America Rising: If You've Only Heard About John Edwards, and what's Been said About John Edwards, Please Consider Hearing a Few Words from John Edwards, himself.

If I had voted this week, I would have voted for John Edwards.

His father was a millworker, although he could have been a mailman, eventually, I guess, since the mill shut down. Maria, you should look deep into John Edwards, and you would lose the confusion, I think.

Ron, you are right. This man has substance and integrity. He is not taking campaign contributions from special interest groups, which speaks louder than anything he could say. One of the reasons that I am behind this man so strongly is because of his background as a trial lawyer. He has sued big companies. He will stand up to them as president. This country has been taken over by oil companies and big corporations. It has been an incidious process over the course of the Bush presidency. It's about greed. I trust John Edwards to have the courage and strength to look out for us, the average American.

Ron, you are right, and if this Man, John Edwards ever got a fair shake from the Corporate media, He would have been in the White House today. Instead we got an elitist, who calls himself a man of the people, but was, "born with a silver foot in his mouth."

I am sorry, Ron, that you cannot see what the majority of America cannot see. Edwards is just another one of those elite that use their position in office as some sort of right to party on our money. The real business of the government hasn't been done in the past. Not since the 1800's, when Andrew Jackson, an non-elite, an average man, a soldier who fought for his country, won the Presidency.
Have you ever taken a good long look at the Obama platform? Now there is someone I can vote for with a good, clean, feeling.

Sally r.,
Obama is not an option for me, when there is a man of much greater commitment, to fix the things that ail us, the biggest being corporate government. Obama, nor Clinton, is really even serious about ridding us of that yoke about our neck. Your allegations lack substance as well, and are thrown out like you have some examples, so I'd be more than interested in hearing some specifics of the generalizations you throw out like pearls of wisdom.

Senator Obama was raised by his mother and her parents. In his book Dreams from my Father (who was from Kenya) he talked about his grandmother hitting the glass ceiling at the bank where she worked. He talked of how his mother and her parents got introduced first hand to racism in Texas (where they lived before moving to Seattle and then to Hawaii). From his writing I can see that Obama is well aware of issues that confront the ordinary citizen. I feel he doesn't dwell one this as much as some because he is concentrating on the positive. He wants all of us to work together to solve the problems we face.

I do respect John Edwards and ended up in his group at the 2004 caucus. He has a lot of support here in Iowa and I think he is going to do very well.

Obama is not committed to ending the corporate influence in Washington, at least not near to the extent John is, and has accepted campaign contributions that indicate he won't be, and that is one of the reasons why John is my choice. John gets what I do, that the corporate influence, and lobbyists that have infiltrated our government at every level, need to go. Until some other candidate recognizes that, nothing will be done about it, unless we elect John. Period. Seeing a few issues, does no good, if you don't end their causes.

I remain undecided, with the only real options being Obama or Edwards, with the possible 3rd being Biden. When considering our next president on a world stage, Edwards fits nicely, with much credit to his experience as a trial lawyer. Biden too fits well in that arena, as evidenced by his able vision of circumstances in Pakistan.

My only lingering doubt concerns Edwards need to settle the score with 12 years of neocon legislators running the show inside the beltway. In this regard, Obama's background in Chicago may very well serve this nation better. We are so very caught up in partisanship that conversations such as these become very toxic, with an ulterior insistance of right over wrong. Obama's record as a successful reconciliator as well as his NOT belonging to the boomer generation's need to finally settle the Vietnam War may further the need to rid us of that partisanship.

Although I would vote for Clinton if she was received the nomination, I would most like to see Edwards for President. I only recently started watching his speeches on C-Span (the major media outlets seem to have focused solely on Obama and Clinton unfortunately, like the votes were already counted) and I have been extremely impressed by his determination and platform. I think his history in the courtroom makes him uniquely qualified to stand up against the corporate special interests, like the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyists, who are making policy and even writing laws for Congress.

Matt,
Nothing will rid us of the partisanship, until the radical right abandons their take no prisoner policy. The Neocons have foisted the corporate takeover of our government on us, and I sure as hell want someone that wil l fight them. If you are under the illusion that any nicey-nice routine we adopt will change a thing, you are mistaken. Those guys just see any quarter as an indication of weakness, and will exploit it. Neocons practice politics as war by other means, and to look at things as if Obama can change a thing there, is to be particularly naive, in MHO.

As far as Biden, I respect him, but don't feel he can win, nationally. I will do as Sharon says, and vote for Hillary, if she is the only option to one of the Republican candidates, but grudgingly. I sort of look at her as Bush light, as she has given, more than any other Democratic candidate, a nod to corporate America, with a wink, wink, here and there, as well. That is why she has no trouble raising massive campaign chests. Among her donors are some of the worst of the military industrial complex, and the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, to name just a few. Until her candidacy, bastions only siphoning off money to Republican causes. In contrast, John has not received, to my knowledge, one penny of lobbyist money, and has sworn not to accept any.

I agree with you about Clinton, i.e., Bush lite. And to some degree that speaks to Bill's presidency as well. Corporate synergies with governance didn't start with Bush43.

But I respectfully disagree with your assessment of partisanship and its remedy. Do you really think that Edward's putting the hurt on the neocons would remain unanswered? Do you think it would lessen the polarization? I'm reasonably sure you don't really care, and think the vindication justified, and while you are most likely right ... it IS justified... that's where the pendulum begins swinging back. I am so enormously tired of the partisanship from both camps, that the more I hear the righteous indignation from each side, the more I want something new. I found the Sullivan article in December's Atlantic fairly persuasive in that regard.

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200712/obama

Matt - I have that issue and will read it. I agree that Obama seems like one who could bring people together, and I was all for him, until I heard that he campaigned for Joe Lieberman in CT. It's one thing to sit at the table and bring opposing views together; it's another thing all together to get into bed with folks who have opposing opinions to yours on such an important issue as the war in Iraq.

I heard all I need to hear from the moron breck girl when I heard "two americas."

He's a boob.

Well, Matt,
All I can tell you is you haven't been paying attention, if you believe the reconciliation you wish for is even a possibility. I'm not against reconciliation of all involved, I just know from dealing with them, it's not possible. They will not, seriously, ever deal honestly with the liberal teeming masses, and the thought that you can negotiate with them in good faith is merely denial of the actual situation. We liberals always want to find common ground, be peacemakers, negotiate and compromise. These folks do not think like that, and never will. Clinton gave Bush I a pass on the investigations being conducted when he entered office (in the name of reconciliation, and working together). Had he let them go on, Bush I would likely have been disgraced for his covert acts and under the table, unlawful activities, and we would never have had to suffer through Bush II, and what did it get him? A constant running vendetta that culminated in his own impeachment. This, on top of his constant efforts to work with the Republican congress, throughout his second term, especially. They haven't gotten any more cooperative since, I can tell you that. You folks that insist it's time to turn the other cheek with these guys are sure to eventually have four very well swatted cheeks, should you get the opportunity. Good luck with that, but don't expect much success. I believe that the defeat of, and total disgrace of, the Neocon element of the Republican party, as the anti American element they are, is not only necessary, but life threatening, for our country, should we not act. Think Machiavelli, and you're close.

If you wish to look at an example of some of their version of compromise, take a look at the Rolling Stone Online article "The Worst Congress Ever" from just before the last election.

jJack,
Coming from you, that is high endorsement of Edwards, to my ears. If you had liked him, my faith in him would have been shaken to the core.

Edwards is an ambulance chasing hack who tried using his wife's cancer to generate votes.

He won't get anywhere near the white house.

End of story.

Oh and I forgot to mention he got his dick handed to him by Cheney in the vice presidential debate in 2004.

As usual, highly intelligent, reasoned out commentary by Dana, the foul mouthed Neocon. He got his thing handed to him because he wasn't allowed to be himself. He was under Kerry's tent, and his campaign's restrictions on rules of engagement. I also seem to remember that Cheney used a whole lot of "facts" that we now know were blatant lies, as well, to do that. As for the allegations about using his wife's cancer, that pretty much discounts Elizabeth's will, and is more the invention of opposing forces, than anything approaching a true statement. Edwards told her that he would end his campaign, take her home and stay there with her, and she asked him "And do what, stare at each other?" His candidacy is as much her doing, as anybody's, and claiming he uses her for a sympathy vote is both a lie, and an insult to his wife.

I also am unaware of any case where John Edwards chased any case, they came to him. If you know of one he actively pursued, without any contact first by the plaintiff, I'd like to hear about it, of course, but as far as I am aware, that's another lie.

Ron... thanks for your continued, sincere effort to raise us out of the quagmire.

As for jJack, Lex, & Dana, I would challenge you to bring something more to the table than spilt bile. First amendment rights are certainly everyone's, and our founding fathers struggled mightily on that front as well as to whom the right of voting was granted. Comments such as yours which bring nothing to the discussion only make King George's arrogance seem justified.

Matt,
I wish I could change the world for you and make it the perfect one where people are always reasonable, and will respond to kindness shown them. The leadership of the Neocon movement are just not the people you think them to be. I got involved in politics, long ago, because I saw exactly the nature of what we had to fight, or step aside and watch our country go down the drain. That has not changed. I think you are a very nice person, but you are not familiar with them, if you think an olive branch is going to change that. They are not interested in peace (obviously) or compromise. Obama, if that's what he's selling, is very naive, on that subject, anyway. As John says, these are the people you think you can sit down at a table somewhere and negotiate with? You can't negotiate with people that have no morals, no consideration for their fellow man, at all, unless you are a fellow elite. That approach is what allowed them to manipulate us before, and gave them the congress, and the presidency, and any attempt to do that in this campaign, will likewise lead to our demise. Get behind John, if you can. I do like Obama, of course, and will vote for him should he get nominated, but I can only hope he opens his eyes to what he is up against, should that happen.

Lex,
Thanks for your endorsement as well. Stunning confirmation I'm backing the right guy, if you hate him.

jack lex and dana are one in the same

Are you serious about Edwards? He is the most phony, selfish, narcissistic human being and candidate. He and his wife both found their true love, and thats John Edwards. His wife has terminal cancer. People don't live with that for 15 or 20 years. They live for 5 if they are lucky. Instead of making his wife comfortable and spending the last few years with her, he is selfishly running for President. Already, a year of her life is gone and its been dedicated to him, not to her. On top of that, lets say he does get the nomination. There's another year gone for her. And lets say he becomes the President. He won't be able to spend any time with his dying wife. Even if she is on her death bed, he cannot be with her. On top of that, he has very young children who's mother is dying. Instead of being with them and his wife, he is doing everything for himself. What happens when he becomes the President and his wife dies? He wont be able to spend time with her, and he wont be able to comfort his children, who will grow up without a mother or a father. He should be spending the last few years of his wifes life with her and his children, trying to make her last years memorable and comfortable, instead of glorifying himself. And whats worse, he wears his wifes sickness like a red badge of courage. He sickens me. Like I said, he and his wife only have one true love; she loves him, and he loves himself.

I can't understand all the people who think they know John Edwards well enough to trash his character. I like him. I think he's the real deal - and since when is it not okay for a Democrat to be rich, successful and happily married?

Sheesh.

Ty Poon, read the comment above, about John's reaction to her relapsing illness, and what Elizabeth told him about that. Elizabeth is the one you should be asking about this issue, instead of the obvious conservative blog that load is taken from. She made her own mind up about this issue, and has opted to do what she feels is in her children's best interests, that being making sure someone will be elected that helps preserve a reasonable future for her children, and in fact, all Americans. She thinks that guy is John Edwards, and supports him without reservation. I heartily agree. Your attempt to paint him as uncaring and cold is obviously disproven, by the words of the lady herself. This is among the sickest of obfuscations leveled at John. You should be ashamed of yourself.

"Elizabeth is the one you should be asking about this issue"

As I said, they both have one true love; John Edwards. Of course she would support him. But that does not make it right. I know what I said is cold and very cruel, but it is my observation of the situation. But I do not apologize for the truth. If John Edwards really cared about his wife and children, he would be spending time with them. He would make these next few years all about her and his children. He would make her comfortable and dedicate his life to her. But he has dedicated his life to himself, and he has made his wife do the same. And she and their children will pay the price for his selfishness.

America has so far not elected either a used-car salesman or a trial lawyer for President - as both are viewed with equal disdain by the voting public. Let's see if we're gullible enough to knock one profession off the list in this Democratic primary season.

Ty poon,
That's not the truth, or even your version of the truth, it's a conservative talking point, and just as dishonest. I thank God for the courage of Elizabeth, and her OWN DECISION to continue this run. What, do you think you are more qualified to make life choices for her, than she is herself? This is the real despicable quality of those that use this argument. She is not allowed to have courage and convictions of her own, you turn her into a mere shadow of John. ANYONE that has paid any attention at all to the Edwards campaign, and Elizabeth herself, can tell you that you are, completely and absolutely, full of prune soup, Ty, give it up. And thank you Elizabeth, should you ever read this, for your courage and dedication to your vision.

heheheheheheh, a trial lawyer...heehehehehehehe

to funny.....hehehehehe LMAOF!!!!!

ROTFLMAO!!!!

John Edwards, sure he is SO for the "other class" that Lizzie (his wife who is dying of cancer....) was so upset about that "shack" next door to their 28,000sq ft home, they "paid" 1.6 Million to have him removed. Gee, and he was just a guy, worked hard, played hard, but oh my, was a Republican and a "GUN OWNER" (oooooo shudder) yeah, Edwards, he's so for the middle class.....my ass he is. He's a scum bag lawyer. One of the type of lawyeres that are WHY there are so many lawyer "jokes" You know.....What's the diff between a Catfish and a Lawyer? One is a bottom feeding scum, the other tastes good when fried with..... oh you know.

"America has so far not elected either a used-car salesman or a trial lawyer for President - as both are viewed with equal disdain by the voting public. Let's see if we're gullible enough to knock one profession off the list in this Democratic primary season."

Well, Bretboy,
First of all, no trial lawyer of John's obvious character has ever run, to my knowledge. In any event, we tried electing a silver spoon born imbecile that people said they'd like to have at their backyard barbecue, and that turned out to be the most gullible the American Public EVER got, so I'm confident anything is possible, but it would be the wisest choice America could make....... Actually, no one, ever, I would hope, voted, based on your twisted vision of America, and I sincerely hope no one ever will.

Well, all the alter egos are now here. Cindy, you gender confused imbecile, long time no see. If I had you living next door to me, I'm pretty sure I'd want you out of the neighborhood, too. Did anyone ever figure out who's alter ego you were, and who the real idiot was among you?

Oh, and did you ever get your hybrid charged by plugging it in, yet? Just wondered if you ever found that plug, expert.

Huh Ron?? So, I can't live in YOUR neighbourhood? You mean, if the likes of me MOV E into YOUR neighbourhood, well, "there goes the neighbourhood"? Hmm, seems like that kind of thinking was around in the 50's.....you know, crosses were burned, morons in white sheets, etc... Say Ron, you AREN"T one of those moronic white sheet covererd morons are you?? Oh, gee, you MUST be, you don't want ME in YOUR neighbourhood!

Nice.

BTW Ron babe, I am more woman than you could ever think of handling.
Don't flatter yourself with being confused about gender. I mean, if YOU are confused about YOURS, well, that's fine, there's medication and counseling to help you "find" your true self. However, I'm very comfy in my woman skin. Thank you very much!

And Ron, one I don't own a hybrid. Two, if YOU lived in MY neck of the woods, I'd be fine with that. No prob having you as a neighbour.

Ron?

Gee, well, I'm off to the UK, won't be able to respond here in a few weeks.

Bye Y'all! I'll be baaaaackkk

Ron got back a little while ago from the caucus and your boy Edwards did good. He came in a very strong 2nd....at least according to what I have seen. He is a good man.

Cindy, or what ever you are,
You're Bartboy's alter, aren't you? Or is he yours? I always thought Bretboy didn't have a set, or he'd have been in Iraq. As for the plug in, you don't remember swearing you'd tried out those hybrids, and you didn't like them, thought it would be a hassle always having to plug them in? Yeah, you're a mental giant, and have room to call anyone else a moron......

Thanks Lori, I've been monitoring it while watching the orange bowl. It doesn't look all that good, though, as John needed to win to establish his bona fides. The media sure wasn't about to give them to him. Getting his message out has been very hard, without media coverage.

Goodbye cindy , don't hurry back.

Ron I know but at least he beat Hillary. He is a good man and does good things.

Well,
Maybe it will be enough to give him a push, but I don't know. Time will tell.

Who does typhoon think he is? That combination of arrogance and ignorance shouldn't be allowed in public.

I'd tend to agree, Sandy. Actually, I think most of the neocon faithful fear John, because they hear their non neocon brethren talking about him favorably. I have been told as much by a few disgusted ideologues.

Cindy once threatened to shoot me:-)

Ty , now that was completely uncalled for.

I don't need any convincing...he would be my choice as well. I'm not sure he will get the chance, and I did feel as I watched the Obama speech tonight that I just might be watching the next President speak. I'm just waiting and watching...but, at this point I would still vote Edwards if I had the chance. It also really ticks me off when people say he used his wife's cancer for his own gain...I have had a spouse with cancer, it is a terribly frightening thing for a family...

John has no real chance, I think, in the New Hampshire primary, Obama has been better funded and better organized there for months. It doesn't look good, but I will reserve judgment, and see how it plays out. If Obama eventually wins the nomination, I will support him, of course, with the hope that John's ideas will continue to influence the party platform, as they already have, to a great extent.

Sorry for being brutally honest. I admire his wife way more than him (I would vote for her over him). She loves him more than herself, as it should be. She made the decision to go with him on the campaign because she truely loves him. He should have stopped for the same reason. I would actually respect him if he did that. It would have proven that he was real. But he is phony, self absorbed and selfish. He should be taking care of her. He should be with his family instead of on the campaign. One year of her life is gone, dedicated to the glorification of him; and next year is not guaranteed. His children's finaly memories of their mother will be of her slaving to make her husband look good, instead of him comforting her and his children. It sickens and saddens me. I hope to God that I am wrong about the guy, but everything has led me to believe otherwise.

Perhaps if Obama wins the nomination he will invite Edwards to be his VP. I would much prefer Edwards as VP over Hilary!

His children's finally memories of their mother will be of her slaving to make her husband look good, instead of him comforting her and his children.

How insulting to Mrs Edwards! She is a strong, vibrant, independent woman who you have painted as the classic 'Stepford wife' kowtowing to her husband. You've totally dismissed the difficult choices she made on her own. How you can claim to admire her while spouting tis kind of rhetoric is beyond belief.
John Edwards offered to stepaway from the Presidential campaign and she asked him to continue to pursue his plans. It would have been insulting and totally disrespectful of him to choose otherwise at that point!

Ty Poon,
You are not being brutally honest, and I think you know that. You are, and that spin is meant to be, brutally dishonest. You still denigrate the choice that Elizabeth made as being not hers, and that's dishonest and misleading. She is the one that insisted he go on, not the other way around. You honestly must not have investigated the situation at all, to hold such an opinion, and since I know where that opinion comes from, I have to say it's politically motivated, and just as transparent as fixating on a hundred dollar haircut, while other, opposition candidates, wear tailored 700+ dollar suits, get just as expensive image enhancements, and no one mentions a thing. It is always thus with the GOP spin machine. Never mind the truth, what is damning in a five second sound byte? Go fish, it has no truth, and no validity to it, whatsoever, and I reiterate, you should be ashamed of yourself for passing it on.

I'm sitting here musing over whether Obama can win, nationally, and my gut tells me he has an uphill climb. Large portions of the South are out, obviously, and racism is still alive and well, in areas all across this land. Not pretty, but it's an honest assessment. I still have to support John, and feel that throughout, he has and will be the most electable candidate, but the Dems have a history of not seeming to care about that. Thank God, though, that Hillary didn't win it. I think her candidacy might very well sink the Democratic party as a whole, sparking massive Republican turnout, that would bring down any Democratic candidate on the ballot at the same time.

He's a snake ol salesman. Got a problem? He can solve it.

Oh and don't worry.....It's not your fault!

Jeff, I know all you know about the guy, and where you got it, and those are slanted, no stilted, comments, politically motivated, if not by you, than your sources, as usual. I know you haven't bothered to read anything about the guy, other than conservative spin, so don't even claim you know anything about him, you obviously don't.

First, I absolutely agree with you Ron, on the courage of Elizabeth Edwards and the fact that she thinks life is much more meaningful and enjoyable to be out campaigning than to have John home with them sitting there looking at each other. I have talked to people who have met Elizabeth and they feel this is what she wanted. I agree it is insulting to her to suggest othewise.

Second, people talk about Obama merely hoping for this or hoping for that. Obama wanting to sit now and place nicey nice, negotiate with those without a conscience, etc.

Is there ANY EVIDENCE that Obama has done this sort of thing?? I suggest we look at what he has already accomplished as a community organizer, state legislator, and freshman Senator. He listens to others, sure, but I don't think he is anybody's fool in not realizing what other's are up to.

Bruce,
I don't think him a fool, but the premise is flawed, and I don't believe anyone can negotiate with these people. They don't negotiate, they don't obey laws, they don't respect other's authority, they merely pursue their own agenda, relentlessly, without regard to what anyone else, including Obama, thinks or does. They work covertly as SOP, secrecy being their shield, as we have seen. Obama, nor anyone else can finesse this, they need to be stopped, not moderated. They don't even understand the concept of moderation.

Ron, all my info is from listening to the guy. He has a solution for every problem including the ones people get themselves into.

Aside from that, he won millions of dollars in a lawsuit against doctors that science proved his case was erroneous, factually, and conclusively inaccurate. Had the court date set for today the science would have proven his case a sham. Unfortunately science wasn't advanced that far and despite the fact that his case was baseless and he made millions He is a hero for all of us!

Jeff,
Don't you think that's a little disengenious, has this ever occured to you, that if science didn't know it at the time, neither did John, or anyone else? I have heard this so many times it gets really tiresome, you are judging him based on today's knowledge, when the event happened before any of that was known. John had no way of knowing that, nor did the jury, or the judge, or anyone else, and he can hardly be held responsible for that. With what was known at the time, none of these people did one thing wrong, no matter how you would like to make it seem so. He had no way of knowing if what he was told by the medical experts of the day was wrong. This is just more negative spin.

Oh, and you got that by listening to him, eh? You're fibbing, as usual, Jeff. What you know about John Edwards is from conservative blogs and web sites, which is where this little gem comes from, I know. Maybe a few snippets of a debate, a five second soundbyte here and there on the news. You have historically been too lazy to evaluate things for yourself, in my association with you, and have taken your talking points from others every time.

I voted for Mr. Edwards for Vice President in 2004, and I am seriously considering him now. Thank you, Ron, for this stirring speech.

Ron. I do agree with you about the methods of what I will say is of the Republican Party in general. I am sure there are exceptions.

So here I will ask you something in all seriousness. I am not preparing for an argument! What do you think is the best way, SPECIFICALLY, to fight those that don't seem to have a moral conscience? I know this is not a question you can answer easily but I would like to start a more in-depth dialogue on this because we will need to engage in this fight for quite some time.

As we engage in this fight, and I agree, there will be a struggle, I feel honored to feel that I have you, a loyal Edwards man, on my side.

Bruce,
No one, up to this point has held anyone responsible for their actions. Even those convicted of wrong doing throughoout this era of our history have been pardoned or commuted. The original Watergate conspiracy, that started this era, though many don't understand that, netted a few little fish for light, white collar crime sentences, but since then, no one has suffered at all for their crimes. Whoever gets elected, they need to thoroughly investigate those involved in the last six years of crimes, and there were crimes, many of them, and see that they are put away for long and strict sentences. Until that happens, they will continue to operate, ignoring the laws, etc. with impunity. There needs to be a complete housecleaning, of all branches of government, as they have been packing the whole government with neocon faithful from top to bottom with the purpose of neutralizing the portions of governmetn they see as harmful, mostly those that protect consumers or the nation from corporate interests. Get back to me, I have more ideas, but I don't have the time to lay them all out now, I have company.

I'm a John Edwards fan myself... very interesting articles

We definitely have to hold people accountable! We haven't been doing that. It seems we have given up on this. Which is just what those in power want us to do of course. To feel hopeless.

Tomorrow my representative in the US House will be in town for the start of a "listening tour". Dave Loebsack is a freshman rep who replaced long time moderate Republican Jim Leach (who voted against the resolution to give Bush the power to invade Iraq). I happen to have the day off so will go.

By the way, Ron, my dear mother ended up in Edwards group when Obama wasn't viable in her precinct out in rural Iowa.