Edwards Discusses War on Terror at Rally
Sun Sep 26, 8:12 PM ET
By RYAN LENZ, Associated Press Writer
LEWISTON, Maine - Democratic vice presidential nominee John
Edwards said Sunday a Kerry-Edwards administration
would show no mercy to terrorists.
"When I am your vice president we will find
al-Qaida. We will find these terrorists where
they are and we will crush them before they
can do any harm on America," Edwards told
about 2,600 people at a town hall meeting.
"This is a battle against good and evil. This
is a battle between freedom and those that
would stop freedom."
Edwards said that recent Republican ads
depicting Osama bin Laden web
with narration claiming that terrorists
would want John Kerry to
be president exploits the Sept. 11 tragedy.
Edwards outlined a plan to fight the war on
terror that would return the focus to the hunt
for al-Qaida and bin Laden. He said the
Kerry-Edwards plan would build international
coalitions such as those that were built in
both world wars.
Kerry has said he will remove troops from
Iraq during his first term
as president. Edwards said doing so would
require that the administration accelerate
the training of Iraqi security forces.
"The reality is Iraq is a mess, and it's a
mess because of two men: George Bush
and Dick Cheney."
Edwards' visit to Maine was his second this
month. Edwards visited the University of
Maine in early September.
Bush visited Bangor on Thursday, where he sought to bolster public
confidence in the economy.
Maine, with four electoral votes, is one of two states that doles them out
by congressional district, rather than giving all to the winner. The winner
of the statewide popular vote gets two electoral votes, and the winner in
each of Maine's two congressional districts receives one, making a 3-1
split possible.
In all other states except Nebraska, the winner of the popular vote takes
all that state's electoral votes.
Bush lost Maine in 2000, but a recent poll showed voters evenly divided
between him and Kerry.
Edwards' visit followed an appearance in Detroit where the North Carolina
senator also hit on the theme that Republicans are engaged in an
immoral attempt to divide the nation by taking partisan advantage of the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Bush campaign spokesman Brian Jones said Sunday that the president
has called for an end to such attack ads by outside groups.
"Nevertheless, the Kerry campaign has continually played politics with
the war on terror," Jones said. "Kerry's chronic vacillation regarding the
war on terror raises serious questions about his character and his ability
to lead during these extraordinary times."
The senator on Monday will campaign in Manchester, N.H., Providence,
R.I., and New York City, N.Y.
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