Sacramento for Edwards

John Edwards on health care: consumers should have a choice

2008-01-26T11:44:00.001-08:00

by Randy Bayne

Because John Edwards' health care plan is not an outright single-payer plan many people mistakingly believe he does not favor such a plan. Not true. What he has said all along is that it should be up to the public, not politicians, to decided the kind of health care system they want.

The essence of Edwards' plan is to allow health care consumers to make the choice between traditional private insurance and government plans.

Mr. Edwards, of North Carolina, emphasized in a 40-minute interview on health policy that the choice would be made not in Washington, but by consumers in an open marketplace where private insurance competes with government plans. [NYTimes, 01/25/2008]

The Edwards plan will allow consumers the choice between traditional private insurance and a government plan modeled on Medicare (single-payer). It would be the consumers making the choice, and if they chose to go for the single-payer plan, well, that's just fine with Edwards.

This is in keeping with a basic theme of the John Edwards for President campaign. Empowering people to make choices and giving them the tools and the help they need to be responsible citizens.

Private insurance is in business for one thing. To make money. That is one of the reasons they funnel about 30% of premiums away for actual health care and into healthy profits for executives. Medicare, on the other hand, spends about 3% on overhead. The rest is put into taking care of health needs.

If the government is able to undercut private insurers on price — by forgoing profit, reducing overhead, and maximizing economies of scale — it theoretically could put the private system out of business and become the de facto insurer for the nation.

Edwards decided on his plan because he believes that consumers should have the choice. They will find the better system and gravitate to it. He considered a single-payer plan in the beginning;

"I thought that there was a legitimate and strong argument for it," he said. "But I also believed that there are an awful lot of Americans who like the health care they have and are nervous about entirely government-controlled health care."

One doesn't have to go further than the debate over health care here in California to know how true that is. As people take sides for and against the Schwarzenegger/Nuñez plan, a single-payer plan is waiting in the wings. State Senator Sheila Kuehl's SB 840 has been labeled a "government-controlled health care," but sometimes we need government to control systems that have lost control or have shown they can no longer be trusted to be self controlled.

Perhaps a plan similar to the Edwards plan is right for California. Empower consumers to make their own choice. If they move toward single-payer great. If they don't that's okay too. But at least they get to make the choice, not some politician in Sacramento or Washington taking money from the insurance industry. Let consumers make the choice.

Join me in supporting John Edwards for President

Not sitting on the sidelines in California

2008-01-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

by Marcie Bayne

It is very exciting here in Las Vegas. The energy in the Edwards camp is very high. I got the opportunity to attend a town hall meeting this evening at the Carpenter's Hall and the people present were enthusiastic and energized. Senator Edwards looked relaxed and did a great job.

After his speech, Senator Edwards took questions from the audience. He was asked by a young man if he was going to save the earth from pollution. Of course, the answer is to get us off our dependence of oil, change the emission standards on our vehicles and set the example to the world that we are willing to save our planet. Only then, will we make the planet better for this young man. A woman sitting next to me asked about Senator Edwards' position on pulling troops out of Afghanistan and was his position on Afghanistan troop withdrawal different from Iraq. John said that he views Afghanistan in a different way than Iraq. He would leave troops in Afghanistan until we had completed the mission in capturing Osama Bin Laden, reduce the heroine trade and deal with the rule of the Taliban.

I spoke to her briefly afterward and she said she had asked the same question of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and did not feel she got a satisfactory answer. She felt that John had given her a straight answer tonight and will caucus for him on Saturday. It is this same straight answers on the issues I care deeply about that have made me his supporter since the first time I heard him at the library in Sacramento in 2004.

If the conference I am attending here is Vegas affords me a second opportunity to go make calls or do work for the campaign, I will do so again on Thursday evening. My co-workers attending this conference think I am kinda nuts for being so involved politically. My only answer back is, I don't think any of us can sit by the sidelines in this election and be a spectator of the process.

I know that once I get back to CA, I will do what ever I need to do to get the word out about the next President of the United States - John Edwards!!

Join me in supporting John Edwards for President

Why I support John Edwards

2008-01-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

x-posted at The Bayne of Blog's California Notes

Last night I spoke to the Sierra Foothills Democratic Club in El Dorado Hill on behalf of John Edwards. Below is the text of my comments as prepared for delivery.

Thank you, Sierra Foothills Democratic Club for inviting me to speak on behalf of Senator John Edwards. If you get all your news and information from mainstream media you may not have heard about it yet, but Senator Edwards is running for President of the United States.

I probably over thought what I could tell you about Senator Edwards this evening. I could tell you about his plan for universal health care that puts us on the road to a single payer system. I could talk about his plan to immediately withdraw between forty and fifty thousand combat troops from Iraq. I could talk about his support for middle-class families and working Americans. His education proposals may interest some of you, and his energy plan works toward energy independence and fights global warming. I could also spend some time talking about his plan to revitalize rural America.

Sure, I could bore you with the details of Senator Edwards’ bold initiatives, but, if you get your news from alternative media sources, you’ve likely heard them — or something similar to them — already. You see, each of the Presidential candidates also have plans that are similar to Senator Edwards’. On the issues, there is little difference between the candidates.

The difference is, Senator Edwards proposed his plans before any of the other candidates, and many of the details of his plans were incorporated into their plans. If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery... well, John should be flattered.

Senator Edwards’ plans are nothing new. They are Democratic Party principles put to pen and paper and laid out before the American people. They are bold, honest plans to lead America forward.

You can read the details of his "bold solutions for real change" at www.johnedwards.com.

Now that I have not told you briefly about Senator Edwards’ plan, I would like spend the remainder of my time telling you why I support him. People ask me, "why support someone who the media ignores, isn’t polling with the ‘front runners,’ and doesn’t appear to be able to win?"

My support for John Edwards goes back about four years to the last presidential election cycle when I first heard him speak at a library in Sacramento. After hearing him speak, I told my wife Marcie that I felt like I had just heard the next President of the United States. She agreed, and we have been ardent John Edwards supporters ever since. We were understandably disappointed when he dropped out of the race early and the angry when the Republican election theft cost him the Vice Presidency.

Since then, Edwards has been working to bridge the gap between the "Two Americas" that he so eloquently described during the earlier campaign. Our support has grown, and we were relieved to see him enter the race for 2008.

As it turns out, in 2004 I hadn’t heard the next President, but I do believe, and I hope, for America’s sake, I heard the person who will become President in 2008.

John Edwards gives me hope, but more than that, he instills in me the confidence that we are a people and a country that is better than what we have experienced over the last eight long years. I am impressed that Edwards is the only candidate that is talking to the heart of people, he is the candidate that focuses, not on the rich and well healed, but on the poor, on the people that have been left behind and forgotten by a political system that cares more about the size of your pocketbook than the size of your heart.

To be sure, there are important and critical issues that must be addressed, and John Edwards addresses them all, and he is the only candidate that is standing up for working and middle class families.

He stands with us on true universal health care.

He stands with us to strengthen the labor movement.

He stands with us, taking on abusive lenders and helping families get ahead.

He stands with us, strengthening schools and making college affordable.

He stands with us, building a better future for the next generation.

He stands with us to end the occupation of Iraq and restore America’s moral leadership.

He stands with us creating opportunity for all.

Simply put, I believe John Edwards to be the best hope for America in these times. It may not matter much to some people, but I feel it here, in my heart, and here, in my gut. It matters to me.

Don’t get me wrong. Any of the Democratic candidates will move America forward. Any of the Democratic candidates will be a welcome change from the failed policies of the Bush administration. And, whoever the Democratic nominee is, I will support them.

But, John Edwards has given me — he has given all of us — hope that goes deeper than any of the others. He has given me confidence that his bold policies for fundamental change will take hold. He has given me a vision of an America where people, average working stiffs, you and me, matter and make a difference.

I am amazed at the number of people I talk to and hear from who say that they like what John Edwards is saying. They like his policies, agree with him on the issues, and support his bold initiatives to renew hope in America. They even tell me that they align more closely and agree more ardently with John Edwards than the others. Then they look at me and say, "But I’m going to vote for someone else."

Why? When did we start settling for our second or third choices?

We will be voting in a primary election on February 5, and you should vote your heart, your mind, your conscience. You should vote for your first choice, your gut choice, the candidate of your heart. The one with whom you align with closest. And if you are like me that choice will be John Edwards.

Here’s a novel concept. On February 5, instead of voting for the media favorite, vote for the person you want to be President.

Join me in supporting John Edwards for President

Dead heat in Nevada

2008-01-15T09:23:00.000-08:00

The press may be trying to spin this as a two-person race — but the voters in Nevada are saying differently.

According to the latest poll from the Reno Gazette-Journal, it's a dead heat — with the momentum moving in John Edwards' direction.

Can you help us build on this momentum as we reach out to caucus goers around the state? More than 500,000 caucus goers have been contacted by thousands of volunteers over the past two months. Just this past weekend, 15,000 potential caucus attendees were personally canvassed by volunteers from our campaign who fanned out across the state.

The momentum is breaking John's way at exactly the right moment — but we need your help to put additional resources into Nevada immediately. Now is when it counts. Please show your support for John — and help us pull off a strong finish in Nevada this Saturday.

Click here to make a contribution for Nevada

A strong finish in the Nevada caucuses means this is still a three way race for the nomination. It means the two $100 million candidates will be forced to compete on the issues that matter, unable to buy the nomination with glitz and glamor.

Your contribution helps us get the extra resources we need into Nevada now, so we can maintain the momentum, expand our ground operation — and hold off any last minute desperate attacks from the other candidates.

Click here to make a contribution for Nevada

John has said that he intends to continue this campaign all the way to the Democratic Convention, win the nomination and then on to the White House.

A strong finish in Nevada will be an important step in that journey for our campaign. It will shock the pundits and reshape the dynamics of this election.

You can make the difference now. Please take a moment and show your support for John with a contribution to help us finish strongly in Nevada this Saturday.

Sincerely,

--David Bonior
National Campaign Manager, John Edwards for President
January 15, 2008

P.S. Don’t forget to watch the Nevada debate tonight on MSNBC at 6:00-8:00 pm PST / 9:00-11:00 pm EST!

Make a contribution for Nevada

CA Majority Report having fun at John Edwards expense

2008-01-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

by Randy Bayne

Update:

CMR has corrected the mistake and is now running a legitimate poll between Clinton, Obama and Edwards, thanks to a letter from Arlene Flores of La Quinta.

The folks at California Majority Report are polling to see who readers think will win the Democratic Primary. There is only one problem, they left off John Edwards, the only real voice for real change. They do have Mike Gravel in the poll.

Obviously, the unscientific poll is designed to skew the result towards Steve Maviglio's choice, Hillary Clinton. For those who don't know, Maviglio is on Speaker Nuñez staff. They are obviously afraid that Edwards will embarrass Clinton.

Here's what to do. Go to CMR and vote for Mike Gravel.

If you want to cast your vote for Edwards, do it in a way that really can make a difference and click below to make a donation to his campaign.

Join me in supporting John Edwards for President

Nation's Leading Economists Endorse John Edwards for President

2008-01-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

From Daily Kos
by Sabre11, Wed Jan 02, 2008

Leading Economists are endorsing John Edwards in a Press Release from the Edwards Campaign dated today.

http://www.johnedwards.com/

Economists pick Edwards because he will fight for sustained growth, full employment and an end to poverty

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, the John Edwards for President campaign announced that more than 30 leading U.S. economists have endorsed John Edwards for president.

"Economists for John Edwards" includes such notable scholars as James K. Galbraith from the University of Texas at Austin; Deirdre McCloskey from the University of Illinois at Chicago; Thomas Palley, founder of the Economics for Democratic & Open Societies Project; Clyde Prestowitz, president of the Economic Strategies Institute; Harley Shaiken from the University of California, Berkeley; and Edward Wolff from New York University.

Sabre11's diary :: ::

"I'm proud to endorse John Edwards and his campaign to build One America.," said James Galbraith, the Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. Chair in Government/Business Relations at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin. "Edwards understands that in order for America to prosper, our economy needs to reward work as well as wealth – and he's proposed detailed and comprehensive policies to address the growing income gap, the health care crisis, job loss and the other critical social issues facing our nation."

"I am honored to have earned the support of this distinguished group of economists," said Senator Edwards. "Today, families across the country are working harder than ever, but struggling to make ends meet. To help middle-class families get ahead, we need a president who will fight for universal health care, smarter trade policies and a new energy economy."
In their endorsement of Edwards, the "Economists for Edwards" signed on to the following statement:

"As professional economists, we support John Edwards for President of the United States in 2008 because we believe that John Edwards has best demonstrated the capacity and the policies to be the next president of the United States.

"We support John Edwards because we believe his campaign is the single best expression of progressive political values in American politics today.

"We support John Edwards because we believe that as president he will best wage the hard fight that lies ahead for the principles and programs we endorse.

"We support John Edwards because as economists, we seek effective public policy aimed at sustained growth, full employment, an end to poverty, and progress toward solving the major social and environmental problems associated with health care, education, trade, taxation and climate change.

"John Edwards' approach to these issues has been uniquely serious, honest, and far-reaching. We urge all Americans – and particularly the Democratic voters of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina - to join us in supporting John Edwards for president."
A complete list of the members of "Economists for Edwards" is included below.

Economists for Edwards

Note that institutional affiliations are for identification purposes only:

Gar Alperovitz Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political Economy University of Maryland-College Park
Lourdes Beneria Professor of City and Regional Planning Cornell University
Michael A. Bernstein Provost Tulane University
Martha Campbell Associate Professor, Economics SUNY Potsdam
Manuel Castells Chair Professor of Communication Technology and Society University of Southern California, and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Science and Technology MIT
Jane D'Arista Former staff economist U.S. House of Representatives
William Darity, Jr. Arts & Sciences Professor of Public Policy Studies Professor of African and Africa-American Studies and Economics Duke University
Paul Davidson Editor, Journal of Post Keynesian Economics Bernard Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis The New School University
Gerald Epstein Professor of Economics University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Susan F. Feiner Director of Women's Studies Professor of Economics University of Southern Maine
James K. Galbraith Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. Chair in Government/Business Relations LBJ School of Public Affairs The University of Texas at Austin, and Senior Scholar, Levy Economics Institute
Richard Garrett Associate Professor of Economics Division of Accounting and Business Management Marymount Manhattan College
Mary King Professor of Economics Portland State University
Jan Kregel Visiting Distinguished Research Professor of Economics The University of Missouri - Kansas City
Peter Hans Matthews Department of Economics Middlebury College Middlebury, Vermont
Deirdre McCloskey Professor of Economics University of Illinois at Chicago
Richard McIntyre Honors Program Director and Professor of Economics University of Rhode Island.
Thomas Michl Professor of Economics Colgate University
David Miller Assistant Professor of Economics University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
John Miller Professor of Economics Wheaton College
Tracy Mott Professor of Economics University of Colorado at Boulder
Thomas Palley Founder Economics for Democratic & Open Societies Project
Dimitri Papadimitriou President Levy Economics Institute Bard College
Chip Poirot Associate Professor of Economics Department of Social Sciences Shawnee State University
Robert Pollin Professor of Economics and Director, Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Robert Prasch Associate Professor of Economics Middlebury College
Clyde Prestowitz President Economic Strategies Institute
Bruce Roberts Professor of Economics University of Southern Maine
J. Barkley Rosser Professor of Economics James Madison University
Harley Shaiken Class of 1930 Professor Graduate School of Education and Department of Geography University of California, Berkeley
Nina Shapiro Professor and Chair Department of Economics and Finance, Saint Peter's College
Edward Wolff Professor of Economics New York University
Martin Wolfson Professor of Economics and Policy Studies University of Notre Dame
L. Randall Wray Research Director Center for Full Employment and Price Stability Department of Economics University of Missouri-Kansas City, and Senior Scholar, Levy Economics Institute

Join me in supporting John Edwards for President

Edwards Keeps Humming While Others Change Tune

2008-01-05T13:52:00.001-08:00

[Editor's Note: Hillary Clinton's third place finish in Iowa Thursday confirms that the era of Clintonism (i.e., pro-corporate, pro-war, DLC centrists dominating the Democratic party) is probably over... thank God! Now the question is whether Clintonism will be replaced by the new centrism of Barack Obama (pro-corporate, making deals with conservative Republicans, etc.) or a genuine progressive populism represented by John Edwards, carrying on the populist traditions of FDR, Bobby Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, and Paul Wellstone. In 1992 most progressives fell for Slick Willie's phony populism. Let's hope we don't make the same mistake by choosing a corporate backed moderate over a genuine progressive. -- PB]

By Jim Tankersley
Baltimore Sun

CONCORD, N.H. – John Edwards has a simple philosophy when it comes to fine-tuning his message for New Hampshire: if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Edwards regaled a crowd of more than 200 this morning with indictments of corporate greed and lobbyists' grip on Washington D.C., along with pledges to fight for universal health care, fairer trade deals and an end to the Iraq war. He proclaimed himself the underdog in Tuesday's primary, but added "the real underdog in America is the middle-class, the low-income families in America who are struggling just to survive."

It's essentially the same pitch Edwards gave Iowans in the weeks leading up to his second-place finish in the Jan. 3 caucus (won by Sen. Barack Obama), and it's very similar to the language he employed on an early-fall swing through New Hampshire. And it stands in contrast to several other candidates touring the state this weekend, who have retooled their messages to appeal to New Hampshire's independent-minded voters and to incorporate lessons from the Iowa results.

Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton is delivering a New Hampshire stump speech that warns of sharp contrasts with Obama, and which Boston Globe article this morning called "remarkable for the number of new elements introduced in it." Republican Mitt Romney has re-branded himself a man of "change," and GOP rival Mike Huckabee has toned down his religious references and upped his tax talk

Edwards aides call the success of the former North Carolina senator's message the "unwritten story of Iowa." The Edwards field organization targeted 42,000 Iowans for caucus-night turnout, spokesman Mark Kornblau said. Some 80,000 Iowans ended up choosing Edwards.

"They went and caucused for him based on this message," Kornblau said.

The biggest tweak in Edwards' speech post-Iowa is his attempt to re-frame the nomination fight as a battle between what he calls the two "change candidates" – himself and Obama - and excludes Clinton, who was long perceived as the national frontrunner. Edwards differentiates himself from Obama largely by saying he'll take a more confrontational approach to corporate interests, particularly insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyists, when pushing issues such as universal health coverage.

In Concord this morning, Edwards let his favorite campaign surrogate – his wife Elizabeth - distinguish him from his two leading rivals in much bolder terms.

Elizabeth Edwards said her husband had reacted more presidentially to the assassination of Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto, telephoning the Pakistani president to plead for democratic progress while his rivals "raced for the microphone". She said he was the most dependable to negotiate fairer trade and the only one of the trio to oppose new nuclear power plants.Without naming names, she said his health care credentials trumped Obama – whose plan would leave an estimated 15 million Americans without insurance, because it does not mandate health coverage – and Clinton, who had the chance to achieve universal care under her husband's administration a decade ago and instead chose "to spend (her) political capital on passing NAFTA."

She also said two candidates had voted for Iraq war funding without withdrawal timelines attached – again, Clinton and Obama – but didn't mention her husband's since-repudiated vote to go authorize the war in the first place.

Asked if Edwards himself would soon start drawing bolder contrasts with his opponents, Kornblau replied "there's time for that." Reminded that only three days remain before the New Hampshire primary, he replied "there's lots of time after Tuesday."

Join me in supporting John Edwards for President

Nader Throws Support to Edwards

2008-01-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

Tue Jan 1, 10:13 PM ET

The Nation -- Politico reports that consumer crusader and former presidential contender Ralph Nader has expressed "strong support" for John Edwards.

Nader has been edging toward this "endorsement" in the last couple of weeks. In an appearance on "Hardball," in mid-December, he said Edwards "now has the most progressive message across a broad spectrum of corporate power damaging the interests of workers, consumers, taxpayers, of any candidate I have--leading candidate I have seen in years." He went on to explain that "the key phrase is when he [Edwards] says he doesn't want to replace a corporate Republican with a corporate Democrat." Nader told Politico, " it's the only time I've heard a Democrat talk that way in a long time." For Ralph Nader--and take my word for it, please--that is rare praise for a leading Democratic politician.

In throwing his support to Edwards, Nader was scathing in his criticism of Hillary Clinton--calling her a "corporate Democrat ...[ who ] ... has not led the way against the avalanche of military contracting, corporate crime, fraud and abuse."

Edwards' passionate populism, which has been dismissed in too many mainstream articles in the past weeks as "angry" or "over the top," is speaking to the reality of the concentration of power and wealth in a few hands--a concentration that is working against the vast majority of Americans. Why is what Edwards is saying "over the top" when 72% of the American people told "Business Week" in 2000--- that corporations have too much control over their lives and jobs.

Will Nader's support encourage progressive Iowans to give him a win in Thursday's caucuses? Hard to know. This is an extraordinarily fluid, tight, ideologically fascinating race in which progressive champion Dennis Kucinich has just urged his supporters to go for Barack Obama in a second round. And there's no question that Nader remains controversial among many progressives who believe that he took enough liberal votes from Gore in 2000 to give Bush the presidency.

Whatever happens to Edwards in Iowa, his full-throated populist message is unlikely to disappear from this race. Clinton and Obama are already sounding populist appeals in their speeches. It's up to progressives to keep the heat on so that taking on corporate power, taking back govenment, empowering workers and disempowering the lobbyists remains a cornerstone of small-d politics in 2008 and beyond.

As Nader says, "Edwards is at least highlighting day after day that the issue is who controls our country: big business or the people?"

Join me in supporting John Edwards for President

Edwards Only Top Dem to Take on Wall Street

2007-12-26T13:48:00.000-08:00

By Dean Baker
Posted on December 26, 2007
http://www.alternet.org/story/71650/

It would be difficult to identify much difference between the three leading Democratic presidential candidates' positions on major economic issues. They have come forward with comparable positions on taxes, healthcare and trade. Insofar as it is possible to identify differences between Hillary Clinton, John Edwards and Barack Obama, it is primarily due to judgments about their level of commitment and the powers to whom they will answer.

On taxes, all three candidates have said they want the wealthy to pay a larger portion of the bill, which starts with taking back the Bush tax cuts on families earning more than $200,000 a year. All three have proposed eliminating various loopholes that primarily benefit the wealthy. Edwards has gone the furthest in this respect, calling for raising the capital gains tax rate back to the pre-Clinton level of 28%. This tax increase almost exclusively affects the wealthy. Most of the capital gains earned by middle-class families are either from selling their home, which is generally not taxed, or in retirement accounts that are subject to normal income tax rates.

All three contenders have proposed a national healthcare system that is a variant of the plan developed by Yale political scientist Jacob Hacker. The basics of the plan are to require that all firms either insure their workers directly or pay a fee to the government. The government then uses this money to heavily subsidise insurance for low- and moderate-income families. It also establishes an expanded Medicare-type public plan that people will have the option to buy into. In addition, it reforms the private insurance market, most importantly by requiring that insurers not discriminate based on pre-existing conditions.

Both Clinton and Edwards would impose a mandate that everyone buy into this system. Obama has claimed that he would not require a mandate. As a practical matter, the healthcare system that any of them are able to put in place will depend on the arms they twist and the pressure they can bring to bear against the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical industry and other powerful actors who will be hurt by real reform.

Any serious plan will require a mandate - this directly follows from its requirement that insurers take all comers. Without a mandate, no one would buy insurance until they had serious bills. This would be like letting people buy car insurance after an accident, and then sending the company the bill. That doesn't work.

All three contenders have said that they want to break with the Bush-Clinton-Bush trade agenda. Since recent trade deals like Nafta and Cafta are hugely unpopular, especially among Democrats, this position is not surprising. What their position means in practice remains to be seen. For example, in spite of her newfound opposition to these trade deals, senator Clinton found the time to vote for the recent Peru trade pact, which is largely in the Nafta/Cafta mode.
As a practical matter, the country has already gone about as far as it can in placing its manufacturing workers in competition with low-wage workers in the developing world. The impact of any future trade deals on the US economy will be almost imperceptible. A decline of the dollar by an additional 10% against the currencies of our trading partners would swamp the impact of all currently pending trade deals.

On this issue there are likely to be substantial differences among the candidates. Former Treasury secretary Robert Rubin is likely to be the guiding light for economic policy in a Clinton or Obama administration. Rubin was the architect of the high dollar policy of the 1990s, which led to the massive trade deficits of recent years. He remains an enthusiastic supporter of a high dollar. Therefore Clinton or Obama would be more likely than Edwards to sacrifice the jobs and wages of manufacturing workers in order to prop up the dollar.

Rubin's Wall Street agenda would also apply to other areas of economic policy, most importantly the budget. Rubin places balanced budgets and even budget surpluses at the centre of his economic vision. A push to a balanced budget will seriously curtail the ability to extend healthcare coverage, promote access to childcare, promote clean technologies and address other neglected priorities. By contrast, Edwards has clearly stated that he does not view a balanced budget as a priority, arguing instead for deficit targets that prevent the debt from growing relative to the size of the economy. The willingness to accept deficits may prove especially important in the context of an economy that could be in recession when the next president takes office.

In short, Edwards has set himself apart from the other two top candidates by indicating a clear willingness to challenge an agenda set on Wall Street. If a President Edwards actually carried through with this course, he would pursue a very different economic agenda than his two leading rivals.

Dean Baker is co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.© 2007 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/71650/

Join me in supporting John Edwards for President

Iowa First Lady Mari Culver endorses John Edwards for President

2007-12-17T09:03:00.001-08:00

Endorsement Builds on Edwards’ Growing Momentum in Iowa

Des Moines, Iowa – On the last day of his "Main Street Express" bus tour and following a widely praised debate performance, today Senator John Edwards will receive the endorsement of Iowa First Lady Mari Culver. Culver believes Edwards’ lifetime of fighting for those without a voice makes him the best candidate to stand up for America’s families and bring change to America. Culver’s endorsement adds to Edwards’ growing momentum in the final weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Edwards recently was endorsed by Congressman Bruce Braley and continues to gain support from community leaders and undecided caucus goers.

"With all the challenges facing our country, we need a leader who will fight for our families," said Culver. "I am proud to endorse John Edwards for President. John has spent his career standing up for children and families in their hour of need. I admire his commitment to speaking out for those who have no voice and look forward to working with him to make sure children here in Iowa and across the country are safe and secure and have the opportunity to realize their dreams."

"I am honored to have Mari’s support," said Edwards. "She has been a passionate advocate on behalf of families and children in crises. Her commitment to helping the less fortunate is exactly the kind of the leadership America so desperately needs. With Mari’s help and the help of the people of Iowa, we can build the One America we believe in."

Culver’s support adds to Edwards’ strength in Iowa. He has strong grassroots organizations in all 99 Iowa counties. He also enjoys the support of Caucus for Priorities, which represents 10,000 Iowa caucus goers. Edwards has the support of numerous labor groups who are actively working to put him in the White House. He has been endorsed by the Iowa State Council of the SEIU and 11 other SEIU state councils representing more than a million SEIU members. Additionally, he has been endorsed by the Iowa Postal Workers Union, the United Steelworkers, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, the Transport Workers Union of America, the United Mine Workers of America and the UNITE HERE Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board.

Culver will join Edwards today at his “Main Street Express” bus tour finale events in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Davenport. During the eight-day tour, Edwards has been highlighting his plans to fight for regular families like the ones he grew up with in his small, rural hometown.

Please help John during this critical phase of the campaign.

Edwards supporter makes daily 6.1-mile trek to rally voters

2007-12-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

by Kiley Miller
Thehawkeye.com - 12/13/2007
http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/vote_edwards_121307

NEW LONDON, IA -- It was a touch after 3 p.m. Monday and Carrie Duncan had just finished another day on the job.

Now she was ready to go the extra mile for John Edwards.

Make that 6.1 miles.

Read the rest of story at thehawkeye.com.

Join me, and Carrie Duncan, in supporting John Edwards for President

Roadtrip to Reno!

2007-12-11T19:35:00.000-08:00

What: Roadtrip To Reno!

When: Saturday, December 15th at 10:30 AM

Where:
700 Smithridge Dr., #101
Reno, Nevada 89502

Event Description:

Looking for a way to help John Edwards WIN an early state? Going to Iowa would be great! But if you can't manage Iowa, the next best thing would be to help John Edwards win Nevada. And Nevada is just a short, scenic drive away from us!

This weekend, a number of Edwards supporters from California will be roadtripping to the official Edwards for President Office in Reno to help out. So why not join in the fun? Help out, see the sights, and have some fun! A statewide Nevada canvassing effort for John Edwards is scheduled for Saturday, December 15th from 10:30AM to 5:00 PM.

For details, directions, and even free lodging, contact Sandra More, the Reno volunteer coordinator. She can be reached at more@unr.nevada.edu, 775-338-5382.

The Reno office itself is located at:

700 Smithridge Dr. #101
Reno, NV 89502
775-829-2008

If you can't make it this weekend, you are still needed. The Reno office needs volunteers seven days a week from now until the day of the caucus, January 19th. So, pick a day that fits your schedule, and roadtrip to Reno. All they ask is at least 24 hours notice of your arrival.

If, by chance, you would prefer to help in Las Vegas, please contact Amanda Clausen, aclausen@johnedwards.com, 702-434-3978.

And if you want to help in Iowa, please be sure to call Abby Curran in Iowa at 515-883-7803

For more information, and to RSVP for this event, please click here:
http://blog.johnedwards.com/event/3597

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New CNN Poll: Edwards Only Dem to Beat All Four Republican Candidates

2007-12-11T19:32:00.000-08:00

A CNN poll released today concluded that Senator John Edwards is the only Democrat who can beat all four major Republican candidates.

"On the Democratic side, Edwards performs best against each of the leading Republicans. In addition to beating Huckabee by 25 percent and McCain by 8 percent, the North Carolina Democrat beats Romney by 22 percentage points (59 percent to 37 percent) and Giuliani by 9 percentage points (53 percent to 44 percent)."

CNN article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/12/10/poll.head.to.head/index.html

Full Polling Results: http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/images/12/11/tue6ampoll.pdf

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Road Trip for One America

2007-12-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

With so little time left until the caucuses and primaries begin, we need your help now! Please join other supporters from all over the country as we travel to the earliest voting states—Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina—for a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks to help engage voters and spread John Edwards' powerful message.

Except for possible travel conditions over the Sierra, Reno is an easy day trip from Sacramento and other Norcal locations.

To sign up to help go to John Edwards.com and click on the Road Trip for One America Graphic, or just click right here.

If you can't travel but would still like to help come back here to see more opportunities. And, as we all know, money is always needed.

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John Edwards speech at DNC Fall Meeting

2007-11-30T11:14:00.000-08:00

John Edwards addressed the Democratic National Committee this morning.

Here's the Webcast from the DNC Website.

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John Edwards Releases Plan to Combat Hunger

2007-11-21T15:00:00.000-08:00

By MIKE BAKER – Wedenesday, November 21

CARRBORO, N.C. (Associated Press) — Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards, in his fight against domestic hunger, called on Congress Wednesday to take immediate action to fund programs that provide food services for millions.

"This is an issue that we can actually do something about," Edwards said, calling on Americans to do their part at an individual level.
"I think we have a moral responsibility as a country to stand up and take action to where no man, woman or child in this country should feel hungry."
Edwards' proposal urges Congress to pass a farm bill that would provide food stamps and support food banks. It asks lawmakers to reform the food stamps program to help more families get more assistance. The plan also urges Congress to quickly provide $5.1 billion to help low income families pay their winter heating bills to free up extra money for food.

The former North Carolina senator said that he would help low-income children get more access to healthy meals, support programs that provide meals for the elderly, and develop a new program that would identify and provide for neighborhoods that don't have full-service supermarkets.

Edwards announced the plan shortly before a scheduled appearance at a food bank in Carrboro. More than 35.5 million people in the United States went hungry in 2006, according to a Department of Agriculture study. Of those, about one-third reported they had "very low food security," meaning they had a substantial disruption in the amount of food they typically eat.

On the 'Net:John Edwards, http://johnedwards.com/

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Sacramento Edwards supporters help campaign in Reno

2007-11-20T09:36:00.000-08:00

Friends,

What a weekend!

Our carpool left Sacramento for Reno a little before 8 am on Saturday morning. We returned last night, almost exactly 36 hours later, with new friends and great memories that will last a lifetime.

Upon arrival at the Reno headquarters slightly after 10 am, we received a very warm reception by Reno staff and volunteers who thanked us countless times before turning us loose on the phones. After what seemed like a split second, our group had made over 1,500 calls to Reno area residents, encouraging their attendance at a town hall the following day. The campaign supplied a pot luck dinner and everyone enjoyed the family atmosphere as we talked of the campaign, politics, and life in general. As dinner wrapped up, Oliver Gottfried, the Nevada State Director, huddled up the crowd and spoke of the campaign's strategy and answered questions. Carter, another campaign staffer, then addressed the group about the following day's activities.

We arrived at Proctor Hug High School yesterday morning at 9:30 to help with set up. Matt (a carpool participant) and I addressed hanging the backdrop and signage as others helped with setting up chairs, laying out literature, visibility, and a variety of other tasks. Before long, tasks shifted to signing people in, directing parking, and generally welcoming attendees.

Nevada assembly members Debbie Smith and David Bobzien addressed the crowd before John Edwards took the stage. Edwards tackled Iraq, health care, education, immigration, and other important issues passionately and directly. The crowd joined in agreement numerous times in his desire for change by giving multiple standing ovations.

Edwards shook a countless number of hands, posed for photos and talked to many. Everyone from our group had the opportunity to meet him, get an autograph and take a photo if desired! Eventually, Edwards returned to a room at the side of the building and made a few phone calls.

We helped with clean up and near completion of our tasks, when only a dozen or so volunteers remained, we were given a pleasant surprise – Edwards was still there!

After wrapping up his last call, Edwards exited the room and thanked us. He posed for a few more pictures and signed a few more autographs in the smaller, more intimate setting.

Shortly after, our carpool floated back in the direction of Sacramento on a natural high. We had reached Auburn before we realized we should probably eat our first meal of the day (it was now about 6 pm).

I arrived home at about 8 pm. After hugging and kissing my wife and kids hello, I presented both my son and daughter with an Edwards rally sign, each one signed and personally inscribed to them by the next President of the United States!

Our group will organize another carpool to Reno next month. I hope you can join us!

Zak Ford
Office of Assemblymember Jones
916-813-6658

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In Support of John Edwards

2007-11-16T13:46:00.000-08:00

by KATHERINE S. NEWMAN

Nation Magazine, November 26, 2007

If the Democratic presidential primary were held today in your state, whom would you support? Cast your vote in the Nation Poll.

The recent news that SEIU's chapters in twelve states--representing more than a million workers--endorsed the candidacy of John Edwards is a loud wake-up call. The race for the Democratic nomination is still that: a real race. For my money, there is no other candidate who will work as hard as Edwards for the nation's low-income families, the working poor, struggling students and the 47 million Americans who desperately need health insurance. Organized labor sees him the same way, which is why he has garnered this seal of approval and the boots on the ground that it represents--even in the face of the Clinton juggernaut. They know that Edwards is the candidate who can actually win the general election, the one who is thinking about people like them.

They know because Edwards stood with them through every state-level campaign to raise the minimum wage long before he announced a run for the White House. They know because he was first out with a health insurance plan that actually provides universal coverage while acknowledging what we all know to be true: the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans will have to be rolled back to pay for it. And they know because he has been solidly, unambiguously in favor of withdrawing from Iraq, even as the Democratic Party has tacked back and forth on the issue, despite overwhelming public support for ending the war.

I first met Edwards at a gathering at the University of North Carolina's Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity. Hurricane Katrina had devastated the Gulf Coast only a few months before and exposed the "two Americas" of which Edwards had spoken throughout the 2004 campaign. He called the country's experts together--across party lines--to debate the causes, consequences and remedies for poverty in an era of unprecedented wage inequality. For two days we discussed what should be done to enhance the mobility of the working poor, how we should deal with the competition from low-wage countries like China and what the trends in out-of-wedlock births mean for single mothers below the poverty line.

Most politicians would have given their obligatory keynote address and retired to the comfort of their leather chairs. Edwards stayed the whole time, ran virtually all of the sessions, asked intelligent questions, probed for more practical answers and stuck around to talk with the presenters about how to cull from their academic research workable ideas that could form the basis of a campaign that has as its centerpiece the eradication of poverty in this wealthy nation.

My conversations with Edwards persuaded me that he is the genuine article. Some doubt his commitment because they think a wealthy trial lawyer is not a credible force on behalf of the dispossessed. The next time Nation readers are tempted to think this way, I suggest they take a ride up to Hyde Park and check out the sprawling Hudson River mansion FDR called home. No greater contribution to the welfare of the indigent, the elderly, the unemployed and the sick has ever been made than that which Roosevelt enshrined in the New Deal. Notwithstanding the New Deal's flaws (and there were many), the social policy triumphs of the 1930s stand as an exemplar of what can be done when the will is there. If those victories could be catalyzed by one of the richest men ever to occupy the White House, then it can be done again by a self-made millionaire who earned his fortune attacking negligent corporations in the courtroom.

But enough of the cheerleading based on background. What exactly does Edwards propose to do for the country's low- and moderate-income families? First, he tells us, we must raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by 2012 and put legislation in place to ensure that it does not fall behind again. Second, he proposes the creation of public employment opportunities for those who cannot find jobs because they live in rural areas, blighted neighborhoods or communities without transportation.

He stands with organized labor, even as it has taken body blows over the past forty years. Despite opinion polls showing that workers want union representation, the ranks of unions are dwindling. Why this disconnect? Edwards has part of the answer: the rules governing the organizing process were written to favor management. Edwards has endorsed the Employee Free Choice Act, which will give workers a chance to organize and use their clout to increase their wages and benefits. At a time when the gap between CEOs and the rank and file is at an all-time high, this is a critical first step toward returning to workers a fare share of what their extraordinarily high productivity has contributed to the bottom line.

And while we're at it, how about focusing some attention on the regulatory structure that ensures we have safe food, clean water and working conditions that do not expose employees to hazardous chemicals? The protective legislation we rely on is all but devoid of enforcement capacity as a result of budgetary strip mining. Inspectors are disappearing, fines are not levied or enforced and families have to worry about whether the spinach on the table is safe to eat. Edwards is the only candidate who has emphasized the importance of targeting abusive industries that sacrifice worker safety and public health.

Edwards has also made serious, imaginative proposals for improving public schools, protecting people from predatory lenders, increasing college access and extending the school system to incorporate the millions who have dropped out and need a second chance. These are not pie-in-the-sky ideas or handouts: they are sound investments in the fiscal health and educational well-being of the country.

There is every reason to expect that the Democrats will end up with solid majorities in the House and Senate in 2008. We need a President who will grab this brass ring. We should not squander the opportunity on tepid, middle-of-the-road, blow-with-the-wind candidates who will be too busy trying to paint themselves as tough on crime or hard-nosed on Iran to seize a chance that may not come again in our lifetime.

Katherine Newman is the Director of The Princeton Institute for International and Religious Studies, and the Director of Princeton University's Doctoral Program in Social Policy.Â She is the author of No Shame in My Game: The Working Poor in the Inner City (1999), A Different Shade of Gray: Mid-Life and Beyond in the Inner City (2003) and Rampage: The Social Roots of School Shootings (2005), and the co-author of The Missing Class: Portraits of the Near Poor in America (2007, Beacon).

Other Essays in This Series:John Nichols for Joseph BidenEllen Chesler for Hillary ClintonBruce Shapiro for Christopher DoddRichard Kim for Mike GravelGore Vidal for Dennis KucinichMichael Eric Dyson for Barack ObamaRocky Anderson for Bill Richardson

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Edwards Labels Clintons "Corporate Democrats"

2007-11-14T15:57:00.000-08:00

Chicagotribune.com
By Rick Pearson, Tribune political reporter

DUBUQUE, Iowa, November 14, 2007 -- Former Sen. John Edwards today linked presidential rival Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, to a "crowd of corporate Democrats" who Edwards said have no more interest in changing Washington's culture than Republicans.

Edwards criticized Hillary Clinton's acceptance of donations from special-interest lobbyists and pointedly reminded a regional conference of the United Auto Workers that it was a Democratic White House under Bill Clinton that failed to advance universal health care but delivered what he said were job-jeopardizing trade agreements.

"That's what I mean when I say it's not going to change anything if we trade a crowd of corporate Democrats for corporate Republicans," Edwards said.

Among Democratic rivals, Edwards has been the most direct critic of the Democratic senator from New York. But his rhetoric has taken on an even harsher tone as the time to Iowa's nation-leading presidential caucus on Jan. 3 draws nearer.

In soliciting labor support by portraying himself as the candidate most attuned to union issues, the former North Carolina senator repeatedly cited Sen. Clinton's continued acceptance of campaign donations from federal lobbyists, which both he and Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois eschew.

"The person who has raised the most money from Washington lobbyists, the presidential candidate, is not a Republican. It's a Democrat. The person who has raised the most money from the drug industry, from the health insurance industry is not a Republican. It's a Democrat. The person who has raised the most money—and this is most startling to me—from the defense industry is not a Republican. It's a Democrat," Edwards said. "The answer to every one of those questions is Sen. Clinton."

Asked by reporters afterward if Clinton was a "corporate Democrat," Edwards said, "She is part of a system that includes a lot of corporate Democrats."

Edwards also noted that in the early 1990s, when Hillary Clinton as first lady failed in trying to construct a universal health care plan, Democrats controlled the House and Senate as well as the White House.

"We were in charge of every branch of government and those (special-interests) still killed universal health care," he said. "And we didn't get what we needed—universal health care. Man, we got something we didn't need. We got NAFTA. And NAFTA, just to remind you, did not pass and was not pushed by a Republican administration. NAFTA passed in a Democratic administration."

Organized labor has been highly critical of the North American Free Trade Agreement pushed by President Clinton, and subsequent free-trade agreements, contending they have led to huge job losses in the country, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

Hillary Clinton, who appeared earlier in the week before the UAW's Region 4 conference—which includes representatives from Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota—told the group that the nation should take a "time out" from NAFTA to examine its negative effects on labor.

Edwards also defended his call to act, as president, to take away federal health care from members of Congress until they approve a universal health care plan. Hillary Clinton and others have questioned Edwards' rhetoric by noting that the president does not have the power to take away federal health benefits.

"The response of Sen. Clinton and members of Congress is to circle the wagons and focus on protecting their health care instead of what needs to be done for America," Edwards said.

Edwards also touted his own universal health care plan, which mandates coverage. "Sen. Clinton's plan is similar to mine," he said. "Some would say she copied it. Understand, I didn't say that."

Rap30@aol.com

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Edwards supporters at Central Valley Democratic Convention

2007-11-12T12:54:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Democrats from the Central Valley gathered in Fresno for the first ever Central California Democratic Party Convention. It was a great event that you can read about at The Bayne of Blog.

What I want to post here is these two pictures showing that the Edwards for President campaign is alive and well in the Central Valley. Gary Alford and Brenda Emerson are manning the table.

Gary Alford and Brenda Emerson work the Edwards for President table at the convention.

Gary Alford tells delegates why they should support John Edwards for President.

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John Edwards Wins Key Iowa Endorsement

2007-11-09T01:11:00.000-08:00

Edwards Picked Over Obama as 'The Un-Hillary'

Former North Carolina Senator Nabs Coveted Iowa Endorsement

TEDDY DAVIS, ABC News, Nov. 8, 2007

DES MOINES, IA -- Iowans for Sensible Priorities, a group seeking to redirect spending from the Pentagon to domestic needs, plans to endorse John Edwards Friday in Des Moines.The decision to endorse Edwards over Illinois Sen. Barack Obama came down to "courage versus caution," according to the group's executive director.

"There's a rhetoric gap with Obama," executive director Peggy Huppert told ABC News. "He told me personally: 'Trust me. Ideologically, I'm with you.' But people have told him to be afraid of being pushed too far to the left. He doesn't bring up [cuts in Pentagon spending] on his own. He doesn't incorporate it into his speeches. He skirts around it. He talks around the edges. He never gets to the heart of it in strong, bold language."

Edwards, by contrast, won over the group with his harder edge.

He impressed the group on Oct. 26 when he demonstrated during an Iowa town-hall meeting that he would not back down in the face of Republican attacks. The day before, during an interview with a conservative talk-show host, Giuliani said that Democratic support for lower Pentagon spending showed a lack of concern for what Giuliani calls "the terrorists' war on us.""Edwards gave an excellent answer," said Huppert. "He said we have to stop buying into their frame which equates spending money on the Pentagon with keeping us safe. He also said we can't have a Democratic candidate who cowers and runs away from this issue."
"For whatever reason," she said, "John Edwards has decided he is going to take this on and he has staked out the position quite convincingly of being the un-Hillary."

Although Clinton filled out the group's detailed policy questionnaire, she was not among the final two candidates under consideration for the endorsement.

"She didn't answer any questions 'yes' or 'no,'" said Huppert. "She has a refusal to commit to anything."

The Edwards endorsement is a blow to Bill Richardson.

The New Mexico governor has gone further than Edwards in backing specific Pentagon cuts ($57.5 billion vs. $31 billion); he is alone among the major candidates in promising "no residual forces" in Iraq, and he wore the group's pin and touted its work during an AARP forum held in September.

But in the end, Richardson, who lags in state polls, was snubbed because he is not viewed by the group as having a realistic chance of winning the Iowa caucuses.

The overriding goal of Sensible Priorities, a group whose logo is a pie chart showing how Pentagon spending dwarfs domestic discretionary spending, is to redirect $60 billion in federal funds away from the Pentagon and toward education, health care, energy independence, job training and deficit reduction.

Its endorsement was coveted by the Democratic presidential hopefuls, all of who filled out the group's questionnaire, because it has found 10,000 Iowans who have signed a nonbinding pledge to caucus on behalf of the candidate endorsed by the organization.

"We're not going to change people's minds," said Huppert, referring to people who have decided to support someone other than Edwards since filling out a Sensible Priorities pledge card. "But we hope to shore up support for Edwards and to be a tipping point for people who are still undecided."

The names given by 28 percent of the 10,000 "pledgers" are exact matches with Iowans who have participated in previous Democratic caucuses.

Due to the organization's legal status, Sensible Priorities is not permitted to provide its list of pledgers to the Edwards campaign. But the group plans to communicate with its pledgers by phone and possibly by mail about the decision to endorse Edwards.

The way Huppert sees it, both Edwards and Obama want to be "the un-Hillary," but they are approaching that task with radically different approaches: While Obama is promoting consensus and reconciliation, Edwards is selling confrontation and a day of reckoning.

Asked if she is looking for a fight, Huppert shot back, "I think it's going to take a fight."

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Edwards passes 3.1 million mark in support from labor

2007-10-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

North Carolina Association of Educators picks Edwards as the candidate with the strength and vision to compete in battleground states and bring real change to Washington

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, the North Carolina Association of Educators (NCAE) announced its endorsement of John Edwards for president sending Edwards over the 3.1 million member mark in union support. The NCAE, which represents 70,000 teachers, education support professionals and retirees, has endorsed Edwards every time he has run for public office. They supported Edwards’ Senate run in 1998 and, after endorsing him in the 2004 presidential primary, NCAE members traveled to early states to organize other teachers to vote for Edwards.

"We need a leader with the strength and vision to compete in battleground states like North Carolina," said Eddie Davis, president of NCAE. "John Edwards is the candidate who shares our values, understands our issues and offers real and bold solutions. Edwards’ comprehensive education plans borrow from some of the best reform practices we have here in North Carolina- involving expert educators in school reforms and supporting Smart Start, which coordinates education, health care and family support services for children before they enter school. He also understands that teachers, not tests, are the single most important factor in successful schools and has introduced plans to radically overhaul No Child Left Behind, increase incentives for teachers in high-poverty schools, and improve training and mentoring programs for teachers. The greatest challenges to our schools are addressing the needs of children and families who live in poverty. John’s focus on the underserved is meaningful to our members."

"I am honored to receive the endorsement of the NCAE," said Edwards. "Education is an issue that’s very personal to me. I came from a small town in rural North Carolina, but I had public school teachers who taught me to believe I could do just about anything if I worked hard and played by the rules. So I understand why it’s so critical that we fix our education system and make sure that every child in America has the same opportunity to succeed that I had."

In September, Edwards unveiled his plan for "Restoring the Promise of American Schools" based on three guiding principles: every child should be prepared to succeed when they show up in the classroom; every classroom should be led by an excellent teacher; and every teacher should work in an outstanding school. To meet these principles, Edwards proposed a national "Great Promise" partnership to give a quality early childhood education to every four-year-old in the country and the creation of a national "Smart Start" program to improve child care and invest in child health. To help teachers achieve excellence, Edwards proposed reducing classroom sizes and increasing pay for teachers in successful high-poverty schools. He would also give extra support to teachers in the first years of their careers and step up efforts to recruit and train new teachers. Finally, Edwards proposed a complete overhaul of No Child Left Behind, the creation of a School Success Fund to allow teams of experienced educators to spend a year at struggling schools, and launching a "Great Schools" initiative to build or expand 1,000 successful schools.

With the endorsement of the NCAE, Edwards has passed the 3.1 million members mark in union support. Last week Edwards won the endorsement of 11 SEIU state councils, representing over 1 million workers in Iowa, California, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio and Oregon. The endorsements will allow these 11 SEIU state councils to organize efforts to turn out caucus goers on Edwards’ behalf within Iowa, and in any other state where the SEIU state councils have also endorsed Edwards. The Iowa Postal Workers Union, representing 3,000 members, also endorsed Edwards last week. In September, Edwards earned the endorsement of the Transport Workers Union of America (200,000 active and retired members), the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (520,000 active members), the United Steelworkers (1.2 million active members and retirees), and the United Mine Workers of America (105,000 active members and retirees).

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With Trippi's Rise, Some See a New John Edwards

2007-10-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

By Chris Cillizza, washingtonpost.com, Tuesday, October 23, 2007; A01

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton may have a widening lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, but John Edwards is not about to give her a free ride.

"Instead of moving from primary mode to general election mode, why don't we have tell-the-truth mode, all the time, and not say something different one time than we say another time?" Edwards asked pointedly last week in New Hampshire.

From the day he announced his candidacy in New Orleans last December, Edwards has presented himself as an outsider, someone much different from the senator who was John F. Kerry's running mate in 2004. But in recent weeks he has launched a markedly more aggressive attack on what he says is Clinton's poll-tested commitment to the status quo, and the new tone to his campaign has coincided with the growing influence of the strategist behind Howard Dean's assault on the Democratic establishment four years ago -- Joe Trippi.

Those who know Edwards best insist that his campaign reflects his own life experiences, including his wife's ongoing battle with cancer, and that in hiring Trippi, a cult figure on the party's left for his role with Dean, Edwards has found someone who can translate his instincts into a coherent campaign message. Trailing Clinton and Barack Obama in the polls, Edwards is basing his campaign on a vision of bold change not shared by either senator.

"Trippi has made him more aggressive and tuned him in to the anger and passion of the Net roots," said Carter Eskew, a senior Democratic strategist not affiliated with any 2008 campaign.

While Trippi was described as a senior adviser when he joined the Edwards campaign in mid-April, he has become much more in the intervening six months: the de facto campaign manager, lead media consultant and -- perhaps most important -- trusted confidante of Elizabeth Edwards, whose influence in the campaign far exceeds that of the conventional candidate's wife.

By all accounts, Elizabeth Edwards and Trippi have developed a close relationship, beginning during their first meeting this spring at the Edwardses' home in Chapel Hill, N.C. An hour and a half into listening to the couple's pitch to join the campaign, Trippi suddenly flinched when his diabetic neuropathy -- a nerve disorder that sends pains shooting through his body at random intervals -- began bothering him. Elizabeth Edwards noticed. And when Trippi started talking about his illness, she told him that she suffers from the same condition.

Still, Trippi turned down the offer to join the campaign. "I told them there was no way I could do it again," Trippi recounted recently. "That I really liked them and really believed they were going to take on a broken system -- but I was not going to do it."

For decades Trippi has been a part of Democratic presidential politics, often working for long shots -- Rep. Richard A. Gephardt in 1988, Jerry Brown in 1992 -- and through a combination of sharp elbows and sharply defined messages transformed them into legitimate candidates.As Dean went from an afterthought in the 2004 presidential race to the Democratic front-runner, Trippi's star rose with him. But when the former Vermont governor finished third in the Iowa caucuses, the campaign was essentially over, and Trippi was suddenly out of a job. And, many assumed, he was out of presidential politics -- a decision seemingly affirmed at his meeting with the Edwardses.

On March 22 all of that changed. In a televised news conference, Elizabeth Edwards announced that her breast cancer had returned but that her husband's campaign would continue. "I sat there in my house with my wife and my neuropathy firing away," Trippi recalled, "and just said, 'You know, I am not done either,' and I picked up the phone and offered to join the campaign."

In an entry on the Edwards campaign blog titled "I'm Signing On," Trippi announced his return. "I really thought that the 2004 presidential campaign would be the last I would be involved in," he wrote. But the decision by the Edwardses to continue the campaign in the face of the return of Elizabeth's cancer "made me realize that I wasn't done trying to make a difference either."

For John Edwards, it was a chance to fix his struggling campaign, which had seen the departure of a number of his original senior staff members, including 2004 campaign manager Nick Baldick. Former congressman David Bonior (Mich.) had been serving as the campaign manager, but his skills were clearly more as a surrogate than a strategist.

Officially, Trippi has been described as part of a trio of advisers that includes pollster Harrison Hickman and longtime adviser Jonathan Prince. But the evidence seemed to suggest that it was Trippi who now had the Edwardses' trust.

In July, the campaign brought on Paul Blank to handle the day-to-day operations of the campaign and Chris Kofinis to head up communications. Both Blank and Kofinis have ties to Trippi: Blank was political director in Dean's campaign before joining Wake Up Wal-Mart, where Trippi served as a consultant. Kofinis was communications director at Wake Up Wal-Mart. At the same time, it was announced that Bonior's role would evolve into serving as a stand-in for the candidate, though he would retain the title of campaign manager.

Then, in mid-August, Marius Penczner, who had served as Edwards's lead media consultant since late 2003, parted ways with the campaign. Trippi, a media consultant by training, took over crafting Edwards's ads, with an assist from Prince.

Trippi declined to discuss his role in the campaign's day-to-day operations. "I hope that I have brought a better focus to the campaign and his message -- and helped better define the differences between the change John Edwards would bring to Washington [versus] the business as usual candidacy of Hillary Clinton," he said.

Asked to explain Trippi's rise within the Edwards inner circle, a former staffer said: "Two words: Elizabeth Edwards." The source, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, added: "I think Trippi's influence grows daily, and because that influence is Elizabeth-sanctioned it makes it all the more powerful."

Although Trippi plays down the closeness of his relationship with Elizabeth Edwards -- the two have spoken directly only five or six times during the campaign, he said -- it is clear that they share the same ideas about aggressive campaigning.

Take Elizabeth Edwards's decision to confront conservative commentator Ann Coulter during Coulter's appearance on MSNBC's "Hardball." It was Trippi who gave her the number for the show's control room.

Or take the video that Trippi produced for the CNN-YouTube debate that poked fun at the media's obsession with how much John Edwards paid for a haircut. Trippi said Elizabeth Edwards "really liked" that video -- a phenomenon on the Web.

And, in contrast to her husband's campaigns in 2004, when she played a somewhat peripheral role, Elizabeth Edwards often takes the fight to her husband's opponents more aggressively than he does. She was the first to broach the idea that her husband, and not Clinton, is the strongest advocate for women in the race, and she most pointedly questioned whether Obama's voting record in the Senate matched his antiwar rhetoric before joining Congress.

Those familiar with the relationship between Trippi and Elizabeth Edwards offer several reasons for their alliance. One connection is over their health issues. Another is over the Internet. Trippi became interested in how it could be used in politics, and Elizabeth Edwards became fascinated with its power to create social connections while she dealt with her cancer.As David Weinberger, an Internet strategist for Dean and part-time consultant to the Edwards campaign, wrote on the Huffington Post, "during times that could have crushed her -- that would have beaten most of us down -- she found strength in and with others, many on the Internet."

Others say Elizabeth Edwards sees this race as more a cause than a campaign, a belief that makes her and Trippi -- an unapologetic believer in the power of liberal ideals and the overthrow of "transactional politics" -- ideological soulmates.

It's that message -- a fiery, some say angry, populism -- that has drawn attention to John Edwards of late.

One Democratic consultant who has worked with Trippi said the common thread in the majority of the presidential campaigns with which Trippi has been involved is an outrage with the way Washington operates.

A former senior staffer for Dean's presidential campaign said, "Anyone that knows Joe could see a marked difference in the creation of the new John Edwards once Joe came aboard." Trippi, the staffer added, "is an incredibly powerful force on any campaign, and when given a malleable candidate he will have an enormous impact."

The Edwards campaign -- and many people formerly affiliated with it -- reject the notion that the candidate is anything but his own invention.

"This is who he is," Prince said, noting that as far back as his 1998 campaign against Sen. Lauch Faircloth (R-N.C.), Edwards was talking about fighting for the little guy and against special interests. In one ad during that race, Edwards said: "Insurance companies have plenty of lobbyists fighting for them. I don't want to be their senator. I want to be yours."

Prince agreed that the tone of the 2008 campaign is different than that of the 2004 race, explaining that "there is more intense emotion to it, more passion." But, he said, that change is due to Edwards's experiences as the vice presidential nominee, his work on the issue of poverty in 2005 and 2006, and the impact of his wife's cancer diagnosis and relapse. Those developments "make you look up close at what's important," Prince added.

Whoever is more responsible, the question for the campaign is whether it can turn what has been an insurgent effort into something more substantial. For Trippi, it's a question that lingers from Dean's cometlike trajectory.

"The way it ended in Iowa, no one knows if Joe was right or not," said a consultant who has worked with Trippi on past races.

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John Edwards on "Real Time with Bill Maher"

2007-10-20T21:01:00.000-07:00

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Edwards on Bush's SCHIP veto

2007-10-19T15:33:00.001-07:00

John Edwards released the following statement about the unsuccessful Congressional vote on overriding President Bush's veto of legislation to expand SCHIP, the children's health insurance program:

"Today is another sad example of how broken Washington is. Instead of standing up for children and health care, House Republicans have decided to stand up for special interests and lobbyists. From this day forward, House Republicans are on notice. When I am the Democratic nominee, the days of Republican members who voted against children's health care will be numbered. We are taking names and, together, as one party, we will campaign against them."

"Sadly, there is strong message here for Democrats and Republicans. We should never have to consider selling out to lobbyists when it comes to the health of our kids. If universal health care is ever going to be more than a dream, we need to do more than change the president. We need to elect strong Democratic majorities in the House and Senate with the backbone to stand up to the big insurance and drug companies that are going to do everything they can to block universal health care. We need a strong ticket from top to bottom that will compete and win everywhere in America.

"And, when I am the Democratic nominee, we will not only win the White House, we will make every Republican who stands against children's health care pay the price."

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Former Georgia Governor Endorses Edwards

2007-10-18T17:45:00.001-07:00

By JAMES SALZER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/18/07

Former Gov. Roy Barnes and former Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor held a Capitol reunion of sorts Thursday, getting together for a press conference to support John Edwards' presidential campaign.

Barnes served as governor, with Taylor as his second-in-charge, from 1999 to 2003. Taylor served another four years as lieutenant governor before running unsuccessfully for governor last year.

Joining Barnes and Taylor at the event were several other elected officials, including two African-American state senators, Valencia Seay (D-Riverdale) and Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta). Last week, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton was in Atlanta touting her endorsement from black U.S. Reps. John Lewis.

Barnes said Southern Democrats have too often had to tip-toe around their nominees because they weren't popular in the region. He said that won't be the case with Edwards, a former U.S. senator from North Carolina.

"I am ready for a president that talks like I do and I can understand without an interpreter," Barnes added.

Barnes said Clinton will have a difficult time winning the general election because so many Americans have a negative view of her.

"Whether we like it or not, she's a polarizing figure and I think she would have a very difficult time being elected and governing," he said.

Taylor said, "I am ready for a president who can bring people together."

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Edwards Wins Massachusetts SEIU Endorsement

2007-10-18T17:30:00.000-07:00

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Massachusetts union endorses Edwards

By Jenn Abelson, Boston Globe Staff

Democratic presidential contender John Edwards picked up the backing today from the 90,000-member Massachusetts chapter of the Service Employees International Union.

This is the 11th SEIU affiliate endorsement that the former senator from North Carolina has secured since Monday, representing more than 1 million working families. The other chapters are: California, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia.

"John Edwards understands the everyday struggles of working families," Rocio Saenz, president of SEIU Local 615 in Massachusetts, said in a statement.

SEIU declined to make a national endorsement because no candidate had enough support, so the state chapters were left up to make individual endorsements.

So far, rival Senator Barack Obama has picked up support from his home state SEIU chapter in Illinois and Indiana, representing a total of 170,000 members.

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor at 06:07 PM

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Edwards Statement Urging Congress To Override Bush Veto Of Children's Health Care

2007-10-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement on the debate in Washington over President Bush's veto of legislation to expand children's health insurance to cover 10 million kids:

"There's something wrong when in a country of our wealth, 47 million Americans don't have health care. There is something drastically wrong when 9 million American children—including nearly 50,000 in Iowa—don't have health care.

"President Bush's veto of the S-CHIP bill shows the importance of nominating a candidate and actually electing a president who will not compromise when it comes to children's health care, who will fight the lobbyists and special interests who stand in the way of truly universal health care, and who will never compromise on our Democratic values.

"I urge all Members of Congress to put aside their partisan interests, stand up for the millions of children without health insurance, and override Bush's veto. And if they don't, if the Republicans stand in the way of progress, I am committed when I am the Democratic nominee to make sure that we elect a Congress that will help move this nation forward with the bold change we need, starting with truly universal health care."

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Edwards wins endorsement of Iowa, California and eight other major state SEIU councils

2007-10-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

Close to one million SEIU members choose Edwards because he has the strength and vision to win both the primary and the general election.

Des Moines, Iowa – Today, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) state councils from Iowa, California, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio and Oregon announced they have endorsed Senator John Edwards for president, totaling close to one million SEIU members.

Representatives from several of the ten state councils joined Edwards for a press conference at the Eckstein Medical Research Building in Iowa City. The endorsements will allow these SEIU state councils, which collectively represent over 930,000 members, to organize efforts to turn out caucus goers on Edwards’ behalf within Iowa, and in any other state where the SEIU state councils have also endorsed Edwards. SEIU state councils across the country will be determining their endorsement decisions in the coming weeks.

“John Edwards is the only Democratic candidate with the vision, leadership and strength needed to win, not just the primary but also the general election,” said Dave Regan, representing the state councils of Ohio and West Virginia. “In the battleground states that I represent, Edwards’ broad appeal and strength at the top of the ticket will help Democrats in races at every level. He will help us build a true mandate that will bring real change to Washington, end the war in Iraq, bring truly universal health care, labor law and immigration reform – and these are the things that will improve the lives of working families across America.”

“As a Registered Nurse who knows first hand the need for health care reform, it's a great honor to announce that the members of SEIU Iowa have chosen to endorse John Edwards for president of the United States,” said Iowa SEIU Local 199 president Cathy Glasson. “In Iowa, we are uniquely positioned to see and hear the candidates, and members are well informed on the issues important to working families. John Edwards earned our support by taking a strong stand on health care and because he offers our members the greatest hope for restoring the American Dream.”

“California SEIU members know that John Edwards will be the best labor president in the history of the United States,” said Sal Rosselli, president of SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. “His proposals are far and away the best among the candidates on the issues that matter most to working Americans. Edwards has taken principled stands on workers’ behalf, when others took more cautious positions on issues that demand bold action.”

Added Tyrone Freeman, president of United Long Term Care Workers West, “We embrace his vision for opportunity for working people, and are proud to join his campaign of optimism, conviction and action that will bridge the divide between the two Americas. We will do everything in our power, in Iowa, California and across America to ensure that he ends up in the White House.”

“John Edwards understands the everyday struggles faced by working families across the country,” said TJ Janssen, a homecare worker from Wenatchee, Washington. “His commitment to ensuring quality affordable health care for every American is why I’m so excited to be supporting his campaign.”

The 2,000 members of the Iowa SEIU voted to endorse Edwards for the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday evening. On Friday, the membership of the California state council of the SEIU, which represents more than 656,000 working families, also voted to endorse Edwards. SEIU state councils from Washington (103,000 members), Michigan (70,000 members), Idaho (450 members), Montana (500 members), Minnesota (28,000 members), Ohio (22,000 members),West Virginia (4,000 members), and Oregon (46,000 members), also announced their endorsements on Monday.

“SEIU is at the forefront of the fight to make work pay and provide economic security to hardworking families. I have proudly stood with them on the frontlines of the fight for working Americans for years, and I am honored to earn their members’ support in each of these states today,” said Edwards. “Together, I believe we can fix the broken system in Washington that has been rigged by corporate interests, and we can make this country work for regular Americans again.”

The state SEIU endorsements bring Edwards close to the three million mark in union support. In September, Edwards earned the endorsement of the Transport Workers Union of America (200,000 active and retired members), the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (520,000 active members), the United Steelworkers (1.2 million active members and retirees), and the United Mine Workers of America (105,000 active members and retirees).

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Edwards Wins Endorsement From Friends Of The Earth Action

2007-10-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

Leading environmental group says Edwards has the best policies to halt global warming and protect our planet's natural resources

Manchester, NH – Today at an announcement event in Dover, New Hampshire, Senator John Edwards won the endorsement of Friends of the Earth Action, one of the leading environmental groups in the country.

"John Edwards understands that we must accept responsibility for conserving natural resources and act with urgency to stop the crisis of global warming," said Brent Blackwelder, president of Friends of the Earth Action. "He has led on this issue, with the best plan to halt global warming and protect the environment. He has the strength and courage to stand up to the big corporations that are abusing our planet. And he is the only top-tier candidate in this race who opposes new nuclear plants in the U.S. For these reasons, we trust John Edwards to work for a healthy environment and fight for the rights of regular people in our country and around the world."

Edwards has introduced a detailed agenda to halt global warming and protect the environment. His proposals include:

Capping greenhouse gas pollution starting in 2010 with a cap-and-trade system, and reducing it by 20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, as the latest science says is needed to avoid the worst impacts of global warming.

Leading the world to a new climate treaty that commits other countries—including developing nations—to reduce their pollution. Edwards will insist that developing countries join us in this effort, offering to share new clean energy technology and, if necessary, using trade agreements to require binding greenhouse reductions.

Opposing subsidies for new nuclear power plants in the U.S. because they are costly, take too long to build, and generate waste that cannot yet be stored safely and permanently.
Creating a New Energy Economy Fund by auctioning off $10 billion in greenhouse pollution permits and repealing subsidies for big oil companies. The fund will support U.S. research and development in energy technology, help entrepreneurs start new businesses, invest in new carbon-capture and efficient automobile technology and help Americans conserve energy.
Meeting the demand for more electricity through efficiency for the next decade, instead of producing more electricity.

Reversing every harmful environmental executive order and regulation issued by the Bush Administration. Edwards will submit legislation strengthening the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts and restore the "polluter pays" principle in the Superfund.

"For nearly four decades, Friends of the Earth Action has worked to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the environment," said Edwards. "I am honored to receive their support and I look forward to collaborating with them in the future. We must work together to halt global warming and protect our natural resources to ensure our children inherit a healthy planet."

Founded in San Francisco by David Brower, Friends of the Earth Action has for decades been at the forefront of high-profile efforts to create a healthier, more just world. Its members helped found Friends of the Earth International, the world's largest federation of grassroots environmental groups, with member groups in more than 70 countries.

Edwards has already earned the endorsement of several influential environmental leaders in New Hampshire, who serve on his Environmental Leadership Committee:

Environmental Leadership Committee Co-Chairs:
State Representative Jay Phinizy - Chairman of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee
State Representative David Essex - Vice Chairman of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee
Members of the Environmental Leadership Committee:
Joanne Allison Sparks - Environmental activist, North Conway
Maureen Westrick - Founder of the Fertile Valley Initiative, Intervale
Margaret Ridgely - Member of New Hampshire Audubon, North Sandwich
Samuel Wasmuth - Member of Sierra Club, Wolfeboro
Jennifer Snow - Environmental activist, Stratham
Kay Delanoy - Environmental activist, Keene
Donna Thompson - Environmental activist, Derry
Joseph Cullum - Environmental activist, Spofford
Ron Poltak - Environmental activist, Auburn

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Five Years Later

2007-10-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

It takes a person of courage and honesty to admit they've made a mistake. John Edwards has acknowledged that his vote five years ago to give George Bush the authority to go to war with Iraq was a mistake.

Why can't Senator Clinton do the same? And why does Senator Clinton refuse to admit her vote for the war was a mistake—while now siding with George Bush on Iran?

Your support for John Edwards is needed more than ever. And, with campaign financing, your contribution of up to $250 for the primary could be matched.

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Help keep John Edwards in this fight

2007-09-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

It's safe, easy and quick! Please make a donation -- anything you can afford -- to help keep John Edwards in this race:

Thanks!

Hillary Hates You

2007-09-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

David Mizner, Huffington Post

She thinks you're weak. She has no respect for you, and her lack of respect amounts to loathing--the kind of loathing that the powerful feel for the powerless. She's confident that progressives are too impotent, divided, and disorganized to deny her the nomination.

How else to explain her vote for the Lieberman-Kyl Amendment, which designates "Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organization"? Do the math, people: the Revolution Guards are terrorists + Bush launched a global war on terror = _____. Jim Webb called the bill "Cheney's fondest pipe dream." Recall that "real men want to go to Tehran." Her vote tells you that she's cocikly crusing toward the nomination that the press has already awarded her. Her chief advisor, Mark "union buster" Penn has crunched the numbers and told her that she can defy the core beliefs of the party's core with impunity. She can prepare for the general election and focus on money and do AIPAC's bidding and still win the nomination.

John Edwards is betting she's wrong. Edwards is running a more progressive and populist campaign than Hillary, but the Clinton Machine, ever savvy, has convinced the MSM and even a few progressive bloggers that the differences between the two candidates are negligible. But Hillary's prowar vote on Thursday opened the door for Edwards and that night, at the debate in New Hampshire, he surged through.

"I voted for this war in Iraq, and I was wrong to vote for this war. And I accept responsibility for that. Senator Clinton also voted for this war.

"We learned a very different lesson from that. I have no intention of giving George Bush the authority to take the first step on a road to war with Iran.

"And I think that vote today, which Senator Biden and Senator Dodd voted against, and they were correct to vote against it, is a clear indication of the approach that all of us would take with the situation in Iran because what I learned in my vote on Iraq was you cannot give this president the authority and you can't even give him the first step in that authority because he cannot be trusted."

In a better, more logical world--one in which the war in Iraq had transformed the politics of national security--Edwards would have said that the lesson he learned from his vote on Iraq is not just that you can't trust George Bush but also that warmongering leads to war, which leads to occupation, which leads to disaster, or that change must come from within countries, that it cannot be imposed.

Nonetheless, the point was made. Edwards articulated an important difference between him and Clinton, and it's a difference that all Democrats, not just progressives, will grasp. With his commanding debate performance and that answer in particular, Edwards solidified his status as Clinton's main challenger.

We can argue till the troops come home about who, Obama or Edwards, is the superior progressive--indeed, in a subsequent post, I'll make the case for Edwards--but one thing is clear: only Edwards has been willing to challenge Clinton on ideological grounds. He has blasted her relentless corporatism and now, with this statement, her militarism as well.

This is not the first instance in the race that Edwards has carved out an important difference on national security. Unlike Clinton, he opposes the very concept of a global war against terrorism. And unlike Clinton, he backed the Webb Amendment, which would have made it a crime for Bush to attack Iran without Congressional authorization--a position that won Edwards no friends at AIPAC, which killed a similar measure in the House. And unlike Clinton, who would give Bush the 92,000 new troops he wants, Edwards isn't committed to making our monstrous military more monstrous. Huge issues, real differences.

Hillary thinks you won't pay attention to the differences, just as she thinks she can get away with casting a prowar vote in the middle of the race for the Democratic nominaton. John Edwards hope she's wrong.

So do I.

Do you believe?

2007-09-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

This is about 35 minutes long and well worth it. It is John's speech the other day to SEIU. He talks about health care, unions and labor, poverty and Iraq.

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John Edwards on health care

2007-09-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

In this speech to the Laborers Union, John Edwards talks about his health care plan and notes how Hillary Clinton flattered him by copying his plan so closely. He also tells Congress and the President — which will actually be telling himself — to either put up, get universal health care passed, or shut up. No health care for you.

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Board of Equalization Chair Betty Yee throws her support to John Edwards

2007-09-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

by Randy Bayne
The Bayne of Blog

Apparently I'm not on Betty Yee's mailing list. I had no idea John Edwards was in California this weekend, much less that he was here to receive an endorsement from Betty Yee, Chair of the State Board of Equalization.

"I support John because he has the boldest, most detailed policies to move this country forward," said Yee. "Whether it is ending the war in Iraq, providing truly universal healthcare, fighting global warming, ending poverty or enacting comprehensive immigration reform, John has set himself apart from the other candidates. I believe he is the best candidate to lead our country and the best chance Democrats have at taking back the White House."

Responding to the endorsement, Edwards called Yee a voice for the voiceless.

"Betty's commitment to advocating for those who have no voice is an example of what we all should be doing to build a better America," said Edwards. "I am honored to have her support and look forward to working with her to change our country, so every American has the opportunity to work hard and succeed."

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Senator Edwards on Iraq: "Enough is enough"

2007-09-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

Today Senator John Edwards released the following statement on Iraq:

"After two days of General Petraeus' testimony, only one thing seems clear: this president isn't going to change his failed policy in Iraq until he is forced to do so. The question now is whether Congress will once again cave to his demands, or if they will stand firm and answer the call of the American people who last November voted for change in Iraq.

"My position has been very clear. For over a year, I have called for an immediate withdrawal of 40-50,000 troops--not by next summer, not in the near future, but today--to jumpstart the comprehensive political solution that will end the violence in Iraq and will allow a complete withdrawal of all combat troops within 9 to 10 months. Some, like Senator Obama, have said we should only `begin' to end this war now. Senator Obama would withdraw only 1-2 combat brigades a month between now and the end of next year, which for the next several months could essentially mimic the president's own plans to withdraw 30,000 troops by next summer.

"Taking credit for this gradual withdrawal is like taking credit for gravity. These 30,000 troops would have to be withdrawn anyway, unless the president extended tours to an unconscionable 18 months.

"Enough is enough. We don't need to `begin' to end the war now. What we need to do now is actually end the war. This is about right and wrong. Our young men and women are dying every day for a failed policy. Every member of Congress who believes this war must end, from Senators Obama and Clinton to Senator Warner, has a moral responsibility to use every tool available to them, including a filibuster, to force the president to change course. Congress must stand firm and say: No timetable, no funding. No excuses."

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Another union endorsement for Edwards - Transport Union Workers

2007-09-06T13:27:00.000-07:00

Workers that keep America moving and protect homeland security choose Edwards

New York, New York – The Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) today endorsed Senator John Edwards for president at the union’s international headquarters in New York City. Edwards was joined by TWU International President James C. Little, TWU Local 100 President Roger Toussaint, and rank and file members from early caucus and primary states for the announcement.

“I’m proud to stand in New York with members of the Transit Workers Union, who keep the city moving and help keep New Yorkers safe,” said Edwards. “The men and women of the TWU serve on the front lines of our country’s homeland security, protecting public transportation users, the nation’s railways, and skies. These are the workers who get us to our jobs and our families.

“For too long, these good union men and women and millions of other working families have been ignored by a broken system in Washington. I’m looking forward to campaigning with them in early primary states and key general election battleground states, and as president I’ll fight for them every day, so we can honor their hard work and make our transportation infrastructure safe and secure.”

Nationwide, TWU has a total of 200,000 active and retired members, which brings Edwards over the 2 million member mark for union support – the largest bloc of any presidential candidate. In the last week, Edwards has received endorsements from the Carpenters, who represent 520,000 active members, the Steelworkers with 1.2 million active members and retirees, and the Mine Workers with 105,000 active members and retirees.

“Some candidates seem to be figuring out how to best triangulate on campaign issues,” said TWU President James C. Little. “John Edwards takes on subjects such as job security, health care, retirement and the growing gap in wealth between the rich and the middle class in a straight forward way that the country and working families desperately need.”

This endorsement further enhances Edwards’ strength in early states and in many key battleground states necessary for Democrats to win back the White House. Close to half of the TWU members and retirees live in states that will caucus or vote on or before February 5th, including 8,000 active and retired members in Nevada, 10,000 active and retired members in Oklahoma, 12,000 active and retired members in California, 8,000 active and retired members in New Jersey, and over 50,000 active and retired members in New York.

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Two more unions endorse Edwards

2007-09-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

Official endorsement at Pittsburgh Labor Day rally gives Edwards largest bloc of union support among presidential candidates so far

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania – The United Steelworkers (USW) and the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) today endorsed Senator John Edwards for president. Following the Thursday endorsement of Edwards by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners in America, the two endorsements announced today at a Labor Day rally in Pittsburgh with union members and their families give Edwards the largest bloc of union support so far—combined, more than 1.8 million members and retirees—among any of the presidential candidates.

"I am especially honored to receive the support of the Steelworkers and Mine Workers unions," said Edwards, "These are the workers who built the middle class in America, and they are the backbone of the American labor movement. They understand how important it is to fight back when jobs, safety, standards and our values are at risk—and they know what's at stake in this election."

"These workers have felt the negative impact of a broken system in Washington that is rigged against America's working families for far too long—whether it's the tragic lack of oversight in mine safety, trade agreements written to benefit multinational corporations while they ship American jobs overseas, or the millions of working Americans who still can't afford health insurance," added Edwards. "As president, I will proudly lead the fight on behalf of working families with their support—and together we will win."

Representing 1.2 million workers and retirees, the USW is the nation's largest private sector industrial union. Following extensive outreach to USW members that included a poll of the union's 15,000 activists, as well as a nationwide survey of the union's membership, the USW International Executive Board voted unanimously on Sunday, September 2nd to endorse Edwards.

The UMWA represents 105,000 active and retired coal miners, municipal employees, health care workers and manufacturing workers in North America. Their membership includes more coal miners than any union in the world.

Both Steelworkers President Leo W. Gerard and UMWA President Cecil E. Roberts announced their endorsement by making clear the stakes hard-working families face and laying out why Sen. Edwards is the best candidate to lead the fight for change in America.

"Senator John Edwards is committed, as he has been throughout his life, to going to bat for everyday Americans and to changing a broken political system that leaves millions of Americans without a voice in their government," said Steelworkers President Leo W. Gerard. "Edwards is right on the issues that matter to us, and he's the candidate with the best chance of winning in the general election. The big corporations don't need another president who does their bidding. It's time we had a president who will fight for working people—and that's what John Edwards will do."

"Senator Edwards' positions on the issues of importance to UMWA members make him the best fit of all the candidates for president," UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. "We need a president who cares about ordinary working people instead of the richest Americans and the big multinational corporations. We believe John Edwards is that person, and we will work as hard as we know how on his behalf anywhere and everywhere we can."

Close to 1,000 people were expected at the Pittsburgh Labor Day rally where the unions' official endorsements were announced. Sen. Edwards was joined on stage by USW President Leo Gerard, UMWA International President Cecil Roberts and local union members. Elizabeth Edwards and Edwards Campaign Manager David Bonior also attended the event.

On Thursday, August 30th, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, representing more than 520,000 members from all political affiliations, also announced that they would endorse John Edwards for president. Their formal endorsement will take place at a rally of union members on September 8th in New Hampshire.

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John Edwards Está en Fuego!

2007-08-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, the tide is turning rather dramatically and John Edwards has officially become the candidate with "Big Mo" on his side. There's almost "too much good stuff" to share with you in one message, but like AM/PM, I'll give it my best shot:

1) Edwards Earns Endorsement from the national Carpenters' Union
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, representing more than 520,000 workers, announced their support for Sen. Edwards on Thursday. It's the first time in several Presidential election cycles that the Carpenters' Union has felt strongly enough about any candidate to make a primary endorsement. You can read the entire story here: http://johnedwards.com/news/press-releases/20070830-carpenters-union/

2) At Least One Surge is Working -- Edwards' Support Rising Rapidly in Both National & Early State Polls
Although each and every aspect of the Bush-Cheney policy in Iraq have been tragically disastrous, there is one surge that appears to be working quite well: John Edwards' dramatic surge in the recent polls, which represent a potpourri of good news for progressives. Nationally, Edwards has erased Obama's seventeen point lead in less than three weeks and has pulled into a virtual dead heat with the Illinois Senator in Rasmussen's daily tracking poll. Edwards has also gained 13 points on Hillary Clinton over the same period. In addition, Edwards has increased his lead over each of the GOP contenders in head-to-head polls and has strengthened his position as the most electable Democratic candidate. A new Time magazine poll shows that Edwards has also solidified his frontrunner status in Iowa, and in South Carolina Edwards has overcome a 15-point deficit since last month to surge past Obama and into second place in that important early primary state.

3) Progressive Media Begins to Rally Behind Edwards' Populist Message
Perhaps most important of all, both the corporate media and the alternative media have now come to realize that John Edwards is the only genuine progressive among the 2008 Presidential contenders. The mainstream media figured this out several months ago and have been viciously attacking Sen. Edwards ever since, while simultaneously giving the warm and fuzzy treatment to the his more centrist challengers. Fortunately the progressive media has to started to catch, and recently they have begun to rally around Edwards' populist message. In this excellent AlterNet piece Joshua Holland analyzes the recent speech in New Hampshire where Edwards called out "corporate Democrats" and Republicans alike, and pledged to use his Presidency to end the corporate domination of our society once and for all. This is the kind of aggressive, populist campaign that many of us have been waiting decades for, and progressives are beginning to respond. Corporate elites and your lackeys in Congress, beware! We've suffered for decades under the rule of Republicans and "centrist" Democrats, but we the people may be on the verge of taking our country back.

Edwards Goes After the 'Corporate Democrats' -- Is This a Turning Point for His Campaign?
By Joshua Holland, AlterNetPosted on August 26, 2007 http://www.alternet.org/story/60748/

Last week, John Edwards fired a broadside against corporate America and, more significantly, "corporate Democrats," the likes of which hasn't been heard from a viable candidate with national appeal in decades.

Edwards is en fuego right now, and if he keeps up the heat, his candidacy will either be widely embraced by the emerging progressive movement or utterly annihilated by an entrenched establishment that fears few things more than a telegenic populist with enough money to mount a credible campaign.

"It's time to end the game," Edwards told a crowd in Hanover, New Hampshire. "It's time to tell the big corporations and the lobbyists who have been running things for too long that their time is over." He exhorted Washington law-makers to "look the lobbyists in the eye and just say no."
Real change starts with being honest -- the system in Washington is rigged and our government is broken. It's rigged by greedy corporate powers to protect corporate profits. It's rigged by the very wealthy to ensure they become even wealthier. At the end of the day, it's rigged by all those who benefit from the established order of things. For them, more of the same means more money and more power. They'll do anything they can to keep things just the way they are -- not for the country, but for themselves.

[The system is] controlled by big corporations, the lobbyists they hire to protect their bottom line and the politicians who curry their favor and carry their water. And it's perpetuated by a media that too often fawns over the establishment, but fails to seriously cover the challenges we face or the solutions being proposed. This is the game of American politics and in this game, the interests of regular Americans don't stand a chance.

It's a structural argument, and Edwards didn't pull punches in calling out his fellow Democrats, saying: "We cannot replace a group of corporate Republicans with a group of corporate Democrats, just swapping the Washington insiders of one party for the Washington insiders of the other." The rhetoric was a clear signal that Edwards is going to beat the drums of reform as a contrast to Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in the primaries.

About a third of the speech focused on the trade deals that Bill Clinton championed, and his argument that those "wedded to the past" can't provide the answers was a barely-veiled rebuke of the Clintonian arm of the party, and the media's chosen "front-runner" for the nomination.
If Democrats are engaged in an existential struggle between the party's establishment and its grassroots, Edwards is obviously betting that the grassroots' passion and energy will trump the Machine Democrats message' apparatus -- this was a speech that was not written by the usual coterie of Beltway consultants.

The most striking aspect of Edwards' speech was his implicit argument that class still exists. For years, both parties have obscured the divisions that are so prominent in modern American society, painting a picture of a country in which we're all part of an entrepreneurial class with more or less similar interests -- a key ingredient in the false "center" to which politicians and Beltway pundits kow-tow. "Let me tell you one thing I have learned from my experience," Edwards said last week. "You cannot deal with them on their terms. You cannot play by their rules, sit at their table, or give them a seat at yours. They will not give up their power -- you have to take it from them."

It was an explicit rebuke of Obama's "new politics" -- Obama recently told the Washington Post that "the insurance and drug companies can have a seat at the table in our health-care debate; they just can't buy all the chairs." Obama's approach to "cleaning up Washington" is not bad, but ultimately tinkers around the edges of a corrupted legislative system.
Edwards is not so conciliatory on the subject. "For more than 20 years, Democrats have talked about universal health care," he said. "And for more than 20 years, we've gotten nowhere, because lobbyists for the big insurance companies, drug companies and HMOs spent millions to block real reform."

Contrast that naked confrontation of corporate power with the tepid appeals to working Americans that were a trademark of John Kerry's 2004 campaign. In announcing his candidacy, Kerry offered a bit of demagoguery about CEOs -- he segued from bashing Cheney and Halliburton --and boldly promised to end tax breaks "that help companies move American jobs overseas." Also in his plan for corporate accountability: "No more contracts for companies, no matter how well-connected they are, until they decide to do what's right."

Hillary Clinton's economic proposals track with the thinking popular among the ostensible "progressives" at the DLC and the Third Way -- policies that give Americans the "opportunity" to save for retirement, a decidedly centrist approach to spiraling college costs and other familiar policies from the 1990s. She's not a fair trader nor a free trader, she says -- she's for "smart trade," "pro-American" trade.

Edward's speech about the economy isn't the only time that he's strayed from the bounds of "respectable" discourse in Washington. In May, he said that the "war on terror" was a political "bumper sticker" that the administration used to "justify everything [Bush] does: the ongoing war in Iraq, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, spying on Americans, torture."

Edwards isn't the only candidate in the race making such bold statements, of course. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has long spoken of economic issues in the kinds of terms Edwards used last week. But John Edwards was the vice presidential nominee on a presidential ticket that won 59 million votes and he's raised $23 million in the current cycle (20 times what Kucinich has raised), and that means that corporate media is forced to cover him. So far, they've mocked him, written stories about his haircuts, pushed shadowy innuendo about his personal business dealings and suggested his focus on poverty is disingenuous or hypocritical, but they simply can't write him off as a member of the fringe. Unlike Kucinich, they can't ignore him.

John Edwards is becoming a very different kind of candidate, and his growing message of empowerment and attack on the corporate class may prove to be the most interesting story of campaign 2008.

Joshua Holland is an AlterNet staff writer.
© 2007 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/60748/

Tomorrow Begins Today

Carpenter's Union endorses Edwards

2007-08-31T08:52:00.000-07:00

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters, a union that has not endorsed a candidate in the primaries in several election cycles, will formally announce their endorsement of John Edwards for President at a rally of union members on September 8th in New Hampshire.

After carefully considering all the candidates from both parties, the Carpenters Union chose Edwards as the candidate with the best chance of winning the White House and the person who will best represent hard-working families.

"Our endorsement is based on the Senator's outspoken support for all of organized labor and his focus on America's working families," said Carpenters President Douglas J. McCarron. "In addition to his support for labor, our leadership was particularly impressed with the Senator's strong stand on trade."

"We also believe that Senator Edwards will have a great appeal in a general election," McCarron continued. "He has the ability to reach out to moderate voters, including the members of our union, and to address their very real concerns about jobs, health care and the economy."

Senator Edwards believes that in order to strengthen the middle class and build One America, we need to strengthen the union movement in our country. He has traveled across the country to walk picket lines and has helped organize thousands of workers into unions. Edwards is a strong supporter of workers' rights and has laid out a comprehensive agenda to help working families, which includes raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing universal health care, enacting smart and safe trade policies and protecting a worker's right to organize.

"More than ever, America needs a president who will stand up for working families and the middle class," Edwards said. "I have walked picket lines and helped organize thousands of workers, and I've seen firsthand what unions go through every single day trying to protect the right to organize, trying to bargain collectively, and trying to get a decent wage and health care. If we're going to grow the middle class and ensure fairness, we need to strengthen workers' rights. I have always stood on the side of working Americans and I always will."

The full press release is available here.

Tomorrow Begins Today

Voter registration canvas in Oak Park

2007-08-29T20:53:00.000-07:00

Please mark Saturday, October 6, 2007 on your calendars. On that day the "Sacramento for Edwards Coalition with Assemblymember Dave Jones" will be holding a voter registration canvas in the Oak Park area.

The specific location will be announced shortly, but the time will be 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a "basic" BBQ afterward for volunteers (hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, non-alcoholic beverages).

Please contact Zak Ford, (916)-813-6658, or follow the link below to volunteer for this effort.

Please join our John Edwards One Corps chapter at http://blog.johnedwards.com/chapter/1442.

For more information, and to RSVP for this event, please click here:
http://blog.johnedwards.com/event/2886

Donate to John Edwards for President

A special moment. John Edwards on health care

2007-08-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

John Edwards answers a question about Health Care in Portsmouth, N.H. on August 26, 2007. This stop came as part of his "Fighting for One America" New Hampshire bus tour.

Take four short minutes to view this must see video.

Donate to John Edwards for President

Edwards still the best bet to beat any republican

2007-08-29T18:06:00.000-07:00

by Randy Bayne
The Bayne of Blog

A new report from Global Strategy Group shows that John Edwards continues to be the most electable Democratic candidate for President.

Edwards is the only Democrat with a significant lead in a head-to-head match-up against Republican frontrunner Giuliani. Against the other three major Republican candidates, Edwards’ average margin of victory is virtually identical to that of Barack Obama, and significantly higher than Hillary Clinton’s average margin.

The report also says that Edwards "outperforms the other Democratic candidates in match-ups with Republican candidates in key battleground states," and brings new state into the mix so that he doesn't have to "run the table" in other Democratic states.

Even though Edwards has been shown to be the only candidate that solidly defeats every GOP candidate, and he is the only candidate that consistently voices strong support for American workers, two unions have endorsed other candidates.

This morning it was reported that the United Transportation Union endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton. It is the first endorsement by a major union in this election. Clinton's endorsement comes in spite of the repeated reports showing "Clinton as the weakest major Democrat in the general election."

In another, more surprising endorsement, the International Association of Firefighters has thrown its support to Senator Chris Dodd. Dodd is currently polling at less than 2 percent.

So there you have it. The good news, Edwards is the candidate with the strongest chance at beating the Republicans — any and all of them; and the bad news, because the press has annointed Clinton and Barack Obama the Democrats may end up missing their best opportunity at capturing the White House.

To call it disappointing that these two unions did not endorse Edwards would be a massive understatement. Edwards is clearly the best choice for labor, for working America, and for the Democrat's ability to regain the White House. That isn't to say the other can't, but it will be much harder for Clinton or Obama.

The Republicans, and even moderate Democrats, fear Edwards. They know he can and will beat them, and they will stop at nothing to keep his name out of the news — in positive stories. They will also work overtime to attack Clinton and Obama without mentioning Edwards with the hope that Democrats will come to Clinton's and Obama's rescue by nominating one of them.

It is the same tactic they used in 2004 when it seemed Edwards might defeat John Kerry for the nomination. It worked then...

Edwards stands for working Americans, for the poor and middle class, for increasing opportunity, for real universal health care, for decent jobs at a decent wage, for unions. He has the best chance of winning in November, and the power brokers are scared.

Give what you can to help John Edwards for President

Karl Rove's worst nightmare

2007-08-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

You may have seen Karl Rove's recent attacks on Hillary Clinton in the news.

This is a page straight out of his tired old playbook—Rove is attacking Hillary Clinton because he doesn't want John Edwards to win the Democratic nomination.

Rove knows that Democrats will rally around whomever he attacks—so he attacks the candidate he thinks Republicans can most easily defeat.

It may seem backwards, but Rove and his cronies did the same thing last time around. In 2004, they were scared of John Edwards, so they attacked John Kerry.

Don't take it from me—take it from Rove's own lieutenant on the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign, Matthew Dowd:

"Whomever we attacked was going to be emboldened in Democratic primary voters' minds. So we started attacking John Kerry a lot in the end of January because we were very worried about John Edwards." [Los Angeles Times, 8/19/07]

Rove and the Republicans want our opponents to win—because they know John will be the strongest candidate in the general election.

We may not be the richest campaign—but John is the strongest candidate. This time around, the candidate with the boldest ideas for changing America—the candidate who can take on the special interests in Washington, D.C. and win—is also the most electable. We know it—and the Republicans know it, too. But they won't be able to stop us if we have the support of people like you.

Can you make a contribution today—and send Karl Rove the message that his efforts to influence the Democratic primary won't work this time?

www.johnedwards.com/roves-nightmare

It is no secret that John is the only Democratic candidate who can beat any of the Republican candidates hands down. Just look at the polls conducted by Rasmussen Reports—a major national polling firm—over the past few months. They show that John is the Democratic candidate who consistently beats all of the Republicans candidates in head-to-head match-ups in battleground states—and by the widest margins.

Rove and the Republicans are seeing the same numbers we are—and drawing the same conclusions. So Rove is using his sneaky, underhanded tactics to try and trick Democrats into rallying around a candidate who won't be as strong as John in the general election.

But with your support, we can make sure that Rove's plan doesn't work this time. We are building a strong grassroots organization in the key early states and across the country. John has the best and boldest ideas for bringing big change to America, he can take on the special interests and win, and of all the Democratic candidates he will be the strongest in the general election—in other words, John Edwards is Karl Rove's worst nightmare.

All we need is your support to drive right past Karl Rove's see-through tactics—and keep our campaign on the road to victory.

www.johnedwards.com/roves-nightmare

Thank you for all you do to support this campaign.

Sincerely,

-Joe Trippi
Senior Advisor, John Edwards for President
August 22, 2007

John Edwards blast Bush on children's health care - SCHIP

2007-08-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards issued the following statement in response to the Bush Administration's new order directing states to cut back on enrolling kids in the state children's health insurance program (SCHIP).

"In a stunning late-evening order, the Bush Administration made it abundantly clear that the health and welfare of uninsured children is of little concern to President Bush. The Bush order continues an ideological crusade against the SCHIP that will only benefit private insurance companies, while further punishing countless numbers of uninsured families in America. Sadly, this is a new low -- even for this president.

"The practical effect of this order is clear: States like New Hampshire, Missouri and Minnesota will have to take away insurance from tens of thousands of children from moderate-income families. Roughly 20 states will be forced to impose a 12-month waiting period before any children without health insurance can enroll. That's a death sentence for uninsured kids with leukemia and other diseases -- chemotherapy isn't available in the emergency room. Apparently 18,000 Americans already dying each year because they don't have health insurance just isn't enough for the Bush Administration.

"When Congress returns from recess, Democrats and responsible Republicans must come together to override this disastrous order and expand the children's health insurance program to serve millions more children. More importantly, it is clearer now than ever that the time has come for bold and transformational health care reform. As president, I will never allow the private insurance industry or its lobbyists to get in the way of providing health care to children or having true universal health care reform."

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Do Democrats really want to win the White House in November 2008?

2007-08-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

by Paul Burke, 08/13/07
Co-Chair, Sacramento for Edwards Grassroots

Dear Friends,

Do Democrats really want to win the White House in November 2008?

This sounds like a stupid question, doesn't it? Of course Democratic voters want to win... don't we? After six long years of suffering under the humanitarian disaster know as the Bush/Cheney Administration, one would think that Democrats would be willing to do just about anything to put a Democrat in the White House... wouldn't we?

Well, you might think so, but the national polling data suggests a different story. It's been clear for several months now that the most electable Democrats are John Edwards and Barack Obama, in that order (see Rasmussen Reports or the blog entry below for details). Hillary Clinton is running a distant third in the crucial electabilty contest. She also has the lowest favorable ratings and highest unfavorable ratings among the leading Democratic contenders. What makes matters worse for Sen. Clinton, and for Democrats if we choose to nominate her, is that Sen. Clinton has been a national figure for more than fifteen years and is far and away the best known candidate in either party. The chances of her l owering her unfavorable ratings -- currently an eye-popping 48% -- are somewhere between slim and none... and no one has seen slim around for a while.

Among Democratic primary voters, however, Clinton is ahead in all the national polls and her lead over Sen. Edwards and Sen. Obama is growing. In addition, Hillary is ahead in four of the five early primary states (New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, and Florida) and has pulled into a virtual tie with Edwards in the fifth, Iowa (see Real Clear Politics for details). In other words, the corporate media and the pollsters have already annointed our least electable candidate as the "inevitable" nominee, and not a single Democrat will cast a vote for another five months! How's that for democracy?

Worse still from a progressive perspective, Sen. Clinton is not only the least competitive of the first tier Democratic candidates, she's also the most conservative. In fact, Clinton is arguably the most conservative of any of the eight Democratic presidential hopefuls (with the possible exception of the ultra-hawkish Joe Biden). Yes, it will be a great historical moment for our nation when we elect the first woman Presdent, and as a proud feminist I look forward to celebrating that moment with tens of millions of American women and enlightened men. But is throwing our support behind a centrist, pro-war, corporate Democrat with poor general election prospects the best way for progressives to demonstrate our commitment to women's rights? Certainly Republican strategists and corporate elites are hoping that we make that choice. In fact, the nomination of a candidate as polarizing as Hillary Clinton is probably the GOP's only chance to wage a competitive presidential campaign in the immediate aftermath of the disastrous Bush/Cheney debacle and the virtual implosion of the Republican party. Besides, corporate elites are well aware that if they can't have their first choice in the White House (i.e., any Republican), they know that anyone named Clinton is a perfectly accecptable alternative to serve their corporate interests. If that sounds like a controversial statement, then you may not have been paying close enough attention during the 1990's.

On the other hand, as Democratic voters we do have another option. We can choose to nominate the Democratic contender who is both the most electable and the most progressive... Sen. John Edwards. As you can see from the polling data below, Edwards has consistently outperformed both Clinton and Obama against every Republican candidate in the field, and his favorable/unfavorable ratings among American voters are the best of any Democrat (including Al Gore). Better still, he's running by far the most progressive campaign of any major Democratic candidate (yes, I love Dennis Kucinich, but those of us on the left must accept the reality that, although his campaign serves an important ideological and educational role, Kucinich is not a contender). This sounds like a pretty easy choice, and it certainly is for me. In fact, I haven't been inspired to work for any Presidential candidate since serving as a student leader for Rev. Jesse Jackson's historic "rainbow coalition" campaign back in 1988. But John Edwards represents our best chance to elect a progressive populist President in my lifetime, which is why I volunteered to serve as a Co-Chair of Sacramento for Edwards. Win or lose, we're incredibly proud to serve on behalf of the only candidate in American history who has pledged to end poverty in a generation.

We'd rather win. Regardless of what the spin doctors and corporate media pundits try to tell us, it is far from inevitable that the Democrats are going to nominate our most conservative, least electable candidate. Do you remember a couple years ago when it seemed live everyone you knew supported George Bush and everyone you knew supported the war? Do you remember feeling like an alien in your own home town because all of a sudden it seem liked many of your neighbors, co-workers, and classmates had lost their collective minds and turned into xenophobic, blindly "patriotic" warmongers and Bush clones? Those folks are whistling a very different tune these days, huh? Isn't it amazing how quickly things can turn around?

It can happen again. Not a single primary vote will be cast until next year, and it's still summer. John Edwards can win the Democratic nomination, and we can put a progressive in the White House in 2008. But in all honesty, we need your help to make it happen. The other candidates, both Democrat and Republican alike, are the darlings of the corporate elite. John Edwards is campaigning on a platform of economic justice platform, which makes the folks at Walmart and Exxon very uncomfortable. Like Rev. Jackson a generation ago (who came much closer to winning the nomination that most people today remember), Sen. Edwards is counting on the good will of regular folks like us to get involved and take back our democracy from the corporate CEO's. We can win, but only with an inspired, grassroots effort.

If you'd like to end poverty in our nation, bring our troops home from Iraq, and guarantee quality, affordable health care to every American, you have the power to do so. If you'd like to get inolved, or just learn more about our progressive grassroots campaign, please sign up for our new Sacramento for Edwards Google Group and check out our new Sacramento for Edwards blog.

Tomorrow Begins Today!
Paul B
Co-Chair, Sacramento for Edwards

Rasmussen Reports Show Consistent Pattern
rmcveigh in Diaries 8/10/2007 at 11:41 PM EST

The most recent Rasmussen Report shows a consistent pattern in presidential match ups between Democrats and Republicans.

Back at the beginning of April I looked at favorables/unfavorables and match-ups between candidates.

The most recent Rasmussen Report shows little has changed since then. John Edwards currently has the highest favorable ratings at 54% among all the presidential candidates both Democrat and Republican. John also has among the lowest unfavorable ratings. [lowest of the first tier Democrats]. Conversely Senator Clinton has the highest unfavorable rating at 48%.
John does well in match-ups against Republican presidential candidates. He beats all of them.

Let's look at match-ups with Giuliani:
Edwards 49%Giuliani 42%
Clinton 45%Giuliani 46%
Obama 44%Giuliani 43%

Since April, Clinton has closed the gap with Giuliani, but Edwards has went from seven points down to being seven points up.

Another name often mentioned is Fred Thompson. How do Clinton, Obama, and Edwards do against Thompson?
Edwards 50%Thompson 39%
Clinton 45%Thompson 46%
Obama 46%Thompson 39%

Edwards beats Thompson by the greatest margin, while Clinton loses to Thompson.
How about match-ups with McCain?
Edwards 45%McCain 38%
Clinton 45%McCain 43%
Obama 46%McCain 40%

Edwards beats McCain by the largest margin, while Clinton bets McCain by a mere two percentage points.

Lastly, let's look at match-ups against Romney:
Edwards 52%Romney 36%
Clinton 46%Romney 42%
Obama 47%Romney 38%

Again, Edwards beats Romney by the biggest margin, while Clinton wins by only four percentage points.

To compare current match-ups with the percentages in April, go to http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/4 /4/04240/87008.

So the question for Democrats is simple. Do we make our nominee a person who is now in tight races with the Republican presidential candidates, or do we nominee a person who has the biggest margin of victory against Republican presidential candidates? Do we roll the dice, or do we nominee a winner that will beat the Republican presidential candidate in November 2008?

John Edwards clearly the most electable Democratic candidate

2007-08-12T11:25:00.000-07:00

By Zak Ford

Two of the biggest things that stand out about John Edwards are his substance and electability.

The Edwards campaign recently forwarded me the below NY Times op-ed and attached memorandum regarding Edwards' polling in the general election. The PDF file includes a lot of detailed polling information from battleground states. Please review this information and forward it to your friends.

For the month of August and into September, The Sacramento for Edwards Coalition with Assemblymember Dave Jones will focus its attention on helping local supporters organize house parties to promote Edwards. In late September/early October we are planning a voter registration drive. Please contact me if you would like to get involved.

I look forward to working with you in the months ahead.

Please join our One Corps chapter at http://blog.johnedwards.com/chapter/1442.

Zak Ford
Office of Assemblymember Dave Jones
916-813-6658

Donate to John Edwards for President

What's wrong with America and what will you do to change it

2007-08-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

Help John bring universal health care to America.

John Edwards standing with America's workers

2007-08-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

Help John fight for workers.

Edwards: They will never silence me. Never.

2007-07-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

Cross posted at Edwards in 08 (Northern California for Edwards) and Northern California for Edwards Myspace.

Small Change for Big Change

2007-07-26T11:59:00.000-07:00

John is going to be in San Francisco next Wednesday afternoon to meet with local supporters, and he asked that I invite you to join him. Space is limited, so I hope you sign up to reserve your spot right away!

Here are the details:

What: "Small Change for Big Change" grassroots fundraiser with John Edwards and you

Where: Temple Nightclub - Prana Room, 540 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

When: Wednesday, August 1 at 12:15 PM.

RSVP online to reserve your spot at:

http://johnedwards.com/r/24119/876307/

This is an important event, because it's part of our "Small Change for Big Change" grassroots fundraiser series.

It's very expensive to reach out to voters in early primary states and across the nation. But the trouble with the usual fundraisers is that they are only open to those ready to write huge checks - and this campaign is built on reaching out to everyone.

So John asked his campaign to organize this series of grassroots fundraisers for supporters who share our passion but may only be able to spare $25 or $50 dollars. In fact, for next Wednesday's event, tickets are just $15 each.

This campaign is about working together to achieve truly transformational change for our country and our world. We're about creating a world where every man, woman and child in America has the quality affordable health care they need, where no child here (or anywhere) has to go to bed hungry, where the planet and its people do not have to face the ravages of global warming, and where our men and women in Iraq are swiftly brought home to a hero's welcome.

Is this all possible? Can we create that world? Yes. But not without you.

If you'd like to join us in this great effort, John would like to meet you next Wednesday afternoon and talk to you about what's next. We really hope you'll be able to make it.

Here's the link again to RSVP and reserve your spot:

http://johnedwards.com/r/24121/876307/

Thank you,

--David Bonior
Campaign Manager
John Edwards for President

British magazine likes Edwards

2007-07-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

The Economist.com has a great article about John Edwards. Read it here.

What really matters?

2007-07-23T20:07:00.000-07:00

Let's keep our focus on what's important.

Donate to John Edwards for President

Why Progressives Should Support John Edwards for President

2007-07-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

By Prof. Paul Burke, Sacramento Progressive Alliance

posted on PDAmerica.org
July 12, 2007, Sacramento, CA

This is the third in an ongoing series of articles on the Edwards and Kucinich campaigns

“It’s time for Americans to be patriotic about something other than war.” - John Edwards, Riverside Church, NY, January 14, 2007

After honoring our country’s revolutionary spirit with family, friends and fireworks at our Independence Day celebrations, perhaps we should also take a moment to reflect on the meaning of genuine patriotism. Following this 4th of July holiday, Americans are feeling betrayed by an administration which led us into an illegal, immoral, and unwinnable war in Iraq; pessimistic about an economy that increasingly benefits wealthy elites while the middle class shrinks and millions of working families are thrown into poverty each year; concerned about the erosion of our basic civil rights and civil liberties; and outraged by a “sicko” health care system that lines the pockets of health insurance executives while leaving a third of our fellow citizens either un-insured or under-insured.

In this context, real patriots must go beyond superficial declarations about how much we love our country. We must demonstrate our patriotism by honestly acknowledging the challenges that we face as Americans and by developing effective solutions. During this summer of our legitimate discontent, we are fortunate that Senator John Edwards has given us something more than just the most clever slogan of the campaign season. With his populist campaign for the White House, Edwards has indeed given progressives something other than war to be patriotic about.

The central themes of the Edwards campaign represent a set of core values around which progressives of many stripes can unite:

Ending the War in Iraq and Closing Guantanamo
Like far too many of his colleagues in Congress, Sen. Edwards made a tragic mistake in voting to authorize the use of force in Iraq in 2002. To his credit, however, Edwards publicly admitted his mistake two years ago and has since emerged as one of the most passionate and eloquent anti-war voices in the country. Speaking at a Martin Luther King Holiday event at New York’s Riverside Church this past January, Edwards called for an end to the carnage in Iraq from the same pulpit from which Dr. King had denounced the Vietnam War forty years earlier. Repeating Dr. King’s message that “a time comes when silence is betrayal,” Sen. Edwards challenged his more cautious Democratic competitors to speak out more forcefully against the war. In doing so, Edwards helped change the terms of the national debate on Iraq and succeeded in pulling Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama to the left on this issue. At a grassroots campaign event last month in San Jose, Edwards also pledged to close Guanamo on his first day in office, to end US. involvement with torture, and to spend his first few months in office traveling the globe and meeting with international leaders in an effort to begin restoring our nation’s moral credibility in the world.

Universal Health Care
Sen. Edwards is the only major Presidential candidate to present a detailed, comprehensive plan to bring America into the civilized world by guaranteeing quality, affordable health care to all of our citizens. Edwards’ plan covers every American, eliminates the insidious practice of denying insurance to patients with pre-existing conditions, and pays for the increased coverage by rolling back Bush’s tax cuts for the very wealthiest Americans. Although the Edwards plan is not exactly a single-payer plan–which most of us support in theory, but which we lack the political clout to pass through Congress in the foreseeable future – it does include the potential to evolve into a single-payer, public insurance plan if that’s what the American people choose down the road. The Edwards health care plan is revolutionary in that it provides coverage to every American, but it is sufficiently pragmatic that Congress might actually pass it.

Empowering Working Families and the Labor Movement
On a live national conference call in March, Sen. Edwards emphatically declared his solidarity with the labor movement. “The movement of organized labor is my movement. I’m proud to be a part of it.” Along with organized labor and other progressive groups, Edwards spearheaded the successful campaign to raise the minimum wage in six states last November. Edwards supports the Employee Free Choice Act and other progressive reforms to strengthen unions. Without a doubt, this son of a North Carolina mill worker is the labor candidate in 2008.

Ending Poverty in Our Lifetime
Over the last few years John and Elizabeth Edwards have repeatedly declared that “ending poverty in America has become the cause of our lives.” In more than twenty years as a progressive political activist I’ve never heard an American political leader make such a pledge. Even better, Sen. Edwards has actually developed a plan to do it, which he outlines in his excellent new book, Ending Poverty in America: How to Restore the American Dream. Despite being the richest country in human history, the U.S. currently suffers from the highest poverty rate in the industrial world. Edwards’ remarkable commitment to end poverty in our lifetime is, in and of itself, sufficient reason for progressives to enthusiastically support this populist campaign.

More than anything else, to be a progressive activist means to embrace the “preferential option for the poor,” to struggle in principled solidarity with the disrespected, the dispossessed, and the disenfranchised. It means this, or it means nothing at all. At this crucial moment in history, there is no better way for progressives to move our agenda forward than to support John and Elizabeth Edwards in their populist, grassroots campaign for the White House. After all, isn’t it about time to be patriotic about something other than war?

Prof. Paul Burke is a veteran political activist and a Co-Chair of the Sacramento Progressive Alliance. He teaches sociology at California State University, Sacramento.

Donate to John Edwards for President

John Edwards - 30 years

2007-07-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

Edwards tours Cleveland on poverty tour

2007-07-17T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a great article on John Edward's day in Cleveland, OH. He is on an eight state swing to highlight poverty issues.

As one could predict, his moneyed detractors can't understand how someone with means can sympathize with the poor.

"It's difficult to relate to the homeless when you reside in a 28,000-square-foot mansion," [Chris] Taylor [regional press secretary for the Republican National Committee] said. "This is a guy who has taken fees for speaking about the poor in the past."

So what?

If I were poor I would rather have someone who has the means to do something trying to help me out, than continue to suffer among other poor people who haven't the means to do anything. That's the problem with Republicans. They want those who haven't got boot straps to pull themselves up by them. They should instead be doing what Edwards is doing — offering to help them get find bootstraps.

Edwards took on predatory lenders during his Cleveland stop calling for national regulations.

Edwards said that without national regulations predatory lenders who offer higher-priced loans to people with tarnished credit or low incomes "just move to another place where they are not regulated."

He called for a national assistance fund to provide help to working people at risk of losing their homes.

"It's not a Cleveland problem or a New Orleans problem, it's an American problem," Edwards said.

Read the rest and see some great pictures at the Sacramento Bee.

Elizabeth Edwards graces Sacramento

2007-07-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

by Randy Bayne
The Bayne of Blog

One of the highlights of the weekend meeting of the State Democratic Party leadership was the visit by Elizabeth Edwards, wife of Presidential candidate John Edwards.

After spending time greeting people as she arrived at the Radisson Hotel, Edwards spoke to the gathered Democrats about her husband's campaign and its themes of health care for all, ending poverty and bringing the occupation of Iraq to an end.

She talked about John Edwards being the first candidate to come out with a "truly universal health care plan." And then the applause meter pegged when she said, "it is not enough to just talk about universal health care if at the end of the day everyone is not covered."

On education, Edwards said No Child Left Behind is "an excuse to move to vouchers," and explains why it is not remedial, but punitive, and explains why it is not funded. "We need to reward our teacher," said Edwards.

Addressing poverty, Edwards said we need somebody who actually cares about poverty and lifting people up.

Using the analogy of a ladder, she spoke about the generation of her 25 year old daughter — the generation of my son — who do not believe they will do as well s their parents. She said that there used to be a ladder for people to climb, but that the Bush administration has broken the rungs out of the ladder and it is up to us, Democrats, to replace those rungs.

"We need to be patriotic about something other than war," she repeated her husband's oft used words. "And, what we need to patriotic about," she said, "is our commitment to saving this planet."

"John has called on congress to stand firm" and refuse to continue funding the war.

As she was leaving the hall, Edwards took time to greet a few more people. She then stopped by a board set up the the Veterans Caucus. It was filled with pictures and information about young men and women who have lost their lives in Iraq. She seemed truly touched, lingering for several minutes and finding names on the board.

After leaving Sacramento, Edwards attended another event in San Francisco, and on Sunday spoke at the opening of the Nevada for Edwards office in Reno.

More pictures are available here.

Welcome

2007-07-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new blog, Sacramento for Edwards.

Sacramento for Edwards is a coalition of two organizations: Sacramento Progressive Alliance and Capitol Area Progressives (CAP). We also are a One Corps chapter.

As we get things underway, there will be more content here and opportunities to post comments to the items posted by the authors. Currently, there are only two authors, Randy Bayne who also publishes California Notes, and Cathlyn Daly, President of Capitol Area Progressives (CAP).

In the coming days we hope to add new authors, including Cali Dem (screen name) of Edwards in '08.