one heart and one mind

anyone who knows much of me, knows that i love the new york times. i've probably sent most of you an article or two (or hundreds, ie dave). another thing you probably know is that i love hillary clinton. i find her a beautiful, amazingly well-spoken woman. i don't think she is the best orator of the group, but i do think her commitment is genuine. she has showed a commitment to children--especially with poverty and universal health care. she has shown an extremely knowledgeable grasp of policy that i think is missing in all the other candidates. she has a clear plan for iraq, and has spent her last 7 years in the senate cultivating military and international diplomatic relationships. i could go on, but i think those are the main things i love about her. i also really like obama and edwards. obama is inspiring, and i will happily vote for him if he gets the democratic nomination. my personal experience with edwards when i was in dc has forever endeared him to me. i don't love any of the republican nominees, but i do respect mccain. he stands up for things--his positions on immigration, environment, campaign finance and torture are all very principled and not always popular, as is his stance on the war. i don't agree with his stance on the war, but i appreciate his frankness and dedication. i once liked huckabee but i think he's gotten out of control. romney i'm skeptical of, and have been thoroughly disappointed by his performance in the debates. many people think that, if elected, he will center. but in the meantime he is doing his best to make all kinds of extreme promises to prove he is the most conservative. i think he could be good for the economy, however, and is probably the only republican up for tackling the tough issues of entitlement reform (whether or not he would, would have to be seen...) i won't touch giuliani, as i can't stand him. and i think ron paul is a nut, but to each their own.

while the two democratic front runners are running to the center--to be moderate and speaking of bridging the partisan gap--the republicans are in a rush to the right. the republican debates have been painful for me to see, them each trying to prove that they are the ones who hate immigrants the most, who have the most guns, who are the most religious, etc. i don't think this is good for our country.

i bring this up because today the nytimes announced that they are endorsing clinton and mccain for the primaries. these are of course my top choices for each party. we're of one heart and one mind, me and the times...

now i must say, lest i be accused of blind partisanship, that i am supporting democrats because my core beliefs align with them, and not just because they bear the name. social justice, progressive taxation, equitability, active government, social safety net. i don't believe in the death penalty. i do strongly support stricter gun control laws. i think we need to do more to help the environment, and reduce our energy dependence even at the risk of offending the big energy companies. i think we should spend more money on international aid than on defense spending. i think health care should be universal, that everyone should be able to go to the doctor, receive necessary treatment. it appalls me that people think otherwise. i believe immigrants--even illegal ones--still have "certain inalienable rights," simply because they're people. i believe they should be treated as such. i don't think deportation and building a magic wall will stop the things that bring them to our wonderful country--they come for opportunity, to feed their families, the same reason our ancestors came. and if we want them to stay in mexico, we do this by bolstering the mexican economy, take those billions spent on deportation, on wall-building, on boarder patrol--and invest it in their economy thereby providing them jobs and opportunities in their own countries. i believe in helping people, at cost to myself and others equally privileged. i believe in helping people without judging their deservedness. i believe that i am very blessed, and don't think that myself and others in similar positions are harder working, more honest, better people than those who have less and could use a hand.

i could go on. i constantly engage in political banter, and love it. however, i rarely say what i really feel or think and why, because it is personal to me. these aren't things i take lightly. i feel very strongly about them. i am not trying to defend or prove the correctness of any of my opinions. i know these are extremely complex issues. based on my limited understanding, i have tried to come to grips with these issues the best way i can, in a way that feels right to my conscience. i don't apologize for that, but i do hope not to offend...