Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, Senator John Edwards received the endorsement of Sergeant John Bruhns, an Iraq veteran and former legislative representative for Americans Against Escalation in Iraq. Bruhns enlisted in the Army after 9/11 and served in Iraq for a year in the battalion hat took part in the first day of the invasion.

"As someone who served in the U.S. military honorably for eight years I am saddened by what has come of America," Bruhns said. "It is absolutely heartbreaking to go overseas to fight a war just to come home to see your fellow Americans unemployed, in debt, down on their luck, and living hand-to-mouth. The American people are ready for a complete change from what we have lived through with the disgraceful and tragic presidency of George W. Bush. We need a president that will respect and fight for the rights of all Americans.

"I strongly believe that John Edwards is the best candidate running for the presidency of the United States," Bruhns continued. "I believe that he will be strong at home and abroad. I believe that he has the best plan to end poverty, protect American jobs, and restore hope to the middle class. Most importantly, I believe wholeheartedly that he will end the war in Iraq and that he would never send our brave men and women in uniform into harms way unless it is absolutely necessary."

"I am honored to receive Sergeant Bruhns' endorsement," said Senator Edwards. "His commitment to serving our country should serve as an example to all of us. I look forward to working with him to expand economic opportunity at home and to restore America's moral authority in the world. Together, we can create the better America we believe in."

To read Bruhns' full endorsement of Edwards, click here.

"Senator Clinton tonight articulated George Bush’s argument for staying in Iraq. Senator Clinton said we need to keep troops in Iraq for multiple missions, including training Iraqis and fighting al Qaeda. But we fight al-Qaeda in countries all over the world without occupying those countries. For over a year, John Edwards has provided a very specific plan to end the war in Iraq. The bottom line is Senator Clinton still refuses to provide a specific plan and still won’t commit to a timeline for withdrawal. And keeping troops in Iraq to fight Iran, as the resolution Senator Clinton just voted for would do, could even expand the missions in Iraq.

"This is a real difference between Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton. Senator Clinton says she wants to end the war, but she also says she will keep combat missions in Iraq. Keeping combat missions in Iraq means she will extend the war. John Edwards will end the war.

"John Edwards' plan for Iraq is very simple: No combat troops. No combat missions. No combat, period. And not by 2013, by 2009."

"Yesterday’s news that the Bush Administration granted unorthodox immunity agreements to Blackwater employees is extremely disturbing -- and another symptom of the corrupt nexus between private security firms and the Beltway politicians who shelter and feed them.

"These immunity agreements could prevent investigators from learning the truth about these mercenaries' involvement in the recent deaths of 17 civilians in Iraq. They will also undermine America's moral reputation just at a time just when we most need to succeed in winning the hearts and minds of Iraqis.

"I urge Congress to investigate who in the Bush State Department was responsible for this decision and to explore whether anyone from the White House requested these agreements. I also ask the Department of Justice to redouble its efforts to investigate and prosecute all liable parties for the attacks in Iraq."

Join Elizabeth Edwards for a House Party in Brentwood
CLICK HEREFriday October 26, 2007 - 3:45p.m.
Home of Tracy and Thayne Waldron
69 South Rd
Brentwood, NH

Join John Edwards for a Town Hall in Exeter
CLICK HEREMonday October 29, 2007 - 4:45p.m.
Exeter Town Hall
10 Front Streer
Exeter, NH

Join Elizabeth Edwards for a House Party in Hampstead
CLICK HERESaturday October 27th, 2007 - 10:00am
Home of Gail and Marty London
104 Faith Drive
Hampstead, NH

Join John and Elizabeth Edwards for a House Party in Londonderry
CLICK HERESunday October 28th, 2007 - 6:30pm
Home of Cathleen Stuart
16 Sparhawk Drive
Londonderry, NH

"Today President Bush will ask for another $46 billion from Congress to fund operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This request comes on top of his original request for $140 billion and confirms that his administration is pressing on with the only Iraq strategy it has ever had—more time, more troops and more war.

"Enough is enough. The American people voted for change last November and now, almost a year later we still have the status quo. Once and for all Congress must stand up to President Bush and pass a funding bill with a timetable for withdrawal. If the president vetoes that bill, Congress must send it back, again and again, as many times as it takes for the president to finally get the message that he can't defy the American people. Every member of Congress who believes this war must end has the moral responsibility to use every tool available to them, including a filibuster, to send the president one simple message: No timeline, no funding. No excuses."

"Five years ago tonight, Congress voted to authorize the president to use force against Iraq. Unlike Senator Clinton, I have apologized for my vote in support of that bill. This war has become one of the greatest disasters of American foreign policy. In light of the terrible mistruths that permitted this president to guide our nation to war, voters have a right to honest answers and straight talk from those running for president. That is why I have made it clear that I oppose the Iraq war, why I have offered a specific plan on how I will end this war as president, and why I have made my position very clear on Iran.

"Unfortunately, political rhetoric aside, Senator Clinton has no specific plan to end the war in Iraq. Instead, she refuses to commit to a specific timeline for withdrawal and has made it clear that she will continue 'combat missions' in Iraq. The Washington Post reports today that Senator Clinton has described multiple missions that would require us to keep combat troops in Iraq—from protecting the Kurds to countering the Iranians to training Iraqi troops to protecting oil to a vague need to 'protect our interests.' These missions would just be excuses to justify continuing George Bush's failed strategy in Iraq.

"Now, we are again facing another challenge: whether to let the president go to war with yet another country, Iran. Evidently, Senator Clinton and I learned two very different lessons from the Iraq war. I learned that if you give President Bush even an inch of authority, he will use it to sanction a war. As the New Yorker recently reported, the administration is actively preparing plans to attack Iran. Despite this clear evidence, Congress recently passed a bill to declare Iran's Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization, a bill Senator Clinton supported and that takes this nation one step closer to war. While Senator Clinton tries to argue both sides of the issue, the truth is her vote opens the door for the president to attack Iran. I believe we must not allow the president to use force against Iran when so many other diplomatic and economic options are still available."

"The recent incidents of violence involving Blackwater contractors in Iraq, including the shooting of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad last month, have caused tremendous damage to America's battle for the hearts and minds of Iraqis. These incidents hurt America's moral standing, both in Iraq and around the world. And they serve as a tragic reminder of how the Bush Administration has outsourced our military responsibilities to corporate contractors and political cronies who operate outside of the rules of engagement and without any meaningful oversight." -- John Edwards

About 50,000 private contractors are currently working on security and military missions in Iraq. Their tasks can include loading weapons systems, operating combat systems and guarding diplomats. In many instances, security contractors actually engage in combat. However, they frequently lack rules of engagement, an operational command and legal oversight. [The New York Times, October 1, 2007; Singer, 2007]

The Bush Administration's outsourcing of security tasks to private industry and political cronies, combined with its poor management and oversight, has led directly to disasters like the recent tragedy involving a convoy operated by Blackwater, an independent contracting firm that guards State Department employees. In September 2007, a Blackwater convoy was involved in a firefight in Baghdad that left at least 8 Iraqi civilians dead. And this is not the first time Blackwater has gotten into trouble. Blackwater contractors have been in nearly 200 shootings in Iraq in the last two years—in most cases firing from moving vehicles without stopping to count the dead or assist the wounded. Their forces have been involved in the shootings of innocent bystanders, a traffic accident where an Iraqi vehicle went up in flames, and an incident in which a drunken Blackwater contractor allegedly killed a security guard of the Iraqi vice president in 2006. Other security contractors were involved in the Abu Ghraib interrogator scandals. [House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 2007; Singer 2007]

Events like these have caused tremendous damage to America's battle for the hearts and minds of Iraqis. Even worse, security contractors can escape responsibility for alleged misconduct. There does not appear to be any clear legal authority to prosecute Blackwater for the recent event in Baghdad, or the operational command to prevent such incidents in the future.

Such catastrophes have at least three causes. First, the president's disastrous management of the Iraq War and the administration's poor intelligence and planning of missions has required the outsourcing of security functions from the professional military. Second, President Bush has pursued an ideological doctrine that enriches corporate cronies at the expense of good governance and sound policy. Third, Republican policymakers have made an end-run around the main purpose of the modern, post-Vietnam all-volunteer force: that we should not go to war without the backing and involvement of the people. [Singer, 2007]

We must end our current system of outsourcing security missions to private contractors. John Edwards believes we need to return to a military that responds to the will of the American people and that puts all personnel under clear operational command and the rule of law. As president, he will fundamentally reform our system for security contractors by restoring democracy, expanding the rule of law, getting cronyism out of the system and ensuring accountability.

Restore Democracy to Our Military Decisions About the War

We must put the democracy back in our military and prevent a disaster like the continuation of the Iraq War –despite the opposition of the overwhelming majority of Americans – from ever happening again. Because contractors neither enlist in the services nor have servicemembers' substantial training or service requirements, they can be used without accountability. As president, Edwards will transfer most security missions currently performed by contractors back to military command, narrowly limit the circumstances under which security contractors can be engaged, and bring all security contractors within the Pentagon's chain of command.

Expand Legal Oversight and Prosecutions

The Military Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) covers contractors, but only those employed by the Department of Defense. As president, Edwards will ask Congress to amend MEJA to cover contractors employed by any U.S. agency. He will also work with his Attorney General to ensure criminal allegations involving contractors are always investigated and, when appropriate, prosecuted. Finally, there should never be a mystery about when contractors can use force and the penalties for improper actions. Edwards will charge his Secretary of Defense with establishing clear rules of engagement for contractors.

Get Cronyism out of Security Contracts

Political cronyism has no place when America's moral reputation, as well as the lives of our brave servicemembers, are at stake. As president, Edwards will ask Congress to pass legislation prohibiting campaign contributions by applicants for and recent recipients of security contracts, extending the ban to current contractors. He will also ask Congress to pass legislation to close the revolving door for government contractors by prohibiting former officials from working as contractors with business before their former offices for five years.

Establish Strong Quality Control and Accountability Measures

We have seen too much mismanagement and poor personnel choices under the Bush Administration, with a system that lacks clear and consistent measures to insure the quality of contractor operations. As president, Edwards will charge his National Security Advisor with establishing a regular system of Quality Assurance Evaluations of contractors and will make sure that agencies exercise oversight.

Implement a Formal Evaluation of the Role of Contractors

Today, we do not have complete information on the role of security contractors in our security operations, as the Department of Defense appears incapable of even reporting how many are working for us in Iraq. As president, Edwards will order his Secretary of Defense to deliver a comprehensive accounting of all contractors performing security operations within the first six months of his administration. Edwards has also proposed the creation of a new National Security Budget that will include all security activities by the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies. Edwards will require this budget to include all funding requests for all contractors, so that Congress can better evaluate the role and value of security contractors in the future.

Plan will restore democracy to our military decisions about the war, expand the rule of law, ensure accountability and wipe out cronyism

Manchester, New Hampshire – Today, Senator John Edwards will unveil a plan to end the current system of outsourcing military and security missions to private contractors. Edwards' proposals will fundamentally reform America's oversight and use of security contractors in Iraq by restoring democracy to our military decisions about the war, expanding the rule of law, ensuring accountability by placing all personnel under clear operational command, and eliminating cronyism from the system of contract procurement.

"The recent incidents of violence involving Blackwater contractors in Iraq, including the shooting of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad last month, have caused tremendous damage to America's battle for the hearts and minds of Iraqis," said Edwards. "These incidents hurt America's moral standing, both in Iraq and around the world. And they serve as a tragic reminder of how the Bush Administration has outsourced our military responsibilities to corporate contractors and political cronies who operate outside of the rules of engagement and without any meaningful oversight.

"As president, I will end our current system of outsourcing security missions to private contractors. It is imperative that we do so and return to an all-volunteer military that responds to the will of the American people."

About 50,000 private contractors are currently working on security and military missions in Iraq. Their tasks can include loading weapons systems, operating combat systems and guarding diplomats, and, in many instances, security contractors actually engage in combat. However, these contractors frequently operate without rules of engagement or legal oversight.

Later today, at the Seacoast Media Group Forum in Portsmouth, Edwards will outline a five-part plan to reform the oversight of security contractors:

Restore Democracy to Our Military Decisions About the War: Edwards will transfer most security missions currently performed by contractors back to military command, narrowly limit the circumstances under which security contractors can be engaged and bring all security contractors within the Pentagon's chain of command.

Expand Legal Oversight and Prosecutions: Edwards will ask Congress to expand the range of contractors covered by the Military Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction Act, and work with his Attorney General to ensure criminal allegations involving contractors are always investigated. He will also charge his Secretary of Defense with establishing clear rules of engagement for contractors.

Get Cronyism out of Security Contracts: Edwards will ask Congress to pass legislation prohibiting campaign contributions by applicants for and recent recipients of security contracts. He will also ask Congress to pass legislation prohibiting former officials from working as contractors for five years.

Establish Strong Quality Control and Accountability Measures: Edwards will charge his National Security Advisor with establishing a regular system of Quality Assurance Evaluations of contractors and will make sure that agencies exercise oversight.

Implement a Formal Evaluation of the Role of Contractors: Edwards will order his Secretary of Defense to deliver a comprehensive accounting of all contractors performing security operations and will propose the creation of a new National Security Budget that will include all security activities, so that Congress can better evaluate the role and value of security contractors in the future.

For further details, Edwards' Plan to End the Current System of Outsourcing Security Missions to Private Contractors is included below.

John Edwards' Plan to End the Current System of Outsourcing Security Missions to Private Contractors

"The recent incidents of violence involving Blackwater contractors in Iraq, including the shooting of Iraqi civilians in Baghdad last month, have caused tremendous damage to America's battle for the hearts and minds of Iraqis. These incidents hurt America's moral standing, both in Iraq and around the world. And they serve as a tragic reminder of how the Bush Administration has outsourced our military responsibilities to corporate contractors and political cronies who operate outside of the rules of engagement and without any meaningful oversight." -- John Edwards

About 50,000 private contractors are currently working on security and military missions in Iraq. Their tasks can include loading weapons systems, operating combat systems and guarding diplomats. In many instances, security contractors actually engage in combat. However, they frequently lack rules of engagement, an operational command and legal oversight. [The New York Times, October 1, 2007; Singer, 2007]

The Bush Administration's outsourcing of security tasks to private industry and political cronies, combined with its poor management and oversight, has led directly to disasters like the recent tragedy involving a convoy operated by Blackwater, an independent contracting firm that guards State Department employees. In September 2007, a Blackwater convoy was involved in a firefight in Baghdad that left at least 8 Iraqi civilians dead. And this is not the first time Blackwater has gotten into trouble. Blackwater contractors have been in nearly 200 shootings in Iraq in the last two years—in most cases firing from moving vehicles without stopping to count the dead or assist the wounded. Their forces have been involved in the shootings of innocent bystanders, a traffic accident where an Iraqi vehicle went up in flames, and an incident in which a drunken Blackwater contractor allegedly killed a security guard of the Iraqi vice president in 2006. Other security contractors were involved in the Abu Ghraib interrogator scandals. [House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform 2007; Singer 2007]

Events like these have caused tremendous damage to America's battle for the hearts and minds of Iraqis. Even worse, security contractors can escape responsibility for alleged misconduct. There does not appear to be any clear legal authority to prosecute Blackwater for the recent event in Baghdad, or the operational command to prevent such incidents in the future.

Such catastrophes have at least three causes. First, the president's disastrous management of the Iraq War and the administration's poor intelligence and planning of missions has required the outsourcing of security functions from the professional military. Second, President Bush has pursued an ideological doctrine that enriches corporate cronies at the expense of good governance and sound policy. Third, Republican policymakers have made an end-run around the main purpose of the modern, post-Vietnam all-volunteer force: that we should not go to war without the backing and involvement of the people. [Singer, 2007]

We must end our current system of outsourcing security missions to private contractors. John Edwards believes we need to return to a military that responds to the will of the American people and that puts all personnel under clear operational command and the rule of law. As president, he will fundamentally reform our system for security contractors by restoring democracy, expanding the rule of law, getting cronyism out of the system and ensuring accountability.

Restore Democracy to Our Military Decisions About the War

We must put the democracy back in our military and prevent a disaster like the continuation of the Iraq War –despite the opposition of the overwhelming majority of Americans – from ever happening again. Because contractors neither enlist in the services nor have servicemembers' substantial training or service requirements, they can be used without accountability. As president, Edwards will transfer most security missions currently performed by contractors back to military command, narrowly limit the circumstances under which security contractors can be engaged, and bring all security contractors within the Pentagon's chain of command.

Expand Legal Oversight and Prosecutions

The Military Extra-Territorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) covers contractors, but only those employed by the Department of Defense. As president, Edwards will ask Congress to amend MEJA to cover contractors employed by any U.S. agency. He will also work with his Attorney General to ensure criminal allegations involving contractors are always investigated and, when appropriate, prosecuted. Finally, there should never be a mystery about when contractors can use force and the penalties for improper actions. Edwards will charge his Secretary of Defense with establishing clear rules of engagement for contractors.

Get Cronyism out of Security Contracts

Political cronyism has no place when America's moral reputation, as well as the lives of our brave servicemembers, are at stake. As president, Edwards will ask Congress to pass legislation prohibiting campaign contributions by applicants for and recent recipients of security contracts, extending the ban to current contractors. He will also ask Congress to pass legislation to close the revolving door for government contractors by prohibiting former officials from working as contractors with business before their former offices for five years.

Establish Strong Quality Control and Accountability Measures

We have seen too much mismanagement and poor personnel choices under the Bush Administration, with a system that lacks clear and consistent measures to insure the quality of contractor operations. As president, Edwards will charge his National Security Advisor with establishing a regular system of Quality Assurance Evaluations of contractors and will make sure that agencies exercise oversight.

Implement a Formal Evaluation of the Role of Contractors

Today, we do not have complete information on the role of security contractors in our security operations, as the Department of Defense appears incapable of even reporting how many are working for us in Iraq. As president, Edwards will order his Secretary of Defense to deliver a comprehensive accounting of all contractors performing security operations within the first six months of his administration. Edwards has also proposed the creation of a new National Security Budget that will include all security activities by the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies. Edwards will require this budget to include all funding requests for all contractors, so that Congress can better evaluate the role and value of security contractors in the future.

Discusses new proposals to fundamentally reform American use of security contractors in Iraq

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, in a radio address airing on Air America Radio, Senator John Edwards previewed his new proposals to fundamentally reform American oversight and use of security contractors in Iraq. Edwards also noted how he differs from Senator Clinton on leaving combat troops in Iraq and on giving President Bush the authority to escalate conflict with Iran.

The Air America Presidential Project was created by Richard Greene, host of the new Air America weekday evening show Clout!, to encourage campaign finance reform. The network is allowing each presidential candidate to use free air time in early October to discuss their candidacies with Air America's national audience.

Edwards' radio address will be broadcast periodically throughout the day. Air America Radio is heard on 60 affiliates nationwide, including XM satellite radio. Edwards' address is also available as a podcast on the Air America website: http://www.airamerica.com/clout/node/61.

A full transcript of Edwards' address is included below:

"One of the most important issues facing this great nation is the war in Iraq that seems to have no end. I believe we must commit to actually ending the war in Iraq and reject the incremental triangulation we see inside the Beltway. Just last Sunday, Senator Clinton said that she would continue to conduct combat missions in Iraq. I don't agree with her position. I believe if you're not ending combat operations, you're not ending the war.

"My position on the Iraq war is very clear. For over a year, I have called for an immediate withdrawal of 40,000 to 50,000 troops—to jumpstart the comprehensive political solution that will end the violence in Iraq and will allow a complete withdrawal of all combat troops within 9 to 10 months. But while we need to make sure our next president is committed to actually ending the war in Iraq, our brave troops serving in Iraq should not have to wait till 2009.

"The American people voted for change last November and 11 months later we still have the status quo. Congress must be strong enough to stand up to President Bush and must pass a funding bill with a timetable for withdrawal. If the president vetoes that bill, Congress must send it back, again and again, as many times as it takes for the president to finally get the message that he can't defy the will of the American people. Every member of Congress who believes this war must end has the moral responsibility to use every tool available to them, including a filibuster, to send the president one simple message: No timeline, no funding. No excuses.

"I also believe it is time, once and for all, to end the Bush Administration's outsourcing of the Iraq war to security contractors. As the recent shootings of Iraqi civilians by Blackwater contractors in Baghdad reminds us, it is time we return to a military that responds to the will of the American people rather than outsourcing our military responsibilities to corporate contractors. Today, I will be unveiling a series of proposals that will fundamentally reform our system for security contractors and end the outsourcing of the Iraq war and any war.

"Finally, as I have said before, I believe the Iraq war was mistake and we cannot risk repeating this again in Iran. I voted for the war in Iraq, and I accept responsibility for my vote. It was wrong. Senator Clinton however seems to have learned a different lesson from her vote supporting the war. Senator Clinton recently voted to give President Bush the authority to take the first steps on the road to war with Iran. The truth is that I've learned from my mistakes. That you cannot give president bush even the first step in the authority to go to war because he cannot be trusted.

"So now, as you look forward to the coming election, I believe that now is the moment for the Democratic Party and the next president to offer the American people real change – and real change begins by ending the war in Iraq for good and denying President Bush the authority to start another war with Iran. I believe that is right course for America to take. And, with your support, we can and will change America for the better."

"Rush Limbaugh should be ashamed of himself for calling brave members of our military 'phony soldiers.' There's nothing phony about the sacrifices being made by any of our troops in Iraq. Two soldiers who bravely told the truth about flawed U.S. policy in an August New York Times op-ed died a very real death in Iraq three weeks ago. Limbaugh should apologize to these soldiers' families and to all the brave men and women in our armed forces fighting for the very freedoms he enjoys as an American every day. All Republicans and Democrats should join with me in condemning his disgusting words."