I initially read this Orlando Sentinel story to see the context of this quote by Barack Obama:
The most provocative question was the first.
“I see a Democratic Party afraid to say they’re Democrats, who voted for the war in Iraq and voted for tax cuts for the wealthy,” said Glenn Anderson of Orlando. “Why should I remain a Democrat?”
It was a tough question. But Nelson and Obama tried to answer it.
“The Democrats at times have lost their way,” conceded Obama. “We are trying to decide what our core values are.”
But then my attention turned quickly to this doozy:
Nelson, 62, who faces a tough re-election campaign next year against U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Sarasota, returned the favor, calling Obama “a rock star who carries himself with dignity and humility and is so smart.”
Attention Orlando Sentinel editors: writer Sandra Mathers is clearly on the brown acid. Qunnipiac:
U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, still carrying baggage from her controversial role in the 2000 Presidential vote count, trails Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson 50 – 38 percent in an early look at the 2006 Florida Senate race, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Republicans back Harris 72
Tim F
Tom Coburn, keeping the Schiavo flame alive.
The world thanks you Tom.
Stormy70
I think she is being discouraged to run. Never underestimate anything happening in Florida. It’s a whack-a-doo state, but I have much love for it.
SherAn
A whack-a-doo state? No, it’s totally FUBAR! Can’t wait to get out of this hellhole.
John Cole
Check your mail, Tim.
BumperStickerist
better you should wait to see whether Markos selects Sen. Nelson as one of Kos’s Endorsed Slate 0’Candidates.
If he does, then just send the check to some orchard grower and and get ready to say “Filibuster Proof” during the lame duck half of President Chimpy McHalliburton’s Regime.
Bruce Moomaw
Mason-Dixon — another state pollster with a very good accuracy record — put out a poll on the same day showing Nelson leading her by fully 17 points.
Stormy70
Bumper – LOL! It’s funny cuz it’s true.
Slartibartfast
Bill Nelson’s a decent and intelligent guy. Look at his bio; Harris doesn’t stand a chance. She doesn’t have my vote, and I’m fairly hard-over Republican.
Although I recently registered as unaffiliated, because…well, just look at John. Republican politicians are a bunch of assholes; Democratic politicians are an equally contemptible bunch of assholes, and I don’t care to associate my name with either group.
BumperStickerist
I thought back when the Republicans ‘took over’ the House of Representatives thanks to the ‘Contract On America’ courtesy of Newt&Co that having the Houses of Congress change hands every 10 years or so would be a good thing – sort of flush out the committee assignments, shake the tree, keep the parts moving, et cetera. Even if it were for only two years and then the Republicans came back for the next ten.
I mean, key-reist, the Democrats had 40 years of uninterrupted control of the budget process. Forty years.
hmmmmmm…. Raimondo might be onto something – it must have been the fault of the Joooooos.
To equal that mark the Republicans would have to control the House until the year 2032.
While there’s sure to be entertainment value in watching the Dems head explode at that prospect, my preference is something along the lines of half-decent governance. The best check on the potential excesses of DeLay is for the Dems to win the house periodically. The best check on the excesses of the Dems was for the Republicans to get a turn behind the wheel.
Sojourner
The Repubs certainly wasted no time gutting the ethical rules of the Congress. It’s frightening to think how trashed the country would be if they remain in power until 2032.
Jeff
The biggest point of that article should be that THE rising star in the Democratic party admitted that Democrats don’t know what their core values are.
Kimmitt
He’s close — the real problem is that the Democratic leadership doesn’t know what Democratic core values are. We’re getting better, but it’s been a long process. Reid’s doing pretty well, but Kerry did us a lot of damage.