Edwards: McCain Plan for Iraq Would be Tremendous Mistake
By ABBY SIMONS
DES MOINES REGISTER STAFF WRITER
desmoinesregister.com
Greeting cheering supporters the day he announced his second bid for the presidency, former vice presidential candidate John Edwards stripped off his jacket and said it’s great to be back in Iowa.
“And I have to tell you, it’s even better to be back as candidate for president of the United States,” he said at a Thursday evening town hall meeting at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines.
Touting the slogan “Tomorrow Begins Today,” Edwards, 53, a former senator from North Carolina, pledged a grass-roots campaign that begins with domestic issues, such as eliminating poverty and strengthening the middle class — hence Thursday morning’s campaign announcement in Katrina-ravaged New Orleans.
Edwards said that he is working on a true universal health care plan, not just access to health care or affordable health care. It’s part of taking care of the nation’s people and America proving itself once again as a model for the rest of the world, he said.
“We need to be patriotic for something other than just war,” he said.
Edwards also spoke about foreign policy issues, including beginning the process of removing troops from Iraq.
“There is so much we need to do, starting with America’s moral leadership in the world,” he said.
“That morality begins with Iraq, and it would be an enormous mistake to begin with the McCain doctrine,” he said of Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain’s proposal to put more troops in Iraq. “It needs to be made clear that our troops are not going to stay in Iraq, and the best way to make that clear is to actually start leaving.”
Edwards repeatedly pointed out that he voted for the occupation of Iraq in 2003, but he said he did so because of information received while he was a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He maintains that he has spoken out against it since.
“I’m not responsible for the condition of this war. That’s Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld,” he said referring to the president, the vice president, and the former secretary of defense.
He also focused on the dangers of global warming and America’s energy crisis and addiction to oil. Each issue had one unifying factor, he pointed out. Every American could take part in making the country better not just by supporting him, but by taking action of their own.
“I don’t want us to stand by and wait for the next election and the next president to solve these problems — although we have some hopes for that — but we want to start taking responsibility now, and doing things now,” he said.
Taking questions Edwards answered several questions from supporters during the 90-minute town hall meeting, ranging from the federal No Child Left Behind education law to the situation in the Middle East.
The first question concerned his position on immigration. Edwards conceded that while the nation’s southern border does need to be secured, law-abiding immigrants who have entered the country illegally should be allowed to stay, after paying a fine and learning to speak English.
Supporter Gary Smith, 56, of Iowa City asked Edwards about the nation’s ever-growing deficit and what he would do to fix it. Edwards responded that while it was a concern, eliminating poverty, global warming and other domestic issues took precedence. While not the answer Smith was looking for, he said his support for Edwards didn’t waver.
“I was a little disappointed that he didn’t have much to say about the Chinese in the context of our national deficit and how we’ve mortgaged our debt to them,” Smith said. “It’s not a very sexy issue, but we could find ourselves destroying our economy, and these guys hold most of it.”
Smith, who caucused for John Kerry in 2004, calls Edwards an attractive candidate, but said he will see what other campaigns bring. Regardless, he didn’t think Edwards announcement was too early.
About unions Pat and Theresa Navin of Winterset, both labor union supporters, agreed with much of what Edwards had to say, but most of all agreed with his several mentions of expanding unions. The Navins believe it’s important for more than just the workers themselves.
“I think he was great before, and he’ll be great again,” Theresa Navin said. “Anyone who is pro-union, pro-worker and pro-family has my support. Strong unions equate with a strong middle class. Everyone just wants a livable wage. The middle class is supporting the entire country, and we’re tired of it.” |
