Today, John Edwards received the coveted endorsement of Congressman Bruce Braley of Iowa's first district! Congressman Braley is one of three Democratic Iowa congressional representatives, and the first to give his endorsement in the presidential race.
Edwards has also launched a new ad to begin airing today in New Hampshire.
Iowa
Today in Waterloo, Congressman Bruce Braley is to endorse John Edwards for President.
"Today, I'm proud to endorse John Edwards for president," said Braley.
"Throughout this campaign, on issue after issue, John has proposed bold ideas to end the power of special interests in Washington and restore our government to the American people. John is the only Democratic candidate who grew up in rural America, and he has most specific, most progressive and most far-reaching ideas. I truly believe he is the best Democratic candidate to lead us to victory in 2008. With his leadership, I believe we can make his vision of One America a reality."
Congressman Braley is the first of three Democratic Iowa Congressman to announce an endorsement for President. This key endorsement builds on the support Edwards continues to gain in the state. As Jonathan Singer suggests:
First off, this could be the big piece of news in the statewide media Tuesday, and perhaps more importantly it could prompt the national media to remember Edwards, who they have been perhaps too quick to forget given their focus on the scuffles between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. What's more, a Braley endorsement could bring some of the organizational support and expertise that helped put Braley in Congress last fall. All in all, tomorrow should be a good day for the Edwards campaign.
Congressman Braley worked his way through school, as John Edwards did and has a history of fighting for workers' rights.
Braley was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2006 and represents Iowa's first congressional district. He serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure where he is Vice-Chairman of the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit. He also serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Small Business, and is the chairman of the Subcommittee
on Contracting and Technology.
Edwards stated that he is "honored to receive Bruce's endorsement" noting that, "He is a true leader and a strong voice on behalf of Iowa's families. Bruce is committed to ending the power of special interests and making sure all hard-working Iowans have the opportunity to work hard, get ahead, and leave their children a better future. I look forward to joining with Bruce to change our country."
In conjunction with this endorsement, Edwards kicks off his "Building a Better America" week. He will highlight five key planks in his platform:
- Universal Health Care: Edwards will create a true universal health care system that covers everyone in America, brings down costs, and creates more choices and security.
- Good Jobs: Edwards will invest in the good jobs of the future by creating a new energy economy based on clean, renewable energy, rejecting failed trade deals in favor of new smarter trade policies, and eliminating tax incentives for corporations to invest overseas.
- Excellent Schools: Edwards will invest in teachers with higher pay and a new National Teachers University, overhaul No Child Left Behind, and invest more to turn around struggling schools. His College for Everyone initiative will let everyone work their way through college.
- Affordable Housing: Edwards will help families save for a downpayment with a new Get Ahead tax credit, create 1 million housing vouchers to let families live where they choose, build more economically integrated housing.
- Strong Families: Edwards will work with states to offer eight weeks of paid leave to new parents and workers with serious illnesses in the family. He will also create a universal Great Promise program of early childhood education and more than double the child care tax credit.
The Iowa caucus looks like a dead heat in just about every poll recently, no matter which candidate is leading by a couple of points. The Iowa caucuses notoriously hard to poll, however, and one of the reasons is second choices.
If a candidate does not get 15% of the support in a particular caucus location, his or her supporters must choose another candidate. This makes second choice is a major factor, so I think it's good news for Edwards that he seems to be leading by a wide margin as a second choice for many voters in a recent Rasmussen poll.
In terms of second-choices in Iowa, John Edwards tops the list of candidates. He is the second choice for 28% of likely caucus participants. Obama is the second choice for 18%, Clinton for 16%, and Richardson for 15%.
At this time in 2003, Howard Dean was widely expected to win the Iowa caucus. Will Hillary Clinton be the next Dean?
New Hampshire
In New Hampshire today, the new John Edwards ad, "Together," begins airing. In the ad, Edwards explains that he believes you can't get universal health care by giving drug companies, insurance companies, and their lobbyists a seat at the table. Edwards asks
"Anybody who argues that every American is not entitled to health care, I want them to explain to you: What child in this country is not worthy of health care?"
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Comments: 34
Why do you comment on candidates you will never vote for ?
Stick to defending the immoral criminal bush , that is you real talent .
You have no dog in this hunt .
Good to see you back Nanci , old buddy.(really old )
You may always be wrong , but I always liked your bird .;-p
If so I will have to load up on my "well bush did this and bush did this ..........................."
Good to see you're keeping up the good work of supporting Edwards. I noticed the Edwards for President web site for California features a quote from my "Why John Edwards is Right for America" article I wrote several weeks ago. I'm really pleased with his showing in Iowa. I see a dynamic that may really bring it home for Edwards. Edwards, Obama, & Clinton are in a dead heat in the polls. But only Clinton & Obama are going negative. And Iowan's are notoriously intolerant to negativity. If my theory pans out, we may see a decisive victory for Edwards there.
Ten unsolicited points from the world's worst connection. Merry whatever you celebrate!
A good president can strengthen the UN - (read GLOBAL) presence of sanity and logic. (We are really, really missing that under the aegeis of the Bush (spit) doctorine of "kill 'em dead." (This from the pres who ran on a pro-life ticket!?????) It may take us 10 to 20 years to dig out from the stains on American Honor and Credibility that Dubya (spit) has (through stupidity and greed) so severely tarnished.
One of the first steps to reclaiming that previously established respect from other world powers will be to IMPEACH the Cheny & Bush Corporate Greed Conglomerate.
That being said, I liked what Edwards had to say regarding "on the homefront" repairs to the citizen's needs. I will be looking at him a bit closer now...so thank you for posting.
Wilka
But you know you can only do what congress will let you do.
Do you remember that just because someone SAYS they will do something, doesn't mean they WILL?
Who ever is our president, like him or not....as an american I stand behind him.
I may be making faces but I would never bash a standing president in print.
Rather, after the vote, I accept the will of the people and perhaps work towards or hope for a better pick next time.
I think bashing the president is a low class thing to do, who ever the president is at the time.
One where his motorcade parks, one where my used import parks.
One where his household staff folds the laundy and mows the lawn, one where I take out the trash.
One where his focus group massages the message into a compliant appeal, one where I lay my head.
One where he poses for photo ops with the under priveleged of New Orleans while his hedge fund forcloses on their homes, one where my calloused hand sticks the water bill in the mailbox.
One for him, one for me.
I don't want him in my america. I have enough to deal with as it is.
All I know is that the next president male or female, dem or rep, is going to have one hell of a mess to clean up. I pity them.
I will support whomever wins the election whether they're the one I voted for or not, it is very low class to bash our own leaders, and the rest of the world sees it as the weakness of our great nation.
Socialism can work, damnit! Just keep thinking it and saying it... one of these days it has to come true.
Socialism can work... Socialism can work... Socialism can work... Socialism can work...
It is also true that what a president does is dependent on congress and luck. I believe Edwards is the person who can first off, win the election over Republicans, and second, can use the office effectively.
He is the only sure winner out there on the Democratic side!
However, though I've voted Republican in the past, we need change now too much to take any chance on any Republican and I'll vote for the Democratic candidate regardless of who wins the primary.
The only Republican I'd even consider would be McCain. And he's too tied to the mistakes of the Bush administration for me!
It will be interesting to see how the Caucus in Iowa turns out. I have no dog in the Iowa hunt but as a fellow North Carolinian I believe Edwards will do better in Iowa than many will admit.
A 1st or 2nd is all he needs and I think he'll do that!
Thanks again!