The New Edwards Non-Controversy

As reported here, Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd objected to a discussion that took place during a Democratic candidate’s forum between John Edwards and Hillary Clinton last Thursday night. Edwards approached Clinton and suggested that there should be “a more serious and smaller group,” with Clinton agreeing and saying the format had “trivialized the discussion.”

And later in the story (as if to validate Clinton’s concerns), Dodd is quoted as saying, "My problem is you're insulting me and the American public when you give 30 seconds to talk about Darfur and Iraq.”

This also gave Dennis Kucinich an opportunity to wax indignant here; I can’t possibly imagine how he thinks Edwards and Clinton are trying to “rig” anything, unless he believes Edwards is trying to help Clinton win so he can obtain some advantage, which is laughable (Kucinich is right to try and impeach Cheney, but he’s dead wrong here and only hurts his cause).

I’ll admit I’m a bit biased on this, but I honestly can’t see how Edwards would risk some kind of a vendetta against someone like Kucinich (or Mike Gravel – please explain his presence if you can). He has everything to lose and nothing to gain, and I’ve noticed no inkling of this type of behavior from him (but of course, you can bet that Tucker Carlson, Chris Matthews et al will be spinning this every way over Sunday to case both Edwards and Clinton in a negative light).

But before they do, here is the latest from the Edwards campaign (no money involved this time)…

Dear Friend,

Thirty seven million Americans live in poverty—one out of every 8 of us. This is a national disgrace.

The millions of Americans who struggle with poverty are all but invisible to the media and to the power brokers in Washington, D.C. That needs to change. Starting today, I will be traveling on the Road to One America—visiting 11 cities in 8 states over 3 days to expose the problem of poverty and highlight our power to solve it. And I am asking you to join me.

Help me expose poverty in America. Send me a picture or a story about poverty you have seen or encountered.

Please send your pictures and stories here.

For the next three days, you can also join me on the Road to One America by checking for the latest photos, videos and blog updates here.

And to get exclusive audio reports from me on the road, text the word 'TOUR' to 30644 on your mobile phone.

The trip began today in New Orleans, where I talked with residents about how to address poverty in their community, and visited a local community center and school to learn about the great work happening there.

Later today, I will be traveling to four cities in Mississippi, Arkansas, and Tennessee to meet with low-wage workers, hear their stories, and talk about how to reward work.

No one who works full-time should live in poverty—yet the number of full-time workers living in poverty has doubled over the past 25 years.

By honoring and rewarding work, we will lift up millions of Americans and build a stronger, more productive America. Today, I unveiled two new initiatives designed to do just that:

A new labor taskforce to target industries with the worst abuses of minimum wage, workplace safety and overtime laws

A new effort to protect workers health by providing seven paid sick days a year.

We are all Americans—and that means that the struggles of the millions of people living in poverty matter to all of us. We can end poverty through solutions like these and others that I will discuss throughout the tour. But we can only do it if we work together.

Over the next three days, please help me take on the injustice of poverty by sending your stories and pictures here and checking in on our progress online.

Click here.

Together, we can end poverty and build One America. Join us today.

Sincerely,

John Edwards
Monday, July 16, 2007

P.S. - Members of One Corps, the local action arm of my campaign, will be taking action this week to fight poverty in their communities. Actions are being planned all over America, and I hope you can join in. To find a local action or sign up to start your own, please go here.

To learn more, click here.