As always lot of Edwards news today in a number of areas. Today I'll be focusing a bit on Iraq and the current debate on funding, including Edwards' new ad running in Iowa, a bit on a couple of important press releases today, some on electability and polling, and some on health care.
so come in and enjoy the discussion.
Over the flap
IRAQ
The Iraq situation is complicated as ever, or at least seems that way at times. Democrats are looking at a new funding bill (House and Senate seem to be moving in different directions) and Bush is already getting his veto pen out for whatever passes. See Kagro X's diary for more. And the date for the "end" of the surge keeps getting moved to July, then September and now apparently some time next year. Is anyone really surprised? After 6 years of Bush and 4 years of war, we shouldn't be.
John Edwards isn't and neither should we be. In a statement today Edwards said:
"Earlier today I said the compromise under discussion is a concession, and now the president is already saying he'll veto it. The president has just demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that he cannot be negotiated with, he cannot be compromised with.
"He is dead set on pursuing his discredited strategy in Iraq without regard to the cost in lives, the evidence of its failure, or the clear will of the American people.
"There is only one way to stop him - Congress must cut off funds to prolong the war. That's the only real power they have to end this war. They passed a plan to support our troops and bring them home, and they should do it again.
"Nothing else will work. And if the president vetoes it - if he vetoes any bill that supports our troops but sets conditions - then it is his willful behavior alone that is standing in the way of what our troops need."
TomP has a great diary on this today if you'd like to read more.
Edwards is also continuing to push Congress and the president, like all Americans should be, with his new ad by Iowans running throughout Iowa starting today:
Regardless of who you support for president, you can help send the message by signing the petition to tell Congress (Democrats and Republicans) to stand firm against Bush:
Press releases
John Edwards spoke out today today in support of a summit on an issue so important in this country: our high school dropout crisis.
"Our failure to help all of our children finish high school is shocking. As many as one-third of all students drop out of school, and the rates are even worse for poor and minority students. At nearly 1,000 high schools, students have less than an even chance of graduating. Most of these students quickly regret it."
and mentioned a bit about what he would do:
America is about second chances. As president, I will create second-chance schools to help former dropouts get back on track with one-on-one attention and a chance to earn a diploma at night or at a local community college. I will also invest in expanding preschool programs, attracting and paying excellent teachers, and making college more affordable.
And as Citizen53 notes in a great diary discussing Edwards position on hate speech, Edwards speaks out against Ann Coulter's irresponsible comments towards Senator Obama:
"Just when we thought Ann Coulter couldn't take the politics of personal destruction any lower, she proved us wrong. Her outrageous comments are inexcusable and should not be tolerated in the public dialogue.
"This is the latest example of how the political doctrine of Bush's Global War on Terror has created a climate where people think it's okay to use the threat of terrorism as a guise for hateful political attacks. There is no superior 'Republican' way to fight terrorism. The exercise of raw power alone does not make you a world leader, and will not make us secure. Our capacity to lead requires that we be strong - and that we have the moral authority to do it."
Edwards beating the Republican candidates - some polling data
Edwards continues his strong showing versus the leading Republican candidates and according to the new Marist poll is the strongest candidate versus Giuliani and McCain, leading Giuliani by 6 and McCain by 10. He also pulls in the most independents and Republicans.
This seems to be a trend for Edwards. This isn't limited to one poll. Indeed according to Realclear Politics Edwards is the strongest candidate versus Giuliani and McCain averaging all of the head-to-head matchup polls. That's pretty impressive isn't it?
And if that wasn't good enough, according to a new Pollster.com poll, Edwards leads fellow Southerner Fred Thompson in every state of the 16 polled except Alabama (Edwards behind by 2). Not only that, but Edwards is the strongest against Thompson in every single state except New York. Check the poll out; it has some very interesting numbers.
Kudos for Edwards Health Plan
In A Crowded Field, Edwards' Health Plan Sets Him Apart
Check out this great article on Edwards' health care plan. The author points out that while Democrats have steered away from comprehensive health care since the 1990s, time have changed:
But the political climate has rapidly changed. The insurance issue was once mainly the province of those concerned about the poor. Spiking health-care costs have become a major problem for businesses seeking to provide insurance and for employees who are paying higher premiums for skimpier benefits.
Health care ranks second to Iraq as an important problem for the government to address, according to a recent national poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a California-based nonprofit that focuses on domestic health-care issues. Respondents ranked health care ahead of terrorism and jobs.
Even Kaiser is getting the picture:
Health-care costs have been rising far faster than people's ability to afford them," said Larry Levitt, vice president of Kaiser. "Insurance premiums are up 87 percent over the last six years, far eclipsing wage increases. The uninsured have been rising consistently.
Edwards understands the need for his change and his plan lets Americans decide if they want single-payer:
"The idea is to determine whether Americans actually want a private insurer or whether they would rather have a government-run ... single-payer plan," Edwards said. "We'll find out over time where people go."
The plan with also avoids some of the pitfalls that have hurt previous plans:
The mix of market and government initiatives makes Edwards' plan much harder to attack than Clinton's early 1990s plan, said Leif Wellington Haase of the Century Foundation, a liberal-leaning think tank.
"In this plan, the changes happen much more gradually," Haase said. "Each element has a market element that deflects the attack. I think it's a very smart political document."
And the opposition to the plan is already not making sense. According to Mike Tanner of the Cato Institute, the plan would:
it would not be popular with citizens because it would ration treatment for expensive and long illnesses, and would discourage pharmaceutical companies from developing new drugs.
and yet despite that he throws out the old cut and pasted argument:
"Single-payer systems are good if you are not sick," Tanner said. "They provide routine care at low cost. But they don't provide intensive, expensive medicine for people with serious illnesses."
So the paradox for Mr. Tanner is - if people wouldnt like it, why are you so concerned? This is the beauty of the Edwards plan - the old arguments against universal health care just don't work because people have choice.
Its a great article and explains a lot about various areas of Edwards health care plan. A couple of key elements: all insurance plans would have to cover pre-existing conditions and offer mental health benefits.
And in other news
And for something a bit different, Times honored its top 100 recently - including John and Elizabeth Edwards.
http://www.jossip.com/...
Elizabeth was also in DC last week with Tom Harkin and others honoring those who have dedicated part of their lives to helping those who battle cancer, whether through raising money for cancer research, increasing awareness, or educating survivors.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
And thats all for now folks! Hope you enjoyed it, make sure and sign the petition, and if you have more news, feel free to post it.