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I saw this on John Edwards' website.
Two Co-Founders Of Generation Dean Endorse Edwards For President
RALEIGH, NC: The Edwards for President campaign announced today that two co-founders of Generation Dean, the official youth outreach campaign of Howard Dean's presidential effort, have endorsed John Edwards for president. The endorsements by Michael Whitney and Ryan Beam underscore Senator Edwards' dedication to involving young Americans, as well as the surge of grassroots support Edwards has seen in the last week.
"I supported Howard Dean's presidential campaign because I felt that he was the candidate to take on George W. Bush," Whitney said. "He excited young voters and asked my generation to get involved. Now that Dean has stopped campaigning, the Democratic Party still faces the challenge of choosing a candidate to take on George W. Bush in November. John Edwards knows how hard it is for young Americans in today's economy. With skyrocketing unemployment and unprecedented budget deficits, young people have it worse than any other age group. I'm supporting John Edwards because we need a Democrat who can stand up to George W. Bush and who can work for young Americans."
Beam, a recent Ohio University graduate, said, "Senator Edwards has always shown a deep commitment to listening to the concerns of our generation and providing real solutions for our problems. Senator Edwards's 'College for Everyone' plan shows that he is serious about helping all young Americans get a higher education without being burdened by excessive loans. I am proud to now be supporting Senator John Edwards for president."
Previous to joining Dean for America, Whitney and Beam started organizing students through the website www.studentsfordean.org. Their innovative organizing and technological efforts paved the way for over 24,000 young people to join Generation Dean - the largest youth outreach campaign in this election cycle.
In a statement on Wednesday Edwards said, "Howard Dean has energized and revolutionized this race, and excited a whole new generation of young Americans. He deserves our thanks and so much credit for what he has accomplished. I hope he continues to offer his ideas, and encourages millions more to participate in this democracy so we win back the White House in November."
Today's endorsements come at a time when grassroots support for the Edwards campaign is surging across the country. The campaign blog has registered over a thousand new community members in the last week, and by midnight Wednesday, the campaign had raised over $450,000 online since results from the Wisconsin primary started coming in (average contribution: $79.82).
In addition to Whitney and Beam, the Edwards campaign has picked up significant support among supporters of Howard Dean's presidential campaign, including organizers in Georgia, Maryland and New York.
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