Welcome to another edtion of the Edwards Evening News! Check out the latest and possibly some missed earlier. Enjoy!
1. Government by the People - strong support for Edwards ideas empowering people.
2. On the ground in Iowa - a bit on what's happening in Iowa
3. Edwards at the Truman dinner in California - a recap on Edwards at the Truman dinner after receiving the California SEIU endorsement.
4. Breaking: Edwards wins San Mateo straw poll!
Come along over the flap!
1. Government by the People - strong support for Edwards ideas empowering people.
Probably by now, many of us here are aware of Edwards plans on government reform. As noted on the website, its been received exceptionally well:
"With his One Democracy Initiative, Edwards has demonstrated that he will take on the dominance of corporate lobbyists to be the leader of something we lack today in Washington: a powerful 'lobby for the public good.' His vision for government reform, like many other issues, is charting a way to reclaim the soul and values of our party and of the country."
Scott Harshbarger, former president of Common Cause, October 16, 2007
Since the plan has been released, one aspect in particular - that of calling for a Citizen Congress - has received a lot of positive attention. Check out this wonderful article by Archon Fung, a professor on public policy, praising Edwards' initiatives:
The idea that government should talk directly to citizens about political issues, and that citizens should talk to each other, has the potential to reinvigorate American democracy. Citizen participation through influential assemblies such as Citizen Congresses would address three critical failings of the political system
Looking at the three reasons given by the author, I was particularly struck by the second, which echoes so much of what Edwards has been saying everywhere he goes for so long now:
Second, the political system produces many laws and policies that favor a few special interests at the expense of the majority of Americans: manufacturers over consumers; those in the education business over students and parents; medical providers and insurers over patients and their families; and politicians over voters.
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In other words: end the game. Its rigged and most can't even afford to play.
Political leaders in Canada, Britain, Brazil, and many other countries have already recognized the potential of public participation and instituted important new ways for citizens to influence government. Rather than being the world leader in democracy, America is lagging behind in its democratic imagination and ingenuity. Edwards's proposal marks an important, if modest, step to catch up. Perhaps it will empower ordinary Americans in the political process and, eventually, make America an example of democracy that is truly worth following.
But the title of EENR tonight actually comes from a different article by John Gastil in the Seattle Times. He notes, as the previous article did, that Americans are continuing to lose faith in their government and that Edwards has a serious proposal to remedy that:
Fewer than one in four Americans expect Washington to "do what is right" most of the time, according to a July 2007 CBS poll. A Pew Research Center survey in March found that only one in three Americans believe the federal government "cares about what people like me think." Those are grim statistics for a nation once heralded as the global icon of democracy.
The presidential candidates have yet to tap successfully into this wellspring of alienation, but this past Saturday in Keene, N.H., Democratic candidate John Edwards launched the One Democracy Initiative to do just that.
The article also notes that Edwards' ideas stem from from an AmericaSpeaks policy paper and have been put into practice successfully at the local level. Looking over their site, they seem like a great progressive organization. Major kudos to Edwards and his policy people for picking up on the best and brightest ideas for empowering everyday citizens to play a greater role in our democracy.
2. On the ground in Iowa - a bit on what's happening in Iowa.
Lots going on - things are really picking up and his support on the ground is growing, while questions about at least one other candidate seem to be growing. Today Edwards responded to Clinton taking the unusual step of sending out a letter to Iowans defending her recent vote inching us toward war with Iran:
"This morning we see that Senator Clinton is defending her vote to declare the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. She was entitled to her vote just like she's entitled to defend it. The problem is her explanation to Iowa voters is different than her explanation to the New York Times. Her backers told the New York Times that her vote was about shifting from primary election mode to general election mode. Now she's telling Iowans something different. Apparently she has an Iowa mode and a Washington mode too.
"We have already seen the devastating consequences of triangulation and manipulation in Iraq. Particularly on the critical challenge on Iran, where the administration appears to be readying the guns of war, Democrats deserve a nominee who only has one mode - and that's ‘telling the truth’ mode."
Seems like a pretty fair crticism, especially given her avoidance of questions at events and inability to admit mistakes:
At this point in the campaign, Iowans may be willing to support a candidate who has not answered all of their questions fully and completely. The Caucuses are still months away, after all, and not everyone has had a chance to see every candidate yet. In another month, however, rank and file caucus goers will start to finalize their choices, and they are not likely to choose a candidate whom they have never heard answer questions from their friends and neighbors. And even if they do, they are less likely to brave the cold January weather to caucus for them.
I stand with this author and am confident that Iowans know who will stand the tallest for them in the White House:
My hope and I don’t think it is an unreasonable one, is that when it comes time for the Iowa caucuses, caucus-goers look into their hearts, find the only one there politically is John Edwards, and give him a resounding victory.
Edwards says it best:
3. Edwards at the Truman dinner in California - a recap on Edwards at the Truman dinner after receiving the California SEIU endorsement.
While the endorsement of the California SEIU received the bulk of the news, John Edwards also spoke at the 13th Annual Truman Awards dinner later that evening to a sellout crowd of over 1100 people in Anaheim, where they expeced to raise nearly $250,000 for the Orange County Democratic party. In a county that usually goes Republican, this is a pretty big deal and shows how Edwards can strenghten and grow the Democratic Party. Here are some excepts from his speech and the video is here:
"At the end of the day, what’s at stake in this election is a very simple thing: whether we’re going to live in a moral, fair and just America, where everyone has a chance. Whether American is going to lead in a moral, fair and just world.
"To paraphrase Ghandi, you have to be the change that you believe in. The idea that you can vote in the election and the next president – including me – is going to solve all your problems is a fantasy. The truth is that the power in America is not inside the beltway in Washington, D. C. The power in America is in communities just like this.
and speaking of California, Elizabeth Edwards will be in Long Beach on Tuesday for the California Women's Conference.
4. Breaking: Edwards wins San Mateo straw poll!
Just saw this, so go over and read the diary:
John Edwards Wins San Mateo Straw Poll by Hapa Nagila. Here are the official results:
JOHN EDWARDS 221 29.0%
DENNIS KUCINICH 180 23.6%
BARACK OBAMA 171 22.5%
HILLARY CLINTON 128 16.8%
AL GORE (Write-In) 23 3.0%
BILL RICHARDSON 21 2.8%
JOSEPH BIDEN 8 1.0%
CHRISTOPHER DODD 4 0.5%
MICHAEL GRAVEL 4 0.5%
Other Write-ins 1 0.1%
And if you are in or around New Hampshire, they could use your help. And they campaign could also use some help making the Blue Majority happen - do what you can. Thats the news! Hope you enjoyed it!