On a pro-Kerry diary a few days ago, I remarked that while I was glad Kerry was coming around on a few things, I wasn't totally sure that he wasn't merely putting his finger to the wind. I followed this by saying that John Edwards, right now, is my favorite hypothetical Democratic presidential candidate because he's willing to talk about things that he has little to no vested interest in, like poverty and the minimum wage. Right now, it looks like he (and possibly Feingold) is the one candidate with the fortitude to talk about issues and values from the gut.
I happened to stumble upon this AP article from an appearance Edwards made in Las Vegas Tuesday. Edwards' call for leadership and his criticism of both parties -- the Republicans for favoring a damaging economic policy, and the Democratic Party for moving to the center -- furthered my belief that he is the best overall candidate for this party at this time. The fact that he was actually willing to criticize the Dems for being too centrist impressed me.
The excerpt of the article is on the flip.
LAS VEGAS - Former Sen. John Edwards criticized Republicans for passing "immoral" tax cuts and Democrats for focusing on the political center at a meeting of mine workers Tuesday in Las Vegas.
"We've got enough politicians, what we need are leaders," Edwards, the vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket in 2004, told a crowd of about 500 members of the United Mine Workers of America, which represents coal mine workers in Canada and the U.S.
I think the only way we're going to get out of this mess is through the forceful rhetoric and courage Edwards has been displaying.