Reply #22: Right..for the record, Edwards' statements

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

First on gay marriage where he thinks the feds should honor states that would operate in contrast to the equal protection clause:

: Sen. Edwards, you also oppose gay marriage?



Edwards: Here is my belief. I believe that this is an issue that ought to be decided in the states. I think the federal government should honor whatever decision is made by the states.

… I would not support the Defense of Marriage Act today, if there were a vote today…. The Defense of Marriage Act specifically said that the federal government is not required to recognize gay marriage even if a state chooses to do so. I disagree with that. I think states should be allowed to make that decision. And the federal government shouldn't do it.


On the DEATH PENALTY being left to states like TEXAS:

SHARPTON: Let me say this before I answer that...

(APPLAUSE)

... because a lot of my career is on the criminal justice system.

Senator Edwards, are you saying, since you agree that there's a lot of problems in the death penalty -- and no one has mentioned the racial disparity about those on death row -- that therefore, you would suspend your support of capital punishment until we dealt with those problems?

EDWARDS: No, I would not.

SHARPTON: So you would proceed even with the flaws?

EDWARDS: I think those changes need to be made in the system. We need to make those changes. I've been fighting for those changes in the United States Senate. But that does not...

SHARPTON: But you would let them continue?

EDWARDS: But that does not mean -- and I think states can -- for example, North Carolina can evaluate whether its own system is working. I think they vary from state-to-state. The state of Illinois did that and came to a conclusion that their system was not working. I think we should support that if they make that determination.

and then on the war:

EDWARDS: Well, first of all, I did what I did after giving an awful lot of thought and study to it. I was worried about it. All of us were. I took this responsibility very seriously.

I also said, at the time that the resolution was voted on, that it was critical that, when we reached this stage, that this not be done by America done, that it not be an American occupation, that it not be an American operation. That it needs to be...

KING: And it wasn't.

EDWARDS: But it is. It is now. This is not internationalized. I mean, we have some help from the British, but for the most part, it's America doing it alone, which I believe is an enormous mistake. It's the reason we're having one of the...

CLAYTON: Well, then, why didn't you not vote for it? Why didn't you insist on caveats? It was a blank check. Why?

EDWARDS: But those -- but those -- what we did is we voted on a resolution.

(LAUGHTER)

The answer is, what we did is we voted on a resolution. It is for the president of the United States to determine how to conduct the war. That's his responsibility.

KING: So you trusted...

EDWARDS: No, I didn't trust him.

(LAUGHTER)

What this comes down to is this president has failed in his responsibility. It's a completely legitimate criticism. Neither of us would've conducted this operation the way he conducted it.

First of all, we would've done the groundwork to reach out to our friends and allies around the world before we even went to a military intervention.

CLAYTON: So are you saying you were suckered?

EDWARDS: Wait, let me finish this, please.

And we also made clear, and I made clear, that in order for this to be successful, at this point, we should have NATO involved in providing security. We should have the United Nations involved in overseeing the transitional government in Iraq. We need to get on a real timetable for the Iraqis to govern themselves and to provide for their own security.

These are not things that I'm saying today for the first time. These are things that I said at the time.

And this president has failed in his responsibilities. It's that simple.

KING: Do you regret your vote? Do you regret your vote?

EDWARDS: I did what I believed was right at the time.

KING: Do you regret it?

EDWARDS: I believe I did what was right.

KING: Do you regret it?

(LAUGHTER)

EDWARDS: We don't get to go back, Larry. Five hundred...

KING: Well, you can regret something.

EDWARDS: Wait a minute. Five hundred -- over 500 men and women have lost their lives in this cause.

All of us did what we thought was the responsible thing to do at the time -- wrong or right. We're not perfect. You know, I did what I believed was the responsible thing to do at the time. And if we did what we were supposed to be doing right now and what we said should be done right now, we would be -- this policy would actually be successful.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/2004/la-dems-debate-transcript,1,2676983.story