Hat tip to Salo for coining the phrase "S-Fear", meaning fear on the part of the blogosphere. It's so apt it boggles the mind.
While reading TomP's diary yesterday morning, one discussing John Edwards taking on Hillary and Blackwater, I came across a comment by David Mizner that said it all so stunningly clearly to me that I had to do something with the emotion swirling around inside. David very aptly said:
Yes, well You know the sphere is in trouble, soulwise, when Edwards gets endless grief for doing public financing while Hillary gets almost no grief for systematically shaking down K-Street.
I'm not saying JRE's decision should be beyond criticism; I'm saying the priorities of the sphere are way screwed up right now.
Amen to that David. "S-Fear"
I don't get it... do we want to "win" so badly that money, no matter where it comes from or how it is obtained, is the deciding issue? I don't think so because that isn't winning, that's selling your soul to the devil.
Someone please explain this dichotomy to me: John Edwards is called unprincipled for taking public financing because it would benefit him, but Obama and Clinton are prinicpled for NOT taking public financing because it benefits them not to do so.
Clinton is so "principled" she's taking lobbyists' money and holding luncheons to introduce Congress to the lobbyists. Kudos to Obama for stopping that practice
Of course John Edwards didn't raise the kind of money Clinton did, which is outstanding news because we know where Edwards' money didn't come from!
I don't get it. Oh and by the way...
Where was the continued outrage concerning Clinton's vote for Leiberman-Kyl last week, and Obama's missing that vote due to fundraising in New Hampshire?
There was no prolonged screaming about Hillary voting for that bill. There was no prolonged screaming that Obama missed that vote. And it matters not that it was non-binding; a candidate who presents himself to be so very anti war should have been a leader and been there to vote!
No ongoing wailing about that, because it was all about John Edwards taking public financing.
David Mizner is right, the sphere is in trouble soulwise, and it's priorities are screwed up.
We have a true progressive running for president, and rather than rejoice in that fact and support his candidacy, he's being excoriated by people who want any Democrat elected. It's all about winning and nothing about principles. If we had some courage, we could have both.