...Goes by the name of "John Edwards." Some highlights from Edwards's speech today in New Hampshire:
And a few weeks ago, around the sixth anniversary of 9/11, a leading presidential candidate held a fundraiser that was billed as a Homeland Security themed event in Washington, D.C. targeted to homeland security lobbyists and contractors for $1,000 a plate. These lobbyists, for the price of a ticket, would get a special "treat" -- the opportunity to participate in small, hour long breakout sessions with key Democratic lawmakers, many of whom chair important sub committees of the homeland security committee. That presidential candidate was Senator Clinton.
Senator Clinton's road to the middle class takes a major detour right through the deep canyon of corporate lobbyists and the hidden bidding of K Street in Washington -- and history tells us that when that bus stops there it is the middle class that loses. ...
The choice is ours.
Down one path, we trade corporate Democrats for corporate Republicans; our cronies for their cronies; one political dynasty for another dynasty; and all we are left with is a Democratic version of the Republican corruption machine.
It is the easier path. It is the path of the status quo. But, it is a path that perpetuates a corrupt system that has not only failed to deliver the change the American people demand, but has divided America into two -- one America for the very greedy, and one America for everybody else.
Edwards seems to be setting up, among other things, a pretty harsh offensive against Clinton in tomorrow's night debate. My immediate thought is: bad news for Obama. We've been hearing for the last few days that Obama is finally going to get tough with Hillary. For real this time. But, even if he does turn up the heat a bit--and I suspect he will--it could end up looking pretty tame alongside today's Edwards speech, and the notes I suspect Edwards will strike tomorrow night.
--Noam Scheiber