Edwards' Iowa Express bus breaks down

[jefferson_dem]

Breaking News: Edwards' Iowa Express bus breaks down

Oops!

To cap off his four-year campaign to win Iowa's Democratic caucus Thursday night, John Edwards planned a 36-hour marathon bus tour through 15 of the crucial state's 99 counties with a whole series of policy announcements to garner publicity and caucus votes.

But 12 hours into the political odyssey -- billed as Edwards' "Marathon for the Middle Class" -- his Main Street Express bus began making very disturbing noises in western Iowa. In darkness, the bus with the entire Edwards entourage pulled over at a service station and was abandoned.

Oh, the awful symbolism for a political campaign struggling to overcome a new Des Moines Register poll showing him behind Hillary Clinton and way behind -- like eight points -- this senatorial upstart Barack Obama in what everyone admits is a make-or-break contest for Edwards presidential hopes in the Hawkeye state, where he finished second to John Kerry in 2004.

Edwards is already famous for his tardiness. But 45 minutes after he was to speak in his Council Bluffs office late Tuesday night the former senator and his wife Elizabeth were still missing. And the crowd of more than 200 people, including The Times dogged Seema Mehta, crammed the office full and stuffy and spilled outdoors, where the January prairie temperature was in the single digits.

A few minutes late in Iowa's rural society is perfectly acceptable. This is, after all, the agricultural Heartland where the weather is the first item on the radio news, not the last. But 45+ minutes late very late on a holiday night before a normal workday in five-degree temperatures seems like a lot longer. "When he's president he can call the shots," hollered one person, who at least arrived an Edwards supporter, "Get him in here!"

"We've got to work in the morning!" griped another.

Unbeknownst to the crowd, Edwards, his wife and staff were scrambling off their broken bus into two minivans and racing to the event. Eventually, they arrived. He spoke. His staff hastily rented another plain bus and the even tardier campaign headed off to a supporter's house in Atlantic.

Edwards' worried staff assured reporters that the main Main Street Express bus really hadn't broken down. They said the troubled vehicle was left behind in Council Bluffs out of "an abundance of caution."

Looks like the 36-hour bus tour might get to at least 40.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2008/01/breaking-news-e.html

[Donnachaidh]

1. eventually folks wil stop scraping the bottom of the barrel for this nonsense

Of course - Edwards doesn't have CORPORATE MONEY to make sure his behind gets to places in comfort, does he? How does Obama travel - private jet? :eyes:

[cali]

2. Eventually people like you will stop distorting the truth

about Obama's fundraising: He has raised the overwhelming amount of his campaign funds from small donors- over 400,000 of them. In fact, I'll wager that a smaller PERCENTAGE of his total raised, is corporate funding than the percentage raised by JE. Having said that, this is a dumb article

[Dems Will Win]

4. good point

[MADem]

9. Aren't those FACTS pesky things!!! I agree with you, and your take on the article. NT

[Cameron27]

10. Did Edwards give up his discounted ride

on his corporate friend's private jet?

[Little Star]

3. Like that is his fault and Iowans are going to hold that

against him. Gimme me a break.

[MH1]

5. "Unbeknownst to the crowd" - why?

No one had a cell phone?

[Zensea]

6. Andrew Malcolm wrote that article -- Laura Bush's ex-press secretary

I checked the link to the blog and it was written by Andrew Malcom and it says right in the description regarding him

"That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000."

Think he might have a slight bias?

[jefferson_dem]

8. Interesting. Thanks for pointing that out.

n/t

[Justyce]

7. Vehicle trouble. Big deal....

:shrug:

[merbex]

11. I seem to remember that Harry Truman's train stopped because his

campaign couldn't pay for it and he personally had to pass the hat to get it to move again

1948

Who defeated Truman that year?

President Dewey?

I'll take the Edwards bus story( not related to money) as an omen

Give em hell John!

[MalloyLiberal]

12. So your favorite article is written by a Bush staffer? Now you show your true colors, Obamamaniacs

[itsrobert]

13. OMFG, the bus broke down. Edwards is DOOM, DOOM, DOOM

Run for the hills. Next thing we know, the coffee pot goes on the brink.

[MalloyLiberal]

14. OMG, he just farted!

[Triana]

15. "Edwards is known for his tardiness", et al...

...COULD THIS smarmy piece of blogshit have been written with more self-satisfied Democrat-hating vitriol?

OF COURSE, but only if ANN COULTER had written it.

Pffffffffffft!

[MalloyLiberal]

16. The guy was Laura BUsh's press secretary. Obamamaniacs LOVE THEM some REPUBLICONS!

[SaveElmer]

17. I hope that is prophetic...nt