Edwards echoes King's anti-war message

[Kadie]

Edwards echoes King's anti-war message
By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer
29 minutes ago


NEW YORK - Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards called on Americans to resist President Bush's planned troop escalation in Iraq, echoing a plea by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. 40 years ago to end the Vietnam War.

Edwards addressed about 1,200 parishioners Sunday at Riverside Church, a multiracial, politically active Manhattan congregation where King delivered his famous "Beyond Vietnam" speech on April 4, 1967. King was assassinated exactly one year later.

Edwards spoke from the same wooden pulpit King used and was introduced by King's son, Martin Luther King III. The younger King said his father would have admired Edwards' commitment to fighting poverty.

The former North Carolina senator and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee touched on poverty issues in his speech, as well as AIDS in Africa, energy independence and a proposed boost in the minimum wage.

But he saved his strongest words for the troop increase in Iraq, invoking King's condemnation of the Vietnam War as a betrayal of American values.

"Silence is betrayal, and I believe it is a betrayal not to speak out against the escalation of the war in Iraq," Edwards said to a sustained standing ovation.

more...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070114/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_king_1



U.S. presidential candidate and former Senator John Edwards speaks during a program to honor deceased civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. in New York, January 14, 2007. REUTERS/Keith Bedford (UNITED STATES)

[The Count]

1. That is, If MLK would have sponsored a war resolution,

http://www.congress.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:SJ00046:@@@P
or tried to start another war

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1149572637421&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FPrinter

[BayCityProgressive]

2. LOL EXACTLY

half of these Dems are such self serving jokes. He sure didn't mind murdering them thur terraists when things were going well!

[1932]

6. RFK went from advocating nuclear attack on Cuba to being against Vietnam

and, rumor has it, he had MLK on his short list for VP in '68, and I think MLK would have forgiven him for the Cuba thing and embraced his position on Vietnam.

[mdmc]

7. man, those links kill my Edwardphilia

:(

[1932]

8. Can you help me find the text of S.J.RES.46?

And can you help me understand what this means?

"We cannot allow Iran to have nuclear weapons," he declared, endorsing America's current approach of working with the Europeans using diplomatic levers.

But he said the "carrots" on offer have to come with heavy pressure, such as "serious sanctions."
In terms of the "stick" of military strikes, he said, "I would never take any option off the table."

Edwards also pointed to the lack of a negotiating partner for Israel following the Hamas takeover of the Palestinian Authority, clearing the way for the realignment plan. He noted that details of the plan, which calls for withdrawing from many West Bank settlements in exchange for bolstering major blocs, still have to be worked out.

"Israel is in the unfortunate position of having to act without an agreement. I think American are supportive of that and want to be helpful in that effort - including me," he said.
Those words were stronger than those used by President George W. Bush to assess the realignment plan during Olmert's visit to the Oval Office last month.

"I would call them bold ideas. These ideas could lead to a two-state solution if a pathway to progress on the road map is not open in the period ahead," Bush said at a press conference during the visit. "No party should prejudice the outcome of negotiations on a final status agreement, the prime minister's ideas could be an important step toward the peace we both support."

In discussions with cabinet ministers, Edwards also examined ways that America and Israel could create a mechanism to funnel humanitarian aid to the Palestinians without money going to the Hamas-led PA.

[mdmc]

15. really says nothing

:shrug:

[Jeffersons Ghost]

3. K&R...

[mdmc]

4. Kick and R for "Silence is betrayal" nice to finally hear your voice

Nice to hear an electable dem sayin the things that need to be said. Too bad it took 3 years.

I mean, Bush's speech would have been a God send, if he made it on 1-10-03.

:kick:R for Edwards coming over from the dark side.

[Lex]

5. Every voice counts. Especially those voices who will make the media.

Who else spoke out loud and clear today against the war?


__________________

[Lex]

9. Some more photos from today's speech.

Edwards & MLK III:

[jazzjunkysue]

10. I was there, sitting right next to Bill Moyers! John was wonderful.

He's a natural speaker. He's really easy to follow and speaks from the heart. I can't imagine anyone being able to beat him. He'll make a great president!

[mdmc]

14. Sounded like a great show!

:kick:

[Tom Joad]

11. MLK: "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my own

government." April 4, 1967

Even truer today.

[w4rma]

12. Very good. I like him more, now. (nt)

[me b zola]

13. k&r