who supposely got the nod by MoveOn.org for global warming, proposed $100 million for busing school children to get economic diversity.

First, what a waste of money and carbon credits to send children to get what ? economic diversity .. isn't that where we keep the poor poor and the rich rich.

This is almost as funny as speakers talking about stamping out AIDs at a bio-diversity conference.

Jesus said the poor will always be with you, but now a government program to make sure Jesus is right. The mags were saying that the Dems got religion, but now a faith-based economic status.

[hit and run]

Burge (iowahawk) has named Jeff G (proteinwisdom) as his running mate.

This news is right up there with opening up the cooler in the garage yesterday and found 5 beers I didn't know I had.

[clarice]

Now that's a ticket!!

[hit and run]

You're so in as AG.

[Topsecretk9]

via the prowler

Word is that lawyers from NBC have been working behind the scenes with the so-called "Washington Madam," whose phone records recently ensnared Louisiana Sen. David Vitter. It's not clear why, given that ABC News had been the prime news source for the documents, and the madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey, recently posted a number of documents on the Internet after the judge's injunction was lifted.

"Office scuttlebutt is that it's not so much the documents, but some phone numbers that are in the documents that have their attention," says an NBC News employee in New York. "That's all we're hearing."

recall that one of the numbers that David Cornholio was trying to pin on a Republican turned out to be Democrat Moynahan's office - and just what NBC franchise juggernaut used the be a Moynahan aide? Hmmm

[clarice]

Russert! YEAH

[clarice]

Russert has bragged that he swayed Moynihan toward a more "libera;" tack on foreign policy when he worked for him.

But really..Wasn't that a LONG time ago? How old are these records?

[Pofarmer]

Dang, typepad is eating my comments, or they're being deleted?;0)

Anyway.

Just better hope your $4 WalMart drugs weren't made with substandard ingredients in China.

[Topsecretk9]

Clairice

He worked back in 1984, but a recommendation for a good service if that's what you do?

[maryerose]

cathyf:
I am a groupie also. Two of the prescriptions I can get generic but the 4 others with insurance are $40 each a month. I just would like to retire in the next few years and not have to pay more than $360 a month for medical coverage.

[Elliott]

Dear campaign strategists for Fred, Mitt, and Rudy,

I do not doubt that you are quite pleased by this afternoon's developments wrt HRC and Ambassador Joe.

One of you will soon have the infinitely plesurable task, should a 527 organization not beat you to it, of ensuring that voters hear some variation on the following theme:

Announcer: What would you call a man who illegally steals our nation's most sensitive national security secrets?

And a man who lies to the American people about an assignment he performed for the CIA?

(In a time of war) most of us would have a hard time figuring out just what to call people like that.

But, it's easy for Hillary Clinton: she calls them advisers and supporters.

The ending or intro will vary depending on whether a 527 or one of you runs it, but, with a solid opening or closing, some spooky music, and a capable narrator—likely female; is she available?—it should be very effective in framing one aspect of the national security debate.

I wish you every success. Sincerely,

VRWC member #[redacted]

[hoosierhoops]

Cathf:
groupie sounds so..ok forget it..i'm a groupie too..
If Hillary is the democratic nominee i will vote GOP for the first time in my life..or vote for Nader just to screw her up..
My vote is useless anyway..I think i'm the only dem in my area anyway..In the local elections all the repubs run unopposed cause a dem in my area is as rare as Britney Spears going to parenting classes...
There used to be a thing called a moderate democrat who cared about america as a strong world leader that could save the world (FDR) from evil..or could stand down Russia with strength and diplomacy (JFK)..
Poor Bush..he is in a damned if you do and damned if you don't position..I go to places like firedoglake and am finding a complete takeover and disconnect from moderation..well really from america that we all know and love...I started changing my mind about my party when clinton was elected.. I have a story about Billy boy that i am going to tell you folks...
You have never heard it before but it is true honest to god..cause i was there..
But I'll grab a beer, watch barry bonds take a bat against the cubs and share my story...

[MJW]

Off topic, but The Next Hurrah has PDF versions of the less redacted Fitz affidavits for August 27, 2004 and September 27, 2004. Naturally, emptywheel spins them her way, listing things Fitz didn't know at the time they were filed, and claiming it shows anyone who says Fitz is a runaway prosecutor has been proved wrong. But looking at the list seems only to demonstrate the rather mundane observation that Fitz didn't know every possible fact, which hardly justifies continuing an investigation where the primary fact under investigation is known. (I haven't read the affidavits yet, so I haven't gotten around to spinning them my way.)

[Elliott]

Thanks, MJW.

After a Big Jim Skim™, I think these warrant more careful perusal. One tidbit from paragraph 80 of the August 27 affadavit: "Fleischer has declined to sign a waiver despite being granted immunity."

[Chris]

HH--do tell. Baited breath and all. And Clarice, great article on the Murtha calumny today. Censure doesn't do justification to the slander, but I'll take it. Not holding my breath, however.

[MJW]

TSK9, I see no mention that Fleischer was granted immunity despite refusing to sign a waiver that had been signed by Libby, Rove, and pretty much every one else in the the offices of the POTUS and VP. I very much wonder if Libby's side was told that Fleisher was granted this sweetheart deal.

[MJW]

(The previous comment was intended for a different thread.)

[kim]

Have you seen the polls among poor people about Edwards? They're on to his scam.

I like Alice Cooper for President. The ticket need a radio voice, not just bloggers.
========

[Bruce Hayden]

Anna Quinlan is suggesting that Hillary pick Obama as her running mate. I think that she may try it, and that he might accept. If so, this could be hard to beat, with Obama countering some of Hillary's weaknesses, and giving her campaign a young edge that it tries vainly to get.

[Neo]

The Prince Of Darkness On Richard Armitage And Patrick Fitzgerald

HH: Let me ask you, I’m bored silly by the Plame affair, Robert Novak, but I do have one question about your opinion: Why was Armitage not charged if Valerie Plame’s identity was a secret, and Patrick Fitzgerald was investigating its leak?

RN: Because there was no crime committed under the Intelligence Agents Identity Act. That bill was passed, Hugh, to protect intelligence agents overseas from being outed by left wing forces, and then marked for assassination. It was really a deadly serious act, nothing like somebody sitting in Langley in the CIA headquarters as Mrs. Wilson was, doing analysis. There was no crime committed under that act, and therefore, he was not charged. And so that is the whole problem with the Libby indictment. He was charged for obstructing justice when there was no underlying crime committed, or allegedly committed.

HH: Why did Fitzgerald, do you think, in your opinion, continue on with the investigation once Armitage had revealed it was he who was the leaker?

RN: Because…you know, when he entered the case, he was told that Armitage was the leaker. That information was given to him, because it had been known for three weeks before he was named as special prosecutor. And therefore, I think the Justice Department should have bitten the bullet and taken care of him itself. Why he did not reveal that is something that is in the mysteries of the whole, strange relationship of special prosecutors. It is very difficult for them to say no crime was committed, you’ve named me for nothing, and I’ve established a staff for nothing. But that’s in fact what he should have done.

[clarice]

Bruse, I think she has no choice BUT to name Obama as her vp--and I doubt the country will elect that duo no matter what they tell pollsters.

Elizabeth Edwards has really stepped in it now--she says Hillary's acting like a man. Normally, I think spouses are not fair game, but when they keep interjecting themselves into the fray, they deserve to be smacked down, and I predict she will be.Soon.

[clarice]

**BruCe***(Sorry)

[Jane]

Hugh Hewitt has really not been any help in this case at all. I find it amazing, but not surprising that he just come to this realization.

[Ann]

Can we get Tom to start a new thread on the surrender going on in the Senate today?

I would be interested in seeing JOMers comments vs MSM giggles.

[maryerose]

clarice:
Kudos on a wonderful,thoughtful article. It's time to call people with runaway mouths to account for their calumny.

[clarice]

Thnx Maryrose. If you recall Murtha slandered these guys as people were paying attention to his own misdeeds. He did it to deflect from those wrongdoings of his. What a distasteful creasture he is.

[arrowhead]

Hugh Hewitt has really not been any help in this case at all. I find it amazing, but not surprising that he just come to this realization.

Hewitt's been too busy promoting his new book and the candidacy of Mitt Romney.

[clarice]

I don't know..he cited one of my pieces favorably :^) early on.

From the corner-why the stunt by Reid will last all of 15 minutes:
[quote]Up All Night With Harry [David Freddoso]

This is a really, really stupid stunt, and I'll tell you why: It can all be over in 15 minutes, unless the anti-war Republicans decide to cooperate — and why should they?

Right now, there are only 50 working Democratic Senators (Tim Johnson D, S.D. hasn't cast a vote yet this year), and there are only 49 if you don't include Joe Lieberman (who I hear isn't really up for this sleepover, whether you want to count him as a Dem or not).

You need 51 senators for a quorum, in the event that someone makes a quorum call — which any senator can make at any time. So all it takes is one Republican to stay in the chamber, object to anything the Democrats try to do, and then note the absence of a quorum. When the quorum is called, and only 50 senators are present, the Senate adjourns (or at least it can't come out of the quorum call without unanimous consent), and the whole stupid stunt is over before Senator Byrd can even begin his outraged four-hour speech.

Any parliamentarians out there can correct me, but I've checked with two Senate sources and I'm pretty sure I'm right about this. I can't even imagine what Reid is thinking.

07/16 10:51 PM[/quote]

[cathyf]

HH last night:

You have never heard it before but it is true honest to god..cause i was there..
But I'll grab a beer, watch barry bonds take a bat against the cubs and share my story...

C'mon, Hoos, we're still waiting!

[clarice]

cathy--do you seriously think we are interested in salacious gossip? %^)

[hit and run]

I went looking at Hugh Hewitt's site looking for promises of salacious gossip 'til I realized.....

[M. Simon]

I am retired and would like to pay no more than $10 a month for food.

Maybe we can get together and roll Congress.

[Neo]

After a reread on TM's stuff here, I had a flashback to the 1992 campaign.

Clinton et al kept up the manta that 1992 had the worst economy in decades and it eventually cost Bush 41 a reelection bid.

Now we have business and economic leaders saying one day that this is the most robust economy in history, while the next, politicians are saying that it's one of the worst. Obviously, both can't be correct.

What I find more than amusing is the new manta of "Economic Diversity". This is apparently is being push by Edwards, but I think he has the whole thing backwards. To have this diversity, we would have to stratify the current levels of rich and poor on a more permanent basis, meaning, in his case, that his "Two Americas" would live on forever under any "diversity" scheme.

[M. Simon]

Clarice says:

Elizabeth Edwards has really stepped in it now--she says Hillary's acting like a man.

I just can't get the intern thing out of my mind. Wonder why?

LOL

[M. Simon]

cathyf:
I am a groupie also. Two of the prescriptions I can get generic but the 4 others with insurance are $40 each a month. I just would like to retire in the next few years and not have to pay more than $360 a month for medical coverage.

Posted by: maryerose | July 16, 2007 at 07:30 PM

maryrose,

I am retired and would like to pay no more than $10 a month for food.

Maybe we can get together and roll Congress.

[maryerose]

M.Simon:
Let's do it! I might add that none of these prescriptions are for me. Generic costs me $10 each and if I work part-time I won't get medical coverage. It's a dilemma. However I would like the sweetheart deal congressmen and federal workers have presently.

[Ed Darrell]

One of the great difficulties with immigration reform the Republican way is that it assumes immigrants don't pay their way. How shocking to discover that they pay their way, and more: http://tinyurl.com/32rdtg

Maybe George Bush does occasionally read serious stuff. Maybe he reads the reports of the Dallas Fed.

[Ed Darrell]

One of the great difficulties with immigration reform the Republican way is that it assumes immigrants don't pay their way. How shocking to discover that they pay their way, and more: http://tinyurl.com/32rdtg

Maybe George Bush does occasionally read serious stuff. Maybe he reads the reports of the Dallas Fed.

[Ed Darrell]

One of the great difficulties with immigration reform the Republican way is that it assumes immigrants don't pay their way. How shocking to discover that they pay their way, and more: http://tinyurl.com/32rdtg

Maybe George Bush does occasionally read serious stuff. Maybe he reads the reports of the Dallas Fed.

[Ed Darrell]

One of the great difficulties with immigration reform the Republican way is that it assumes immigrants don't pay their way. How shocking to discover that they pay their way, and more: http://tinyurl.com/32rdtg

Maybe George Bush does occasionally read serious stuff. Maybe he reads the reports of the Dallas Fed.