Change I can Believe In: Blackwater Out

I read in the news the State Department is not renewing Blackwater's contract in Iraq--with the best reason: the Iraqis don't want them there, and under a new agreement that went into effect at the first of this year, Iraqis have say so in the matter. Of course, the DoD and the State Department will have to hussle to find some security help in protecting our diplomats, but I believe this is an excellent beginning in leading us out of Iraq.

I hope the DoJ follows up and asks Blackwater how the money was spent. Needs to be done in a Federal Court, not just in front of Henry Waxman. Hearings on Blackwater have been fruitless.

MSM and Kos Are Overlooking Important Issues in Lieu of Personalities & $$

On Sunday, EENR blogger Edgery wrote about the Vets and how our country isn't doing its job to look after them and their families once they get back. John Edwards had a plan in taking more steps to ensure they and their families receive the care they need, and the plan was the centerpiece of Edgery's post. When this diary was posted at the Daily Kos, it was received in a lukewarm fashion or considered disingenuous. Thus, when David Mizner wrote about Kos, I empathized with him and that's why I posted his comments from HuffPo yesterday.

Apparently, John Edwards wasn't through speaking out for the vets. In a letter to the Editor at the NYT (which also isn't as focused on the issues between the remaining candidates at the moment), he penned:

In “For Wounded Veterans and Their Families, a Journey Without Maps” (Editorial Observer, March 24), Lawrence Downes missed an important opportunity to explain why both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are unprepared to care for the service members who have been hurt in the Iraq war.

The reason is that the frequently reported number of the wounded in action (29,320 as of March 1) does not include everyone who’s been hurt.

The complete number of nonfatal casualties in Iraq is 60,645. Most assume the wounded number includes all, but it does not. It leaves out another 8,273 injured and 23,052 who became ill and required medical air transport from the war zone. The Department of Defense releases two reports: one with the weekly numbers of those wounded and killed, and then another monthly report with the complete numbers. After five years, it is time for respected news organizations to use the complete number.

The public needs this information so that we can better prepare for the care of all of our veterans from this war and others. The struggle for them and their families your article addressed is happening all across this country. Nearly 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have already sought care from the V.A.

The system is broken. That is why so many veterans are still fighting for the care they earned. That is why their families struggle with paperwork and months of delay. And that is why 154,000 veterans sleep on grates or under bridges every night.

We have tens of thousands set to come home, and we aren’t prepared. Every day we should honor the more than 4,000 lives lost: every suicide, bullet or serious accident.

And every day we should honor those who have been hurt. That number is 60,645 and rising.

John Edwards
Chapel Hill, N.C., March 31, 2008

John's letter proves my point about Daily Kos or MSM: it took over a week to get this printed. Obviously, they aren't taking the situation very seriously.

Nationals Fans Demonstrate their Opinion of Shrub

My understanding is that he kinda knew he was a bullseye for this type of reaction.

I'm reminded of a great snark tune entitled "Texan Love Song" by Elton John from the Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player CD.

Someone did a great video to the song, and this is the best way to hear it:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/501481/texan_love_song/

Shrub, get in line with your ilk. You don't deserve respect. Even Rodney Dangerfield wouldn't respect you either.

Classic John Prine

(h/t to CrazyShirley)

This was written during the Vietnam war, but it fits this war too. I've heard this song for a very long time.

4000 US gone. For more statistics, go read Chris Bowers' post at Open Left. He reminds us of the other fatalities.

John and Elizabeth Edwards to Join Forces with Moveon.org for Recession/ Iraq Initiative

John Nichols from the Nation Reports that JRE and EE will be on a conference call with Moveon.org and SEIU to launch a get out of Iraq initiative.

The multi-million-dollar Iraq/Recession Campaign, which launches Monday, seeks to remind voters, in the words of organizers, that, "As economic concerns weigh heavily on the minds of Americans, opposition to President Bush's reckless war in Iraq continues to grow. The massive cost of the war in Iraq – hurtling toward one trillion dollars – has increased demand for a strategy to bring U.S. troops home. The Iraq/Recession Campaign will highlight the majority of Americans who want to see leadership on investing in critical priorities at home and establishing real security throughout the world."

( h/t NCDem Amy at Daily Kos)

Now BW readers, you may recall that John Edwards predicted some time ago that McCain was likely to be the Republican front runner and nominee. When Bush announced the surge in late 2006 and McCain supported it, JRE called it "the McCain Doctrine".



JRE at Riverside Church last year, talking about the McCain Doctrine. He could not be silent on the surge.

I also found this piece at HuffPo. More l8tr...

But don't expect any candidate endorsements from the Edwards at this time: just causes.

Jayne Lyn Stahl: Edwards: Too Soon for Political Obituary

"So, maybe the media has timed out on John Edwards. Maybe the pay for view press has decided to shrink the contest for the Democratic presidential nomination to two candidates, but this would be premature evacuation."

This opening paragraph came from HuffPo. It is a clear argument about how the media should not decide our elections and why Edwards is still very much in this race. He is the only one at this point that will get all of our combat forces out of Iraq or redeployed. Thus, Stahl adds the hint of lessons not learned from the Vietnam era to her argument about the media:

If we, in this country, weren't so insistent upon novelty, and looked instead to competency, John Edwards would be, by far, the clear leader as the nominee of the Democratic Party. Yet, in keeping with their time-honored tradition, the Democrats will instead show their uncanny ability to foul it up all just when a victory is most needed, and instead of delivering an end to a war which has lasted longer than Vietnam, we will, yet again, deliver a nominee who is guaranteed to pull an LBJ and keep fanning the flames of war in the name of bringing the boys home. The lies are the same; the only thing that's changed is the calendar.The danger of not having real change.

Read the rest.

read more | digg story

JRE Buzz: Presidential Response to a Terrible Bush Speech

John Edwards bought some time on MSNBC to rebut Bush's "Return to Success" or "this is still a miserable failure, so give me more money and more time". JRE's response is truly a Presidential speech.



Edwards: supporting our troops and supporting a failed war are not the same thing. Tell Congress they must tell Bush that there is only one choice: No timeline, no funding. No excuses. It is time to end this war.

Update: US Senate candidate Steve Novick of Oregon agrees with John Edwards.

More buzz l8tr..

On the Road

I'm at the Cape today, going to meetings, but also hearing about politics as well.

Not much to report, other than JRE won the Texas e-poll (a straw poll) in which 8000 Dems voted in. Not even close: Edwards at 38%, Obama next at 21%. Elizabeth went down to see some of the long tallers to discuss issues with them.

LINK

Yes, the White House report came out today. I would call it bald faced mistruths, but JRE had this to say about it:

"We needed answers today from the administration, and we only got more of the same doublespeak - that may pass for straight talk inside the Beltway, but the American people know better. We heard today the surge is working, when several independent reports have found that it's not. We heard about statistics from particular areas, like Anbar, that don't fairly represent the entire country. We heard that the administration plans to take credit for ending the surge by next spring, when it's well-known inside the military that our troops would have to come home anyway in order not to extend their tours beyond 15 months. We heard that we'd still have 130,000 troops in place next summer, policing a civil war, when this is where we started in the first place. Worst of all, we heard that there are no concrete steps toward the comprehensive political solution that will end the violence once and for all and put Iraq on the path to stability."

To read a more thorough analysis of the report to Congress, read Taylor Marsh's comments here.

Cape Cod is lovely. I'd forgotten how nice it can be when the crowds aren't around.

More buzz l8tr...

Lots to write tomorrow

Otherwise, visit places which gives some good analysis..

Taylor Marsh

Talking Points Memo

International Tribune Herald

I do know that I liked what I saw from an interview with JRE on Talking Points Memo:


Good points by JRE.

Blue Dog Dem Bashing Season

I have had some mixed feelings about challenging the Bush Dog Dems campaign on Open Left and to a certain extent on other progressive blogs. I couldn't quite put my finger on it until I read this post by Oliver Willis:

That, at the heart, is what I think my reaction to the "Bush Dog" effort comes down to. This is a strategy by folks like Matt Stoller to attack Democrats with more conservative than desired voting records, and I guess challenge them in primaries. Ok, fine I guess. But to someone like myself who figures even a conservative Dem is better than a Republican, it seems kind of futile. A lot of the Democrats listed are the only kind of Democrats likely to be elected in their districts. Nick Lampson represents TX-22, which was Tom DeLay's seat. Does anyone really think such a conservative district is going to be represented by a moderate to progressive Democrat any time soon? Not going to happen.

I certainly think these Dems should be challenged on issues like ending the Iraq war and some of their positions on social issues like abortion (they tend to be economically populist, however) but Democrats like these in those conservative districts are the best we're likely to get.

I agree with him. And many of those same Blue Dogs support John Edwards because of economic fairness. However, I do think they need to push Bush more. The angry mood over the war is getting more ugly, and it's time they started doing what the American people want and not be afraid of the Republicans or wingnut noise machines. As John Edwards said again yesterday, they can start by sending back the bill to Bush on funding the war in Iraq to include a timeline. The timeline doesn't have to be revealed to the journalists, but Bush needs to agree to have one in order to get the funding.

John Edwards in 5 Iowa Town Halls Talking About Our Veterans

John Edwards talks about supporting our troops and veterans, especially as they come back from Iraq in town halls in Iowa this weekend. "We have a sacred contract with the men and women who put on a uniform." Also mentioned that our country has responsibility towards taking care of their families, by implementing better pay, health care, or even student loan suspensions to those students who are serving directly in combat or getting combat training, better body armor, etc (the latter added by this blogger, but he probably thought it). Edwards says one in three coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from serious stress disorders and head injuries.

I got my t-shirt today that reads, Support the Troops (on the front), End the War (on the back).

Update: Edwards campaign staff pack several care packages to send to the troops. Here's the clip.



I like the way it ends. Support the troops, honor the fallen.

Taylor Marsh has Fire in the Belly like John Edwards

Today, Taylor Marsh had some fire about what progressives elected to Congress aren't doin' and she's right. But I like this sports analogy she posted.

Her show was great too. I listened and finished a few minutes ago.

And let's look at John Edwards, in response to some balderdash thrown at him by Rudy, Mittens, and the Divider in Chief:

“George Bush has made America less safe and less respected in the world. The Republican candidates are now trying to double down on his failed foreign policy.

They just don't get it. George Bush's strategy is a failure - the threat of terrorism has increased. We don't need more political huffing and puffing, we need a smart strategy that uses American power to stop terrorists from hurting us and to stop people from becoming terrorists in the first place.

That's why I laid out a comprehensive plan to build a strong military focused on protecting Americans and to use all the tools available to us to defeat terror groups and restore our moral leadership.”

Edwards gets it. So does Taylor Marsh.

JRE Buzz: Friday Morning Edition

Good morning BW readers! I haven't typed a buzz column in awhile, so I thought I would do one today. Guest anchoring for the Edwards Evening News at the Daily Kos inspired me to do this one and I will cross post some of what I wrote there.

(photo courtesy of Sirus)

This morning's buzz begins with the latest about Wolfie's Resignation from the World Bank and Edwards' response:

"It's about time. I called for Paul Wolfowitz's resignation a month ago when it became clear that his leadership was undermining America's ability to lead the fight against global poverty. Wolfowitz's tenure at the World Bank was marked by serious questions of financial integrity that alarmed our allies.

"Now, President Bush must choose a successor who will help restore America's credibility and moral leadership in the world. We need a leader who can convincingly make the case for global anti-poverty investments that can lift up billions of lives and make the world safer and more secure."

Edwards was the first to speak out about Wolfowitz. Not surprised that Edwards saw the problems of ethics and moral responsibility immediately, as Edwards traveled the globe for two years and heard stories about the US being ignored as a moral authority.

Raising Money for Southern Candidates, or the 50-State Strategy

Here's what Channel 11 in Atlanta reported:

The former North Carolina Senator and Vice-Presidential candidate was ushered into the event with the help of the Washington High School marching band, which electrified the crowd with their musical athleticism.

Former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes introduced Edwards to the cheering crowd as “the next President of the United States, John Edwards!"

Still raising money for other candidates, just as he did in 2006. It was estimated he raised $600K at the dinner yesterday for the party. What Attorney General Mark Taylor said is so true:

"It is a long, long, long campaign,” said former Lt. Governor Mark Taylor. “And again, it is going to be a campaign for the experienced campaigner, with the strongest organization and that's the strength Senator Edwards brings from ‘04."

Support the Troops, End the War on Radio

Edwards was a guest on Ed Schultz's show again. Here's the audio clip in case you missed it.

Edwards still pushed out his message "that we need to end this war". Notice though how Schultz saw the folly of Mike Huckabee's hit on JRE on the Debate two nights ago:

"..he's saying you are dam*ed good lookin' man.

JRE had to laugh at that one. Then they discussed how none of the Republican candidates and how that comment had to do with getting out of Iraq or what to do about health care."

Also, some good discussion about the escalation too, and how it's not working. Give it a listen.

Speaking of Supporting the Troops and Ending the War, did everyone get an e-mail from David Bonior today, in which the campaign received some personal responses about the patriotism we wish to show on Memorial Day? Tracy posted this on JRE's blog this evening:

In Raeford, North Carolina a woman whose husband is serving in Iraq is hosting a prayer vigil. She writes:

My husband is in Iraq, and I pray each and every day for the Troops and that maybe someday soon there will be an end to this war. Please join me in praying for my husband and all the troops that are deployed throughout the world.

In Milton, West Virginia, the mother of an Iraq War veteran is organizing a letter writing drive to Congress and the President.

And from Fort Riley, Kansas, a soldier writes simply:

As I get ready for my third tour into Iraq, I just want to say "BRING US HOME!"

You don't have to be a military family or a veteran to speak out now. You just have to be one of the millions of Americans who are done letting George Bush abuse the rhetoric of patriotism to defend policies that hurt our country and misuse our troops.

Real patriotism is about standing up to do what's right for our nation and the men and women who defend us. This Memorial Day weekend and beyond, let's wear our patriotism on our sleeve--and put it on our bumper--for all the world to see. Support the troops. End the war.

And remember--on Memorial Day itself (Monday the 28th)--let's all take time to solemnly honor all of those who have served in our armed forces and given their lives for our freedom.

http://ww.johnedwards.com/supportthetroopsendthewar

Edwards on Congress Not Standing Strong for our Citizens

Edwards had a few other things to say at the J-J Dinner last night too. Here are some snips from the Albany Herald:

Congressional Democrats aren’t using their newly-won power to stand up to President Bush and minority Republicans, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards said Thursday.

The 2004 candidate for vice president and former U.S. senator from North Carolina criticized his ex-colleagues in Congress for giving in too much to Republicans on both immigration reform and the war in Iraq.

“The Democratic leadership needs to show some strength and stand their ground,” said Edwards, who served as the keynote speaker Thursday night at the Georgia Democratic Party’s annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner.

Illegal immigration was in the spotlight on Thursday, with Senate leaders announcing a bipartisan agreement with the White House on a comprehensive reform bill.

The deal would set up a way for illegal immigrants already in this country to live and work here and eventually obtain legal residency and citizenship.

But the first priority, under the proposal, would be improving border security, cracking down on employers who hire illegals and establishing a high-tech identification program to screen for undocumented workers.

Edwards said the agreement has the wrong emphasis.

“We have a responsibility to keep our borders secure,” he said.” (But) there needs to be a pathway to citizenship.”

On Ed Schultz's show, he believed that those who wish to live here need to fess up and pay a fine, plus learn English. I think that's fair.

Edwards Continues to Be a Leader in Social Networking Tools

From Freshnews.com

Eventful, Inc., the leading global events website, announced today that it is working with several presidential campaigns including John Edwards, Jim Gilmore, Barack Obama and Ron Paul, to help candidates reach potential voters across the United States. The campaigns are benefiting from Eventful Demand, a free online service that empowers supporters to lobby for political figures to come and speak in their local town. Using Eventful, the candidates are able to track where they are most in demand, schedule appearances based on this data and also communicate directly with the Demanders via email.

“Our goal is to connect with every American who shares our vision for change and get them directly involved with the campaign. Eventful.com helps us identify supporters who are looking to get engaged and make sure we reach out where it matters most,” said Ben Brandzel from the John Edwards Campaign. “Politics should be a two-way conversation, and we’re committed to making conversation a central component of our campaign.”

Eventful Demand is a viral service that has transformed the way that audiences interact with public figures and performers, empowering them to directly influence where events take place. Eventful’s viral tools make it easy for campaigns and supporters to spread the word by including links and widgets in blogs, MySpace pages, Facebook groups and other social networking sites.

I did a search for Champaign-Urbana. Sigh. No demand. Oh well, the site is new, after all.

NPR's Marketplace had a nice little story on Social Networking yesterday to a younger audience The reporter, Alana German, liked John Edwards' site the most with this comment:

John Edwards' page is my favorite. MySpace is all about being yourself. And in his pictures he's playing with his children on the beach and having lunch with volunteers during a clean-up after Hurricane Katrina.

I haven't been to MySpace in a couple of weeks. Maybe I'll check it out.

Here's a cool little tool that the Edwards campaign came up with for the Memorial Day weekend:



You can add your event if you choose.

The Tightrope

Last week, I was in Copenhagen, and I heard a speaker talk about what consumers are looking for from business libraries, but it seemed applicable to Edwards. She said that library users are wanting from libraries:

dissatisfied with the status quo
want to offer their own content
want a voice
want someone who is willing to be the change to promote change
want authenticity from librarians and leaders in general
want trust
want respect

And that in looking towards the future, each person on the tightrope takes baby steps first, looking down, but once they have the grasps down, they look ahead, and no longer look down as they reach for the future. That's Edwards. He took baby steps in the first election, but now he is confident and reaching towards the future. Not looking back, just moving forward.

I'm reminded of Elizabeth Edwards's comment in Des Moines last summer concerning healthcare for all, which was a window to the walk on the tightrope: "too many tomorrows have come and gone. We need universal health care."

She should know.

More buzz l8tr..

John Edwards to be Guest on Ed Schultz Show

Senator Edwards will be a guest on the Ed Schultz Show today at 12:20 PM CST to talk about “Support the Troops, End the War” and other Iraq issues. Tune in at 1360 AM in Chapel Hill or online at www.bigeddieradio.com.

Cowards on the Run

For those of you BW readers who appreciate cockroach cocktails, I've got one from you. I borrowed thisfrom Taylor Marsh's site, who has all of the ingredients...just pick and choose on the ones that love tax cuts, wars, and deficits from wars in which we have no reason to be involved when it comes to their civil wars. If the insurgents have problems with us being involved in their problems instead of political solutions they should try to solve, then we should leave Iraq..today.

Listen to Edwards at an Emergency Rally at Moveon.org recently in Portland.



Different from the cowards on the run. Or should I say, the "repubs on the run".

Peace.

John Edwards on Moveon.org and Iraq

Transcript of the Townhall:

And now, I’m happy to introduce the first presidential candidate of the night, Senator John Edwards.

John Edwards grew up in a small North Carolina town, where he worked with his father at the local textile mill.

The first in his family to attend college, Edwards went on to earn a law degree and become an advocacy lawyer before being elected to the Senate in 1998, where he wrote key legislation on port security and protection from biological threats. In 2004, he was the Democratic nominee for Vice President.

John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, were married in 1977, and raised their children in North Carolina. Senator Edwards is the former director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.

Welcome, Senator Edwards, and thank you for joining us. Our first question to you, which we’ll pose to every candidate, is simple and it comes from MoveOn Member Anita Todras (TA-dras), a mortgage loan officer from Coconut Creek, Florida:

(audio)Anita Todras: My name is Anita Todras, in your opinion, what is the best and fastest way to get out of Iraq?

SENATOR EDWARDS: Well, thank-you. First of all let me say for the past nine months, MoveOn members have accomplished amazing things for the progressive movement. Last year you helped elect a new congress, and thanks to your relentless grassroots pressure you helped shift the national debate about ending the war in Iraq from a question of if, to a question of how soon. Thank you. As you probably know I voted for this war. I was wrong and I take responsibility for that. Every day this war drags on is worse for Iraq, worse for our troops, worse for our country. We don’t need more debate. We don’t need symbolic resolutions, we don’t need abstract goals. What we need are binding requirements, and we can’t wait until this President takes off in 2009. Here’s what I think ought to happen. Simply put, Congress should use its funding authority to force President Bush to end the war, and start immediately bringing American troops home from Iraq. I’ve been advocating for Congress to use its funding authority since I voted against the first $87 billion supplemental back in 2003. That funding authority’s still the most powerful check we have. If congress is willing to use it. I propose we begin by capping funding levels at 100,000 troops to stop Bush’s escalation and force an immediate withdrawal of 40 to 50,000 troops which would come out of the north and the south of Iraq. During that time, we should not allow Bush to deploy any replacement troops to Iraq that do not meet real readiness standards, and that have not been properly trained and equipped. Our withdrawal will help us to directly engage the Iranians and the Syrians to help stabilize Iraq. The withdrawal of all combat troops should be completed in about a year. So, that’s the outline of my plan for what out to happen.

But we should not be talking hypothetically, because we’ve already reached a critical moment, and what we do right now will make all the difference. Thanks in part to your hard work, both Houses of Congress have passed spending bills to set a time-table for withdrawal. President Bush has promised to veto that funding, calculating that he could use the bully pulpit to intimidate Congress and get them to back down. But this is not the time for political calculation, this is the time for political courage. This is not a game of Chicken. This is not about making friends or keeping Joe Lieberman happy. This is about life and death. This is about war. We are done letting George Bush manipulate the rhetoric of patriotism, only to use our troops as political pawns. If Bush veto’s funding for the troops, he is the only one standing in the way of the resources they need. Nobody else. Congress must stand firm. They must not write George Bush another blank check without a timeline for withdrawal. Period. If Bush veto’s the funding bill, Congress should send another funding bill to him with a binding plan to bring the troops home. And if he veto’s it again, they should do it again. The American people are overwhelmingly in favor of ending this war. If our side stands firm, if we show courage now, we can finally bring our troops back home, and bring this war to an end. Thank-you.

ELI PARISER: Thank you, Senator Edwards. And now, another question from MoveOn member C. Davey Utter, a retired NBC broadcaster from Venice, California

(audio)C. Davis Utter: “What are you going to do about prosecuting war profiteering in Iraq?”

SENATOR EDWARDS: Well, let me say first, I will end war profiteering in Iraq. What the Bush administration has done is they signed no-bid contracts with Halliburton and Bechtel, and complete billions of dollars of work in Iraq. Not only does war profiteering waste taxpayer dollars, it undermines the credibility of America’s reconstruction efforts in the eye of the world. We need to do everything in our power to get rid of fraud and abuse in Iraq. We need to hold powerful corporations like Halliburton accountable for no-bid contracts they’ve secured through cronyism. None of you would be surprised to hear that I believe in using the US Judicial system to hold powerful corporations like Halliburton responsible for their wrong-doing. I’ve done it for a long time. For all new Iraq contracts, we should impose a cap on profits from Iraqi reconstruction. Contracts should be permitted only for a reasonable profit on their Iraq contracts, based on the average profits on comparable competitively bid government contracts. This is a version of the excess profits tax that was imposed during the first and second world wars. As President Franklin Roosevelt explained: In a time of war the few should not gain from the sacrifices of the many. We should also bar corporations, senior executives, lobbyists, and directors, from making donations to presidential candidates, and political parties, at least a year before or after bidding on a major government contract. Finally, we ought to break the link between government procurement and private sector contracting jobs. Private sector executives seeking government contracts would not be able to take official contracting jobs for 12 months, and similarly, those with the responsibility for contracting would not be able to go to firms seeking contracts for 12 months.

ELI PARISER: Thank you Senator Edwards. I have one final question for you: The Iraq bill recently passed by the House included a version of Rep. John Murtha's proposal forcing the President to certify that troops going to Iraq meet the Pentagon's standards for sufficient training, proper equipment, and overall readiness to fight. Do you support this approach and do you think it should be in the conference committee's final version of the Iraq bill?

SENATOR EDWARDS: Yes. Representative Murtha’s bill echoed the policy that I actually announced in February of this year. I believe in it strongly. In my policy I have prohibited funding to deploy any new troops or any replacement troops to Iraq that do not meet real readiness standards, and have not been properly trained and equipped. So that American tax dollars are used to train and equip our troops, and not used to escalate this war. Requiring this President to make sure that the troops are prepared is actually the best way to stand by our troops, and is also the best way to force this President to change his policy. The members of the conference committee have to stand strong on this requirement. They should stand up to this President’s veto threat and they ought to pass this legislation and stand behind it.

ELI PARISER: Thank you, Senator Edwards. And now, please take a minute for your closing remarks.

SENATOR EDWARDS: I spoke earlier about the need for political courage and the need for political courage to trump political calculation. We know George Bush and Karl Rove will deploy the full-fury of their PR machine to blame Democrats for Bush’s choice, Bush’s choice to veto funding for the troops. There are many people in Washington that are gonna be tempted to cry uncle, and they’ll say, they’re gonna let Bush win another round in this fight, so where will Congress find the courage to stand firm? I’ll tell you where they’ll find it: they’ll find it in your letters. They’ll find it in your calls. They will find it in your voice. Forty years ago, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a sermon speaking out against the war in Vietnam. He said, “There comes a time in all of our lives where silence is a betrayal.” That has never been more true than it is today. It’s true because in the weeks and months to come, our voice has extraordinary power to really change things. And that means we have an absolute responsibility to use that power to the absolute fullest. So, that’s what I’m committing to: using every opportunity I have in this campaign to speak out for immediate action to end this war. And it is what you’re doing through your work with MoveOn and in your communities. Together I believe we’ll succeed, and it is a great honor for me to join you in that effort. Thank you all very much.

ELI PARISER: Senator Edwards, we thank you so much for being the first candidate in our first Virtual Town Hall.

See Taylor Marsh's analysis here.

JRE to Discuss His Iraq Plan on Larry King Live Tonight

From the campaign blog (and referenced in an e-mail I got today):

Edwards believes that the only solution to the situation in Iraq is a political solution, which requires all the parties in Iraq to take responsibility for the future of their country. By leaving Iraq , the Iraqi people, regional powers, and the entire international community will be forced to engage in the search for a political solution that will end the sectarian violence and create a stable Iraq . Escalating the war sends exactly the wrong signal to the Iraqi people, regional powers and the world.

Edwards' plan for Iraq calls for Congress to:

• Cap funding for the troops in Iraq at 100,000 troops to stop the surge and implement an immediate drawdown of 40-50,000 combat troops. Any troops beyond that level should be redeployed immediately.


• Prohibit funding to deploy any new troops to Iraq that do not meet real readiness standards and that have not been properly trained and equipped, so American tax dollars are used to train and equip our troops, instead of escalating the war.


• Make it clear that President Bush is conducting this war without authorization. The 2002 authorization did not give President Bush the power to use U.S. troops to police a civil war. President Bush exceeded his authority long ago, and now needs to end the war and ask Congress for new authority to manage the withdrawal of the U.S. military presence and to help Iraq achieve stability.


• Require a complete withdrawal of combat troops in Iraq in the next 12-18 months without leaving behind any permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.

After withdrawal, Edwards believes that sufficient forces should remain in the region to contain the conflict and ensure that instability in Iraq does not spillover and create a regional war, a terrorist haven, or spark a genocide. In addition, Edwards believes the U.S. should step up our diplomatic efforts by engaging in direct talks with all the nations in the region, including Iran and Syria and work to bring about a political solution to the sectarian violence inside Iraq, including through a peace conference. He also believes the U.S. must intensify its efforts to train the Iraqi security forces.

Folks, this is a good start to act now, not wait until 2009 to be President and fix the mess.

I also hope he will talk about engaging Iran and Syria as countries who have significant interests in not seeing Iraq's political will failing. We need peace as soon as possible.

Larry King Live tonight, at 8CT and for my California readers, 6PT. Not surprising as JRE is going to private events today in LA and SF tomorrow.

American Made: Central Illinois Welcomes John Edwards

See that man on the left? That is John Edwards, and he was in Central Illinois this evening. Two old friends threw a reception for him, and what you see is Presidental candidate Edwards, talking to one of the attendees' relatives at the gig.

This was my first look at John Edwards in a more intimate setting: some one's private home. The Edwards I saw tonight was the politican I saw on TV when he voted against that awful Medicare part D bill, but geniune, warm, and if he had any troubles on his mind, he never showed them. Instead, he graciously talked to all in the room, and anyone who wanted to have a photo made, got one.

Yours truly included. At the time the photographer shot the pic, I asked JRE how the roll out of the health care plan went as I didn't see him today went. He said great. Other than saying hello to him, that was conversation in total with him, other than he recognized me from the Iowa gig on Deember 28th. I didn't mind at all.

I learned a couple of things about Edwards that I didn't know tonight. One is that he only rides in American made cars. And tonight, he was driven to the reception in a red Pontiac Grand Am, and not a brand new one either. I thought that was so cool that his principle to stand tall with the unions transcended into the campaign through and through.

The second, which didn't surprise me, but such a nice touch, was that he said hello to all of the catering people and thanked them for their service. Wow. I wonder how many Presidential candidates do that?

My button that NCDem Amy gave me was a conversation getter. I had forgotten that I was wearing a pin no one else had. And they (hosts and some others) wanted one that said, "One America." Something for the campaign to think about.

Related, his hosts were just as warm and caring as Edwards. Dave, as he is known to his friends, showed me a sign that was from the 2004 DNC in Boston. JRE's signature, along with Senator Dick Durbin's, was on it. Dave was proud and humble at the same time when he introduced JRE (after shaking hands with many) as the man who was the same off the camera as he is when the camera lights were on him. I shared with Dave that I had to give Bush only a tiny bit of credit: I never knew how much I loved my country until Bush got us into so many messes and that only JRE was my trusted choice to give us back our country and fix the problems.

Intrigued by my button, another couple was nice to approach me and start a conversation. They were from a longer distance away. They told me how their son, who is now in law school in Ann Arbor, was an undergrad in the northeast when JRE was first running in 2003. He was interested in Edwards as a candidate after he announced on the Daily Show, and was accepted as an intern until March 2nd, 2004 (and yes, we all still remember that don't we, but I'm not even gonna link there). But between the time he became an intern and the end of the internship, there was a tragic accident that happened at the young man's school. Elizabeth personally e-mailed the young man to give him web sites and other suggestions to pass on to grieving parents. I told them that while this was not in Elizabeth's book, I was not surprised to hear it either. It was really nice to hear their personal stories and why they supported Edwards.

I talked with some Dems from my county. They weren't still completely certain if they would support him or our junior senator. But I reminded them that Senator Obama had a cake walk in the last election, and he would be hit hard this time around. JRE had the experience from the last time, and learned from it.

JRE gave a great speech tonight. It's similar to the ones I've heard before, but he spoke very passionately in stopping the escalation in Iraq. His expressions were so authentic, and from the heart, while giving the best reasons why we needed to get out.

Someone asked him about his interview with Ezra Klein that his father in law, who worked for a prominent MSM, asked him to ask JRE about. JRE replied that he was way ahead of most people in the room, and asked how many people saw that blog (I was one of two who raised my hand). He was quick to say, "this is about Iran", then he said he felt strongly about engagement first and it was "stone stupid" to have a pre-emptive action. He also mentioned that Bush was going to engage everyone else in the Middle East but Syria and Iran, which he believed to be unwise, considering the Sunnis dominate the Muslim world, and the Shias, which are 10% are from Syria and Iran, yet Iraq's government was more Shia. Edwards added that with cooperation with the Europeans, we could offer the Iranians an attractive economic package and work with them on nuclear enrichmnent for civilian purposes.

Some one else asked him about why the folks in the room should support him. More or less, he said that while there were similarities in some political issues, one had to decide if voting for a President included personal character. Do you vote for someone who is strictly careful? For personal or political ambition? Or someone who is working for the country beyond just personal interest?

A short time. He was there only a hour and 15 minutes. But he had to move on.

I want to say something about his advance women tonight. They worked their phones and themselves very hard. I met Nicole, who had worked for JRE before. I met her at the airport and we waited for JRE to greet him. Her phone rang many times. I was amused at keeping a battery charger with her at all times, and her phone was plugged. Nicole ensured that my "Home" books were signed. She was fascinated by my story about chatting with Elizabeth and how she mentioned me at the PDF. I found out that Nicole was originally from Austin, and her mom lived in the town where I used to live: College Station, TX.

Lauren was a kick. She made things happen, including that I got a name tag at the event.

I might add I was the only blogger there. It was so interesting to talk with a crowd in which most still got their news from the TV or newspapers, although some reading a little on the Internet. I was asked what it was like to be a blogger, and it took quick thinking on my part how to answer that since I've been doing this for only 3 years. Scouting and seeing what's being said about the Senator. Reading all kinds of issues, keeping up with the top blogs.

And the only person I sort of knew before the event was JRE. Now I know a few more.

American made, the entire gig. Matches John Edwards, also American made, the guy who remembers where he came from, and very at home with everyone he met.

PS. I'm not certain why my teeth look worse than they are when one clicks on the pic of him and me. I have no cavities, and I brushed well before I saw JRE, other than I had two diet cokes before he got to Central Illinois. One of my teeth looks like if as though I had popcorn put on it, LOL. Oh well. Life in the blogger lane.

We Shall Overcome

Awesome video of using excerpts of JRE's speech that fit the closing song of the MLK Celebration at Riverside Church the other day: We Shall Overcome.



John Edwards said these words on Sunday in remembrance of MLK and his call against the war in Vietnam.

It is a betrayal..

To stand silent and watch 37 million of our own brothers and sisters who literally live worrying survioring every single day..

I also believe it is a betrayal...

Not to speak out against an escalation of the war in Iraq.


We shall overcome, we shall overcome,
We shall overcome some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day

We shall all be free, we shall all be free,
We shall all be free some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day

We shall live in peace, we shall live in peace,
We shall live in peace some day
Oh, deep in my heart, I do believe we shall overcome some day


"The World needs to see our better angels."

It is the first time I've ever seen John Edwards really sing. And it's first time in a long time since January 1993 I've seen such a beautiful celebration for MLK and his work for justice.

You can support the peace movement by chipping in to put a full page ad in Roll Call, a publication read by nearly every pol in Congress or political operative this week. Yes, JRE is leading the initiative to do this and trying to convince many that the McCain Doctrine is wrong and not to fund the surge. This is what he means by taking action now.

Tomorrow Begins Today. Shalom.

Edwards Impresses Audience at MLK Remembrance in NYC

From the LA Times (via AP):

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.

More buzz l8tr...