Re: the Dean yell Sister Jere wrote,
>It was a discouraging display.
My response:
Well, I'm glad that you are concerned and paying attention. I personally don't care much for people who shout (including Oprah whenever she introduces a special guest), but this was a rally of campaign workers who needed to be reassured that their efforts were not wasted. I think what got the media going is that Dean refuses to be penitent and abase himself for their approbation.
Just in case I have to vote for Edwards, I spent a couple of hours this morning researching his record on Google. What I found was not reassuring. Not only did he speak out in support of the Patriot Act when it was first passed (lawyers of course make money when people have to be defended), but he sponsored legislation setting up a national ID system, including biometric information.
While we all know he made a lot of money as a malpractice lawyer, it doesn't seem as well known that 63% of his early contributions came from what the Illinois Civil Justice League calls "Learjet Lawyers" or that a lawfirm in Texas was bundling contributions from low-level employees and promising to re-imburse them. Those contributions were returned by the campaign.
Edwards says that he "has never taken a dime from lobbyists." But, he set up a PAC which does take money from lobbyists. Also, when he was selling his house in DC, he took a deposit from a lobbyist for Saudi Arabia who offered him 1.3 million more than he had paid and .5 million more than it eventually sold for and, when the deal fell through, Edwards retained the $100,000 deposit in escrow. Asked it he would return it, he explained it would only be a conflict of interested that had to be reported, it he kept it--i.e. he was thinking about it.
What we seem to have here is another fellow who tells you the opposite of what he's actually doing. I don't expect he and his friends who are into medical malpractice law are too keen to have a doctor in the White House. Edwards' PAC was buying computers for Iowa long before Dean had made much of a splash.
So, no, I don't think I'll be supporting Edwards.