John Edwards on Principles & Values 2004 Democratic Nominee for Vice President; Former Jr Senator (NC)

Sub-sections under Principles & Values:
• 2004 campaign
• Personal Life
• Other issues under Principles & Values

Campaigning on equality & ending poverty that King stood for

A: I met with Martin III in Atlanta and he was very kind about me pushing the single biggest issue--two biggest issues that Dr. King stood for, which are the issues of equality and ending poverty. I’ve been on at least part of his poor people’s campaign. I was in Marks, Mississippi, among other places. I have been pushing this issue as aggressively and as loudly as I possibly can and I will do it as long as I’m alive, because it is central to what I believe. He also worked very hard for the Voting Rights Act and he would look at an America today where almost half of our people don’t vote. They’re disenchanted. They feel disengaged. What we need is a president of the US who actually believes to their core in equality, who’s willing to fight for that equality, who’s willing to do things that may not be politically popular. Fighting to end poverty may not get you any votes, but it is the right thing to do.

Focus on the Iraq War, healthcare, and global warming

Op-Ed: more populist or perhaps more redistributionist

Now, in what some critics call a convenient conversation to woo liberal Democrats, Edwards is tougher, staking out positions on healthcare, national security, and the environment, much further to the left than he advocated in 2004.

Convenient or not, the idea of Edwards’s “conversion” is buoyed not only by his own rhetoric but also by attacks from conservative critics. “He is a redistributionist, another word for socialist,” Cal Thomas wrote in USA Today. “His populist jargon is nothing but class warfare, the 2007 version.” Statements like these are enough to set progressive hearts beating.

Positioning as a populist who stands with struggling masses

Thirty years after the Reagan Revolution, when merely talking about the plight of the poor is a novelty, just such modest reforms as Edwards is proposing--raising the minimum wage, extending health insurance, supporting college tuition--may indeed sound almost radical. And Edwards himself may be the closest thing to a populist who has a chance of making it to Super Tuesday with double-digit support.

Edwards’s effort to position himself as the race’s true populist--the man who understands and empathizes with the struggling masses--has gotten a leg up from his own life story.

Founding member of the Senate New Democrat Coalition

In 2002, he was a featured speaker at the DLC’s ”National Conversation“ in New York. He cozied up to the DLC--and implied, through his use of the first person plural, that he was one of them: ”A decade ago, the DLC said we should expand opportunity and demand responsibility. Mr. President, if you’re not going to use that word ‘responsibility,’ we’d like to have it back.“

The government should help those hit by natural disasters

We can’t negotiate change; must take from those in power

I don’t believe you can change this country without taking on entrenched interests in Washington, including lobbyists, that stand between us & the change America needs. And I don’t believe you can do it by sitting at a table, negotiating with them & trying to bring them together. These people will never give away their power voluntarily. We have to take their power away from them. This is what I’ve been doing my whole life, and that is why I believe I am the candidate who can bring change to this country.

Stand up to hate-mongering by Republicans

This is only one area where the right wing uses scare tactics to divide the American people. And the truth is, both in a presidential campaign and in governing, it is so important that we reject this hate-mongering. I have seen hate-mongering with language used when I was growing up in the segregated South. And if you stand quietly by and let it happen, it takes hold, and then people begin to believe it’s okay to use that kind of language, and it’s okay to use hate-mongering to separate us. We have to stand up for what’s right and fair and just, and we have do it with passion and strength. It is bad for America for us to let anybody speaking to the American people use these issues to divide us.

Don’t change one group of insiders for different insiders

Doesn’t want your vote if you won’t vote for blacks or women

OBAMA: You know, when I’m catching a cab in Manhattan--in the past, I think I’ve given my credentials But let me go to the broader issue here. And that is that race permeates our society. It is still a critical problem.

CLINTON: Well, I couldn’t run as anything other than a woman. I am proud to be running as a woman. And I’m excited that I may be able, finally, to break that hardest of all glass ceilings.

EDWARDS: Anybody who’s considering not voting for Senator Obama because he’s black or for Senator Clinton because she’s a woman, I don’t want their vote. I don’t want them voting for me.

Doing something about the two Americas is cause of my life

I’m trying to create a spotlight on the other America, the poverty that exists all around this country. I’m going to start in New Orleans on Monday morning. I’m going to be traveling through MI, through AR. We’re going to travel to KY, to OH, to PA, to VA, because we want America to see the other America that seems to have been forgotten. We want America to understand the struggles that are going on in big cities all over this country, the struggles that are going on in poor rural areas all over this country, and not just to talk about the problems, but to talk about what we can do about it.

Biggest professional mistake was voting for Iraq War

A: I was wrong to vote for this war. Unfortunately, I’ll have to live with that forever. And the lesson I learned from it is to put more faith in my own judgment.

We must fight multiple causes of poverty in US

We need a new spirit of activism and leadership

Clad in blue jeans, an open-necked shirt and with his sleeves rolled up, Edwards chose the backyard of a victim of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans’ devastated Ninth Ward for his unorthodox announcement. “We want people in this campaign to actually take action now, not later, not after the next election,“ the former North Carolina senator said, sounding as much like a recruiter as a presidential campaigner.

Edwards, 53, is calling for an increase in community service and cuts in poverty, global warming and troops in Iraq. He also said the country should provide universal health care for all and end its dependence on foreign oil. He said he would tax oil company profits and eliminate President Bush’s tax cuts to pay for his priorities.

Campaign slogan: “Tomorrow begins today”

In his message to supporters, Edwards listed his priorities to change America. Among them:

• “Guaranteeing health care for every single American”
• “Strengthening our middle class and ending the shame of poverty“
• ”Leading the fight against global warming“
• ”Getting America and the world to break our addiction to oil.“

One America PAC about Raising the States

At the One America Committee, we believe that a Democrat should never lose an election simply because he or she doesn’t have the funds needed to compete. That’s why earlier this year Sen. Edwards launched Raising the States, a grassroots campaign that supports Democrats around the country who are running for state legislature.

It’s clear by now that reforms will not come from the federal level. They must come from the state level. Through Raising the States we put Democrats in a position to push through these much-needed reforms - reforms that would lift millions of Americans out of poverty. Through Raising the States, we put power in the hands of those who will use it for good.

Maintains PAC, One America Committee

Take on the special interests to bring about change

Judge values based upon deeds, not words

Ensure tomorrow will always be better in our one America

Lawyers help people, lawmakers help many people

Unfortunately, the insurance company also did what many powerful businesses do, lobbied the state legislature. Soon a bill was passed disallowing punitive damage awards against a company as a result of an employee’s actions, unless that particular action was specifically ratified by corporate officers.

Yes, our lawsuit had sent a message, and that message ultimately was: if you don’t like the law, change it. The message to me was: If you can’t help enough people being a lawyer, consider being a lawmaker.

Every person should get opportunity they’re entitled to

Government should honor values that built America

Fight for values of people and workers over privilege

This is going to be a debate about values, Mr. President. It’s going to be a debate about the future of America and the kind of country we want. They, the Republicans and George Bush, they honor wealth. We honor the work that produces wealth. They fight to expand special privileges fore special interests. We fight for opportunity for everybody. We believe in taking responsibility. They believe in passing the buck to somebody else.

This is a fight for the working people of America. It is a fight for our values, and it is a fight we will win.

Career spent fighting for the working people

EDWARDS: First, what people are looking for in a president is someone who has the qualities of leadership: strength, character, conviction, good judgment. I’m happy to have people judge me on that basis.

Second, they want somebody who understands their lives. I come from a family where my dad worked in a mill. My mother worked in the post office. I was the first in my family to go to college, and I spent almost 20 years after I worked my way through college and then law school fighting for the same people that I had grown up with.

This is what I have done my entire life, fight for working people, the people I’ve known all my life. I did it first for 20 years as a lawyer and an advocate, and I’ve been doing it in the US Senate, and I will be a champion for those very same people in the White House. And the American people want somebody who will stand up for them and stand up to big corporate America.

I’m the same as in 2004; America & world have changed

“Edwards has changed considerably from the happy-face centrist who refrained from attack politics in ‘04. His appeal today is based in large part on his sharp-edged anti-war stand.”

“Edwards ran as a moderate Democrat for the Senate in 1998 & the White House in 2004, calling universal healthcare policies irresponsible & impractical. Now he’s more liberal, shifting to the left along with Internet-fed forces within the Democratic Party.“

A: I’m exactly the same person that I was in 2004. I do believe that there’s been some changes both in America and in the world. The war in Iraq is much worse than it was in 2004. Our healthcare situation is dysfunctional. Global warming is now a crisis. These problems cannot be solved with small incremental change. We need big, bold ideas

We shouldn’t use the Constitution to divide the country

Halliburton paid millions in fines for false financial data

The Bush administration has flip-flopped on many issues

Halliburton got a $7.5 billion no-bid contract in Iraq

CHENEY: The reason they keep mentioning Halliburton is because they’re trying to throw up a smokescreen. They know the charges are false. If you go to factcheck.com, you can get the specific details with respect to Halliburton.

Would consider an Edwards-Kerry ticket

EDWARDS: I think an Edwards-Kerry ticket would be powerful.

Q: Are you saying that if you get this nomination, you will ask him to join you?

EDWARDS: He certainly should be considered. He’s a very, very good friend.

Q: And where does Edwards stand in your thinking?

KERRY: I want to thank him for the consideration. I appreciate it.

Q: Is he on your list?

KERRY: I don’t have a list. I’m running for the nomination.

Q: But do you see any view that would make it impossible?

KERRY: I take nothing for granted in this effort. And if I win the nomination, then I’ll sit down and think about who I ought to run with.

Q: What quality-and his hair and smile don’t count-does Edwards possess that you wish you had?

KERRY: I think he’s a great communicator. He’s a charming guy. He’s a good friend of mine.

Two Americas: one does the work, the other reaps the reward

2004 is a make-or-break election because we need to create one America again. And that is the one thing George Bush will never do. Dividing us into two Americas - one privileged, the other burdened - has been his agenda all along.

Make America an ownership society

Under my plan, every American will have the chance to be an owner - to buy a home, save for college, or put money aside for a secure retirement. The ownership society should look like American society, not George Bush’s secret society.
1. We’ll give struggling families a chance to realize the American dream, with a $5,000 tax credit toward the down payment on their first home. There is no better way to build a strong, secure nest egg, and get ahead for the long haul than owning a home.
2. I want to make college affordable with my College for Everyone plan. For those young people who are willing to work 10 hours a week and can get into a university-you’ll go tuition free for the first year.
3. We need to reward family. We can start by offering a family leave newborn child tax credit of up to $2,500.
4. When the time comes for Americans to retire, I want to help families who can’t afford to put money away now by giving them a helping hand, a match of up to $1 for every $1 they save.

Democrats should address values of ‘guns, God, and gays’

Although Edwards has expressed strong support for gay civil rights issues, his latest comments could be seen as a coded message, distancing himself from gay rights as the campaign approaches the Southern primaries.

Son of a mill worker can beat son of a president

Will not seek Senate re-election, to focus on presidency

The decision appears to end an issue that had become an albatross on Edwards’s presidential bid at a time when his campaign is looking to break away from the middle of the pack of nine candidates. Edwards’s refusal to state his plans for the seat had fed an impression among some party leaders and voters that he was not in the race for the long haul. Some national Democratic leaders have said they believe that Edwards, 50, a political novice who was elected in 1998, should sit out this presidential race because of the importance of keeping his Senate seat in Democratic hands.

Never hesitate to question Bush about any issue

A: The Intelligence Committee, on which I serve, has begun an investigation into the intelligence surrounding the war in Iraq. The bill Bush signed allows the income of corporations not to be taxed at all because of tax shelters in places like Bermuda. It wasn’t about double taxation-it was about shifting the tax burden away from the wealth of the wealthy. We need to have the courage and backbone to stand up to Bush.

Give this White House back to the American people

I believe we can build a better life for our families, families like the family I grew up with. But it has to be based on the values of hard work and responsibility, not accounting tricks and corporate greed. I want to bring your values, the values of main street America to Wall street and then to Pennsylvania Avenue. I want to give this White House back to the American people.

Prays daily; but prayer doesn’t prevent bad things

A: I have prayed most of my life; pray daily now. But the answer to the question is: No, I don’t--I prayed before my 16-year-old son died; I prayed before Elizabeth was diagnosed with cancer. I think there are some things that are beyond our control. It is important to look to God for guidance & for wisdom. But I don’t think you can prevent bad things from happening through prayer.

Decisive moment: father self-educating by watching public TV

A: When I was a young boy, I came downstairs one morning. It was still dark outside. My father, who worked in mills all his life, was sitting at the kitchen table. The television was on. He was watching public television. And he’d never been able to go to college. And he was trying to learn from public television so he could get a better job in the mill. And I worked in the mill, myself, part-time, when I was younger. And I made the decision then, whatever I did with my life--didn’t know that I’d be running for president--but whatever I did with my life, those are the people that I would fight for, as long as I was breathing.

In it for the duration, despite wife’s breast cancer

A: Oh, I’m definitely in the race for the duration. This is not the first challenge like this Elizabeth and I have been through. We lost our son eleven years ago now. And we’ve gone through Elizabeth’s first round of breast cancer treatment. We went through those together. So we know what it’s like to function in a very difficult environment. And there is a focus and a maturity that I think is required to be able to do that, but I know, because I’ve done it in the past, that we can do it. One of the reasons that I want to be president is to make sure that every woman and every person in America gets the same kinds of health care that we have.

Mill-town job persuaded him to get college education

The weaving room was massive, with great throbbing looms and a big system of ducts that pulled as much dust as possible out of the generally foul air. The noise was deafening, the ducts poorly lit, and the lint that stuck to them was black and wet. I was sixteen, and my job was to clean those ducts. At night I would come home caked with sweat and covered with some obscure residue, and my mother’s face would always grow tense as she opened the door and I walked into her clean house. “Now you see,” my dad would say, “why you need to go to college.”

On birth of 1st son, thanked wife for what he always wanted

While the anesthesiologist hovered over Elizabeth, she strained to listen to her obstetrician and heard him say, “It’s dead.” The stillborn baby [from a previous pregnancy] fresh on her mind, she was frantic. Elizabeth did not know that they were talking about the cauterizing machine, which had lost power. It was nearly midnight on July 18 before she was finally relieved by the sight of our son, alive, healthy, and loud.

When they brought him to me, fresh from delivery, he was discolored and bruised. He was also the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. All I could say to Elizabeth was “Thank you for giving me what I always wanted.”

Makes most speeches from notes, not a prepared text

Climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with his teenage son

By the fifth night, before the six-hour push to reach the summit by dawn, I was feeling as helpless as a child. When a harsh chill set in around midnight, I simply couldn’t go on. [My climbing partner] asked, “What do you want out of this trip?” I said weakly, “for Wade to make it to the top.” And so we agreed: the other three would go on, while I would stay behind with one of the porters.

They made the summit just after dawn. My son said, “I never would have thought I would have been able to do something so hard.” The three began the 14-hour journey downhill. Just then, a battered sight came into view. It was me--numb toes, pounding headache, and all. They joined me for the short ascent to the summit.

It took months for two of my toes to regain their feeling. But that wasn’t what mattered. That trip to Africa with my son is worth a book in itself. It was worth everything.

Lost teenage son in a traffic accident

I cannot tell you why such care was not enough that afternoon. I can only say that there are crosswinds on certain stretches of that interstate, and one of them swept my boy off the road. Tyler walked away. Wade was dead.

My son Wade remains as alive in my heart today as he was alive in my heart then. Nothing in my life ever hit me and stripped everything away like my son’s death.

At the funeral service, our house was filled with friends and family. Then it was not. For many weeks, we felt nothing in that house but Wade’s absence.

But we were not about to let go of our son, and it was that determination that brought us out from the paralysis of grief. Elizabeth and I formed the nonprofit Wade Edwards Foundation.

Favorite song: John Cougar Mellencamp, “Small Town”

This is for the Gen X crowd, and it’s very personal. What’s your favorite song?
• MOSELEY BRAUN: What’s my favorite song? “You Gotta Be.”
• SHARPTON: My favorite song is James Brown’s song on the Republican Party, “Talking Loud, Saying Nothing.”
• KERRY: Bruce Springsteen, “No Surrender.”
• DEAN: One you’ve never heard of, Wycliffe Jean, “Jaspora” [Creole for “Diaspora”]
• LIEBERMAN: Well, you know, like a good politician, I’m going to take two. Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow, remember that one? And the classic Frank Sinatra, “My Way.” We’re going to do it our way in 2004.
• KUCINICH: John Lennon, “Imagine,” as in imagine a new America.
• GEPHARDT: Bruce Springsteen, “Born In The USA.”
• GRAHAM: Jimmy Buffet, “Changes In Attitude, Changes In Latitudes.” We’re going to change some attitudes and latitudes.

Religious affiliation: Methodist.

The Adherents.com website is an independent project and is not supported by or affiliated with any organization (academic, religious, or otherwise).

What’s an adherent?

Such factors as religious service attendance, belief, practice, familiarity with doctrine, belief in certain creeds, etc., may be important to sociologists, religious leaders, and others. But these are measures of religiosity and are usually not used academically to define a person’s membership in a particular religion. It is important to recognize there are various levels of adherence, or membership within religious traditions or religious bodies. There’s no single definition, and sources of adherent statistics do not always make it clear what definition they are using.

Supports Hyde Park Declaration of "Third Way" centrism.

As New Democrats, we believe in a Third Way that rejects the old left-right debate and affirms America’s basic bargain: opportunity for all, responsibility from all, and community of all.

We believe:
• that government’s proper role in the New Economy is to equip working Americans with new tools for economic success and security.
• in expanding trade and investment because we must be a party of economic progress, not economic reaction.
• that fiscal discipline is fundamental to sustained economic growth as well as responsible government.
• that a progressive tax system is the only fair way to pay for government.
• the Democratic Party’s mission is to expand opportunity, not government.
• that education must be America’s great equalizer, and we will not abandon our public schools or tolerate their failure.
• that all Americans must have access to health insurance.
• in preventing crime and punishing criminals.
• in a new social compact that requires and rewards work in exchange for public assistance and that ensures that no family with a full-time worker will live in poverty.
• that public policies should reinforce marriage, promote family, demand parental responsibility, and discourage out-of-wedlock births.
• in enhancing the role that civic entrepreneurs, voluntary groups, and religious institutions play in tackling America’s social ills.
• in strengthening environmental protection by giving communities the flexibility to tackle new challenges that cannot be solved with top-down mandates.
• government must combat discrimination on the basis of race, creed, gender, or sexual orientation; defend civil liberties; and stay out of our private lives.
• that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare.
• in progressive internationalism -- the bold exercise of US leadership to foster peace, prosperity, and democracy.
• that the US must maintain a strong, technologically superior defense to protect our interests and values. Source: The Hyde Park Declaration 00-DLC0 on Aug 1, 2000

  New Democrat: "Third Way" instead of left-right debate.

  Edwards adopted Third Way principles of the Democratic Leadership Council:

  America and the world have changed dramatically in the closing decades of the 20th century. The industrial order of the 20th century is rapidly yielding to the networked “New Economy” of the 21st century. Our political and governing systems, however, have lagged behind the rest of society in adapting to these seismic shifts. They remain stuck in the left-right debates and the top-down bureaucracies of the industrial past.

  The Democratic Leadership Council, and its affiliated think tank the Progressive Policy Institute, have been catalysts for modernizing politics and government. The core principles and ideas of this “Third Way” movement [began with] Bill Clinton’s Presidential campaign in 1992, Tony Blair’s Labour Party in Britain in 1997, and Gerhard Shroeder’s Social Democrats in Germany in 1998.

  The Third Way philosophy seeks to adapt enduring progressive values to the new challenges of he information age. It rests on three cornerstones:
  1. the idea that government should promote equal opportunity for all while granting special privilege for none;
  2. an ethic of mutual responsibility that equally rejects the politics of entitlement and the politics of social abandonment;
  3. and, a new approach to governing that empowers citizens to act for themselves.
  The Third Way approach to economic opportunity and security stresses technological innovation, competitive enterprise, and education rather than top- down redistribution or laissez faire. On questions of values, it embraces “tolerant traditionalism,” honoring traditional moral and family values while resisting attempts to impose them on others. It favors an enabling rather than a bureaucratic government, expanding choices for citizens, using market means to achieve public ends and encouraging civic and community institutions to play a larger role in public life. The Third Way works to build inclusive, multiethnic societies based on common allegiance to democratic values. Source: Democratic Leadership Council web site 01-DLC1 on Nov 7, 2000

  Member of the Senate New Democrat Coalition.

  Edwards is a member of the Senate New Democrat Coalition:

  The Senate New Democrat Coalition (SNDC) [is analogous to] the New Democrat Coalition (NDC) in the House. Members of both groups are moderate Democrats who advocate a new centrist, progressive approach to governing and who often reach across party lines to get things done.

  Established in 1997, the House New Democrat Coalition (NDC) grew to 64 members between 1998 and 2000, making it the largest caucus in the House. With the success of NDN’s top House candidates on Election Day, the NDC has grown to 72 members in the 107th Congress. The Senate New Democrat Coalition (SNDC), established in 2000, is already 20 members.

  In announcing the establishment of the SNDC in February 2000, Sen. Landrieu stated, “The American people are tired of the same old proposals and are demanding that we work together in a more creative way on the many problems facing our nation. Too often here in Washington, the loudest voices are the ones on the far left and far right. That is why this group was formed, to give voice to those in the sensible center.” The SNDC has already made its voice heard on critical issues ranging from education to trade to health care and, with the Senate evenly divided, the Senate New Dems are increasingly determining the balance of power.

  Source: Senate New Democrat Coalition web site 01-SNDC0 on Jan 1, 2001

  Member of Democratic Leadership Council.

  Edwards is a member of the Democratic Leadership Council:

  Mission

  The DLC’s mission is to promote public debate within the Democratic Party and the public at large about national and international policy and political issues. Specifically, as the founding organization of the New Democrat movement, the DLC’s goal is to modernize the progressive tradition in American politics for the 21st Century by advancing a set of innovative ideas for governing through a national network of elected officials and community leaders.

  Who We Are

  The Democratic Leadership Council is an idea center, catalyst, and national voice for a reform movement that is reshaping American politics by moving it beyond the old left-right debate. The DLC seeks to define and galvanize popular support for a new public philosophy built on progressive ideals, mainstream values, and innovative, non bureaucratic, market-based solutions. At its heart are three principles: promoting opportunity for all; demanding responsibility from everyone; and fostering a new sense of community.

  Since its inception, the DLC has championed policies from spurring private sector economic growth, fiscal discipline and community policing to work based welfare reform, expanded international trade, and national service. Throughout the 90’s, innovative, New Democrat policies implemented by former DLC Chairman President Bill Clinton have helped produce the longest period of sustained economic growth in our history, the lowest unemployment in a generation, 22 million new jobs, cut the welfare rolls in half, reduced the crime rate for seven straight years, balanced the budget and streamlined the federal bureaucracy to its smallest size since the Kennedy administration.

  Now, the DLC is promoting new ideas -- such as a second generation of environmental protection and new economy and technology development strategies -- that is distinctly different from traditional liberalism and conservatism to build the next generation of America’s leaders.

  Source: Democratic Leadership Council web site 07-DLC1 on Nov 6, 2007

  Click here for 1 older quotations from John Edwards on Principles & Values. Click here for definitions & background information on Principles & Values. Click here for policy papers on Principles & Values. Click here for a profile of John Edwards. Click here for John Edwards on all the issues. Click here for VoteMatch responses by John Edwards. Agree? Disagree? Voice your opinions on Principles & Values or about John Edwards in The Forum.
  Other candidates on Principles & Values:	John Edwards on other issues:
  Nominees: GOP: Sen.John McCain GOP V.P.: Gov.Sarah Palin Democrat: Sen.Barack Obama Dem.V.P.: Sen.Joe Biden Third Parties: Constitution: Chuck Baldwin Libertarian: Rep.Bob Barr Constitution: Amb.Alan Keyes Liberation: Gloria La Riva Green: Rep.Cynthia McKinney Socialist: Brian Moore Independent: Ralph Nader	Abortion Budget/Economy Civil Rights Corporations Crime Drugs Education Energy/Oil Environment Families/Children Foreign Policy Free Trade Govt. Reform Gun Control Health Care Homeland Security Immigration Infrastructure/Technology Jobs Principles/Values Social Security Tax Reform War/Iraq/Mideast Welfare/Poverty

  
  
  
  
  
  Page last updated: Feb 08, 2010