Posted on 07/31/2005 11:46:28 AM PDT by NewMediaFan
MANCHESTER (NH) – John Edwards had the state’s largest city all to himself last night after U.S. Senate business kept John Kerry on Capitol Hill.
Throughout the 2004 presidential race, Democratic running mates Kerry and Edwards never campaigned together in New Hampshire.
When Kerry recently confirmed he would be huddling with early 2004 supporters the same night as the start of a three-day trip for Edwards, party activists got an unusually early dose of excitement.
Edwards arrived 50 minutes late for an annual fundraiser for Manchester Democrat Sen. Lou D’Allesandro and continued to insist that it’s much too early to talk about a run in 2008.
“I’m here for my good friend, Lou, that’s all,” Edwards told reporters.
D’Allesandro was a late-but-key supporter of the Edwards primary bid here. The romancing of D’Allesandro took up a whole chapter in a 2004 campaign book by USA Today columnist Walter Shapiro.
“He’s always out there fighting for the little guy and I totally respect that,” D’Allesandro said.
During an interview, Edwards condemned the White House for withholding some documents that Senate Democrats wanted on the personal views of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts.
Edwards said the papers are critical to review whether Roberts lobbied internally for socially conservative causes while working in the Reagan administration.
“I think the Senate is entitled to those documents, the things he wrote and said as a lawyer working for the United States,” said Edwards, who did not seek re-election to the Senate last November.
“There’s a difference between signing a brief in the court and voicing positions in the administration about which positions he should take.”
Edwards said the Bush administration needs to set a firm timetable for when training of Iraqis to protect their own country would be complete.
“They should be able to tell us when this training will be accomplished. The truth is, they have been slow to get the Iraqis trained, they weren’t prepared for all that’s happened,” Edwards said.
Meanwhile, Kerry’s plan for a private session with up to 50 early, 2004 backers got postponed Friday afternoon due to pending votes as Congress hurtled toward a summer recess.
Former Party Chairman Joseph Keefe was supposed to host the Kerry campaign reunion at his Manchester home.
“It was totally understandable, he’s down there doing his job,” Keefe said. “He’s going to be in the region throughout August and I’ve been told they want to reschedule this in the very near future.”
Republican state Chairman Warren Henderson said leading members of his party are careful not to step on one another’s schedule as Kerry had been prepared to do with Edwards.
“It suggests at least insensitivity. Let’s face it, during the campaign he projected the image that it’s always about Kerry,” Henderson said.
“Republicans are pretty scrupulously sensitive about not trying to upstage one another. This may be all about 2008, but it’s still only 2005.”
Many invited to meet privately with Kerry went over to the D’Allesandro party at the American Legion Sweeney Post.
Mary Ann Knowles of Hudson said she’s unclear if Kerry would decide to seek the White House a second time.
“If he does it, I’m all in for him,” said Knowles, whose own struggle with cancer and health insurance was a story Kerry talked about while campaigning across the country.
“I’m just not sure he can do it,” she said. “I know I was very beaten up after that campaign myself and he was at it for two years.”
Another early Kerry supporter from Manchester who asked not to be identified said she doesn’t know if she could back Kerry again.
“I’m not sure where I’ll end up,” she said. “We’ve got to have somebody tough enough to fight back against all those right-wing attacks.”
Shove a fork in him, he's done!
Desperately trying to remain relevant...
bring it on ed-eeeeee, we could use another few months of laughs. Who ever took this guy serious anyway?
Hmm, wonder why Edwards didn't have Senate business also?
Oh, wait..
Hillary is ROFLHAO.
I encourage the Democrats to go shopping for someone who is really tough, really vicous. Someone who will attack, attack, attack!
Democrat supporters are not looking for ideas or solutions to problems. They want to see blood in the street.
The best candidate for Dems will be someone who just relentlessly tears down everything the Republicans have done or plan to do.
BTTT
/snort....
..........
.....Bbwwwaaaahahahahahaha!!!
Why can't he speak for himself? Why's he have to have his mum speak for him?
John Edwards Career Plan:
Keep yourself in the public eye occassionally until you're old enough to do Viagra commercials.
Kerry taught Edwards that it's not important to show up for work.
Woody Allen, rumored by some to be another silent contender for the Democrat ticket 2008, could not be reached for comment.
Who?
Wow! Excitement in NH's largest city! Wow!
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