(This is what all of the candidates should be doing after Bush goes on the air to give speeches full of blah, blah, blah. - promoted by Chris Woods)
Cross-posted from blog.johnedwards.com
Tonight, Senator John Edwards addressed the nation in a televised response to President Bush’s speech on Iraq. In his address, which aired on MSNBC after President Bush’s remarks, Edwards reminded the American people that Congress can – and must – force an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq. Edwards’ comments marked the first time any presidential candidate has used a national televised address to speak to the American people about President Bush’s refusal to change course in Iraq.
Watch it here:
In the address Edwards said that the only way to force the Iraqis to take responsibility and negotiate a political solution is to begin withdrawing troops – immediately. Edwards criticized President Bush for refusing to change “the only strategy he has ever had – more time, more troops and more war.”
Edwards concluded his remarks by reminding the American people that Congress must answer to them. “Tell Congress you know the truth – they have the power to end this war and you expect them to use it,” said Edwards. “When the president asks for more money and more time, Congress needs to tell him he only gets one choice: a firm timeline for withdrawal. No timeline, no funding. No excuses.”
Jen O’Malley Dillon is our campaign’s Iowa State Director – she posted this wrap up on the John Edwards blog and I wanted to make sure to share it with the Bleeding Heartland community! Thank you for following along with us on our bus tour! – -Tracy Joan.
Seven days. Thirty-one counties. Hundreds of miles. Thousands of people. What a week!
At every single stop John and Elizabeth were overwhelmed by your energy, your enthusiasm, your insightful questions, your moving personal stories, and your support.
It's day #5 of the Fighting for One America Iowa Bus Tour and once again, we've got loads to report from the last 24 hours.
George put together a great photo essay over on the John Edwards blog. And check out the vidoes from the day:
The day was spent talking about health care and John called for a major expansion of children's health insurance as an immediate step toward universal health care. He also unveiled his Iowa Children and Youth Cabinet, a wide-ranging group of Iowans with first hand knowledge of the issues facing young people today. The group consists of 31 children's advocates, community leaders, teachers and parents from across the state who will advise Edwards and his campaign on children's policy.
Today we're headed to Centerville, Bloomfield, Keokuk, Burlington, Wapello and Iowa City. You can expect to hear John talk about energy issues today, including the importance of getting Iowa's biofuels on America's roads.
As part of his plan to speed up the use of biofuels on our roads, John Edwards will:
Give Kids a Biofuel Ride to School: Today, Edwards announced a new Biofuel Buses program to help school districts replace conventional diesel with cleaner-burning biodiesel blends in 100,000 school buses nationwide. Biodiesel reduces bus-riding children’s exposure to cancer and asthma-causing emissions.
Boost Biofuel Production: Edwards will invest in public-private research partnerships to develop ways to maximize America’s biofuel ouput while minimizing pollution, soil erosion, and water, land and energy use.
Build Out the Biofuels Infrastructure: Edwards will require oil companies to install biofuel pumps at 25 percent of their gas stations and require all new cars sold after 2010 to be “flex fuel” cars running on either gasoline or biofuel.
Make American Cars and Trucks Virtually Petroleum-Free: Edwards believes that American automakers have the ingenuity to lead the world in building the clean, safe, economical cars of the future. He will provide $1 billion a year to help U.S. automakers advance and apply the latest technology, including biofuels, hybrid and electric cars, hydrogen fuel cells, ultra-light materials, and drive train improvements.
Raise Fuel Economy Standards: Edwards believes that everyone should be able to drive the car, truck or SUV of their choice and still enjoy high fuel economy. American cars and trucks are less efficient than they were two decades ago, despite the corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards. Edwards will raise standards to 40 miles per gallon by 2016, a step that could single-handedly reduce oil demand by 4 million barrels per day.
As always, we hope you can make it out to meet us on the road. You can follow along online at johnedwards.com/iowa. The Friday and Saturday bus tour schedules are below the fold!
Yesterday's scattered showers couldn't slow down the Fighting for One America bus tour as it rolled through Iowa. John and Elizabeth made their way through Manly, Osage, Charles City, Waterloo and Waverly. Over on the John Edwards blog, George documented their stops with some photo-blogging.
We've also got another set of videos from the road:
Finally, before the last stop of the day, Mrs. Edwards stopped by DailyKos for a live-blogging session where she answered questions about a number of topics and even got some tips from Bleeding Heartland's own “DesMoinesDem” who advised Mrs. Edwards:
If your kids like lemonade, the best deal at the fair is on the upper level of the ag building, where the honey producers sell lemonade sweetened with honey.
And if they like ice cream, I highly recommend the Bauder's truck right near the ag building!
Below the fold, I've got today's schedule and tomorrow's too! As always, we hope to meet you out on the road. If you can't check us out in person, remember that you can follow us online at johnedwards.com/iowa.
It's day three of the Fighting for One America bus tour and we're rolling along through Iowa. Yesterday was an exciting day with stops in Sioux City,Ida Grove, Rockwell City, Pocahontas, Clarion, and Clear Lake and a special focus on rural issues.
Check out these videos:
Today we're headed to Manly,Osage,Charles City,Waterloo and Waverly where John Edwards will talk about the importance of rewarding work.
As part of his plan to create One America where hard work is rewarded and families can get ahead, John Edwards will:
Raise the Minimum Wage to $9.50 an Hour: Under Gov. Culver, Iowa has been a leader in raising the minimum wage. But even at the 2008 level of $7.25, the earnings of a single parent with two children will still be $2,000 below the federal poverty line. Edwards will set a national goal of a minimum wage that equals half the average wage. He will raise the minimum wage by 75 cents a year until it reaches $9.50 in 2012. He will also restore the minimum wage for tipped workers to half the full minimum wage – the minimum wage for these workers has stood at $2.13 since 1997 – and extend wage and hour protections to home health care workers
Protect Workers' Rights: As president, Edwards will revive the Department of Labor to protect the rights of all workers by working to reverse Bush Administration decisions that have excluded millions from the right to overtime pay. Edwards will also beef up OSHA enforcement and strengthen protections for workers who report injuries or unsafe conditions.
Guarantee Universal Health Care: More than 250,000 Iowans don't have health insurance and one in four Americans with health insurance are underinsured. Guaranteeing quality affordable health care for every American is the most important thing we can do to strengthen the middle class and working class in this country. Edwards has a true universal health care plan that offers every American the option of a public plan and will save the average family $2,000 to 2,500 a year. Employers will have to help cover their employees, the government will make insurance affordable with new reforms and subsidies, and all Americans will buy insurance.
Fight Predatory Lenders and Help Families Save: In the first half of 2007, the number of properties in Iowa being foreclosed on more than doubled compared to 2006. Edwards will crack down on abusive credit card companies, predatory mortgage lenders, and payday loan shops that take advantage of working families. To help families save, he will provide matched savings accounts for low-wage workers.
You can follow us along over at johnedwards.com/iowa, over on myspace.com/jreiowabus or we'd love to see you on the road! Below the flip, I've included some details on the schedule for today and tomorrow!
So it's day two of the “Fighting for One America” Iowa bus tour and things have gotten off to a great start. George Stern reports in from the bus:
Wow! What a first day.
After starting in Des Moines yesterday morning, the tour continued on to Perry, Jefferson, Carroll, Denison and Onawa for community meetings, an office stop-by, an ice cream break, and more. At each stop, John, Elizabeth and the kids were greeted by great crowds who were full of questions about the critical issues facing our country and enthusiasm for John's substantive answers.
One of the issues John focused on most yesterday – and each time he did it was always met with loud applause – is how we bring an end to the war in Iraq and improve care for our veterans.
In addition to the great photos from the road, we've also got some great video to share:
Today's stops are below, tomorrow's schedule is there too. And remember, we'd love to meet you out on the road! If you can't be there in person, check out our MySpace group for the “Fighting for One America” Iowa tour!
(Please welcome Tracy Russo to Bleeding Heartland. She's an online guru for the Edwards campaign and will be a great addition to our community. She's highlighting Edwards' tour across the state this week talking about issues in the lead-up to the ABC News-Iowa Democratic Party Debate at Drake on Sunday. - promoted by Chris Woods)
John Edwards is hitting the road for a 7-day bus tour that will take him through 31 counties in Iowa.
Things got underway this morning at the Des Moines HQ, where Ed Fallon helped kicked things off. In a post over on the John Edwards' blog, he wrote:
It's clear from all the excitement outside that Iowans feel the same way I do about John – he's the best candidate in this race not only because he's put forward the most specific and progressive proposals for providing universal health care, addressing global warming, and bringing an end to the war in Iraq, but also because he has the courage to focus on issues that others simply ignore – like eradicating poverty in America.
I am proud to stand with John Edwards today as he continues to talk about the issues important to Iowans, and I hope you'll turnout to meet him as he travels throughout the state over the next seven days.
Below the fold, you can find the scheduled stops for the tour. We hope you can join us out on the road! You can also join us online, check out this MySpace group, especially for the Iowa Bus Tour!
Until then, a few more pictures and some video from the kick off in Des Moines.
