An Affair to Dismember: Why John Edwards Deserves to be Throttled

Having been a supporter of John Edwards, I do not take great pleasure to hear about his affair with a former staff videographer. Yes, he is a hypocrite. He eagerly joined in the bashing of Bill Clinton for his affair with Monica Lewinsky. At that time Edwards said, "I think this President [Clinton]has shown a remarkable disrespect for his office, for the moral dimensions of leadership, for his friends, for his wife, for his precious daughter. It is breathtaking to me the level to which that disrespect has risen.” -- Feb. 12, 1999.

Well, right back at you, JRE, but add a son to your list of people you've disrespected. Is it any wonder that the public is seeking better leaders?

This is proof of what I have said to my wife upon meeting Elizabeth Edwards at a book reading; the best part of John Edwards is Elizabeth. For both their sakes, I hope that his contrition is not based on political expediency.

For all intents and purposes, his political career is dead in the water and the saddest part of all is that the ideas he championed, such as the need to re-enter the war on poverty, are poisoned by association.

Finally--Here's Johnny--Edward's Endorses Obama

John Edwards waited until now to endorse Barack Obama. Coincidence? I think not. The thumping that Obama took in West Virginia among white, blue-collar voters--who, not so incidentally, loved John Edward's populist message--led to Edward's laying his cards on the table in support of Obama, who truly needs his support and thus makes Edwards what he wanted to be all along, relevant.

Will this Johnny-come-lately help Obama tighten up Democratic and M.o.R support? Tune in and watch.

John Edwards Still Holding Out on Clinton and Obama

Hillary Clinton said Friday she has had more conversations with John Edwards since their first post-race meeting two weeks ago, a sign the New York senator continues to heavily court the backing of her former rival.

Pressed if she had spoken with Edwards since meeting with him in person earlier this month, Clinton indicated she had, on more than one occasion. "We have had conversations, yes," she said.

Edwards has yet to back a candidate. Barack Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe has also made recent trips to North Carolina, and met with Edwards backers there.

Courting John Edwards

The press has widely covered the meeting between Hillary Clinton and John Edwards and the meeting that failed to gel with Barack Obama and Edwards. I think John Nichols at the Nation does a good job of talking about why John Edwards still matters to both Clinton and Obama.

In a nutshell Nichols says Clinton wants Edwards not to give an endorsement and Obama wants Edwards to endorse him. It is an interesting read, even if it is probably idle speculation.

Johnny Goes Marching Home

John Edwards departure from the race was not altogether unexpected, but his timing was. With continued fundraising efforts that were higher than the previous month, it was hoped he would be in it through at least next Tuesday. However, as Kenny Rogers once said, "You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em." Apparently today was a good day for John Edwards to call it quits.

If anyone immediately benefits from Edwards leaving the race, it is probably Barack Obama, who has been trending up nationally. With the Kennedy family endorsement and Edwards a non-factor in Tsunami Tuesday primaries and caucuses, if Obama wins the majority of Tuesday's primaries, he is likely to be jet-propelled toward the nomination.

Whether Obama or Clinton will pick up the mantle of the supreme fighter for the middle class and conscience for the forgotten poor is suspect--if John Edwards couldn't make hay with Two Americas as a centerpiece issue, it is unlikely that either Clinton or Obama will want to touch it, except as a tip of the hat to Edwards. This is unfortunate. Just as Dennis Kucinich's run in 2004 raised the cornerstone issues for this campaign, it is very likely John Edwards will be the canary in the coal mine for the next one.

Johnny Reid Edwards fought the good fight, but he couldn't fight it to the finish line.

John Edwards Dropping Out of Race

Despite rumors that he would stay in the race at least through February 5th, John Edwards is expected to make an announcement in New Orleans today that he is giving up his bid for the White House.

His statement from New Orleans. Here's the video.

Statements from Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

Rumor Mill Rolling: Edwards Obama's AG?

Robert Novak on Rasmussen Reports

Illinois Democrats close to Sen. Barack Obama are quietly passing the word that John Edwards will be named attorney general in an Obama administration.

Installation at the Justice Department of multimillionaire trial lawyer Edwards would please not only the union leaders supporting him for president but organized labor in general. The unions relish the prospect of an unequivocal labor partisan as the nation's top legal officer.

In public debates, Obama and Edwards often seem to bond together in alliance against front-running Sen. Hillary Clinton. While running a poor third, Edwards could collect a substantial bag of delegates under the Democratic Party's proportional representation. Edwards then could try to turn his delegates over to Obama in the still unlikely event of a deadlocked Democratic National Convention

Obama's Hope Wins Big in SC

With 99% of the counties reporting, Barack Obama scored a decisive win in South Carolina by garnering 55% of the popular vote while Hillary Clinton got 27% and John Edwards won 18%.

The big story within the story may be the impressive turnout, which was almost double the turnout from the 2004 primary. Amo0ng the press, the story centers around race.

Going into the first Super Tuesday, the question will be, is this win due to the large turn out of African Americans in South Carolina (who make up 55% of the Democratic electorate in the state), of which Obama registered 78% of the vote or a combination of factors including young, affluent white voters voting solidly for him? The leader of the pack "O"-mentum has now swung in his direction.

For the Clinton camp, there is little good that came from finishing a distant second in the state, and for Edwards, the take away for him is that he did particularly well among white males and white voters who made up their minds within three days of the primary according to the Washington Post.

One clear message from last night's primary is that Obama can win in the south and this may carry him further in the minds of unconvinced Democrats than any other fact.

There is no ignoring that the Democrats are running against history and it is becoming clearer that the kind of change Democratic primary voters want looks less like John Edwards and more like Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The larger looming question is that the change that the majority of voters in the November election are also ready for?

Edwards Continues Climb in Carolina

From TPM

The new Zogby poll in South Carolina shows Barack Obama continuing to hold a healthy lead over the rest of the field — and that John Edwards just might be sneaking up on Hillary Clinton for second place. Barack Obama leads with 38% support, followed by Clinton at 25%, and Edwards with 21%.

Some commentary from John Zogby: "The real movement here is by John Edwards, who is the only one who continues to gain ground in our three-day tracking poll ... Can he catch Clinton by Saturday’s vote, perhaps bumping her from a second-place finish? Perhaps that is why she has returned to the state to campaign."

Edwards Rails Against FISA Bush Pushes Expanded Measures

According to the Hill

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) is laying the groundwork to attack Democratic presidential front-runners Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.) on some of the key issues that they will be forced to vote on during the primary season.

Edwards on Thursday said it is “time for Senate Democrats to show a little backbone and stand up to George W. Bush and the corporate lobbyists” on a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) measure that would give retroactive immunity to telecommunications corporations.

The Senate is currently debating an extension of FISA legislation enacted last year that is set to expire on Feb. 1.

By criticizing the bill now, Edwards puts himself in a position to criticize Clinton and Obama for not doing enough to fight against corporate interests if the legislation passes. However, Clinton and Obama do not support giving immunity to the telecommunications companies.

The former senator also criticized a tentative deal reached Thursday between Democrats and Republicans on a stimulus package aimed to boost the ailing economy.

The Hill also reports:

President Bush on Thursday pressured Congress to pass quickly legislation to overhaul the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which the Senate is debating.

“If Congress does not act quickly, our national security professionals will not be able to count on critical tools they need to protect our nation, and our ability to respond quickly to new threats and circumstances will be weakened,” Bush said in a statement.

Congress passed last August a GOP-written interim FISA bill, set to expire Feb. 1, that greatly expanded the government’s powers to conduct warrantless surveillance on U.S. soil. It quickly drew criticism from many Democrats and civil liberties groups.

The House passed a Democratic-written bill last fall, while the bill pending in the Senate passed by a bipartisan vote in the Senate Intelligence Committee. The bill would, among other things, grant retroactive immunity to the telecommunications firms that participated in the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance program after Sept. 11, 2001 – a key priority for the White House.

Many Democrats oppose that provision and will try to alter, if not strike, the immunity language through amendments.

South Carolina Democrat Polls: Obama Leading, Edwards on the Rise

From the Political Wire blog

Sen. Barack Obama's lead over Sen. Hillary Clinton in South Carolina has shrunk by four points overall and by nine points among black voters, during the last 24 hours of polling, but he retains a sizable edge, the latest Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby survey shows.

Obama in in front with 39% support from likely Democratic voters, followed by Clinton at 24% and John Edwards at 19%.

Key finding: "Obama still has a healthy lead among African American voters, but lost almost nine points since yesterday, dropping from 65% to 56% support among that group. Edwards, who registered no support from black voters the day before, picked up five points and Clinton added about two points to reach 18% of black support."

A new Rasmussen poll has Obama at 43%, Clinton at 28% and Edwards at 17%.

Edwards On Letterman: A Hair Raising Experience

Literally a hair raising experience. You've got to watch it to the end to see what I mean.

Edwards Highlights Black and White Disparity

Black and white family income disparity true according to Politifact.

During a Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Jan. 21, 2008, John Edwards elaborated on his vision of "two Americas" and showed empathy toward an important bloc of Democratic primary voters by pointing out racial disparities in household incomes.

It came during a discussion about whether subprime lenders were targeting the most economically vulnerable people. He said he didn't know their motivations, but added:

"What they have done is targeted the lowest income, most vulnerable families," Edwards said. "And anybody who's paying any attention to what's going on in America today understands, if you are African-American in this country today, you are likely to have a net worth of about 10 percent of what white families have.

"This is not an accident. I mean, we can go put our heads against the wall and pretend that the past never happened, pretend that we didn't live through decades of slavery, followed by decades of segregation, followed by decades of discrimination, which is still going on today."

It appears the former North Carolina senator was relying on figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.

In 2000, the median net worth of a household headed by a non-Hispanic white adult was $79,400. The median net worth of a household run by a black adult was $7,500. The figure for Hispanic households was $9,750. These figures are based on a 2003 report.

Net worth is measured as the total value of a household’s financial assets — such as bank accounts, property and vehicles — minus the household’s financial liabilities. Though the measurement is an oft-used indicator of financial health, it doesn't always tell the whole story because the amount of income generated by a household's assets is a key factor in maintaining a desired standard of living.

John Edwards: "I Represent the Grown-Up Wing of the Democratic Party"

From The Hill

At Monday night’s debate, Democratic front-runners Sens. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) repeatedly engaged each other in their sharpest, most contentious debate exchanges yet.

“I’m thinking, ‘I’m John Edwards, and I represent the grown-up wing of the Democratic Party,’ ” Edwards said. “At times like these we need a grown-up.”

The former senator, speaking to reporters on a conference call to announce the endorsement of the South Carolina Communications Workers of America locals, said the contention in the South Carolina debate gives him a chance to be heard, adding that there continues to be a “three-person race.”

Edwards also said he thinks his campaign is looking to expand its budget after last week having its best online fundraising period since he entered the race.

“We have plenty of money,” Edwards said. “Money is not and will not be the issue.”

Three Americas--Obama, Clinton, Edwards

In his best performance of the debate season, John Edwards scores points for this response to the Clinton/Obama fracas. from CNN

Also see Edwards' evaluation of the debate.

Truth Dig has more.

Edwards Campaign In Foreclosure?

After a less than sterling performance in the Nevada caucus last night, John Edwards' campaign team has got to be asking, "what the @#$%^& happened?" As Senator Edwards himself said, he hopes "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," admitting, "I got my butt kicked." And with South Carolina polling showing Edwards lagging far behind Clinton and Obama and even his best state supporter saying he needed to win Nevada to stay viable, it appears that Edwards could be another odd man out in what has now been clearly painted as a two person race by the press and perhaps by the voters (The campaign has not released the results of whether a $7 million dollar goal for web fund-raiser that was held on Friday for public election matching funds).

However the official word from the campaign about the future primaries is: we're in them to win them (delegates, that is)--or words to that effect.

"John Edwards is the underdog in this campaign, facing two $100 million candidates. But that is nothing compared to the real underdogs in our country – working men and women, middle class families, and all those who have no voice in Washington.

The race to the nomination is a marathon and not a sprint, and we're committed to making sure the voices of all the voters in the remaining 47 states are heard. The nomination won't be decided by win-loss records, but by delegates, and we're ready to fight for every delegate. Saving the middle class is going to be an epic battle, and that's a fight John Edwards is ready for."

With the economy showing strong signs of more severe tanking, Edwards' message may yet be heard above the din, but it will have to drown out the sounds of a death knell by the press of his campaign. If any "kid" needs a "comeback", John Edwards is it.

Russ Feingold on the Presidential Race

Wisconsin's Senator Russ Feingold, who I respect for his progressive views has a take on the Democratic presidential candidates--remember Feingold was thinking about taking a run at it himself. He throws stones at John Edwards, but he is factually correct on Edward's voting record.

Feingold said in the Appleton Post-Crescent

I did notice that as the primaries heated up, all of a sudden, all the presidential candidates — none of whom voted with me on the timeframe to withdraw from Iraq — all voted with me when we did the Patriot Act stuff.

The one that is the most problematic is (John) Edwards, who voted for the Patriot Act, campaigns against it. Voted for No Child Left Behind, campaigns against it. Voted for the China trade deal, campaigns against it. Voted for the Iraq war … He uses my voting record exactly as his platform, even though he had the opposite voting record.

When you had the opportunity to vote a certain way in the Senate and you didn't, and obviously there are times when you make a mistake, the notion that you sort of vote one way when you're playing the game in Washington and another way when you're running for president, there's some of that going on.

On whether he'll make an endorsement in the Feb. 19 Wisconsin primary

Probably not. I'm having a hard time deciding between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, as are many people. Those are the two I take the most seriously.

I go back and forth, to be honest with you. I'm torn on this whole issue of who's more likely to be progressive and really seek change vs. who's ready to do the job today. It really is a true dilemma in my mind.

With regard to those votes, Edwards has been on record for apologizing for his vote on giving the President the authority to attack Iraq and for his vote on the original PATRIOT ACT (and his subsequent support to modify the latter to make it less onerous).

With respect to NCLB, both Edwards and Senator Clinton voted for it and both support pre-K enrichment and bettering metrics for measuring student success.

The harder point for Edwards to defense is his support of the China trade agreement. An article from MSN addresses this:

Edwards explained that his state would benefit because China would cut its tariffs on North Carolina’s poultry, pork and tobacco.

Edwards acknowledged that North Carolina’s textile and apparel workers would face increased pressure.

While the China trade legislation included an “anti-surge” proviso designed to stem a flood of imports, Edwards was quite candid in 2000 in acknowledging that “it does us no good to pretend that these remedies are perfect and that people will not be hurt.”

Asked again whether he regretted his 2000 vote, he said, “Bringing them into the world trading community, subject to rules, makes some sense. But it doesn’t make any sense if you don’t enforce their responsibilities and don’t hold them accountable for their violations of those responsibilities.”

He then proceeded to denounce the Chinese for building up their military, for their too cozy relations with Sudan and Iran, and for “devastating the environment” by building one coal-fired power plant every week.

Spot On: What About John Edwards?

Edwards to Obama:Reagan No "Example of Change"

Barack Obama was quoted as saying:

"But I think, when I think about great presidents, I think about those who transform how we think about ourselves as a country in fundamental ways...And, you know, there are circumstances in which, I would argue, Ronald Reagan was a very successful president, even though I did not agree with him on many issues, partly because at the end of his presidency, people, I think, said, “You know what? We can regain our greatness. Individual responsibility and personal responsibility are important.” And they transformed the culture and not simply promoted one or two particular issues."

John Edwards was quoted in response to the Obama statement as saying:

“I would never use Ronald Reagan as an example of change...
"He was openly -- openly -- intolerant of unions and the right to organize. He openly fought against the union and the organized labor movement in this country. He openly did extraordinary damage to the middle class and working people, created a tax structure that favored the very wealthiest Americans and caused the middle class and working people to struggle every single day. The destruction of the environment, you know, eliminating regulation of companies that were polluting and doing extraordinary damage to the environment...

"I can promise you this: This president will never use Ronald Reagan as an example for change."

John Edwards: Viva Nevada!

From CBS

John Edwards touched down in Las Vegas this afternoon for tonight's MSNBC debate and stopped by a local Egg and I restaurant to greet patrons and supporters.

Edwards was asked by reporters if it was acceptable, as the Iraqi defense minister suggested, for U.S. troops to remain inside Iraq until 2018.

"No, it's not acceptable," he said.

"We can't let the Iraqis determine what America's policy should be. I mean that's the responsibility of the President of the United States. And I've said it many times, I'll say it again: The first year that I'm president, I will get all combat troops out of Iraq, end combat missions and make certain there are no permanent military bases in Iraq."

Edwards also addressed the SEIU and Culinary Union endorsements for Obama, which was widely seen as a blow to the former North Carolina senator, who earned SEIU endorsements in several other states.

"They're both great unions," said Edwards. "I think what we know about union endorsements is they work hard for you. All of us candidates are proud to have their support. I think the union support is relatively evenly divided here in Nevada. I've got Carpenters and Steelworkers and Transit Workers. They'll work hard for me."

He also has some new commercials out for South Carolina that are on Newsweek's website.