Staff photo by Gordon Chibroski
John Edwards displays a University of Maine hockey
jersey given to him Wednesday by Gov. John Baldacci, right, in Orono.
Posted on 09/09/2004 9:40:31 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
ORONO — Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards used his first campaign visit to Maine on Wednesday to criticize President Bush's record while calling for changes both at home and abroad.
Edwards, the running mate of presidential nominee John Kerry, told an audience at the University of Maine that the situation in Iraq has created domestic problems. He accused Bush of spending billions on health care and education in Iraq while neglecting the same issues at home.
"So many things that are important in the lives of the American people are not taking place, but (the United States is spending) $200 billion and counting in Iraq. These things are completely connected," the North Carolina senator said.
Edwards instead offered a foreign policy that would bring NATO and other alliances to Iraq to offset the cost of the war. So far, the United States has spent $200 billion of taxpayers' money on a war that would have cost much less had the Bush administration lined up more allies, Edwards said.
Under a banner proclaiming "A Stronger America Beginning at Home," more than 6,000 people gathered to hear Edwards, who was stumping in what some see as one of the last undecided regions of New England. Maine is seen as a battleground state, with the sprawling 2nd Congressional District, which stretches from Lewiston to Fort Kent, expected to be the most hotly contested area. First lady Laura Bush will visit Lewiston on Friday in support of her husband.
"Edwards can't take (Maine) for granted," said Scott Canton, a 21-year-old student at the University of Maine.
Edwards, standing alone on a square stage, occasionally challenged about 75 Bush supporters who stood outside a secure area near the steps of the library. The Bush supporters waved signs that read "Flush the John" and chanted "four more years."
"He is nice-looking, but for this position I want someone who knows what he is doing," Orono Republican Mary Drew said.
Although touching on domestic issues such as federal spending on higher education and the decline of manufacturing jobs in Maine and other states, Edward's opened his speech by talking about the Bush administration's policies in Iraq. Kerry made similar comments about what he called Bush's go-it-alone approach to the war in a speech Wednesday in Ohio, The Associated Press reported.
Staff photo by Gordon Chibroski
John Edwards displays a University of Maine hockey
jersey given to him Wednesday by Gov. John Baldacci, right, in Orono.
Edwards criticized Vice President Dick Cheney for linking the chances for a future terrorist attack to the outcome of November's election. USA Today reported Cheney as saying in a speech Tuesday in Iowa that if voters back Kerry in the election, the United States could face another terrorist attack.
"John Kerry and I believe that fighting terrorism, keeping the American people safe from terrorism, keeping the American people safe, period, is not a Republican issue or Democratic issue. What we believe is it is an American issue," Edwards said.
But Peter Cianchette, Maine chairman of the Bush-Cheney campaign, said the vice president's speech highlighted the leadership the country needs in a time of terrorism.
Cianchette challenged Ed- wards' criticism of the amount of money spent so far in Iraq by quoting an interview Kerry gave last August, during which Kerry claimed he would increase funding in Iraq and spend what was necessary to be successful.
"It is yet another inconsistency," said Cianchette, who called Kerry and Edwards flip-floppers when it comes to Iraq and terrorism.
Although the war in Iraq took center stage in the presidential campaigns this week, university students at Wednesday's rally cited a variety of reasons for supporting the Kerry-Edwards ticket.
Josh Bridges, 21, a senior bio- logy major, emphasized Bush's views on abortion and stem cell research. "Bush is a little too conservative on everything," Bridges said.
Shelly Thomas, a 31-year-old graduate student, said Bush's environmental policy is a major reason she plans to vote against the president.
And horror writer Stephen King, who spoke before Edwards, called the current administration "dangerous" and "unpleasant," urging Mainers to get out and vote for Kerry.
"I'm here because I think this is the most important election of my lifetime," King said.
Staff Writer Mark Peters can be contacted at 791-6325 or at:
mpeters@pressherald.com 1/3 1/3 1/2
.. the North Carolina senator reserved his most pointed criticism for the outset of his speech as he blasted Vice President Dick Cheney for his recent remarks that America risks another terrorist attack if voters make the wrong election choice.
Bangor author Stephen King called "the most dangerous and unpleasant bunch we've had since the Nixon years."
After the event, where about 100 Bush supporters gathered to protest, Kerry supporters generally gave Edwards high marks for the speech, a mix of his standard stump speech from the primary and his convention address." Bangor Daily News
Plus: Nader gets OK for Maine ballot Decision disappointing to Democrats; five days allowed for appeal
Secretary of State's Office certified 4,128 voter petition signatures for Nader - 128 more than the minimum needed for ballot listing.
It just opens up the ad "Just like John Kerry voted against Defense during the Cold War, John Kerry wants to gut our military again."
Hey, Steve! Shutup and write!
LOL!
So the King of Creepiness endorses sKerry. Why oh why am I not surprised?
"Stephen King, who spoke before Edwards, called the current administration "dangerous"
Damn straight - this Administration is very dangerous if you are a terrorist.
I don't think the Kerry campaign expect to have to go to a New England state,that Gore won, this close to the election.
Funny they don't talk about the future "costs" of inaction and appeasement and having to deal with Iraq later.
Well said.
What's the cost? Where's the cash?
With my tongue, I'll give him a lash
Yo Condi Baby, give me five!
I'm a white boy, but I can jive!
You call what he writes good fiction, fiction it is good I am not so sure about.
But I bet he walks on the correct side of the road these days.
Who cares what a washed-up old has-been thinks?
Hasn't done that in years that I can see. I gave up on him after Cujo, when it became apparent that this guy was writing books to create characters in order to snuff them; I guessed it was some sort of weird passive-aggressive revenge fantasy for what I assume are problems in his non-writing life.
This should be a no brainer for the republican's to counter. Can a dollar amount be associated with a cost of freedom? Afghanistan did not have any WMD and look at the economic toll they caused to our coutnry. Should we have also waited for Iraq to strike us before we took action? Time to get Iraq behind us and move onto the other nations.
Slate considers Tennessee a swing state? If Gore couldn't win it, how do they expect Kerry to win it?
And horror writer Stephen King, who spoke before Edwards, called the current administration "dangerous" and "unpleasant," urging Mainers to get out and vote for Kerry.<<<
Mr. King got weirder after his accident. Mr. King has just lost his #1 fan. Tonight, I burn his books in the fireplace, I will never buy another.
Read the Gunslinger series. It's great. Neither The Talisman or Black House creates characters to snuff them. This was true in The Tommyknockers and in another of the early ones. Not so true in the post-Christine, Cujo, Pet Sematary world.
King is a 'peace-nazi'.....He was leading anti-war marches before the start of the Iraq War.
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