Nearly 300 undecided caucus-goers and supporters of former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards braved unseasonably warm temperatures when they filed into Vernon Middle School's gymnasium in Marion on Saturday afternoon. Many were expecting to hear the Democratic hopeful's patent message of hope. No one, however, was expecting him to be accompanied by arguably the campaign's best and most respected surrogate speaker, Elizabeth Edwards.

Not only did Elizabeth provide the introduction of her husband -- "the love of her life for the past 30 years" -- but she gave an audience member her thoughts following a question and performed "mommy walk" duties with Elle Marie, a fussy 4-month-old.

"[Elizabeth] just came up to me and told me to sit down and listen to her husband while she walked the baby around," said excited mom Angela Barltrop. "It was pretty neat. She told me that she needed her baby fix."

Elizabeth, who raised four children of her own, looked quite comfortable as she spent several minutes walking and bouncing the baby, who nearly immediately quieted and calmed. While she walked, she often stopped and exchanged words with members of the audience.

"I don't have the opportunity to hold babies very often," she whispered as she passed. "I'm loving this."

John Edwards gave his wife a quick smile when she began walking with the infant, but otherwise didn't let the incident distract him from the point of his visit.

"Our country needs a big change across the board," he said. "The Bush years have been great for oil companies, big insurance and drug companies, and military contractors, but not for regular Americans. From universal health care to making trade deals work for American workers, as president, I will stand up to the special interests and fight for hard-working families."

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Iowa "Take a Stand" Tour - Day 2

George Stern
10/07/2007 at 8:15 PM CT

On Saturday, the Take a Stand tour stopped in Waterloo, Winthrop, Marion, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Washington, Iowa. Pictures courtesy of our Iowa Deputy Press Secretary Mark McCullough who was on the road yesterday.

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Finding Good Luck in Iowa

Dan Leistikow
10/06/2007 at 1:52 PM CT

Elizabeth, Jack and Emma Claire joined us on the trail this morning, and we just finished a town hall meeting at McKinstry Elementary School in Waterloo.

After answering questions from caucus goers on global warming, middle east peace, solving the nursing shortage and other topics, John walked outside and held a press conference with members of the local and national media.

As John was answering a question from the press, Elizabeth walked up and handed him something.

"Did you find a four leaf clover?" he asked her.

"Yes -- and everything that means," Elizabeth responded with a smile.

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17-County Take a Stand Tour

George Stern
10/05/2007 at 11:42 AM CT

Today, John returns to Iowa for a four-day, 17-county "Take a Stand" tour across Iowa focusing on Iraq and ending abuses by military contractors.

From a series of community meetings to a canvass kickoff with members of the United Steelworkers to fundraisers on behalf of the Fayette, Buchanan and Johnson County Democratic Parties as well as State Representative Nathan Reichert, John will be talking directly with caucus goers across the state about his specific ideas for change.

Click here to see a full list of events and sign up to attend.

Throughout the tour, John will be talking about his plan to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home to the heroes' welcome they deserve. He will also be outlining his new plan to put an end to the abuses by private security contractors in Iraq.

We hope to see you at one of the stops along the way! If you can't make it to any of the events, be sure to check back here for reports from the road.

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Leading by Listening

Beth Walling
10/03/2007 at 9:17 PM CT

Beth is a volunteer for John Edwards, a child advocate, and Chair of Senator Edwards' Iowa Cabinet on Children and Youth.

On Monday night, I participated in the first of three policy forums John Edwards' campaign held throughout Iowa to give caucus goers a chance to learn even more about John's detailed policies. The topic of the forum at Broadlawns Medical Center in Des Moines was health care - an issue on which John has been leading throughout the entire campaign.

As an advocate for children, I have been asked to provide advice to Senator Edwards and his campaign on issues involving child welfare, health and education, and to serve as the Chair of Senator Edwards' Iowa Cabinet on Children and Youth. I was honored to participate in the panel discussion the campaign held on Monday night, which was attended by many undecided caucus goers who were eager to delve into the details.

I especially appreciate Senator Edwards' pro-active strategies. When it comes to investing in kids and making quality health care a birthright, John Edwards has given us specific details. Doing so allows Iowans to judge for ourselves the merits of his comprehensive plan. As someone who has looked at this closely, I can tell you that his plan to invest in children puts Edwards in a league of his own.

I am truly impressed at how the campaign has actively sought input not only from experts on children's issues, but from Iowans of all walks of life. Senator Edwards is deeply committed to being a voice for regular people, and that is reflected in his campaign.

Join Our Mobile List

George Stern
10/02/2007 at 6:29 PM CT

Last Friday, James Denton sent out a voice message to our Iowa mobile list to announce his trip with Cate Edwards and talk about why he supports John.

You can listen to the message here.

We send special news and updates via text and voice message to our mobile list a few times each month, so make sure to text Iowa to 30644 and ask your friends to do the same so you won't miss these exciting messages!

The Inside Scoop from James and Cate

Oliver Gottfried
10/01/2007 at 9:03 PM CT

Oliver Gottfried is our campaign's Deputy Iowa State Director.

On Saturday and Sunday, I traveled with Cate Edwards and James Denton to nine events across Iowa. Throughout the weekend, we were greeted by crowds of people eager to hear about John Edwards' personal side from his daughter, and hear from a star about what brought him to Iowa and why he believes this election is so important.

From hundreds of people stopping by our tailgate during the University of Iowa Homecoming, to enthusiastic student crowds at Coe, Grinnell, Drake, ISU, and Simpson, Cate and James got a great taste of how enthusiastic Iowa caucus goers are.

James talked about how he has supported John since 2003, and how he learned a valuable lesson from the Democrats' losses in 2004: that it's not enough to sit at home and hope your candidate wins, you need to go out there and work hard for it. James volunteered to come out to Iowa and do whatever he could to help the campaign -- even if it meant (as he put it) "licking envelopes or making calls."

As someone who grew up in a Republican family in a red state, James talked about how important it is to have someone like John at the top of the ticket in the General Election to help us win in Republican districts and swing areas of the country. As James himself said, as a lifelong Republican from middle America, he is the "poster child" for John Edwards' strength in the General Election.

Meanwhile, Cate gave us a great glimpse into what John Edwards is like off the campaign trail. When someone in Cedar Rapids asked her about what her relationship with her dad was like, considering that he'd spent a good part of her life in public office, she spoke fondly of how during his first two years in the Senate, he commuted between North Carolina and Washington so that she could finish her last two years of high school at home with her friends. He was -- and is -- a devoted father.

She also shared a story about how she and her dad used to dress up around Christmas time -- he as Santa Claus and she as an elf -- to deliver presents to kids from struggling families in Raleigh who otherwise might not have received gifts. It is part of a lifelong commitment he has to helping others, and his firm belief that each of us, even with small acts of kindness, can make a difference.

James said he's "desperate for change" in our country. Judging by the response he and Cate got over the weekend, so is Iowa.

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Why James Denton Supports John Edwards

George Stern
10/01/2007 at 12:37 PM CT

Check back soon for a full report of James Denton and Cate Edwards' exciting trip through Iowa this weekend.

In the meantime, click here to tell us why you support John Edwards.

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