Coming down to the stretch run in the Presidential primary I would just like to say that I still support John Edwards. I support him for the same reasons I supported him in 04. He seeks to heal the divisions and injustices heaped upon everyday America by the excesses of Big Business. He believes in building One America for all, where even the people at the low end of the income scale are treated with dignity, respect, and opportunity at the American dream. He reaches out to broad, ranging constituencies in our society. He doesn't just write off certain Americans and hope to win enough of the others to win, he tries to come up with policies that benefit ALL Americans regardless or race, class, gender, sexual preference, or situation.
I don't just come across these opinions lightly. In these all important final weeks I want to tell some of you why I am so firmly in the Edwards camp and respectfully ask you to join us in bringing true Progressive change to our country. I love my country, and my party and more importantly I BELIEVE in the ideals passed down to us from such brilliant men as Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and John and Robert Kennedy.
I don't think we should shy away from our ideals and I don't think we should be afraid to fight for them. Why should we be ashamed of the vision left by such Americans as these, some of the finest our country has produced. I am PROUD to fight for rights for American workers, equality of ALL Americans and common sense and fairness in foreign policy. I believe our country CAN be a shining light to the oppressed of the world and set an example of strength, compassion and freedom that inspires not only our own people, but freedom loving peoples everywhere who are essentially American in their hearts.
Why not fight for these things? Why be told we can't end senseless death in a war trumped up for profit or God knows whatever else. Why not fight for a revival of unions, and wages, and workers rights and benefits? Why not fight for every young person to have health insurance and a chance to earn a college education? Why not fight to keep time honored programs such as Social Security, which has helped millions of Americans remain solvent?
I'm sorry I'm a little passionate tonight, but I am tired of being told that as an inheritor of this flame of Liberalism which brought freedom to the world, that I am some crazy "left wing loon". I am tired of even members of my own party deciding that these things aren't worth risking the political fight to stand for. Anyway, as I have seen Edwards supporters saying all over the blgosphere, Edwards has a wealth of Progressive ideas that benefit all Americans. I want to summarize a few of them, and BEG that you look at some of this before making a final decision on who to vote for.
First of course is his plan for healthcare. It has been discussed widely, but I believe it is fair to note that Edwards plan drove the debate from "should we" to "how are we going to" on universal healthcare. The link is here:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Along the way he managed to speak out for Card Check Neutrality:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
He put his money where his mouth was on stopping Global Warming:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
He was out early and often to fight against Predatory lenders:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Building onto the 50 state strategy of Howard Dean and the DNC instead of trying to tear it down, Edwards released a policy that could benefit our party immensely if he is nominated, the Rural Recovery Act. It appears Edwards not only wants to reach out to these voters, he has the ideas to do it. Please see this plan to put all of America in play for the Democrats here:
http://johnedwards.com/...
He announced his plan for college opportunity for all those who would earn it:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
He offered his plan for a streamlined twenty first century military:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Gave voice to myself and millions of others who are tired of being called unpatriotic because we don't believe in Bush's "War on Terror":
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Offered a plan to protect Americans from rising gas prices:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Outlined a brilliant plan to replace the "War on Terror" with a realistic policy:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Committed to reducing Greenhouse Gas emisions by 50% in 2050:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Releases his plans for the minimum wage:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Next he announced his plan for protecting our food supply:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
Unveiled his plan to reward hard work:
http://www.johnedwards.com/...
This was all in the early months of the campaign. There is so much more to fight for on his site. I am tired of being told that if I fight for this vision, I am some Bolshevik storming red square!! I am tired of Democrats who will pander to us and take our money to get elected and then act like we are some wicked stepsister when they are in power. Lets get behind the Edwards campaign and truly bring change to this country and a light to the world. The past is gone, so I choose to look at who has the vision to embrace the ideals of Kennedy and present them to the American people without shame and fight for them. John Edwards is that candidate!!!