Posted on 09/21/2004 8:48:04 AM PDT by JesseHousman
Sen. John Edwards on Monday chided the president for his handling of the Iraq war, but the brunt of his speech at a Bond Hill rally focused on domestic issues that resonate with the residents of this blue-collar, predominantly African-American neighborhood. The Democratic vice presidential nominee from North Carolina spent most of his 30-minute speech at the Bond Hill Recreation Center talking about presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry's plan to create jobs, provide health care for all Americans, and provide affordable, quality education.
"We can do better," was Edwards' message to the crowd of about 300.
The Democratic Party has said the African-American vote is crucial to winning the Nov. 2 election. In the 2000 election, 93 percent of black voters voted Democratic.
At the beginning of the speech, Edwards took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and told the audience they should judge President George W. Bush by the five million Americans who have lost health care, four million who have fallen into poverty, and 1.6 million private sector jobs that have disappeared.
Edwards said he and Kerry plan to end tax breaks to companies that send jobs overseas and wealthy Americans, give tax cuts to the working class, increase the federal minimum wage, and finish welfare reform.
The former North Carolina trial lawyer also berated Bush for not doing anything to lower gas prices.
"We need a president and vice president whose not committed to the big oil companies in America," he said.
That message went over well with Gina Alexander, 53, of North Avondale, who said she wants a president who is not beholden to big business.
"I think it's about time" for Bush to go, she said.
Edwards also spent a significant amount of his time on stage talking about the health-care crisis in America, saying Bush's plan of "pray you don't get sick" doesn't work.
He said he and Kerry would make health care available to every American, allow Americans to buy prescription drugs from Canada, and force drug companies to be more truthful in their advertisements.
He got a laugh out of the crowd when he said drug companies make people believe that if they take certain prescription drugs that "you and your spouse will be skipping through the fields," he said. "John and I want real truth in ads."
Bond Hill resident Johnnie Barlow, 64, said she was glad Edwards talked about their plan for domestic issues. "These are the things I think I worry about."
Edwards' brief comments about the war in Iraq closely aligned those of Kerry, who during a New York rally on Monday, blasted Bush for making a series of bad decisions from the beginning of the invasion of Iraq.
Edwards said Bush told Americans he had enough troops in Iraq, a post-war plan and allies willing to support the effort -- all of which Edwards said was not true.
"The truth is that leaders of their own party -- have said what's happening in Iraq is a failure," he said.
Edwards referred to three Republican senators -- John McCain of Arizona, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Richard Lugar of Indiana -- who questioned the administration's handling of the war on talk shows on Sunday.
Hagel told "Face the Nation" on CBS that he didn't think the United States was winning the war. McCain told "Fox News Sunday" that the president has been "perhaps not as straight as maybe we'd like to see."
On ABC's "This Week," Lugar criticized the adminis-tration's failure to spend more than $1 billion out of $18 billion appropriated by Congress for Iraq reconstruction.
Edwards said he and Kerry would form stronger alliances with other countries, train Iraqi security forces, accelerate reconstruction, and make sure Iraq stays on schedule to hold elections in January.
At a campaign rally in New Hampshire Monday, Bush dismissed the four-point plan as proposing, "exactly what we're currently doing."
Vice President Dick Cheney also campaigned in Ohio Monday afternoon, and he and Edwards are scheduled to campaign in the state again today.
With 20 electoral votes, Ohio is one of a handful of states crucial to deciding the election.
The candidates, their representatives and family members have made frequent visits to the state and to Greater Cincinnati.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
i wouldn't want to bet the country on it.
Edwards does not know the price of milk (3.49 a gallon)!
Let alone gas 1.95 per gallon in San Diego. He is out to luch just like the rest of the DEMOFRAUD's.
Your mouth keeps moving, John, but all I hear is blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.
So... Edwards is looking for a new job after he loses in the presidential election and also loses his senate seat? And he wants health insureance, even though he's clearly been a part-timer for the last four or five years?
Maybe he can get a job clerking for a lawyer somewhere.
John Edwards = The invisible man.
Actually a lot of what sKerry and Edwards are saying is just recycled Republican campaignery.
If Bush lowered gas prices who would be the first ones out there accusing Bush of electioneering....tampering with gas prices to help his re-election bid?
Edwards also spent a significant amount of his time on stage talking about the health-care crisis in America,
This from a man who makes his living suing doctors and hospitals.
Righto, and I'm sure Breck Girl and his trial lawyer buddies had -nothing- to do with this.
Unfortunately, for us, our children and grandchildren, there are many Americans who believe this bullcrap. In fact there may be enough to elect another marxist president and that, unfortunately, would finish us off.
sKerry and Edwards need to be telling the illiterate electorate that they want to finish the important work begun by Clinton.
-"...make people believe that if they take certain prescription drugs that "you and your spouse will be skipping through the fields," he said."-
Actually, it's more commonly advertised that taking drugs brings on life-enhancing situations such as flatulence, diarrhea or constipation, and dry mouth; and occasionally, death.
Maybe Edwards only speaks to ignorant audiences so he won't run into someone who knows more than he does.
He and his running mate (whoever that is) are both about as smart as a box of rocks. It doesn't take many smarts to chase ambulances, draw up briefs or marry a billionairess.
Whether it's true or not.
His antics as a lawyer has already caused health insurance rates to rise, making them that much more out of reach for the general public.
"If yew have a phone.....yew have a lawyer.....let's talk about it...."
...when they pander to the center and the undecideds for votes.
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