Edwards Evening News: America Belongs to Us

Cross-posted here

Welcome to tonight's Edwards Evening News. Today, the Edwards campaign unveiled the America Belongs to Us campaign with a goal of getting one million voters to sign a pledge not to vote or caucus for any candidate who takes money from lobbyists and PACs. America belongs to all of us, and we're taking our country back! Click the image to sign the pledge.



Here's more on why America Belongs to Us from TomP's diary earlier today.

The "AMERICA BELONGS TO US" 2008 Pledge and website was anounced today by the Edwards campaign.

Lobbyists have taken control in Washington and America’s hard-working families pay the price. They've stopped universal health care. They've secured unfair and unsafe trade deals that have cost America good middle-class jobs. They've left our children at risk from unsafe toys. They've sabotaged clean energy legislation that would address global warming. And they've squashed efforts for cheaper generic prescription drugs. Enough is enough. America belongs to us.

If you want real change, Sign the Pledge:

Because I believe we need real change in America and an end to the broken system in Washington that works for special interests and not us, I pledge not to vote or caucus for a Democratic presidential candidate that accepts campaign contributions from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.

AmericaBelongsToUs2008.com

Edwards Walks the Picket Line with Striking Writers in New York

Yesterday, John Edwards walked the picket line in New York with striking members of the Writers Guild of America East. This is the second time during this presidential campaign that he has walked the picket line with striking workers, as Miss Laura pointed out in her front page diary earlier today. (It's definitely not the first time that he's showed up to support union workers, however, having participated in nearly 200 union events over the years.)




Edwards speaking to striking writers in New York

Edwards Explains His Healthcare Mandate

Today, Edwards explained the details of his healthcare mandate, which allows his healthcare plan to be truly universal.

"We need true universal health care reform that covers every single man, woman, and child in America. It is wrong to leave anyone without the care they need. A universal system will work better for all of us – delivering better care at lower cost.

"Barack Obama's plan leaves out 15 million people. The truth is that some people will choose not to buy insurance even though it's affordable, knowing that the rest of us will pay for their emergency room visits.

"But it is just as bad to say that everyone will have insurance without a plan to get there. Hillary Clinton says her plan will cover everyone through a 'mandate' but does not provide even the most rudimentary idea much less a detailed plan of how this 'mandate' would work. To get fundamental change in our health care system, we need a fundamental change in our politics. That starts with being clear and direct about what we are going to do and how we are going to do it."

Edwards' truly universal health care plan will ensure that every American has health insurance. He will require proof of insurance when income taxes are paid and when health care is provided. Families without insurance will be enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP or another targeted plan or be assigned a plan within new Health Care Markets.

Families who lose coverage will be expected to enroll in another plan or be assigned one. For the few people who refuse to pay, the government will help collect back premiums with interest and collection costs by using tools like the ones it uses for student loans and taxes, including collection agencies and wage garnishment.

Ezra Klein at Tapped had this to say:

Later today, John Edwards will announce the specifics of how his mandate works. And they're quite good. Whenever you come into contact with the health care system, or whenever you pay your taxes, you will be asked to provide proof of insurance, presumably a policy number or some similar identifier. If you cannot, you will automatically be enrolled in either a public plan that you qualify for (like Medicaid or S-CHIP) or the cheapest plan offered by his Health Insurance Market. Bills will then get sent out, and if they're not paid, will be collected just like the government collects on student loan debts, or taxes, or anything else, using tools up to and including collection agencies and wage garnishment. (It's notable, here, that Edwards doesn't shy away from saying what his stick will be.)

In this way, Edwards' plan is much less an individual mandate and much closer to a government mandate. The burden is less on the individual to seek new insurance and more on the government to simply enroll them in it. From there, they can opt in to a different insurer if they so choose, or simply stay with their default plan. It's a smart and efficient way to move towards universality, and, for now, it puts Edwards ahead of both Obama and Clinton on the substance of the policy, and the speed with which he presented it to the public.

PSSST! I hear a new ad is coming out in Iowa

I hear through the blogosphere grapevine that a new ad is coming out in Iowa in a couple of weeks, and our own Im4JRE, a longtime supporter from the Edwards blog, was there when they filmed it! So cool! Check out her first hand account:

John was relaxed and joked with all of us and he thanked us for our patience, hah...like it was an effort to see and listen to him...not.

I won't tell you what the ad was about as you will see it for yourselves in a week or two.

After the camera men were through, they took pictures of JRE just talking to the crowd, no sound, and it wasn't about politics, just ordinary people talking about this and that. I did ask JRE that when he won the Iowa caucus, would he wait for me to get to the celebration before he made his VICTORY speech... and he said for all to hear... Count on it!

I wanted to share this event with all of you to let you know that JRE is our man for President and that he is powerful and he will stand with us and for us to make America ours again.

You can read more in her diary. Congratulations, Im4JRE!



Send Out the E-Signal! Upcoming Events!

Edwards will be on Charlie Rose tomorrow, November 29th. Check your local listings. It's on at 12:35 PM where I am in Maryland. Thanks so much to Terre for this information! Charlie Rose also has a page of prior interviews with John Edwards.

UPDATE: Terre also tells me that Keith Olbermann will be interviewing John live from the campaign trail tomorrow on Countdown on MSNBC. Couldn't find confirmation on his web site, but anyway, Keith is always worth watching!

Also tomorrow:

John Edwards will deliver remarks to the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council
Nov 29, 2007
6:00 PM
Hotel Vetro
201 S Linn Street
Iowa City, Iowa
Click here to RSVP

John Edwards will speak to the DNC Fall Meeting outside of DC in Vienna, Virginia on Friday morning. I was at his speech to the DNC Winter Meeting much earlier this year, and it was fabulous! If you are in the DC area, come out to support John! You can RSVP for the event at the link above.

If you can come to an early state and volunteer, the campaign would love your help. Sign up here.

Some Cool Diaries You May Have Missed

Democratic Presidential Ads in NH and Iowa - What do you think? by Ellinorianne

A Plea to Early State Democrats From an Edwards Supporter by RDemocrat

John Edwards, in dead heat in Iowa, quietly starts to move up in NH and SC by JSamuel

Edwards Evening News: Report from New Hampshire

Cross-posted here

Welcome to your Edwards Evening News! I just got back from a weekend volunteering for the Edwards campaign in New Hampshire, so tonight we have my special report from the Granite State. I'll tell you about door-to-door canvassing, making phone calls to voters, putting up a really large sign, and a visit to a house party for Elizabeth Edwards. All this, and the rest of the Edwards news, in tonight's EENR.


Manchester, New Hampshire City Hall

Road Trip to New Hampshire

This weekend, I finally got around to going up to New Hampshire to volunteer for the Edwards campaign. For the past couple of months, I have been meaning to do this, but I kept trying to plan it around an event. The trouble was, I would find out about the events three or four days ahead of time, and by then I would have other plans. Eventually, I had to just plan a trip to New Hampshire when it was convenient for me, and hope there would be an event I could go to. Everything worked out just fine, and on Sunday night I got to go to a great house party with Elizabeth Edwards!

On Saturday and Sunday, I spent most of each day canvassing neighborhoods in Manchester. I went out with other volunteers or Edwards staffers to knock on doors in specific neighborhoods assigned by the campaign. The plan was to try to talk to voters about their choices, answer any questions about Edwards, and at least leave some literature, whether or not they were home. I estimate that I personally knocked on about 150 doors over the weekend.


Front of campaign literature

Most people were not home, but of the voters I did get to talk to, almost all of them were undecided. Based on this experience, I would say that if anybody tries to suggest to you that a particular candidate has New Hampshire sewn up, they do not know what they're talking about. Most voters simply have not made a decision yet. Those voters I spoke with seem to be taking their responsibility as New Hampshire voters very seriously and still pondering the possibilities. Among the few voters I talked to who had made a decision, they seemed as likely to be supporting JRE as anyone else.

Manchester, New Hampshire is a very nice small town that presidential candidates just happen to spend a lot of time in. At first glance, it seems quite normal, but it does become a bit strange when you realize that almost everyone in town seems to have had some sort of contact with a presidential candidate.

For example, I found a great Mexican restaurant, Consuelo's Taqueria, which had the best burritos that I've had since I lived in California. I really miss getting good Mexican food, so I ate there twice. The people that work there are very friendly, and I had some great conversations with them, and in one of those conversations I found out that Bill Richardson just happened to have stopped in there and given a speech recently. Everyday happenings in Manchester, New Hampshire!

On Sunday morning, I had breakfast at the Merrimack Restaurant, which happened to be about the only thing open, but which is also a favorite campaign stop for candidates. They have the wall and the paper menu complete with caricatures of the current candidates to prove it.





I thought the party at the next table were just a bunch of tourists from New York until the camera crew arrived. They had mentioned Rudy Giuliani quite a bit and 9/11, but it took me a while to realize they were actually a group of firefighters who think Giuliani did a terrible job before and during 9/11 and they have formed a group opposing his nomination. I had seen their web site before, and I think I recognized one of the men at the table from this video. Everyday happenings in Manchester, I tell you.

On Sunday and Monday in particular, I spent quite a bit of time with a couple of the Edwards staffers, because I went out canvassing with them. One of them mentioned to me that campaigns always reflect the candidates, and I have to agree, because everybody that I've met on the Edwards staff is really nice. I enjoyed meeting them and talking about the campaign.

Sunday night I drove out to Hampton Falls near the coast to attend a house party for Elizabeth Edwards. Elizabeth was speaking at an old farmhouse that was built in 1753. I could tell it was really old as soon as I walked in. It had gorgeous wood paneling, fireplaces, and low ceilings throughout. Tracy, the owner of the house, told us it was built in 1753. I have not been in very many houses in this country that are older than the nation itself.



Elizabeth spoke for about 15 minutes and then took questions for perhaps another hour. She answered the questions in great detail, usually speaking for more than 10 minutes on a single voter's question. As usual, she was charming and direct and I'm pretty sure she convinced a number of undecided voters to support John. I spoke to one woman afterwards who for sure had decided to support John after hearing Elizabeth. I also overheard someone else saying they were moving closer to the Edwards camp after the event.



I took video of the event, but my camera battery died toward the end of it. The video I have is a little less than an hour long. After the battery died, she also answered a question on restoring our relationships with the rest of the world. I wish I had been able to record that, because her answer was really good. Here's my video of the event:



Here's a shorter clip from the same house party of Elizabeth answering a question about John's rural policy. This video was taken by a campaign staffer:



We hear that Elizabeth is a regular reader of Edward's Evening News, so Elizabeth, if you are reading this, hi there! I'm sorry that I didn't get to speak to you after the event, however, I thought it was more important for you to speak with New Hampshire voters, so I stepped back to let you do that. You certainly seem to have made a good impression.

On Monday, I went back to the campaign office to make phone calls. This proves that I am really dedicated. Making phone calls is probably almost my least favorite thing in the entire world. I think I made about 150 of them.

The purpose of the phone calls was to invite people to come hear John Edwards speak in Manchester on Monday the 26th. If you will be in New Hampshire on that day, he will be speaking at the Millyard Museum at 7 p.m.

I think people in New Hampshire must be really nice, because very few of them were upset at me for bugging them with a political phone call. Or maybe it was just because I was inviting them to see John Edwards, which quite a few of them were very excited about.

In the afternoon on Monday, I went out and did more canvassing with one of the staffers. As you might imagine, even fewer people were home on Monday afternoons than had been on the weekend.

In the evening, we had the pleasure of putting a really big sign on the fence in front of a supporter's house. It's on a very busy street, so it will be seen by a lot of people! Doesn't it look great?



That's about it for my weekend in New Hampshire! I really enjoyed the chance to go and help out with the Edwards campaign, and if you can travel to one of the early states, I encourage you to do the same. You can sign up to do that right here!

More of Tonight's Edwards News

New Hampshire Primary Set for January 8th!

New Hampshire has finally decided on it's primary date and the winning date is January 8th. Here's John's statement on that:

“I am pleased that New Hampshire will retain its rightful place as the first-in-the-nation primary. I applaud Bill Gardner's work to protect New Hampshire's significance in our nominating process. The New Hampshire primary is critical because voters in New Hampshire take their responsibility seriously: they listen to the candidates, look them in the eye, ask them tough questions and size them up. In New Hampshire, ideas truly matter more than money and that is precisely why this is anyone's race.

“I look forward to campaigning across New Hampshire during the final weeks of this campaign. I have spent time in living rooms and town halls in every corner of the state and everywhere I go, I hear from voters that they're looking for real, meaningful change in Washington next November. From now until January 8, I look forward to continuing to meet with voters to talk about my plans to shake up Washington and restore the power of government to the hands of regular, hardworking people.”

Edwards Announces Policies for Fighting Hunger in America

Tomorrow many of us will get together with family and friends and most likely eat WAY too much. But there are a growing number of hungry people in America. At this holiday, when the emphasis is so much on food, be thankful if you have enough to eat, but also, please do what you can to help your neighbors who may be going hungry.

In the spirit of the holiday, today John Edwards announced his plan to fight hunger in America. TomP had a great diary on this earlier, in case you missed it.

The six points of the Edwards plan:

1. Pass a Farm Bill with Strong Nutrition Programs: The nutrition programs in the Farm Bill are critical to increasing food security in America. Just two programs – food stamps and the Emergency Food Assistance Program for food banks – help about 25 million Americans a year each. Unfortunately, federal funding has not kept pace with growing need and rising costs. Last week, Senate Republicans used a filibuster to block the farm bill, sending Congress home for Thanksgiving without helping overtaxed food banks or hungry families. Edwards believes that Congress should quickly pass a strong and fair farm bill with robust funding for federal nutrition programs and President Bush should sign it. [ASH, 2007]

2. Get Food Aid to More Eligible Families: Food stamps – cash assistance averaging only about $1 per person per meal – help families purchase food and provide nearly a two-to-one benefit for the local economy. But one out of every three eligible families is not enrolled in the program, including millions of families who visit food banks and other community food services. Edwards will expand a pilot program, Express Stamps, which provides online enrollment kiosks at local food pantries. He will expand alternative hours at food stamp eligibility offices so that working families can enroll without missing work. To modernize eligibility and benefits, Edwards believes that Congress should quickly pass reforms to raise the minimum benefit level (which has remained at $10 since 1977), allow families to deduct their actual child care costs and protect families with modest retirement or education savings so they do not have to chose between putting food on the table and their longer-term need of preparing for the future. [CBPP, 2007; USDA, 2006 and 2007]

3. Provide Healthy Meals for Children: The 12 million American children who go hungry are 90 percent more likely to be in fair or poor health, have 30 percent higher hospitalization rates, and have lower test scores, attendance and other academic indicators. As president, Edwards will ensure robust funding to meet the nutritional needs of low-income school children through school breakfasts, free and reduced lunches, after-school snacks, fruit and vegetable programs, and the critical but under-used Summer Food Program. [Cook et al., 2004; Frongillo et al., 2005]

4. Strengthen Food Support for Seniors: One in six low-income elderly families does not have a regular, reliable source of enough to eat. President Bush has repeatedly proposed eliminating funding for the critical Commodity Supplemental Food program, which delivers nutritious food packages to nearly half a million seniors in 32 states and two Indian territories. Edwards will strengthen support for this program and expand other supportive services including Meals-on-Wheels for seniors and people with disabilities. [CBPP, 2007]

5. Address the “Heat or Eat” Crisis: Nearly half of the families served by the nation’s food banks have been forced to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities or heating fuel. Without assistance, even more families will struggle with this winter’s anticipated record home heating prices. Today, Edwards called on President Bush and Congress to fully fund the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program — nearly doubling it to $5.1 billion – and adjust the standard utility allowance in food stamp eligibility rules to reflect soaring prices. He will help states implement new low- and no-interest consumer loan programs through states and non-profits and double the funding for weatherizing homes. He also has a plan to fight rising oil and gas prices by creating energy competition, reducing speculation in the oil and gas markets, and bringing down demand through greater building conservation, fuel efficiency and access to renewable sources. [ASH, 2006; EIA, 2007]

6. Support Food Access in Every Neighborhood: Wealthy neighborhoods have over three times as many supermarkets as non-wealthy neighborhoods. Small corner stores are usually more expensive and offer less nutritious food. Food-insecure families in rural areas often face high transportation costs to reach the nearest food pantries. As president, Edwards will launch a public-private partnership to bring fresh, nutritious food to new neighborhoods. He will create a national food access map that identifies neighborhoods lacking grocery stores, emergency food banks and regular access to fresh produce. His new Healthy Neighborhoods Seed Fund will offer needy communities challenge grants for projects including full-service supermarkets, community gardens and food stamp-friendly farmers’ markets. [PolicyLink, 2005

Today, the Edwards family delivered food to a local food bank.





John Edwards is calling on his supporters to do the same by volunteering at a local food bank or donating food. You can find your local Second Harvest food bank here.

Here's a Thanksgiving message from John Edwards:



Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Edwards Evening News!

Events in Iowa

The Des Moines Register has a great article today: I Will Shake Up D.C., Edwards Thunders

Presidential candidate John Edwards declared Tuesday night that he would not back down in his quest to defeat the powers that he says have corrupted Washington, D.C.

"If you're considering caucusing for John Edwards, you know what you're gonna get because I'm gonna shake that place up," he told hundreds of Iowans packed into the auditorium at Des Moines' Roosevelt High School.

The former North Carolina senator gave one of his most emphatic speeches of the year before a crowd that had gathered partly to hear musicians Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne sing on his behalf. The musicians weren't the only ones drawing standing ovations. The audience cheered and whistled when Edwards called for their help in fighting to get the country back on track.

A voter asked him whether he had the management experience to lead the country, given that his professional background mainly consisted of confronting rivals as a trial lawyer. Edwards retorted: "Hell, yeah, I'm confrontational."

Earlier today, NCDem Amy had a terrific diary on Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt on the campaign trail with Edwards. I wish I had been there!



Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Edwards Evening News: Picking Up Steam Edition

Cross-posted here

Iowa Caucus Goer seeking pres.

candidate - unvrsl health care plan

& provn ablty to win in a red state

rqd. Honest enuf to admt Iraq war

vote was mistake; strng enuf to

stand up to spcl intrsts. No PAC or

lbyist $$ EVER. Aply by 1/3/08.

Don't worry, Iowa Caucus Goer! John Edwards has you covered.

Welcome to your Saturday night/Sunday Morning Edwards Evening News. Exciting stuff tonight, including the Iowa Democratic Party Jefferson Jackson dinner that was on C-SPAN tonight, and a rock star on the campaign trail!

As the Edwards Extra (the campaign's newspaper) points out, John Edwards is picking up steam, not only in Iowa, but all across the country. That means this is going to be a fun EENR, so here are tonight's stories:

• John Edwards on C-SPAN at the Iowa Democratic Party Jefferson Jackson dinner tonight!



• A Rockstar on the Campaign Trail



• News Article and Diary Roundup



• Action Items

John Edwards on C-SPAN at the Iowa Democratic Party Jefferson Jackson dinner tonight!

Tonight is the big Iowa Democratic Party Jefferson Jackson dinner. John Edwards and the other candidates spoke to a crowd of 9,000. It's was on C-SPAN and will probably be replayed again later. For those of you who don't have cable, like me, here's the YouTube.

Prior to the dinner, there was a big rally of Iowans for Edwards. John Edwards and bluegrass legend Dr. Ralph Stanley were there. Maybe you can get a feel for the good times that I'm sure were had by all by listening to this video of Dr. Ralph Stanley, and I think this proves that good music has no age.

On the way to the dinner from the rally, folks were treated to a video presentation in "Edwards Vision." This is how the campaign describes it:

And as they head to the Veterans Memorial Auditorium for the JJ Dinner, they can watch "Edwards Vision" on a screen at the corner of 5th Street and Center Street.  "Edwards Vision" is a slideshow of photographs and quotations from Edwards on his vision for our country.

But here it is in living color...

Popcorn, anyone?

If you're in Iowa at this event, at some point you will probably be handed a copy of the Edwards Extra, the campaign's newspaper. Those of us online can check out our own copy here.

Pretty cool and it looks like tonight is a multimedia extravaganza.

A Rockstar on the Campaign Trail

Tonight we have a special musical treat for you. Many of us think JRE is a rock star in his own right, but last night, he was welcomed onto the stage by a friend of his who happens to be a rock star who actually plays music - John Mellencamp.

"You know, I've got a friend that I've had for about the last seven or eight years. This guy's from a small town. And he just so happens to be running for President of the United States...Ladies and gentleman John Edwards has come to see the show."

I know you are going to love this video. It had me grinning from ear to ear.

News Article and Diary Roundup

There are a whole lot of wonderful news stories and diaries making the rounds today (and a few we may have missed from earlier this week), so I won't go into much detail on any of these, but here are some links you may enjoy...

Jefferson-Jackson Day Dinner Live on C-Span: Edwards speaks 1st by sgary (Daily Kos)

politicsiowa.com is reporting that John Edwards will be kicking things off at this important Iowa event, and that it is one of the last opportunitys for Iowans to see all the candidates at once, and has been used in the past  to unveil new campaign themes, such as in 2003 when John Kerry debuted his "Real Deal" theme.

Why John Edwards Must Be the Democratic Nominee by Michael Fox (OpEd News)

Polled head-to-head against each of the leading Republican presidential nominees, John Edwards wins each match-up by 5 points more than Hillary Clinton. As there must be no margin for error this time, that is truly significant.

Democratic Rivals Respond to Clinton's Planted Question (CNN Political Ticker)

"That's what George Bush does," the former senator from North Carolina said. "George Bush goes to events that are staged, where people are screened, where the'yre only allowed to ask questions if the questions are favorable to George Bush and set up in his favor."

A Problem of Priorities and the 15% Sensible Solution by Jamess (Daily Kos)

Some "sensible" Business Folks in Iowa have been crunching the numbers, and they think they have a solution, to this looming crisis.  The answer calls for some simple "Budget Priority" shifting...

John Edwards - National Day of Climate Change by OneCarolinaGirl (Daily Kos)

Last Saturday I was in New Orleans where Senator John Edwards worked with Habitat to help rebuild New Orleans. (Videos available soon.)  Then he went to the AdEgg building where he worked to help save the earth.  It was National Day of climate change and the crowd gave him thunderous applause throughout his speech.  They were avidly pro-Edwards and they showed it proudly.

Update: Edwards on Clinton's Planting: "That's what George does" & Another Plant Revealed by TomP

I wonder how long this has been going on?  How many questions were planted?  Remember Yearly Kos?  A few people who attended her session told me that it looked like the questioneers were pre-selected at her break out session. Don't know, I went to John Edwards' session.  Those questions definetely came from real kossaks and Edwards took whatever was asked.

Earlier this week:

Cate Edwards Makes Her Case by Jenn Abelson (boston.com)

On Friday, Edwards will hit the college circuit again in New Hampshire with Kate Michelman, former head of the abortion rights group NARAL. Edwards plans to spend more time on the campaign trail in January, closer to the first nomination contests.

David Bonior: NH's primary must go before my home state of Michigan's by David Bonior (UnionLeader.com)

Michigan's primary would heavily favor the candidates with the most money and the most hype. Remaining on the ballot there would mean that their pledge to support the role of small states was nothing more than lip service. I believe that after eight years of George W. Bush, Americans are tired of double talk and ready for a leader who will play straight with them.

Michigan is a great state that has produced some of the finest Democrats in the nation, and no candidate has fought harder for the interests of the hard-working men and women of Michigan. John Edwards was laying out his proposal to revive the auto industry to Detroit audiences back in April, before any other candidate was highlighting Michigan issues on the campaign trail.

But as Bill Gardner prepares to announce a date for the New Hampshire primary that will protect its first-in-the-nation status, John Edwards and I believe that the best way to start off our nominating process is to have candidates make their case to voters in their living rooms, instead of through their television sets.

Action Items

We have two action items tonight that you may want to join in so that you can help put this country back on track.

1. Watch Ben Cohen's BB demonstration about our nuclear arsenal and join True Majority here.

2. Make a small donation to John Edwards for President here.

UPDATE:

Video of today's webcast with Kate Michelman and Cate Edwards.

Edwards Evening News Round-Up: American Heroes Edition

Cross-posted here

I have a few heroes in my life. My mother is one. She was a divorced single mother in Georgia over 60 years ago, at a time when that simply wasn't done. Even after she married my father and they combined their two families, she continued working full time. When I was a teenager, she went back to school and got a degree in accounting. Because of her, and at times to her dismay, I grew up a strong and independent woman.



Another hero is my son. He has grown into a strong dependable adult and is married to the girl he fell in love with as a sophomore in high school 21 years ago. His steadiness is something I admire more than anything, and his commitment to his children.



To others, perhaps, neither my mother nor my son are extraordinary people. These aren't people who have changed the world in dramatic ways, but they are my heroes. Every day, when my mother was alive and my son now, they remain true to their values of honest work, family, and leaving a better world for their children than they inherited.



1. Edwards Kicks-Off "American Heroes Week" To Stand Up For Hardworking Americans: Today, John Edwards begins a week of highlighting American Heroes--some will be people with extraordinary tales and others are living their lives with simple determination. Heroes, after all, don't need to leap tall buildings or run faster than a speeding bullet; sometimes, they are just the men and women who go about their lives every day making our country better for the next generation.



Running his campaign according to his plan, Edwards is on the air now with his first campaign ad in Iowa. (The small buy he had in May was urging Congress to stand up to Bush on Iraq funding.)

"If you're looking for heroes, don't look to me," Edwards says in the ad. ... "It is time for our party, the Democratic Party, to show a little backbone, to have a little guts. To stand up for working men and women."

These are the people John Edwards is fighting for, these are the people his policy proposals are largely directed toward, these are his heroes.



Over the next 7 days, Edwards will be:

-- in South Carolina, meeting with former employees of the Springs textile mill;

-- in New Orleans, working with Habitat for Humanity and volunteers building homes in the Upper 9th Ward and speaking at the Step It Up rally in that city;

-- in Iowa, highlighting the service of America's teachers and America's soldiers; and

-- in New Hampshire, honoring the bravery of America's veterans and first responders.



John Edwards is proud of Americans and is passionate about giving voice to all American heroes, the ones we read about in the papers and the ones across the street.




2. Edwards in NH: "The poison fruit of corruption": At BlueHampshire.com, mbair posted a diary yesterday about the community meeting in Exeter, NH earlier this week (pre-debate if you can remember that far back ;-D). [It is also cross-posted at Daily Kos here.] There are several videos that are real must-see's, and I urge all of you to head on over and take a look.



One thing in that diary struck me in particular--a list of examples of the corruption in Washington that Edwards is talking about:

• In Iraq, our men and women serve while "politically connected people here at home make millions of dollars," like Blackwater.



• CEOs plunder their companies and ordinary men and women, shareholders too, are left holding the bag on their pensions and shares.



• Homeland security of container inspections? A joke. The biggest company in America, Wal-Mart, lobbies against it and there is no action.



• What do we get for our trade policies? A multi-million job decline and multi-billion dollar trade deficit plus killer toys and food from China.

It is easy for us political junkies to hear "corporate lobbyist" or "Washington is corrupt" and think only of the money flowing to Congress. But if that was all it was, I don't think John Edwards would be making such a stink. I don't think he would care as much if it just meant that some Congresscritter got a nice dinner or a golf outing. It is not the campaign contributions or gifts that he is fighting against; it is the result of those contributions and gifts. So, watch the videos and listen to John Edwards speak. And next time someone tells you he's making too much out of it all or that we have to work within the system that exists, hand them that list and tell them, "No thanks, I'll stand with John Edwards."




3. Global Warming Legislation In The Senate Today, as diaried earlier today by TomP, the Senate Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection (that's a mouthful) marked up America's Climate Security Act (S.2191), introduced by our very own Joe Lieberman (CfL-CT) and my very own John Warner (R-VA)--what an unholy pair! John Edwards responded quickly:

The critical question is simple: are we going to do everything climate science says is needed to save our planet? The Lieberman-Warner bill says no. Worst of all, it gives away pollution permits to industry for free—a massive corporate windfall—instead of doing what is right and selling them so that we can use these resources to invest in clean energy research and help regular families go green.

MoveOn.org and Friends of the Earth are sharply critical of this bill, even with the "improvements" that came out of today's mark-up. MoveOn is asking its members to sign a petition that reads:

"Any climate legislation that gives 'pollution credits' away for free means windfall profits for big polluters. Congress should ensure that corporations pay taxpayers for these credits. The money raised should help develop clean energy sources and support the workers and consumers affected by the shift to clean energy."

Friends of the Earth Action President Brent Blackwelder commented in today's diary and made this request:

Thanks Ellinorianne

and everyone else for your comments and support. We're doing what we can. But we won't get anywhere if senators don't hear from their constituents that this bill needs to get better.



I would encourage all members DailyKos community to call your senators (202 224-3121) with two key requests:



* This legislation should ratchet down emissions to get us to a minimum cut of 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. The current bill falls far short of this goal -- which is what scientists tell us is needed.



* 100 percent of pollution permits should be auctioned and giveaways to corporate polluters should be eliminated.



The Lieberman-Warner bill is not good enough. The laws of nature don't compromise and we must have legislation that does the minimum that scientists tell us is necessary to avoid catastrophe. Emissions are rising more quickly than almost anyone has predicted and we may not have a second chance to get this right.



by Brent Blackwelder on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 03:42:52 PM EDT

[emphasis and contact links for the Senate added]

4. Great Answers to Great Questions: I'm going to end tonight with another hero of mine.

• She's a woman who became a lawyer 30 years ago and a successful one. There weren't as many women lawyers then as there are now and so it's easy to forget what an accomplishment this was.



• She has remained committed to her 30 year marriage and the life- and soul-mate she met back in law school. This during a period of time when divorces became as common as marriages.



• She is the mother of 4 wonderful children: one who died far too early in life, one who is growing into a talented and spirited young adult, and two young ones who are clearly both the center of their parents' lives and strong in their own emerging personalities.

Every day, this hero of mine seems to get up asking "What can I do today to make a difference?" and every day she does, even if she does describe herself as "a comfortable shoes kind of mom."



Of course, I'm talking about Elizabeth Edwards. At the JRE blog, there is a diary up by OklahomaVoter with video links to a wonderful question & answer session with Elizabeth recently at a house party in Brentwood, NH. Again, I urge you to go over and read the original for OV's summary and comments. I'm just going to share the videos with you here.



Elizabeth's introductory remarks:







Q&A Session:

Edwards Opposes Lieberman-Warner Polluter Giveway

Cross-posted here

By Tom P.

Friends of the Earth and Moveon.org oppose the Lieberman-Warner bill that was passed earlier today by a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. This bill gives hundred of billions of dollars away to corporate polluters.

John Edwards today joined them in opposition to the Lieberman-Warner Polluter Giveaway bill now in the Senate.

Edwards opposes Lieberman-Warner because the bill "gives away pollution permits to industry for free – a massive corporate windfall – instead of doing what is right and selling them so that we can use these resources to invest in clean energy research and help regular families go green."

More after the fold.


On October 30, 2007, Friends of the Earth announced the results of their new analysis of the bill. They found that:

Corporate polluters will hit the jackpot if global warming legislation proposed by Sens. Joe Lieberman and John Warner becomes law. The Lieberman-Warner bill will reward corporate polluters by handing them pollution permits worth almost half a trillion dollars, and that's just one part of this bill. The levels of pollution-rewarding giveaways in this bill are truly obscene.

Friends of the Earth quantifies the giveaways here.

"The Lieberman-Warner bill will reward corporate polluters by handing them pollution permits worth almost half a trillion dollars," said Friends of the Earth's Erich Pica, one of the authors of the analysis. "And that's just one part of this bill. The bill also includes hundreds of billions of dollars of other mind-boggling giveaways. The levels of pollution-rewarding giveaways in this bill are truly obscene."

In particular, Friends of the Earth's analysis found that the bill:

* Provides the coal industry and other fossil fuel industries pollution permits worth $436 billion over the life of the legislation; 58 percent of this amount goes to coal

* Returns revenue raised through auctions directly to polluters -- for example, an additional $324 billion would subsidize the coal industry's efforts to develop carbon capture and storage mechanisms

* Directs another $522 billion of auction revenue to low or zero-emissions technologies, which could result in handouts to the nuclear power, big hydro and coal industries, which are not clean (these funds could also be directed toward important clean technologies, such as wind and solar -- the legislation is not specific)

snip

"The polluter giveaways are one of several major flaws in this bill," Pica said.

Friends of the Earth releases new analysis

Moveon.org also opposes this bill:

No free ride for polluters

A new bill in the Senate could be the first climate change legislation that has a chance of passing. The only problem is that it won't solve climate change, but it will give polluting companies billions in corporate windfall profits.

Companies could buy the credits from the government, and we can use the money to transition to a clean-energy economy. By carefully limiting the number of credits available, we can reduce pollution. But the bill being considered would give most of the credits away for free to the biggest polluters.

We need to speak out before this becomes law.

A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to your Senators.

Full petition text:

"Any climate legislation that gives 'pollution credits' away for free means windfall profits for big polluters. Congress should ensure that corporations pay taxpayers for these credits. The money raised should help develop clean energy sources and support the workers and consumers affected by the shift to clean energy."

Sign the Petition

I just received an email from FoE Action with a new John Edwards press release opposing this bad bill:

EDWARDS STATEMENT ON GLOBAL WARMING LEGISLATION IN THE SENATE

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement on the Lieberman-Warner bill that was passed earlier today by a subcommittee of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works:

"Global warming is a crisis. Every month, the evidence mounts that decisive action is urgently needed. At long last, global warming legislation is moving in the Senate.

"But we cannot be limited in our approach by the armies of lobbyists from big oil companies and other special interests. The critical question is simple: are we going to do everything climate science says is needed to save our planet? The Lieberman-Warner bill says no. Worst of all, it gives away pollution permits to industry for free – a massive corporate windfall – instead of doing what is right and selling them so that we can use these resources to invest in clean energy research and help regular families go green.

"Ending global warming won't be easy, but it is time to ask Americans to be patriotic about something other than war. If we take the necessary steps, we can emerge from the crisis of global warming with an economy built on clean, renewable energy and more than 1 million new jobs."

John Edwards stands with Friends of the Earth and Moveon.org in opposing this corporate giveway. We need real action on global warming. With stands like this for the Earth, John Edwards is showing that he really will be our First Green President.

UPDATE I: From the comments in this diary, Brent Blackwelder, President of Friends of the Earth and FoE Action:

John Edwards is showing real leadership on the environment here. The Lieberman-Warner bill simply does not reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the rates that scientists say are needed, and it includes massive giveaways to corporate polluters.

Friends of the Earth Action will be urging other presidential candidates to follow Senator Edwards' lead and call for much stronger legislation.

Dr. Brent Blackwelder,
President, Friends of the Earth Action (www.foeaction.org)

P.S. Friends of the Earth has information about the bill online. A one-page factsheet is available here, and a longer analysis of the corporate giveaways can be found here.

by Brent Blackwelder on Thu Nov 01, 2007 at 11:15:16 AM PDT

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2007/11/1/133515/089/13#c13

Edwards Evening News - Beyond blurring the Differences

Cross-posted here

Welcome to today's Edwards Evening News! Today I kind of borrowed the title from another article, but after the clarity of the differences on numerous issues in the debate last night, it seemed pretty appropriate. When you living inside history, its hard to know what a turning point is, but this just might be it. Along with some debate round-up, a few other things for you:

1. John Edwards offers a clear choice - debate wrap-up

2. Edwards starts an advertising push in Iowa.

3. GLBT leaders are making the case for Edwards.

4. Trick or treat? A Halloween pitch.

5. Edwards picks up New Hampshire SEIU.


Enjoy!



1. John Edwards offers a clear choice - debate wrap-up
Well, if you watched the debate last night you already know, and if you didn't watch it, despite the press's bad track record on covering Edwards, some things are just too obvious to ignore. Read through the reviews. Here's one I particularly liked below:

MJ Rosenberg's at Edwards Won:

"But, of the three heavyweights, I was most impressed by Edwards. He combined toughness and vision. Somehow I can imagine that Edwards' agenda for America would have a name like "New Deal" or "Great Society" in other words a rubric that suggests that his program for America would be larger than just his persona. I like that. I'm not so sure about the others.

I think Edwards will win Iowa and then we'll have a real race, one with an almost level playing field. It is not over. That is the main thing I learned last night.

Not over by a long shot."

"Larger than just his persona" - exactly right I think. Here's what the author might be refering to:

"But the question is, are you willing to look your children in the eye tonight and say, "I'm going to turn this mess over to you? Because if you turn your back on the incompetence and the corruption that exists in Washington today, that's exactly what you're saying. You're saying, "I'm going to let my children and my grandchildren take care of that. I'm not willing to do that."

And Edwards very clearly and without rancor pointed that anyone who thinks that all the candidates are the "same" really really really has not been paying attention. This is a primary and an election about choices, a battle for the soul of the democratic party and we can't afford to hang out on the sidelines:

About Iraq and lessons learned - a clear choice


Edwards had a bit more to say on this after the debate:

"This is a real difference between Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton. Senator Clinton says she wants to end the war, but she also says she will keep combat missions in Iraq. Keeping combat missions in Iraq means she will extend the war. John Edwards will end the war.

"John Edwards' plan for Iraq is very simple: No combat troops. No combat missions. No combat, period. And not by 2013, by 2009."

About Iran - a clear choice


and of course when Leiberman defends Hillary and wonders why people mistrust him, that makes the choice pretty stark.

About change - a clear choice


The campaign also released a fun statement that seems to sum things up about right.

For more see the in-depth wrap-up.


2. Edwards starts an advertising push in Iowa.
Politico has the scoop on the new 12 page mailer that Iowans just received:

The glossy, 12-page mailing is a fairly major investment for a campaign up against a cap in state spending, and it arrived yesterday, a day before what's expected to be his first major ad buy in the state.

Combined, it's a "new media push in Iowa that will knock everyone's socks off," as a California Edwards backer and fundraiser, lawyer Melissa Brown, wrote in an e-mail announcing a West Coast swing next month.

They have a link to each page so check it out, and as the bold indicates, watch out for more advertising.


3. GLBT leaders are making the case for Edwards.
Prominent LGBT leaders supporting Edwards are making the case for why the LGBT community should support John Edwards. Here's the intro from the memo:

The 2008 Presidential elections offer our country and our community a chance to make history, by fundamentally restructuring American politics from the White House to the statehouse. That is why we are supporting Senator John Edwards for President and hope that you will consider joining us.

Check out his website for more details on his LGBT platform and endorsements here, here, and here.


4. Trick or treat? A Halloween pitch.
This pretty much speaks for itself. If you think below is a November nightmare, click on the picture and help a 50 state strategy happen:







5. Edwards picks up New Hampshire SEIU.
Despite some Huckabee shenanigans, Edwards officially received the New Hampshire SEIU endorsement today:

"We are thrilled to have the support of the the hard-working families of the New Hampshire State Employees' Association (SEIU local 1984). John Edwards' commitment to guaranteeing universal health care, the work he has done standing shoulder-to-shoulder with organized labor and his strength as the candidate who can win the general election next year and bring a pro-union, pro-working family agenda to the White House have earned him this critical support in New Hampshire. John Edwards is proud to have the strong endorsement of the SEA and looks forward to working with the men and women of SEIU in New Hampshire to build One America where every single American has health care coverage and where everyone who works hard has the chance to get ahead."

Kind of nice that two neighboring states (along with 10 others) have also endorsed and are ready to help out isn't it?

And thats the news! Oh, and since you've been good and come this far - here's a Halloween treat for you audiophiles: Edwards on Hartman Radio show today

Edwards Evening News: the Stand Up with John Edwards Edition

Cross-posted here

Hi. TomP here with EENR No. 201. I only have two stories tonight. First, the St. Anselm address by John Edwards, a major speech. Second, Edwards on "mercenaries" in Iraq.

"This corruption did not begin yesterday, and it did not even begin with George Bush," Edwards said in speech excerpts provided by his campaign. "It has been building for decades, until it now threatens literally the life of our democracy."

''Let us blaze a new path together,'' said Edwards.

The Advocate

First, John Edwards made a major speech today that sets the direction for the rest of the campaign, of his life.

MANCHESTER, N.H. - John Edwards on Monday cast Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton and her ties to lobbyists as part of a corrupt Washington system that voters should reject in the presidential election.

snip

He cast the 2008 election as the culmination of an epic struggle between Washington greed and the power of the people. "This is the moral test of our generation," Edwards said.

"Down one path, we trade corporate Republicans for corporate Democrats; our cronies for their cronies; one political dynasty for another dynasty, and all we are left with is a Democratic version of the Republican corruption machine," he said.

San Francisco Examiner

It's time to tell the truth. And the truth is the system in Washington is corrupt. It is rigged by the powerful special interests to benefit they very few at the expense of the many. And as a result, the American people have lost faith in our broken system in Washington, and believe it no longer works for ordinary Americans. They're right.

snip

Let us blaze a new path together, grounded in the values from which America was forged, still reaching toward the greatness of our ideals. We can do it. We can cast aside the bankrupt ways of Washington and replace them with the timeless values of the American people. We can liberate our government from the shackles of corporate money that bind it to corporate will, and restore the voices of our people to its halls.

This is the cause of my life. This is the cause of our time. Join me. Together, we cannot fail.

Please read the entire speech here in Tracy Joan's diary. It articulates what I most believed in.

John Edwards: The Moral Test of our Generation (major speech, full text)

Second, John Edwards is not afraid to tell the truth about the mercenaries, the Hessians, America employs in Iraq.

Later, at a town-hall meeting in Exeter, N.H., Edwards blamed the Washington system for allowing the government to hire private security guards like those who work for Blackwater USA. Blackwater guards were involved in the killings of 17 Iraqi civilians in September in Baghdad.

"Right now, we've got men and women serving in uniform in Iraq while we've got a bunch of paid mercenaries roaming around the country lawless, the best I can tell, working for Blackwater and people like that," Edwards said.

The U.S. government has rejected the use of the term "mercenaries" in a United Nations report to describe Blackwater guards, saying it is demeaning to those who risk their lives defending U.S. interests. Edwards told reporters after his appearance that he didn't know the government objected to the term.

"And I don't care," he said, adding that he "absolutely" believes it is a fair term.

San Francisco Examiner

John Edwards has the courage to tell the truth to power. Will YOU tell truth to power? Will you fight for change? Will you stand up with him? Will you stand up? Will you?




Tell your friends. Spread the word about real change.

Give $$$ to his campaign. Anything. $10 will be matched and become $20.

Act Blue: Bloggers for John Edwards

Your contribution could be doubled. Public campaign financing matches your personal contribution total up to $250.

Join up and travel to the early states to canvass and help out!

Sign up to travel on behalf of the campaign today

Or Donate to Friends of the Earth Action:

Friends of the Earth Action (FoE Action), one of the longest-standing, national environmental organizations in the country, today launched a new radio ad in New Hampshire called, "Humanity," featuring John Edwards describing his plan to fight global warming. The ad, which is part of an independent, grassroots campaign on Edwards' behalf in the Granite State, comes on the heels of the group's endorsement of him for president on October 14th.

"This ad is the first part of our campaign to mobilize our members and supporters, like-minded environmentalists and voters in New Hampshire for the election of John Edwards as President," said Brent Blackwelder, president of FoE Action. "As our ad states, 'John Edwards has the courage to lead on global warming.' That is why we enthusiastically endorsed him and now plan to spend the next three months helping him win the Democratic nomination for president."

FoE Action

It will not be easy -- sacrifice will be required of us -- but it was never easy for our ancestors, and their sacrifices were far greater than any that will fall on our shoulders.

Yet, the responsibility is ours.

We, you and I, are the guardians of what America is and what it will be.

The choice is ours.

John Edwards: The Moral Test of our Generation (major speech, full text)

Will YOU stand up and fight for real change?

Edwards Evening News Roundup: 200th Edition!

Cross-posted here

This is the 200th edition of the Edwards Evening News Roundup, or what you might call the Roundup of Roundups Edition!

But first before beer and cake comes the News:

• Edwards Campaign Strikes Back at Truthiness Troll Stephen Colbert


• Iowa Caucus Date Set for January 3


• Edwards Proposal to Stop Misleading Drug Marketing


• Beer, Cake, and the Roundup of Roundups

Edwards Campaign Strikes Back at Truthiness Troll Stephen Colbert



Today, the Edwards campaign struck back at their Demublican rival in the South Carolina primary, Stephen Colbert. (Or is that Dumublican?)

"RHETORIC VS REALITY: STEPHEN COLBERT - PLAYING LOOSE WITH THE FACTS.

"CLAIM: Edwards abandoned South Carolina when he was one year old.

"FACT: Edwards was born in South Carolina, learned to walk in South Carolina, learned to talk to in South Carolina, and will kick Stephen Colbert's New York City butt in South Carolina.

"Stephen Colbert claims to represent a new kind of politics, but today we see he's participating in the slash and burn politics that has no place in American discourse. The truthiness is, as the candidate of Doritos, Colbert's hands are stained by corporate corruption and nacho cheese. John Edwards has never taken a dime from salty food lobbyists and America deserves a President who isn't in the pocket of the snack food special interests."

Take that, you sniveling little truthiness troll!

Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Now we are going to get the Colbert-atics attacking EENR.

Iowa Caucus Date Set for January 3

The Iowa caucus date will likely be January 3rd. This year's haggling and maneuvering over caucus and primary dates may look like something choreographed by Comedy Central, but I don't think Stephen Colbert had much to do with it.

Edwards Proposal to Stop Misleading Drug Marketing

In New Hampshire today, Edwards proposed a plan to stop misleading marketing by drug companies.

"The excessive costs of prescription drugs are straining family budgets and contributing to runaway health care costs," said Edwards. "Since the government relaxed direct-to-consumer advertising rules in 1997, drug ads have nearly quadrupled to over $4 billion a year.

"With such aggressive and often misleading drug company marketing, it's too easy for advertising – instead of doctors or proven results – to influence families' health decisions. But the FDA has been an ineffective watchdog, reviewing only a small fraction of ads. It's time to stand up to the drug companies and their lobbyists who have rigged the system. It's time to stand strong for families, patients, and doctors."

Although this proposal is new to his campaign today, Edwards has opposed advertising of prescription drugs to consumers since he was in the Senate. Check out this alert from the American Advertising Federation from back in 2003:

PLEASE Call Your U.S. Senators IMMEDIATELY to Oppose Senator Edwards (D. N.C.) and Senator Harkin's (D. IA.) Amendment That Would Eliminate Broadcast Advertising of Prescription Drugs.

Senators John Edwards (D-NC) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) today introduced an amendment to the Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003 that effectively would eliminate broadcast advertising of prescription drugs. The amendment is expected to be voted on in the United States Senate within hours or days.

It is critical that you call or, at the minimum, e-mail your U.S. Senators immediately and ask them to vote against this anti-advertising amendment.

Beer, Cake, and the Roundup of Roundups


Beer!


Cake!


More Beer!

All of these virtual calories are brought to you because tonight is the 200th EENR! That's right! Are great team of diarists has put out 200 Edwards Evening News roundups as of tonight. Here's a sampling of some of them, and a tribute to all of our contributors.

Good News for Elizabeth Edwards and Edwards Evening Roundup April 4, 2007

On this momentous day in history, Edwards Evening News Roundup (EENR) was born! Tom P. wrote the very first EENR diary.

This diary brings some good news about Elizabeth Edwards' treatment that was in papers today. In addition, I have a link to an interesting interview with Elizabeth in Newsweek and a little quote.

And I have a couple bits of campaign news. First, I have news of an endorsement today of John Edwards from a Southern California political leader. Second, I have a link to John Edwards' petition and latest message on working to end the Iraq War.

This is sort of an Edwards news roundup for the evening. If you're interested, come on around after the fold, kick back, and relax.

Edwards - Special Memorial Day Weekend Edition May 27, 2007

SallyinSF supported our troops the most effective way - by speaking out against this bloody war!

John Edwards believes Memorial Day should be about more than the very worthy and noble cause of honoring those who have died in war. He believes we should also Support the Troops. End the War. When the right wing smear machine says it's unpatriotic on Memorial Day to honor our troops that are still serving by demanding an end to the war, let's YELL VERY LOUDLY that's it's unpatriotic, not to mention immoral, to sacrifice more of our brave soldiers for a war based on lies and for a war that cannot be won. Let's YELL VERY LOUDLY that it's unpatriotic and immoral to deny them all the necessary equipment, resources, and medical attention they require.

Edwards Evening Roundup: Pirates Edition June 4, 2007

Chaoslillith hoisted the mainsail and we set off on this grand adventure:

http://www.podtech.net/...

This is an interview from 1/2007. This was done a few days after Edwards had declared. It was done by an independent blogger on a plane flight with Edwards. How often do you hear polticians say they want to serve and that is their primary motivation? Not power, not changing the world but to serve the public. I think this shows more of how Edwards is very prepared to run the country because he knows exactly what he wants to do. The video camera conked out and there is an audio file as well.

Edwards Evening News Roundup: July 4th Edition July 4, 2007

As Clarkent's diary on this day stated boldly,

It's worth noting that Senator Edwards realizes that movements are not about one person, but instead are about the American people standing up for one another. In Monday's ACORN Presidential Forum, Senator Edwards recognized this in the assembled activists. He praised them for their dogged pursuit of equality on behalf of the voiceless, from helping to rebuild poor neighborhoods in New Orleans to going door to door to help families in low-income neighborhoods around the country.

Edwards Evening News-Helping Others Edition July 11, 2007

Our anchor for this night, benny05, reported on John Edwards's victory in the MoveOn town hall on global warming:

First story: Today, John Edwards was all over the place both virtually and physically. The Moveon.org results, as reported by Okmichican13 earlier on the DK, show that Moveon viewers saw that Edwards illustrated strong movements for tackling Global Warming.

Edwards Evening News Roundup / Saturday Night Edition July 21, 2007

One of my first EENR diaries was the first one I know of to include a music video, on the theory that Saturday night diaries should be fun! Of course, EENR is fun every night!

It's Saturday night here at Daily Kos, so kick back, grab yourself a beer, and let's have ourselves a party here at the Edwards Evening News.

...snip...

But first, since it is Saturday night, let's start off with a little rock 'n roll!

EENR-Happy Anniversary John and Elizabeth Edition!! July 30, 2007

For this special edition of EENR, ladylib wrote about John and Elizabeth's 30th wedding anniversary.

Wow! 30 years! I just celebrated my 31st not to long ago so I know a little of what 30 years of marriage can bring to a couple...lots of joy, lots of heartache but most of all a lot of love. I don't know John and Elizabeth personally but from what I can see from the outside looking in, they are two people totally and completely in love with each other. Congratulations John and Elizabeth on your day and may God bless you and keep you in his care. It is all our wishes that you two have many many more wonderful years together.

Edwards Evening News - "They are eating our Lunch" Aug. 8, 2007

In this diary, okamichan13 brought worker's issues and health care to the forefront with a clip from the AFL-CIO debate.

1. What's wrong with America and what will you do to change it?

That was the question retired electrician Steve Skvar asked John Edwards during the most riveting moment of the debate:



Hard not to choke up watching that, no matter how many times you see it. As Edwards said to him,"You're a perfect example of exactly what's wrong with America both on pension protection and on health care". To learn more about Steve Skvara, check out the Chicago Tribune article, they've been following his heartbreaking story for a while.

EENR: Rolling Stone Calls Edwards "The Real Liberal" Aug. 10, 2007

Sarahlane noted an important article in Rolling Stone.

Today's Rolling Stone article about John Edwards is boldly titled, The Real Liberal: John Edwards is Third in the Polls, But Don't Count Him. I'm glad to see Rolling Stone come out with a good piece on Edwards. The author Dickinson even quotes our very own Kos saying:

"Edwards' proposals go the furthest -- they're like the ideal," says Moulitsas of Daily Kos. "Everybody else is playing it so safe it's dreadful."

I think there's a reason Edwards isn't playing it safe. He has no reason at all to do so. He isn't in the Senate anymore, and my guess is he has the luxury of not having to represent a state's constituency. He's run for President before, and now with the experience of a previous run, he's telling it like it is. I also think his campaign isn't consultant laden like it may have been back in 2004. I think he's trusting his own voice, and not the babbling of another "brilliant" consultant. In trusting his own voice, he's speaking out for the majority of us. His proposals if enacted, by far, will directly help more Americans above and below the poverty line. Don't believe me? Read his proposal on creating a working society on his website. Read his proposals on reining in on mortgage industry, credit card company, and predatory lending abuses. Read his proposals on second chance schools for high school drop outs, his College for Everyone plan, or his UHC proposal. Even if he is successful at enacting just a few of his policies, there's no doubt in my mind Americans will catch a break that they actually notice.

Edwards Evening News Roundup: SNF the 70's Aug. 18, 2007

We were thrilled when our friend Predictor, who so often posts his beautiful photos in the comments on EENR, wrote his first EENR diary. It set quite a precedent, too! Predictor's Saturday Night Fever diary started the every night YouTube dance party craze on EENR!

Welcome to the Saturday Night Fever Edition of the Edwards Evening News Roundup.
So, Boogie Down and get in touch with your 1970’s Inner Child and tell us about your Experiences in the 1970’s, a fantastic Decade of Change, Upheaval and eventually Progress.

...snip...



...snip...

1976:
Predictor comes out of the Closet and begins Decades of GLBT Political Activism.
Jimmy Carter-D is Elected President.
1977:
Saturday Night Fever is released.
John and Elizabeth Graduated from UNC Law School in May 1977.

John and Elizabeth get married on July 30, 1977.

Edwards Evening News Round-up: Transformational Leadership Sept. 6, 2007

On this date, edgery reported on the transformational nature of John Edwards's leadership, as well as the endorsement by the Transport Workers Union.

But first, let's get into the difference between transactional and transformational. Acording to James MacGregor Burns, author of the 1978 book Leadership, as summarized by Rauchway, "Transactional leaders feel out the opinions of their constituencies and offer them compensation for their needs." On the other hand,

Transformational leadership occurs when one or more persons engage with others in such a way that leaders and followers raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality.

In my opinion, John Edwards is striving for transformational change in this country by not just identifying problems and offering solutions, but by seeking to redefine the conversation both with and among the American people.

Edwards Evening News: Harkin Steak Fry Edition Sept. 16, 2007

Pioneer111 reported on an event we all wished we could have attended - the Harkin Steak Fry in Iowa.

Today, John and Elizabeth Edwards joined thousands of Iowans from every corner of the state in Indianola, Iowa for one of the biggest events of the entire presidential campaign -- the 30th Annual Harkin Steak Fry. Over 140 press credentials were issued and well over 12,000 tickets were sold.

Edwards Evening News Roundup - Wednesday Edition Sept. 19, 2007

We welcomed mdgarcia into the ranks of EENR diarists with his poignant comment on racism:

Earlier today John Edwards issued a statement on the "Jena 6". Here's a link:
http://johnedwards.com/...

Here's the quote that struck me:

"When a 'white tree' stands outside a public school, marking a place where white students sit but black students are not welcome, there is something so wrong that the right words are hard to find.

My commentary is this. The sad fact is racism is still alive and well in this country. Parts of this country are still living in the 1950's. I'm Hispanic, and I grew up in North Carolina, and have also lived in Louisiana and Georgia. I now live once again in North Carolina, and I can attest that I'm not surprised at the level of racism that still exists in this country in general, and in the South in particular, as I've encountered it myself. John Edwards has been fighting all his life to end racism in all its forms. He's been fighting for me.

Edwards Evening News Roundup: The Man with the Plans Sept. 25, 2007

Cosbo highlighted the Edwards education plan:

Edwards is also getting great reviews on his Education Plan policies. As someone with kids in school, it's great to see some of his proposals. His college initiatives will definitely be helpful to me a few years from now. I could use his ideas no No Child Left Behind and all the stupid overtesting, today, though.

Edwards Evening News: How about Candidates go into "Truth Mode" Edition Oct. 14, 2007

Jamess reported on the various "modes" of the candidates, and the one mode used by John Edwards.

Some Candidates put Politics and Compromise above the concerns of the People they say they want to represent -- and some Candidates put the People first!

Some Candidates take the Voters for granted, and have already started their "General Election" rhetoric -- and some Candidates actually believe in meeting with the People, and earning Each Vote!


Since this is another edition of the Edwards E