Edwards promises big changes in Iraq policy (and Darfur, environment, universal health care)

[JohnLocke]

Edwards promises big changes in Iraq
By Greg Jefferson--(San Antonio, Texas) Express-News
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
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Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards mostly skipped the small talk Wednesday at a Sunset Station rally.

On a stage surrounded by as many as 300 supporters, Edwards packed his 20-minute stump speech with calls to radically change course in Iraq, stop the genocide in Darfur, cap carbon dioxide emissions and establish a system of universal health care.

"If you're looking for the presidential candidate who's going to lead in small ways, who's looking for small baby steps, for little changes we can make around the edges to make things better, that's not me," said Edwards, Sen. John Kerry's running mate in 2004.

The next president, he said, would have to work mightily to mend relationships around the world, noting, "They see the United States as a bully, and a selfish bully at that."

Edwards also attacked President Bush's handling of Iraq, zeroing in on the troop "surge" under way.

"For us to ever have credibility in the world again, we're going to have to deal with what is the bleeding sore of Iraq," he said.

"My view is that, No. 1, it's a huge mistake to do what George Bush is doing now — escalating this war. That's the last thing in the world we should be doing."

Instead, he proposed withdrawing as many as 50,000 U.S. troops immediately, establishing a timetable for pulling out the rest and asking Iraq's neighbors to help stabilize the country.

(...)

In a news conference after the rally, he predicted his campaign would soon win some of the attention now lavished on Clinton and Obama.

"We're going to get past the early glitz very quickly," Edwards said. "It's going to get to be serious. It'll be (about) who actually has the vision, the maturity and the depth to be president of the United States."
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Read the rest here.