John Edwards, I Hardly Knew Ye

On a friday afternoon and it being the first day of the Olympics, John Edwards cowardly came out and admitted the affair with Rielle Hunter to be true. As a long time Edwards supporter, I am deeply ashamed to hear this news, especially since he repeatedly lied about Hunter during his Presidential campaign. I couldn't even imagine the damage he would have done to the country had he become the nominee. I couldn't have imagined saying this a couple weeks ago or especially in February, but I am so glad he lost early.

From ABC News:

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter's baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby's birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father.

He came clean to Elizabeth two years ago and obviously she has forgiven him or else she would have left him, but then again no one knows what goes on inside a marriage except for those that are in it. Those details I leave up to the Edwards' family, but as for the Presidential race and the lies he told us....what a terrible thing to do, especially when so much is riding on this election. If John McCain were running against Edwards instead of Obama, we'd be in serious trouble.

Also, in spite of all his tremendous work in the fight against poverty, this incident puts a terrible stain on his reputation. The affair shadows the important issue of the class war in our society and the things we must do to combat it, at least in regards to Edwards' contributions.

Edwards v. Rove: One Debate You Won't Want To Miss

John Edwards fared poorly against Dick Cheney four years ago when the two were Vice-Presidential opponents, but now John has a chance to redeem himself. On September 26th both the Senator and Republican strategist and fuzzy mathematician Karl Rove are set to debate each other at the University of Buffalo.

From The Buffalo News:

GOP strategist Karl Rove and former Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards will debate the issues of the presidential campaign Sept. 26 as part of the university’s Distinguished Speakers Series, The Buffalo News has learned.

As surrogates for the parties’ standard bearers, the two also could square off more than once at other locations around the nation.

“We’re working on something like that for our Distinguished Speakers Series,” said Bill Regan, UB’s director of special events. “We’re not really sure of the format yet. But we do think they are scheduled to do it at least once together before they come to UB.”

This is one debate that I will definitely not miss. Buffalo may be a few hours away from NYC, but it is definitely worth the ride up there. I suggest everyone get a way to follow this, because watching Karl Rove with John Edwards outside of the safety net that is Fox News will be priceless.

West Virginia Boosts Clinton? Obama Blows That Delegate Gap In Less Than A Day

Hillary Clinton is trying desperately to hang on to some semblance of a credible campaign by claiming a large victory in West Virginia. Percentage-wise she did quite well, beating Obama by more than 40 points. Yet when that is put into the context of a national primary the amount of delegates she won by were erased just today and it is only 2pm on the East Coast.

From DailyKos:

Super Delegates:

Obama +4
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Larry Cohen, the president of the Communication Workers of America and a super-delegate from D.C.
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA)
Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA)

Pledged Delegates:

Obama +7 from Edwards' Delegates.
Reportedly the breakdown is
(1) - NH
(6) - SC

Daniel Boan, Christine Brennan-Bond, Robert Groce, Susan Smith, Mike Evatt and Lauren Bilton are the South Carolina Edwards Pledged Delegates confirmed by CNN as supporting Obama.

Endorsements:

Obama:
United Steelworkers Union
Communication Workers of America

Endorsements aren't delegates, but they put the necessary boots on the ground that help win elections. For right now, those 11 delegates negate Hillary's West Virginia win (not that WV doesn't matter, this is context people) and puts Barack Obama that much closer to officially becoming the nominee for the Democratic party.

John Edwards' Endorsement Speech

What an orator:



Sometimes I miss him being a candidate, especially when I see him up in front of the crowd. However, we are where we are and we must press on to make sure the best candidate wins the White House this year. John Edwards did his part of that bargain when he stepped up to the mic this evening.

Here It Comes, Edwards Makes His Endorsement Official!

Another nail is about to be driven into the coffin that holds Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign. With the flood of superdelegates coming into Obama's camp, this thing has been looking more and more cooked since last week's primary and despite Clinton's win yesterday in West Virginia, this endorsement will wash away any positive coverage she might have gotten from it.

Marc Ambinder has the details:

I don't know if John Edwards is endorsing Barack Obama today.

Here are some hints, though.

So who's staffing Edwards today? A hint: this is Jennifer Palmieri's out-of-office message...

I will be out of the office on Wednesday, May 14. But will be checking messages intermittently. If you need assistance in the meantime, please contact [REDACTED] at [REDACTED].org for assistance.

Ms. Palmieri is a family favorite and has been called upon to staff the Edwards family at sensitive events before.

What's Wendy Button, Edwards's longtime speechwriter, been doing lately? I hear she's been writing a secret speech... (Her facebook profile includes this entry for 3pm: "Wendy just finished writing the speech.")

How come Edwards's brain trust -- all of them -- are unreachable?

Obama is touting a big endorsement coming up this evening and it seems that the cat is out of the bag now. Edwards' made the rumor machine hum last week with his minor slip up on Morning Joe, but when he steps out on stage to make it official, it makes the reality of who the nominee just that much more set in stone.

Oh and the Clinton campaign says this is bad (genius!) but they'll move past it. Where they'll be moving to exactly....they didn't elaborate on that.

John Edwards Voted For Obama

As we all know, North Carolina and Indiana went to the polls three days ago to cast their vote for the Presidential nominee (among other things). The turnout was tremendous, the enthusiasm was incredible and Barack Obama became the expected nominee. Hillary Clinton fights on, but there is something different in the air now. No longer does the media call it a race between the Democratic candidates, it is a race between Sens. Obama and McCain.

Out of the hundreds of thousands that voted on Tuesday, there was one man that was vigorously courted for an endorsement. That man was once a candidate in this race himself, that man was John Edwards. John managed to stay in the limelight to some degree, helped to move the remaining candidates in a more populist direction and kept issues near and dear to him in the public's consciousness.

Edwards, in my opinion was the candidate that fought most for progressive values. His plan for the economy, health care and many other issues gave me hope for the future of the system. However, for myriad reasons he couldn't pull in enough votes to become the nominee and unfortunately dropped out after only garnering a few delegates.

Even though he didn't endorse either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, he let his preference slip out this morning on Morning Joe. Let me be one of many Edwards-turned-Obama supporters to say, I wasn't surprised at who he voted for.

Where Have All The Edwards' Supporters Gone?

Gone to Obama's campaign, yes they are.

Well not every single one of them, but by and large, the progressive message that attracted so many to John Edwards campaign last year led many over to Senator Obama's side once John stepped aside. Not only was this my opinion among many in the ensuing days after Edwards resigned his campaign but the facts prove it.

From The Hill:

Since Edwards dropped out of the presidential race, Obama’s campaign has received contributions of $200 or more from 1,089 donors who had supported Edwards, according to Federal Election Commission (FEC) records.

Only 393 Edwards donors have given to Clinton since the primary became a two-candidate race. Since Edwards withdrew on Jan. 30, Obama has raised nearly $1 million from Edwards donors, compared to the $427,000 that has flowed to Clinton.

The strong bias among Edwards’s supporters prompts Obama’s allies to hope for an endorsement by the former candidate that could help him in big states, such as Ohio and Pennsylvania, that were won by Clinton.

It isn't only the money either. Not one single publicly known Edwards supporter has gone to Clinton. Many in Edwards' inner circle have also made it known they now endorse and support Barack Obama. Many say it is because of the similar economic message, but I believe it is broader than that. Clinton is a DLC centrist. Obama has a new way forward that signifies hope and change. That new way also harkens back to the progressive views that won over so many in the working class in years past...and it can do it again.

John Edwards Knows "The Word"

If you haven't watched Stephen Colbert last night, it is a must see. Congressman Murphy, Senator Clinton and Senator Obama showed up (Obama via satellite though). Despite all the segments being Colbertastic as usual, none of them compare to John Edwards doing the "Word," or should I say "edWord."

Get it? Now watch it and be prepared to laugh, a lot.

So What Is The Big Deal About NAFTA?

NAFTA is a big deal to many people. It is a big deal to the tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Americans that have lost their jobs due to that trade deal. It matters to those that have jobs but with depressed wages due to the new "competition." Companies that have exploited the deal have made millions and billions by having to pay lower wages (and lower costs in terms of safety, pension benefits, human rights, etc) by setting up shop in other countries that don't care about their people as much. So, is this a big deal to Sens. Clinton and Obama?

From Jonathan Tasini at Working Life:

I was struck today, as I have been for the past several weeks, at the void created when John Edwards suspended his campaign for president. Today, it was on the issue of trade and globalization, courtesy of a piece in The Wall Street Journal entitled "Decoding Candidates On Trade."

Here's an important paragraph, with my bolded emphasis:

Neither Mrs. Clinton nor Mr. Obama is likely to be able to do much about trade deals already in effect, despite their campaign rhetoric. Neither, even in the heat of the Midwestern spotlight, is talking about new barriers to trade. The Depression-era Smoot-Hawley tariffs aren't coming back. And the Democrats' trade hard-liner, former Sen. John Edwards, has dropped out of the race.

[...]

Edwards took a huge swing at corporate lobbyists by singling out the NAFTA-like Chapter 11 rights. As I explained (and Public Citizen has a much more detailed explanation): Let's say a company doing business in a country that has a party to one of these so-called "free trade" agreements believes a law violates rights or protections the company has under the trade deal. The company can take its case before a trade tribunal, which can, then, rule that a law--say an environmental law or labor--is illegal under the so-called "free trade" regime and award tax-payer dollars to corporations. And this tribunal operates behind closed doors, with no public input or scrutiny and none of the basic due process or transparency one would expect in open courts.

Edwards' position was really important. These Chapter 11 rights are one of the most odious provisions of so-called "free trade" deals. They allow companies to undercut our democracy--laws that are passed by the people we elect can be overridden by an unaccountable, unelected tribunal. Edwards stood up and, effectively, said he would not sign trade deals with these undemocratic provisions.

Neither Sen. Clinton or Obama have made that specific pledge. Too many people think that globalization is just a slogan to mouth without looking at the rules that are governing trade. The fact is: globalization is nothing new. We've traded ever since humans walked on the earth. We need to stop being enthralled by the slogan "globalization" and think about how we set up rules that govern those trading relationships.

Tasini is right on. What we need to look at is the framework in which we trade with other countries and how involved corporations are allowed to be in setting up the deals and working within the setup.

Edwards was a tremendous asset to the debate within the Democratic primary and now it is hard to hear a message for workers (whether American or otherwise) that would break the status quo of corporate dominance. Tasini hopes that the union support recently thrown Obama's way will influence him into transforming the way America looks at trade. I'm hoping for that too.

No, Thank You Senator

Thank you for running and helping to swing the debate in such a positive direction.

Vying For Edwards' Support

Within an hour of the news that Edwards was dropping out of the race, I had already begun receiving emails from my Obama friends requesting that I vote his way in six days' time when New York does its thing. To them I say "I know I won't vote for Hillary." The thing is I was really set on voting for my candidate because he stood up for the progressive values I hold dear. I know that Hillary represents the status quo and Obama says he's for change...but will Obama really carry out what John Edwards represents? Only one thing is for sure in all of this, both candidates left over will swoon the former Senator for his nod.

From The Huffington Post:

Obama's statement: Barack Obama offered this statement on John Edwards' withdrawal from the presidential race:

"John Edwards has spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn't popular to do or covered in the news. At a time when our politics is too focused on who's up and who's down, he made a nation focus again on who matters - the New Orleans child without a home, the West Virginia miner without a job, the families who live in that other America that is not seen or heard or talked about by our leaders in Washington. John and Elizabeth Edwards have always believed deeply that we can change this - that two Americans can become one, and that our country can rally around this common purpose. So while his campaign may end today, the cause of their lives endures for all of us who still believe that we can achieve that dream of one America."

[...]

Clinton's Statement: Hillary Clinton reacted during an interview with a local Alabama news station:

Well Senator Edwards is a friend of mine, he was a colleague in the senate and I have the highest regard for him, and I'm really admiring of what he has done to make sure that poverty was on the agenda here in America. He encouraged all of us in his passion and advocacy and I hope he will continue that work because it is really important that we stay focused on what we're going to do to help people.

We'll just let those two position themselves for his endorsement, if that comes. All I know today is that a great man with incredible ideas bowed out of the race to become the next President.

And Then There Were Two

This morning the news was leaked that John Edwards will be dropping out of the race, marked by a speech in New Orleans this afternoon. Although it pains me to write the name "John Edwards" next to the phrase "dropping out of the race" it was evident that this scenario would come to bear a long time ago. See, when you run a campaign to fight the fundamental ills of our society it can only be an uphill battle. John set out to bring light to the dire poverty that runs rampant in our country. Of course we don't see it very often, the media and advertisers do a good job of showing you what you should become instead of what actually happens to millions of Americans.

When he announced his candidacy in the Ninth ward over a year ago he showed us that our nation was not working and something had to be done. His participation in the debates and the race as whole moved the two other candidates to speak about progressive issues. John led the way in the debate about health care, fighting poverty and against the corporate greed of Wall Street. Instead of attracting a mega following like Obama, the media dogged him about a haircut, a fucking haircut!

As Barack and Hillary would go after each other in a tit for tat fashion, Edwards tried to calm the two and bring the debate back to the substance and policy ideas that the audience wanted to hear. In fact, when most people watched the three way debate, they favored Edwards...but then the media narrative before and after these events rubbed him out of the picture. The AP's article linked above called his campaign scrappy, but this man is anything but scrappy. He has been an inspiration to us all. His family is an inspiration and his message is as well. Who knows where he goes from here, but his presence will be missed on the campaign trail.

Edwards On K.O. Last Night

Olbermann covers some of the issues with the underdog Democratic candidate:

Post Debate/Fight Wrap Up

Air America's Cenk Uyugr and Sam Seder discuss the aftermath today:



By the way, why is Sam having trouble keeping his eyes open while talking?

The Blatherings Of Charlie Rangel

Harlem's distinguished Congressman Charlie Rangel talked to WNBC today and oh boy, that Clinton endorsement has started to do strange things to his head. Rangel has been in politics for a long time and has definitely done a lot of good things, but his assessment of the intracacies of the Democratic primary is just a little bit off.

From The Daily Politics:

Rep. Charlie Rangel, a key and outspoken Hillary Clinton supporter, chatted with WNBC's Gabe Pressman today and lamented the attacks that occurred during last night's Democratic debate, saying there's "no question" that both Clinton and Barack Obama "have done themselves damage in the November election."

"The Republicans are just listening to these personal attacks," Rangel said. "And quite frankly, Gabe, the sad thing is that this stuff really works, but it turns off voters, but it increases the number of voters for the person making the personal attacks I hope for the good of America, the Democratic Party, and certainly November, that they try to stick with the issues, and that is what's going to make a more prosperous, a more secure America."

Rangel went on to insist that the Republicans are no better, and the Democrats can only benefit in the eyes of the voters by keeping their cool.

"We can't have this being turned into a food fight between two outstanding candidates," the Congressman said. "And poor Edwards is just on the side as a spectator rather than a participator. He has no clue about what's going on."

Rangel predicted Clinton and John McCain will still be standing after Super Duper Tuesday.

Well gee thanks Charlie. I know you support Hillary and all that, but come on, open your eyes. Edwards is hardly a spectator. His bold progressive stances have helped shape the debate that Americans (at least Democratic primary voters) want to hear about. They don't want the fighting like you say, they want to hear what John Edwards has to say and sometimes Hillary and Barack get that and touch on subjects like helping the Middle Class and fixing the health care system along with the rampant poverty that grows like a cancer across our country.

So Edwards is a shifter of the message and debate if anything. He may have not won a caucus or primary, but he has certainly done a lot for this race for the Democratic nomination.

South Carolina Dem Debate

Barack brought it to Hillary....



and John brings it over to Barack



and so it goes.

Edwards Jokes While Campaign Takes Third In Nevada

I don't think that even John was expecting to get five percent of the caucus in Nevada this past weekend. While he continues to add a few delegates here and there and probably will take in small numbers through the primary season, at least he can keep a sense of humor about it:

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

Everyone talks about change but who can really deliver it in a beneficial way?

There's A Reason Fox News Didn't Host Tonight's Debate

Well the debate is now over in Las Vegas. It seems that all three candidates (sorry Kucinich fans) conducted themselves in a professional manner (unlike their Republican counterparts recently). A whole host of issues were covered and those that watched it had the chance to learn a lot about what the candidates stand for. NBC did an o.k. job except for a few of their "narrative" questions but the candidates rebuked them and kept the debate on the issues instead of focusing on gender and racial issues.

So it went off smoothly, but do you remember when the Nevada Democratic party was going to let Fox News host the event? Thank god they didn't. Over on the Faux News channel they covered the issue of John Edwards and Nataline Sarkisyan's death on the 'blonde bimbo show' (my apologies to non-Fox news blonde bimbos) yesterday and it reminds us exactly what type of network Fox is.

From RawStory:

"How irresponsible of Edwards to exploit this situation for his own political gain," scolded Colwin. "Cigna did their due diligence."

Kugel pointed out that the company eventually relented, amid heavy protests from nurses unions, and agreed to pay for a transplant for Sarkisian, whose liver had failed due to treatments for relapsed leukemia. The company's decision came too late, though, and Sarkisian died late last year.

"That certainly does show that they did have the capability of paying for it," she said, arguing that it proves the family's case in a lawsuit against the insurer.

The Kelly's Court segment ended with a final word from the host, brushing over other complaints about insurance company penny-pinching to get in one last dig at the third-place Democratic presidential candidate.

"It is not clear at all that Cigna is to blame here," Kelly scolded. "And for John Edwards to make it a campaign issue before all the facts are in makes him sound more like the med-mal [medical malpractice] lawyer he was for years, and less like a presidential candidate."

I'm sorry, is Kelly being paid by Cigna for this crap? Or does Roger Ailes have a tight friendship with Cigna and the health insurance industry as a whole? The facts show that Cigna was grossly negligent in this case as they are in many others, because the bottom line is that insurance companies care more about their bottom lines than they do about the patients they are supposed to be insuring.

As for Edwards making this a campaign issue, he is wholly in the right to make it a major issue, because Americans are sick and tired of being treated like commodities by corporations that take advantage of people whenever and wherever they can.

Chris Matthews: All Around Douchebag

Not only is Chris a woman-hating misogynist, he's a typical DC pundit who only wants to see American politics through his own thick, scratchy glasses. Last night on Hardball he listed his top six candidates from both parties and conveniently left John Edwards out of the rankings. Who, you ask, did he put in his place? None other than bottom of the barrel Rudy Giuliani, who has a make or break primary in Florida on the 29th of this month. Tweety, you truly do exhibit the worst kind of wishful thinking.

From Crooks and Liars:

Download (731) | Play (784) Download (744) | Play (371) (h/t Heather)

During the Power Ranking segment on Monday’s Hardball, Chris Matthews decided to snub Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, choosing instead to insert the floundering Rudy Giuliani into the list. Not one word about Edwards, but Tweety believes that Rudy is still in the hunt for the GOP nod, giving him the last slot in the rankings.

Surprisingly, (or not) Matthews had just shown poll numbers from Nevada showing a virtual three way tie among Democrats, but apparently that, being right on the important issues of the day and having a solid primary season thus far, wasn’t enough to propel Edwards over Rudy — who is going broke, plummeting in the polls and is throwing everything he’s got into the Florida race to try and save his joke of a campaign. There’s a real power player if I’ve ever seen one.

I know it is hard to ignore numbers that show Edwards in a three way statistical tie for Saturday's Nevada caucus when you want the race to be all about Obama and Clinton, but try and make a change. Try and look at all the facts. Ditch the narrative and report on what the voters are thinking about for their choice to be President.