JRE Buzz (16)

Good evening BW Readers. It's time for a round-up of recent news about Senator John Edwards since OAC blogger Mbair posted hers on Sunday, with some snippets from NCDem during the week. Update: Check out the post on Daily Kos, "Tonight I Became a John Edwards Fanatic," and Ourprez posted that JRE edged Gore this month on a poll by netrooters.

Also, check out the news story, "Edwards Tells Party to Care, Lead Nation" from the NewsOK site. (registration req'd, but free).

Regarding fundraising: the Pilot and the News & Observer seemed concerned that Edwards hasn't developed a very good warchest this year, at least in the first half. While I am concerned too, I think JRE will be able to mobilize staffing for campaigning in 2007--whenever he decides to announce--and again, all predicated on many factors. But what the MSM forget is that JRE is employed elsewhere--as Director of the Center for Poverty, Work, and Opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill's Law School, and he's not running yet.

South Carolina Elephants have already scheduled a debate for May 15, 2008. It signals that their primary is not the same day as the Dems in late January. Greenville Online/Tribute-Times was kind enough to remember JRE won the Dem primary there in 2004.

American Prospect talked about the Netroots today, and how folks should put them down, but not always as criticism. Mark Schmitt, the author, mentioned John Edwards and Wes Clark as garnering a lot of netroots support, just as Dean did 3 years ago. I don't think the Netroots is all about left-ideology, as the blogger wrote:

" And part of that actually involves a greater tolerance of non-liberal positions on core interest-group issues where it’s necessary to win: Casey on choice, Schweitzer and others on gun control. So even if the netroots are liberals, the fact that they are channeling their liberalism into a vision of what they think the Democratic Party should be is a significant development since the 1990s.

As a Blue Moderate, I support this notion. I'm not crazy about Bob Casey's view on abortion, but it's similar to John Murtha's too. I guess as long as both PA candidates support other choices for women (ie birth control and the support of birth control clinics), I can live with them in the Congress.

Tomorrow, JRE is in Pittsburgh at the WakeupWalmart rally to have citizens and employees to listen to the concept of putting pressure on Wal-Mart to allow their employees to unionize and get better wages and health care benes. After all, Costco does. I hear rumblings that there may be an event report from a JRE blogger tomorrow from this rally. We'll have to see. And then JRE goes to NH...etc.

Edwards blogged yesterday about being in Tejas for some fundraisers and going to have dinner with Lance Armstrong. Kewlness. However, I should tell you, it's clear JRE doesn't like to type. I share that with you, JRE. I don't like to type either, but I've gotten a little better at it since PC's and Macs came around.

There's more, but I'm going to stop since blogger has been really really bizzy...

I like the title of this: John Edwards 09





























(title & photo credit: Bryan Buchan, from Flickr)

Tags: John Edwards, Wake-up Wal-Mart Rally, Fundraising, One America Committee, mbair, NC Dem, Benny's World