Where did “progressive” values go?
By SusanUnPC on April 6, 2008 at 1:02 PM in Air America Radio, Barack Obama, David Axelrod, Ed Schultz, Father Michael Pfleger, Geraldine Ferraro, Hillary Clinton
“[I]t’s been a sad and sobering week for ‘liberal’ and ‘progressive’ values,” writes The Daily Howler, reflecting on the repugnant words of Randi Rhodes that earned her a well-deserved indefinite suspension from Air America Radio.
A week? How about months of the “progressive” blogosphere’s incessant attacks on both Hillary Clinton and her supporters? This vitriol has far-reaching and potentially lasting implications, beyond the hate speech of Rhodes, Obama’s spiritual advisers, and two individuals — Huffington Post’s Allison Kilkenny and talk radio’s Ed Schultz — who I called out last night in “Obama Supporters Take the Low Rhode.” What does this phenomenon really say about progressives? In a rather severe but noteworthy indictment posted at the Liberal Rapture blog — “The Obama infection and the lynching of Hillary Clinton” — John writes:
Obama has injected a poison into the body politic of the United States. The ugliness Obama has stirred up is real and severe - all the more damaging because he is so charming. We are past now the dizzying, frothing, mindless adoration from Huffington and the Daily Kos. We are now past the snotty, childish attacks on Clinton by Olbermann and Cafferty. We are into a new realm … The hatred quietly coached and encouraged by Axelrod is now bubbling forth everywhere.
Then John wrote about the real meaning of what Randi Rhodes did to Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton:
Randi Rhodes called Senator Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro “fucking whores” on stage. Do the math with me on this one moment: a liberal female talk show host called the first female V.P. candidate on a major party ticket and the first viable female Presidential candidate “fucking whores”.
For fun.
This is a symptom.
Read all of John’s post, “The Obama infection and the lynching of Hillary Clinton.”
The Daily Howler notes the myth about “progressives” and “progressive” radio:
For years, there was a self-flattering story we liberals liked to tell about the nature of talk radio. Theoretically, liberal talk radio would never work because we liberals are so bright, so intelligent, so independent—such non-ditto-heads, we kept saying. To be honest, this tale never made much sense. But Rhodes, and others, have made this week a time for some sober reflection.
Are progressives really brighter than conservatives? As a group, we tended to believe it when John Dean (who we admire) wrote that book. But uh-oh! This week, we emitted a low, mordant chuckle at one part of this David Sirota piece, to which we’d been linked by the person who has kidnapped Josh Marshall.
Most of us, if not all of us, heretofore considered Air America Radio a good station to tune into. Most of us, if not all of us, thought highly of Josh Marshall and his Talking Points Memo site.
Did they change? Or were we wrong about them?
But I didn’t realize, until I read the Daily Howler, that Josh Marshall had been “kidnapped.” (By aliens, or by _____?) Or that the TPM writer Greg Sargent’s “short break” has been extended so long — perhaps indefinitely? And that his “short break” began — what a coincidence — shortly after the popular, widely-read Sargent had the nerve to point out the negative media coverage of Hillary Clinton.
At any rate, the viciousness of the attacks is unrelenting, and it has claimed many victims — including people who have been banned from “progressive” Web sites simply because they support Hillary Clinton as well as those who dare to speak their minds such as Geraldine Ferraro.
Where will this hate speech and these attacks take us? I’m worried.
What becomes of a nation when one of its three leading contenders for the presidency of the United States has this man listed on his official campaign Web site as a spiritual adviser to him?
What becomes of a nation when its “progressives” stand silently by while hate speech is spewed at pro-Obama events — as Randi Rhodes did at an Obama gathering in San Francisco?
What becomes of a nation when its “progressives” stand silently by while a priest like Father Pfleger — who is supported by and featured by Barack Obama on his official campaign site — defends Louis Farrakhan, so bigoted that the Southern Poverty Law Center lists his organization as a “hate” group?
Maybe it’s just that whoever likes my man Barack is cool with me.
Can it be just that crass? Is there no discernment? Do any of the Obama followers ever take a pause when they hear such hate speech? Especially when their candidate remains strangely silent about the hate speech being spewed at his honorable opponent who, if any of her surrogates uttered such words, would never heard the end of it from the MSM and blogosphere.
For years now, I have done battle against right wingers on a daily basis. Using inconvenient facts, I usually always won my arguments against them, till the point where the argument ended with me being called an “America hating leftist”, to which I’d usually say “GFY”.
Well, it turns out that there really is a sizable contingent of America hating leftists in this country, and Obama has galvanized their support. They are also truly despicable people who deserve all of the venom the right throws at them.
I’ve learned alot during this primary. For one thing, right wingers are correct to be concerned about America hating leftists. For another, I know I’m not, nor have I ever been one of those America hating leftists.
D I T T O
and I just woke up to that myself
an extremist is an extremist I suppose.
Hi, this is my first time commenting here. I love No Quarter because it addresses the important issues and it never equivocates.
I’ve been reading all the items on Randi Rhodes and believe she was mis-quoted in the foregoing column.
She didn’t call Hillary and Ferraro “fucking whores”:
she called them “big fucking whores” didn’t she? It’s important to add the emphasis, because Rhodes certainly intended to be emphatic about it.
Has anybody transposed an analogous comment onto Barack Obama? What would be the male equivalent of calling a woman a whore; what about “pimp” for instance?
Or to be more accurate: could any media figure in a public forum call Barack Obama: “a big fucking pimp”. What kind of a reception would that get. What would be the consequences to the person saying it?
Somebody needs to ask Obama that question in a public venue. He still refuses to denounce Rhodes so he needs to hear it in terms that make could be applied to him.
I think the male equilivent would be whoremonger or whoremaster.
Spot on.
There’s always been a certain segment in the Democratic party that is virulently anti-American. And with the ascension of Obama and his pastor Wright it has given them the impetus to expose their hatred of America and white people particularly.
Marshall and Sirota are typical of this vile breed. Both think whites - especially working class whites are racist scum because they don’t support Lord Obama. They defend and rationalize Wright’s bigotry, anti-semitism and hatred of the U.S. as something noble and brave.
To me they are nothing but scum and a threat to this country. They clearly despise most Americans and have little use for Democracy when it doesn’t go their way.
And its people like them that keep Limbaugh and Rove in business and alienate people from the Democratic party.
I posted a diary on MyDD that is pretty sweet and somewhat cheesy about my dear friend with cancer who has been a non-apologetic and loyal Obama supporter. I did not include in that post, but perhaps should have, that her oldest son served in Iraq and she is convinced that Obama is the most anti-war candidate. However, the Rhodes issue has provoked her first negative response to Obama.
My goal for writing the diary using sentiment and pathos instead of the anger that Obama elicits from me was to go against the nasty responses from the ObamaRugRats who inhabit MyDD as well as to avoid getting banned. It’s been an interesting experiment because, 1. the comments are nevertheless mostly stupid and hostile, and 2. because I was “nice,” the diary isn’t seen as provocative.
Not because I’m looking for fame and fortune (as if) but because I’d like this point to made, please read and recommend it. Thanks
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/4/6/14110/62301
Hillary has the only plan to get us all the way out of Iraq, does your friend or The Nation, that has endorsed Obama while not liking his exit Iraq plan, know about Hillary’s plan? No? You mean the real policy differences aren’t yet known? She has cosponsored legislation to outlaw mercenaries while he’s cosponsored legislation to ‘legalize’ them? He says we need them, to guard our diplomats (she’ll use the traditional Marines) and to guard American oil interests. She’s for voiding those no-bid contracts and giving them back to Iraq, opening them to international investors so other nations can get a financial stake in Iraq’s success. She’s for bringing home American civilians, as well as our troops. If pugs claim she’ll lose that war she says she doesn’t care, it’s lost. Obama seems to think his great hope will finish Bush’s war and bring peace to Iraq so we can keep the occupation, with contractors and mercenaries. She says that won’t work, it will cost more lives and treasurer. She admits there will likely be an increase in violence, but when we’re not occupying Iraq there will be an end to the violence, whereas if we keep interests there the violence will have no end. Now, who’s progressive and why is The Nation endorsing Obama? Makes no sense to me. If it’s the issues, if it’s the policy advisors, if it’s the plans and the way to carry out the plans, with the professionals and experts who are itching to help her clean up the Bush mess, than it’s clearly Hillary. She’s for us.
“Where do Progressives go” you ask?
THIS Progressive comes HERE!
thank you, thank you, thank U!
And another thank-you from an America-loving progressive!
I can’t believe any intelligent person can say that the negative democratic campaign originates at Obama’s door. All of the Clinton campaigns half-truths and exaggerations are spilling out. We have yet to learn of the true chronology of the NAFA-gate smear–started by the Clintonits, a full report is promised by the Canadians, unfortunately it won’t be until after we have a nominee. Also, let’s forget about calling ourselves “progressives.” We are Liberals! Liberty is what we stand for. A true Democrate doesn’t hide behind a watered down label such as “progressive,” that’s the DLC way of thinking.
Let’s be true to our cause. Let the candiates fight it out, in the end, if Democrates are true, the right person will be our nominee.
Finally, what I see is that Hillary is cutting her own throat, and really needs no help from the Obama camp.
Can you point to anything where Obama and any of his staff or mouth pieces tell us he is a LIBERAL? Seems like he running from that word pretty well. In fact, he’s not even talking that he’s a part of the Democratic Party–has he ever made any statement openly without prodding that he will support the Democratic nominee. Seems like he hesitates a bit on claiming to be a proud liberal and proud Democrat.
His record is the most Liberal in the senate..
There are Karls and there are Karls..
Yeah I know, Wright is Hillary’s fault. The press isn’t even covering the lies Obama has told. What’s the count now, gang 60- something? Like the lie about how he grew up. Poor boy, raised by a typical white grandmother who was a bank officer and had a towne house. Went to prep school. Had it rough. Or about his affiliations with known domestic and foreign terrorists. And you have the audacity to say that Hillary tells half truths. At least she included HALF. This creep refuses to be questioned. First thing he does is turn it to race, put up smoke and mirrors, no matter what anybody asks him. But what do I know. I’m just a Garlic Nose. We are over here listening to the bosnia story on CNN and nobody asks about Bill Ayers, the Black Panthers, Farrakhan’s Nation and the PLO guy who raised big bucks for him. Furthermore, the NAFTA “smear” wasn’t a smear at all. It happened. And I will tell you another lie. He takes bundled money from lobbyists.
Don’t even try that Poor Obama crap here. I can’t wait till he gets his ass swiftboated aftger they Fix this nomination for me. I will eat popcorn the entire time.
But we know. It’s all Hillary’s fault. Hillary is responsible for everything including cavities and world hunger.
McCain is going to have it so easy. Here’s the ad:
What’s worse than a godless leftie?
A Bible Thumping leftie.
Sunday morning being the most segregated day of the week…and Dobbs, Wright, Graham, Hagee, Pfieger are the fruit of that religious culture.
It’s like staring into the frigging abyss.
You forgot Oral Roberts. Obama probably got his “fainters” from him.
They’re defending Farrakhan openly? Good Lord! I’m telling you the antisemitism will bite him in the rear this GE.
If anyone’s playing Tonya Harding, it’s Obama. The man has no chance whatsoever in the GE and yet he’s doing everything possible to steal the nomination from Clinton (Yes, disenfranchising MI and FL is theft).
What these silent Obamabots don’t seem to realize about Rhodes et al is the horrible damage they are doing to all Democrats - including themselves. As Oxycon and Dawnelle mentioned, when the wingnuts and Rush dittoheads are screaming about the anti-American lefties, how are we now going to be able to stand up and defend them? If Obama makes it to the General, how is anyone going to defend him when the inevitable ads come out with these nutcases screaming their hate filth all over the airwaves. The wingnuts won’t have to tell a single lie, as they did with Kerry. They’ll just have to tell the truth.
And how do we defend the responsible parts of the blogosphere when the majority have gone over to the side of hatred and destruction for the sake of electing their candidate? Bill O’Reilly is now at the point where almost daily he talks about what he calls the “hate sites” of Huffington Post and Daily Kos. How can we defend them, when Bill is exactly right? Those sites have indeed become hate sites. How hard is it going to be for O’Reilly to paint our whole movement with this broad brush? HuffPo and Kos have damaged all of us, not just their own reputation. As has Rhodes and the rest of them. They have done incalculable damage to the whole progressive movement.
I have to agree with John - Obama has inflicted poison into this election and into the Democratic Party. And when you really stop and think about it - it is almost Rovian in what it has accomplished. It has not just tarred and feathered the Clintons, but also their supporters - more than half the Democratic Party. It is splitting the party better than any Republican could ever have done. Now if I were the suspicious sort, I might even wonder if Mr. Rove were behind it, because this is exactly his MO - to divide and conquer from within. And the Democratic leadership, who should surely know better, have fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. In fact, they are helping to fuel it.
In the one year our nominee should be sailing to victory and sealing a Democratic majority for a whole generation, we are seeing our party destroyed from within. You only have to look at who benefits to wonder if they weren’t behind this from the start. How else does a nobody with no record from a corrupt political machine raise hundreds of millions of dollars?
The greater problem, though, is BOTH parties are filthy, corrupt, full of idiot congresspeople who sold this country to the highest bidder.
So, if Rove manages to take out the deadwood of the democratic party, (Dean, Pelosi, Obama, the enablers)I’m happy: thanks, karl.
And likewise, the republicans, too are affected by this arbor rot, suffering their own form of dutch elm disease.
Let the dirty take out the dirty, and we can build with those who really want to govern, absent great material reward, govern again by principle of law, the American ideal as Jefferson and Madison intended.
I’ve had enough of the players and the Madison Ave Presidents, they simply cannot sustain the country, they are the weakest of the candidates, ever.
Have you read about the IL corruption, it is systemic, in every artery and vein, like metastasized, fatal cancer. I get the feeling Washington is the same, how do you clean it up, while still functioning as a superpower? How do you reestablish integrity, and loyalty to the Constitution, selfless governance, safeguarding the public trust?
I guess letting Karl Rove have a go at the weak democrats wouldn’t be such a bad thing. I keep thinking of that episode of the X Files, what was it, “ICE?” where Scully and Mulder go to Antarctica, to fight a worm that is turning people into…Karl Rove.
No, insane rabid inflamed sociopaths, wasn’t it?
(And that would be Dick Morris, maybe the worm turned people into political consultants, I forget).
Anyway, they discover the worms, when faced with their own DNA, kill each other, solving the problem.
Amen to that, Simon.
I think more so in the blogosphere than in the offline world. 22% want Hillary to drop out, the same goes for Obama. 63% of people want this race to go on to the end.
Record voter turnout, Dems outraisng Repubs in huge numbers, fielding more and better candidates at the local level, the congressional GOP exodus and record tv ratings when Clinton and Obama debate.
I don’t think it poison more like a disconnect.
I was Air Force for 20 years (1971-1991). As one of the first women officers most guys I was assigned with had ever seen, I endured sexual harrasment and out and out defiance from men I outranked.
I endured comments about my sexuality, my motives, my willingness to do anything to get ahead.
I’ve heard all this stuff aimed at me, and it shocks me to hear so-called progressives repeating it now at Hillary.
I expect it from the right wing. I never expected it from the left.
And it breaks my heart.
Thank you for your service to our nation. You went through very difficult trials that no woman should have to face, and I admire your perseverance.
It is shocking that a prominent female radio host would speak like that.
It is despicable that a prominent female radio host who is also a “vet” would speak like that. It shows a lack of character and a lack of vocabulary skills too. That same/ol, same/ol “f*ckin whore” rant is tired and lame coming from a person who makes their living with words.
And just as despicable are the Obamapologists that will excuse any behavior if it seems to benefit their “one” and excoriates Hillary Clinton. Progressive? Nah, just haters masquerading as progressives/liberals.
Sorry, I accidentally posted this earlier, before I had proofed it.)
Hi, this is my first time commenting here. I’ve become an avid reader of No Quarter and I love it; because it addresses more controversial, hot-button issues and it never equivocates.
I’ve read several of the items on Randi Rhodes and it looks like she was mis-quoted in the foregoing column. She didn’t call Senator Clinton and Ferraro: “fucking whores”. She called them: “big fucking whores” didn’t she? It’s important to add the emphasis, because Randi Rhodes certainly intended to be emphatic about it.
Has anybody transposed an analogous comment onto Barack Obama? What would be the male equivalent of calling a woman a whore; what about “pimp” for instance?
If we put that in a fully analogous context we would have: a well-known media figure, in a public forum, repeatedly calling Barack Obama: “a big fucking pimp”.
Now imagine those remarks being made at a Clinton fundraiser. What kind of a reception would that get. What would be the consequences to the person saying it?
Somebody needs to make that case to Obama. He still refuses to denounce Rhodes so he needs to hear it in terms that could be applied to him. He needs to ‘get it’, once and for all.
Hi, Pie! I have to take a pan off the stove, or I’d write more. GLAD to see you here, and keep commenting.
And, what becomes of a nation when its “progressives” stand by silently while the Democratic Party arbitrarily disenfranchises voters in two states from having their say in choosing a nominee?
They aren’t “progressives” they are elitists and bullies who see voting only useful when it works to their candidates advantage. Otherwise they are quite happy to strip people of their vote like any jack booted fascist.
You know what really, really gripes me is that I have heard virtually NO press about the RR incident beyond the blogs, yet this morning and yesterday evening, I was hearing about how Ed Schultz had called McCain a “war monger” and it was a big f’ing deal…RR calling Hillary and Geraldine Ferraro whores is much, much, much worse rhetoric, yet the press can get their panties in a wad about the Schultz comment about McCain….
I think BO might have painted himself in a corner when he talked about new politics, because it’s becoming so obvious that he talks about new politics and change in tone, but then goes out and does completely the opposite of what he says and if he should win the nomination this is going to continue.
You sure hit that nail on the head! I’m still furious about that. The Obama campaign issues a statement because a radio host called McCain a warmonger but completely ignores two Dems being called whores. Arrrggggg….
What’s kind of puzzling to me is that I think if Obama came out in defense of Ferraro and Clinton or at least made a statement about sexism, it would help his campaign. LOL, I don’t want to help his darn campaign, but there’s something irrational here. If you want to build unity, address the sexism, woo the other candidate’s supporters. The fact that he won’t makes me start to wonder if he isn’t deliberately trying to split the party. For and alleged Great Uniter, I’ve never seen so much disharmony and outright anger.
wonder if he isn’t deliberately trying to split the party.
Why is there any dought in your mind?
” I’m not a smart man but I know what love is”
Forest Gump
My daughter asked me what the difference was between a liberal and a progressive, Without pausing I said…. The salary.
My daughter asked me what the diference between a liberal and a progressive was… My response …The salary.
cross posted at haloscan.com
Our country and leadership is really at a place where money, narcissistic power, and “station” in life are essentially viewed as the important measures of success. These views of success, notwithstanding the loud shouts of those who differ and of Obama himself, is, I believe not in the tradition of the wrenching intellectual and moral reflection of the likes of Abraham Lincoln, and M.L. King. Undoubtedly, Lincoln’s and King’s hearts wept as they did what they had to do. Teflon “preacher” Obama is dangerous. He is dangerous because his skillful, slick Orwellian rhetoric continues to suppress our “better angels” while saying “it ain’t so.” He is dangerous because he appeals to the darker powerful unconscious forces of naive idealistic young supporters, and to political, distorted, self-serving older minds. He is dangerous because he precludes any real ethical leadership choice and behavior he might otherwise have in his lack of backbone, his empty, unfeeling conscience, and his lack of real empathy for the unique individuality of individuals. He takes no real responsibility for what he does or says - but rather his is a mentality of “my dog ate my homework.” He is dangerous because he distorts the best messages of the great religions, the great philosophers, the great poets, the great depth psychologists, and the incredible documents of the birth of our country. Instead, he infects, therefore victimizes, while evoking the worst in us. He is a mask who camouflages and manipulates, creating a trance of mass-mindedness in the vulnerable. In so doing, he encourages that we also become a mask. Mass-mindedness is the very dangerous opposite of real democracy, and is the total opposite that we each uniquely grow in our differences and our commonality. The voices of many anti-Obama bloggers are often passionately clear and conscious. But I believe we also need the voices of more like Shelby Steele to underscore and expose the outrageous utterances of many in the media, and associations with the likes of a Jeremiah Wright. These utterances and associations have been far too easily outrageously and dangerously rationalized away. It seems to me, that many academics are much too silent.
Progressives can be as backward and prejudiced as Regressive Righties. They have a lot to answer for…
I wrote about “progressive fundamentalism” at The Democratic Daily.
The vitriol and purging of independent ideas from the progressive blogosphere has been around for a while.
GM, this is very true — from your article:
One fast example: In 2005, I wrote a favorable diary, at an orange place, about a Democratic candidate who was personally pro-life but was in favor of a woman always retaining the right to choose. He also had excellent experience and great views on Iraq. Boy, did I get lambasted in the comments section. It wasn’t good enough that he was 1) a Democrat, 2) for a woman’s right to choose — he was verboten simply because he personally didn’t like abortion (with which I also concur - personally). I learned more more about the rigidity of the left that day.
We have now met the enemy and s/he is us.
Regarding Randi Rhodes, bear with me I need to pick the bone a little more.
Towards the end of the video that No Quarter put up at YouTube, RR drags SHERYL CROW into her rat’s nest.
RR talks about Sheryl having gone to Bosnia with Senator Clinton (aka the “big fucking whore”). RR goes off on a tangential hypothetical situation with Hillary and Sheryl waiting in line for the bathroom, and Hillary turns out to be a “fucking line-jumper”. In RR’s fevered imagination Sheryl says “fuck you bitch” get back in line.
*It would be nice if Sheryl Crow weighed in on Rhodes speaking for her in that reprehensible manner. Does anybody know who Crow supports for the nomination?
Rhodes represents the worst of the current hip to be ANTI-FEMINISTS Who of course benefitted from the fight of the first and second wave and then proceeds to turn and cannabilize using the tools and vocabulary of sexism and deluding themselves into thinking this is liberation? LOL. I hav a question for women like Rhodes, Aren’t you tired of the pay scale inequality
that transcends race or class between men and women. Of course this is a progressive foundational issue ( Labor equity ) that happens to coincide with a classic liberal issue ( identity politics Civil rights equity ) that could and should be a priority concern for all women and for any american ( especially if they have daughters who will enter the workforce ) ; and yet to anti-feminists like Rhodes these issues don’t count. My daughteras stunned by the Obamessiah wave early on, then I showed her the Labor stats…. She was incredulous…. She is now a committed HRC supporter because she sees that her civil rights havelong been ignored.
ME….I’M The ONE…I have started a write in campaign..
IMHO opinion “progressive” values didn’t go anywhere. It has just become apparent that many of the mouthiest “progressives” turned out to not be very progressive after all.
Many spew concern for the hard working people who are getting screwed by this administration and many previous administrations. They are oh-so concerned about the working-poor. Unless the working-poor open their “low-information, Archie Bunker, Trailer-trash, racist” mouths and dare to disagree with our progressive elite. The morph from working-class to trailer-trash is quick and ugly.
Progressives? I think not. Loud mouthed bullies with the idea that they, and only they, know what is right and best. No dissenters wanted or tolerated.
Progressive values haven’t gone anywhere. It’s just that those that scream about them the loudest haven’t a clue what those values mean. Talking the talk is easy; the proof is in how you act and react. They react like Thugs. There really is little different between a right-wing thug and a left-wing thug. Their goals may be different but the tactics, lack of ethical behavior and lack of respect for other points of view are the same.
I think it’s hilarious how many ” Progressives” are ignorant of the history of their own professed movement. Progressive Action Heroes Teddy Roosevelt (Republican) and FDR (Democrat) would be fairly shocked and franky disappointed at the current state of affairs. This is the same old fight between
The New Left ( Obamessiah & Associate Minions ) and The New Democrats ( Clinton/Gore and the current candidate HRC ) The New Democrats sought to move the progressives FDR base to the center and redefine the New Deal so that American Economics and Social Issues could evolve toward the 21st. C and for the first time in 25 years the party could get a must needed rest fom the battle ground of identity politics. The DNC will either return to the centrist
path that was interupted by the HIJACK of 2000 or they will regress backward to the left and once again squabble as another Reaganesque type is groomd to complete what Bush/Cheney have begun. FDR types see it for what it is and this is why Obamessiah is no more convincing than KerryBot was. Dean the Putz and Donna the Hypocrite are fighting over the wheel of the Bus driving over the cliff while Pelosi step on the gas. Somebody needs to check the meds.
Hillary sucks! Her and Billy boy are part of the NWO just like their good friends the Bush family. Our best candidate for change was Dennis Kucinich but the DNC and the MSM effectively made him irrelevant. Of course the corporate puppets would do that to a candidate who opposes NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO, GATT.
Oh and before I forget, John “Insane” McCain sucks too!