DISQUS

The Public Servant · 1 year ago

Did anyone notice this? A letter from MLK III to John Edwards. Please, ignore race in this race. Choose the candidate who has fought, for himself and for others. I am voting for Edwards because I believe in him. I believe in America, and this is the most important election we've had in decades.


Obama will NOT fight for us. He will take the side of big business. Obama will NOT improve our health care. He may talk the talk, but he has not walked the walk.



Please, for America, do not ignore Edwards simply because he is white. We are beyond the petty divisions the media tries to portray.



Read for more:



David Bonior is the National Campaign Manager for the Edwards campaign.



This past Saturday, while in Atlanta, John Edwards had a private meeting with Martin Luther King, III -- the eldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Yesterday -- Martin Luther King Day -- John received a letter from Martin Luther King, III as a follow-up to that meeting. You can read it below.



I hope you will take a moment to read this wonderful call from Dr. King's son urging John to stay in the race -- and to continue fighting to eliminate injustice in America today.



Like Dr. King, John believes passionately that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." That is why he will continue to speak out, without fear or favor, on the issue of economic justice in America.



During last night's presidential debate, you could see John doing exactly what Martin Luther King, III urged him to do: framing the issues of health care and the economy as a struggle for justice.



And as the other two candidates bickered over who's right and who's wrong, it was John who cut through the fracas and asked, "This kind of squabbling, how many kids is this going to get health care? We have to understand this is not about us personally."



That's why he will fight on to the Democratic Convention and to the nomination, ignoring the pundits who want this to be little more than a two-candidate race, continuing to lead with an agenda that does "not blur lines or obscure the truth."



I hope you will continue to stand by John as he fights for an agenda of bold change, economic justice and providing a voice for those Americans that would otherwise be voiceless. Your support sustains John as he campaigns across this country.



In the meantime, please take a few minutes to read the letter below from Martin Luther King, III that so eloquently expresses why John is running.







January 20, 2008



The Honorable John R. Edwards

410 Market Street

Suite 400

Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Dear Senator Edwards:

It was good meeting with you yesterday and discussing my father's legacy. On the day when the nation will honor my father, I wanted to follow up with a personal note.

There has been, and will continue to be, a lot of back and forth in the political arena over my father's legacy. It is a commentary on the breadth and depth of his impact that so many people want to claim his legacy. I am concerned that we do not blur the lines and obscure the truth about what he stood for: speaking up for justice for those who have no voice.

I appreciate that on the major issues of health care, the environment, and the economy, you have framed the issues for what they are - a struggle for justice. And, you have almost single-handedly made poverty an issue in this election.

You know as well as anyone that the 37 million people living in poverty have no voice in our system. They don't have lobbyists in Washington and they don't get to go to lunch with members of Congress. Speaking up for them is not politically convenient. But, it is the right thing to do.

I am disturbed by how little attention the topic of economic justice has received during this campaign. I want to challenge all candidates to follow your lead, and speak up loudly and forcefully on the issue of economic justice in America.

From our conversation yesterday, I know this is personal for you. I know you know what it means to come from nothing. I know you know what it means to get the opportunities you need to build a better life. And, I know you know that injustice is alive and well in America, because millions of people will never get the same opportunities you had.

I believe that now, more than ever, we need a leader who wakes up every morning with the knowledge of that injustice in the forefront of their minds, and who knows that when we commit ourselves to a cause as a nation, we can make major strides in our own lifetimes. My father was not driven by an illusory vision of a perfect society. He was driven by the certain knowledge that when people of good faith and strong principles commit to making things better, we can change hearts, we can change minds, and we can change lives.

So, I urge you: keep going. Ignore the pundits, who think this is a horserace, not a fight for justice. My dad was a fighter. As a friend and a believer in my father's words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting. My father would be proud.

Sincerely,

Martin L. King, III

ikl · 1 year ago

I worked in Nashua, NH for Obama on election day. It seemed like we were turning out a lot of HRC votes who were down on our lists as undecided (we got killed in Nashua). It was pretty frustrating. I'm new to this game, but I wonder if it is possible to target GOTV efforts better.


As for the previous comment, I like John Edwards, but he did not have an especially good voting record in the Senate. Russ Feingold had some choice words about this recently (basically said that he is running on a platform that he voted against when in office). Obama's voting record is much better. Edwards is a bit of a Jonny-come-lately. I trust Obama's judgment more as well, but that is not really a matter of comparing platforms.

Anonymous · 1 year ago

If you get a chance, could we please have updated links for other blogs and websites; many of the links provided are not viable or don't exist.

natthedem · 1 year ago

@ The Public Servant: You're certainly entitled to your perspective, but I supported John Edwards' presidential run back in 2004, before anyone even knew who he was (even though I disagreed with him, at the time, about the war). The things he stood for in that campaign--namely, a rhetoric of hope and optimism that mirrors what Obama is saying today--fell by the wayside this time, as he sought to secure the left flank of the Democratic Party. That's where he lost me--there's not much evidence to suggest that issues that he's shifted his position on aren't the result of pure political triangulation.


Beyond that, the notion that he'd be able to compete in every state, not only sounds to me like code, but, given the polling data that's out there, it seems contrary to the evidence. He's not polling well in the South and no candidate's going to dump time and money into states where there's no viable chance of winning. And, as a former NC resident, I can tell you, without a significant expenditure, he won't win there either (right now, he's polling behind Clinton and Obama among Democrats in the state).

Jack Turner · 1 year ago

@lkl


the following was emailed in by someone who had problems posting a comment but wanted to respond to your critique of edwards



-----

Jack & Jill,



Ikl (a blogger...subscriber?) made a snarky remark about Feingold and Edwards voting record, and that's fine but the following debunks Feingold's claims and somewhat vindicates Edwards.



It was written by Michael who I think is brilliant and an avid Edwards supporter.



Can you please email this to all your subscribers so we can clear the air. I had difficulties joining up or otherwise I would've included it in your blog.



The following is to "just" show that "all" the candidates have inconsistencies in their voting record. It's a gripe that you too have with Edwards and that's fair enough. But all is not what it seems...







On Jan 18, 2008 2:49 AM, Michael Conrad wrote:



Feingold is dead wrong on Edwards on EVERY count.



- Edwards voted for the Patriot Act, but he does not campaign AGAINST it. There were actually good elements to the Patriot Act, as well as A LOT of bad ones. Remember... even Paul Wellstone voted for the Patriot Act. Edwards wants to fix the Patriot Act and restore civil liberties. He has never said "I want to repeal the Patriot Act".



- No Child Left Behind... Pretty much every Dem (that I can remember) voted for it, because that was the faith they had in Ted Kennedy as an education advocate. There was a lengthy piece in Rolling Stone a few years back about how Bush screwed Kennedy on NCLB. If Kennedy had thought he could have beaten Bush in 04', I'm sure he would have ran himself. Edwards has said that we should "radically change" NCLB, and if it can't be fixed THEN we scrap it.



- China trade. Edwards is not campaigning against China trade. He never has. This is a matter of fixing, not scrapping. Edwards has always opposed NAFTA, and unlike Obama he opposed the Peru NAFTA - expansion.



- The war. First off, Edwards was wrong on his vote... which is exactly what he has been saying since late 05'. This, by the way, was right before I switched from supporting Feingold in 08' (we all thought he was going to run back then) to supporting Edwards.



Edwards supported Kerry - Feingold (timetable) in 06'. Obama and HRC voted no.



Endorsing Lieberman, Gregg Amendment, Feingold - Reid, Jim Webb's Iran legislation, calling for funding for the escalation to be cut off, cutting off funding for the war, criticizing Kyl - Lieberman.



In every instance Edwards was right, Obama was either cautious or wrong, and Clinton was wrong.



Feingold is distorting Edwards' position on every example he lists. Good one Russ.







On Jan 18, 2008 2:49 AM, Michael Conrad wrote:

Oh... and Obama DID NOT join to 10 or so Dems (Feingold was one of them), who voted AGAINST a slightly better version of the Patriot Act (it didn't go far enough).

And HRC did vote for the original. So if this is based on their positions, Feingold picking HRC and Obama over Edwards makes absolutely no sense.

Anonymous · 1 year ago

HILLARY'S FRIEND IS AN OLD KKK MEMBER, CHECK THIS OUT HERE:


http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2005/11/15/185205.shtml?et=y



Hilarious. Bill Clinton falls asleep at MLK celebration



http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2008/01/clinton_gets_sleepy_at_mlk_day.php



CLINTON SAYS WE HAVE THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT BECAUSE LYNDON JOHNSON SIGNED IT.



GOLDWATER RAN A CAMPAIGN AGAINST JOHNSON...

SO WHY WAS SHE CAMPAIGNING FOR BARRY GOLDWATER WHO WAS AGAINST THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT???



BY THE WAY CHECK OUT BILL CLINTON'S RACIST POSTCARD HE SENT TO HIS GRANDMA IN 1966 DURING THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.



http://serr8d.blogspot.com/2007/10/bill-clinton-racist-postcard-buy-it-now.html

Angela · 1 year ago

I just read this article. I am posting the start of it. Its a good reminder about that stale excuse of "experience.


Hillary, Barack, Experience by Nicholas D. Kristoff, NYT 1/20/08



"With all the sniping from the Clinton camp about whether Barack Obama has enough experience to make a strong president, consider another presidential candidate who was far more of a novice He Hhad the gall to run for president even though he had served a single undistinguished term in the House of Representatives, before being hounded back to his district.



That was Abraham Lincoln.



Another successful president scorned any need for years of apprenticeship in Washington, declaring, "The same old experience is not relevant." He suggested that the most useful training comes not from hanging around the White Hoiuse and Congress but rather from experience "rooted in the real lives of real people" so that "it will bring real results if we have the courage to change." That was Bill Clinton running 1992 against George H. W. Bush,.........

Anonymous · 1 year ago

There has been much talk about Bill Clinton campaining for Hillary in S.C. He will cntinue to play the attack dog and go after Obama while Hillary is able to stay positive and fly off to court Latino voters.


I hope that Obama will not be drwan into a fight with Bill in S.C. That is exactly what the Clinton's want. Obama is at his best when he is able to give positive, inspiring speeches.



Obama needs to expose the Clintons and the power hungry, say and do anything to get elected, 2-headed monster they are. He can best do this by staying above it all.

Anonymous · 1 year ago

My knock on Edwards is the same as its always been:


He looks good, but what did he do in the Senate?