Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards (news - web sites), D-N.C., speaks at a rally at Muscatine High School, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004, in Muscatine, Iowa. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Posted on 10/21/2004 11:11:17 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
MUSCATINE, Iowa - Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards (news - web sites) accused the Bush administration on Thursday of ignoring problems ranging from scarce flu vaccine to the war in Iraq (news - web sites) while officials campaign in battleground states and asked, "Who's minding the store?"
Edwards, speaking in a high school gymnasium during a bus tour of eastern Iowa, cited national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites), Health and Human Services (news - web sites) Secretary Tommy Thompson and Commerce Secretary Donald Evans as examples of Bush officials who are campaigning while pressing issues remain unresolved.
"There's a solution for this," Edwards said. "In America, that's called an election."
Edwards focused on pocketbook issues, particularly jobs, in hopes of energizing Democratic voters in a state where the election is far too close to call. New statistics show the state's jobless rate rose from 4.5 percent in August to 4.7 percent in September, the third straight monthly increase.
Edwards said Iowa has lost 25,900 jobs during President Bush (news - web sites)'s tenure.
"George Bush (news - web sites) is never going to make this better," Edwards said. "Again this month, unemployment went up, but they think all of this is a myth."
Treasury Secretary John Snow characterized reports of net job losses under Bush a "myth" when visiting Ohio earlier this month.
"George Bush and Dick Cheney (news - web sites) are completely out of touch with what's happening in the real world," Edwards said.
Gene Sperling, an economic adviser to Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites)'s presidential campaign, said the numbers in Iowa could have been worse had there not been 2,600 fewer people in the work force. He contended that many Iowans have given up looking for jobs.
Sperling said job creation has been at "an extremely weak and anemic level" in recent months and predicted it would take years to recover the jobs lost under Bush.
Voting is under way in Iowa, with absentee ballots in the mail and satellite voting sites set up in most of Iowa's 99 counties. Iowa went Democratic in 2000 but by barely 4,000 votes. Both parties have targeted its seven electoral votes in this election.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards (news - web sites), D-N.C., speaks at a rally at Muscatine High School, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2004, in Muscatine, Iowa. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Preacher (former Senator) John.
Hmmm.
Nothing about Kerry/Edwards' voting record in the Senate for the last 2 years???
Hey Johnnie, maybe you aren't fully aware of the fact that Air Force One is a flying version of the Oval Office.
Just something you may want to keep in mind before saying anything else as stupid.
What a prick.
Hypocrisy, as usual, from professional screw-offs. When's the last time these Democrat dipwads showed up for work?
This from a Senator who hasn't shown up for work in almost a year, and according to people in his own state, didn't work much before that.
Kerry's minions are going on the talk shows on Fox and complaining about Condi Rice using the same argument, that she needs to be doing her job. Why isn't she doing her job, he/she asks? Why in the heck hasn't Kerry been to work for a year (while taking taxpayers dollars as salary) and didn't show up at most Intelligence committee meetings for 10years! Holy Crap, do these people even listen to what is coming out of their mouths?!
"(AP) Edwards Wonders Who's Minding the Store"
It's amazing that for 20 years we've been asking that about Kerry and who is Edwards?
What once was a shoo-in for the demRats is now a state they must ramp up their vitrious rhetoric and rage against the right and the nation...
I smell a November ZOT, the likes of which would make even McGovern and Dukakis wince..
Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards ...asked, "Who's minding the store?" Hey, John(s).....who's representing your states?
He has a lot of nerve for someone who hardly ever shows up for work.
A question the voters of North Carolina have been asking for the last six years!!!!
What balls he has to say that; I'm surprised he wasn't struck dead by lightning when he said that.
*mumble mumble mumble*
The flu vaccine shortage is a byproduct of HillaryCare! GRRRRR - when will Republicans fight back and tell the truth about this? Everybody now believes that it's mean-old Bush's fault.
Why? Is he ought of hairspray?
What a dreadful picture.
Poor little flamer.
What's up with the yellow bracelets?
First things first, punk! Tell us who has been minding the store for you and Kerry for the past two years.
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