Edwards Consultant Mudcat: "Who Screwed Us? The Clintons Screwed Us"

Bombs away. David "Mudcat" Saunders, a campaign consultant for John Edwards, is out on the campaign trail in North Country in New Hampshire and not holding anything back:

The official name of this campaign swing is "economic fairness for the North Country," but he and Cooter and the boys call it the " 'Let's help John Edwards screw those who screwed us tour,' " Mudcat says. Us being rural America.

And who would that be?

"Who screwed us?" he asks, voice rising in incredulity. "The Clintons screwed us." And, he adds, "Anybody that says different is delusional."

The Clintons did it with NAFTA, and the Bubbas know it, Mudcat says. Why, it's no wonder Hillary once sat on the board of Wal-Mart.

"The slogan of Wal-Mart is the same as what the Clintons' policy has always been for rural America: 'Always less,' " he says. (Actually, Wal-Mart's former catchphrase was "Always low prices," but you get Mudcat's drift.)

Comments

[lalady]

Apparently, the whole Democratic Establishment is in on the utter destruction of our great nation. How could the party that is suppose to represent the people march in such lock step to back the Clintons, the very ones who opened the floodgates for that destruction. From Bill Clinton's Nafta sprang the plan to make one nation out of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and thus we have this massive invasion of Illegal Immigrants -- an Invasion in which the Party absolute delights in. As they push our jobs overseas, and have Illegal Immigrants take them away from us at home, the Party has not only betrayed farmers and the working class--its most faithful members--it has betrayed the whole nation as well!

[INQUIRER]

Boy is your name ever well-chosen, lala. NAFTA was a Republican deal. The Congress was controlled by the Republicans, and they were going to have it regardless of what Bill Clinton said or did. After it was clear that it was going to pass, Clinton embraced it. You and I may differ with him for that. But it wasn't his doing. And if you really think there is a plan afot to merge all the North American countries, then you have a really good reason to switch to Democrat. You need medication.

[hglindquist]

Those of us who are old enough (I'm 68) remember Nelson and Winthrop Rockefeller and what we called Rockefeller Republicans. Internationally, they are globalists (for corporations over working families). Nationally, they are corporationists (for corporations over working families). Locally, they are pothole politicians--to get elected.

The Clintons are Rockefeller Republicans, not working family Democrats.

When we the people become more interested in taking notes to the voting booth rather than shopping lists to the mall, we will get our country back. Until then we will continue the slide to becoming a banana republic with the wealthy few and the many poor.

One last thing, at 68 ... well, I'm out of here. It's up to the rest of you young'uns. And you know what? I really don't think the country is going to turn around. We're not willing to get out in the street and make some noise over things like labor issues. We've already lost it, and we haven't realized it yet. All that is left is to find the scapegoats ... the "other" people who did this to us.

We did it to ourselves. Look at the polls for Hillary ... in the DEMOCRATIC Party! Who is kidding whom?

[daniel155]

Just what we need, another James Carville wannabee.

[phoenix1964]

Edwards is right, but he just screams of desperation like a dog trying to crawl on a bone. As a life long democrat from a family of democrats, Ms. Lady McBeth Clinton can not become President. Just flush America down the tubes, because if a person who stands for nothing will fall for everything.

[JoAnnCr]

I have never heard Edwards "scream of desperation". He's a steady plodder just focused on doing the things he believes in. He's not an "ends justifies the means" kind of guy. Rather he is someone who focuses on every day and is assured the outcome will be built by daily sincere action.

By the way, I jusst did some phone calling for the Edwards visit to my town in Iowa. There were very few people who had decided on a candidate out of about 300 calls I made in the last four days. What does that tell you about the Democrats if even in Iowa, most of the people have not made up their mind.

Another interesting note, I got five comments unasked for that were variations of "anybody but Clinton". No other candidate was criticized like that.

[INQUIRER]

Iowa doesn't matter, and the idea that it does is the biggest myth there is. First we have the straw polls. They don't count. They don't pick delegates. Then we have the caucuses. If they had animal acts, they would pass for circuses. This time half the delegates are decided, but the results usually aren't known for days, and when they are, they are suspect because what they really show is only one thing: how well the candidates are organized in Iowa. Plus, how the attendees at any give caucus make their choices is only known to the attendees.

Only two winners of the Iowa caucuses have ever gone on to be President: Carter, and Bush. Was Iowa decisive? Maybe for Carter, who was one of nine or more candidates, and distinguished himself for the first time by winning Iowa. Not for Bush, who relied on huge amounts of corporate money, dirty tricks, lawsuits, vote rigging, and the fact that he was not well-known but his name was. Not even New Hampshire is crucial, since this time the President is going to be a Democrat, and New Hampshire is mostly Republican. This thing is really still wide open.

Unfortunately, last time around the Dems decided that the answer to who was electable was the fact that John Kerry won the New Hampshire primary.

This time, I wish everyone would just vote for whom they really want. The nomination is probably going to be decided in January on Mega Tuesday. Let's forget about electability. We can't predict it anyway. Vote for whomever you agree with in the primary. Please.

[Ping]

How the Clinton’s sold us out.

For those with very short memories or for those too young to remember:

Mexico

Clinton pushed NAFTA onto us. The unions didn't want it. Even Ross Perot didn't want it. As it turns out Perot was so right about NAFTA it's scary.

When the Clintons began to sell NAFTA to this nation; they went on a media blitz. Ross Perot stood up and vocally opposed NAFTA. The debate culminated on Larry King Live. Larry King invited Ross Perot, who opposed NAFTA, and Al Gore who came out to defend the Clinton position that NAFTA would be good for the workers of America and it would raise the standard of living in Mexico. Both brought out charts to explain how NAFTA would benefit or hurt the workers of America. Gore contended it would increase exports to Mexico and help the workers of America http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8PJ2KT0RVII). That was the BIG lie the Clinton Administration told. On that night Perot made his famous "sucking sound" comment. NAFTA was passed in 1993 and enacted in 1994.

Meanwhile in 1991 Wal-Mart opened it's first store in Mexico a Sam's Club, in 1993 they open Mexico's first Wal-Mart Super Center. But without NAFTA Wal-Mart could only open their stores through joint ventures with a Mexican company. Aided by NAFTA by however by 1997 Wal-Mart had consolidated these joint ventures and bought controlling interest in the Mexican company. In 2000 the name of the company was officially changed to Wal-Mart de Mexico. The company has continued to expand and by August 2007 Wal-Mart had 930 total stores including 122 Wal-Mart Supercenters, and they employee 142,000 employees in Mexico. http://www.walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigate.do?catg=3799)

[Ping]

This expansion in Mexico has had far reaching consequences. Because of these stores many Mexican mom and pop shops that had survived on the local economy were put out of business. Also the local farmers were unable to sell their crops in the local markets because they could not compete with Wal-Mart and were also put out of business. NAFTA screwed the Mexican workers who were displaced and made obsolete by the multinational corporation. This has accelerated the exodus north to the USA, where employment is available. So if you’ve ever wondered why they are so many here, NAFTA.

NAFTA was not all bad for Mexico the world’s richest man is now a Mexican Carlos Slim. He owns a conglomerate which includes the CompUsa chain. NAFTA was indeed good for him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Slim_Hel%C3%BAA)

Sam Walton founder of Wal-Mart was from Arkansas and was Bill Clinton’s political benefactor. Sure the Clintons will deny it, But Clinton sold us out to pay back a political favor.

[Ping]

China

In 2000 Clinton began to make a push to give China PNTR(permanent normal trade relations). Until then congress had to OK trade with China every year. Clinton made the argument that PNTR will help steer the communist nation towards democracy. For the United States, freer trade with China means U.S. farmers and manufacturers can make money by selling products to billions of potential customers. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/jan-june00/china.htmll)

This was another big lie that Clinton told. We now know that this deal has screwed American workers out of their jobs and yes we did hear that great sucking sound when the jobs, manufacturing equipment and dollars went to China. By giving PNTR to China it gave the multinational corporations in America assurances that trade with China could not be interrupted by an act of Congress. This allowed the corporations to invest in China and take advantage of the low cost labor, lax environmental regulations, and non existent safety standards in China. China was granted PNTR in the autumn of 2000

Meanwhile Wal-Mart who had been importing from China since the 80’s opened its first store in Shenzhen in 1996. PNTR allowed Wal-Mart to open a sourcing facility in 2002 in the city of Shenzhen. This allowed to Wal-Mart to procure goods all through out China bring them to this facility and then ship them to the USA. Reality is that many US companies that were suppliers to Wal-Mart were forced to move their manufacturing facilities to China so that they could be price competitive. The US workers were screwed out of their jobs, and the exports to China have not really replaced the jobs that left. Clintons claim that “freer trade with China means U.S. farmers and manufacturers can make money by selling products to billions of potential customers”, has not been realized. Clinton lied to us and he sold us out. He screwed the American workers in order pay back his political benefactors once again.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

They screwed Kerry too in the last election, and gephardt as well. So, who are you going to trust? None of them as far as I can see except for maybe Kucinich or Biden is playing on a level playing field. Hillary is taking money from the insurance companies who is screwing the public in healthcare, Obamma's wife was a lawyer for them, Edwards is a wild card who screwed Kerry, his own running mate in the last election. Its a double edged sword, as Clinton was a great president who did a lot of good for the people until he went with the nafta deal. But Hillary cannot be trusted.
The public has to see that Hillary is Bush lite. No question. Obamma is only a tad better and Edwards Is again someone who was willing to screw kerry in the last elections. he never once came to defend kerry when swift vote rove vets attacked him. How are we to trust a man who wouldn't even defend his own running mate?
This is the worst disaster since the titanic. The dems need to regroup and get a candidate in who is willing to represent all of the American people. Not one is going to do it, and the ones who could, are shut out by the media.
I have little faith in this group. I have no trust in them either.

[billofthedesert]

Democrats bashing Democrats? Democrats doing the heavy lifting for the Repugs? Maybe John should just go home. And take his cat with him. They're both on the wrong side.

[ZingoBonMot]

-billofthedesert- Would you rather Democrats just goosestepped along like the Republicans who got us into this sorry mess?
Damn right I'm going to question everything Democratic candidates do and say.
I WILL NOT be browbeat into making my final decision until I'm good and ready.
Last time I checked, we had a year until the election. A lot can happen in a year.

[smartstuart]

Edwards is a pussy-Elizabeth should be the candidate! Nafta is a bust because the Repugs stripped it of all its teeth-and Mudcat the shit-kicker knows that's the truth! Again, Edwards is a pussy who couldn't even carry N.Carolina, his home state as the VP candidate. This is all about Arianna Rove and her dirtywork against HRC! Arianna, you bitch!!!!

[Alessan]

Stop name calling, you don't know anything about Edwards.

[IronMikeHouston]

LOL, we all know Edwards is a LOSER and hypocrite from the start. He took a $500,000 year job at the hedge fund to learn about poverty. My favorite hypocritical Edwards moment was when he wanted us Americans to give up our SUV's when he has a 28,000 sf house and flies his barber across country for a $1,200 haircut. It doesn't get much funnier than that except the total desperation on his face when he has 13 points (go to the drudgereport). Now that was really funny!

[zull2]

NAFTA was WRITTEN by the Republicans. They didn't have to strip it, it was written by them. Clinton passed it as an attempt at a concession to the Republicans, which then turned around and laughed in his face. But that wasn't enough for Bill, so he gave the thumbs up for GATT, too, for them.

The free trade agreements were written entirely from an ideological point of view, where that ideology is to make it easier for companies to move jobs to Mexico and Asia, then make it super cheap to import products from overseas.

Also, carrying N. Carolina also has something to do with John Kerry being on the ticket. As I recall, the swift boaters and the Republican PACs did a number on Kerry from two different directions...on one side, slandering his war record, on the other, labeling him as a "Northeastern Liberal" on the same level as Ted Kennedy. When you hit the primary guy on the ticket with that kind of below-the-belt level of mudslinging in a state that considers itself, to this day, to be a "Southern State", where you still see people hanging Confederate flags...the end result is that it makes even one of their own running on the ticket somehow a "sellout".

Of course, it was all bull, but hey, apparently there are enough people who believe it.

[emncaity]

What a coarse, idiotic comment. Yeah, he's a "p___y" alright; that's how he won case after case against big insurance and big business. You're as superficial as your comment if you think Edwards is as soft and genteel as his manner (which I'd agree hurts him somewhat). Of the top three candidates in the polling, this is the one guy who probably would actually stick up for the common citizen.

Nominating Hillary is one of the only things Democrats can do to screw up their presidential run. I'm not saying it's impossible for her to win, because maybe the disgust with Republicans runs that deep. But it's gonna be way closer than anybody thinks. If the Republicans would put all their money behind a guy like Huckabee or Paul, instead of the psycho Giuliani (with his fake anti-terror credentials) or the shape-shifting automaton Romney, they'd probably win the damn thing, and Dems would be left wondering how they lost again. They can start by figuring out how candidates like Hillary and Obama move to the forefront, while far more experienced and qualified candidates like Joe Biden are left behind.

[Giordano Bruno]

Mudcat is on target. Walmart came from the Clintons. As John Edward's Domestic Policy Advisor has pointed out (Leo Hindery), this is a grotesque example of American capitalism gone wild, beyond even the limits that Adam Smith would stomach.

The Clintons helped the Republicans more than anyone ever knew. Just think! It's been nearly 7 consecutive terms for the GOP. The Clintons made the all of us liberals believe there was a Democrat in the White House.

What a revolting development, this Hillary love fest is. All rhetoric. Never trust anyone who voted for Goldwater. Never, never, never.

Giordano

[Boadicea]

Good thing Edwards went to that Hedge Fund after losing in 04. Gave him all that insight into poverty, and how the rest of us are struggling to make ends meet.

What a crock. In all my years of watching politics, I've never seen such a hypocrite on either side of the aisle as John Edwards.

Canada is by far our largest export market. If you'd like to dismantle NAFTA, Mr. Edwards, say goodbye to the only substantial market that exists for American-made goods. See how that works to save jobs.

[Ping]

That's a red herring. Those exports will go to Canada with or without NAFTA. The elimination of jobs is a scare tactic.

[Alessan]

Jobs have eliminated in the US because of Nchafta and Cafta it is not a scare tactic, hopefully Billary will keep her campaign promise and reform these trade agreements. We don't need drugs from Mexico and chemically produced food from China, not to mention the toys. However Hillary sleeps with enemy the so I doubt she'll get out of bed with Corporations and change anything if she does get the White House, she should straighten out the Senate first, because she is not doing a good job for the people of NY. People here are not paying attention or brainwashed by the faux media hype.

[emncaity]

For a venerable Celtic warrior, how could you be so wrong?

Actually, the hedge fund thing really was bad. No doubt. I still have to go find whatever his explanation is for that; maybe it makes sense. I honestly haven't looked at it in detail because it looks like media coverage is going to guarantee a Hillary-Obama showdown, while far more experienced guys like Biden are out of the mix, along with people who have better ideas and a better record of pushing back against big money like Edwards.

But to your larger point: Do you really think somebody has to be poor (which he was, or at least lower-lower-middle-class), and stay poor all his life, to know what the poor need to live better? Do you need to be Hispanic to address the concerns of Hispanics?

[Misanthrope2]

Not as bad as being a partner at Sidley and Austin, who put together and maintain lots of hedge funds, and do all kinds of things to help corporations and financial institutions screw the rest of us.

You know, like Obama.

[Give Peace A Chance]

Yep, the Clintons screwed us in the 90s and they are coming back for seconds.

[Kendo Nagasaki]

Hillary Carpetbagger is the Republican candidate.

Rupert Murdoch loves her.

[Mariel]

I'm shocked that my former union endorsed Hillary. Would that be NEA or AFT? I was in AFT, American Federation of Teachers. Shock. Teachers should be able to think better than that. They all have at least five years of college--but that doesn't seem to make them think.

Edwards, Richardson, Dodd for me.

[average joe]

Hillary made a living screwing people. And now daddy soreass open MedIa Matters for her she going to put the screws to everyone.

[dr4Will]

this guy and edwards wife are pathetic speakers for mr.pomp odor