2004 Presidential Election and Beyond: The Giuliani Years (GAME THREAD)

[Donerail]

John Edwards for President
Let’s Make One America

Robbins, North Carolina. Monday, September 15, 2003:
With three Democrats having declared already and no clear frontrunner, Democratic Senator John Edwards of North Carolina held a press conference to announce his intention to run for the Democratic nomination, with a theme of combating poverty.

For two decades, I stood with kids and families against big HMOs and big insurance companies. That’s what inspired me to leave my legal career and seek public office. When I got to the Senate, I found that things there were much the same as what I had left. And so I fought those same fights against the Washington lobbyists and for causes like the Patients' Bill of Rights. And that’s why I’m here tonight. I stand here ready to work with you to make America stronger. And we have much work to do, because the truth is, we still live in a country where there are two different Americas.

One, for all of those people who have lived the American dream and don't have to worry, and another for most Americans, everybody else who struggle to make ends meet every single day. It doesn't have to be that way.
We can build one America where we no longer have two health care systems: one for families who get the best health care money can by, and then one for everybody else rationed out by insurance companies, drug companies, HMOs. Millions of Americans have no health coverage at all. It doesn’t have to be that way.
We shouldn't have two public school systems in this country: one for the most affluent communities, and one for everybody else. None of us believe that the quality of a child's education should be controlled by where they live or the affluence of the community they live in. It doesn't have to be that way.
We shouldn't have two different economies in America: one for people who are set for life, they know their kids and their grand-kids are going to be just fine; and then one for most Americans, people who live paycheck to paycheck. You don't need me to explain this to you do you? You know exactly what I'm talking about. Can't save any money, can you? Takes every dime you make just to pay your bills. And you know what happens if something goes wrong, if you have a child that gets sick, a financial problem, a layoff in the family -- you go right off the cliff. And when that happens, what's the first thing that goes? Your dreams. It doesn’t have to be that way.

I have a plan that will offer all Americans the same health care that your Senator has. One that will reform our schools and raise standards. One that will create good-paying jobs in this country again. I can strengthen and lift up you and your families. That’s my agenda. But we can only do this together, you and I. That’s why I’m running for President. All I ask is that you stand with me. Together, we can make one America.

[Donerail]

Edwards for President

Campaign team
Chairman: Ed Turlington
Chief of Staff: Miles Lackey
Campaign Manager: Nick Baldick
Press Secretary: Jennifer Palmieri
Spokesperson: Roger Salazar
Political Director: Katreice Banks
National Finance Chair: Eileen Kotecki
Pollster: Harrison Hickman

Campaign Offices: Chapel Hill, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Manchester, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Columbia, Charleston, Nashville, Wilmington, Virginia Beach.


Schedule:

September 7
-Campaign announcement in front of the Milliken Mill, Robbins, North Carolina
-Open meet and greet, Robbins, NC

September 8
-Meeting with campaign staff
-Opening of campaign headquarters, Chapel Hill, NC
-Meeting with North Carolina donors, Raleigh, NC

September 9
-Opening of Des Moines campaign office
-Meet and greet in Des Moines
-Meet and greet in West Des Moines
-Rally in Des Moines
We have to do better, and we can. We don't have to look to Wall Street or Washington to find the principles we need. We can find those principles in the way millions of small business owners, factory workers, office workers, salespeople, and secretaries live their lives every day. Even as government has failed in its responsibilities, most Americans have embraced theirs. They are working harder than ever before, even though too often they're earning less. They're volunteering more in their communities, even though economic pressures mean they have less time to give. Our challenge is to get our government and our economy back in line with our values.

September 10
-Town hall in Mitchellville, IA
-Town hall in Johnston, IA
-Speech at the Big Creek Schoolhouse, Polk City, IA

Edwards Plan for Education Reform

In my announcement speech, I promised that we’d build a school system that works for all our kids, to give them a chance to do what they’re capable of doing. We need to reform our schools and raise standards - but we need to give our schools the resources they need to accomplish this. We need to provide incentives to put our best teachers in the subjects and the places where we need them the most. And we need to ensure that three million children have a safe place to go when they leave school in the afternoon. That’s what we’re working towards. We just need your support to make it a reality.

September 11
-Attend 9/11 memorial service in Arlington County, VA

September 12
-Meet with small business owners, Newton, IA
-Meet and greet, Monroe, IA

September 13
-Meet and greet, Pella, IA
-Town hall, Knoxville, IA

TV Ad

Growing up it seemed like almost everyone in town worked at the mill.  And when it moved it was devastating. That's happening all over--plants packing up and moving where labor's cheap and the environment doesn't count. It doesn't have to be that way. I’ll stop tax breaks for companies moving their headquarters overseas and give the breaks instead to companies who build their plants right here. I'm John Edwards, and I approved this message because I want to export American products, not American jobs.

Radio Ad

To run in rural Iowa and South Carolina
In America today, Wall Street's on the rebound. But on main streets across Iowa, there's another America, where farms and businesses are closing. Jobs are leaving. Our young people are moving away. John Edwards is from rural America, and he'll fight for rural America. Born and raised in a small town, Edwards has the best plan to help us attract new jobs and businesses; to find new markets for the products we grow; to improve our schools and access to health care. I’m John Edwards, and I approved this message to tell you that everything I am, every value I hold, goes back to the small towns where I grew up. I want to keep that way of life and those values alive, now and for generations to come. Stand up for a leader who will stand up for us: John Edwards for President.

Press Conference

Senator Edwards, could you detail the course this campaign will take?
Certainly. I’ll attempt to pursue a moderate approach of specific and constructive ideas, while setting out clear differences with the current administration. Above all, I want to provide a fresh face in politics. I’m a regular guy with a working-class background from a small town in the Carolinas - and I’m best-positioned to understand the concerns of normal Americans. We will focus on spending time on the ground in primary states to get as much one-on-one contact with voters as possible.

How do respond to Hillary Clinton’s attack by exclusion - not naming you as one of the candidates who, and I’m quoting here, “has what it takes to be an effective president”?
Well, that’s - it’s a ludicrous statement. I’ve served nearly five years in the US Senate. That’s two more years than Senator Clinton has served. But that’s not all - Senator Biden, Representative Kucinich, Governor Shaheen and Vice President Gore all have served in public office longer than Senator Clinton. It’s bizarre for her to say that she’s the one that’d make an effective President when she doesn’t have anywhere near the kind of record all her primary opponents do.

[Donerail]

Edwards for President: Third!


We were honored to learn that we are currently in third in the Iowa caucuses and nationally, and that we lead in my home state of South Carolina. Our matchups in the general election look very favorable, only a few points behind the Republican candidates, a gap that is sure to narrow as our message reaches more Americans. We’re certain that we’ll continue to improve our position as more voters hear our message of uniting America. I’m also entirely willing to participate in the Nashua and Charleston debates with Senator Biden, Secretary Rumsfeld, and Governor Johnson - if it’s too late to join, then I’ll certainly show up to participate.

Schedule: September 14-20

September 14
-Flight to Charlotte, NC
-Town hall in Gaffney, SC
-Meet and greet in Blacksburg, SC
-Dinner with Rep. John Spratt in York, SC

September 15
-Meet and greet in Lancaster, SC
-Meet and greet in Hartsville, SC
-Meet and greet in Johnsonville, SC

September 16
-Meet and greet in Camden, SC
-Meet and greet in Stateburg, SC
-Speech in Pinewood, SC

Pinewood

It’s great to be here, in Pinewood, South Carolina. Other folks are visiting Charleston, Columbia, trying to get their votes - they’re not coming here to Pinewood, population a bit less than 500. They’re concerned about folks in Charleston - and sure, I’ll be visiting Charleston and Columbia as well. They’re fine cities, and the people there deserve to be listened to. But folks ‘round here, in Pinewood and Stateburg and Johnsonville, y’all deserve to be heard too. Why aren’t they coming here? Y’all are sensible people - I’ll leave it to you to figure out why the candidates of Washington, D.C. aren’t visiting Pinewood. Fact is, they’re only after votes. They didn’t grow up the son of a mill worker. They weren’t born in a small town like Pinewood. I’m in this race as the champion of regular people - the people I grew up with, the people who worked with my father in the mill, the people I fought for in the courts and in the Congress. I’m the candidate who can see things through your eyes. The son of a Congressman and the wife of a President - now, I’ve got a lot of respect for my opponents, but they just can’t understand what life here is like without living it. I’m doing pretty well for myself now, but I haven’t forgotten where I came from, and I haven’t forgotten my commitment to the people I grew up with. If we want to make Washington work for ordinary folks, we have to elect a President who knows ordinary folks. I’d be honored to count on your support.

September 17
-Meet and greet in St. Stephen, SC
-Meet and greet in Georgetown, SC
-Meet and greet in McClellanville, SC
-Meet and greet in Huger, SC

September 18
-Meet and greet in Moncks Corner, SC
-Town hall in Goose Creek, SC
-Town hall in Mount Pleasant, SC

September 19
-Rally in Charleston, SC
-Lunch with Senator Fritz Hollings and Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr.
-Meet and greet in Rantowles, SC
-Meet and greet in Edisto Island, SC

September 20
-Service at the Washington Street United Methodist Church, Columbia, SC
-Rally in Columbia, SC

Fiscal Discipline

Let’s talk about what’s wrong now. There is no question that our economy has taken plenty of hits that aren't the president's fault. We had a stock bubble burst and terrorist attacks and a string of corporate scandals. But these challenges demanded responses, not excuses, and this administration's economic policy has been a parody of the responsibility ethic. Faced with scandals like Enron, they were dragged to the altar of reform, they accepted a large increase in SEC funding while the cameras were clicking, and then they pulled back that increase once lobbyists came running. They have ignored skyrocketing drug costs and health costs that are choking business's ability to create jobs. In the international arena, where the world looks to us for guidance, they have sent conflicting signals to countries like Brazil that have caused real harm. Finally, they have not just presided over, they have led, the fastest squandering of tax dollars in Washington's storied history of squandering. Fiscal discipline isn't just a nice idea — it is an absolute requirement for long-term growth. Out-of-control deficits means the government competes with you for the capital you need to innovate, expand, and create jobs. Out-of control deficits means interest rates will soar when the economy starts to pick up, dragging it right back down. Out-of-control deficits means future retirees will have to fend for themselves because we've worsened the coming Social Security crisis and spent their money. And out-of-control deficits means that America may not be at full economic strength when we have to deal with some future crisis, like 9/11 and the war on terrorism. It is time to restore fiscal discipline to Washington for good.

-Dinner in Columbia, SC with former Gov. Jim Hodges, Mayor Coble, Treasurer Patterson, and Superintendent Tenenbaum.
-Flight to St. Louis, Missouri

New ad: Home

To air in the Charleston, Columbia, Florence/Myrtle Beach, Greenville, and Charlotte media markets.

I'm John Edwards.  I'm running for President. I was born right here in South Carolina. This was my first home. The folks I grew up with--they weren't famous and they sure weren't rich, but they worked long and hard to give their kids a better life. As President, I'll work hard to protect our jobs, make health care affordable, and open the doors of opportunity to everyone. I approved this message because I want you to know I will never forget where I come from and who I'm fighting for.

New Endorsement: Senator Bob Graham

I’ve dedicated my political career to advocating on the behalf of the little guy. The reason I got elected Governor was because I worked for and with the people - as a busboy, a construction worker, a fisherman, a factory worker, and a teacher. John Edwards is the one in this field who seems to me to be the one reaching out to the common man.

New Endorsement: Fmr. Majority Leader Dick Gephardt

I’ve spent a while in Congress, passing legislation while defending traditional Democratic ideals. And to me, there’s only one candidate who’s willing to stand up for the common man through promoting our economy and protecting social security like John Edwards is doing.

Campaign Statement

Recently a few people have asked why we're not issuing schedules for our surrogates. Truth is, I don't really see a need for that. Folks can talk to our surrogates all they want - but I'm the one running for President. It's my job to get out and talk to regular folks, not send someone to do it for me. We'll work with our surrogates to better get our message out, but we won't be sending them out on their own. People aren't voting for them, they're voting for me - and they at least deserve the courtesy of hearing what I have to say from me.

[Donerail]

Speech on Represent America

To be broadcast live on CNN and MSNBC.

♫ I'll tip my hat to the new constitution/Take a bow for the new revolution/Smile and grin at the change all around/Pick up my guitar and play/Just like yesterday/Then I’ll get on my knees and pray/We don’t get fooled again. ♫

Let’s talk about Represent America. If you came to me telling me that a grassroots organization is attempting to reform the Electoral College to make things more democratic, I’d say great. If you told me that this campaign was being bankrolled by two of the leading funders of the Republican Party and organized by a Republican governor - well, I may be a bit more hesitant to call it nonpartisan. But I’d still give it a shot. This organization is getting electoral reform measures on the ballot in California, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, and Washington. Now, wait a second, you may say - those are all Democratic states. Where is Represent Texas or Represent Georgia? The answer is, they don’t exist and they won’t exist.

I don’t like the electoral college, and I agree with my fellow Democrats who have condemned it as not reflecting the will of the people, as well as people like Governor Johnson who support sensible electoral reform. In particular, I agree with Congressman Kucinich when he says that we need a true grassroots movement to overhaul how the President is elected - something like the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. But this isn’t a true grassroots movement. This is a Republican movement, bankrolled by Republican operatives, designed to empower Republicans in blue states while entirely ignoring Democrats in red states. It’s clever, I admit - nearly had me fooled for a minute, and I can understand why my fellow Democrats are initially backing the effort. But I, and the sensible Americans standing with me, can see this for what it is.

I support efforts to make the people’s voice heard in Washington, and that’s what my campaign is all about. But this isn’t an effort to make the people’s voice heard. This is an effort devoted solely to helping Republicans. If this movement wants my support, there’s two things that have to happen - you get this change passed in states like Texas, Florida, Ohio and Georgia, and Mr. Pickens and Mr. Perry, I need you to look me in the eye and swear that this organization had no hidden agenda whatsoever behind it. I need you to swear that this wasn’t coordinated with anybody in the Republican Party, and that you had no intentions of using this to influence the 2004 presidential election in the direction of the candidate you’re backing. Only then, once you give me your word that this isn’t a partisan operation, and once you prove it with your actions and funding, will I consider supporting this organization. Until that happens, I’ll be discouraging everyone who cares about a fair election from backing this Republican front group.

[Donerail]

Edwards for President: Second!


The Edwards campaign is riding a tide of momentum into second place nationally! We're grateful for the support of the people, and we're sure we can increase those margins over the coming weeks.

Schedule: September 21-27

September 21
-Town hall in Ste. Genevieve, MO
-Meet and greet in Grantwood Village, MO
-Rally in St. Louis, MO with Majority Leader Dick Gephardt

Second place seems to come with some attacks. I thank Congressman Kucinich for his praise of my campaign, and I’ll take this time to address his criticism of my record. I did vote to authorize the war in Iraq, and I agree that - now - that represents a blight on my record. I believed, at the time, that going to war in Iraq was the right decision. In retrospect, the reports I received while sitting on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence were deeply flawed and, in some cases, manipulated to fit a political agenda - I, and the American people, didn’t have the full story. Had I known then what I know now, I would never have voted for the war. I made a mistake, and I take responsibility for that. If elected, I will be willing to put forward a plan for troop withdrawal and concurrent training for Iraqi troops. Additionally, we need to make sure the Iraqis get the most out of this that they can - that means taking out American contractors who have taken advantage of the situation and giving that work to Iraqi businesses. We also need to bring Iraq’s neighbors, as well as our other allies, into an international process to get Iraq on its feet. Our troops, and the people of both nations, deserve nothing less.

September 22
-Meet and greet in Arrow Rock, MO
-Townhall in Marshall, MO
-Meet and greet in Nevada, MO

September 23
-Meet and greet in Grandview, MO
-Townhall in Independence, MO
-Townhall in Sibley, MO
-Rally in Kansas City, MO with Minority Leader Gephardt

Recently some have brought up the PATRIOT Act. I voted for the PATRIOT Act believing it was necessary to fight terrorism, as did 98 of my colleagues in the Senate, and it does contain provisions that were needed to strengthen our security, through promoting intelligence sharing and cooperation among government agencies. What we’ve seen since is an abuse of powers in its implementation, since it gave too much discretion to the Attorney General. He promised he wouldn’t abuse his direction, but he did. We need to rigorously review the PATRIOT Act. There are things in the Act we need to keep, and I’m not going to pledge myself to full repeal, but the idea that this administration can arrest American citizens on American soil, label them an enemy combatant, put them in prison, keep them there indefinitely-this runs contrary to everything we believe in this country. The notion that they are going to libraries to find out what books people are checking out, going to book stores to find out what books are being purchased. What we have to remember-and I will when I am president-is what it is we are supposed to be fighting for, what it is we are supposed to be protecting. These very liberties, this privacy, these constitutional rights-that's what's at stake in this fight. And we cannot let people like John Ashcroft take them away in an effort to protect ourselves. We need to take away from the FBI the responsibility of fighting terrorism, and set up an independent watchdog group to make sure that none of us are losing our civil liberties. In the name of protecting America, we’re sacrificing our civil liberties - and that threatens the very heart and soul of what makes this country great.

September 24
-Meet and greet in Excelsior Springs, MO
-Meet and greet in Laclede, MO
-Townhall in St. Joseph, MO

September 25
-Meet and greet in Franklin, NH
-Meet and greet in Canterbury, NH
-Town hall in Cornish, NH

September 26
-Town hall in Peterborough, NH
-Meet and greet in Hillsborough, NH
-Rally in Derry, NH

Let’s talk about truly fair elections. The largest problem facing our electoral system is 527 organizations, which are groups claiming to be tax-exempt political organizations - but then they don’t register as political committees. We need new rules regulating 527 organizations and requiring them to register and be subject to FEC oversight. We can’t keep having these organizations using a technicality to get around contribution limits and disclosure requirements and drown out the voice of citizens.

September 27
-Service at St. John's Episcopal Church, Portsmouth, NH
-Townhall in Kingston, NH
-Rally in Exeter, NH

I’d like to highlight one of the differences between myself and the former Vice President. I won’t be bought by token gestures. I won’t compromise my stance because an organization offers me a chairmanship or offers to extend operations in my home state. This organization doesn’t represent all Americans - just because they can come up with another, more biased way of apportioning electors doesn’t prove that this current method that they’re supporting won’t result in biased outcomes.

But I don’t want just to be here talking about what I oppose - let’s talk about what I support. I back the an interstate compact, as Northwestern professor Robert Bennett proposed, where states adding up to at least 270 electoral votes award their electors to whoever wins the national popular vote. This method - not proportional popular vote - is truly the closest we can get to electing-on-popular-vote, since it actually is electing on popular vote. I’m the candidate truly supporting a popular vote, not the ones who are backing Represent America. Another difference between this plan and Represent America’s is that the interstate compact would only kick in once enough states have signed on to ensure it works. You’ll get a fair election where the person the most people vote for wins. Not one where California and New York split their electors and no other state does.

Let’s look at the people funding this: T. Boone Pickens and Bob Perry - the major funders of Represent America. Both of these men have something else in common: they both live in Texas. So where’s Represent Texas? They claim to care about the will of the people, but aren’t even trying to implement their plan in their home state. Why? Because they have something else in common: they’re both major donors to Republican candidates. They know that if Texas adopts this plan, then Democrats can pick up votes from Texas. And they don’t want that to happen. If you want your votes to truly count, you’ll support an interstate popular vote compact - but not this. This plan as it currently stands is designed only to help get Republicans elected.

New Ad (radio): One of Our Own (Fritz Hollings)

To play in South Carolina

Fritz Hollings: Hello, this is Senator Fritz Hollings. I've served as your Senator in Washington for the past 30-odd years. This year, we've got some good presidential candidates, but here we have the rare opportunity to vote for someone who's got it all. The best candidate, the best position on issues, by far the best chance of beating the Republicans. And he happens to be a South Carolina native. It's John Edwards. I've studied 'em all and John is the best. He knows what we face because he remembers where he came from. He's led on the economy and health care for everyone, not just for those on top. And he's calling national attention to problems others ignore, like poverty and making college affordable. John Edwards cares what we think and will listen to what we have to say.
I hope you'll join me in supporting John. He's one of our own.
Male Announcer: Paid for by John Edwards for President.
John Edwards: I’m John Edwards and I approve this message.

Campaign Statement

Seriously, where is Senator Clinton? She's been missing from the trail for two weeks.

New Endorsement: Mayor Joseph P. Riley

I’ve served as Mayor of Charleston since 1975. I've been honored with my great state's Order of the Palmetto, and I've been named South Carolinian of the Year. There's another person in the field, though, who's going to go on to do things just as good for the State of South Carolina - our native son, Senator John Edwards. I urge y'all to support him in the upcoming primary.

New Endorsement: Senator Fritz Hollings

Like Senator Edwards, I was accused of being a 'false populist' once. People accused me of scheming to try to secure the Negro vote by focusing on poverty. What I found, from long times spent working with people who are poor, hungry, living in slums, is that the poor don't vote. They're not registered to vote, they're not going to vote, you're not going to win an election because you're campaigning on hunger. You just don't. If someone's bringing the attention to poverty in this country like Senator Edwards is doing, it's because they genuinely want to help the poor.

New Endorsement: Service Employees International Union

It's with great pride that the over 2 million members united in SEIU endorse Senator John Edwards for President. He's the only candidate out there who's truly fighting for our vision of an America as a land of opportunity for all. We need a leader who's willing to fight for the needs of the other America, and stand with the hard-working families to demand that all pay their fair share.

[Donerail]

This round closes tonight at 10:30 pm EST.
I will have polling/info up by tomorrow for Round IV.  
Is everyone up for a debate to take the place of Round IV and then moving to the middle of December for Round V.

I'm good with that - though I question what'll happen to Clinton's numbers if she doesn't show up for a few months on the trail.

[Donerail]

John Edwards Debate Answers

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During my time in the Senate I served on the Select Committee on Intelligence. I’ve spent significant time on issues of national security, and as a member of the Intelligence Committee I’ve spent years thinking specifically about terrorism and how we can confront it. I’ve had a lot more Washington experience than George Bush had four years ago, but more importantly I have quality experience - serving on the Intelligence Committee during a time when it was suddenly thrust into the role of one of the most important committees in Congress. As the Democratic nominee, I’ll be able to present my record, as one of the first on the committee to speak against faulty intelligence-gathering practices, against a possible Republican nominee with a record of backing those faulty practices. If that happens, I’ll have the necessary experience and credibility to win.

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I grew up in the rural South. Everyone around me hunted, and everyone around me had guns. Where I come from, and here in Greenville and in small towns across America, hunting and gun ownership is a way of life. People don’t want the government messing with their ability to buy a gun and hunt, and law-abiding citizens want to have the right to defend their families. I respect and believe in people’s Second Amendment right to bear arms. That doesn’t mean you should be, if you’re convicted of a violent crime, able to walk out of prison and walk across the street to buy a gun, and that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take every step we can to keep guns safe and out of the hands of kids. I support extending the Brady Bill, which is set to expire, and I support closing the gun-show loophole to help keep guns out of the hands of criminals. And it does make sense to have trigger locks for the purpose of keeping guns safe from children. As President, I’ll pursue solutions to reduce crime and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, while protecting people’s Second Amendment rights.

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Poverty is the great moral issue of our decade. If elected, I will make it a national goal to end poverty in 30 years, and my campaign has several initiatives to help families save and act responsibility. The America I envision is one where everyone who is able to work will work and they’ll be rewarded for working. There are 12 million Americans out there who I believe can be lifted out of poverty in the next decade alone.

The cornerstone of my proposal is to make it so people are rewarded for working. We need to raise the minimum wage to $8.40 an hour - which in 2001 would have lifted nearly a million out of poverty. We also need to index the minimum wage. Beyond that, we also need to vastly increase the Earned Income Tax Credit and reduce the marriage penalty, providing a larger incentive for work. We also need to protect workers through legislation to close the loopholes and fix the poor enforcement of the National Labor Relations act, and create a new task force to target misclassification of employees as independent contractors and strengthen work safety rules. Finally, as someone who grew up in a rural community, I know how hard life in a rural community can be. Nearly 90 percent of our poorest communities are rural. We need to increase investment in rural community colleges and support rural small business centers to get these communities back on their feet.

It looks like I’m running out of time now, so I’ll wrap things up, but I have a number of other proposals that I’ll detail in future speeches on the campaign trail. By creating new housing vouchers, we can help low-income families move into areas where they can find more opportunity. We can also create a new tax credit to help low-income Americans save for the future, and pass legislation to limit abusive practices in credit cards, payday loans and predatory mortgages. Finally, we can strengthen our public schools and create more opportunities for high-school dropouts and those struggling through college. We can eliminate poverty within a generation, and I’ll be striving to make that happen.

[Donerail]

John Edwards Campaign Schedule, September 28-October 4: Back to Small Town America

September 28
-Meet and greet in Rentiesville, OK
-Meet and greet in Fort Gibson, OK
-Townhall in Okmulgee, OK
-Rally in Tulsa, OK

September 29
-Meet and greet in Park Hill, OK
-Townhall in Tahlequah, OK
-Rally in Bartlesville, OK

September 30
-Meet and greet in Akins, OK
-Meet and greet in Newkirk, OK
-Meet and greet in Ponca City, OK
-Rally in Norman, OK
It’s great to be here at the University of Oklahoma. Go Sooners!
But what I’m really focused on, is how lucky all of you are to be here today. In America, every single person should be able to go as far as their God-given talents and hard work will take them. And our public education should be our sturdiest ladder of opportunity. This is how you’re going to get ahead in life - and as President, it’s something I’ll make available for everyone. The Edwards plan will be a national initiative to pay public-college tuition, fees, and books for students who don’t have the money to go otherwise, so long as they work part-time, take a college-prep course and stay out of trouble. Qualifying students will be universally eligible - meaning that every single qualified student will be able to afford college. Our youth - you all - are our nation’s future. We need to make sure everyone can share in it.

October 1
-Townhall in Guthrie, OK
-Townhall in Lawton, OK
-Meet and greet in Nida, OK

October 2
-Meet and greet in Optima, OK
Standard stump speech for the OK tour: Great to be here, out in Optima. Y’know, too often, the problems of rural America - real America - are forgotten by politicians living off in Washington. Our rural areas are struggling, earning less; our family farms are struggling; and our young people are moving away. My name’s John Edwards, and I’m running for President. I grew up in Robbins, North Carolina - a small town not that different from Optima. And I know that America can’t turn its back on our rural communities. Rural communities are our source of reliable and affordable food, clean energy - and the values that make America great. Family, work, community, freedom - that’s rural America. I’m running for President to make sure that rural America shares in our prosperity, to fight corporate greet, and turn the tables on runaway economic disparity. I’m the candidate of expanding access to clean water, fighting methamphetamine abuse, protecting lawful gun ownership, and strengthening our rural communities. And I’m the candidate of improving rural schools and health care so that we get the quality of life we’re entitled to. There’s only one candidate in the field who’s fighting to restore economic fairness to rural America. I’d be honored to earn your vote.
-Meet and greet in Wheeless, OK

October 3
-Meet and greet in Cheyenne, OK
-Meet and greet in Colony, OK
-Townhall in Boley, OK

October 4
-Service at the Sulphur United Methodist Church, Sulphur, OK
-Meet and greet in Sulphur, OK
-Meet and greet in Millerton, OK

[Donerail]

-Rally in Norman, OK
It’s great to be here at the University of Oklahoma. Go Sooners!

Major gaffe. It's "Boomer Sooner"

The Edwards campaign would like to formally apologize for our incorrect terminology. One of the things that truly makes America great is our diversity, and we sincerely apologize for any mistakes we may make while dealing with traditions different from the great NC State Wolfpack.

[Donerail]

John Edwards Campaign Schedule: Contesting the Incontestable

December 7
-Meet and greet in Lewes, Delaware
-Meet and greet in Kenton, Delaware
-Town hall in Dover, Delaware
-Meet and greet in Odessa, Delaware

December 8
-Meet and greet in Montchanin, Delaware
-Town hall in New Castle, Delaware
-Rally in Wilmington, Delaware


I know what many of you are thinking - I must be crazy to come here! Joe Biden’s going to win this state by a landslide. And he might. But we’re going to give it a shot. I believe my message can go up against Joe Biden’s any day of the week - and I’m here to at least give y’all a chance to hear it. Since he’s made his name on foreign policy, and I too respect his achievements in that area, I’m here to lay out my foreign policy vision.

Our nation now stands at the pinnacle of its power, but it also faces serious challenges. Today, we need a national security policy for the twenty-first century that will not only respond to threats but apply all our resources to the critical goal of preventing such threats in the first place. We can be strong, secure, and good, and we can build a more hopeful future. Our national security policy should be designed to reach these goals. We must do everything in our power to reclaim the United States' historic role as a beacon for the world and become, once again, a shining example for other nations to follow.

At the dawn of a new century and on the brink of a new presidency, I believe the United States today needs to reclaim the moral high ground that defined our foreign policy for much of the last century. We must move beyond the wreckage created by one of the greatest strategic failures in U.S. history: the war in Iraq. Rather than alienating the rest of the world through assertions of infallibility and demands of obedience, as the current administration has done, U.S. foreign policy must be driven by a strategy of reengagement. This century's first test of our leadership arrived with terrible force on September 11, 2001. When the United States was attacked, the entire world stood with us. We could have pursued a broad policy of reengagement with the world, yet instead we squandered this broad support through a series of policies that drove away our friends and allies. We’re seeing our global approval ratings plummeting. We need a new path, one that will lead to reengagement with the world and restoration of the United States' moral authority in the community of nations. As President Harry Truman once said, "No one nation alone can bring peace. Together, nations can build a strong defense against aggression and combine the energy of free men everywhere in building a better future for all.”


December 9
-Meet and greet in Georgetown, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings
-Meet and greet in Summerville, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings and Joseph Riley
-Town hall in Beaufort, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings

December 10
-Meet and greet in Bamberg, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings
-Meet and greet in Aiken, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings
-Meet and greet in Greenwood, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings
-Meet and greet in Abbeville, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings

December 11
-Meet and greet in Pickens, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings
-Rally in Greenville, South Carolina with Fritz Hollings


There’s been a lot of demand recently, surrounding the issue of health care. The people want a smart, serious proposal to address the uninsured, fix the waste and inefficiency of our current system, and help lower costs, improve quality and expand coverage. It won’t be easy, and it’ll require millions of you to become actively involved. But I’ve got a plan. If you don’t have insurance, you’ll get it, at an affordable price. If you already have insurance, you’ll pay less and get more security and choices. And if you own a business, you’ll find it cheaper and easier to insure your workers.

The Edwards plan will require all businesses and employers to either cover their employees or help finance their health care. I know what you’re thinking - that’s a burden on small businesses! And it would be, if not for the next two steps we’ll take. Next, we’ll create new tax credits, expand Medicaid, reform insurance laws, and otherwise take innovative steps - which we’ll detail in a policy proposal should we get the nomination - to contain costs. Then we’ll set up regional health care markets - we’ll let every American share the bargaining power to purchase an affordable, high-quality plan while increasing choices among plans and cutting costs for businesses. Finally, we’ll bring in an insurance mandate. In that way, we can achieve universal health care coverage, for all.

December 12
-Meet and greet in DC
-Town hall in DC
-Fundraiser in DC
-Fundraiser in DC

December 13
-Service at Asbury United Methodist Church, DC
-Meet and greet in DC
-Rally in Anacostia, DC


I believe that everyone in America—regardless of the family you were born into, the color of your skin or the country your family came from—should have an equal chance to build a better life. We still have Two Americas in this country - one favored and the other forgotten. They’re not defined by race, but the Two Americas does have a disproportionate impact on people of color. The hateful legacy of racism continues to be felt in every single part of American life. As someone who grew up in the segregated South, I feel a special responsibility on this issue, to build One America and make sure everyone has the same chances that America has given to me. One out of every four African-Americans lives in poverty. My plan to raise the minimum wage, expand the earned income tax credit, and strengthen labor laws will help working families build wealth and help workers get ahead, so that we can eliminate poverty within a generation.

It’s not all bad news, though. Small businesses and entrepreneurs have always given minority communities a toehold in the American economy. As President, I will expand federal contracting opportunities for minority-owned small businesses, and my plan for health care will help reduce the cost of health care for both families and small businesses. I’ve already discussed my plan to strengthen schools, but that’s especially important in a community where African-American students have only about a 50% chance of graduating from high school. We need to invest in teacher pay and training, reduce class sizes, expand preschool, and create chances for dropouts to get back on track. We can work together, to build one America. I just need your help to do it.

-Fundraiser in DC
-Late flight from DC to Nashville

Endorsements

Representative Brad Carson (D-OK)
In my service to the people of Oklahoma, I’ve always tried to help people. I saw the poverty in the Cherokee Nation, and the one Presidential candidate who’s been running an effective campaign based on the theme of helping people. John Edwards is the one candidate in the race whose main focus is on assisting the poor and uniting this country, and he has my support.


Governor Brad Henry (D-OK)
When I ran for Governor in 2002, my campaign was based on barnstorming rural areas - I was the one going to rural areas, going to Wal-Marts and stopping in and talking to folks, getting em to see that the Democratic Party is the one that’s going to help their kids’ education and get this state and this country back on track. The only candidate in the race who’s going out to small town America and really hearing their concerns is John Edwards, and he has my support.


Secretary of State Susan Savage (D-OK)
I really didn’t know who I was supporting in the primary - not until John Edwards came to Oklahoma. When I heard his message of an efficient government providing real services for the needy, and when I really compared that to the other candidates - ones who aren’t visiting small town Oklahoma - the choice is clear. I support John Edwards for President.

[Donerail]

John Edwards for President: December

December 14th
-Town hall in Kingsport, TN
-Town hall in Johnson City, TN
-Meet and greet in Elizabethton, TN
-Rally in Knoxville, TN

Unions made manufacturing jobs the foundation of our middle class, and they can do the same for our service economy. That's why I’m backed by the SEIU. Union membership can be the difference between a poverty-wage job and middle-class security. Federal law promises workers the right to choose a union, but the law is poorly enforced, full of loopholes, and routinely violated by employers. I support legislation to give workers a real choice in whether to form a union, and making penalties for breaking labor laws tougher and faster, so unions can compete on a level playing field and the right to join a union means something. I will also ban the permanent replacement of strikers so unions can negotiate fairly. Everyone deserves the opportunity to work hard and build a better life, and I’ll overhaul our labor laws to do that.

December 15th
-Rally in Oak Ridge, TN
-Meet and greet in Vonore, TN
-Meet and greet in Dayton, TN
-Rally in Chattanooga, TN

Now, I know what y’all’re thinking. What’s John Edwards doing here in Tennessee? Shouldn’t everyone here be voting for Al Gore? After all, he was y’all’s Senator. But was he? Was he really? He grew up in DC, went to a private school in DC, went to Harvard. None of those sound very Tennessee to me. I grew up the son of a mill worker, the first in my family to go to college, and I worked my way through NC State. Which one of those in more in touch with people round here? Which one’s closer to here - North Carolina or Washington, DC?

December 16th
-Meet and greet in Pall Mall, TN
-Meet and greet in Castalian Springs, TN
-Rally in Nashville, TN

December 17th
-Town hall in Franklin, TN
-Meet and greet in Columbia, TN
-Meet and greet in White Bluff, TN

December 18th
-Meet and greet in Pinson, TN
-Meet and greet in Savannah, TN
-Meet and greet in Bolivar, TN

December 19th
-Meet and greet in Henning, TN
-Town hall in Memphis, TN
-Rally in Memphis, TN
-Flight to Virginia

What we need to do is make work pay. As President, I’ll raise the minimum wage and triple the earned income tax credit for adults without children, while cutting the EITC marriage penalty. A $1 increase in the minimum wage alone would have lifted 900,000 people out of poverty - increasing the reward for working will help far more. My goal is to get the thirty-seven million Americans currently living in poverty out of poverty, so we can truly build one America.

December 20th
-Meet and greet in Pocahontas, VA with Rep. Rick Boucher
-Meet and greet in Troutdale, VA with Rep. Rick Boucher
-Meet and greet in Critz, VA with Rep. Rick Boucher
-Town hall in Chatham, VA with Gov. Mark Warner

December 21st
-Meet and greet in South Boston, VA
-Meet and greet in Clarksville, VA
-Town hall in Petersburg, VA with Gov. Mark Warner
-Rally in Richmond, VA with Gov. Mark Warner
-Fundraiser in Richmond, VA with Gov. Mark Warner

Half of American families say they are living paycheck to paycheck, and three out of 10 American workers have not been able to save a dime for their retirement. I’ll crack down on abusive lenders by creating a new Families Savings and Credit Commission to protect families and with strong national laws against abusive and predatory credit cards, payday loans and mortgages. I’ll also create Work Bonds to help families save and invest, providing financial safety nets for hard times. Work Bonds, a new tax credit of up to $500, will help low and moderate-income, working Americans save for the future. The top 300,000 individuals now make more than the bottom 150 million - by making it easier to save, we can help reduce that difference.

December 22nd
-Meet and greet in Manakin, VA
-Meet and greet in Hopewell, VA
-Town hall in Charles City, VA with Gov. Mark Warner
-Meet and greet in Burrowsville, VA

December 23rd
-Meet and greet in Capahosic, VA
-Town hall in Williamsburg, VA with Gov. Mark Warner
-Rally in Hampton, VA with Rep. Owen B. Pickett and Gov. Mark Warner
-Meet and greet in Surry, VA

Trade deals need to make sense for American workers, not just corporations. I’ll make sure any new trade agreements include strong labor and environmental standards and will vigorously enforce American workers' rights in existing agreements. I’ll also expand trade adjustment assistance to do much more for the workers and communities that are hurt by global competition and reform our international tax code to remove incentives for companies to move overseas. Over the past 20 years, 40% of the income growth has gone only to the top 1 percent. We’re growing apart - as President, I’ll work to bring us back together.

December 24th
-Christmas Eve service at St. Luke’s Church, Smithfield, VA

December 25th
-Christmas service at Bruton Parish Church, Williamsburg, VA

December 26th
-Town hall in Portsmouth, VA with Gov. Mark Warner
-Rally in Virginia Beach, VA with Rep. Owen B. Pickett and Gov. Mark Warner

As President, I pledges to protect the Davis Bacon Act, which ensures that workers on federal construction projects receive the local prevailing wage. The Act prevents contractors from slashing wages in order to win federal contracts with low-ball bids. I believe we cannot go on as Two Americas—one favored, the other forgotten—if we plan to stay productive, competitive and secure. I want to live in an America where we value work as well as wealth. I know that together we can build One America – a place where everyone has a fair shot at the American Dream. But to do that, we must build One American Economy, where everybody has the opportunity to work hard and build a better life.

December 27th
-Meet and greet in Cheriton, VA with Rep. Owen B. Pickett
-Meet and greet in Eastville, VA with Rep. Owen B. Pickett
-Flight to Des Moines

Endorsements

Gov. Mark Warner
As Governor of this great state, I don’t make an endorsement lightly. But it’s great to see another candidate, the first in his family to graduate and who worked his way through college, a self-made man, running for President. It’s also good to have another moderate Democrat campaigning on improving children’s education and reforming our schools. He’s simply the best in the field, and he’s got my vote.


Rep. Owen B. Pickett
In my long service to the state of Virginia and to my constituents, I’ve never seen a candidate who’s as much of an advocate for the people as John Edwards. He has my endorsement, and my vote.


Rep. Rick Boucher
John Edwards has a record of fighting for the betterment of the common man. He has my full support.

[Donerail]

Breaking: Edwards Hospitalized

Senator John Edwards, until now a strong insurgent candidate threatening to become the Democratic frontrunner for the nomination, has been taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. On the eve of a crucial debate in New Hampshire, Edwards had finished an appearance in Iowa City (where he appeared normal, if a bit pale) and was heading to the Des Moines airport when he complained of chest pain, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Cardiologists at the hospital refused requests for interviews, but the campaign released a statement claiming that it involved a non-life-threatening heart condition, but one that requires treatment by cardiologists and means he should avoid travel. The Senator will undergo treatment immediately. The telegenic candidate is expected to return to the trail within a few weeks, though whether he'll still have a shot at the nomination remains to be seen. A campaign spokesperson confirmed that the candidate intended to return to the trail once his medical issue was resolved.

OOC: I'll be out of town until next week.

[Donerail]

Not Dead Yet


I'd like to thank the good doctors here in Iowa; it took some surgery and some recovery, but the cardiologists here have successfully resolved my heart condition, and they don't believe it will cause any future problems. We'll be back on the trail this week, and we remain confident that we will win the nomination.

[Donerail]

John Edwards for President Schedule - January 28th - February 3rd



"Those of us on the campaign aren't happy with the latest tracking polls, but we're not disappointed. This was to be expected, after I had to take a couple weeks off the trail to take care of my health. But my problems have been fixed - we're back in this race. We won't get discouraged by poll results - our message of economic health was resonating with ordinary Americans, and it will continue to resonate once we pull off a big win on Super Tuesday."

January 28th, 2004:
Meet and greet in New Castle, Delaware with Al Gore and Bob Graham
Townhall in Newark, Delaware with Al Gore and Bob Graham
Rally in Dover, Delaware with Al Gore and Bob Graham

"A bunch of commentators are saying I'm crazy for stopping here - John Edwards just got out of the hospital and he's spending his energies campaigning in Delaware! Why on earth would he stop in Delaware?!? Well, it's simple. Because that's always been what this campaign is about. It's never mattered to us what the polls are saying, or what would be the smart move according to some commentators on TV - what matters to us is taking our anti-poverty message across the country, including to people in Delaware. I don't think we can beat Mr. Biden here tomorrow, but we can certainly give him a surprise."

January 29th, 2004:
Meet and greet in Tahlequah, Oklahoma with Rep. Brad Carson
Town hall in Tulsa, Oklahoma with Secretary of State Susan Savage
Town hall in Stillwater, Oklahoma with Governor Brad Henry
Meet and greet in Edmond, Oklahoma with Governor Brad Henry
Meet and greet in Bethany, Oklahoma with Governor Brad Henry

January 30th, 2004:
Meet and greet in Weatherford, Oklahoma with Governor Brad Henry
Rally in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma with Governor Brad Henry
Town hall in Norman, Oklahoma with Governor Brad Henry
Meet and greet in Ada, Oklahoma with Governor Brad Henry
Meet and greet in Durant, Oklahoma with Rep. Brad Carson

It is good to be back in Oklahoma! Good to be here with my friends - Governor Henry's here, he's been on the trail for us for a while, and we've also got Representative Carson and Secretary of State Savage - all these leaders in the Oklahoma Democratic community support my campaign. Why? Because they know about my support of rural communities. They knew I grew up in a working-class family, and they know that as President they'll get someone in the White House who'll be a fighter for Oklahoma. When we're building One America - we won't forget Oklahoma!

January 31st, 2004:
Town hall in Rock Hill, SC with Rep. John Spratt
Town hall in Spartanburg, SC with Sen. Fritz Hollings
Meet and greet in Central, SC with Sen. Fritz Hollings
Rally in Clemson, SC with Sen. Fritz Hollings

It's good to be back home. I'm John Edwards, and I was born right here in South Carolina. This was my first home. The folks I grew up with--they weren't famous and they sure weren't rich, but they worked long and hard to give their kids a better life. As President, I'll work hard to protect our jobs, make health care affordable, and open the doors of opportunity to everyone. As the first in my family to go to college, I know that our system of public education should be our sturdiest ladder of opportunity - those of y'all here in college mean a lot. College has never been more important. That's why I've put forward a plan to make college more affordable for millions of Americans. Rest assured, college affordability - and making sure you have a job afterwards - will be a top priority of the Edwards Administration.

February 1st, 2004:
Rally in Columbia, SC with Sen. Fritz Hollings
Town hall in Orangeburg, SC with Sen. Fritz Hollings
Rally in Charleston, SC with Mayor Joseph P. Riley and Sen. Fritz Hollings
Meet and greet in St. Charles, MO with Rep. Dick Gephardt
Rally in St. Louis, MO with Rep. Dick Gephardt

February 2nd, 2004:
Meet and greet in Cape Girardeau, MO
Town hall in Rolla, MO
Meet and greet in Springfield, MO
Meet and greet in Bolivar, MO
Meet and greet in Fulton, MO
Rally in Columbia, MO with Gephardt, Graham and Gore

February 3rd, 2004:
Meet and greet in Kirksville, MO
Meet and greet in Maryville, MO
Town hall in Parkville, MO
Rally in Kansas City, MO with Rep. Dick Gephardt, Senator Bob Graham, and Vice President Al Gore

We haven't gotten any returns yet, but we know from the polling that this race will be close - in fact, this is the closest race out of all of them, with us in a virtual polling tie heading into today. Whatever happens, though, I'm confident we'll pull out a win here.

New Ad: The Mill
To run in SC, MO, and OK

Voiceover: I’m John Edwards and I approve this message.

I’m not running for president because I read something in a book.
I’m not running for president because some political consultant told me what I’m supposed to say.
I’m running for president because of 54 years of my life, I have believed to my soul that the men and women who worked in that mill with my father were worth every bit as much as the man that owned that mill. This is about opposing NAFTA and other trade deals that send American jobs overseas, not taking a dime of campaign money from Washington lobbyists, banning Washington lobbyists from the White House staff - and winning the White House in November. That's our path to rebuilding the middle class. That's more important than politics. And I'm the only candidate who's willing to do that.

[Donerail]

Statement on the results

Obviously, we’re not thrilled with the results, but we’re undaunted. We did very well in Missouri especially, and of course we won in my home state, in South Carolina. We are by no means out of this race, and I’m certain that we can recover. We’ve gotten some strong support from Tennessee and Virginia, which of course are two states that will be voting within the week, and we expect we can show an excellent rebound performance.

John Edwards Debate Responses

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As President I will conduct an immediate drawdown of 40,000 to 50,000 combat troops. I will also ask Congress for new authority to manage the withdrawal of the U.S. military presence and help Iraq achieve stability, since the 2002 authorization didn’t give President Bush the power to use U.S. troops to police a civil war. I believe a reasonable course of action here is to completely withdraw all combat troops in nine to ten months, get our troops and bases out, but retain sufficient forces in friendly countries like Kuwait to quickly respond to prevent genocide or the creation of a safe haven for al-Qaida, and to prevent any regional spillover of the civil war. Beyond that, we should be focusing on training Iraqi security forces, and engaging in direct talks with regional neighbors to bring in a political solution to the sectarian violence, perhaps through a peace conference. Those are the sort of concrete solutions the country can expect from the Edwards Administration.

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First of all, thank you for your concern. I’d like to take this opportunity to lay to rest all the rumors and concerns about my health. After I had given an appearance and was going to the Des Moines airport, I started having chest pains, dizziness, shortness of breath, and I was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Doctors there discovered that I had a heart rhythm problem, atrial fibrillation - the electrical impulses in my heart that coordinate my heartbeat weren’t working properly and were causing my heart to beat too fast. My doctors and I reached the decision that it would be best for me to undergo what’s called a maze procedure, an extremely effective procedure that involves making a series of scars in the heart to form boundaries that force the electrical impulses to travel properly and restore a normal heartbeat. So to answer your question, about whether I have any doubt about my ability to function and execute the office, no. This procedure is the gold standard in effectively curing an irregular heartbeat, and my doctors expect that I will not have any more health concerns linked to an irregular heartbeat. If elected, I will be fully able to execute the office.

[Donerail]

John Edwards for President Schedule: February 4th - 8th



We're heartened by the news of our debate victory, and we are polling well in the key contests coming up in Tennessee and Virginia! I’m also honored to be the candidate with the best favoribility ratings out of the entire Democratic field. Make no mistake, the Edwards campaign isn’t out of this race by any measure!

February 4th, 2004:
Townhall in Jackson, Tennessee with Governor Phil Bredesen
Meet and greet in Clarksville, Tennessee
Rally in Nashville, Tennessee with Vice President Al Gore and Governor Phil Bredesen
Fundraiser in Nashville, Tennessee with Vice President Al Gore and Governor Phil Bredesen



It’s an honor to be here with my good friend the Vice President and all y’all as well. It’s great to be here in what truly is the engine of our economy - not Washington and not Wall Street, but the people here and the tens of millions of men and women like you, who go to work every day trying to do right by your families. The Edwards Administration will focus on growing the middle class, putting more money in your pocket. When our middle class grows, our whole economy grows. Here’s how.

Our tax code is broken. Child care costs more than rent if you have two children. A worker at the poverty line pays more than $800 in federal taxes. Only 27% of households within 20 years of retirement have enough saved up to make it through. There’s three things we need to fix: saving, work, and family. Our first tax break will be in savings: a new tax credit will match up to $500 a year in saving for families earning up to $75,000, and new work bonds will offer more targeted savings incentives for low-income families. That credit will help boost low-income families, and help them save for retirement, for college, for a new home, or to invest in a small business. Pillar two is families: we’re going to expand the child care credit to pay up to 50% of childcare expenses up to $5000. That’ll make it possible for people to be able to keep their jobs and take care of their children. Finally, work: we’ll triple the Earned Income Tax Credit and cut the marriage penalty. Under the Edwards administration, work will pay.

How will we pay for this? Simple. We’ll raise the capital gains rate to 28% for the wealthiest taxpayers. That’ll mean the most fortunate taxpayers will be paying similar taxes on their investment income as you’re paying on your wages. We’ll take other steps to crack down on abuse: declaring war on tax havens and crack down on their promoters, and close unfair loopholes like the tax breaks for hedge funds and unlimited executive pensions. The Edwards Administration will product an economy and a tax system in line with our values: not a tax code for the wealthiest Americans, and not a tax code for Washington insiders, but a tax code for everyone else.

February 5th, 2004:
Town hall in Chattanooga, Tennessee with Vice President Al Gore and Governor Phil Bredesen
Meet and greet in Cookeville, Tennessee
Meet and greet in Harrogate, Tennessee

February 6th, 2004:
Meet and greet in Radford, Virginia with Rep. Rick Boucher
Town hall in Lynchburg, Virginia
Town hall in Danville, Virginia
Rally in Norfolk, Virginia with Rep. Owen B. Pickett and Mayor Paul D. Fraim



Norfolk has traditionally been a center of trade and commerce. Ships come here from across the world. We’ve had a lot of debate over trade in this country - free trade, fair trade, all that. I don’t want either. I want smart trade.

Smart trade means trade deals that don’t focus on Wall Street or the gross domestic product. Smart trade means deals that make most families better off - not about our foreign policy, not about our multinational corporations, but about our regular families. Under an Edwards administration, that will be the criterion by which we consider our trade deals. We need to get nations like Japan and China to end their currency manipulations, which disadvantage American businesses, before we look to future trade deals. We need a level playing field for American businesses, so that American workers can compete on fair terms. We’ll go after tax incentives to move offshore, expand trade adjustment assistance through a new training program, and prosecute extensively those who would violate our trade deals. I support trade - so long as it benefits the American people. And it will, if we enact a new trade policy that puts workers, wages, and families first. That’s what I’ll do.

February 7th, 2004:
Town hall in Fredericksburg, Virginia
Town hall in Harrisonburg, Virginia
Town hall in Winchester, Virginia

February 8th, 2004:
Town hall in Falls Church, Virginia with Rep. Jim Moran
Town hall in Arlington, Virginia with Rep. Jim Moran
Meet and greet in Washington, D.C.
Rally in Washington, D.C. with Majority Leader Gephardt, Vice President Gore and Senator Graham
Fundraiser in Washington, D.C. with Majority Leader Gephardt, Vice President Gore and Senator Graham



Thank y’all for turning out! It’s an honor to be here, with my good friends - Dick, Al, Bob - to take on an issue that means a lot, especially here: returning this city to regular people. Here is where the special interests reign, while we face stagnant wages, longer hours, and higher costs. Insurance and drug companies block efforts to make health care universal and more affordable. Energy and power companies block efforts to develop renewable energy and improve energy efficiency. Financial institutions block efforts to crack down on predatory lending. Businesses block efforts to give workers a real choice to join a union. Wealthy taxpayers and corporations lobby for special tax breaks while the 37 million Americans living in poverty are not even on the agenda. We can’t go on as two Americas with two political systems. We can’t have one for the insiders and one for the rest of us. Influencing our government is a big business in and of itself - there’s over 60 lobbyists here for every member of Congress. We’re outnumbered.

As President, I’ll change that. As President, we will enact a Constitutional amendment that will grant the President the power to single out pork provisions in bills and send them back to Congress for a vote. Congress can only shove through the earmarks that fuel the lobbying industry by going on the record in support of each special-interest provision. I’ll also issue an executive order prohibiting appointees from lobbying their former colleagues. Foreign and corporate lobbyists will not be welcome to work in my White House; nor will executive branch officials be able to accept gifts or travel from lobbyists. We need to take the power out of the hands of the lobbyists, and give it back to the people.

[Donerail]

Round: IX February 4-7, 2004

I thought that this round only went to the 7th?

So did I, but the other folks have been doing to the 8th.

[Donerail]

John Edwards for President Schedule: February 9th - 10th



Tennessee! Virginia! Now is the time for the Edwards campaign to win! Today I am honored to announce the support of Mayor Purcell of Nashville, Representatives Gordon and Clement of Tennessee, and Mayor Oberndorf of Virginia Beach, as well as the support of countless Virginians and Tennesseans.  We're going to win in Tennessee and Virginia - let's prove that today.

Press Release:
Senator Edwards would like to announce his full support for Senator Biden's legislation. Just because we're facing each other on the campaign trail shouldn't hinder our ability to pass progressive legislation through the Senate. I support raising the minimum wage, and expanding minimum wage guarantees to tipped and home workers. I'm proud to get behind Senator Biden's legislation, and to propose my own legislation to index the minimum wage to inflation. S.B. 968 would set the minimum wage to keep rising each year in accordance with consumer prices. This legislation would mean that consumer's purchasing power wouldn't erode with every year we fail to raise the wage, and would ensure our working families could keep putting food on their tables. I look forward to passing this legislation.

February 9th, 2004:
Rally in Memphis, Tennessee with Vice President Al Gore and Governor Phil Bredesen
Rally in Nashville, Tennessee with Gore, Bredesen, Mayor Bill Purcell, and fmr. Rep. Bob Clement
Rally in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with Gore, Bredesen, and Rep. Bart Gordon
Rally in Knoxville, Tennessee with Gore and Bredesen
Town hall in Johnson City, Tennessee with Gore and Bredesen



Representative Cooper questions my experience. Says I’ve been a backbencher in the Senate for six years - somehow that’s less than three, but we’ll let that slide. Let me talk about my experience. I was born in Seneca, South Carolina, and grew up in Robbins, one state north. My father was a floor worker at a textile mill. My mom had a roadside antique business. I come from a family of working-class parents. I grew up, did well in school, and eventually attended college - I went to Clemson, but eventually didn’t have the money for it, so I went to NC State. I was the first in my family to make it to college. I got my bachelor’s degree, not in something like political science, no - I majored in textile technology. Wanted to learn something useful. Eventually I went to law school and got a job here, in Nashville. Then I moved to Raleigh and helped people who had been injured by corporate and medical malpractice. My son Wade passed away two years before the 1998 Senate election - that, ultimately, was what prompted me to take a step back and ask if I was really doing all I could to help the less fortunate. That’s what led me to enter public service. That’s my experience.

There’s no successful businessman as part of my experience, Representative Cooper. There’s no Wellesley College, no Yale, no professorship, no time on corporate boards of directors. And no time in the White House. There’s just an ordinary guy from a working-class family, who had to work his way through college, and using what he learned to help people who got hurt because somebody higher-up forgot to care about ordinary folks. If you want someone with experience, Representative, here I am. But - I forgot. I’m just a kid who worked his way through NC State. I didn’t go to Oxford. I went to law school in Carolina, not Harvard. My dad was a mill worker, not a Governor. So I guess I don’t have the kind of experience you’re looking for.

But it’s not up to you, Representative Cooper. It’s up to the people of this great state to decide what kind of experience they want more. So what’ll it be, Tennessee? The son of a blue-collar worker or the son of a Governor? Carolina or Harvard? When you vote tomorrow, what’ll it be? Do you want the guy who went to NC State? Or Wellesley? Carolina? Or Yale?

February 10th, 2004:
Meet and greet in Blacksburg, Virginia with Rep. Rick Boucher
Meet and greet in Charlottesville, Virginia
Rally in Richmond, Virginia
Meet and greet in Williamsburg, Virginia
Rally in Norfolk, Virginia with Rep. Owen B. Pickett and Mayor Paul D. Fraim
Rally in Virginia Beach, Virginia with Pickett and Mayor Meyera Oberndorf
Meet and greet/victory party in Fairfax, Virginia with Rep. Jim Moran, Gephardt, Graham, and Gore



Don Beyer says he can’t understand how we’re doing so well in Virginia. Do any of you here today know why I’m doing so well in Virginia? It's simple, really. Virginians - like y'all - want a real candidate. You don't want someone who'll just give you empty rhetoric. You want someone of real substance - why? Because you, all of you, have an important responsibility today. You're not the guardians of what kind of president we'll have. You're the guardians of what kind of future we will leave to our children. We need bold ideas for change, equal to the problems we face. But we have a Washington that's broken and rigged. Powerful special interests and lobbyists run Washington. They benefit the very few, at the expense of the rest of us. I don't want to be the first generation of Americans that fail to pass on a better life to our children. That's not the America I believe in. Together, we can reclaim our government and build a better America, one America.

We're going to end the war in Iraq. We're going to guarantee universal health care. We're going to raise the minimum wage, strengthen workers' rights, reject bad trade deals, help families save, cut taxes, protect pensions, and lift millions out of poverty. We're going to restore the comprehensive curriculum that No Child Left Behind took. We're going to see better teacher pay, smaller classes, and college affordable for every student. We're going to achieve energy independence, we're going to create new energy jobs here - jobs that can't be sent overseas. And we're going to invest in local businesses, Main Street businesses, attract new industries, and strengthen rural schools. We're going to stand up for family farms. We're going to build a better America.

But I need your help to do it. I know you might not agree with everything I've just said - hell, there's people out there who may not agree with most of what I've said - but you deserve to know where I stand. I'll be turning the floor over to questions now - let me hear your ideas, your suggestions, your thoughts on how to redeem our country's promise and our children's future. Please, any questions you may have - and remember to vote today.

TV Ad: American Jobs and Workers
JOHN EDWARDS: My father worked in this mill and others like it for 30 years. I worked in it when I was young. Now it’s closed, the jobs are gone.  For too many, it’s just about profit and greed. They’re wrong.  It’s about the dignity of a job and doing what’s right for America’s workers. I’m John Edwards and I approve this message because we don’t need another president that puts wealth above work. So, if you’re ready to stand with me for American jobs and America’s workers, your time is now.
This ad will air in all Tennessee and Virginia media markets, as well as the Huntsville (AL), Paducah (KY), Greensboro (NC), Raleigh (NC), Bluefield (WV), Harrisonburg (WV), and Washington (DC) markets.

[Donerail]

OOC: Is there a limit to our number of ads per turn?

I haven't heard a limit, but I'd like to think of an unspoken limit of two.

Yeah, I've tried to avoid running more than a couple ads or getting more than a few endorsements per round.

[Donerail]

John Edwards for President Schedule: February 9th - 10th



I'm proud today to announce the support of a majority of the DC City Council - Councilman Mendelson, Councilman Graham, Councilman Evans, Councilwoman Ambrose, and Councilwoman Patterson have all come out in strong support of the Edwards campaign.

February 11th, 2004:
Town hall in Elko, Nevada
Town hall in Reno, Nevada
Meet and greet in Incline Village, Nevada
Rally in Carson City, Nevada

February 12th, 2004:
Meet and greet in Henderson, Nevada
Town hall in Henderson, Nevada
Meet and greet in Las Vegas, Nevada
Rally in Las Vegas, Nevada with Gore and Graham

February 13th, 2004:
Meet and greet in Mount Pleasant, Washington, D.C. with City Councilman Jim Graham
Meet and greet in Logan Circle, Washington, D.C. with City Councilman Jack Evans
Meet and greet in Palisades, Washington, D.C. with City Councilwoman Kathleen Patterson
Meet and greet in Union Station, Washington, D.C. with City Councilwoman Sharon Ambrose

February 14th, 2004:
GOTV in Washington, D.C. with the Council
Rally in Washington, D.C. with the DC Council, Gore and Graham



Senator Biden has been talking a lot about his legislation. And following his lead, I'd like to talk about something I'm pushing myself. Specifically, my support of SB1257 - a bill to give DC voting rights in the US Congress. It's a glaring contradiction that we would fight to extend democracy abroad into Iraq, like my Republican colleagues are supporting, but still don't give the federal right to vote for the people in the capital of the United States, in Washington, D.C. This is a beautiful, livable city - but I wouldn't want to live here. Not without my voting representation. It's an historic injustice that we do not accord citizenship rights to the people here, in the capital of the free world. It's an injustice that laws here can be nullified against the democratic will, expressed by the councilmembers here with me today. It's an injustice that people here cannot spend their own local funds until Congress says so. People of Washington, you know who you can count on to right this wrong! The party of Martin Luther King Jr., the party of equal rights, is the party of voting rights. As President, I will lead the fight for equal voting representation in our Congress for the 600,000 Americans to whom it is currently denied in this city, and I will fight for the equal right to democratic self-government the rest of us enjoy. Equal rights means everybody - and it will, if I'm President.

[Donerail]

Since when have we been giving out seven endorsements a turn? Pretty sure we had a discussion early on to limit endorsements.

[Donerail]

Can I doll out an Edwards Ad as a SuperPAC?

Yes, see what the other candidates think.

Well, I'm all in favor of it.

[Donerail]

John Edwards for President Schedule: February 15th - 17th

February 15th, 2004:
Town hall in La Crosse, Wisconsin
Meet and greet in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
Meet and greet in Plymouth, Wisconsin
Rally in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Al Gore and Bob Graham
Town hall in Waukesha, Wisconsin


It's great to be here, in Milwaukee, a city of working families. The polls look grim, but I still have hope. Why? Because we're the campaign that's running on a message of support for working families. Folks here rely on their unions, the foundation of our middle class. I'm the only candidate in this race endorsed by the SEIU, because of my legacy of fighting for working Americans. Union membership, to many of y'all out there, can be the difference between a poverty-wage job and middle-class security. It's good to see that many of you have embraced the right to choose a union, and it saddens me to know that many of you can't, because that law is poorly enforced, full of loopholes, and routinely violated by employers. If elected, I'll work to strengthen and enforce penalties for breaking labor laws, and I'll ban the permanent replacement of strikers so unions can negotiate fairly. The right to join a union should actually mean something, and unions should have a level playing field - as President, that's what I'll make happen.

February 16th, 2004:
Rally in Madison, Wisconsin with Al Gore and Bob Graham
Town hall in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Town hall in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Town hall in Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Meet and greet in Platteville, Wisconsin
Meet and greet in River Falls, Wisconsin


It's good to see so many of you here, successful college students. I'm proud of you for taking this step - college graduates can expect to earn $1 million more over their lifetimes than high school graduates, and their children are almost twice as likely to attend college themselves. We have a problem, though: an estimated 200,000 college-qualified graduates fail to attend college each year. Students from high-income families are five times more likely to enroll in college than their low-income peers. College-age black and Hispanic Americans are only about half as likely to be enrolled. And those of you here, students who do go to college, now leave with more than $19,000 in debt, twice as much as a decade ago. That one, especially, is what y'all are probably most interested in. See, the banks that make student loans receive big government subsidies, and a guarantee against default. However, millions of students - some of you in this crowd - have borrowed directly from the Department of Education, getting loans on similar terms, but that're cheaper for taxpayers. As President, I'll let all students borrow directly from Education, and by eliminating bank subsidies on student loans, we can free up almost $6 billion, which we can put towards more financial aid.
But that's another thing - financial aid. All y'all had to fill out the FAFSA to get here. And it was awful. The FAFSA's longer than most tax forms, and lots of people need classes to help fill it out. That's part of the reason why 1.5 million students don't apply for aid they could be eligible for. As President, I'll work to simplify FAFSA through using information the federal government already has, resulting in a form that's about a third of the length of our current one. That's just one of the many ways I, as President, will work to make college more affordable - for a more affordable education, vote tomorrow!

February 17th, 2004:
GOTV in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
GOTV in Menomonie, Wisconsin
GOTV in Superior, Wisconsin
GOTV in Whitewater, Wisconsin
Election night rally, Madison, Wisconsin
Regardless of what happens tonight, we'll keep fighting on to Super Tuesday. We're in this race, Senator Clinton, because it's what I must do. I shouldn't be running for re-election right now - what I should be doing is running for President. That's how I can make the biggest impact, spread my message, and hopefully get some real change in this country. I can best make change and solve this country's problems as President, not in the Senate.

New Ad
To run on several major news websites.


New Ad
To run in Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas

Corporate greed has infiltrated everything that’s happening in this democracy. It’s time for us to say “we’re not going to let our children’s future be stolen by these people.” I have never taken a dime from a Washington lobbyist or a special interest PAC [applause] and I’m proud of that. On [primary day], in [state], what will happen is you will rise.  You will say “enough is enough.”  And you’re going to create a wave of change that cannot be stopped. I’m John Edwards and I approve this message.

[Donerail]

Governor Spiral are you ok?

I'm pretty sure he is afflicted with that terrible illness that strikes so many of us at this time of the year: exams.

[Donerail]

Edwards Campaign Announces Major Backers in Georgia


General Wesley Clark of Arkansas
I'm a registered independent who voted for Ronald Reagan, but it's time to publicly announce my support in the Democratic race - and it's for John Edwards. I'm a Democrat because I'm pro-education, pro-health care, and because the Democratic Party is the one standing up for a fair shot for ordinary men and women. The one in the race who best embodies those values is John Edwards - he stands up for ordinary folks because he is one. And I trust that, even in areas like foreign policy where his opponents are attacking him, that he'll assemble a strong team and always act in the best interest of the American people.


Governor Roy Barnes of Georgia
I ran on fixing health care and fixing education when I ran for Governor. That's still what I care about - and that's what John Edwards stands for. But it's more than that: my first act as Governor was to ban lobbyist gifts to my executive branch employees. The candidate in this race taking the hardest line on corruption and lobbyist influences is John Edwards, and I'm proud to offer him my support - and I'm certain the State of Georgia will as well.


Representative Jim Marshall of Georgia
I'm supporting John Edwards because I've always tried to represent my constituents in rural Georgia, and John's the one talking about the issues that matter to them, to rural communities and to hardworking Americans. I have faith that John's the candidate who'll do right by America's farms.