Edwards' splash

From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:

Former VP hopeful is setting himself apart from crowd and party

(November 15, 2005) — Practically absent from the national
political scene since last year's presidential election, Democrat John Edwards made quite a splash last weekend. Without equivocation, the unsuccessful 2004 candidate for vice president admitted he was wrong to vote to support going to war in Iraq.

Edwards' candid admission and his plan for winding down the war came in an op-ed piece published in the Washington Post. It was particularly
noteworthy because it marked the first time that a high-profile Democrat who supported the war publicly acknowledged making a mistake.

The admission, no doubt, will strengthen Edwards' efforts to appeal to
grass-roots, anti-war Democrats as the race for the party's 2008 presidential nomination gathers steam.

True, other prominent Democrats considered to be presidential timber, such as Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Evan Bayh, have hardly worn their "yes'' votes on the war as badges of honor. But they have refused to renounce their actions.

Instead, these big-name Democrats have argued that they were misled by the Bush administration, which provided flawed intelligence.

End of story.

By accepting "responsibility" for his mistake and devising a plan for action, Edwards is not only setting himself apart from the crowd of presidential aspirants, but from the party as well.

After all, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean seems to be relishing the withholding of details about the party's agenda on Iraq and change, overall. "Right now, it's not our job to give out specifics,'' he told a TV news show [host, Tim Russert on MTP]Sunday.

Never mind that polls show that 52 percent of swing voters
believe Democrats have no clear vision for the future.

At least Edwards seems to recognize the urgency of seizing the moment and the importance of acting differently to achieve a different outcome.

I think JRE is developing his vision, and hopefully, gathering more ideas as time goes on, to help our country get back on the right track. Does it mean he's running for office? Not yet.

But it does mean that other Dems need to rethink what their own visions are for the US, then find affinities. We cannot be outnumbered for too much longer.