4. Who You Calling Rhetorical?

In a recent interview with “The Progressive,” Elizabeth Edwards, wife of candidate John Edwards, declared a divide between “actual Democrats and rhetorical Democrats.” Says Ms. Edwards, “Sometimes it seems we have these beliefs but it turns out it’s like a Hollywood set: It’s a façade and there’s no guts behind it.”

Good point Elizabeth.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to create the Elizabeth Edwards Rhetorical Democrat Award (EERDA). Drawing partly from Peter Schweizer’s book “Do As I Say” here are my nominations for this coveted prize.

1. Senator Ted Kennedy, liberal icon and safe driver. Ted has never met a tax increase he didn’t like, unless, of course, it’s his family who has to pay those taxes. Ted’s family trust was set up in Fiji, not the US. In Fiji the trust is far away from IRS scrutiny. In the 1970s, Ted led the charge to tax the “excessive” profits made by oil producers. Ted’s legislation made a distinction between large and “small, struggling” oil producers, one paying more taxes and one paying less. Guess which side of the fence Ted’s oil profits come from? Yep – the “small, struggling” companies.

2. Al Gore, Guru of Global Warming. Al wants you to take a pledge to reduce your use of energy and the amount of carbon dioxide you generate. Al won’t take his own pledge even though his house in Tennessee (one of several) uses 20 times the energy of the average US home. Does Al have solar or wind panels on his house? Nope – nothing.

3. Robert Kennedy Jr., Kennedy scion and champion of the green. Bob follows in Al Gore’s footsteps, he loves to talk green but hates to take his own advice. Not only does he prefer the comfort of private jets he also fought against the erecting of a wind mill farm near the family estate. Ted joined him in this fight. Bob said, “I definitely support alternative energy, but the wind farm plan makes no sense for the public because the cost it’s going to impose on the people of these regions are so huge…. Probably larger than coal.” I guess alternative energy is a really good thing, as long as it isn’t in Bob’s neighborhood.

4. Michael Moore, average working-class nice guy. Mike is appalled at racism in the US and especially in the corporate world. Mike declared in “Stupid White Men” that he would “hire only black people” to prove he’s taking an active step towards racial equality. But of the 134 producers, editors, cinematographers, composers and production coordinators Mike hired for his movies, only three were black, a rate of only 2%.

5. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, proud liberal, pro-union and pro-environment. Nancy hates outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries yet invests heavily in corporations that do just that. Nancy hates threats to the public school system but invests heavily in Beacon Education Management, a contractor that provides services to charter schools. Nancy hates greedy corporations that are not unionized but does not hire unionized grape pickers to harvest her vineyard in Napa. Nancy also doesn’t want to be bothered with union workers at her exclusive hotels, the Auberge du Soleil in Napa and the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara.

6. Hillary Clinton, Village Queen. Hillary wanted to impose her health care system on all of us – no choice, no opt-out option. If implemented, like in Canada, and you tried to circumvent the system because, well, you didn’t want to die, you and your doctor could be prosecuted and serve time in prison. But Hillary and Bill felt that they should not have to be part of such a grand and glorious plan – they were exempt for life.

But the winner of the EERDA this year does not go to these six worthy recipients of the Democrat Party. The winner this year is Elizabeth herself. Liz is deeply concerned about the environment and global warming. Distressed about the carbon footprint she leaves she decided to take action. Not rhetorical action but real action. No, Liz didn’t put her 28,000 square foot house on the market because, no doubt, that would be an empty gesture – a Hollywood-type façade. Liz, at great personal sacrifice declared that she would give up tangerines.

Congratulations Elizabeth. Go get ‘em!! I feel the earth cooling already!