Tag: John Edwards (page 8)

An open letter to Senator Barack Obama from a supporter.  

Senator Obama, in your short time in the public eye you have shown great wisdom, judgment, and vision.  Your greatest strength is the ability to fuse pragmatism with idealism.  This often means eschewing traditional showboating and playing for the cameras in order to build consensus that builds towards progressive goals.

However, no single approach works for every problem, and building consensus is not working on the problem of Iraq.  There was a time for Congress to be the steering wheel of our Iraq policy.  Now, someone needs to slam on the brakes.

From John Edwards' speech today in New Hampshire:

The choice for our party could not be more clear. We cannot replace a group of corporate Republicans with a group of corporate Democrats, just swapping the Washington insiders of one party for the Washington insiders of the other.

The American people deserve to know that their presidency is not for sale, the Lincoln Bedroom is not for rent, and lobbyist money can no longer
influence policy in the House or the Senate.

Hmm, where have I heard that before? On Lexis, I found Robert Dole remark's in Fresno, CA, from October 26 1996, when he was running for Vice President:

America is not for sale. Right there. America is not for sale. And the White House is not for sale. And the Lincoln bedroom is not for sale.

...Wake up, America.

Taylor Marsh, also quoting Dole, responds:

.... the Clinton money quote Edwards used today ... is straight out of the right-wing playbook. There are plenty of ways to come at Clinton on the issues, especially Iraq. But if this is the Edwards re-launch, I hope it makes a turn into better territory. Because between Obama's "Bush-Cheney lite" and Edwards talking about "The Lincoln Bedroom is not for rent," I've got to say that these guys sound positively desperate.

The New York Times today features Joe Trippi, senior campaign advisor to John Edwards, discussing the importance of the internet for Edwards' campaign.

His role has been to help Mr. Edwards find ways to connect his message to the party’s liberal base in a campaign in which the traditional media channels have been clogged with news about Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, his two main Democratic rivals.

“The Internet is the principal way we are communicating with voters right now,” Mrs. Edwards said in an interview.

I think it's the right way to go for Edwards. I read all his campaign e-mails and really appreciate the way he's moved left of center since the Kerry campaign.

Why this race isn't between Hillary and Edwards as opposed to Hillary and Obama has me stumped. I think Obama needs a lot more seasoning and experience before becoming presidential material.

Which leads me to conclude it's still a three-way race and Edwards is very much in it.

The New York Times has a very nice and long profile of Elizabeth Edwards today. I hope I get to meet her at some point during the campaign. Her heart and her politics are in the right place.

As for John Edwards, as I wrote here, he's coming around on mandatory minimum sentences and the crack-powder cocaine disparity (as is Hillary), and here's what he said on Iraq and Guantanamo at a Tampa fundraiser this weekend:

Most important, he said, is ending the war in Iraq. "This is not politics, " he said. "This is about life and death."

Edwards said if elected he would close Guantanamo Bay detention camp on his first day in office and make it clear the United States does not condone torture. He also pledged to stop "illegal spying" on Americans and push for an end to the violence in Darfur.

It's also refreshing to see he held a $15 fundraiser. It brought out 500 people. Edwards has been very gracious in making himself available to others than fatcats and even to bloggers.

Elizabeth Edwards called in to Hardball this afternoon to tell off the She-Pundit with Long Blond Hair.

Shorter version: Elizabeth rocked, the she-pundit did not.

Crooks and Liars (of course) and Think Progress have the video. From Think Progress:

During an hour-long interview with Coulter today on MSNBC, host Chris Matthews announced that Elizabeth Edwards was on the line. Edwards referenced the attacks above, saying, “I’m the mother of that boy who died. These young people behind you…you’re asking them to participate in a dialogue that is based on hatefulness and ugliness instead of on the issues, and I don’t think that’s serving them or this country very well.” The live audience cheered.

When her first two attempts to spin the situation faulted, Coulter then launched into another baseless, personal attack, accusing John Edwards of “bankrupting doctors by giving a shyster Las Vegas routine in front of juries…doing these psychic routines in front of illiterate juries to bankrupt doctors who now can’t deliver babies.”

Think Progress also has the transcript, reprinted here below the fold:

Thursday night, during the Presidential debate, John Edwards will call upon President Bush to fire Karl Rove.

Karl Rove’s shameless attempts to twist the federal government for partisan gain have simply gone too far. Rove is now clearly at the heart of the political firing and replacement of U.S. Attorneys warping the impartial execution of justice that all Americans depend on—and that’s just the beginning. We need to take a stand right now to defend the integrity of our government and our democracy—Karl Rove must be fired.

He has a petition he'd like you to sign.

Will Bush listen? Not to John alone. Not to you or me alone. But if thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of us speak out together to demand accountability for Karl Rove and end their era of cynical, destructive, partisan government—we cannot be ignored.

Please add your name, so when John speaks out at tomorrow's debate it's clear that he's speaking for thousands. We'll keep a signature counter online to show how many have joined the call.

Howard Dean's 2004 campaign manager Joe Trippi has signed onto John Edwards' presidential campaign:

I really thought that the 2004 presidential campaign would be the last I would be involved in. I have always wanted to make a difference, but for me I thought those days were over.

A few weeks ago, John and Elizabeth Edwards made their decision to continue, not just John Edwards' campaign for President, but their work together to make a difference for their country.

And that made me realize that I wasn't done trying to make a difference either. Not by a long shot. So today I am joining the John Edwards campaign.

Good move by John Edwards. I like Joe Trippi a lot and think he will be an asset to the campaign, particularly with respect to netroots support.

John Edwards tonight at the Move On event:

. . . President Bush has promised to veto that funding, calculating that he can use the bully pulpit to intimidate Congress and get them to back down.

But this is not the time for political calculation, this is the time for political courage. This is not a game of chicken. This is not about making friends or keeping Joe Lieberman happy. This is about life and death—this about war. We are done letting George Bush manipulate the rhetoric of patriotism, only to use our troops as political pawns. If Bush vetoes funding for the troops, he's the only one standing in the way of the resources they need. Nobody else.

Congress must stand firm. They must not write George Bush another blank check without a timeline for withdrawal—period. If Bush vetoes the funding bill, Congress should send another funding bill to him with a binding plan to bring the troops home. And if he vetoes it again, they should do it again.

The American people are overwhelmingly in favor of ending this war. If our side stands firm, if we show courage now, we can finally bring our troops back home and bring this war to an end.

Don't forget to watch "60 Minutes" tonight. John and Elizabeth Edwards will be on.

Update: My thoughts (also expressed in the comments below): I was surprised at how negative Katie Couric was. Everything from her repeatedly asking the same thing to her stern expression seemed off to me. I am wondering whether she was trying to prove she can be a tough interviewer.

The Edwards were great. Composed and very articulate. I don't know how anyone could argue with their decision ... either that it's theirs to make or that it's right for them. Very impressive.

Update: Transcript and video are here.

John and Elizabeth Edwards' decision to continue John's quest for the presidential nomination in light of medical tests returned this week showing she has a second cancer battle to face has brought out a range of reactions.

• The Worst: Rush Limbuagh
• Second Worst: Time Magazine's Jay Carney
• Best: Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake.

  Tune into 60 Minutes Sunday Night to hear more from the Edwards.

Bump and Update: The Edwards campaign is continuing. The cancer is back, minimally. She feels fine. Future treatment is medication and a less invasive form of chemo. Elizabeth looks and sounds great. Their optimism is inspiring. What grace under pressure.

Bump and Update: CBS reports John Edwards will suspend his campaign due to Elizabeth's relapse of cancer. CNN says the campaign denies it. We'll know any minute. [Update: Ben Smith of Politico apologizes and explains.]

*****

Original Post

Presidential hopeful John Edwards will hold a press conference today at noon ET.

More....

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards accompanied his wife, Elizabeth, who has been treated for breast cancer, on a doctor's visit Wednesday. His campaign said they would hold a news conference in their hometown Thursday to discuss her health.

Campaign officials refused to answer any questions about what the Edwardses learned at the doctor's appointment or how it might affect his candidacy. Edwards had cut short a trip to Iowa Tuesday night to be with his wife Wednesday but still attended a barbecue fundraiser later in the evening in their hometown of Chapel Hill, N.C.

Good for John Edwards. He didn't cave in to the right wing noise machine. It looks like Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon and Melissa McEwan of Shakespeare's Sister of will stay on as bloggers for the campaign.

Here's Edward's press statement, followed by statements from Amanda and Melissa:

John Edwards:

“The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwen's posts personally offended me. It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I've talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith, and I take them at their word. We're beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can't let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in.”