Washington Monthly:
In the final analysis, our nation cannot be secure around the world unless our citizens are secure at home—secure not only from external attack, but secure as well from the rising tide of national debt, secure from the financial and physical ravages of uninsured disease, secure from discrimination in our schools and neighborhoods, secure from the bitter unrest generated by a widening gap between our richest and poorest citizens. They are not secure in a country lacking reasonable limitations on the sale of handguns to criminals, the mentally disturbed, and prospective terrorists. And our citizens are not secure when some of their fellow citizens, loyal Islamic Americans, are made to feel they are the targets of hysteria or bigotry.
I believe in an America in which the fruits of productivity and prosperity are shared by all, by workers as well as owners, by those at the bottom as well as those at the top; an America in which the sacrifices required by national security are shared by all, by profiteers in the back offices as well as volunteers on the front lines.
In my administration, I shall restore balance and fairness to the national tax system. I shall level the playing field for organized labor. I shall end the unseemly favors to corporations that allow them to profit without competing, for it is through competition that we innovate, and it is through innovation that we raise the wages of our workers. It shames our nation that profits for corporations have soared even as wages for average Americans have fallen. It shames us still more that so many African American men must struggle to find jobs.
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After Oklahoma Disaster, Give Thanks to Government
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By drw3344, June 27, 2007 at 9:20 pm Link to this comment
It’s about time!! I have been longing to see this speech at least for the last 5 or 25 years! The only other approximation was Candidate Santos on West Wing. Where are our leaders in Congress? Where are they who will stand up to the mendacity and obfuscation of the Right? Can you imagine if a left leaning person said something like Anne Coulter’s recent outrage about John Edwards? Let’s carry this speech to the Democratic National Convention and make the delegates promise NOT to vote for anyone unless and until thy promise to give this speech if they win the nomination.
Report thisMr. Sorenson nailed one critically important point-this is probably the most important election since 1932. We have been saying that since 2000 but it is true this time. Justice Stevens will be 89 when the next President is sworn in. Even in great health he probably cannot continue on the Court for 8 more years. The Right has many bites of the apple right now-they need only one to bring about the end of our Constitutional system. We on the left have at least three position to cover-barring an unforeseen accident to any member of the Court-only Breyer and Souter are relatively young and healthy. If any Republican appoints someone to replace Kennedy, Bader-Ginsburg or Stevens we are done for. Anyone who doubts should google “unitary executive theory” and read about what a majority of 5 will do to eviscerate the checks and balances on the Executive. What they theory effectively says is that the Commander and Chief has supra Constitutional authority to make critical National Security decisions. Every lawless act of the current President could be made legal by such a theory.
Many cheers for Theodore Sorenson-and may we have the sense to nominate someone who has some courage, integrity and fortitude.