John Edwards for President-September

September 2007

I'm Desperate for Change

James Denton
9/28/2007 at 5:20 PM CT

James Denton plays Mike Delfino on ABC's hit TV show Desperate Housewives.

This weekend, I'm thrilled to be in Iowa to campaign for the one candidate who's shown the courage to lead on every single issue in this election -- Senator John Edwards.

It's so important that we elect a president this cycle who actually listens to the America people, and who has the backbone to stand up to special interests and fight to make sure every American has the opportunities to get ahead. John has been doing that his whole life, and that's exactly what he'll do as our President.

Tomorrow and Sunday, Cate Edwards and I will be traveling throughout Iowa to meet with caucus goers and talk to them about John's plans to end the war in Iraq, provide health care for every American, put an end to global warming, and eradicate poverty.

Click here to see where Cate and I are going to be. I hope to see you at one of our stops!

Click here to discuss

Race for President Comes to the Knoxville Raceway

George Stern
9/27/2007 at 6:38 PM CT

If you make it to Knoxville, Iowa for the inaugural Knoxville Mid-States 305 Championship Sprint over the next three days, make sure to watch for the #8 car. The open wheeled red and black Chevrolet winged sprint car will be covered in decals advertising the John Edwards campaign.

The car is owned by Lee Clark, a member of UAW Local 74 and a big supporter of John. Here's what he had to say:

"I believe John Edwards is the best person for the job. He has the best plans on the two most important issues this year, true universal health care and helping family farmers. I want to do anything I can to help him get elected and hopefully this will help get his message in front of race fans who need a strong leader like John in the Oval Office."

Our campaign staff and volunteers will be at Knoxville Raceway from Thursday, September 27th - Saturday, September 29th to sign up supporters and highlight John's plans to revitalize rural America during the three day event.

You can read more about the car here. We hope to see you there!

Click here to discuss

The Debate Reviews Are In: "Strongest Performance" Came from John Edwards

Dan Leistikow
9/27/2007 at 3:52 PM CT

Yesterday, our supporters gathered at 44 debate watch parties across Iowa to watch MSNBC's Democratic Presidential debate in Hanover, NH, and they were treated to a strong and commanding performance from John Edwards.

John shaped last night's debate and made the differences between himself and the other candidates crystal clear on Iraq, Iran, health care, Social Security -- on every key issue.

Not surprisingly, his performance is generating some buzz online -- both nationally and here in Iowa. Marc Ambinder, a prominent national blogger posted: "Edwards was Edwards on Centrum Silver: straightforward, confident, clear, knowledgeable, thoroughly encased in his own frame." And closer to home, Iowa blogger Lynda Waddington wrote: "Strongest performance came from former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards."

Debate Watch Parties!

George Stern
9/26/2007 at 1:24 PM CT

This evening, MSNBC is hosting a Democratic Presidential Debate in Hanover, New Hampshire. The debate airs live from 8-10 PM central time and our supporters here in Iowa are gathering at 44 parties throughout the state to watch it together.

These parties are the perfect opportunity to meet other supporters, enjoy the debate, and learn about how we can work together to help elect John Edwards president.

Click here to find a debate watch party near you.

And make sure to tell your friends and family to tune in to MSNBC at 8 PM CT tonight!

Restoring the Promise of America's Schools

George Stern
9/21/2007 at 10:17 PM CT

After unveiling a comphrehensive plan in May to expand opportunity through College for Everyone, Senator Edwards gave a major policy speech in Des Moines today outlining his complete education plan.

He talked about the need not only to better fund our public schools and give better pay to our teachers, but to reform schools too, starting with a major overhaul of No Child Left Behind. He spoke about the Bush administration's failed approach of relying solely on tests to assess students, saying: "Teachers, not tests, are the single most important factor in successful schools."

He stressed the importance of universal, high-quality preschool to help children get a head start on their education. And he also outlined the importance of service and life experience that can be achieved through high school community service requirements: "Citizenship and the value of serving others are lessons better taught through experience than textbooks."

And after laying out all the specifics of his plan, Senator Edwards explained why education is so important to him, and why restoring the promise of America's schools is so important for our country:

"This issue is personal for me because I came up through public schools. My entire childhood, I went to schools in rural areas where most people didn't go on to college, where most people lived in the same town their entire lives.

"I was the first in my family to go to college. And when I got there, I remember feeling like I was a little rough around the edges. Like maybe I was a little too country. Like maybe I didn't fit in. But then I remember thinking about how I got there, and I realized that this was what makes America great. It didn't matter where I came from. It didn't matter that when I was born, my father had to borrow $50 to take my mother and me home from the hospital. It didn't matter that I grew up in parts of America that are usually forgotten.

"What mattered was that I had teachers who inspired me. What mattered was that I had teachers who cared about me, teachers who, along with my parents, taught me that by working hard and living right, anyone could live the American dream. What mattered was that I had teachers who made me feel empowered, who inspired in me a sense of possibility and a sense that I could be anything I wanted to be.

"What mattered was that even though I was born in a poor community, my public education provided me with the three things every child in America should have: the preparation I needed to enter the world of work, the opportunity to attend college, and the tools I needed to become an active member of my community.

"But my story should not be the exception. It should be the rule. Every child in America deserves to have the opportunities I did. Every child in America deserves to have the kinds of teachers that I had.

"As president, I will work tirelessly until we can say to every child in America, it doesn't matter where you were born, or who your parents are, or what color your skin is, or what country your family came from. It doesn't matter if your father works in a mill or on Wall Street. None of that matters, because this is America. And whether you are born in a poor neighborhood or a rich one, you will have the preparation you need to enter the world of work. You will have the opportunity to attend college. And you will have the skills you need to become an active member of your community...

"We are all in this together. Because this is not about politics. This is about who we are as a nation. This is about achieving our deepest aspiration: a country where birth doesn’t dictate destiny."

Click here to discuss

Major Education Policy Speech in Des Moines

George Stern
9/21/2007 at 12:04 PM CT

Today, in Des Moines, Senator Edwards will deliver a major education policy speech at Brody Middle School where he'll unveil his plan to radically overhaul the No Child Left Behind Act and ensure that every child in America gets the quality education they deserve.

Senator Edwards' plan for Restoring the Promise of American Schools is based on three guiding principles: every child should be prepared to succeed when they show up in the classroom; every classroom should be led by an excellent teacher; and every teacher should work in an outstanding school.

Additionally, today our campaign unveiled a 214-member strong Iowa Education Professionals for Edwards organization. The Iowa Education Professionals for Edwards organization consists of a wide-ranging group of Iowans - from classroom teachers to support professionals to superintendents and principals and other education professionals - who understand the needs of our students and are dedicated to ensuring our children get a quality education.

The organization will advise Senator Edwards and our campaign on education issues facing Iowa families and work with our staff in their area to spread the word about Senator Edwards' detailed and specific plan to restore the promise of America's schools to our children.

Make sure to check back later today when we post pictures and reports from the address in Des Moines.

Click here to discuss

Detailed Plans at the AARP Forum

Dan Leistikow
9/20/2007 at 11:47 PM CT

Tonight in Davenport, Senator Edwards and four of the other Democratic candidates for president -- Senators Clinton, Dodd and Biden, and Governor Richardson -- participated in the AARP / Iowa Public Television presidential candidate forum.

The debate covered a wide range of issues -- health care, social security, workers rights and benefits, taxes, global warming, Iraq -- and on each one, Senator Edwards distinguished himself with his substantive and specific plans.

On health care, Senator Edwards talked about his detailed universal health care policy and described how he intends to fight the drug companies head on to get it passed:

"[The lobbyists] stand between America and the universal health care we need. We desperately need a president who is not working on compromising with these people."

On his plan for ending the war in Iraq:

"If I were President today I would draw 50,000 troops out immediately and all combat troops out in nine to ten months."

On tax relief:

"I think we need tax cuts for the middle class. I myself have proposed middle class tax cuts...We need to make sure that the wealthiest Americans pay their share so that middle class Americans and the lowest income Americans who are struggling to get by can get some relief."

And John received the biggest applause of the entire forum when he described his plan to protect pensions:

"If we want to ensure that people when they retire have pensions, then we need to strengthen the rights of workers to organize into unions."

Earlier today, Senator Edwards also rolled out his plan for older Americans and had this to say:

"It's time for a new kind of declaration of independence -- a commitment to helping older Americans live independently, with choice over their health care, financial security and lifestyle. It's not enough to congratulate ourselves on living longer, if we are not living stronger."

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