Sen. Edwards nixes campaign stop for speech on poverty

[RestoreGore]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080129/ap_on_el_pr/edwards

By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer
2 hours, 6 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards canceled campaign events in Alabama and North Dakota to make a "major policy address on poverty" Wednesday in New Orleans, where he launched his presidential bid 13 months ago.

Campaign officials said Edwards, who has trailed Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama in recent primaries, does not plan to end his candidacy and will reschedule the two dropped trips. Nonetheless, people close to the campaign said Tuesday's announcement caught them off guard, and some found it perplexing.

In a news release, the Edwards campaign called poverty "the great moral issue of our time." In recent days, it said, "national discussion of important issues like ending poverty has given way to sniping and personal attacks between the two front-runner candidates. Ending poverty and fighting for the middle class is the cause of John Edwards' life — and he will urge the nation to refocus on this important issue."

Democratic activists have openly speculated that the former North Carolina senator may have to leave the race soon because he has been unable to keep pace with Obama and Clinton in gaining votes, media attention and fundraising. After narrowly edging Clinton for second place in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses, Edwards has fared poorly. On Saturday, he finished a distant third in his native South Carolina, whose primary he won in 2004.

Some people close to the campaign said Edwards was disappointed that poverty got little mention in Democratic reactions to President Bush's State of the Union address Monday, and he sees the New Orleans speech as a chance to refocus attention on the problem. These people, who were not authorized to speak on the record, said they had no indication that Edwards planned to leave the race.

The insiders said Edwards continues to raise money at a respectable pace, although not at the level of Clinton and Obama.

end of excerpt.
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The more I see and hear of him the more I like him. I was actually surprised to see this covered. Progress? And poverty is indeed one of the greatest moral issues of our time alongside the climate crisis which I see as inextricably linked to poverty. When we address the state of our planet and work for a more sustainable way of life from top to bottom, that in my view will do much to alleviate much of the poverty we now see. Thank you to Senator Edwards for making this the heart of his campaign for those of us who are living it.

[jackson_dem]

1. Edwards is a phony! Even his off the record comments to friends are scripted!

:sarcasm:

[RestoreGore]

2. Oh my, and he isn't letting people control him or his message

Can't have that now can we?

[KoKo]

10. AP "Hit Job Article"....We all know what they do. Go to his Campaign Website.

[IndyOp]

19. Jesus! I nearly put you on my ignore list until I saw the sarcasm icon.

I am just a bit heart-broken this morning.

[Nutmegger]

3. That man is an inspiration.

R&K

[frogmarch]

4. He's for real. Go, John!

[Seabiscuit]

5. My candidate, the best in the race. Go John Go! nt

[grantcart]

6. glad to see John do something to shake it up

[in_cog_ni_to]

7. I so hope he stays in until the end. n/t

[xultar]

I love me some Edwards. He is the closest on the issues that are important to me.

[RestoreGore]

12. yes, the issues of our lives...

Our health, our children, our jobs, our planet, our democracy.

[bobbolink]

8. I'm almost in shock.... having someone who actually SPEAKS FOR ME!

Canceling engagements to remind people I exist, and I hurt?

That's my man!

[RestoreGore]

13. What a concept huh? BTW, great picture n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

9. I'd love to see him go off on a rant...

just like some of us here - mainly his supporters - have done about the state of our supposed union. The corporate control of nearly everything.

I'd love to have him go off during a debate (when's the next one, btw?) - or at a press conference - and shout, "I CALL BULLSHIT! Anybody else see what THEY are doing? Shoving silly shit that doesn't matter down everyone's throats to distract them from what's REALLY going on in this country. Making sure I'm muzzled because THEY don't want you thinking for yourselves and getting facts so you can make informed decisions. They want you to think nothing can be done about the way things are. They want you to give up. They want you to just exist so they can enjoy the fruits of your labor. I say impeach the whole lot of them and imprison when applicable!"

A gal can dream...:patriot:

[Ninga]

11. Edwards has spent many years surprising his opposition. We are not surprised, are we? !!!

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

[pamela]

14. Good.

Wouldn't it be something if MLK III joined him and endorsed him?

Whatever, happens, I'm glad he's doing things a bit outside the box, now. Time to shake thing up a bit.

[onehandle]

15. Kick! nt

[Clark2008]

16. LOL!!!

It's still a political speech.

Dear God, this man is NOTHING but a consummate politician. Are your heads really that far in the sand? He's only collecting delegates, at this point, so he can play kingmaker and get something for himself out of the deal.

[goodhue]

17. kick

[goodhue]

18. .