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Blog PostsClinton and Who Gets to be an "American"
By Daniel Denvir at Apr 18, 2008 |
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Write a Letter to the Editor and ask your friends to do so, too.
Wednesday's debate in Pennsylvania underscores Hillary Clinton's willingness to distort the truth, resort to smears and mimic classic Republican attacks...anything to defeat Obama.
There is a lot to be criticized about Obama (relations with the nuclear industry, vote for the Peru Freet Trade Agreement, etc.). But activists should respond to what is essentially an attack on the "Americanness" of the Left.
For me, the most embittering part of the evening was watching Clinton and the two debate moderators roll out a typical right-wing attack line, implying that Obama was "un-American" (whatever that means) for having a pastor who speaks up for social and racial justice or for choosing not to wear a flag lapel pin from time to time.
This is ridiculous. We cannot let Hillary Clinton or the Republicans decide who counts as a "real American."
The worst sin of all is, of course, the now infamous quote from San Francisco where he recognized that the right-wing exploits working class white fears to win votes on social issues.
This is news?
What was missing from last night's debate: a discussion of how to end the war in Iraq, a war that Hillary voted for and that Obama has consistently opposed.
Write to your local paper, or one of the national papers (NYtimes, etc), and tell the media that it's time to discuss issues that matter and to stop the inane personal attacks on Obama.
While you're at it, mention the problem in America that you're most bitter about: the war, the environment, health care, etc.
Send a letter now:
New York Times: letters@nytimes.com
LA Times: letters@latimes.com
Miami Herald: HeraldEd@MiamiHerald.com
Boston Globe: letter@globe.com
The Oregonian: letters@news.oregonian.com
Washington Post: letters@washpost.com
San Francisco Chronicle: letters@sfchronicle.com
Seattle Times: dalbert@seattletimes.com
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: editpage@seattlepi.com
**Pennsylvania Newspapers**
Philadelphia Inquirer: Inquirer.Letters@phillynews
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: letters@post-gazette.com
**North Carolina Newspapers**
Charlotte Observer: opinion@charlotteobserver.com
Greensboro News and Record: http://www.news-record.com
**Indiana Newspapers**
Bloomington Herald Times: http://www.heraldtimesonline
Post Tribune (Gary area): ptvoice@post-trib.com
The Times (NW Indiana): letters@nwitimes.com
The Indianapolis Star: http://www2.indystar.com/help
**South Dakota Newspapers**
Rapid City Journal: letters@rapidcityjournal.com
The Argus Leader:
http://www.argusleader.com
**Puerto Rico**
El Nuevo Dia: opinion@elnuevodia.com
**Montana Newspapers**
The Missoulian: oped@missoulian.com
The Montana Standard (Butte): Roberta.Stauffer@Lee.Net
Billings Gazette: speakup@billingsgazette.com
**Kentucky Newspapers**
Courier-Journal (Louisville): http://courier-journal.com
Kentucky Post: http://www.kypost.com/content
Herald Leader (Lexington): http://www.kentucky.com/369/
**West Virginia Newspapers**
West Virginia Gazette: readersvoice@wvgazette.com
The Herald Dispatch: http://media.herald-dispatch
