Daily Kos: John Edwards: "You Have to Take them On" (by TomP)

[Catchawave]

Sat Aug 25, 2007 at 05:11:01 PM EDT

When asked about the politics of "compromise" in an interview on the bus in New Hampshire yesterday, John Edwards hit the nail on the head:

"My view is, you give them a seat at the table, they eat all the food! You cannot compromise with these people. When you negotiate with them, they win. You have to beat them. You have to take them on."

more and video: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/25/94628/8526

[Catchawave]

1. EENR !

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/25/181938/755

More great stuff for DU's Edwards supporters :hi:

[jsamuel]

2. Thanks!

[draft_mario_cuomo]

3. K & R. Edwards understands it is naive or disingenous to claim you can negotiate real change...

...with right-wingers and special interests.

[maximusveritas]

4. Who are "these people" he's talking about?

This sounds similar to the line he gives on lobbyists, so I'm assuming that's who he's talking about.

[Catchawave]

7. Corporations too. n/t

[jefferson_dem]

5. Edwards concedes, "When you negotiate with them, they win."

I don't see how this statement reflects well on his ability effectively govern if he were actually elected.

To me, it suggests Edwards is either clueless about the governing process or is simply beating his chest with phony bravado.

The stridently partisan nature of the entire comment reminds me of the current WH occupant.

EDIT: Like the poster above mentions, it's important to know who the "them" is that Edwards references before making too broad a judgment.

[usregimechange]

6. yep

[Colobo]

8. He doesn't have what it takes to be president, then.

Good presidents have the ability to negotiate and to win battles without going to war with opposing factions.

[cascadiance]

11. Kinda like the FISA bill "compromise"...

:eyes: :sarcasm: :grr:

amongst others that our "moderate" Dems have sided with... Kinda like helping Alito get approved instead of fighting his nomination.

There IS a time to NOT compromise and fight, and there is a time to compromise too. The key is to know when those times are. I think Edwards shows he DOES have a clue as to what battles there should be NO compromise on. We've already "compromised" too much power away to the corporatocracy, which is why we are in so much trouble now!

[eridani]

13. Really? Then why have the Rethugs gotten everything they wanted--

--over the last six years? Their "negotiating ability"? Quit peddling this horseshit.

[saltpoint]

9. The energy of Edwards' campaign inspires.

He is also proving very agile in recent interviews.

The trial attorney in him emerges more and more -- the one that uses the good mind to represent the unheard and voiceless in our society.

And it's holding steady in the polls. I'd like to see the numbers rise, and think they will as we sweat our way past Labor Day into the final turn toward the Iowa caucuses.

[KoKo]

10. Many thanks to Edwards for saying that. I hope he hangs in there.

Kucinich and Edwards are the only two saying what needs to be said.

[Mythsaje]

12. Some people just don't get it...

And never will.

If you don't pull weeds out by the roots, they just grow back.

[Milo_Bloom]

14. Wow, his hypocrisy runs deep.

Forgetting that the underlying sentiment is completely wrong and either way should NEVER be expressed as such. Telling someone you won't negotiate with them puts them immediately on the defensive, such as what happened with the Iraq bills some time ago when the GOP fillibustered the bills not because of the content, but b/c of a petty argument outside of the bill.

Second, Is this 'tough talk' really coming from a guy who voted for the war, the patriot act, the bankrupcy bill, sending nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, bush's energy policy which included subsidies to gas and oil and he voted to reduce liability on nuclear power plans in case of accident.