JRE Buzz: Granite State Edition

Elizabeth Edwards, on the trail with John ------->


Edwards draws packed house in Salem
By JIM DEVINE

SALEM – More than a hundred supporters packed the home and living room of a Corinthian Drive home yesterday to pose questions and hear more about John Edwards' Presidential primary run.

Edwards described his plan for universal health care as a solution to make health care spending more effective in the country while making it available for all Americans by repealing Bush tax cuts made for Americans earning more than $200,000 a year.

"Universal health care is not cheap," Edwards said. "I'm not saying it isn't. But I think it's critical for America to remain strong in the long run."

Edwards said his plan would cover preventative care, chronic care and long-term care while driving down administrative costs that account for 40 cents on every dollar spent on health care in America.

LINK to Union Leader article, which was favorable for a change.

Health care was not the only issue Edwards discussed at the house parties (as he called them on Face the Nation this morning). He also discussed energy.

Check out this video:



ABC News' Terry Moran spent some time with JRE yesterday too. A snip here:

Saturday, Edwards, along with his wife Elizabeth, embarked on his third trip to New Hampshire since he announced his candidacy. Despite New Hampshire's bitter cold weather, the Edwardses campaigned from Nashua to Salem, hopping from house party to house party. Crowds of supporters packed in to hear Edwards speak.

For Edwards, New Hampshire is one of the crucial battleground states needed to survive the primary elections, which are less than a year away. Unlike other candidates, who have to overcome their unpopular positions on the Iraq war or their modified views on abortion, Edwards' two biggest hurdles appear to be Clinton and Obama, who have emerged as the Democratic favorites.

Despite this, Edwards believes that his message is getting across.

"I think our fairest estimate would be that the three of us are all being heard very well right now," he said. "I think some of the other candidates are struggling to be heard, but I have no concern about being heard."

You can catch it on Nightline tomorrow night.

Daphne C, a brand new blogger to the John Edwards08 community, had this to say about seeing Edwards yesterday:

I have been following this primary with more attention and concern than I have ever given a primary before. I do feel that this is an absolutely critical time in our nation's history, and to hear Senator Edwards' commitment to the balance of powers which is the foundation of our government was both inspiring and reassuring. This is a man who is outraged -- something that doesn't necessarily come across in his television appearances -- at the gap, not only between the wealthy and poor in this country, but between what this country can be, and what it has become.

I have never been a registered Democrat. That is changing. I have never worked for a presidential campaign. That is changing. In order for America to change, we must change. I must change. There is no room to simply sit back, to bide our time, to stay on the sidelines. There is no time to do so. The time to act is now, when for once we have the opportunity of putting in the White House a man who knows what it's like to be a working-class Amercian (because he was one), a man who I believe is running, not because he loves power, or influence, or for his own personal gain, but because he loves, and believes in, America. The same America that I love and believe in. I cannot remember the last time I saw a deep, abiding moral outrage in a candidate -- an outrage that, in fact, equals my own. And I will be doing my damndest to equal John Edwards' commitment to a better future -- not for a select few, but for every American.

I think I've heard that story more than once.