Window from NOLA

Seems like all of us.

Levees Not War's Endorsement: John Edwards Will 'Kick Republicans In The Balls'

Source: Huffington Post

(pic: JRE when he announced his 2008 bid in NOLA)










By Karen Dalton-Beninato

Gulf Coast voters have an Edwards endorsement today from Levees Not War with the unambiguous headline, "Democrats need a tough candidate who won't hesitate to kick the Republicans in the balls." They say:

"It is not often we wish we lived in New Hampshire (nice place to visit), but we sorely wish we could be there on Tuesday to 'vote early and often' for John Edwards . . . It is not only that John Edwards had the good sense and correct priorities to launch his campaign for the presidency from New Orleans (take note, presidential debate site committee). And it's not just Edwards' plan to remove all U.S. troops from Iraq within 10 months--something his competitors haven't offered. We don't favor Edwards only because he alone has spoken consistently as a populist public defender against the 'iron grip' of corporate special interests on Washington. Nor is he our favorite merely because he has the best health care plan (Paul Krugman's praise sounds right to us).


We vote for John Edwards for all of these reasons, but especially because Democrats need a tough, combative lead candidate to whip the Republicans, who are vicious fighters in a presidential campaign--especially when they're desperate. Barack Obama is marvelous and would also be a good president, but we worry he doesn't have the aggressiveness to kick the Republican operatives in the balls, the way they always do to Democrats. In Nov. 2004 it was Edwards the courtroom attorney who wanted to challenge the Ohio vote counts before conceding, but John Kerry decided otherwise.

John Edwards has the optimism, the intelligence, and the gut-fire and bulldog tenacity to get the job done . . . He's also a realist. He knows the status quo won't give an inch without a struggle. About dealing with corporate interests such as the drug and oil and insurance companies, he says, "Some people argue that we're going to sit at a table with these people and they're going to voluntarily give their power away. I think it is a complete fantasy; it will never happen." We often say 'We Want Roosevelt Again.' We know we're not going to get Franklin Delano, but in John Edwards we see just about the closest thing to FDR we've seen in many years."

Read more here.

FYI: Levees Not War is a New Orleans based organization that focuses on the environment.

In Memory of Katrina

And NOLA, and the Gulf Coast.

My favorite line by our noble President, who flew around for days and didn't sit foot for a long time:

Heck of a job, Brownie.

Glad Edwards is considering more means for better leadership and managers from this press release:

Former Sen. John Edwards earlier outlined a six-point plan to spur the recovery of New Orleans.

A crowd of about 200 people cheered the former North Carolina senator's most provocative proposal, a "Brownie's Law" that would ensure that federal political appointees are qualified for their jobs.

The reference is to former FEMA Director Michael Brown, who resigned amid outcry toward his agency's response to the disaster. President Bush publicly told the director "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" even as evacuees remained trapped in the Louisiana Superdome and bodies bloated in the streets.

"It was a tragedy to have people that are essentially political hacks" occupying critical governmental positions, Edwards said.

Edwards' plan also calls for federal funding for 500 new police officers, full scholarships for nurses who commit to working in New Orleans and increased funding to the state's stalled Road Home housing program. He said he will also appoint a chief recovery officer to fast-track rebuilding as well as a special Gulf Coast inspector general to ensure funds are spent properly.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/bw-elect/2007/aug/28/082800282.html

John Edwards: Simply the Best

I love this new vlog by Refinish69, in which the song inspiration is Tina Turner's "The Best".

My favorite shot is after the music bridge, and it shows JRE in NH, smiling, upon his announcement to run, to the press.



Saw some new pics from NOLA today...



Wow...

Summer of Love, John Edwards Edition 2007

Excellent video by Refinish69. Shows videos from working in NOLA, helping a family winterize their home, meeting with the hotel workers in LA and standing with the SEIU in Miami.

This is a "summer of love" redo video as we approach the 40th anniversary of the celebration and the release of Sargent Pepper by the Beatles. Geez, I was 8 years old.

Walkin' to N'Orleans

See the CJ version of JRE working it in NOLA.


Thanks to NCDem and Chuckles.

Jeff Pulver says this: John Edwards Announces his Candidacy on YT. http://pulverblog.pulver.com/archives/006159.html

JRE did, but more later about that.

JRE Buzz (36): Edwards Workin' It in NOLA

This is a picture of John Edwards, in coordination with the NAACP who asked 30 middle school kids to help dig out a house owned by Oreila Tyler in the Ninth Ward, that was posted by NCDem a few minutes ago on the One America Committee site.

If you wish to join the conversation, click here.

NCDem and Chuckles, who another CJ with her, report that JRE will be returning to the Ninth Ward tomorrow, but he didn't say what he would be doing then.

Philgoblue has posted an excellent diary at OAC and at the Daily Kos about the Edwards' Announcement tour. It lists the things and events JRE has been involved in since 2004.

Robert Scoble has a great post about "you" politics and John Edwards here. He claims he'll be down there in the 24 hours. We'll see.

Update: Pics by Charles Dharapak from the AP.

Stay tuned....