Edwards: "Judge me on honesty."

Filed 11/20/07

By, Beth Fouhy

GRINNELL, Iowa — Democrat John Edwards implored college students Tuesday to elect a trustworthy president, but sidestepped questions about whether rival Hillary Rodham Clinton was untrustworthy.

Edwards spoke at Grinnell College on the second day of a two-day swing through Iowa campuses with singers Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne. The college flared into the headlines last week after its student newspaper reported that a Grinnell student had been asked by the Clinton campaign aide to pose a question about global warming to the New York senator during a campaign visit earlier this month.

The Clinton campaign acknowledged planting the question, but said it had been a mistake.

Edwards told students that President Bush had "destroyed the trust relationship between Americans and the president" and asked potential caucus-goers to carefully size up the candidates running to replace him.

"Does this guy really believe what he's saying? Is he sincere? Does he have passion about it? Does he have integrity?" Edwards said. "You should judge me and judge every presidential candidate on who is honest and sincere. You have to be able to trust the next president."

For more,

http://www.statesman.com/shared-gen/content/shared-gen/ap/Presidential_Elections/Edwards_Iowa.html?cxntlid=inform


Edwards, talking with another supporter.

and ty.


Ready to go to work.

Does anybody think Edwards might be trying to send a hidden message? Something for the media to pick up on that he can deny ever saying? Sounds like Edwards sure is a straight shooter to me!

Gravel, Obama, Edwards: tied for last place on my list of candidates.

Now run along and have a nice day.

MethuenProgressive has left the building....

Thanks for coming everyone. Remember the waitstaff.

It seems every thread these days contains its
share of ignored posts.
I used to be curious as to the content, the put downs and whining I missed
on those posts but now I just assume they all say:
"Resistance is Futile..You will be assimilated"

I've got a number of hostile angry rude people on my ignore list, and whenever there is a positive thread on Edwards I find that half the post are 'ignore'. I am so thankful for this blessed feature.

I sometimes wonder who it might be, but am very happy to not have to take in their bile and self-righteousness.

Please just go post something positive on your candidate. I promise not to come in and snark on her, or you, for that matter.

But first, I will answer your vialed accusation, as best as my feeble, working class mind can, then I'm done.

When JRE was a senator for one term from NC, he was a Dem, from a red state. No, I don't have his voting record memorized, no, I'm not going to get into a "link" war with you. I have em, you have em, we all got links. I will say this, the people that support him are a good group of people, by my working class book.

Friends of the Earth Action - 100,000 members country wide
Iowa Caucus for Priorities - 10,000 members (A Progressive Group)
United Steelworkers - 1.2 Million members

The list goes on to include the SEIU in 12 different states, including Iowa, please don't make me list it all here. Also, several other progressive groups rate John Edwards' one term as a senator in a pretty good light. And let's remember, the Democrats were the minority during Edwards time, they didn't even have the razor thin margin that the Dems have now.

HRC is a Dem, from a very big, very blue state. For that, what have we really gotten, as Progressives? From her, or from Bill Clinton's Administration? Not a lot. And let's face it, a Dem from NY, should be able to get something done.

Now I know your smarter than me, I'm sure you'll write circles around my rough spun words. But this is how I feel, this is how a lot of hard working Americans feel, and you sure as hell are not going to change it with your clever abuses. So go ahead, do your best, then just run along.

I'm trying to have a good god damned Sunday.


Now let's go to work.

Edwards is a bad evil man. You win. I give up.

If you want to keep your threads free from criticism and debate, then post them in the candidate's forum.

the OP shouldn't expect sunshine and puppy dog responses.

But one that starts out with a questions like: "Are you lying now? Or were you just lying then?" Doesn't sound like a table me, or anyone with any kind of brain, wants to sit down at.

I don't mind the criticism, I mind the bullshit.


Ready to go to work.

John and Elizabeth Edwards have chosen to embark together on a shared quest to change America for the better. To wrest control of our policies from the death grip of Corporate America. To insure that the children of today have a future tomorrow.

John Edwards has grown to this position which is evidenced in his forthright competitiveness on the campaign trail and in the debates.

Spiffy one liners will not defeat the Corporatist Republican nominee in 2008.

Only straight talk, hard questions and tough resonant positions taken on behalf of the American people will bring about the real change in direction that working America and indeed the world are demanding in 2008. :9

True and honest people.

John Edwards is going to be The People's President!!

And boy do we need one. Yesterday.

:kick:

:applause:

And welcome to DU!


The next POTUS and me.

And thanks for the welcome! I have been around for several months but don't post a lot. I think JRE is our best candidate by far, though I like all of them to some degree! I have been his supporter since 2003 and really
expect to see him in the White House in '09!! Man, I have seen him 3 times and I wish I had a pic with him!

Leslie

Go John Edwards!

President, Senator, governor or mayor.

That's what the founders warned against.

Apt.


My pick.

Is this OLD NEWS?

I find it just a tad disconcerting, considering his well-publicised stances on the issue of sub-prime and predatory lending, but all the stuff I can find is on HuppPo, WaPo and WSJ.

Is this just RW talking points?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118728685546999884.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/10/AR2007051002277.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118728685546999884.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/09/27/subprime-lenders-linked-t_n_66115.html

I've been reading that about half of his net worth ($16 million) is invested in these sub-prime lenders / hedge fund management firms...and that he worked for them to the tune of $475,000 / year, as well as took donations of $150,000 from employees of these companies (which I suppose is legal, but may look pretty bad, all things considered).

The allegations are that these firms foreclosed on a shitload of Iowa farmers and Katrina victims...

The articles are from as early as May to Sept...are there refutations (I've already seen the lame "I don't remember" and "I didn't know" quotes) online anywhere? At DU?

(the threads generally get ignored and sink to oblivion)

I want you to know it was not my intent to ignore you in any way. Sorry for making you wait. I had read most of the articles in your link, but just to make sure, I'm going back for a quick re-read.

In the first article they claim he had money invested in a fund that foreclosed on some homes in New Orleans after Katrina. Yes I've read that, and I feel for those families. He was not, as far as the first part of the article states, CEO of that company, and aside from that I'm not one to trust the slant of the Wall Stree Journal. As far as the ties to that company, here is what the article says in the Washington Post:

Edwards said yesterday that he was unaware of the push by the firm, Fortress Investment Group, into subprime lending and that he wishes he had asked more questions before taking the job. The former senator from North Carolina said he had asked Fortress officials whether it was involved in predatory lending practices before taking the job in 2005 and was assured it was not.

That for me was good enough. And a little more from the Post:

Last month, Edwards announced a plan to fight predatory lending. He said that an increase in subprime loans and predatory mortgages was resulting in a surge of foreclosures that risked "devastating communities," and that "shameful lending practices . . . are compromising our strength as a nation."

To me that sounds like someone who has learned from what has happened. Not someone looking to profit from it.

As for the other articles, I'm working on it. My computer keeps crashing when I click those links. I will however, read those articles in total as well.

Look, I don't think any candidate is perfect. Hillary has, in my opinion a Mark Penn problem with his ties, and the Clinton ties to a company that also represents big tobacco and Black water. I'm not happy with all of the money Obama has gotten from the financial industries. But even with this, they are both infinitely better that any repug alternative.

What I like about Edwards is he is talking like a Dem should talk. He is saying the things I want to hear. To me his concern is honest, others are free to have their own opinions. (And I'm sure I will hear them.)

Also, it's the people that stand behind Edwards that matter to me too. Unions, Progressive groups, SEIU, are all good smart people to me. I stand with them. I stand with Edwards.

Good luck to whoever you support.


My Pick!

Jeez - I would hope so. Crap like this could really hurt him - especially with the message he is currently working. I see this entire sub-prime boondoggle (crisis?) as being entirely self-inflicted, on both corporate and public sides, but do you wanna take a wild guess who's gonna end up footing the bill?

You are absolutely right - they all have their problems. My candidate suffers from extreme-left positions, media underexposure and a wife who (by all accounts, here) suffered a brain-fart (possibly from overindulgence in rabbit-food) over the weekend.

Sorry about the links blowing up your system - I have the same issue with WSJ links sometimes - I think it is the amount of stupid ads they host. Here's a site that contains a lot of the same info (and same links), yet has a somewhat smaller footprint, ad-wise:

http://busmovie.typepad.com/ideoblog/2007/08/john-edwards-co.html

I'm not a huge Edwards fan, but given the problems many Dems have with the other two popular candidates, he might have a better thn average chance at the nomination.

My chosen candidate is going to need a little more than luck, however...


Go, Dennis, Go!

I couldn't help but notice, you've given almost the exact same reply in two different positive Edwards threads in the last few days, do you have a perfect memory or do you copy and paste? I'm really new here, so I'm just trying to learn how things go. Perhaps you could help explain it to me.

Here's the first one:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3748123

and another:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=3748123

Have we not yet been able to answer your questions? I see that a lot of people have tried, but it doesn't seem to be reaching you. Let me know if you need anything else cleared up.

Thanks, and good luck to your candidate.


My Pick.

Thanks for the post and I love all the pics! K&R!

Up-loaded a bunch of new ones today!


Ready to Work.

While at the same time criticizing others for making the same decisions you made.

That's right, he didn't...

Ah, ok. More negative spin that's untrue and distorts reality. Only the finest slime is thrown at the best candidate.

And that's why I'm supporting another candidate. :)

And good luck.

How long will it be before people compare his voting record and what he has been saying?

... oh, wait...

I have.

I have, and I will pass. Thanks.

Not sure it will do you any good.

Sure, I realize he's not perfect, but in my opinion he's more honest and trustworthy than any of the other candidates. He's also a candidate who represents what's important to me and mine, members of the working class.

K&R

Edwards, and kids, help feed the hungry.

And IF you do, you're LYING to YOURSELF!!!

the '80's fit like a glove NOW!! Johnny & Jackson & Bonnie Too! Mellencamp in his corner, now we need Michael Stipe and Eddy Vedder!

I'm in like FLINT!! Oh, let's get The Boss too!!! THEY were all on tour for Kerry/Edwards last time out! C'mon you guys, give John what he needs!!

Jackson Browne's Lives In The Balance CD is FANTASTIC!! That song and I Am A Patriot are "genius!" to me! Jackson Browne and Raitt have been long time activists as so many others were!

This is my call to them!!!