Democratic Underground Latest Greatest Lobby Journals Search Options Help Login
Google

MyDD: Edwards: Like FDR, he's the real deal

Printer-friendly format Printer-friendly format
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend
Printer-friendly format Bookmark this thread
Home » Discuss » DU Groups » Democrats » Elizabeth Edwards Supporters Group Donate to DU
 
Catchawave Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Nov-20-07 09:10 PM
Original message
MyDD: Edwards: Like FDR, he's the real deal
HomeDiariesBreaking BlueE-Wire

2008John Edwards: Like FDR, he's the real deal.

by Its Like Herding Cats, Tue Nov 20, 2007 at 01:16:13 PM EST

This article first appeared in the November 26th issue of The Nation magazine, and is published jointly online in collaboration with Huffington Post and OffTheBus. This is one in a series of eight essays by leading progressive commentators making the affirmative case for each of the Democratic presidential contenders.

The recent news that SEIU's chapters in twelve states--representing more than a million workers--endorsed the candidacy of John Edwards is a loud wake-up call. The race for the Democratic nomination is still that: a real race. For my money, there is no other candidate who will work as hard as Edwards for the nation's low-income families, the working poor, struggling students and the 47 million Americans who desperately need health insurance. Organized labor sees him the same way, which is why he has garnered this seal of approval and the boots on the ground that it represents--even in the face of the Clinton juggernaut. They know that Edwards is the candidate who can actually win the general election, the one who is thinking about people like them.

They know because Edwards stood with them through every state-level campaign to raise the minimum wage long before he announced a run for the White House. They know because he was first out with a health insurance plan that actually provides universal coverage while acknowledging what we all know to be true: the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans will have to be rolled back to pay for it. And they know because he has been solidly, unambiguously in favor of withdrawing from Iraq, even as the Democratic Party has tacked back and forth on the issue, despite overwhelming public support for ending the war.

I first met Edwards at a gathering at the University of North Carolina's Center on Poverty, Work, and Opportunity. Hurricane Katrina had devastated the Gulf Coast only a few months before and exposed the "two Americas" of which Edwards had spoken throughout the 2004 campaign. He called the country's experts together--across party lines--to debate the causes, consequences and remedies for poverty in an era of unprecedented wage inequality. For two days we discussed what should be done to enhance the mobility of the working poor, how we should deal with the competition from low-wage countries like China and what the trends in out-of-wedlock births mean for single mothers below the poverty line.

Most politicians would have given their obligatory keynote address and retired to the comfort of their leather chairs. Edwards stayed the whole time, ran virtually all of the sessions, asked intelligent questions, probed for more practical answers and stuck around to talk with the presenters about how to cull from their academic research workable ideas that could form the basis of a campaign that has as its centerpiece the eradication of poverty in this wealthy nation.

more...http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/11/20/131613/74
Refresh | 0 Recommendations Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
asdjrocky Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-21-07 11:20 AM
Response to Original message
1. This is great!
Havent' been on in a while, did you post this in GDP? If you haven't you should!
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
Catchawave Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-21-07 07:57 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. Nah....my threads just get pecked to death
by ducks!

So much nicer here, we just need to get more people over here to have discussions withOUT those poopie people :rofl:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
Plucketeer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Nov-21-07 04:14 PM
Response to Original message
2. Great stuff!
I understand the MSM's reluctance to give John much air time. He must scare the hell outta the guys in the front offices!:dem:
Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view 
this author's profile Click to add 
this author to your buddy list Click to add 
this author to your Ignore list Mon Dec 23rd 2024, 01:09 AM
Response to Original message
Advertisements [?]
 Top

Home » Discuss » DU Groups » Democrats » Elizabeth Edwards Supporters Group Donate to DU

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators


Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.

Home  |  Discussion Forums  |  Journals |  Store  |  Donate

About DU  |  Contact Us  |  Privacy Policy

Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.

© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC