Standing Fast

Got this nice letter from the Edwards Campaign in my in-box

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Today, right now, you and I have the best chance in years to help end the war in Iraq but we must take immediate action. Here's the situation: Both houses of Congress have voted across party lines to bring our troops home with a plan to fully fund their redeployment and safe return. President Bush has vowed to veto this funding because it hampers his ability to wage endless war—he'd rather block funding for the troops than listen to the overwhelming majority of the American people who want the war to end.

Yesterday, Bush called a special press conference and made his strategy crystal clear: veto funding for the troops and then blame Congress for the results. He's betting that Congress will buckle under the pressure and just drop their plan to end the war. We cannot let that happen. So today, I'm launching an emergency petition to Congress, urging them to stand firm on Iraq. We have to show every senator and representative that their constituents will not be fooled by Bush's ploy—Congress must not abandon the plan to end the war.

We're aiming to gather at least 100,000 signatures before the showdown begins after Congress returns to Washington next week. Please add your name today:

President Bush's calculation is simple. He knows the people are against him and his occupation is a failure, but because he controls the bully pulpit he thinks he can control the debate. So he'll continue to use the full might of his legendary spin machine to tell the American people that Congress is de-funding the troops, even as he vetos that very funding with his own pen. As the President of the United States, Bush has a responsibility to the troops, and he has failed this responsibility over and over again.

Congress also has a responsibility: To decide how to spend the people's money—and to say when enough is enough.It's true that Cheney, Rove, and the rest of the president's team are master political calculators—and they do have a head start in shaping the headlines and controlling the spin.But this is not the time for political calculation. This is the time for political courage.If Bush vetoes the funding bill, Congress should send it back to him just as before—with a plan to bring the troops home. And if he vetoes it again, they should pass it again. And they should do this as many times as it takes for Bush to understand that the American people will not be bullied into writing another blank check for his war without end.

For years, Bush has abused the rhetoric of patriotism to frighten his opponents and divide our country—we can't let Bush get away with it anymore. When Congress funds the troops with a plan to bring them home, they are supporting the troops. When Bush vetoes that funding, he is responsible for blocking the money the troops depend on—nobody else.But where will our representatives in Washington find that political courage, in the face of such powerful opposition? They will find it where courage has always been strongest in our nation's most critical moments. They will find it in the voice of the people—they will find it in you.Will you add your name—your voice—to our call for courage? We're aiming to gather a hundred thousand signatures before Congress returns to Washington, and we can't do it without you.

Please sign today. Thank you for standing up,

John Edwards

P.S. - Gathering 100,000 voices in the time we have will require all of us taking that extra step. Will you forward this email to friends and family members who also want to end this war, and ask them to join you by signing this petition?P.P.S. - You can find links to detailed summaries of both the House and Senate funding packages and troop drawdown plan here.

Former Sen. John Edwards is rocketing in New Hampshire according to a WMUR/CNN poll released yesterday.

"Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards appears to be surging among likely Democratic primary voters in New Hampshire shortly after the announcement that his wife's cancer had returned in an “incurable, but treatable” form.

A WMUR/CNN poll released this afternoon shows Edwards shooting into second place ahead of Illinois Senator Barack Obama, though within the margin of error.

The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire, showed support for New York Senator Hillary Clinton dropping eight percentage points from two months ago, to 27 percent. Edwards is at 21 percent and Obama at 20 percent. Former Vice President Al Gore-doing better than most announced candidates-received 11 percent. All other Democrats running were in the single digits."

Right now the big loser is Clinton who was polling a safe first at around 40% back in January. Obama also lost out, dropping to 3rd, though Edwards surge was clearly at the expense of Clinton. Al Gore's 11% percent-not bad considering he is not even running-is also bad news for Clinton. I think we can safely take Gore out of the equation. I'm absolutely convinced that Gore is very happy with his new role of environmental advocate and has no plans to run. This guy always hated electoral politics anyway; he'd rather stayed a journalist. That 11% can be taken as an anti-Hillary vote which would likely be split between Obama and Edwards.

This is big news for Edwards because NH was likely to be where Edwards would do the worst out the four early primary contests. Of course the problem for Edwards is to build on this strong showing. I don't know what kind of ground operation Edwards has in NH, but Clinton's is very strong and as the example of Howard Dean shows, it doesn't matter how well you do in the polls in a small state if you don't have a strong grassroots operation.

The media is focusing on Elizabeth Edwards cancer announcement as the reason for the bounce, which probably has some validity. But I think that Edwards's political message might have something to do with it too. For the last two electoral cycles Democrats have voluntarily chosen candidates that many people voted for while holding their nose. They picked nominees they thought could win, not because they found anything particularly exciting about their ideas or message. It was the politics of siege with the idea that most of the country hated progressive ideas so Democrats needed to find the least "offensive candidate". With the GOP in its worst position since 1974, a lot of Democrats are looking for a candidate who can energize their electorate around a new direction for the country, not play more of the same politics of old. And as a recent study by the Pew Research Center shows, political attitudes of most Americans is turning away from the conservative agenda that dominated Washington for over twenty years. For example, in response to the question of whether the government should have the responsibility of taking care to those who can not take care of themselves, the percentage of Americans answering in the affirmative has gone up 12 points since 1994. Social conservatism is on the decline too, with those who claim to support "old-fashioned views on family and marriage" down 8 points since 1994. The number of Americans who believe that peace is best guaranteed through military strength have declined almost 15 points points since 2002. As I've said before I think Edwards is the only candidate who really gets the opportunity 2008 presents and understands that the mood of the country is for real-not rhetorical-change.

Only four days after the shootings at Kent State in the Spring of 197o, a group of nearly two thousand construction workers-many working on the World Trade Center- descended on Wall Street and violently assaulted the some 1,000 anti-war protesters gathered there. The workers then went on to storm city hall and ran the US flag-which was being flown at half mast in remembrance of the deaths at Kent State-back to full mast. Less than a month latter nearly 100,000 construction workers marched through the streets of Manhattan in support of President Nixon. Nixon was so impressed by the so called "hard-hat riots" that he picked the president of the powerful New York City Building and Construction Trades Council Peter Brennan as his Secretary of Labor.

But that was then. Its unlikely you will be seeing any construction workers today marching through the streets for Bush. According to yesterday's Boston Globe:

"Democratic presidential candidates pledged their support for labor rights before a builders union yesterday, but the war in Iraq cast a shadow over the session, with union members shouting down a Republican lawmaker who backed the war and cheering Democrats who promised to get the United States out of Iraq.

"This war is a mess. We should bring the troops home now!" shouted Representative Dennis Kucinich , Democrat of Ohio, bringing the blue-collar crowd to its feet in raucous applause. Kucinich, a second-tier candidate who draws minimal support in public-opinion polls, rarely gets such an enthusiastic response at multi candidate forums.

In contrast to the stony silence that greeted Sen. John McCain when he tried defending Bush's troop surge before the AFL-CIO, the contemporary hard-hats were more direct in expressing theirdisapproval of the Iraq war

"By contrast, House minority leader John Boehner of Ohio, one of two Republicans who addressed the conference, was booed loudly when he spoke in favor of the war. "If we don't fight them [in Iraq], we will be fighting them here in America," Boehner said, before the audience shouted him down."

For all you in the District.


"Hi Neighbors:

Just wanted to let you know that a bunch of John Edwards for President supporters here in DC got together to form DC For John Edwards. I also wanted to invite you to the first DC for John Edwards network kick off fundraiser to support John Edwards for President on Thursday,April 12th from 5PM to 7PM at the Big Hunt located at 1345 Connecticut Avenue, NW (Dupont Circle Metro). A $20 donation will includecomplementary appetizers and John Edwards for President campaign goodies. If you would like to join us please RSVP at mailto:atDCforJohnEdwards

Thanks,
Allyson
Co-Founder, DC for John Edwards

Debt is a problem that crushing the dreams and hopes of too many Americans. Last week, Sen. Hillary Clinton unveiled a new plan to help Americans get on the road in financial freedom. And she started in America's heartland.

Tom Vilsack is a former Governor of Iowa. At one point he was running for President but he dropped out because it cost way too much money. Money he didn't have. So much money that he was $400,000 in the hole when he decided to drop out in February. This was only after four months of campaigning. The newly unemployed Vilsack, harrased by collection agencies at all hours of the day and finding that repo men had taken his car, did not know where to turn.

Luckily, Sen. Clinton who also happens to be running for President and is sitting on more money than Scrooge McDuck decided to chip in and help old Tom out. What a pal.

In unrelated news, the newly debt free Vilsack endorsed the generous junior Senator from New York on Monday and encouraged his fellow Iowans who seems to have a big say who gets to be President to get behind her too. Vilsack is now living debt-free and faces every new day with the hope that financial freedom brings. Right after he puts on his "Hillary '08" button.

The following Senators up for re-election in 2008 just voted themselves out of office yesterday by voting to strip the Senate Iraq supplemental of withdrawal deadlines. Which amazingly failed btw.

Norm Coleman (MN)-Deadman walking. The Dems could field a Chimp and knock Coleman out. Or a former late-night comedy writer.

Susan Collins (ME)-Used to be popular, but her "I'm a Progressive Rockefeller Republican" routine just ran out of gas.


John Sununu (NH)-The Democrats in 2006 took over the New Hampshire legislature for the first time in the Granite State since the regular use of the horse and buggy. Not looking good for John.

John Warner (VA)-This could be tough but if former Governor Mark Warner (D) takes John Warner on in 2008 as has been hinted, Jim Webb could be become the new senior Senator from the Old Dominion.

Pete Domenici (NM)-First the Gonzalez scandal, now this. The Southwest keeps looking better and better for progressives.


The Next Junior Senator from Minnesota