Edwards Goes Solo, Attacks Bush's
Leadership
story.news.yahoo.com
By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent
DES MOINES, Iowa (Reuters) - John Edwards
, opening his first solo campaign swing since becoming No. 2 on
the Democratic White House ticket, blasted President Bush (news - web
on Wednesday for his failure to take responsibility for flawed U.S.
intelligence on Iraq.
Edwards, at a rally on the steps of the Iowa
State Capitol, contrasted Bush with British
Prime Minister Tony Blair
and presumptive Democratic presidential
nominee John Kerry and
said Bush did not understand what it means
to lead.
"What we need in the White House is
somebody who has the strength, courage
and leadership to take responsibility and be
accountable not only for what is good, but
for what is bad. That's what John Kerry will
be," the North Carolina senator said.
Edwards referred to a British report released
on Wednesday that criticized the country's
intelligence failures in the run-up to the war
in Iraq.
Blair, in London, said he took "full personal
responsibility" for the breakdown.
"Tony Blair didn't run from the report," said
Edwards, chosen by Kerry as his running
mate a week ago. "He understands what
leadership is."
The British report echoed a Senate
Intelligence Committee report issued in
Washington last week that said U.S.
intelligence used to justify the invasion of
Iraq was riddled with flaws but found no sign
Bush had pressured analysts.
Bush has not taken responsibility for the
intelligence mistakes, and said again while
campaigning in Michigan that "although we
haven't found the stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, we were
right to go into Iraq, and America is safer today because we did."
Edwards said Kerry had proven his leadership skills as a decorated boat
commander during the Vietnam War.
"He showed then and he has his entire life that he will be responsible,
that he will lead, that he has courage," he said.
Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt said it was "clear that John
Edwards is going to go out and function as John Kerry's hand-picked
attack lawyer."
HOMECOMING
On the first day of a six-day, seven-state solo swing, Edwards enjoyed a
homecoming of sorts in Iowa, where his surprise second-place finish to
Kerry in January launched a strong run through the party primaries that
positioned him to be the choice for vice president.
Edwards met Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack privately and was introduced to the
crowd by Vilsack, a finalist for Kerry's No. 2 slot.
Iowa, won by Bush in 2000 by about 4,000 votes out of more than 1.3
million cast, is a crucial state again this year. Bush is making a strong
push to recapture the state's seven electoral votes in November.
Edwards hailed the Senate's defeat of a Bush-backed effort to amend the
Constitution to ban same-sex marriages.
"Democrats and Republicans together joined to reject the politics of
divisiveness," he said. "The president and vice president tried to use the
Constitution and the amendment of the Constitution, as a political tool."
Peter Scher, Edwards' newly named campaign
manager, said the trip would hit California, Illinois,
Iowa and four Southern states to "show the reach he
will have across the entire country."
Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, is hoping Edwards'
Southern, small-town roots and working class
background will resonate in rural areas and towns in
battleground states in the South and Midwest. |
