This is a Response Post...

In response to 410e9th.

First- a question. If the "basic democratic platform is formed around the notion of providing social safety nets for the lower quartile of Americans, greater economic opportunity for the middle 50% and paying for it, at least partially, by increasing the burden of the upper 25% (especially the top 10%)" how is Hillary's proposal ofrequiring illegal immigrants to pay fines and back taxes consistent with this platform? Unless there are some illegal immigrants in the upper 25% or top 10% of the population (you know, all those illegal Swiss banker types...)

That being said. How would a democratic candidate earn my vote? By recognizing that the "middle class" and "upper middle class" make a lot more today than in the past and thus maybe they're targeting tax increases at the wrong people. Why not embrace abolishing the tax code and enacting a flat tax?

Besides all of that. Hillary just scares me, plain and simple. You're right I phone banked in '92, yada, yada. I believed the hype. I was a complete Clinton supporter. Then the rug came out from under me. The whole Monica Lewinsky thing. I'm sorry but Bill Clinton lied to Congress. I don't care what he lied about or why, to me it just goes to show that the power of the presidency made him think he was above the law. He lied about something as stupid as Monica-Gate, how could he be trustworthy at all? The Clintons claimed that they would be doing all of this "good" but at the end of the day they were (and are) just as money and power hungry as the Republicans, but without the tax cuts.

The man should have been impeached. There you go. That's how I feel.

As for Hillary? She hung on with Bill. Why? Because she's even more power hungry than he is and without a drop of charisma.

How can a person who hails from Illinois, was the first lady of Arkansas justify that the right next step is to become a Senator from New York??? Why? Because Moynihan's seat was up and NY is one of the most powerful states in the union. God forbid she actually rise up through the ranks of Congress by being a representative from a state where she has a connection to the constituency and then become a senator in due course. Nope, she stuck with Bill and so her reward was a Senate seat.

Further, the Democratic party focuses on all of these wonderful social programs which we'll get the benefit of, but during the Clinton administration what did we get that was really beneficial? Yes, the economy was good, but was that by virtue of a social agenda? I didn't receive any exceptional federal grants or loans during college (and certainly not during law school) and I of course earned too much upon leaving school to benefit from any interest deductions on my taxes for the student loans I did incur. Want to work in one of those programs where you qualify for Federal Loan forgiveness? The income which qualifies you is so paltry you certainly couldn't successfully live in Manhattan, heck one might even be priced out of Omaha.

Obviously, no one these days likes George Bush, but within just a few months of his taking office I got a check from the federal government for $300. That was a nice check to get.

As for Barack Obama-- he seems truly like an idealist and that's great but at the end of the day the man has about as much viable political experience as a Boy Scout Leader.

This all being said, the Republican pool isn't much better. Huckabee. Well, I don't even think you need to go beyond the man's name (a discussion of the whole "evangelical" thing is scary enough) and while John McCain would have been a viable candidate years ago, the fact that he would be entering as the oldest first term president is certainly not a good thing.

I don't know what to tell you but I don't think the options out there are good and I'm certainly not looking forward to higher taxes to supposedly fund "benefits" which I'm never going to see.

ps. glad the necklace was a hit. ;)