Sen. Hillary Clinton's refusal to answer steelworkers' questions both troubling and revealing

[The Sushi Bandit]

CLEVELAND OH -- The Kucinich for President Campaign issued the following statement this afternoon:

"It is deeply troubling, but, perhaps, very revealing, when a Democratic candidate for the Presidency of the United States seeks the support of one of the most important industrial labor unions in the nation but refuses to answer questions from the rank and file union members.

"That's what happened today when U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton addressed the United Steelworkers conference in Cleveland. Not only did she not participate in the question-and-answer portion of the program to which all of the Presidential candidates had agreed, but she also completely ignored one of the major issues that has forced millions of union workers and others into unemployment: the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

"Yesterday, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, U.S. Senator Joe Biden, and former Senator John Edwards held to their commitment to the USW to answer any and all questions from union members for 30 minutes each.

"It borders on arrogance for a Democrat to deliver pro-union promises and platitudes in prepared remarks, but then refuse to engage in an honest and open conversation with workers whose lives have been profoundly impacted by disastrous trade policies -- especially NAFTA, which was enacted during the Clinton Administration.

"Does Senator Clinton support NAFTA? Will she attempt to "fix it," as former Senator Edwards proposed yesterday? Or will she have the courage to repeal it, as only Congressman Kucinich has proposed? Members of the steelworkers union and other industrialized unions did not get any answers because they weren't permitted to ask the questions.

"Candidates have an obligation to go beyond orchestrated and scripted performances, answer tough questions, and address serious issues. If they calculate that it is preferable to side-step that obligation when they are trying to win votes, voters will be left wondering where those candidates really stand and what they will really do if elected. If anything, Senator Clinton has an even higher obligation to address this issue because NAFTA was enacted during the Clinton Administration. Someone needs to ask where the Senator stands. And the Senator has a responsibility to answer."

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

1. She knows she's going to be installed as ...

...the Dem nominee -- she doesn't have to take questions, and certainly not from the working class.

[IndianaGreen]

4. Hillary is one of the Democratic candidates that represent the ruling class

She will oppose single payer health insurance because it would not profit the health insurance industry and Big Pharma. She will speak of cosmetic changes to NAFTA, but in her heart she is a neoliberal globalist.

[w4rma]

2. I do not support Hillary one bit. (nt)

[emilyg]

3. I do

[RC]

5. Hillary Clinton as President will

not be good for the citizens of the United States of America.

[Phrogman]

6. I'd rather poke a sharp stick in my eye than listen to her lies and bullshit for 4+ years.

get RID of this woman or we're walking!

[wyldwolf]

7. where are you walking to?

[The Sushi Bandit]

8. Kucinich for President!!!

nuff said!

[CoffeeCat]

9. I'd be walking with you...

Hillary Clinton barely addresses the most critical of issues
that this nation faces.

Where is she on Bush's dictatorial pResidency, and his desire
to thwart the Constitution, dismantle our democracy, destroy
our civil rights, illegally wiretap us and enact torture as
a national pastime?

Her silence is disgraceful.

The Clintons used to symbolize new hope for our country. They've
been folded into the fray--and Hillary is now an intricate part
of the corporatism and corruption that permeates our government.

Anyone surprised by her refusal to speak with Union members should
also remember that she refused to renounce her Iraq-war vote and also
stated that war with Iran was "not off the table". She does not
represent progressive issues, nor would she represent Americans.

She's gone over to the dark side, and anyone who doesn't' acknowledge
this has blinders on, or is a blog plant.

[Perry Logan]

17. When 2008 rolls around, I'll hand you your stick...

Just kidding.

[HughBeaumont]

10. I've pointed out I don't know HOW many times she's a pro-free-trade, pro-offshoring neolib.

Past posts reveal all. Links, all there.

There's no mystery to Madam Windsock. She has no answers for the manufacturing sector other than "retrain". That's a cop-out. You can't expect steelworkers to be business prognosticators and magically predict what professions they have to gravitate towards that won't follow their predecessors offshore or become "inshored" like construction did.

[InsultComicDog]

11. Wonder how she will deal with her upcoming appearance

at YearlyKos in Chicago?

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Hillary has a stealth agenda.

I wish her supporters would just push her enough to really know what she's about.

[caligirl]

13. has this been a pattern with other unions? To take bake the power stolen

by repugs and corporate leaders we have to reestablish the power of unions.

[goodhue]

14. troubling

but not surprising

[LoZoccolo]

15. Kucinich is absent in answering some of the questions posed to him.

Like why isn't he fighting to get Ole Savior into the debates?

[Melynn]

16. Why isn't Kucinich fighting to get Ole Savior into the debates?

Because he is for separation of church and state? :shrug:

[LoZoccolo]

18. In his Wikipedia entry, it does not specify a birth name.

While seemingly unusual, I have not seen anything to indicate that that was not the name he was born with:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ole_Savior