Edwards: GOP 'Bush on steroids'
Emily Kesten--(Council Bluffs, IA) Daily Nonpareil
Thursday, October 25, 2007----
GLENWOOD - Democratic president hopeful Sen. John Edwards did not shy away from separating himself from frontrunner Sen. Hillary Clinton and calling Republican candidates "George Bush on steroids" at a community meeting in Glenwood Wednesday.
Although running late for the 10:30 a.m. event, part of a 99-county swing through Iowa, Edwards opened by noting he was the only candidate who never took contributions from lobbyists. He also noted that Clinton's "rural agenda" involved speaking to big agriculture lobbyists in Washington.
"Is that rural?" Edwards asked.
Mandated health care, withdrawing from Iraq, avoiding war with Iran and improving U.S. relations with the world were among topics Edwards discussed.
On health care, Edwards said he wanted to outlaw disqualifying people with pre-existing conditions for health insurance. Someone tentatively clapped, and he responded, "It's OK to clap for health care."
The audience applauded outright for Edwards' pledge to do all he could to take health care away from Congress, if it did not pass health care reform by July of his term.
Edwards chastised senators, especially Clinton, who voted to declare the Iranian Guard terrorists. Sen. Dodd also voted against it.
"You can't give President Bush an inch," said Edwards. "I'm worried that, six months from now, I'll hear, 'If only we knew then what we know now.' How long until we learn?"
Edwards said he would immediately remove 40,000 to 50,000 troops from Iraq and require complete withdrawal of all combat troops within nine to 10 months. Clinton, he pointed out, supports continuing combat missions.
"Isn't that continuing the war?" he asked.
In response to Malvern resident Allen Hall's question about how Edwards would support veterans beyond Memorial and Veterans' Day, the senator said those returning from Iraq should be individually evaluated for mental and physical health care needs, job training, higher education and job placement.
"They didn't leave us on our own," said Edwards, "so we shouldn't leave them on their own."
He added that families of soldiers currently serving should be helped in matters of childcare and income gaps.
"I'm very pleased," said Hall. "Most of the other candidates wouldn't give a clear answer."
Edwards said he was firmly against outsourcing security to contractors like Blackwater. Exceptions, he said, would be in extreme circumstances - and then those contractors would have to operate in the U.S. military chain of command and be held accountable under U.S. law. He earned applause when he said current contractors should be investigated to determine if they have defrauded the American public. Edwards tempered his disgust with President Bush's "saber-rattling" foreign policy by saying doing good for the world is at America's core.
"There's now a young generation out there, especially Muslims, who are on the fence about us," he said. "We need to get them on our side by showing that we are a nation of hope and opportunity, not bullying and profit."
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18955190&BRD=2703&PAG=461&dept_id=555106&rfi=6
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