Edwards plans big for presidency

[Nutmegger]

John Edwards says if he's elected president, he'll institute a New Deal-like suite of programs to fight poverty and stem growing wealth disparity. To do it, he said, he'll ask many Americans to make sacrifices, like paying higher taxes.

Edwards, a former Democratic senator from North Carolina, says the federal government should underwrite universal pre-kindergarten, create matching savings accounts for low-income people, mandate a minimum wage of $9.50 and provide a million new Section 8 housing vouchers for the poor. He also pledged to start a government-funded public higher education program called "College for Everyone."

"It is central to what I want to do as president to do something about economic inequality. I do not believe it is okay for the United States of America to have 37 million people living in poverty," he said in a meeting with Monitor reporters and editors this week. "And I think we need, desperately need, a president who will say that to America and call on Americans to show their character."

At every stop, Edwards said, he tells voters he'll ask them to sacrifice. Asked to describe what he means, he described his plan for increases in capital gains taxes, saying taxes on "wealth income" should be in line with those on work income.

Full article: http://www.cmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071026/FRONTPAGE/710260384

[bpeale]

1. K&R ... that's my candidate!!!

[Hieronymus]

2. Does anyone who claims to be a Democrat disagree?

[Catchawave]

3. Economic equality, That's my President !

No wonder he's Public Enemy #1 on Wall Street :D

[Ninga]

4. He keeps plugging away, this is a fine example of his well rounded policy.

[Kurovski]

5. K&R. (nt)

[RebelSansCause]

6. wow Edwards impresses this time

i mean most of the time i am kinda disheartened on his position on gay marriage as an ally who has many friends who are gay. but his policies dealing with labor and wealth do strike quite the chord. i am a DK man till the end, but i could certainly see myself supporting Edwards if DK doesn't win it. of course, in my home state of new york, i don't forsee hillary losing, so my vote is quite negligible, but donations to an Edwards campaign? possible, not highly likely, but certainly more likely than to say,...DhilLaryC.

[Homer Wells]

7. Defintely the BEST of the crop!! N/T

[babylonsister]

8. That bit about sacrifice?

"At every stop, Edwards said, he tells voters he'll ask them to sacrifice"

THAT is reality, and I think Americans who have more should be more than willing to help others. That is what Democrats are about, isn't it?

[jgraz]

10. Hair Cut! Big House!!!!

Just getting us all ready for the next MSM story on him.

[Ninga]

15. I have said a million times that if Edwards is able to overcome the $$$ and the polls, he

will make a tough, focused GE candidate.

Really, there is no candidate that has all positives....everyone has negatives to over come.......

[jgraz]

18. Lucky for Edwards, most of his negatives are complete bullshit

My only problems with him are is IWR vote and his opposition to gay marriage. Those are not small issues, but we don't have a perfect choice in any of our candidates.

[madmunchie]

20. How about - - - - - - - - - - -

The guy that only (served?) 1 term as Senator WHILE he was campaigning for POTUS? The guy who....#1 voted in support of the IWR, #2 co sponsored the bill #3 voted for the Patriot Act #4 took years to admit that voting for the IWR was a mistake and #5 now voted NO on the Durbin and Levin amendments??????????? #6 Edwards did not champion or sponsor any poverty legislation during the 6 years he was a Senator, #7 he co-sponsored a massive increase in H-1b Visas...#8 Opposition to gay marraige

I look at what Edwards HAS DONE, NOT what he SAYS he is GOING TO DO.

It makes me sick that so many Dems are willing to let an apology (coming years after the horrible error in judgement) excuse Edwards, so they ignore EDWARDS RECORD. It reminds me of the Repugs supporting Bush. Bush supporters were/are also mesmerized by what Bush says and Bush supports don't seem to pay attention to what he has done.....otherwise known as BUSH'S RECORD.

I knew better about Iraq, why didn't Edwards? - -

How do you overlook this horrible error in judgment that has resulted in thousands and thousands of lives ruined and lost? Isn't that what the POTUS'S job is all about? Making important judgements based on sound knowledge and experience and isn't that why Edwards screwed up so badly, he didn't use sound judgement and he didn't have enough experience - even when Gore, Byrd, Clark (Democratic Party Leaders)and Kucinich and Durbin and Finegold all spoke out against going into Iraq (before Edward voted)? Edwards sided with the Republican President and against many Party leaders. How could anybody support Edwards just because he SAYS some of the right things and says it with style. If he were going for an Academy Award I'd say give it to him hands down. But he isn't, he is going for a job in which he has no credible record or experience. Remember what he says he can easily get from from polls, so that he knows what will fly and what won't.

Now which of his negatives are complete bullshit? "We don't have a PERFECT???? candidate?"
How about a candidate that isn't full of bullshit by his showing support of Republican values with HIS VOTES while in the Senate - you know - proof of what he has actually stood for and behind?

[GreenArrow]

21. just because he SAYS some of the right things and with style?

That's exactly why they support him, because he appeals to their emotions. It is his special gift. It's glib charm, and blarney, but it works for him, same way the same shit worked wonders for Reagan.

'I have to tell you right now -- I didn't plan to talk about this -- right now I feel her (Jennifer), I feel her presence,' Edwards told the jury according to court records. " inside me and she's talking to you ... And this is what she says to you. She says, 'I don't ask for your pity. What I ask for is your strength. And I don't ask for your sympathy, but I do ask for your courage.'"

Edwards' emotional plea worked. Jennifer Campbell's family won a record jury verdict of $6.5 million against the hospital where the girl was born -- a judgment reduced later to $2.75 million on appeal. Edwards also settled with Jennifer's obstetrician for $1.5 million.

Legal expert Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and author of the book, The Rule of Lawyers, said Edwards' success in court was due in large part to his mastery of one important trait.

"Edwards was clearly very good at managing the emotional tenor of a trial and that turns out to be at least as important as any particular skill in the sense of researching the fine points of law," Olson told CNSNews.com .

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics.asp?Page=%5CPolitics%5Carchive%5C200401%5CPOL20040120a.html

[madmunchie]

22. I know EXACTLY what you mean and it drives me nuts - - - I mean

how could Dems be so stupid? JE is has been all talk with really bad actions..... It is really depressing me. Why be a Dem if you choose to support someone like JE who is has acted (with his votes) more Repub than anything? I am truly embarrassed, infuriated and frustrated by the DU members that support him.

[GreenArrow]

24. yeah, it's mind boggling...

I suppose it's "charisma," which fortunately, I'm immune to. He comes across as completely fake and scripted.

[madmunchie]

26. How do you stand it???? It is driving me nuts

These people that call themselves Dems actually are buying into it and after what we all have gone thru with Bush you'd thing that the Dems would ESPECIALLY have the BULLSHIT detectors out in full force!

[GreenArrow]

29. because after all we have gone through with Bush

people are desperate for anything that promises something different. Edwards is sunny, optimistic, pie in the sky. He's also completely self-directed and manipulative. If you've ever seen the "Journeys With George" movie, George W. spends the whole time sucking up to the reportersc covering his campaign, giving them nicknames, taking a personal interest in them, etc. Then at the end of the film, when he has siezed what he wants, he has next to nothing to say to them; he has used them for what he wanted. He fucked 'em without so much as a kiss on the cheek. So it will be with Edwards.

There is minimal difference between any of the main three candidates, or second tier hacks like Biden; it's all in the packaging. Personally, I find Edwards' packaging unpleasantly disingenous.

[madmunchie]

33. I do as well, it is almost as bad as nails on a chalkboard

I really like the way that you think and I love the story about W and the reporters, I am bookmarking your post

[GreenArrow]

36. Thanks, madmunchie

I appreciate your posts as well.

[jgraz]

23. Maybe he should sing the praises of lobbyists and vote for war with Iran

Or, he could go out on the campaign trail with a homophobic "ex-gay" preacher.

Part of campaigning is saying and doign the right things. So far, Edwards is doing just that.

[GreenArrow]

27. part of campaigning is saying and doing things

one doesn't believe in in order to get what one wants. Edwards wants to be President, more'n' anything else. Consequently, he's talking a lot of shit and playing the netroots like a fiddle.

If this were Pat Robertson or Joel Osteen we were discussing, you'd see right through them. Edwards is the same sort of character.

[madmunchie]

28. So far he is saying some of the right things and has put together

a nice campaign, THAT does NOT make him a good or QUALIFIED POTUS. His past record in office shows us what he is actually made of while having to make decisions and judgement calls. THAT is what I look at - not his campaign slogans or rhetoric.

Right now JE isn't able to vote for anything because his sole job is campaigning for POTUS, at least other cadidates are still doing the peoples work and as far as IRAN:

"The four politicians called for ways to prevent Iran's government from acquiring nuclear weapons. While stressing the strong US-Israel ties, the presidential hopefuls all agreed that the US has to ratchet up sanctions on Iran and leave the possibility of a military attack ‘on the table'."

Romney may have won the hyperbole contest, but the big surprise was EDWARDS, who came in second with his declaration that preventing Iran from getting nukes is "is the greatest challenge of our generation." On the same day he ran an ad in Roll Call calling on Congress to oppose the "surge" in Iraq, he was telling the Herzliya conference that "All options are on the table to ensure that Iran will never get a nuclear weapon."

"At a time when most Democrats in the United States are calling for less military involvement abroad," notes the Jersusalem Post, "EDWARDS, of South Carolina, told the Seventh Annual Herzliya Conference on Monday that his country must do everything that it can to stop Iran from possessing nuclear weapons."

When JOHN EDWARDS, who poses as a peace candidate, declares that we will go to war with Iran before we'll let them break Israel's nuclear monopoly in the Middle East, that should tell us something about how the power of the Lobby has distorted our foreign policy and deformed the American political process. In paying homage to Herzliya, Edwards and his fellow candidates are betraying and subverting American interests.

http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=10399

I'd drop the line about Iran if I were you.

[OneGrassRoot]

30. Why "drop the line about Iran"?

What do you mean by that? Just curious...

[madmunchie]

31. Did you read JE's strong opinion on how Iran should be handled?

I didn't hear him stress diplomacy did you?

[Cameron27]

34. Herzliya conference

[madmunchie]

19. ......Some more than others.....

[usregimechange]

9. Can't wait.

[Nutmegger]

11. Neither can I.

Edwards give me hope. Hope that America can be a free and fair country again. I feed off his passion, everyday.

Edwards 2008!

[waiting for hope]

12. Thanks Nutmegger!

Edwards is the one!

Here's his new labor/trade policy video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8rj1ULQx2Y

[midnight]

13. That's a great photo of Elizabeth and John...

[Ninga]

14. I am one Edwards supporter who is focused on getting out his "good news". Kick and kick.

[MichDem10]

16. This is what America needs!!

[calteacherguy]

17. Dream on. It's not the 1930s, John. nt

[EVDebs]

25. Yeah, it's the Gilded age and more like the 1890's. We need a new FDR and JE is it folks

DK isn't getting there and JE is closest to being the progressive candidate.

The GOP used similar tactics vs the progressive of that age, William Jennings Bryan.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

32. yeah, clinton/bush corporate globalization is in full effect

how's that trade deficit again?

[MichDem10]

35. Kick!! For America!!