Free Republic

Vice President Joe Biden on Friday condemned the political gridlock crippling Washington, calling on Republican and Democratic governors alike to lead the nation “out of this mess” while insisting that Congress approve billions of dollars to repair the country’s aging infrastructure. “The way things have gotten today, and I’m not singling out any party or any group of people—the politics, the culture in Washington, it’s become too personal, it’s too corrosive,” Biden said during a meeting of the National Governors Association. “I think you’ve got to lead us out of this mess we’re in.” …

Former independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader blasted Democrats and Republicans alike as he spoke before a subdued crowd of roughly 300 at a Seattle Center conference room yesterday. Nader accused Democrats of abandoning their liberal ideals by failing to oppose the war or champion the causes of the working class and the poor, minorities and the environment. He also complained of Democratic efforts to keep him off ballots in various states. Democrats, he said, should have beat Bush by a landslide, but they failed by trying to capture conservative voters and abandoning their liberal base. Nader called on people to...