U.S. corporate elite fear candidate Edwards

[JohnLocke]

U.S. corporate elite fear candidate Edwards
By Kevin Drawbaugh--Reuters
Friday, January 11, 2008
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WASHINGTON, Jan 11 - Ask corporate lobbyists which presidential contender is most feared by their clients and the answer is almost always the same -- Democrat John Edwards.

The former North Carolina senator's chosen profession alone raises the hackles of business people. Before entering politics, he made a fortune as a trial lawyer.

In litigious America, trial lawyers bring lawsuits against companies on behalf of aggrieved individuals and sometimes win multimillion-dollar settlements. Edwards won several.

But beyond his profession, Edwards' tone and language on the campaign trail have increased business antipathy toward him. His stump speeches are peppered with attacks on "corporate greed" and warnings of "the destruction of the middle class."

He accuses lobbyists of "corrupting the government" and says Americans lack universal health care because of "drug companies, insurance companies and their lobbyists."

Despite not winning the two state nominating contests completed so far, with 48 to go, Edwards insists he is in the race to stay. An Edwards campaign spokesman said on Thursday that inside-the-Beltway operatives who fight to defend the powerful and the privileged should be afraid.

"The lobbyists and special interests who abuse the system in Washington have good reason to fear John Edwards.

"Once he is president, the interests of middle class families will never again take a back seat to corporate greed in Washington," said campaign spokesman Eric Schultz.

Open attacks on the business elite are seldom heard from mainstream White House candidates in America, despite skyrocketing CEO pay, rising income inequality, and a torrent of scandals in corporate boardrooms and on Wall Street. But this year Edwards is not alone. Republican candidate Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas, sometimes also rails against corporate power and influence, tapping a populist current that lies just below the surface of U.S. politics.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/feedarticle?id=7217369

[Fresh_Start]

1. $60MM+ warchest a direct result of populist policies like Edwards

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-chamber8jan08,1,5346679.story?track=rss

[jaksavage]

2. They fear him

So they smear him
Minimalize him
and hope he will go away
so far they are winning

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. Damn straight they are, he is the real change candidate. nt

[jgraz]

4. K&R

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Of course they do

They are trying to effectively shut down any candidate that threatens their stranglehold on our nation. That's one reason I want a recount in NH.

[Andy823]

9. I am curious

I keep hearing about recounts in NH, but from what I hear the Iowa law allowed people to register the same night they voted, and there is no law that requires ID. It's going to be the same in Nevada from what I heard this morning. All they have to do is sing a paper "saying" they live in the state, that's it. The papers says it's against the law to lie, but come on, if there is no complaint, and no recount, how do they get caught? I think the laws need to change, and the whole country needs to varify that those who vote in every state, are living in that state, and are legal to vote.

Now my other question is how did it work in NH? Where they allowed to do the same thing, register on the night of the vote, and not have to prove they live in the state?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. I think it worked the same way

from what friends in NH have told me. But the big difference between Iowa and NH, in my estimation, is that the latter mimics what happens in the GE while the other does not. What I am concerned about is the ballot integrity in the GE. If anything shady is allowed to pass now, you can bet your bottom dollar the repukes will ratchet up their hacking of voting machines in November.

[niceypoo]

6. All three of the headliner candidates are corporate

Edwards Health Care plan, you guessed it, a mix of corporate and government ran health care. It's the nature of our system of electing officials. The only way to end our corporate financed candidacies is public financing of elections. This will take the corporate money out of it. Until this happens candidates will be forced to take money wherever they can get it, otherwise they cant compete. If our elections were now publicly financed, Dennis Kucinich would most likely be the front runner, as he wins every debate he participates in. Sadly, the best candidates cannot compete, we are stuck with the canned, phoney candidates. Edwards is the least corporate, but they all take money from corporate interests. The candidates are only trees, look at the forest.

[AzDar]

7. Hells yes, they do. Which is one of the primary reasons he should be elected!

Go, Johnny, GO!!!

[balantz]

8. It's a simple choice, really.

Do we want to own our Democracy, and take it back from the few who could care less for our security? Or do we want to continue to become serfs for those wealthy few while our American dream drifts out the window? Wake up America, and don't buy what's being handed to you falsely as being the only choices available. I refuse to fall in line and let the media of the corporate government that controls Washington tell me what's best for me and my family!

[Triana]

11. The more they fear him, the more we should support him

WHAT OTHER endorsement does he need?

I think that one says it all.

[jackson_dem]

12. The corporate elite only fears real change candidates like Edwards

[asdjrocky]

13. As always John- good work. n/t

[JohnLocke]

14. Kick (nt).

[Snotcicles]

15. They want everybody to think Edwards is anti-all-business. What bullshit. nt