A Pennsylvania Democrat's quandary

Two front page stories today pretty well sum up the difficulty in deciding who to vote for April 22.

First, we have Hillary in West Philly, taking a substantive anti-crime proposal to the streets. Eliminate the idiotic mandatory-minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenders -- check. Fund anti-recidivism measures -- check. Get more police on the beat and reduce urban crime to Bill Clinton-era levels or lower -- check. All three of these strike close to the heart of how government can and should deal with crime, and also to some of George W.'s many miserable failings.

Consider this report, from the Inquirer back in December:

As the homicide rate soared in the early to mid-1990s, Philadelphia's police force declined from nearly 6,400 to about 6,000.But then the force began to grow, in part with funding from the 1994 National Crime Bill. By the middle of 1998, when the homicide rate began its five-year decline, the police force had grown to 6,900 officers.
The size of the force began declining in 2003 - coinciding with the rise in homicides. By 2006, the force was back down to 6,433, and homicides were back up over 400.

And this ...

A study by the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority showed that in 1999, the city got $14.4 million from the feds to put cops on the street. By 2002, Washington had stopped giving any money.

So, we have from Clinton a policy proposal that really speaks to what is needed in our nation's cities and towns.

Meanwhile, the news on Obama today was his "bitter" comment about rural Pennsylvanians. I don't wish to add anything to this already overdone topic, except to say that, while he is not wrong, his comments are indeed a distraction, and represent more a strong understanding of cultural and economic motivators than a strong vision of how to govern. Simply on the strength of policy, Hillary often seems to come out ahead.

But then there is the irrational dislike so many seem to feel for her, and the worry that many moderates considering Obama might slide back to McCain if she is nominated. Obama could also potentially do great things on the world stage, undoing (we hope) some of the damage done by Big George and his oil-garchy.

What to do, what to do....