Is Clinton Running...Backwards? | National Catholic Reporter

Is Clinton Running...Backwards? | National Catholic Reporter by MSW. MGB: It is not her own book Mrs. Clinton needs to worry about, its Primary Colors.  Expect the movie version focussing on Clinton's loss sometime next year.  It appears she has a fouler mouth than Nixon.  Speaking of Nixon, the fact that she staffed the House Judiciary Committee on his impeachment has made her some permanent enemies among the John Birch/Swift vote set.  They won't attack her publically for it, but they will be outlandish when they do attack (like when they went after Kerry for opposing a war where he was a hero).  I suspect that when these so called patriots die off, our politics will be a bit better.



The personal e-mail flap is just that.  I have many e-mail.  If I rejoin the pubic service, none of them will be closed.  Indeed, most public servants have a private e-mail for online shopping (using your government account for that is verboten - as is using it to express your personal politics - which you still have the right to do - hence personal e-mail use at work.  The Department can certainly monitor, if only to make sure nothing untoward is being done - but generally it is none of the business of Congress.  If it were, every civil servant could be called on the carpet for their personal e-mail.  That is too Orwellian for me.



Mrs. Clinton was ill served in 2008.  Whether it was her decision or a staff decision not to do caucus states, it was the wrong one. Hew wounds were self inflicted.  Hopefully the lessons of that campaign will serve her in this one.  After seeing no drama Obama work up close, it would be hard to do anything differently - and this time the Obama for America folks may be at her beck and call.  I pity whomever survives the GOP gag fest.  As for her probable opponents - Sanders will run as a Socialist or Green - not as a Democrat.  Jim Webb might run, but he probably should have challenged McAuley for Governor first.  Wes Clark won't run if she is in it - he is loyal friend of theirs.  O'Malley seems in it for the practice.  He will be out by Sourth Carolina.  Biden is the one person who might be able to call in Party resources on his behalf and prevent a coronation, but there is no indication he is ready for another national campaign.



It is interesting she is making nice with the Church - but of course she has NARAL Pro-Choice America in the bag and probably a bag of cash from EMILY's list - or will have one soon.  She will not need to run as a pro-choice candidate for the nomination.  The election is a different matter.  The fact is that whomever wins will be hard pressed to find someone who will vote to repeal Roe v. Wade. The lower federal courts are filled with moderate conservatives who are all for both economic and personal freedom.  You must look really hard for a rabid pro-lifer - just remember that Alito and Roberts voted with Kennedy and not Scalia and Thomas - who wanted Roe repealed as part of affirming the partial birth abortion law.  There actually could be a legislative compromise on this issue, but it would look a lot like the status quo - with nothing for the first trimester embryoes and little for the second - where abortion is rare anyway.  Of course, compromise is not the movement's strong suit.



I spoke with then Senator Clinton (and with then Senator Biden) at a reception on the Hill in 2007. I told her that the way to handle the pro-life movement (and the Catholic bishops who faciltate it) is to point out that it is a fundraising and electoral arm of the Republican Party with little interest in actually stopping abortion.   Let's see if she remembers.  That meme has actually grown - I put it on the Catholics for Obama web discussion where a GOP troll desparately denied it - however it has infected the pro-life movement with doubt.   Its why personhood is being pushed - much to the chargrin of the leadership because it won't work and if it did, the movement would lose its electoral value.  It really can't, except in the Congress and the compromises, again, would essentially be the status quo. Of course, it goes without saying that Mrs. Clinton will be much better than any Republican on what matters in this issue - increasing the income of families with Children. (Biden too).