John Edwards

excerpts from the Iowa Daily Report

February 2003

Columnist Christopher Hitchens, in the new issue of Doublethink, reveals his support for President Bush’s re-election campaign – and despite a recent Vanity Fair story on EDWARDS – told Doublethink interviewer Tom Ivancie, “I mean, I wouldn’t vote for him…Because I’d vote for Bush. The important thing is this: Is a candidate completely serious about prosecuting the war on theocratic terrorism to the fullest extent? Only Bush is.” About EDWARDS, Hitchens said, “Spare us the false populism.” (The Reliable Source, Washington Post, 2/4)

“A story in the March issue of Atlantic Monthly magazine pulls back the curtain on the relationship between EDWARDS and former President Bill Clinton.” Clinton tells EDWARDS to develop “well-thought-out policy positions.”    Clinton: “So I told him…that he’d been on TV enough to be hot. Which was good. But if I were in his position, I’d spent lots of time trying to think things through…”  MORE: Congressman Richard Burr said he is in “the final stages” of launching an exploratory committee for the 2004 North Carolina Senate seat – the seat now held by EDWARDS. He said he hopes to announce “in a matter of weeks, not months.” The News-Observer story said: “The White House has been encouraging Burr to run for Senate in part to tighten the screws on U. S. Sen. John EDWARDS, who has yet to signal whether he’ll defend the seat in 2004…Burr said his plans will not be affected by Edwards’ situation.” (Washington correspondent John Wagner, newsobserver.com, 2/6)

Under the heading, HILLARY Clinton Leads Dem Pack for President, the national Quinnipiac University poll finds that HILLARY gets 42 percent of Democratic vote, compared to 15 percent for her nearest rival, LIEBERMAN. KERRY and GEPHARDT get 11 percent each, followed by EDWARDS with 7%, DEAN 3% and SHARPTON 2%. The director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, Maurice Carroll, said, “Put Sen. HILLARY Clinton in the mix -- even though she says she is not running for President – and she sweeps the Democratic field.” MORE: Without HILLARY, the 2000 vice presidential candidate leads the pack with 27 percent, KERRY has 18 percent, and GEPHARDT 16%, EDWARDS 14%, SHARPTON 6% and DEAN 3%.

NOTE: From 1/29-2/3. Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,307 American voters, with a margin of error of +/- 2.7 percent. The survey includes 441 Democrats with a margin of error of +/- 4/7 percent. (Quinnipiac University news release, www.quinnipiac.edu, 2/6)

 “On a New Hampshire Web site dedicated to the 2004 race, almost a third of the 105 top party activists had chosen a candidate. KERRY and EDWARDS had nine apiece, GEPHARDT six, DEAN and LIEBERMAN three and former NATO commander Wesley CLARK, who is not currently a candidate, one.” (Will Lester, AP, 2/7)

“Presidential hopeful Sen. John EDWARDS [D-NC] is preparing to throw caution to the wind in confederate flag-sensitive South Carolina this weekend when he celebrates his White House ambition with a political gathering at the house of a Confederate hero, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal!” Drudge said EDWARDS has ‘quietly set a Saturday afternoon meet ‘n greet at the William Aiken House in Charleston. “The controversial meeting at the Aiken House, sponsored by the South Carolina Democratic Leadership Council, comes as the NAACP continues its call for an economic boycott of South Carolina to protest the flying of the Confederate battle flag on the State House grounds.” Aiken, according to Drudge, was once the South’s largest slaveholder and owned a rice plantation on Jehoessee Island that was worked by more than 700 slaves. (Drudge Report, www.drudgereport.com, 2/7)

“Addressing the 59^th annual Congressional Dinner for the Washington Press Club Foundation Wednesday night, Sen. John “Media Darling” McCain, Arizona Republican, saw fit to bestow nicknames on two new Democratic presidential aspirants, who also happened to be named John. As for the Massachusetts Democrat who married into the Heinz ketchup fortune, he should now be referred to as Sen. John “57 Varieties” KERRY, while Sen. John “Pretty Boy” EDWARDS is a name that speaks for itself.” (Inside the Beltway, The Washington Times, 2/7)

DEAN “criticized his rivals for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination Saturday (2/8) for their positions on potential war with Iraq and continued his attack on President Bush’s handling of the crisis. DEAN said it was disingenuous for Democrats who voted for a resolution authorizing use of force in Iraq to criticize Bush’s war posture while campaigning for president.” EDWARDS, GEPHARDT, KERRY voted for the resolution. (Thomas Beaumont, Des Moines Sunday Register, 2/9)

 “The sniping has started early in this most front-loaded of Democratic presidential primary races. Yesterday (2/10) a rival campaign to the juggernaut of North Carolina Sen. John EDWARDS pointed out that even though much of EDWARDS’ staff is toiling inside the Beltway, you must dial 919 – the Raleigh, N. C., area code – to get staffers on the phone.” EDWARDS’s spokeswoman explained that the campaign is using cutting-edge, cost-saving Internet technology, and that the whole headquarters will relocate to Raleigh in the spring. Columnist Lloyd Grove added: “Meanwhile, folks in D. C., Iowa and New Hampshire can be reached via 919.” (Lloyd Grove, The Reliable Source, www.washingtonpost.com, 2/11)

EDWARDS announced 2/8 that he will honor the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) boycott of South Carolina – because the Confederate flag still flies over a monument on the Statehouse grounds. “I think the Confederate flag should come down, period,” said EDWARDS during a Charleston campaign visit. He said he would not stay in motels and hotels during campaign visits, but added his campaign will have to spend money to compete. (Greg Pierce, Inside Politics, The Washington Times, 2/11)

Greg Pierce reports the “Democratic presidential hopefuls are busy trying to win the hearts of Hollywood’s liberal elite.” He wrote that, according to the Los Angeles Times, Rob Reiner arrived at his office the day after Al GORE bowed out of the 2004 presidential race he found three messages awaiting – from DEAN, KERRY and LIEBERMAN. Reiner also has visited with EDWARDS and GEPHARDT. (Greg Pierce, Inside Politics, The Washington Times, 2/12)

“War looms on the horizon, terrorism remains a grave threat, the stock market is sunk in a quagmire and states around the country are plagued by massive budget deficits. But what issue is embroiling the Democrats battling (fiercely, though 12 months before the first primary?) for their party’s presidential nomination? The Confederate flag.” DEAN says he’ll “defer to black advisers” about how to handle the NAACP economic boycott in South Carolina, SHARPTON says he’ll honor the boycott but will campaign vigorously in the state…EDWARDS said he will personally honor the boycott by sleeping in private homes – a symbolic show of solidarity – but his aides are free to eat and sleep wherever they choose.” (Columnist Eric Fettmann, New York Post, www.nypost.com, 2/13)

Associated Press reported that Iowa AFL-CIO president Mark Smith was “bombarded with candidates’ requests” to address the (2/17) annual legislative conference in Altoona. Smith said: “When presidential candidates heard that there were going to be 100-plus union members, they said ‘Oh, can we address it?” I was going to allow that. But pretty soon, you’ve got four of them, and you screw up your whole conference.” LIEBERMAN, EDWARDS, DEAN and KUCINICH were expected to attend the event, which was scheduled to be shown live on C-SPAN. KERRY (who’s recovering from surgery), GEPHARDT and SHARPTON also inquired about attending. (AP Washington, 2/15)

 University of Iowa political scientist Peverill Squire: “If all you need to do well in Iowa is get 20 percent of the vote, LIEBERMAN, KERRY, and perhaps EDWARDS should come out OK.” (Thomas Beaumont, The Des Moines Register, 2/15)

Larry Ginter, a hog farmer (Rhodes) and activist in the Citizens for Community Improvement, said that EDWARDS would have to be held accountable for his Senate vote on a critical agricultural issue. EDWARDS was the only one of three senators seeking the Democratic nomination who voted last year against legislation that would have banned meatpackers from owning or controlling supplies of hogs and cattle. Ginter said: “We need to take him [EDWARDS] to task on that.” (Philip Brasher, The Des Moines Register Washington Bureau, 2/17)

 LIEBERMAN “opposes a special tax credit for corn-based ethanol fuel that other forms of renewable energy do not receive…. [But it] probably won’t hurt the expectations LIEBERMAN set for his performance in the caucuses. ‘I don’t expect to win here,’ he said. GEPHARDT won the caucuses in 1988 before bowing out of the nomination race and DEAN, whose term as governor ended last month, has visited the state 20 times as a prospective candidate, he said…Unlike LIEBERMAN, EDWARDS set his caucus expectations higher. ‘Yes, I expect to win,’ he said flatly.” (Thomas Beaumont, The Des Moines Register, 2/18)

 “The Democrats are coming, the Democrats are coming – Democratic presidential wannabes, that is, who are leaving the campaign trail ever so briefly to address the party leadership in Washington. Always looking to make a buck, the financially depleted Democratic National Committee, we’re told, is preparing to peddle an ‘exclusive video’ of the 2004 declared candidates ‘going head to head’: Howard DEAN, John EDWARDS, Dick GEPHARDT, John KERRY, Joe LIEBERMAN, Al SHARPTON and perhaps Carol MOSELEY-BRAUN. The DNC will sell the video for a ‘contribution’ of $75, which by the way is not tax deductible.” (John McCaslin, Inside the Beltway, The Washington Times, 2/18)

 Four Dems appeared before more than 150 Iowa labor union activists at the Iowa Federation of Labor’s annual legislative conference in Altoona. “U. S. Sens. John EDWARDS of North Carolina and Joseph LIEBERMAN told…labor activists that their support for a resolution backing a possible U. S. -led war in Iraq is not subject to political pressure…But, U. S. Rep. Dennis KUCINICH of Ohio and former Vermont Gov. Howard DEAN denounced the Bush administration’s policy toward the pending crisis over United Nations weapons inspections as unilateral and damaging to relations with allies.” (Thomas Beaumont, The Des Moines Register, 2/18)

“Reporting out of Iowa, especially articles by Dan Balz of the Washington Post and David Yepsen of the Des Moines Register, has shown that GEPHARDT’s support there among Democratic activists is far from overwhelming…But GEPHARDT remains a strong favorite to win there again in 2004. His left-if-center, populist economic message fits the politics of Hawkeye State Democrats well. And it’s hard to imagine a senator from Massachusetts or Connecticut capturing the imaginations of Iowans…That leaves EDWARDS as GEPHARDT’s biggest worry. With his grass roots labor support and his appeal as a mid-westerner, GEPHARDT has the advantage.” (James Carney, TIME, www.time.com, 2/19)

Is something missing here – like a prospective Dem presidential candidate most Democrats have a favorable impression of as their nominee?  The latest CNN-TIME poll indicates that less that half of the nation’s leading Democrats (49%) have a favorable view of LIEBERMAN, who also – and ironically -- ranks as their top presidential prospect. The CNN-TIME poll, according to an Associated Press report, indicated that LIEBERMAN topped the Dems with 16% while GEPHARDT had 13%. Others: KERRY at 8%, EDWARDS and SHARPTON at 7%, MOSELEY-BRAUN at 4%, DEAN and GRAHAM at 3% and KUCINICH 2%. But, the CNN-TIME poll of 529 Democrats or those who lean Democrat (margin of error: +/- 4%) indicated that HILLARY was viewed favorably by 72% while LIEBERMAN got a 49% favorable and GEPHARDT was at 41% favorable. (CNN/TIME/AP, CNN-TIME survey, www.cnn.com, www.time.com, 2/21)

 From the Associated Press – Nedra Pickler byline -- report on the DNC winter meetings: “EDWARDS, KERRY, GEPHARDT and Sen. Joe LIEBERMAN support use of military force in Iraq. ‘I know of a lot of you here don’t agree on this, but I do believe Saddam Hussein must be disarmed,’ EDWARDS said. DNC members, interviewed after the last of the [presidential candidate speeches], said all the candidates helped themselves, some more than others. GEPHARDT, whose candidacy had seemed stalled coming into the meeting, impressed many activists with a speech that contained more policy initiatives than his rivals and more passion than they’re accustomed from him. DEAN’s speech, in which he accused Democratic leaders of going soft on Bush, appealed to the left wing of the party. But he left activists wondering whether his anti-war, liberal message could beat the Republican president. (Nedra Pickler, AP, 2/22)

“Sen. John EDWARDS of North Carolina challenged President Bush on Saturday to ‘bring it on’ if Bush wants to criticize EDWARDS’ work as a trial lawyer…EDWARDS said Bush was attacking him ‘because I spent 20 years fighting for victims, children and families against powerful opposition.’” (Jane Norman, Des Moines Register Washington Bureau, 2/23)

Re the DNC winter meeting in Washington, “…EDWARDS then tried to get cute by saying, ‘In two short years. George W. Bush has taught us what W stands for: wrong. Wrong for our children (of course), wrong for our families, wrong for our values, wrong for America.’ …let us give you an alternative for what W stands for: Winner.” (Chuck Muth’s News & Views, 2/24)

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