John Edwards’s Response to Bush’s SOTU Address

Edwards came out with a strong response to Bush’s SOTU address, calling the President out on his empty rhetoric. In the response, Edwards states what we really should be doing right now. He proposes bold solutions for Health Care and Energy, while calling for an immediate withdrawal of 50,000 troops from Iraq. 

From his website: 

“President Bush’s address tonight was heavy on rhetoric, but light on everything else. The American people said they wanted change and what they got was more of the same – small ideas that won’t make a difference in the lives of working Americans.

“They said they wanted straight talk and a vision for the future; what they got was a rationalization for the failed policies of the past.

“The next President will have to do more than just undo this President’s mistakes – the next President must offer a vision for fundamental change that will transform America and ensure our greatness in the 21st century.

“America needs leaders who will do more than propose half-measures and baby steps; President Bush has left us a legacy of challenges that can only be met with courage, conviction and bold change.

“And that change must begin in Iraq. President Bush’s decision to adopt the McCain Doctrine and escalate the war in Iraq is terribly wrong. There is no military solution to this civil war. Instead of increasing the number of troops in Iraq, we should immediately withdraw 40-50,000 troops. In order for the Iraqi people to take responsibility for their country, we must show them that we are serious about leaving, and the best way to do that is to actually start leaving.  Since the President refuses to change course, Congress must use its power of the purse and block funding for an escalation of war. Over 80,000 people from across the country have joined me in calling on Congress to stop President Bush’s misguided plan to escalate the war. Congress has the power to stop this escalation – they should use it.

“We also need real leadership to address the health care crisis in our country.  Since President Bush took office in 2000, the number of uninsured Americans has increased by 8 million.  While it is nice that he is finally talking about America’s health care crisis, President Bush’s proposal will do little to help working Americans, and is it unlikely to reduce the number of uninsured because it encourages companies to drop coverage, but does nothing to help people buy their own insurance. President Bush’s proposal offers much more help to a family making $300,000 than one making $30,000. The time for patching up our health care system has ended. We need universal health care in this country and we need it now.

“Finally, America will never break its dependence on foreign oil without bold leadership.  After years of catering to the oil industry, President Bush says he is finally ready to take action and curb our dependence on foreign oil.  But neither his actions nor his proposals match his rhetoric. The President has the authority now to raise fuel economy standards if he wants to, but the standard has been at 27.5 miles per gallon since 1985. Under his leadership, we are now importing 60 percent of our oil, up from 53 percent in 2000.  In order to curb our dependence on foreign oil and address global warming, the United States needs a major investment in energy innovation, on a scale that this President isn’t talking about. We need to ask Americans to be patriotic about something other than war and involve everyone – government, industry, and individuals – in the solution.

“Tonight, the president once again made it clear that we cannot count on him to be honest about our challenges or offer the bold solutions we need to meet them.

“But we know that the great power of America lies in the hands of the people of America. If we take responsibility and take action together, we can build a nation lives up to the greatness of America’s promise.”

What Edwards has shown again is that he has a clear vision for this country. He wants a new direction that will move the US forward again, not the one Bush has proposed that will put us at the same standstill we have been at for the last six years. But rather he wants “bold change.”

On Iraq, Edwards says escalation is wrong, just as our military generals have said. Instead, he would withdraw 50,000 troops immediately and send the message to the Iraqis that they have a responsibility in their country. He believes they must find a political solution to the problem that has caused thousands of American soldiers their lives.

Edwards calls out the Bush health care proposal for what it is and explains that it does nothing to improve health care coverage in the US and actually just allows companies to drop coverage. He makes quite clear his passion for change by saying we need Universal Health Care and we need it “now.”

On energy, Edwards calls out the failure of the President to do anything about our oil addiction and change to new energy over the past six years, despite all the rhetoric. He states his vision to start moving forward on the issue and reduce our dependence on foreign oil by offering a bold solution.

Edwards sums it nicely when he says the speech was heavy on rhetoric but light on everything else, this is how it has been for the last six years.

Edwards right now is stepping up and not being afraid. He is offering bold solutions for progress again in the country.

Polling Shows Edwards Performing Well

The latest polling from Zogby shows Edwards ahead in Iowa and doing well in New Hampshire. 

Iowa

Edwards: 27%
Obama: 17%
Vilsack: 16%
Clinton: 16%

New Hampshire

Obama: 23%
Clinton: 19%
Edwards: 19%
Kerry: 5%

Florida May Move To Front in 2008 Primaries

It looks like Florida may become much more important in the 2008 Presidential primaries. News has been breaking that the Florida legislature is trying to move the Florida Primary up to the front of the pack, right after New Hampshire. This move could put Florida on the same day as South Carolina, January 29th. 

The state of Florida and its voters may soon play a more crucial role in the presidential primary. Lawmakers said Thursday they want Florida’s presidential primary pushed up to January 2008 to increase the state’s political influence

With a primary on Jan. 29 Florida would share the stage with South Carolina. On Feb. 5, the contest would take place with eight other states.

Here are some of the remarks by the Florida legislature and it is also important to note, the bill has bipartisan support.

Rivera and Ring said they think it’s unfair that candidates come to Florida to raise money and then spend it in states with earlier contests like Iowa and New Hampshire.

“Candidates are going to have to take Florida a little more seriously and not view it as just an ATM,” Mo Elleithee, a veteran of the Wesley Clark, Bob Graham and Bill Bradley presidential campaigns, said.

Elleithee said an earlier Florida primary would present candidates with new challenges and opportunities.

“Candidates have to spread their schedule a little more,” he said. “Other candidates get more opportunities to break through in terms of media coverage because you’re not necessarily sharing every media cycle with every other candidate.”

“We know for sure that Iowa and New Hampshire do not represent the diversity of the United States of America,” Sen. Jeremy Ring, D-Margate, told the House Ethics and Elections Committee Thursday. “We know the state of Florida does. We know that, as Florida goes, so the country goes.”

Ring and Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, who will sponsor the House bill, said their proposal has support from both chambers. It is also one of House Speaker Marco Rubio’s “100 Innovative Ideas for Florida’s Future,” which is a centerpiece of his agenda for the next two legislative sessions.

This could give us a very big say in who will the nominee in 2008. We all know John Edwards is the best candidate for Florida. He has personally helped workers in our state when he helped janitors at the University of Miami who were fighting for higher wages and the right to form a union. He represents the values of hard work and wants to reward that. Now we must help him achieve victory in Florida!

TIME on Edwards Candidacy

TIME has an interesting article about the John Edwards campaign.

He starts his second run for the Oval Office with a solid foundation: polls show him as one of the top Democratic contenders in the Hawkeye State, where voters liked his relaxed, guy-next-door manner and optimistic message in 2004 and have appreciated his many visits since. So what is the ex–North Carolina Senator and former vice-presidential nominee doing dumping the centrism that was key to putting the past two Democrats in the White House? Why is he tacking sharply to the left?

As one of the people who became a supporter of John Edwards from Iowa in 2004 because of his optimistic, positive campaign to build a stronger middle class in America and move our country forward again, I will say that it is not about shifting to the left or the right, John Edwards is stepping up for what the American people want, ideas supported by people on both parties, which is why he has broad support. He is willing to talk about issues no other politicians, Republican or Democrat, will talk about and he is willing to listen to what the people have to say. He supports a platform that rewards hard work again in America and that gives everyone a chance. This is what Americans of all political parties want, at least the opportunity for people to have a chance in life. Over the last six years, we have not moved forward on any of the major issues facing our country and it is time that we begin to take action now. People want to move forward again on improving our education and health care systems and advancing energy research and environmental causes. People want to end the increasing class-divide that Republicans have allowed over the last six years, with all the tax cuts and special benefits to the most wealthy and elite, like oil and pharaceutical companies, while the middle class has faced job cuts, college tuition and health care cost increases.

The economic populism Edwards talked about in 2004 and has now fully embraced was a winning formula in 2006 for many Democratic congressional candidates–even after Republicans depicted them as big spenders. But presidential candidates are judged by different criteria. Moving to the left doesn’t answer one of the main critiques of Edwards in the last campaign: his lack of foreign policy experience. And taking up liberalism may be particularly dangerous for Edwards now that Democrats control Congress, since a G.O.P. opponent could argue that voters would have no check on spending if Edwards were elected.

Republicans are not allowed to argue anymore that they will decrease our deficit. Many Republicans have recently argued against the Democrats restoring paygo spending after Bush and the Republican Congress over the last six years have created a massive deficit that the middle class will have to pay for over the future. It is time we start helping out the working class again in America. John Edwards believes building a strong economy in our country starts with people like us, from the bottom-up, not the top-down like many Republicans believe. By investing in the middle class and in moving the country forward again, we will build a strong economy. It will be up to the voters, who have been ignored over the last six years by Republicans and Bush, to make that decision of how we should invest our money. People will support John Edwards because he is also tired of our huge deficit being piled up at the expense of the middle class and gifts to the most wealthy and powerful Americans.

But if you’re going to take your party in a new direction, it helps to be like Edwards, a smooth-talking Southern charmer with a light drawl whom Bill Clinton himself described as being able to “talk an owl out of a tree.” That’s where the ex-President’s model may suit Edwards just fine.

This is one reason Edwards is so popular, among people of all political beliefs. He campaigns positively, not negatively like many others, which is quite refreshing for a change. To respond to TIME, I believe John Edwards will maintain his support among Democrats, Independents, and some of the Republicans who even support him. He is stepping up for the middle class and those being left behind in America and wants to give them a chance again. Is that a crime today in our country? And now this year he has further made his campaign about the people, with One Corps. He believes that it will be people like us who will make the difference in America. And he is campaigning a long with us, not above us. What other politicians do you see doing that?

John Edwards: Polling Best Against McCain and Guiliani

John Edwards is in the best position of all Democrats running to win the Presidency in 2008, according to a recent IBD/TIPP poll.

In a potential matchup of McCain vs. the leading Democrats:

McCain 44% to Edwards 43%      McCain 48% Clinton 41%      McCain  48%  Obama  36%

In a potential matchup of Guiliani vs. the leading Democrats:

McCain 47% to Edwards 42%  McCain 48% to Clinton 43%  McCain  49% Obama  36%

While Clinton and Obama have been cast as the Goliaths of the Democratic field, “when you look at the numbers, they’re not the strongest in the general election,” said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion.

Edwards is doing the best among Republicans and Independents, keys to winning the 2008 election. 

In the matchup vs. McCain, Edwards polled 11.9% among Republicans and 38.4% among independents compared with 5.4% and 37% for Clinton.

Against Giuliani, Edwards had support of 10.6% of Republicans and 39% of independents compared with 8% and 37.3% for Clinton.

Five Actions You Can Take Today

1. Read John Edward’s 2004 Campaign platform and find out why he is so amazing.

2. Join One Corps and start making a difference today.

3. Let John know you and Florida support him by contributing to his campaign today.

4. Watch John Edwards Live on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Wednesday night.

5. If you would like to take part in blogging here, please let me know in this post or email me at pointblankpolitics@yahoo.com

We will need many contributors to make this a great effort to deliver Florida for John Edwards! 

If you would also like to take part in Turning Florida Blue, an effort to turn our state house, state senate, state cabinet, and US Congress seats back to the Democrats, please visit this blog.