WHO IS JOHN EDWARDS?
A Disingenuous, Unaccomplished Liberal And Friend To Personal Injury Trial Lawyers
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THE FACTS ABOUT SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (D-NC)
EDWARDS IN DEPTH
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS: UNACCOMPLISHED AND INEXPERIENCED
Kerry And Family Question Edwards’ Experience
Kerry Attacked Edwards’ Maturity And Experience; ‘When I Came Back From Vietnam…I Don’t Know If John Edwards Was Out Of Diapers Then.’ “‘In the Senate four years – and that is the full extent of public life – no international experience, no military experience, you can imagine what the advertising is going to be next year,’ Mr. Kerry said. With a grin, he added: ‘When I came back from Vietnam in 1969 I don’t know if John Edwards was out of diapers then. Well, I’m sure he was out of diapers.’” (Adam Nagourney and Jim Rutenberg, “With Hopes Up And Elbows Out, Democrats Give Iowa Their All,” The New York Times, 1/19/04)
Kerry Attacked Edwards’ Experience. “‘I think the American people want an experienced hand at the helm of state,’ said Kerry, who has spent 19 years in the Senate compared with Edwards’ five. ‘This is not the time for on-the-job training in the White House on national security issues.’” (Mark Z. Barabak, “Diverse States May Reshape The Democratic Race Today,” Los Angeles Times, 2/3/04)
Kerry Blasted Edwards’ ‘Lack Of Military And Foreign Policy Experience.’ “Kerry took aim at Edwards’s lack of military and foreign policy experience while responding to Edwards’s comment that both candidates shared similar plans to rebuild Iraq. ‘Well, I think he would like it to be that way,’ said Kerry, a decorated veteran, ‘but I think I have 35 years of experience in international security, foreign policy, and military affairs, and I think that makes an enormous difference here. I think that the world is looking for leadership that is tested and sure.’” (Raja Mishra, “Edwards And Kerry Emphasize Contrasts,” The Boston Globe, 2/23/04)
Never Held Elective Office, Politics Took Backseat To Legal Career
First Term Senator, Having Held No Other Elective Office. (CBS’ “60 Minutes,” 12/21/03)
Not Active In Politics. “Neither was [Edwards] active in politics for the first 44 years of his life, except for the occasional donation to a Democratic candidate. He never ran for office or worked on a campaign. Indeed, before he burst onto the political scene in 1998, he did not even vote in several local elections, because, he says, he was too busy with his legal work.” (James C. Mckinley, Jr., “A Journey From A Mill Town Ends With A Run For President,” The New York Times, 1/12/04)
Has Never Shown Much Interest In Politics. “[Edwards] had considered being a candidate for years, but never shown much interest in politics.” (Taylor Batten, “North Carolina, Meet Your Candidates For The U.S. Senate,” The Charlotte Observer, 9/27/98)
During 1998 Race, Edwards’ Voting Record Became Issue. “[Edwards] failed to vote in half the elections he could have over the past seven years. One of seven Democrats in the May 5 primary, Edwards voted in nine of 18 elections since 1991, according to Wake County voting records.” (Taylor Batten, Carol D. Leonnig And Jim Morrill, “Edwards Gets Into This Thing Called Voting,” The Charlotte Observer, 3/22/98)
Edwards Lacks Accomplishments And
Demonstrated Leadership Needed To Be President
Since Joining U.S. Senate In 1999, Edwards Has Been Lead Sponsor On:
ü 74 bills, NONE of which has emerged from Committee for a floor vote.
ü 78 amendments, 23 of which passed the Senate.
ü 6 resolutions, 4 of which passed the Senate.
ü No legislation Edwards has been lead sponsor on has become law.
(THOMAS Website, thomas.loc.gov, Accessed 5/20/04)
In March Of 2001, [Wilmington] Morning Star Noted Edwards’ Weak Record. “Our junior senator is smart, charming, a smooth talker, nice looking, and a progressive Southern Democrat. And did we mention smart? But his only experience in politics is two years in the U.S. Senate. He’s built a solid record on TV talk shows, but not a solid record of legislative accomplishment - yet.” (Editorial, “Let Sen. Edwards Learn His Trade,” The [Wilmington] Morning Star, 3/7/01)
In Late 2002, Cox News Service Noted Lack Of Major Legislative Accomplishments During Edwards’ Four-Year Senate Tenure. “Edwards is sponsor of a Patients Bill of Rights bill in the Senate, but has no major legislative accomplishments thus far.” (Scott Shepard, “Democrats Face Major Obstacles In Trying To Regroup After 2002 Election Disaster,” Cox News Service, 11/8/02)
New To Foreign Policy & International Issues
1998: Yitzhak Who? “One evening while he was campaigning for the Senate in North Carolina, Edwards was faced with a choice of several events he might attend. An advance man suggested, ‘Maybe we ought to go to the reception for Leah Rabin’ Edwards responded, ‘Who’s she?’ ‘Yitzhak Rabin’s widow,’ replied the aide. ‘Who was he?’ asked Edwards.” (Charles Peters, “Tilting At Windmills,” Washington Monthly, 6/1/03)
Asked About Situation In Afghanistan, Edwards Said His Response Would Be To “Show Leadership.” NBC’s TIM RUSSERT: “Let me turn to Afghanistan, and put on the board again your comments in Florida that I asked Secretary Powell about: ‘The rest of the country is going right back to chaos, right back to where it was under the Taliban.’ Words are important. Do you believe Afghanistan is going back to right where it was under the Taliban?” SEN. EDWARDS: “I believe if we don’t do something about it, there’s an enormous potential for that happening, because this is what’s occurring. General Powell mentioned a national army. We’re two years from having a national army. There’s an interim government there. We’ve gone over there, we’ve fought the war, we got rid of the Taliban. And right now, we have a 4,500 international peacekeeping force, small in size, located just to the area around Kabul. And everyone knows--I mean, I sit on the Intelligence Committee, Tim. Everyone knows there are huge parts of Afghanistan that are not secure, not in control.” RUSSERT: “So what would you do, send thousands of more American troops?” EDWARDS: “No.” RUSSERT: “What would you do?” EDWARDS: “No. What I would do is show leadership. I would go to our allies and say, ‘This peacekeeping force--we fought the war. We did it. You are our allies. This peacekeeping force needs to be expanded.’ We need to go to our allies, show leadership, ask them to expand the peacekeeping force not only in size, but in scope. Because if we don’t do something about this, Tim, we’ve got warlords out there. There are also drug lords. And it’s important to remember as we fight the war on drugs--which we do every single day in this country--that Afghanistan is an enormous source for heroin for all the world, including our country are our allies.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 5/5/02)
Edwards Declines Foreign Leader Quiz. MSNBC’s CHRIS MATHEWS: “And back in the last presidential election, a Boston TV reporter, Andy Hill, asked the president -- presidential candidate George W Bush if he could name the four world leaders of four hot spots around the world. They were Chechnya, Taiwan, Pakistan, India. Do you think that was a fair set of questions to put to a guy running for president?” SEN. EDWARDS: “No.” MATTHEWS: “Do you think it would be a fair question to put to you right now?” EDWARDS: “No. Absolutely not.” MATTHEWS: “So you don’t want to go that route? That was the option you have. I have the answers here, if you wanted to try, but since you don’t want to try, we’ll move on. If you -- Are you sure? You don’t want to answer these questions? I know you know at least one of them. You know who’s head of...” EDWARDS: “Let’s don’t go there.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 10/13/03)
“Yet Edwards Also Flubbed Some Foreign Policy Questions That Had Nothing To Do With National Security. It Took Him Three Tries, For Instance, To Offer A Thoughtful Response To The Crisis In Haiti.” (Arian Campo-Flores, “Out of Steam,” Newsweek, 3/3/04)
New To Understanding Legislation & Presidential Powers
Edwards Sought “Dramatic Revision Of The PATRIOT Act,” But Cited Portions That Aren’t Part Of The Act. SEN. EDWARDS: “I support dramatic revision of the PATRIOT Act. The last thing we should be doing is turning over our privacy, our liberties, our freedom, our constitutional rights to John Ashcroft. Let me speak about this quickly. First, the very notion that this administration can arrest American citizens on American soil, label them an enemy combatant, put them in prison, keep them there indefinitely -- they never see a lawyer, never see a judge, never even get an opportunity to prove that they’re innocent and they did nothing wrong – this runs contrary to everything we believe in this country. (Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Baltimore, MD, 9/9/03)
ü A Year Earlier Edwards Praised PATRIOT And Said Broadening Surveillance Was “Correct Thing To Do.” SEN. EDWARDS: “[I] think the director of the FBI actually believes we’ve made progress in this area, partly, I might add, as a result of some of the work that Senator Hatch and others have done on the Judiciary Committee, on the Patriot Act, on the intelligence legislation which both of us were involved in which was passed earlier in the year. We broadened the extent to which this kind of surveillance could be done and gave the FBI and the CIA more authority to do it. I think that was right. It was the correct thing to do, and now we need to make sure that what’s – what can be done is, in fact, being done.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 7/14/02)
Ashcroft Corrected Edwards On “Enemy Combatant” Issue. FOX NEWS’ TONY SNOW: “I’m going to read you part of the quote. [Edwards said] ‘first, the very notion this administration can arrest American citizens on American soil, label them an enemy combatant, and put them in prison and keep them there indefinitely.’ That actually doesn’t have to do with the Patriot Act does it?” ATTY. GEN. JOHN ASHCROFT: “Absolutely nothing at all. The ability of the President of the United States to defend the country in time of war is part of his Article II presidential executive responsibility to defend the nation and that has nothing to do with the Patriot Act.” (FOX News Channel, 9/11/03)
Edwards Exaggerated Enemy Combatant Authority. SEN. EDWARDS: “Exactly. This is what they say. They can come in here and label one of us an enemy combatant.” (Sen. Edwards, Campaign Event, Mildrid, NH, 8/24/03)
Edwards’ Presidential Campaign Lacks Substance
Bill Clinton Advises Need For Big Message, The American Prospect Notes Lack Of Substance. “As Clinton said, according to a transcript on the Atlantic Web site, ‘I told him: John, you’re great on TV. You make a great talk. You can talk an owl out of a tree. But my opinion is, presidential elections are won by the strength of the candidate, and having a network of support, and then by the mega message, having the big message.’ In other words, Edwards looked and sounded good -- but there wasn’t much substance behind his words and image.” (Mary Lynn F. Jones, “Is John Kerry Peaking Too Early?” The American Prospect, 3/5/03)
Edwards Thin On Substance. “But Edwards seems quite thin on substance and will need a lot more tutoring from [Bill Clinton].” (William Greider, “Still Clinton’s Show?,” The Nation, 2/17/03)
EDWARDS’ ANTI GROWTH AGENDA
Edwards Has Lifetime Rating Of “Hostile” To Taxpayers From Citizens Against Government Waste. (Citizens Against Government Waste Website, www.cagw.org, Accessed 6/15/04)
Edwards Twice Voted Against President Bush’s Jobs And Growth Reconciliation Tax Act Of 2003, And Twice Against 2001 Bush Tax Cut. (H.R. 2, CQ Vote #179: Passed 51-49: R 48-3; D 3-45; I 0-1, 5/15/03, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 2, CQ Vote #196: Conference Report Agreed To 50-50, With Vice President Cheney Voting Yea: R 48-3; D 2-46; I 0-1, 5/23/03, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #165: Passed 62-38: R 50-0; D 12-38, 5/23/01, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #170: Adopted 58-33: R 46-2; D 12-31, 5/26/01, Edwards Voted Nay)
In 1999, Edwards Twice Voted Against Implementing $792 Billion Tax Cut. (S. 1429 CQ Vote #247: Passed 57-43: R 52-2; D 4-41; I 1-0, 7/30/99, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 2488, CQ Vote #261: Adopted 50-49: R 49-4; D 0-45; I 1-0, 8/5/99, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards Voted 12 Times Against Full Marriage Penalty Relief. (S. 1429, CQ Vote #230: Rejected 46-54: R 45-9; D 0-45; I 1-0, 7/29/99, Edwards Voted Nay; S. 1429 CQ Vote #247: Passed 57-43: R 52-2; D 4-41; I 1-0, 7/30/99, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 2488, CQ Vote #261: Adopted 50-49: R 49-4; D 0-45; I 1-0, 8/5/99, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 6, CQ Vote #82: Motion Rejected 53-45: R 53-1; D 0-44, 4/13/00, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 6, CQ Vote #83: Motion Rejected 53-45: R 53-1; D 0-44, 4/13/00, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 6, CQ Vote #87: Motion Rejected 51-44: R 51-1; D 0-43, 4/27/00, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 4810, CQ Vote #214: Adopted 54-45: R 54-0; D 0-45, 7/18/00, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 4810, CQ Vote #215: Passed 61-38: R 53-1; D 8-37, 7/18/00, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 4810, CQ Vote #226: Adopted 60-34: R 53-1; D 7-33, 7/21/00. Edwards Voted Nay; H. Con. Res. 83, CQ Vote #79: Adopted, With Vice President Cheney Casting A “Yea” Vote, 50-50: R 49-1; D 1-49, 4/5/01. Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #165: Passed 62-38: R 50-0; D 12-38, 5/23/01, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #170: Adopted 58-33: R 46-2; D 12-31, 5/26/01, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards Voted 8 Times Against Fully Repealing Death Tax. (S. 1429, CQ Vote #230: Rejected 46-54: R 45-9; D 0-45; I 1-0, 7/29/99, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 2488, CQ Vote #261: Adopted 50-49: R 49-4; D 0-45; I 1-0, 8/5/99, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 8, CQ Vote #196: Motion Agreed To 53-45: R 52-2; D 1-43, 7/14/00, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 8, CQ Vote #197: Passed 59-39: R 50-4; D 9-35, 7/14/00, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #134: Motion Rejected 30-69: R 0-49; D 30-20, 5/22/01, Edwards Voted Yea; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #158: Rejected 42-57: R 2-48; D 40-9, 5/22/01, Edwards Voted Yea; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #165: Passed 62-38: R 50-0; D 12-38, 5/23/01, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #170: Adopted 58-33: R 46-2; D 12-31, 5/26/01, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards Voted Against Child Tax Credit. (H.R. 2, CQ Vote #179: Passed 51-49: R 48-3; D 3-45; I 0-1, 5/15/03, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 2, CQ Vote #196: Conference Report Agreed To 50-50, With Vice President Cheney Voting Yea: R 48-3; D 2-46; I 0-1, 5/23/03, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #165: Passed 62-38: R 50-0; D 12-38, 5/23/01, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #170: Adopted 58-33: R 46-2; D 12-31, 5/26/01, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards Twice Voted Against Making Estate Tax Repeal Permanent. (S.1731, CQ Vote #28: Adopted 56-42: R 45-2; D 11-39; I 0-1, 2/13/02, Edwards Voted Nay; H.R. 8, CQ Vote #151: Motion Rejected 54-44: R 45-2; D 9-41; I 0-1, 6/12/02, Edwards Voted Nay)
In 2000, Edwards Voted Against Temporary Suspension Of Gasoline Tax. (S. 2285, CQ Vote #80: Motion Rejected 43-56: R 43-12; D 0-44, 4/11/00, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards Opposed And Blocked The Bipartisan Energy Bill. (Eric Slater, “Edwards Opposed And Blocked The Bipartisan Energy Bill,” Los Angeles Times, 2/25/04)
Edwards Opposed Free Trade Agreements Such As NAFTA. EDWARDS: “I myself have been against NAFTA because of the damage it’s doing to our economy, against the other trade agreements that I don’t believe incorporate fair trade elements that need to be there.” (CNN’s “Larry King Live,” 2/3/04)
EDWARDS DOESN’T SHARE THE PRIORITIES OF AMERICAN FAMILIES
Edwards’ Priorities On Medicare Prescription Drugs Benefit:
ü Edwards Voted Twice Against The 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Package. (H.R. 1, CQ Vote 459: Adopted 54-44: R 42-9; D 11-35; I 1-0, 11/25/03, Edwards Voted Nay; S. 1, CQ Vote 262: Passed 76-21: R 40-10; D 35-11; I 1-0, 6/27/03, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards’ Priorities On Malpractice Reform:
ü Edwards Led Fight Against Exempting Pro Bono Doctors From Malpractice Liability. Edwards sponsored a motion to kill a liability exemption for doctors providing pro-bono services. (S. 1052, CQ Vote #212: Motion Agreed To 52-46: R 2-45; D 49-1; I 1-0, 6/29/01, Edwards Voted Yea)
ü Edwards Voted To Kill Medical Malpractice Reform In 2002 And In 2003. (S. 812, CQ Vote #197: Motion Agreed To 57-42: R 6-42; D 50-0; I 1-0, 7/30/02, Edwards Voted Yea; S. 11, CQ Vote #264: Motion rejected 49-48: R 49-2; D 0-45; I 0-1, 7/9/03, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards’ Priorities On Education:
ü Edwards Voted For “No Child Left Behind,” But Now Attacks It. (HR 1, CQ Vote #371: Agreed To 87-10: R 44-3; D 43-6, I 0-1, 12/18/01, Edwards Voted Yea)
o But Now Edwards Attacks It, Saying President Is Leaving Kids Behind. “This ‘No Child Left Behind’? This President is leaving millions of kids behind every single day.” (Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Baltimore, MD, 9/9/03)
ü Edwards Says He Is “Opposed To Vouchers, [Has] Always Been Opposed To Vouchers.” (Sen. John Edwards, Democrat Candidates Debate, Baltimore, MD, 9/9/03)
ü Edwards Voted Against Creation Of Demonstration Public School Choice Voucher Program For Disadvantaged Children. (S. 1, CQ Vote #179: Rejected 41-58: R 38-11; D 3-46; I 0-1, 6/12/01, Edwards Voted Nay)
ü In 2000, Edwards Voted Against Creation Of Tax-Free Education Savings Accounts For Children To Be Used In Payment Of Public Or Private School Tuition. (S. 1134, CQ Vote #33: Passed 61-37: R 52-2; D 9-35, 3/2/00, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards’ Priorities On Life Issues:
ü In 1999, Edwards Voted Against Banning Partial-Birth Abortion. (S. 1692, CQ Vote #340: Passed 63-34: R 48-3; D 14-31, 10/21/99, Edwards Voted Nay)
o During 1998 Senate Campaign, Edwards Said Partial-Birth Abortion Should Be Banned. “‘I think partial-birth abortions should be banned,’ Edwards said. ‘These are terribly gruesome procedures. I think the only exception is where there is a grave, serious threat to the health of the mother.’” (“Edwards Campaigns On An Issue A Week,” The Associated Press, 9/19/98)
ü In 2003, Edwards Skipped Vote To Ban Partial-Birth Abortions. (S. 3, CQ Vote #51: Passed 64-33: R 48-3; D 16-29; I 0-1, 3/13/03, Edwards Did Not Vote)
ü Edwards Voted To Allow Federal Money To Be Used To Distribute Morning-After Abortion Pill In America’s Schools. (H.R. 4577, CQ Vote #169: Motion Rejected 41-54: R 6-48; D 35-6, 6/30/00, Edwards Voted Yea)
ü Edwards Voted Against Final Passage Of Unborn Victims Of Violence Act. (H.R. 1997, CQ Vote #63: Passed 61-38: R 48-2; D 13-35; I 0-1, 3/25/04, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards’ Priorities On Gun Control:
ü Edwards Voted To Require Federal Licensure And Registration Of Gun Shows. (S. 254, CQ Vote #111: Motion agreed to 51-47: R 49-6; D 2-41, 5/12/99, Edwards Voted Nay)
ü Edwards Voted Against Voluntary Background Checks For Gun Purchases. (S. 254, CQ Vote #112: Adopted 53-45: R 52-3; D 1-42, 5/12/99, Edwards Voted Nay)
ü Edwards Voted To Require Justice Department To Hold Background Files On Gun Buyers For 90 Days. (S. 254, CQ Vote #134: Adopted 51-50: R 6-49; D 44-1, With Vice President Gore Cast The Deciding Vote For Passage, 5/20/99, Edwards Voted Yea)
ü Edwards Favored Broad Tort Liability For Gun Manufacturers. NBC’S TIM RUSSERT: “There is legislation pending which would limit the liability of gun manufacturers. The lawyers are very much opposed to that. Where do you come down on it?” SEN. EDWARDS: “Oh, I’m opposed to that, but it has nothing to do with the lawyers. I mean, why should we pick a particular class of Americans and say, ‘We’re not going to hold you responsible’? I mean, you and I are held responsible for what we do. Doctors, as we just talked about, are held responsible for what they do. Lawyers should be held responsible for what they do. Exactly the same thing is true of gun manufacturers.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 11/9/03)
ü Edwards Supported Background Checks At All Gun Shows. MSNBC’s CHRIS MATTHEWS: “The Democrats can’t seem to be able to get any votes in the South. How are you going to be able to run as a Democrat in the South on issues like gun control? I mean the South just hates gun control, doesn’t it?” EDWARDS: “No, it’s easy. If what – if the values you believe in are such that they connect – talking about gun control specifically. When I’m asked, because I do at town hall meetings all the time about gun control. I say what I really believe, which is ...” MATTHEWS: “Right.” EDWARDS: “... first, I grew up in a small town here in North Carolina, people around me had guns, people all around me hunted. I think it is very important for Second Amendment rights to be protected. I don’t, however, believe that somebody who’s been convicted of a violent crime ought to be able to ...” MATTHEWS: “Yes.” EDWARDS: “... walk out of prison, walk across the street and buy a gun. I think we ought to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. I think we ought to keep guns out of the hands of kids. I think if you talk about these issues in a way that connects with mainstream southerners ...” MATTHEWS: “Yes.” EDWARDS: “... including the kind of people that I grew up with, they’ll connect and they’ll relate to it.” MATTHEWS: “Do you think a person should be able to buy a gun at a gun show without a background check because they can’t do a background check at a weekend gun show?” EDWARDS: “No, I don’t.” MATTHEWS: “So you’re against – you’re willing to stand up to the NRA on that baby?” EDWARDS: “Absolutely.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 2/6/03)
Edwards’ Priorities On Social Issues:
ü Edwards Said He Would Not Support Defense Of Marriage Act. “I want to say a word in answer to the question you asked very directly. I would not support the Defense of Marriage Act today, if there were a vote today, which is the question you just asked Senator Kerry. I’m not sure what he said about that, but I would not vote for it.” (CNN And The Los Angeles Times Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Los Angeles, CA, 2/26/04)
ü Edwards Said States Should Decide Civil Unions Status. “Palmieri said Edwards believes states should decide whether to allow civil unions, a legal status conveying many of the same benefits as marriage, that was first recognized in Vermont during the tenure of Gov. Howard Dean, a 2004 presidential rival.” (“Edwards Heading To Atlanta,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer Website, www.newsobserver.com, Accessed 5/8/03)
ü In 2001, Edwards Voted To Table An Amendment That Would Have Prohibited Use Of Public Funds For Needle Exchange Programs In D.C. (H.R. 2994, CQ Vote #328: Motion Passed 53-47: R 5-44; D 47-3; I 1-0, 11/7/01, Edwards Voted Yea)
ü In 2000, Edwards Voted For Amendment That Would Have Broadened Current Federal Hate Crimes Legislation. (S. 2549, CQ #136: Passed 57-42: R 13-41; D 44-1, 6/20/00, Edwards Voted Yea)
ü Edwards Voted Against Ban On Flag Burning. (S. J. Res. 14, CQ Vote #48: Rejected 63-37: R 51-4; D 12-33, 3/29/00, Edwards Voted Nay)
ü Edwards Believes In Right To Privacy When It Comes To State Sodomy Laws. ABC’s GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: “Here in the state of South Carolina, it’s a felony for two gay men to have sex in their own home. Senator Edwards, do you support the right of the people of South Carolina to keep that law on the books, or do you think that under the Constitution there’s a fundamental right to privacy that protects that right?” EDWARDS: “I believe there is a fundamental right to privacy. I do not believe the government belongs in people’s bedrooms. I think that applies to both gay and lesbian couples and heterosexual couples.” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)
ü Edwards Supports Partner Benefits And Gays In The Military. MSNBC’s CHRIS MATTHEWS: “Are you for gay marriage?” SEN. EDWARDS: “I am not for gay marriage. I am for partner benefits …” MATTHEWS: “Are you for open gays serve in the military? EDWARDS: What I’m for is treating everybody exactly the same no matter what their sexual orientation.…” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 2/6/03)
Edwards’ Priorities On National Security/Defense:
ü Edwards Voted To Reduce Defense Spending By $3.1 Billion. Edwards was one of only 16 Senators to vote for the reduction. (S. 1122, CQ Vote #156: Motion Rejected 16-81: R 8-45; D 8-36, 6/8/99, Edwards Voted Yea)
ü Edwards Voted To Strike $110 Million In Spending For UH-1H Huey II Helicopters. (S. 2522, CQ Vote #140: Rejected 47-51: R 8-46; D 39-5, 6/21/00, Edwards Voted Yea)
ü Edwards Voted To Put Onerous Restrictions On Missile Defense Program. Edwards voted for an amendment that would “require the Pentagon to test the national missile defense system against reasonable decoys and countermeasures that the system could encounter in a launch, and establish an independent panel to review the testing.” (S. 2549, CQ Vote #178: Motion Agreed To 52-48: R 52-3; D 0-45, 6/13/00, Edwards Voted Nay)
Edwards’ Priorities On Homeland Security:
ü Edwards Sided With Unions Over Bush. Edwards sided with labor unions against Bush in the creation of a Department of Homeland Security, voting six times against the President’s plan. (H.R. 5005, CQ Vote #218: Motion Rejected 50-49: R 0-48; D 49-1; I 1-0, 9/19/02, Edwards Voted Yea; H.R. 5005, CQ Vote #225: Motion Rejected 49-49: R 1-47; D 47-2; I 1-0, 9/25/02, Edwards Voted Yea; H.R. 5005, CQ Vote #226: Motion Rejected 50-49: R 1-48; D 48-1; I 1-0, 9/26/02, Edwards Voted Yea; H.R. 5005, CQ Vote #227: Motion Rejected 44-53: R 1-46; D 42-7; I 1-0, 9/26/02, Edwards Voted Yea; H.R. 5005, CQ Vote #228: Motion Rejected 45-52: R 2-46; D 42-6; I 1-0, 10/1/02, Edwards Voted Yea; H.R. 5005, CQ Vote #241: Motion Agreed To 50-47: R 48-0; D 1-46; I 1-1, 11/13/02, Edwards Voted Nay)
EDWARDS VOTED AGAINST SUPPORT FOR OUR TROOPS
Edwards Voted Against $87 Billion Supplemental For Postwar Iraq. (S. 1689, CQ Vote #400: Passed 87-12: R 50-0; D 37-11; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Edwards Voted Nay)
ü One Month Earlier, Edwards Said We Needed To Get Troops “What They Need.” “We have young men and women over there in a dangerous environment. They’re in a shooting gallery, very dangerous situation, and we have to make sure they get what they need. That’s pretty simple.” (CBS’s “Face The Nation,” 9/21/03)
The Supplemental Provided The Following: “$10.3 billion as a grant to rebuild Iraq, including $5.1 billion for security and $5.2 billion for reconstruction costs. It also would provide $10 billion as a loan that would be converted to a grant if 90 percent of all bilateral debt incurred by the former Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein has been forgiven by other countries. Separate provisions limit reconstruction aid to $18.4 billion. It also would provide approximately $65.6 billion for military operations and maintenance and $1.3 billion for veterans medical care.” (S. 1689, CQ Vote #400: Passed 87-12: R 50-0; D 37-11; I 0-1, 10/17/03, Edwards Voted Nay)
Also Included In Reconstruction Package Were These Measures To Help U.S. Troops Involved In Iraq/Afghanistan Operations And Their Families:
ü Additional $17.81 billion to provide “for pay, allowances, subsistence, and other personnel costs for active component troops as well as guard and reserve troops activated for duty in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Noble Eagle,” including $1.2 billion for Imminent Danger Pay (IDP), Family Separation Allowance (FSA), Hardship Duty Pay, and stop-loss programs. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Funding For Our Men And Women In The Armed Forces,” S. 1689, 2/04)
ü “[E]xtra money for body armor for soldiers, communications equipment.” (“Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures,” The Associated Press, 10/17/03)
ü “[M]aintaining and operating equipment; buying missiles, vehicles and other items.” (“Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures,” The Associated Press, 10/17/03)
ü $658 million for the Defense Health Program. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Funding For Our Men And Women In The Armed Forces,” S. 1689, 2/04)
ü Increase Imminent Danger Pay from $150 to $225 per month and Family Separation Allowance from $100 to $250 from October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Funding For Our Men And Women In The Armed Forces,” S. 1689, 2/04)
ü Ensure service members injured due to their actions in or support of operations do not have to pay subsistence charges while hospitalized. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Funding For Our Men And Women In The Armed Forces,” S. 1689, 2/04)
ü Travel and transportation allowance for family members of the Armed Forces who are ill or injured as a result of service on active duty in support of OIF, OEF, and Operation Noble Eagle. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Funding For Our Men And Women In The Armed Forces,” S. 1689, 2/04)
ü Reimbursement for service members for the cost of one round trip airfare incurred within the United States while on rest and recuperation leave from deployment. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Funding For Our Men And Women In The Armed Forces,” S. 1689, 2/04)
ü Continuation of non-TRICARE health benefits plan coverage for certain Reserves called or ordered to active duty and their dependents. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Funding For Our Men And Women In The Armed Forces,” S. 1689, 2/04)
ü Access to the benefits of the Family Medical Leave Act for a spouse, son, daughter, or parent of an employee who is a member of the Armed Forces in support of operations. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, “Funding For Our Men And Women In The Armed Forces,” S. 1689, 2/04)
Also Included In Reconstruction Package Was $18.4 Billion To Assist In Reconstruction Of Iraq With Funding:
ü “for equipping and training police and other security forces”;
ü “to establish a justice system and courts and investigate Saddam Hussein’s mass killings, other crimes”;
ü “to rebuild electrical system” and “oil industry facilities”;
ü “for water and sewage systems”;
ü “for transportation and communications”;
ü “to build roads, bridges, housing”;
ü “for health care, including “money for local clinics throughout Iraq”;
ü “for private sector development”;
ü “for refugees and human rights.” (“Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures,” The Associated Press, 10/17/03)
And These Funds To Assist In Reconstruction Of Afghanistan:
ü $800 million “for an Afghan army, roads, schools, electric power, development of industrial parks, government buildings and equipment, health, disarming militias.” (“Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures,” The Associated Press, 10/17/03)
ü “$858 million for operating expenses of the U.S.-run Coalition Provisional Authority now governing Iraq.” (“Highlights Of Iraq, Afghanistan Measures,” The Associated Press, 10/17/03)
EDWARDS PROFESSES TO BE
SOUTHERN MODERATE,BUT VOTES LIKE
NORTHEASTERN LIBERAL
In 1998, Edwards Promised People Of North Carolina
He Would Be Moderate Voice In Senate
Edwards Said He Would Not Cancel Out Senator Helms’ Votes While In Washington. “And Edwards again rejected Helms’ claims during the Faircloth campaign that he will cancel Helms’ votes because he is liberal. ‘We won’t be canceling each other’s votes,’ Edwards said. ‘There will certainly be things we disagree about. I think the reality is Senator Helms has been there a long time. He understands the rules and how things work in the Senate, and I’m interested in having his advice about that.’” (James Rosen, “Edwards Offers Peace To Political Foes,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 11/5/98)
Edwards Called Himself “Mainstream North Carolinian.” (Scott Dodd, “Edwards’ Record Much Like Rivals’,” The Charlotte Observer, 1/3/03)
Edwards’ Record, However, Reveals Liberal Truth
Edwards Fourth Most Liberal Senator In 2003. “Judging by National Journal’s congressional vote ratings, however, Kerry and Edwards aren’t all that different, at least not when it comes to how they voted on key issues before the Senate last year. The results of the vote ratings show that Kerry was the most liberal senator in 2003, with a composite liberal score of 96.5. But Edwards wasn’t far behind: He had a 2003 composite liberal score of 94.5, making him the fourth-most-liberal senator.” (Richard E. Cohen, “How They Measured Up,” The National Journal, 2/28/04)
Edwards’ Voting Record Matches Those Of Senators Ted Kennedy And Hillary Clinton:
ü From 1999-2003, Edwards Voted With Senator Ted Kennedy 90% Of The Time. (CQ Senate Votes, 1/1/99 - 5/8/03)
ü From 2001-2003, Edwards Voted With Senator Hillary Clinton 90% Of The Time. (CQ Senate Votes, 1/1/01 - 5/8/03)
Edwards’ Liberal Record On Spending:
Sen. John Edwards Proposed Approximately $972 Billion In New Spending Over The Next 10 Years. (Increase Pay For Teachers, $30 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The University Of Maryland, 11/21/02; Improve Preschool Programs, $30 Billion: “Edwards Spells Out $3 Billion Preschool Effort,” Sioux City Journal, 11/3/03; Invest In School Choice Programs, $10 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The University of Maryland, 11/21/02; Afterschool Programs, $6 Billion: John Edwards For President Website, “Create New Afterschool Programs,” Accessed 1/20/04 and Drew Johnson, “The Return Of Fuzzy Math And Risky Schemes: How Presidential Hopefuls Would Deepen Deficits,” National Taxpayers Union Foundation, 1/19/04; Double Funding For GEAR UP, $2.93 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The University Of Maryland, 11/21/02 and www.ed.gov.gearup/gu-funding.html, Accessed 5/3/03; Enact The DREAM Act: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The University Of Maryland, 11/21/02 and “S. 1291 Development, Relief, and Education For Alien Minors Act,” Congressional Budget Office, 7/26/02; Expand TRIO Funding, $803 Million: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The University Of Maryland, 11/21/02 and “Budget Of The United States Government, Fiscal Year 2004,” Office Of Management And Budget, p. 335; Make First Year Of College Free, $30 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The University Of Maryland, 11/21/02; Increase Pell Grants, $11.405 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The University Of Maryland, 11/21/02 and “Budget Of The United States Government, Fiscal Year 2004,” Office Of Management And Budget, p. 341; Scholarships For Students Who Volunteer After College On Homeland Security Issues, $300 Million: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The University Of Maryland, 11/21/02 and S. 479, Introduced 2/27/03; Make All Student Loans Direct, $5 Billion: Jim Morrill, “Presidential Contender Proposes Cutting Out U.S. Subsidy To Banks,” The Charlotte Observer, 8/19/03; Create A National Competition For Biomass Ethanol, $500 Million: John Edwards For President, “Fueling America’s Future,” Fact Sheet, 4/22/03; $2,500 Tax Credit For Families With Newborns, $40 Billion: “Edwards Spells Out $3 Billion Preschool Effort,” Sioux City Journal, 11/3/03; Expand Family Leave, $800 Million: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At George Washington University, 3/12/03 and S. 304, Introduced 2/5/03; Double Federal Support For Elder Care, $13.44 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At George Washington University, 3/12/03 and “Budget Of The United States Government, Fiscal Year 2004,” Office Of Management And Budget, p. 437; Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs, $500 Million: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At George Washington University, 3/12/03 and Drew Johnson, “The Return Of Fuzzy Math And Risky Schemes: How Presidential Hopefuls Would Deepen Deficits,” National Taxpayers Union Foundation, 1/19/04; Federalize Nuclear Security, $126 Million: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At The Brookings Institution, 12/18/03 and S.1746, Introduced 11/29/01; Enact Building Security Act, $41 Million: John Edwards For President, “Protect Our Most Vulnerable Targets” and S. 216, Introduced 1/23/03; Enact Emergency Warning Act, $10 Million: John Edwards For President, “Improve Domestic Readiness” and S. 118, Introduced 1/9/03; Increase Funding For Homeland Security, $50 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, “Sen. John Edwards Proposed Homeland Security Aid,” Press Release, 3/6/03; Strategy To Fight WMD, $20 Billion: John Edwards For President, “Fact Sheet: Edwards’ Strategy Of Prevention, Not Preemption,” 12/15/03; Enact A Program For Rural America, $7 Billion Philip Brasher, “Candidates Cautious When Discussing Agriculture,” The Des Moines Register, 6/1/03; Fueling America’s Future, $6.5 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At Biomass Energy Conversion Center, Nevada, IA., 5/21/03 and Drew Johnson, “The Return Of Fuzzy Math And Risky Schemes: How Presidential Hopefuls Would Deepen Deficits,” National Taxpayers Union Foundation, 1/19/04; Increase Minimum Wage, $16 Million: John Edwards For President, “Fact Sheet: John Edwards Plan To Honor American Values And Expand The Middle Class,” 1/10/04 and “S. 277, Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2001,” Congressional Budget Office, 6/18/01; Provide Money To Help Disabled Find Employment, $200 Million: John Wagner, “Edwards Proposes Aid For Disabled,” The [Charlotte] News & Observer, 10/9/03; Job Training Program, $1 Billion: Glen Johnson, “Edwards Proposes $100 Million Job Training Program,” The Boston Globe, 10/7/03; Venture Capital Fund: Mike Glover, “Edwards Claims Momentum In Unveiling Investment Plan,” The Associated Press, 10/9/03; Provide Relief For Overburdened States, $58 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks To Fortune Global Forum, 11/22/02; Plan To Help Americans Save, $38 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. 6/17/03 and Drew Johnson, “The Return Of Fuzzy Math And Risky Schemes: How Presidential Hopefuls Would Deepen Deficits,” National Taxpayers Union Foundation, 1/19/04; Double Community Development Financial Institutions Funding, $750 Million: John John Edwards For President, “Fact Sheet: Saving The American Dream,” 11/5/03; Living With Dignity Initiative, $3.5 Billion: Thomas Beaumont, “Edwards: Improve Senior Care,” Des Moines Register, 10/24/03; Improve Rural Telemedicine, $100 Million: John Edwards For President, Press Release, 9/5/03; Health Care Plan, $590 Billion: Ronald Brownstein, “Edwards Weighs In On Uninsured,” Los Angeles Times, 7/29/03; Invest In Training And Support Of Nurses, $3 Billion: John Edwards President, Press Release, 7/25/03; Pass The Women In Trauma Act, $50 Million: John Edwards For President, “Standing Up For Women And Families” and S. 2559, Introduced 5/23/02; Increase Awareness Of Periodontal Disease, $30 Million: John Edwards For President, “Standing Up For Women And Families” and S. 2202, Introduced 4/18/02; Double NIH Funding For Minority Health Disparities, $1.93 Billion: Sen. John Edwards, Remarks To The Mexican American Legal Defense And Education Fund, 6/11/03 and “Budget Of The United States Government, Fiscal Year 2004,” Office Of Management And Budget, p. 417; Enact Employment Nondiscrimination Act Of 2001, $124.05 Million: John Edwards For President, “Supporting Civil Rights And Equal Opportunity For All Americans” and S. 19, Introduced 1/22/01 Ensure Equal Pay For Women, $12 Million: John Edwards For President Website, “Supporting Civil Rights And Equal Opportunity For All Americans,” Accessed 1/20/04 and Drew Johnson, “The Return Of Fuzzy Math And Risky Schemes: How Presidential Hopefuls Would Deepen Deficits,” National Taxpayers Union Foundation, 1/19/04; Election Reform, $6.24 Billion: John Edwards For President Website, “Supporting Civil Rights And Equal Opportunity For All Americans,” Accessed 1/20/04 and Drew Johnson, “The Return Of Fuzzy Math And Risky Schemes: How Presidential Hopefuls Would Deepen Deficits,” National Taxpayers Union Foundation, 1/19/04)
Edwards Even Acknowledged His Own Liberal Record
Edwards Could Not Recall Single Conservative Position He Has Taken As Senator. “‘I could give you an answer to that question if you give me a little time to think about it.’ - Democratic presidential aspirant Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, asked by columnist Robert D. Novak in…the American Spectator to recall any conservative position he’s taken in the U.S. Senate [Mr. Novak likens Mr. Edwards’ plea to President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s request in 1956 for a couple of weeks to report some accomplishment by Vice President Richard M. Nixon].” (John McCaslin, “Dependably Liberal,” The Washington Times, 10/15/02)
EDWARDS IS PHONY AND DISINGENUOUS
Edwards Rural Populist Message … Just Another Gimmick?
“He Almost Has To Take A Populist Stance, As A Way Of Putting A Favorable Gloss On His Long Career As A Trial Lawyer.” (David S. Broder, “Tipping Left Toward 2004,” The Washington Post, 11/13/02)
Edwards “Just The Latest Politician To Declare Himself One Of The People.” “[Edwards] is just the latest politician to declare himself one of the people, a populist who will fight for the little guy in the circles of power. In reality Edwards is a multimillionaire, his money made as a high-powered trial lawyer. … We doubt you’ll find many calluses on that man’s hands.” (Editorial, “Man Of The People?” The Daily Oklahoman, 1/3/03)
Edwards Personal Fortune: $38 Million. “He became rich [representing plaintiffs], racking up more than $175 million for his clients from 1985 to 1997 and amassing a personal fortune of at least $38 million, according to North Carolina Lawyers Weekly.” (James C. Mckinley, Jr., “A Journey From A Mill Town Ends With A Run For President,” The New York Times, 1/12/04)
Populist Messenger Sells Million Dollar Embassy Row House To Hungary. “Edwards has finally found a buyer for his former home off Embassy Row in Washington: the government of Hungary. The Hungarian government reportedly paid $3 million for the red-brick mansion, which will be used as an ambassadorial residence.” (John Wagner, “Edwards In Media Tussle,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 7/4/03)
“[T]he Owner Of Four Houses Who Employs A Live-In Nanny And A Housekeeper…” (James C. Mckinley, Jr., “A Journey From A Mill Town Ends With A Run For President,” The New York Times, 1/12/04)
2002: Edwards Lodges At Swank Hotels. “Edwards is campaigning as the candidate for the common man, but some of the lodging bills from last year included $455 to the Beverly Hills Hilton and $412 to the San Francisco Hilton in November, and $896 to the Park Avenue Regency Hotel in New York, also in November.” (Kevin Begos, “Most Of Edwards’ Campaign Money From Out Of State,” Winston-Salem Journal, 2/4/03)
“During The Year’s First Quarter, Edwards Raised More In The Los Angeles Area Than Any Other Democratic Presidential Contender.” (John Wagner, “Edwards Donor Will Cooperate,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 4/25/03)
ü Los Angeles Was The Top Contributing Metro Area For Edwards’ Presidential Campaign, Totaling Over $1.3 Million In Contributions. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/geog.asp?id=N00002283&cycle=2004, Accessed 6/29/04)
ü Beverly Hills, 90210, Was The Ninth Ranked Zip Code Contributor To Edwards’ Presidential Campaign, Totaling Over $68,000 In Contributions. (Center For Responsive Politics Website, http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/geog.asp?id=N00002283&cycle=2004, Accessed 6/29/04)
Hollywood Producer Stephen Bing Gave Edwards $907,000. CHARLES LEWIS: “[Edwards] actually has – as a freshman senator and only in politics for less than six years, he has the biggest single contributor in the entire book [The Buying of the President 2004], which is a real, you know, man-bites-dog fact, at least to me. Shangri-La Entertainment, Stephen Bing in Hollywood, who’s a big Democratic Party donor, has given him $907,000. Most of his other donors are $400,000 or under. But that’s somewhat interesting. That shows sort of the Hollywood thing that sometimes happens particularly with Democrats, where they get excited about a candidate or two. We need to know a lot more about Mr. Bing, which – you know, I’d like to know more. But that’s what we noticed right off.” (NPR’s “Fresh Air,” 1/27/04)
Dennis Hopper Hosted A Fundraiser For Edwards On October 29, 2003, With Co-Hosts Ashton Kutcher, Aaron Sorkin And Neal Baer. “The cash derby began Wednesday, when North Carolina Sen. John Edwards arrived in Los Angeles for two appearances and a fund-raiser at the Venice home of actor Dennis Hopper and his wife, Victoria. About 75 guests, most with Hollywood connections, mingled and admired the couple’s pop art collection as a three-piece jazz combo played. Guests, including actors Bill Paxton and Jeanne Tripplehorn, gave a total of $50,000. Listed as co-hosts of the $1,000-per-guest event were actor Ashton Kutcher, star of television’s ‘That ‘70s Show,’ Aaron Sorkin, creator of ‘The West Wing,’ and Neal Baer, executive producer of ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.’” (James Rainey and Hugo Martin, “Campaign Trail Leads To Golden State,” Los Angeles Times, 10/31/03)
Edwards Claims “Natural Connection” With Rural People, But Flunked Funk’s Rural Q&A. (Matt Bai, “Nascar-Lovin,” The New York Times, 9/15/02; Tim Funk, “Q&A With John Edwards,” The Charlotte Observer, 5/26/03)
ü Edwards Has “Never Done Any Serious Farming.”
ü Edwards Doesn’t Follow Weekly NASCAR Races, Adds He “Doesn’t Follow Anything Except Politicking.”
ü Edwards Hasn’t Hunted Or Fished “In Years.”
ü Edwards Has “In The Past Been A Country Music Fan.” (Tim Funk, “Q&A With John Edwards,” The Charlotte Observer, 5/26/03)
Edwards Can’t Even Remember Make Or Model Of His Own Truck. “In the New Hampshire interview, Edwards talked in detail on every policy question raised - but came up nearly blank when the questions turned to such everyday subjects as the people who had influenced him along the way, books he was currently reading, and even the make of his family’s vehicles. … And the family fleet? A Buick ‘with lots of miles on it’ (Edwards said he couldn’t remember the make; an aide said Park Avenue). ‘A bigger car, more like this’ (An SUV, an aide suggested, ‘probably’ a Ford Explorer or Expedition). A truck. Probably a Ford or a Chevrolet, Edwards says. ‘It’s white, and it’s sitting in front of my house.’” (Jon Sawyer, “Sen. Edwards Pitches ‘Real Solutions’ In His Populist Message,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 8/10/03)
Edwards Promises To Fight Against Corporations, Pharmaceuticals,
Insurance Companies But Doesn’t Mind Cashing Their Checks
Edwards Says We Need “The Backbone” To Fight Against, “Big Corporations, Pharmaceutical Companies, Big Insurances Companies, Big HMOs.” “We can’t deal with the health care crisis in America unless we have the backbone and courage to do what I have been doing my entire life; fighting against big corporations, pharmaceutical companies, big insurance companies, big HMOs.” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)
But Since 1997, John Edwards Has Received Over $35,000 From Pharmaceutical Company Employees, Including $25,000 In Soft Money. (Dwight L. Morris & Associates Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed 6/11/03; IRS 527 Search Website, http://eforms.irs.gov/search_result.asp, Accessed 6/12/03)
Edwards Received Soft Money From Agnes Varis, President & CEO, Agvar Chemicals -- $25,000 – 2nd Quarter 2002 Report, New American Optimists 527 (IRS 527 Search Website, http://eforms.irs.gov/search_result.asp, Accessed 6/12/03)
Edwards Owns Pharmaceutical Company Stock. According to his 2003 Senate Personal Financial Disclosure Report, Edwards owns stock in Johnson & Johnson and Merck. Edwards sold Bristol Myers Squibb stock, earning between $1,000-$15,000 in income. (Senator John Edwards, 2003 Senate Public Financial Disclosure Report)
Edwards’ Presidential Campaign Has Received $2,500 From Oil And Gas Company Employees. (Dwight L. Morris & Associates Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed 6/11/03)
Edwards Owns Big Oil Stock. In 2002, Edwards bought between $1,000-$15,000 in ChevronTexaco stock, and owns between $1,000-$15,000 in ExxonMobil stock. (Senator John Edwards, 2003 Senate Public Financial Disclosure Report)
Since 1997, Edwards Has Received Over $53,000 From Insurance Company Employees. (Dwight L. Morris & Associates Website, www.campaignfinanceanalysisproject.com, Accessed 6/11/03)
Edwards Owns Big Insurance Company Stock. According to his 2003 Senate Personal Financial Disclosure Report, Edwards owns stock in Jefferson-Pilot Corporation. (Senator John Edwards, 2003 Senate Personal Financial Disclosure Report)
Edwards’ Corporate Image Changes Over 5 Years
1998: “I Have Respect For Those [Corporate] People.” “Edwards said corporate heavyweights who backed Faircloth - ranging from Hugh McColl, chief executive officer of BankAmerica, to department store magnate John Belk - should give him a chance to represent them in Washington. ‘I have respect for those people,’ Edwards said. ‘I care what they have to say, I’ll listen to what they have to say. I think the reality is they just don’t know me very well. I have a responsibility to get to know them better, and I hope they’ll join me in that regard. These business leaders are very important to economic development and providing jobs for people in this state, and I fully recognize that.’” (James Rosen, “Edwards Offers Peace To Political Foes,” The [Raleigh] News And Observer 11/5/98)
2003: “Enormous Problem With Corporate Culture.” “We’ve had an enormous problem with the corporate culture in America. Working people have been severely disadvantaged as a result of the greed and the corporate culture that exists….” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)
Edwards Denounces Accounting Tricks, But Used Them In 1990s
“Hard Work And Responsibility, Not Accounting Tricks And Corporate Greed.” “I believe we can build a better life for our families, families like the family I grew up with, and communities like Seneca and Robbins, North Carolina. But it has to be based on the values of hard work and responsibility, not accounting tricks and corporate greed.” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)
Edwards Sets Up Professional Corporation Where He Was Only Employee … Avoids Medicare Taxes On $5 Million. “Edwards, a trial lawyer, set up a professional corporation in 1995, in which he was the sole employee and shareholder. Edwards then paid himself a salary of $ 600,000 and $ 540,000 in 1996 and 1997, according to a personal disclosure statement he was required to file with the secretary of the Senate. At the same time he collected $5 million each year in dividends from his corporation. Edwards was required to pay Medicare taxes on his salary, but under this arrangement he was not required to pay Medicare taxes on his corporate dividends.” (Rob Christensen, “Faircloth Claims Edwards Avoided Payroll Taxes,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 10/14/98)
“He’s Beating The System.” [E]xperts disagree on whether Edwards is courting an IRS audit. ‘There is nothing that says you can’t do it,’ says Andrew Blackman, a CPA and personal financial specialist with the New York City firm of Shapiro & Lobel. ‘I think that it’s the type of situation, if light is focused on it, the IRS will see as abusive.” “He’s beating the system by doing what he is doing,’ said Blackman, who is chairman of the personal financial specialist subcommittee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. ‘Its not an uncommon thing to do. I’ve done it, but not in that sort of ratio (of salary to dividends).’” (Rob Christensen, “Faircloth Claims Edwards Avoided Payroll Taxes,” The [Raleigh] News And Observer, 10/14/98)
Edwards Gives “Free Ride For None” Speech While Delinquent On Taxes
“[T]oo Many Of Our Leaders Have Walked Away From The Values That Got Us Here: Work, Responsibility, Country, A Fair Shake For All And A Free Ride For None.” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At Georgetown University, 6/17/03)
Irresponsible Edwards Forgets To Pay Taxes, Four Months Delinquent On Georgetown Mansion. “Sen. John Edwards … is four months delinquent in paying the property taxes on his Georgetown mansion … As of 3:30 p.m. yesterday, Mr. Edwards owed $11,092.46 with interest and penalties, according to the city’s tax collection office. (Charles Hurt, “Edwards Is 4 Months Late On Taxes,” The Washington Times, 7/31/03)
ü Also Late In Paying Taxes On Cars. “In 1995, for example, they were more than two months late paying their taxes on a 1989 Mitsubishi and a 1991 Acura. … Last year, they were late paying their taxes on a 1998 Volvo and a 1998 Buick.” (Charles Hurt, “Edwards Is 4 Months Late On Taxes,” The Washington Times, 7/31/03)
ü Assessed Late Penalties At Least Eight Times In North Carolina. “In at least eight instances during the past decade, the Edwardses have been so late paying property taxes on their Raleigh home and various automobiles that bill collectors assessed them penalties …” (Charles Hurt, “Edwards Is 4 Months Late On Taxes,” The Washington Times, 7/31/03)
Mill Photo Op Highlights Trade Hypocrisy
Edwards Holds Presidential Campaign Announcement Outside Of Closed Mill In Robbins, NC. The mill was owned by Milliken & Company and has been featured in an Edwards campaign ad. (The [Raleigh] News & Observer Website, http://www.newsobserver.com/edwards/latest_all/, Accessed 9/13/03)
Yet, Edwards Voted For Permanent Normalized Trade Relations With China, Even Though He Said “There Are People Who May Be Hurt By This.” (H.R. 4444, CQ Vote #251: Passed 83-15: R 46-8; D 37-7, 9/19/00, Edwards Voted Yea; John Wagner, “Pillowtex’s Closing Hits Campaign Trail,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 7/31/03)
ü Edwards said the trade relations bill with China was an “opportunity to sell goods to a billion new customers,” believing that “the people of North Carolina can compete with anybody.” (John Wagner, “China Trade Bill Passes,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 9/20/00)
ü Edwards also voted against an amendment establishing an annual certification process for establishing normal trade relations with China. (CQ Vote #236, HR 4444: Rejected 13-81: R 7-45; D 6-36; 9/7/00, Edwards Voted Nay)
Before Vote On 2000 Trade Bill With China, Unions Argued “That Textile Jobs Could Be Lost In North Carolina.” (Peter Wallsten, “Helms ‘Disappointed’ With Support For China Trade Bill,” The Charlotte Observer, 9/15/00)
President Of American Textile Manufacturers Institute Said Legislation Will Cost 150,000 Jobs. “[Roger] Chastain, president of Mount Vernon Mills and the American Textile Manufacturers Institute, said the legislation will ‘cost the United States 150,000 textile and textile-related jobs’ and his industry billions in lost sales.” (Woody White, “Local Views Mixed About China Trade,” The Greenville News, 9/20/00)
Even General Counsel For Company That Owned Robbins’ Mill Said Few Corporations Are Looking To Export U.S. Goods To China. “Most U.S. corporations favor the trade bill, [Milliken & Company’s General Counsel John] Nash claimed, because it would make it easier for them to build plants in China. He said few are looking to export U.S.-made goods to the Chinese.” (Rudolph Bell, “Delta Woodside President Backs China Trade Accord,” The Greenville News, 5/23/00)
One Year Later, Edwards Agreed With Bush, Not Clinton: China Is Competitor, Not Partner. NBC’S TIM RUSSERT: “Bill Clinton said China was a partner, not a competitor. George Bush says they’re a competitor, not a partner. Where does John Edwards come down?” SEN. EDWARDS: “I think that China’s a competitor, and I think that we need to do our best to have a positive relationship with them. But everything we do with China, Tim, we need to do with our eyes wide open. They do things we don’t agree with. Their record on human rights, their proliferation activities – I mean, there are lots of things that – what they have been doing with our servicemen and women, in this case, by keeping them illegally. These are not good things and we don’t approve of them. So we always have to recognize that any dealings we have with China have to be conducted with our eyes completely wide open.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 4/8/01)
Edwards’ Campaign Finance Fiasco
After Calling Soft Money “The Worst Virus” In Our Political Process, Edwards’ 527 Committee Received More Than $3.2 Million In Soft Money From Trial Law Firms, Trial Lawyers And Their Families. This constitutes over 70% of total contributions. (Sen. John Edwards Website, “Restoring The Roots Of Our Democracy,” http://edwards.senate.gov/press/2000/columns/1112_restore.html, Accessed 7/16/03; Internal Revenue Service 527 Search Website, http://eforms.irs.gov/search_result.asp, Accessed 5/03)
Edwards Denounced Negative Politics But Bashed Bush
Edwards “Not About Cynical Politics” Or “Petty Sniping.” “My campaign is not about this … petty sniping that’s been going on between other candidates. My campaign is based on the politics of hope, based on the politics of what’s possible, very specific ideas about how to – how to bring these things about to change America. No, I’m not –I’m not about cynical politics. People are sick of that. This is about lifting this country up. And that’s the reason this campaign has caught fire.” (CBS’ “The Early Show,” 1/15/04)
Said President Is “Hazardous To Your Health.” “This President ... is cutting funding, every single day for programs like prescription drug benefit. This is a President who says we can’t do anything about the healthcare crisis in America. This is a President who blocked the patients’ bill of rights. Here’s what we ought to do. We ought to go over to the White House and hang a big warning sign on the door of the White House that says, ‘this President is hazardous to your health.’ that’s what we ought to do.” (Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Baltimore, MD, 9/9/03)
And Bush’s Guiding Principle Is Twisted Reflection. “George Bush’s guiding principle is a twisted reflection of the American bargain: Instead of ‘opportunity for all, special privileges for none,’ he’s given us ‘opportunity for all the special interests.’” (John Edwards, Announcement Speech, Robbins, NC, 9/16/03)
Edwards Called President Bush “Complete Phony” And “Counterfeit.” “He’s a phony. He is a complete phony. The way you tell a counterfeit and the way you tell a phony, you put the real thing beside it in 2004.” (Sen. Edwards As Quoted In Patrick Healy, “Edwards Tries To Boost NH Campaign,” The Boston Globe, 7/8/03)
Edwards Claimed President Bush “Doesn’t Have A Clue” About How To Revive Economy. “It’s clear that the president’s tax cuts for the wealthy are failing the rest of the country … It’s a shame that so many Americans still can’t find a job, and it’s a shame that President Bush doesn’t have a clue about how to make things better.” (Sen. Edwards As Quoted In Marilyn Geewax and Scott Shepard, “Jobless Rate Is Highest Since ‘94,” The Atlanta Journal And Constitution, 7/4/03)
Edwards: “The Fact That You Walk Around On A Ranch You Just Bought In Texas With A Big Belt Buckle Does Not Mean You Understand What’s Going On In Rural America.” “This president is in a different place. He comes from a different place. He has a different view of the world. I have to tell you, at least from my perspective and the good old common sense that I learned here in North Carolina, the fact that you walk around on a ranch you just bought in Texas with a big belt buckle does not mean you understand what’s going on in rural America, I tell you that.” (CNN’s “Inside Politics,” 7/7/03)
Edwards Called President Bush “Absolute Phony.” “We have to show this president as the absolute phony he is … He is a phony through and through.” (John Wagner, “Edwards: Bush A ‘Phony,’” The [Raleigh] News And Observer Website, http://www.newsobserver.com/edwards, 6/21/03)
Edwards Claimed President Plans “To Corrupt American Economy” With “Radical And Dangerous” Economic Theory. “Make no mistake: this is the most radical and dangerous economic theory to hit our shores since socialism a century ago. Like socialism, it corrupts the very nature of our democracy and our free enterprise tradition. It is not a plan to grow the American economy. It is a plan to corrupt the American economy and shrink the winners’ circle.” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks At Georgetown University, 6/17/03)
Edwards Said President Said “Hasta La Vista” To Jobs. “Well, you know, the president goes around the country speaking Spanish. The only Spanish he speaks when it comes to jobs is, ‘Hasta la vista.’” (Sen. John Edwards, Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 9/4/03)
And President Has “War On Work.” “And finally, finally, we need to stop President Bush’s war on work.” (Sen. John Edwards, Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 9/4/03)
Edwards Said President Incapable Of Cracking Down On Corporate Cheating. “The two other things we need to do, though, to get this economy going again is something this president is incapable of doing, which is cracking down on corporate cheating so that business actually works for employees.” (Sen. John Edwards, Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 9/4/03)
And President Has No Health Care Plan. “There’s only one candidate in the election in 2004 who has no health-care plan, and that’s George W. Bush.” (Sen. John Edwards, Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 9/4/03)
Said President Is Mostly Looking Out For Insiders. “[I]f you look at what is happening in America, working class, middle class families are really struggling and having a terrible time and the president is mostly looking out for insiders.” (Sen. Edwards, CNN’s “American Morning,” 9/16/03)
And President Wants To Shift The Whole Tax Burden To People Who Work For A Living. “Make no mistake: President Bush has a war on work - you see it in everything he does. He wants to eliminate every penny of tax on wealth, and shift the whole burden to people who work for a living.” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks As Prepared For Delivery, Robbins, NC, 9/16/03)
Edwards Said Working People “Have Been Shut Out By This President Because He Values Only One Thing: Wealth.” “Working people have been shut out by this President because he values only one thing: wealth. He wants to make sure that those who have it -- keep it. That they belong to an exclusive club - that the barriers are up, the doors closed and no one else ever gets in.” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks As Prepared For Delivery, Robbins, NC, 9/16/03)
Edwards’ Full-Time College Job … Six Month Stint At UPS?
Edwards’ Claimed: “Worked My Way Through N.C. State Loading U.P.S. Trucks.” In commercials touting his credentials during the 1998 Democratic primary, Edwards maintained, “I worked my way through N.C. State loading U.P.S. trucks.” (Rob Christensen, “Edwards Defends ‘Hard-Working’ TV Commercial,” The News & Observer [Raleigh, NC], 4/22/98)
ü Reality: Edwards Worked At U.P.S. For Six Months. “[E]dwards actually worked six months during his junior year at NCSU at the United Parcel Service - from March 13 to Sept. 11, 1973, according to company records.” (Rob Christensen, “Edwards Defends ‘Hard-Working’ TV Commercial,” The News & Observer [Raleigh, NC], 4/22/98)
Edwards Flunked Truth Test Concerning College Record
1998 Edwards Claimed: Graduated Summa Cum Laude. Edwards’ campaign literature also claimed he graduated summa cum laude from N.C. State University. (David Perlmutt and Taylor Batten, “Political Foes Say Edwards’ Campaign Claims Bend Truth,” The Charlotte Observer, 4/25/98)
Reality: “N.C. State Didn’t Use Latin Honors When Edwards Was There.” “A school spokeswoman said N.C. State didn’t use Latin honors when Edwards was there.” (David Perlmutt & Taylor Batten, “Political Foes Say Edwards’ Campaign Claims Bend Truth,” The Charlotte Observer, 4/25/98)
Edwards Disingenuous Confederate Flag Fight
Edwards Thought “It’s An Enormous Mistake To Fly [The Confederate] Flag [On The Capitol Grounds In South Carolina], And It Ought To Be Taken Down.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 2/6/03)
Edwards Said His View On The Confederate Flag Is Based On “Having Grown Up In The South…[And] Having Seen The Affect That Flag Can Have On A Huge Chunk Of Our People In This Country, Particularly African Americans. I Think It’s An Enormous Mistake To Fly That Flag….” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 2/6/03)
But Edwards’ PAC Sponsored Fundraiser For Ben “Cooter” Jones. “Edwards had hired the [Lonesome River] band to perform at a Washington fund-raiser for Ben Jones, who is running for Congress in Virginia. . . . The event was sponsored by Edwards’ political action committee, New American Optimists, and is part of a key strategy Edwards is rolling out in his 2004 campaign for president. (Charles Hurt, “In Tune With Rural Voters?” The Charlotte Observer, 9/8/02)
ü Edwards Supported Jones … “Grew Up … With Guys Just Like Him.” “First stop: Polly Esther’s, site of the ‘Oh Cooter, Where Art Thou?’ fundraiser for . . . Ben Jones, sponsored by Sen. John Edwards . . . . A jacketless Edwards was greeted with cheers . . . and explained why he supports Jones: ‘I grew up out in the country in North Carolina with guys just like him.’” (“Good Ol’ Boys And Scouts,” The Washington Post, 7/15/02)
ü Ben “Cooter” Jones Came Under Fire For Appearing At Campaign Stops With Stars And Bars. “And Virginia congressional candidate Ben Jones, a former civil-rights marcher who went on to play Cooter in the ‘Dukes of Hazzard,’ is under fire for appearing at campaign stops with the stars-and-bars-emblazoned ‘General Lee’ Dodge.” (Dennis B. Roddy, “Stars And Strife: Uproar Over Confederate Flag In Pa.,” Scripps Howard News Service, 10/23/02)
o Virginia’s First African American Governor Accused Jones Of “Using The Confederate Flag As A Campaign Strategy.” “Jones, 61, has appeared at several campaign events in a replica of the General Lee. That and his vigorous defense of Southern heritage issues are causing some to suggest he’s making a subtle appeal to racism. Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder . . . accused Jones of ‘using the Confederate flag as a campaign strategy.’ He said the matter is of great concern to the broad body of responsible Virginians.” (Warren Fiske, “Ex-TV Star Is Creating A Colorful Campaign,” The Virginian-Pilot, 10/20/02)
o Governor Wilder Suggested Jones’ Behavior Insulted Black Voters. “Mr. Wilder suggested that the former actor is seeking to attract votes from rural white people and is insulting black voters. ‘As governor, I had removed the confederate emblem from the uniforms of the state’s Air National Guard and rejected the flying of the flag over public buildings,’ he wrote. ‘We have made historic strides in Virginia and we need people in office who recognize that we need to keep Virginia moving forward not backwards.’” (Mary Shaffrey, “Cooter Defends Use Of Confederate Flag,” The Washington Times, 9/29/02)
o Jones Owns “Cooter’s Place,” Where One Can Buy Confederate Items Such As Flags, License Plates, Mugs, Key Chains, Bandanas, Head Wraps, Pillows, Cooking Aprons, Playing Cards And Towels. (Cooter’s Place Website, www.cootersplace.com, Accessed 2/12/03)
Edwards Promised North Carolina A Senator, Then Abandoned Them
Edwards Pledged That Presidential Campaigning Wouldn’t Interfere With His Senate Duties. “Edwards … pledged that he would not let his pursuit of the presidency undermine his work as a senator. … ‘I have to make sure that I can do my job,’ [Edwards] said.” (John Wagner, “Edwards Says Run Could Help N.C.,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 1/4/03)
Yet, Edwards Broke His Pledge Less Than Three Weeks Later. Edwards missed four Senate votes, including votes on education and homeland security, on January 16, 2003 “when he traveled to Alabama to raise money for his presidential campaign.” (Jim Morrill, et al., “The Source,” The Charlotte Observer, 1/19/03; Nick Anderson, “In Spending Votes, Republicans Show Clout,” Los Angeles Times, 1/17/03)
ü Overall, Edwards Has Missed 246 Votes, Or 42% Of All Senate Votes Cast In 2003-2004. (All voting data from CQ Floor Votes. There have been 582 votes in the 108th Senate through 6/16/04)
ü Since Dropping Out Of Presidential Race (March 3, 2004), Edwards Has Missed 40 Votes, Or 43% Of All Votes Cast. (All voting data from CQ Floor Votes. There have been 92 votes in the 108th Senate through from 3/4/04-6/16/04)
o Edwards’ Hometown Paper Calls Him “Senator Gone.” “Four and a half years into his first term, John Edwards is becoming known as Senator Gone. That’s because Edwards, North Carolina’s senior senator, has developed a habit of missing floor votes while on the campaign trail in pursuit of the Democratic presidential nomination.” (Editorial, “Edwards Should Do His Day Job,” [Southern Pines] Pilot, 6/25/03)
o In 2003, Charlotte Observer Notes Edwards’ Percentage Of Missed Votes Is “More Than Triple The Percentage Former Sen. Lauch Faircloth Missed In 1998 When Then-Challenger Edwards Made The N.C. Republican’s Absenteeism A Campaign Issue.” (Tim Funk, “Novice Made Quick Mark In National Politics,” The Charlotte Observer, 8/17/03)
Key Missed Votes
Energy Policy - Off-Shore Drilling: Edwards missed a vote on an amendment that would strike a provision requiring a survey and inventory of possible off-shore oil and natural gas deposits by the Interior secretary. (S. 14, CQ Vote #221: Rejected 45-53: R 10-41; D 34-12; I 1-0, 6/12/03, Edwards Did Not Vote)
ü Edwards Claimed A Month Earlier He Was Leading Fight Against Possible Offshore Drilling. I am “leading an effort in Congress to prevent drilling for oil and natural gas off the Atlantic coast of North Carolina.” (Sen. John Edwards, Press Release, 5/14/03)
Prescription Drug Benefit - Benefit Within Medicare: Edwards missed a vote that would create a prescription drug benefit under the traditional Medicare program available to all eligible recipients. (S. 1, CQ Vote #227: Rejected 37-58: R 0-51; D 37-6; I 0-1, 6/18/03, Edwards Did Not Vote)
Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Cost Disclosure: Edwards missed a vote on an amendment that would require private plans being used by Medicare beneficiaries to disclose what costs they pass on to seniors through pharmacies. (S. 1, CQ Vote #228: Adopted 95-0: R 51-0; D 43-0; I 1-0, 6/19/03, Edwards Did Not Vote)
Prescription Drug Benefit - Premium Cap: Edwards missed a vote on an amendment that would prohibit an increase in prescription drug premiums to no more than 10 percent of the national average monthly prescription drug premium. (S. 1, CQ Vote #229: Rejected 39-56: R 0-51; D 39-4; I 0-1, 6/19/03, Edwards Did Not Vote)
Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Patents: Edwards missed a vote on an amendment that would allow generic drugs to come to market faster by placing restrictions on patent-extensions by brand-name drug manufacturers. (S. 1, CQ Vote #230: Adopted 94-1: R 50-1; D 43-0; I 1-0, 6/19/03, Edwards Did Not Vote)
Prescription Drug Benefit - Drug Importation: Edwards missed a vote on an amendment that would authorize the Health and Human Services secretary to create regulations allowing pharmacists and wholesalers to import prescription drugs from Canada, thereby reducing costs. (S. 1, CQ Vote #232: Adopted 62-28: R 21-25; D 40-3; I 1-0, 6/20/03, Edwards Did Not Vote)
Fiscal 2005 Defense Authorization - Supplemental Military Funding: Edwards missed a vote authorizing an additional $25 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The total authorized funding would include $14.5 billion for the Army, $1 billion for the Navy, $2 billion for the Marine Corps and $1 billion for the Air Force. It would allow up to $2.5 billion of the authorized funding to be transferred among specific categories outlined in the amendment, contingent on prior congressional notification. (S. 2400, CQ Vote #106: Adopted 95-0: R 49-0; D 45-0; I 1-0, 6/2/04, Edwards Did Not Vote)
EDWARDS ISN’T JUST BEHOLDEN TO PERSONAL INJURY
TRIAL LAWYERS, HE IS ONE HIMSELF
Edwards’ Former Career: Personal Injury Trial Lawyer
For 20 Years, Senator Edwards Was Trial Lawyer, Specializing In Personal Injury Cases. (Rebecca Miller, “After Private Party, Edwards Goes Public With Presidential Hopes,” The Associated Press, 1/2/03; David S. Broder, “Running On The Story Of His Life,” The Washington Post, 6/8/03)
Edwards Embraces His Record As Plaintiff’s Lawyer. “Now, he actually is a plaintiff’s lawyer; that’s where he made his fortune. But rather than trying to explain this away or turn it into a twist ‘John McCain, war hero, running as man of peace’ he actively embraces it.” (James Fallows And Ralph Nader, “Who’s An Anti-Semite?” Slate Magazine, 4/30/02)
Edwards Proud Of His Career. “So let me be as clear as I can about this: I am proud of my career.” (Sen. John Edwards, Remarks To The California State Democratic Convention, 3/15/03)
Garnered More Than $175 Million. “He became rich [representing plaintiffs], racking up more than $175 million for his clients from 1985 to 1997 …” (James C. Mckinley, Jr., “A Journey From A Mill Town Ends With A Run For President,” The New York Times, 1/12/04)
Edwards’ Best Friends: Personal Injury Trial Lawyers And Their Cash
“[E]ven Political Professionals Seem Stunned By The Degree To Which [Edwards’] Candidacy Has Become A Wholly Owned Financial Subsidiary Of The National Tort Bar.” (Editorial, “Favorite Son Candidacy,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/21/03)
“Edwards Displayed Throughout His Political Life The Willingness To Use The Powerful Resources, Connections, And Riches Of His Fellow Trial Lawyers To His Advantage.” (Charles Lewis and The Center For Public Integrity, The Buying Of The President 2004, 2004, p. 310)
Edwards’ Spokesperson Jennifer Palmieri Stated, “We Have No Problem If 100 Percent Of Our Money Came From Trial Lawyers.” (Sharon Theimer, “Home-State Donors Give Big To Democratic Presidential Hopefuls,” The Associated Press, 4/15/03)
22 Of Top 25 Biggest Edwards Contributors Are Law Firms. “Trial lawyers have also been his most generous contributors. Of Edwards’s top 25 career patrons, 22 are law firms. (The remaining three are soft-money mogul and movie producer Stephen Bing, Goldman Sachs Group, and Wakefield Development, a real estate developer.)” (Charles Lewis and The Center For Public Integrity, The Buying Of The President 2004, 2004, p. 310)
Throughout His Political Career, John Edwards Has Received More Than $10.3 Million In Trial Lawyer-Related Donations. (Federal Elections Commission Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/03; Internal Revenue Service 527 Search Webpage, www.irs.gov, Accessed 5/03)
ü Edwards’ Presidential Campaign Has Received More Than $4.3 Million From Trial Lawyers, Family And Staff. (Federal Elections Commission Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 1/04)
ü Edwards’ Senate Committee Has Received More Than $2 Million From Trial Lawyers, Family And Staff. (Federal Elections Commission Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/03)
ü Edwards’ Federal PAC, New American Optimists, Has Received More Than $860,000 From Trial Lawyers, Family And Staff, Over 70% Of Total Itemized Contributions. (Federal Elections Commission Website, www.fec.gov, Accessed 5/03)
ü Edwards’ Soft Money 527 Committee, New American Optimists, Has Received More Than $3.2 Million From Trial Law Firms, Trial Lawyers And Family, 70% Of Total Contributions. (Internal Revenue Service 527 Search Webpage, www.irs.gov, Accessed 5/03)
Edwards Received At Least $45,000 From ATLA Leaders. “According to the Federal Election Commission’s website, Edwards accepted more than $24,500 from the National Officers and Executive Committee of ATLA and $20,500 from the Board of Trustees of ATLA’s Political Action Committee. The Board of Trustees of ATLA’s PAC determines the recipients of ATLA’s PAC contributions. In addition, The Washington Post reported that almost 63% of Edwards’ support comes from personal injury lawyers and law firms.” (American Tort Reform Association Press Release, “ATRA Campaign Exposes Edwards’ Double-Speak On Financial Support From Special Interests And Lobbyists,” 1/29/04)
During First Quarter Of 2003, “The [Edwards’] Campaign Paid More Than $83,000 To Five Law Firms For Use Of Their Private Planes.” (John Wagner, “Lawyers’ Planes Kept Edwards’ Campaign Aloft,” The [Raleigh] News & Observer, 4/17/03)
Justice Department Investigating Contributions Made To Edwards By Employees Of Law Firm Of Arkansas Trial Lawyer Tab Turner. “The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating contributions made to the Edwards campaign by employees of the law firm of Arkansas personal injury lawyer Tab Turner. At least one administrative staffer in Turner’s office expected to be reimbursed by the firm for her $2,000 donation to Edwards. If the allegation is true, it is a violation of federal election law.” (American Tort Reform Association Press Release, “ATRA Campaign Exposes Edwards’ Double-Speak On Financial Support From Special Interests And Lobbyists,” 1/29/04)
When Democrats Were In Majority, Fundraising Co-Chair Fred Baron Boasted That Trial Lawyers Ran U.S. Senate. “Fred Baron ... told a seminar ... that he objected to an editorial in [The Wall Street Journal] claiming that ‘the plaintiffs’ bar is all but running the Senate.’ ... [Baron] said, ‘Now I really, strongly disagree with that. Particularly the ‘all but.’” (“US Law Firms Inject Huge Sums Into Presidential Campaigns,” The Lawyer, 5/5/03; John H. Fund, Op-Ed, “Have You Registered To Sue?” The Wall Street Journal, 11/6/02)
Edwards Puts Personal Injury Trial Lawyer Buddies
Over Protecting American Business
Edwards’ “Arm-Twisting” Defeated Amendment To Terrorism Risk Insurance Act That Would Have Imposed Limits On Personal Injury Trial Lawyers’ Ability To Sue In Wake Of Terrorist Attack. “These ruminations on the increasingly weird captivity of the Daschle Democrats by the lawsuit industry come after a party-line vote on an amendment to impose modest limits on trial lawyers after a terrorist attack. Naturally, it was defeated thanks to manic arm-twisting by Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Senator John Edwards (himself a trial lawyer with White House aspirations).” (Editorial, “Tort Terrorism,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/20/02)
Edwards’ Allegiance To His Pocket Book - Medical Malpractice Lawsuits
Two Years Into Edwards’ Senate Term, He Was Scrutinized For Sponsoring Legislation That Made It Easier To File Lawsuits Against HMOs. “Tort reform activists point to tort lawyers cum lawmakers passing legislation that makes it easier to sue … Terrance Scanlon, president of the Capitol Research Center, cynically notes that Edwards ‘is now sponsoring a bill that would allow for huge lawsuits against health maintenance organizations, directly benefiting trial lawyers.’” (Geoffrey S. Underwood, “In The Tanks: Torts Tanks?” United Press International, 6/14/01)
Edwards Opposed Caps On Malpractice Awards. Edwards is unpopular among doctors and the medical profession because he supports unlimited awards in medical malpractice suits. (Jill Zuckman, “Medical Bill Debate Pits Doctor Vs. Lawyer,” Chicago Tribune, 6/24/01)
Edwards Voted Against Liability Limits Associated With Y2K Civil Suits
In July Of 1999, Edwards Voted Against Conference Report Of Y2K Liability Legislation That Capped Punitive Damages In Civil Suits Related To Millennium Computer Problems. (H.R. 775, CQ Vote #196: Passed 81-18: R 52-2; D 29-16, 7/1/99, Edwards Voted Nay)
In June Of 1999, Edwards Voted For Amendment That Would Have Removed Language From Y2K Liability Legislation That Protected Computer Companies From Frivolous Lawsuits. (S. 96, CQ Vote #161: Rejected 41-57: R 3-51; D 38-6, 6/10/99, Edwards Voted Yea)
EDWARDS ON IRAQ
Edwards Stated Saddam Had Weapons Of Mass Destruction
And Was Nuclear Threat
Edwards Said World, United States Not Secure While Saddam Hussein Still In Power. EDWARDS: “Well, I think the situation in Iraq is a very serious one. Saddam Hussein hates the United States. He’s been involved in developing weapons of mass destruction. He’s ignored the terms of the cease-fire agreement. He won’t allow the weapons inspectors, our weapons inspectors, into the country. So we have a very serious problem there. And we cannot allow him to continue in this effort to develop and foster weapons of mass destruction. And I think the bottom line is it’s very difficult to imagine a situation where the world is secure, the United States is secure, while Saddam Hussein is still in power. So, I think how we go about it, the timing of how we go about it, our judgments will have to be made when we finish what we’re doing right now. But the reality is, he’s a very serious threat to the security of the United States, to the security of the region and, in fact, to the security of the world.” (Fox News’ “Fox News Sunday,” 1/6/02)
Edwards Said Hussein Was “Obvious And Serious” Nuclear Threat Even If He Had No Weapons Before War. NBC’S TIM RUSSERT: “But if we cannot find the biological or chemical weapons, or evidence of an advanced nuclear program, what was the threat and why did we have to go to war when we did?” SEN. EDWARDS: “The threat was that this was a man who we knew was going to do everything in his power to acquire nuclear capability. And he was a different and distinct, unique kind of threat, because of his history, because of having started a war. We know that over a long period of time we made the effort, whether he, in fact, has them, had them at the time the war began or not, we know that over a long period of time he had been trying to acquire that capability. It is an obvious and serious threat to the stability of that region of the world. And Saddam Hussein, Tim, with nuclear capability, completely changes things.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 11/9/03)
Edwards Not “Misled” In His Belief That Hussein Was Nuclear “Threat.” MSNBC’S CHRIS MATTHEWS: “Let me ask you about – Since you did support the resolution and you did support that ultimate solution to go into combat and to take over that government and occupy that country. Do you think that you, as a United States Senator, got the straight story from the Bush administration on this war? On the need for the war? Did you get the straight story?” EDWARDS: “Well, the first thing I should say is I take responsibility for my vote. Period. And I did what I did based upon a belief, Chris, that Saddam Hussein’s potential for getting nuclear capability was what created the threat. That was always the focus of my concern. Still is the focus of my concern. So did I get misled? No. I didn’t get misled.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 10/13/03)
Before War, Edwards Favored Attacking Iraq With Coalition Of The Willing, Even Without UN, French, Russian Approval; Evidence “Overwhelming.” MATTHEWS: “Would you go it alone in a war against Iraq if the U.N. finally decides not to back us? If the French, the Russians or the Chinese veto us, would you still go ahead and fight this war as the president seems to be heading to doing?” EDWARDS: “I would go forward with the allies that we have with us, yes.” MATTHEWS: “You’d go without the U.N.?” EDWARDS: “Yes.” MATTHEWS: “What’s he doing wrong?” EDWARDS: “With respect to Iraq specifically?” MATTHEWS: “Yes.” EDWARDS: “I think he’s doing the right thing now with respect to Iraq. I think the secretary of state made the case eloquently yesterday at the United Nations. I think Saddam Hussein is a serious threat. He started a war, actually started two wars, he agreed to disarm, it’s the only reason he’s still in power. He’s not disarmed, the evidence is overwhelming. You know this – I spent a lot of time, as you know, in courtrooms. This is a powerful case and an easy case to make. This guy has to be disarmed. He cannot be allowed to get nuclear capability...” MATTHEWS: “Right.” EDWARDS: “... and it requires military action, we should be willing to take military action.” MATTHEWS: “So are you ready to go now to war? Have you got enough evidence as a senator from the United States, from this state, do you have enough evidence to support the United States going it alone right now, Iraq?” EDWARDS: “Going forward with the allies who will support us, yes.” MATTHEWS: “The war with Iraq?” EDWARDS: “Yes, if we have – this man has to be disarmed. If he doesn’t do something to start disarming, then, yes we have to disarm him, and we should be willing to do it militarily.” MATTHEWS: “OK, are you willing to take responsibility for all that entails?” EDWARDS: “Yes.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 2/6/03)
Edwards Would Have Made Case Against Iraq Years Earlier. EDWARDS: “No, I think it’s a combination of two things. One is we didn’t do an effective job in the beginning of making what I believe is a very powerful case for taking out Saddam Hussein and getting...” MATTHEWS: “What would you have done...” EDWARDS: “... rid of his weapons of mass destruction...” MATTHEWS: “... if you’d been president the last two years?” EDWARDS: “I would have done it in the very beginning.” MATTHEWS: “Before 9/11?” EDWARDS: “Oh, yes, absolutely. I would have been – I would have been talking about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and the action that we were considering...” (CROSSTALK) MATTHEWS: “In other words, you supported going to war with Saddam Hussein before 9/11? You just said that.” EDWARDS: “Would you let me finish?” MATTHEWS: “No, I want you to complete that thought.” EDWARDS: “I will. I have been on the Intelligence Committee for the last couple of years. During that time there’s been increasing evidence that Saddam Hussein in addition to what he’s done in the past, has been in the process of developing weapons of mass destruction.” MATTHEWS: “Right.” EDWARDS: “I think we should have been during that period of time making this case to our allies around the world. Now, the decision about whether to go to war and what action to take and whether in fact we were willing to consider military action...” MATTHEWS: “Right.” EDWARDS: “... that’s something that’s occurred over the course of the last few months.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 2/6/03)
Edwards, Following Service On Intelligence Committee, Supported Iraq Invasion As Necessary To End Hussein’s WMD, Nuclear Threats. CNN’S WOLF BLITZER: “Senator Edwards, you’re the Democrat at this table and you’re the hawk. You early on came in and said there is a clear and present danger from Saddam Hussein and it’s time for the United States to take military action if necessary. But then, later in the week, you seemed to be critical of the president on some other foreign policy issues, the entire approach that he was taking.” EDWARDS: “Well, first, with respect to Iraq, Wolf, my feeling has been as a member of the Intelligence Committee and sitting for month after month listening to briefings about Hussein’s development of weapons of mass destruction, biological, chemical, making every effort he could make to get nuclear capability. I think Chuck [Hagel] is right about this strong vote in the Senate and the House sending a clear signal to the world and strengthening our hand at the U.N. That’s important. But a second issue, an enormously important issue for me, is, I don’t believe we can allow Saddam Hussein to have nuclear weapons. I think that has an extraordinary impact not only on America’s security, Israel’s security, but in fact the stability of that entire region of the world. So, Chuck and I agree completely about the need – and this is what you’ve just made reference to – about the need to go to the U.N., the need to work with our allies, the need to send a clear signal to the world that we’re not just interested in America’s interest, but in fact, we care about the safety, the stability and the security and having a peaceful world.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 10/13/02)
Edwards Distrusted Hussein Weapons Declarations; “We Cannot Allow [Hussein] To Get Nuclear Weapons.” EDWARDS: “Well, I’m very suspicious about Saddam Hussein, very suspicious in general, very suspicious about this declaration. We’re still in the process of evaluating it. I think we ought to finish that. And I do hope that military intervention will not be necessary. We cannot allow Saddam...” CROWLEY: “But if this paper that you’re looking at does, indeed, prove riddled with omissions and falsities, then we need to go in?” EDWARDS: “We have to disarm Saddam Hussein. We cannot allow him to get nuclear weapons. I’m not going to make a prejudgment about this document. We’re not finished with it yet, and about the level of the seriousness of the breach, if there is a breach. There’s a process that we’re involved in with the U.N. right now. But at the end of the day, I’ve made very clear from the beginning that if it is necessary, we should be willing to use military force to make sure that this man does not get nuclear weapons.” (CNN’s “Inside Politics,” 1/2/03)
Edwards “Knew” That Iraq Had Biological And Chemical Weapons, And Was An Increasing Nuclear Threat. EDWARDS: “We know that he has biological, we know that he has chemical. And I was listening to Putin talk just a minute ago. We also know that every single day that goes by he’s increasing the likelihood of having nuclear capability.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 10/13/02)
Edwards Saw Hussein As “Enormous Threat To Us.” EDWARDS: “Because I think we know this man is an enormous threat to us, to the people in that region. And we know that every single day – we can’t be certain about what our intelligence tells us. I mean, we don’t have accurate information about where he is in the development of nuclear weapons, but we know he’s doing everything in his power to get them. And if, Wolf, he’s able to buy this fissile material, the raw material on the black market, he could be six to nine months from having nuclear weapons.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 10/13/02)
Edwards Warned Hussein “Already Has Biological And Chemical Weapons” And Was A Potential Nuclear Threat. EDWARDS: “I agree with the president that we cannot allow Saddam Hussein to get nuclear weapons. He already has biological and chemical weapons, and I think he’s a very serious threat to America, to Israel, to that entire region of the world. I think what we should do is work through the U.N., get a response – hopefully, we’ll get a strong resolution from the U.N. – and, in the meantime, continue to work with our allies all over the world to build some international consensus. And I think doing what the president’s doing tonight, going to the American people and laying out the case for why this action is necessary or why action is necessary, is also important.” (Fox News’ “The Big Story With John Gibson,” 10/7/02)
Edwards Supported Giving President Authority To Deal With Hussein And His WMD. EDWARDS: “Well, I think what he’s asking for is that he have the authority to do what he needs to do to deal with Hussein and – and his weapons of mass destruction, biological, chemical and potentially nuclear. And if that requires regime change, then – then we would give him authority to do that. And I think that I will happen, by the way.” (NBC’s “Today,” 9/20/02)
Edwards Supported “Making Every Effort” For U.N. Resolution, But Wouldn’t Be Bound By That. EDWARDS: “Well, I don’t know, Katie. I think we’re making every effort to get a resolution for the United Nations. I think that’s a good thing. I think we need to make a serious, legitimate effort to do that. But at the end of the day, we can’t be bound by that. We need to work with whatever allies we can – we can bring to this proposition and take the action that needs to be taken.” (NBC’s “Today,” 9/20/02)
Edwards Said America Should Not Be “Bound By What The United Nations Does.” FOX NEWS’ JOHN GIBSON: “Senator Edwards, have you become convinced that the Congress should give President Bush a resolution to act in Iraq?” EDWARDS: “Yes, I think the Congress needs to act and act as quickly as possible. We need to send a clear signal that we’re willing to -- as a nation that we are united to take the steps necessary to -- all the steps necessary to rid the world of the threat of Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction.” GIBSON: “Do you think that the president should act, even if the United Nations does not grant him permission?” EDWARDS: “Oh, I don’t think we should be bound by what the United Nations does. I mean, we should do everything in our power to try to get the United Nations resolution. We should do everything in our power to try to build an ally – a group of allies and a coalition to support what it is we’re doing. But, at the end of the day, this is something that we have to show leadership on.” (Fox News’ “The Big Story With John Gibson,” 9/19/02)
Edwards Supported Action Against Iraq Regardless Of Any Ties To 9/11. EDWARDS: “But I think, separate and apart from 9/11, we have Saddam Hussein, a man who invaded another country, who started a war in 1991, who lost the war, and has, since that time, flaunted numerous, what, 16, 17 U.N. Security resolutions. He’s got weapons of mass destruction. He’s trying to get nuclear capability. This is a very serious situation, and I think it’s incumbent on us to take the action necessary to rid the world of this threat.” (Fox News’ “The Big Story With John Gibson,” 9/19/02)
Edwards Believed Military Intervention Would Be Necessary to Disarm Iraq. FOX NEWS’ JOHN GIBSON: “Do you believe there will be a military action or that Saddam Hussein will back down in some way, the inspectors will go back, and disarmament can occur without our acting militarily?” EDWARDS: “Well, disarmament is the goal, and that’s the place we’re trying to get to. You know, this is a man who’s lied consistently in the past and shown a complete willingness to flaunt the international community. His history certainly gives us no indication that he’s going to go about this weapons inspection regime in any kind of serious way. So the answer is I seriously doubt that a weapons inspection effort is going to be successful. I suspect a military intervention will be required.” (Fox News’ “The Big Story With John Gibson,” 9/19/02)
Edwards Called Iraq “The Most Serious And Imminent Threat To Our Country.” EDWARDS: “I think Iraq is the most serious and imminent threat to our country. And I think they – as a result, we have to, as we go forward and as we develop policies about how we’re going to deal with each of these countries and what action, if any, we’re going to take with respect to them, I think each of them have to be dealt with on their own merits. And they do, in my judgment, present different threats. And I think Iraq and Saddam Hussein present the most serious and most imminent threat.” (CNN’s “Late Edition,” 2/24/02)
Edwards Said Hussein “Continuing To Develop And Proliferate Weapons Of Mass Destruction.” EDWARDS: “I think that a lot of us, including myself, believe that the regime change in Iraq is going to be necessary, given what’s happened with Saddam Hussein, his not letting the weapons inspectors in, continuing to develop and proliferate weapons of mass destruction. We can’t let this continue. We are going to have to do something.” (CNN’s “Wolf Blitzer Reports,” 2/15/02)
Edwards Said American People Know Saddam Was Direct Threat. EDWARDS: “I think the American people should, particularly considering what happened on September 11, understand that what happens half a world away has a direct impact on their lives. I think they’ve been very supportive of this war on terrorism. I think they’ll be supportive of whatever action is necessary with respect to Saddam Hussein. Most Americans know who Saddam Hussein is. They understand that he is a menace and they understand that he is a direct threat not only to them and to the interests of the United States, but to our allies in that region.” (CNN’s “Wolf Blitzer Reports,” 2/15/02)
