When John Edwards suspended his campaign for the Presidency, he didn’t suspend his fight for economic justice and to promote a progressive agenda, something he's described as the cause of his life. Determined to continue to drive the debate, pushing economic justice to the forefront, upon his suspension, Edwards requested that both of the remaining candidates pledge to not only make economic justice central to their campaigns but more importantly, to their prospective Presidencies. Both agreed.
Edwards has raised the bar in this campaign, positioning progressive issues front and center. From ending the war in Iraq to promoting social justice and strengthening our economy, Edwards stood up.
John Edwards Speaking at SEIU Convention
Edwards is still taking a stand. While he has yet to formally endorse either candidate, he's continuing his fight to push a progressive agenda to the forefront of the Democratic Platform.
"We don't need to redefine the Democratic party, we need to reclaim the Democratic party!" Edwards made this statement throughout his campaign and it's precisely what he is continiuing to do. He is still representing the Democratic wing of the Democratic party.
He has, however, begun to identify the role he may play in a fall Democratic campaign – not as a vice presidential running mate, which seems extremely unlikely, but as an outspoken advocate for a party platform and ticket that recognizes how an unnecessary war has diverted resources and energy away from the real work of building a functional and just domestic economy.
Even if he has yet to pick a candidate, John Edwards has "endorsed" an approach to the 2008 race. And it's the right one, especially in a contest with John "100 Years of War" McCain.
The Nation
As the war in Iraq rages on, more lives are lost and resources here at home are drained, our nation has now moved into a recession. There's no denying that that the crisis our country faces economically, is inextricably linked to the immoral war in Iraq. This must stop.
To that end, John and Elizabeth Edwards are joining forces with Moveon.org and SEIU, two organizations that have endorsed Barack Obama, along with several other organizations, in an effort to end the war in Iraq through the "Iraq/Recession" Initiative.
The multi-million-dollar Iraq/Recession Campaign, which launches Monday, seeks to remind voters, in the words of organizers, that, "As economic concerns weigh heavily on the minds of Americans, opposition to President Bush's reckless war in Iraq continues to grow. The massive cost of the war in Iraq – hurtling toward one trillion dollars – has increased demand for a strategy to bring U.S. troops home. The Iraq/Recession Campaign will highlight the majority of Americans who want to see leadership on investing in critical priorities at home and establishing real security throughout the world."
In addition to John and Elizabeth Edwards, those involved in launching the campaign included Service Employees International Union secretary-treasurer Anna Burger, MoveOn executive director Eli Pariser, VetsVote chairman Jon Soltz, USAction executive director Jeff Blum, Center for American Progress president John Podesta and Americans United for Change president Brad Woodhouse.
The Nation
John and Elizabeth Edwards, along with other key leaders of the "Iraq/Recession" camnpaign, are holding a conference call today to formally announce this initiative:
Edwards will appear on a Monday morning conference call with officials from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and MoveOn.org, which have both endorsed Obama. Edwards has yet to make an endorsement since he left the presidential race in January after placing third in several early primaries.
Edwards, his wife, Elizabeth, and other members of the effort will announce a "multimillion dollar" effort called the Iraq/Recession Campaign that aims to highlight the ongoing cost of the Iraq war, according to a press release. The group is attempting to tie the Iraq war to fears that the U.S. is entering a recession.
"As economic concerns weigh heavily on the minds of Americans, opposition to President Bush's reckless war in Iraq continues to grow," the group said in the release.
Other Democratic groups joining the campaign include VoteVets.org, Americans United for Change and the Center for American Progress, the liberal think tank led by John Podesta, a former aide to President Bill Clinton. None of those organizations, however, has endorsed a candidate for president.
The Hill: Edwards joins Obama supporters in new anti-war effort
Support the Troops, Bring them Home!
The "Iraq/Recession" Campaign is an intiative that will amplify Americans call to end the war in Iraq and issue a mandate to "100 Year War" McCain, that we are not backing down.
[Update: 1 PM ET] The Swamp is now reporting on the conference call although it sounds like more details on the "Iraq/Recession" campaign are forthcoming. Here's a snip:
From their home in North Carolina, the Edwards participated in a telephone conference with several progressive anti-war groups, including MoveOn.org, the Center for American Progress and the Service Employees International Union.
Essentially, the groups were pledging to collaborate on a $20 million campaign to draw a link for Americans between their economic concerns and the war in Iraq.
And the Edwards agreed to headline the call in order to call attention to the cause, which intertwines many of the messages of the presidential campaign they called off in late January.
As Elizabeth Edwards put it, after her husband handed the phone to her: "If the economy is your number one issue when you’re voting, the war is, too."
The Swamp: John, Elizabeth Edwards: Blame Iraq for economy
[Update 2: 2 PM ET] Blogger Iddybud was on the conference call. Please see her post here: Iddybud Journal: Iraq/Recession Campaign