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Politics : John EDWARDS for President -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lizzie Tudor who wrote (411)	2/21/2004 6:30:06 PM
From: Ann Corrigan	Respond to of 1381

I think Bush's last tax cut plus the illegal almost amnesty proposal were both put in play to pander for votes. The first from those who don't realize other expenses due to national debt have increased far more than amount of their tax rebate; the latter from the Spanish vote. Edwards continues to fight on: Edwards Sees Fight for Change in Campaign By MIKE GLOVER Associated Press Writer February 21, 2004, 5:52 PM EST ST. PAUL, Minn. -- John Edwards sought to make the case Saturday that his presidential campaign represents a fight for change that sets him apart from John Kerry. He also kept up pressure on the front-runner to have more debates. Edwards said he was accepting an invitation to a debate on Feb. 29 in New York. His challenge that Kerry participate follows Edwards' call on Friday for four debates before March 2, when 10 states hold contests. Kerry rejected the idea. Kerry only has committed to a long-scheduled debate in California. In campaign stops in New York, Minnesota and Ohio, Edwards was casting himself as a political outsider. "We can shine a bright light on what they're doing," the first-term senator from North Carolina said at Hofstra University on New York's Long Island. Portraying himself as an outsider willing to buck entrenched interests, Edwards said he campaign was aimed at "pushing aside these lobbyists who stand between you and your democracy." In St. Paul, Edwards was holding a union hall rally focused on trade and the economy. Both issues, Edwards said, are linked to established Washington powers that he opposes. Edwards is trying to cast Kerry, a Massachusetts senator, as the establishment candidate who would offer little change if he wins the nominations. "I've been in Washington long enough to see that power needs to change," said Edwards. "I have seen this up close. They're drowning out your voice and the voices of most Americans." Speaking with reporters on his campaign plane, Edwards acknowledged that he heads into the March 2 primaries lagging far behind in big states such as New York and California. "This is like many other states we've been in, he's ahead and I'm behind," Edwards. "I know I'm going to go up, the question is how much and how quickly." He said his poll standings grow as he makes his case as a Washington outsider. That strategy is aimed in part at attracting the support of Howard Dean's backer. The former Vermont governor surged early with an Internet-driven campaign that drew newcomers to politics before Dean plummeted and was forced from the race. "I want primary voters to know that what I offer is somebody who is an outsider, somebody who has new ideas about how to change this country," Edwards said. Aides held a conference call to argue that they remain financially competitive, raising $5 million since the Iowa caucuses, receiving $3.4 million in federal matching money and being eligible for another $2 million federal match. That's roughly the amount of money Kerry has generated, aides said. Edwards surprised many with a strong second-place showing in last week's Wisconsin primary. In that state, he hammered trade deals, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which links the United States and Mexico and Canada, for allowing companies to ship thousands of jobs overseas and drive down wages in this country. He said his single term in the Senate has given him the insight he needs to understand what must change in Washington: lessen the influence of lobbyists. On Saturday, he also took on companies that he said on making money from the U.S.-led war in Iraq. "We've got to put a stop this war profiteering that's going on in Iraq," said Edwards. "If you were to put on a piece of paper a list of companies that have gotten contracts, then you put beside it a list of who they've made political contributions to, take a wild guess who that would be -- George W. Bush." Going into the pivotal March 2 contests, Edwards lacks Kerry's resources and is being more selective than the front-runner in where he campaigns and how he spends his money. Edwards said he will begin television commercials in Ohio and Georgia but will spend less than what Kerry will purchase. Edwards said he has raised more than $4 million since his second-place showing in the Iowa caucuses and has the resources to push forward.