Edwards Wins Endorsement From Friends Of The Earth Action

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

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?



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Hillary Hates You

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?

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

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

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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