Welcome to another edition of the Edwards Evening News. The theme for tonight is about economics and jobs and what a choice for John Edwards means. Hope you enjoy it - here's tonight's topics.
1. Edwards economics - on 21st century jobs, trade, and outsourcing.
2. Edwards - first up on the air in South Carolina
3. Edwards takes the "Why Tuesday?" candidate challenge.
4. Poll Buzz from Iowa to Ohio to ... Gore?
5. JRE Action - online action for John Edwards
1. Edwards economics - on 21st century jobs, trade, and outsourcing.
Quite a bit on economics today so we'll take it step by step while keeping in mind how for Edwards all of these things are connected - just as they should be. Every one of his plans shows tha. First of all see Edwards comprehesive plan on how to Rebuild The Middle Class Through 21st Century Manufacturing, which he introduced today at a UAW Candidate Forum in Iowa. The down and dirty:
As part of "Promise of a Better America Week," Edwards calls for smart trade and training policies, new manufacturing opportunities, cutting energy and health care costs, eliminating tax breaks for offshoring and other policies to rebuild American manufacturing
Edwards often talks about poverty in America and abroad, but he also often talks about the middle class as well, where people are often a job loss or a health care emergency away from moving into poverty. Part of preventing poverty is strengthening the middle class though the creation and retention of manufacturing jobs:
"I grew up in Carolina mill towns and I've seen firsthand how people's lives are devastated when factories close down and these manufacturing jobs are lost," said Edwards. "Manufacturing has suffered more than any other sector of our economy because of currency manipulation, illegal foreign subsidies, bad trade deals and rising energy and health care costs. But instead of taking steps to reverse this unprecedented loss of manufacturing jobs, the politicians in Washington have favored profits on Wall Street over the people on Main Street.
"Our economy depends on a successful middle class, but our middle class depends on manufacturing. I am running for president on behalf of the men and women who worked in the mill with my father and lost their jobs when that mill closed. They need a president who will stand up for them, not big corporate interests. As president, I will take action to strengthen and grow our middle class by rebuilding American manufacturing for the 21st century."
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The plan is divided into 8 parts, some of which may be familiar to many, some won't, so check it out. And notice how he sees universal healthcare and a restructuring our energy system as integral to the process. Its all connected and Edwards knows this. Lawyers become great jurists by understanding and articulating connections, and by all accounts Edwards is a pretty damn good one.
Don't take my word - take it from someone who knows, this was just too powerful a testament not to post:
I recruited lawyers for top-tier law firms, and major corporations.
I followed John Edwards career as an attorney for a long time. What he describes in that video is exactly how we perceived him. He was never, ever cowed by big-time corporate attorneys - and some of those folks were my clients.
John Edwards is a tough son-of-a-bitch. He is up to dealing effectively once again with the healthcare industry. He prepared himself to win this case for healthcare reform for the last 20 years.
The industry knows it, they collectively, will support Sen. Clinton as the lesser of two evils, and do every thing in their power to make sure she is the Democratic Candidate.
I hope with every fiber of my being that my neighbors in Iowa go into those caucuses and deliver that message. John is prepared to get the job of healthcare reform done.
Do yourself a favor and play that video one more time.
And here's that video:
More on outsourcing and trade
In related news, Edwards also noted a new study released recnetly, showing an estimated 25 to 30 million more jobs at risk due to outsourcing.
"Today, the Economic Policy Institute issued a report that should come as a clarion call to everyone concerned about the impact of unfair trade agreements and practices on America's working families. In their report, the EPI concludes that between 25 to 30 million American jobs -- about one in five American jobs -- in states all across the nation, are at risk for being offshored over the next decade. And it's not just manufacturing jobs – the report shows those jobs that require at least a four-year college degree are actually the most at risk.
"This report makes clear what the labor community has known for far too long: bad trade deals, cheap foreign labor, illegal foreign subsidies and foreign currency manipulation are having a devastating effect on American workers. These practices are stealing the American Dream from the middle class and the broken system in Washington is allowing it to happen. Given this reality, I find it alarming that Senator Clinton and Senator Obama have chosen to support a flawed Peru Trade deal that will only further expand the NAFTA-model that has already cost us well over a million jobs.
"As Democrats, we can and must do better.
We really can do better. And Edwards seems to be the only willing to really come out and say it and offer an alternative to business as usual.
Here's a bit more from Edwards on these issues from the AP: Edwards Vows to Reverse Trade Policies:
"Does anybody really believe that anything will change if we trade a crowd of corporate Republicans for a crowd of corporate Democrats," said Edwards. "It will not happen. It is a lie."
For more on trade and outsourcing issues, check out TomP's Edwards: Don't Offshore Our Jobs; Rebuild the Middle Class and RDemocrat's John Edwards: Rebuild the Middle-Class Through 21st Century Manufacturing
2. Edwards - first up on the air in South Carolina
It was in yesterday's EENR as well, but if you haven't seen Edwards new ad - the first in run in South Carolina by a Democrat - check it out:
CNN has a pretty perceptive take on the ad - Edwards campaign: New TV ad transcends black and white:
"The loss of jobs affects everybody," Moylan said. "We think the loss of jobs affects all communities."
State Rep. Leon Howard, an Edwards adviser who is African-American, said the TV ad will be able reach rural communities where radio ads might not.
Edwards' deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince said Edwards has the best message for working Americans, regardless of their color.
"Part of what this ad does is tell every person in South Carolina, whatever their background, that John Edwards understands what you're going through," Prince said, saying that Edwards was born in South Carolina and knows the men and women in working class cities and towns.
"No one understands what is going on in South Carolina better than John Edwards in this race."
3. Edwards takes the "Why Tuesday?" candidate challenge.
A quickie that speaks for itself, Edwards’ video response to the Why Tuesday? Candidate Challenge:
4. Poll Buzz from Iowa to Ohio to... Gore?
Good news in Iowa- Most have probably already seen the new CBS poll showing Edwards in the thick of it in Iowa, 2 points behind Clinton, and apparently rising. So much for the whole "Edwards is fading" meme.
Some of the internals are also rather interesting. Did you know that Edwards leads among people that have actually seen and listened to the candidates? And right now this is 63% of Democratic caucus-goers - and that will grow.
UPDATE: Check out DaveSaber's Edwards momentum in Iowa?. In a nutshell:
If the result is adjusted -- using only data provided in the poll, with no added what-if assumptions -- to reflect
"definite" caucus-goers (as self-defined during the survey) and
the "2nd choice effect"
The result becomes
Edwards 33%
Obama 29%
Clinton 29%
And this is a pretty good Iowa poll too.
Good news in Ohio
Edwards is the only one leading beyond the margin of error vs. Giuliani in today's Quinnipac Ohio general election poll. And while they didn't poll Obama and Edwards vs. the other candidates, its pretty baffling to me how Clinton can be losing to McCain there.
And Gore?
Not even going to speculate on an endorsement, but Gore supporters seem to be doing a good job endorsing for him. Check out buhdydharma's Sniff, Sob...Where To Now, Gore Folks?...W/Poll for the results: 49% for Edwards..
Along those lines, check out Jamess' diary on an issue that Gore has been very outspoken about: John, Barack, Hillary, and Al on Nuclear Power ... Yeah or Nay?
5. JRE Action - online action for John Edwards
Daily Kos has a number of great action related groups to help get ideas out and some members of the EENR team have created one to help support John Edwards online - JRE Action. Here's the basic description of the group:
A volunteer group dedicated to electing John Edwards as our next president by increasing awareness of where he stands on issues, promoting and posting positve information on his candidacy, and rapidly responding to misleading or incorrect information.
If you are an Edwards supporter and looking for a way to do a little extra to get his message out - and don't mind a few emails for the cause - feel free to to sign up. Iowa is less than sixty days away so its time to hit the cyber streets!
And so there's no confusion, this has absolutely no connection with the campaign whatsoever - just everyday folks who think John Edwards is the best choice to be president in 2008.
And thats the news, hope you enjoyed it!