Keith Olbermann: Ask Hillary About...

[babylonsister]

Keith Olbermann: Ask Hillary About...
by Jeff Cohen | Aug 7 2007



Tonight, MSNBC will telecast a Democratic presidential forum sponsored by the AFL-CIO, with an expected audience of thousands of union members at Chicago's historic Soldier Field. Although questions will come mostly from labor folks, the forum will be moderated by MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, known for his searing anti-Bush "Special Comments."

Below I propose a few questions I'd like to hear tonight. I don't submit these as a disgruntled former MSNBC employee. If disgruntlement were my motivation, I'd be urging Keith to ask the candidates what they think about a TV network like MSNBC that operates union-free, where management ordered producers in the run-up to the Iraq invasion to favor pro-invasion guests. (MSNBC was as complicit as Fox News in promoting Bush's Iraq disaster.)

Rather, I submit the following questions as a lifelong union supporter, and a former union steward. These aren't the easy questions that allow Democrats to all place themselves on one side, with Bush on the other. These are the ones that divide Democrats.

These questions focus on polices that affect the lives and livelihoods of most Americans - in other words, the kind of questions that hold little interest for the Beltway pundit elite that prefers covering politics as a Hillary/Obama celebrity feud.

TRADE: The last Democrat in the White House, Bill Clinton, worked ferociously alongside big business lobbyists to pass the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) over the objections of labor, environmentalists and consumer advocates, whose fears of NAFTA's negative impacts have largely materialized. During his 1992 campaign, Mr. Clinton had expressed concerns about NAFTA before becoming its main booster once in the White House.

How can you -- especially those of you who supported NAFTA - assure voters that, if elected, you will not bend to corporate pressures to pass corporate-drafted trade deals that undermine labor and environmental protections?

If elected, will you work to repeal NAFTA?

more...

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/9216

[bluestateguy]

1. He ought to ask her if she plans to run a 50 state strategy in the general election

Or will she run a 23 state strategy a la John Kerry that starts off the campaign by writing off 200 electoral votes to the Republican nominee, ignores the South, puts the Mountain West on the B list, and runs a campaign revolving around the Axis of Incompetents: big donors from NYC, establishment types from DC and Hollywood people from LA.

[benny05]

5. Clinton said she didn't know if she would visit all 50

But she would have teams in each state. Another triangulated answer. At least she confessed that she'll take corporate lobbying money.

[bluestateguy]

6. "teams in all 50 states"

Oye vay.

For Clintco that means a few rich donors in say, South Dakota, would constitue the extent of her "team" in that state. :eyes:

[antigop]

2. Will you work to repeal NAFTA? -- EXCELLENT QUESTION!

Other than Edwards and Kucinich, I can't find answers from the other candidates. Sure, they will say they support labor protections in "future" agreements -- but what about the crappy agreements that are already in place?

The answer to this question will show who is a corporatist and who isn't.

[Bitwit1234]

3. Maybe he should ask Obama

why his supporters had the go ahead to swift boat Hillary. Does he think that's the way to win.

[monmouth]

4. I understand that Keith and Matthews will be covering the post-debate,

but some guy named Todd will be the moderator. Think I heard this last night on Countdown...