I have not lived in philly for years, I always saw him as a pandering, machinist. kinda like Chicago's Daley
I got no major problem with randell...not my first choice, but livable...
Meh.
I still think either Richardson or Clark.
lg, don't know the particulars but recently saw something on hte net where rendell appointees got in some beaucoup ethical trouble, which per this net commentator, normally v. good, just torpoded rendell's vp chances.
i just scanned the headline and first paragraph.
He's a machine pol which turns the stomach but then again what successful politician isn't part of some usually corrupt political machine?
I don't like the guy. He oozes smugness and always has this smirk on his face like he's got one over on somebody. Hell, he probably does.
He may be effective and lord knows Obama will need him to win PA but leave him off the ticket.
If it's about having a Clinton supporter on there there are better choices.
off topic: I was thinking about contributing to Obama's campaign but his supporting the wiretaping bill (FISA) killed that idea.
I may not vote for Obama (doesn't matter, he'll carry Maryland anyway). Not defending the Bill of Rights is just about a deal-breaker for me.
i've pretty much committed to supporting, sometimes ruefully, but still supporting what ever choice obama makes. i trust his analytical process, although sometimes i find fault with his instincts (i mean, really, fucking faith based?)
compared to the best choices mcCain will gleefully make, relying on his "gut" and his "heart" just like bush, obama's worst sins of omission will pale alongside the sins of commission mcCain is eager to foist upon us.
looking at the economic debacle playing out all over the world it's easy to believe that there's little that a president cotton candy baby jesus himself would be able to accomplish. the economy is going to suck, suck worse, and suck out loud for a very long time.
i worked out of the vegas musician's union local for over 15 years. the biggest thing that i learned was that there are simply some motherfuckers that you do not want to owe any money. ever.
we've been fighting seven years of a two front mechanized war half a world away on credit cards. because the money spent didn't exist in the first place there will be no peace dividend. yet, the bills are still due.
here's your picture for the economic future. vito is scowling, he keeps smacking his palm with an aluminum bat. dominic is explaining the vig and the rest of the numbers along with the time frames for repayment and the consequences for welshing.
it ain't gonna be pretty.
No. Not Ed Rendell.
Rendell? I have no idea. TLG's neighbor's-eye-view is interesting. So are the opposing POVs.
Minstrel Hussein, take a break on the "faith-based" front. That phrase has a whole different meaning when it is spoken by an experienced community activist. All over the country, churches or coalitions of churches are providing essential services and trainings for the poor, indigent, disabled, elderly, etc etc etc at the most basic community level. These programs do NOT discriminate by faith -- ie, nobody throws Jews and atheists out of the food bank. Why have these service programs grown out of the churches? Ronald Reagan. All those social-service cuts. Oh, and Bill Clinton -- welfare reform.
Shorter Obama: "Let's not re-invent the wheel. Let's support what already works."
Which is what a true community organizer would say.
Um. No. Clintonista factor infinity. Ugh. Fake Vito factor too high to measure.
Obama cannot do a thing to unruffle the feathers of those who live the ruffled feather lifestyle. He shouldn't even bother. That topic should be dropped from any consideration as it's not a factor in choosing vp.
Ed. He makes Clark look good as Clintonistas go. I think I've reached my limit of having the clintons shoved down my throat. They really over did it prior to the primary, and during. Enough already.
No.
"... the ruffled feather lifestyle" -- !!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Rendell does know machine politics; does Obama have that same strength, coming out of Chicago?
While mayor of Philly, Hizzoner was notoriously late for events, and you were never quite sure when he would show up. One organization I volunteered with had an event where he was scheduled to speak; we had to post people at the entrances to the event to catch him because he had a tendency to walk in unannounced and without an entourage. I rather liked that about the man, that even in the position he was in he would willingly lose the people paid to manage him.
a black "muslim" trying to turn a bunch of red states probably ought not select a jew for his running mate. i don't think things have changed that much.
gotta disagree on the too political, or swarmy rep. Did you know that he became gov. after a pretty brutal primary where he was NOT the party candidate. They said he was too liberal and push Bob Casey who later became senator. Ed won on his own. Took the primary, then won handily. He is a hard working guy and is no dlc centerist in spite of his clinton support.
To understand the clinton connection you gotta realize, he was mayor of Philly during the Bill years and a lot of the money that the big dog put into the cities really helped in Philly. After school programs, revitalization areas, support for police and fire dept.
He also started out as District Attorney in Philly and is a real fighter.
cherish, i got my education (although i had to steal a big part of it, i found out where the donated books were kept before they were vetted for appropriate content) from what ever missionaries were willing to spend a year or two on our dirt poor, remote reservation. we used to call our years, instead of by grade (grade levels in a one room?) by the sect of missionaries that came to teach.
the thing was, even the best hearted of them were completely unable to leave their theology at the fucking door. they can't, they are physically incapable of that shit.
the best example of christians i saw was in 58 when the mormon bishop of tempe, bishop mcCook, heard about a life threatening famine that was happening on our rez, and the navajo rez. he didn't bat an eye. he opened his bishop's stores (it was a huge fucking warehouse of apocolypse prevention supplies), loaded trucks with food, safe water, warm clothes and his ward members drove 350 miles over bad roads to bring those lifesaving supplies to the rez. they didn't say a fucking thing except "here you go. do you need anything else?" then they drove back, loaded up again, and returned. they did that until the BIA was shamed into action.
the mormons also provided me with a chance at a high school education at a school that had stuff like accredited teachers that had even gone to college and shit. and libraries. real books on real shelves. the trade off was that i lived with a mormon family and had to sit through an hour and a half of mormon seminary every morning before school. i learned all kinds of stuff from them, stuff like how us indians were really the lost tribes of isreal (how come white legends about us always involve us being the lost motherfuckers? huh?) and some weird shit about going to live among the stars.
look, these were very earnest and very decent people. i owe them a huge debt that can never, ever, be fully paid. they gave me a chance when there wasn't anybody else in the world who gave a shit about us. the fooler in all these deals is that the faith based people are very willing to help, but there's always going to be a sermon after the soup.
i'm sorry. that's flat out unconstitutional. if they are compelled by their faith to do these good works, then by all means, under the constitution they are free to do so. on their own fucking time, and their own fucking dime.
they cannot, and should not, tax me to fund their charity. that's not faith and good works, that's government service. nope. can't do that.
Nice story Minstrel Boy. Living as I do in the "Baptist Jerusalem" of Waco Texas I'm inclined to agree. I teach at a local public HS where much of the staff are "earnest" conservative Baptist types who are always trying to inject their version of Christianity into public education. It is endless and there are no limits to how far they would go without a short leash.
As for Rendell? I don't see it. Not in a million years. Not being from that part of the country, I really don't know much about the man. But seriously. He looks like a Teamster Rep. He would put the Obama theme of change totally off message. A more traditional-looking old-time pol would be hard to invent much less find.
Personally I think Obama would be better served by picking a VP who reinforces his message rather than balances it. Like Gore to Clinton.
Kent - good point. I agree about the reinforcing factor. Who does that in your estimation?
Governor Sibelius still looks like a winning choice.
Governor Sweitzer likewise.
Webb likes being a senator, it is one of the best jobs on earth.
Taking any dem senator as a VEEP candidate gives a governor a chance to appoint a replcaement senator. Take a dem senator from a state with a thug governor and you just reduced the dem majority by 1.
Say what you will about Rendell, and I have my own reservations, but you have to admit that a Rendell-Romney VP debate would be a perfect hoot.
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