Allyanne receives Karita Hummer's Golden Pen Award for: "Dear John Edwards and Family. My apologies for the lack of brevity. I needed to express this.

Winner of Karita Hummer's Golden Pen Award


Dear John Edwards and Family. My apologies for the lack of brevity. I needed to express this.


http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2008/1/30/183416/706#commenttop

user icon allyanne in Diaries Feed of allyanne's Diary
1/30/2008 at 6:34 PM EST

Dear John and Elizabeth Edwards,

First, I wish to say that, while I am deeply saddened by your decision to suspend your presidential campaign, and I wish so immensely that you would remain in the race, I respect your decision and realize that you have done what you feel you must.I heard the news just before my last class for the day, around noon. (I speak of this as though it were a tragedy, because to me, at the time, it was). I was leaving the laboratory in which I work, and one of my colleagues, who often teases me about being sensitive, saw me crying. She didn't know what was going on, and was afraid I was upset about something in lab. I told her that I was devastated because MY candidate, AMERICA's candidate, had just announced the suspension of his campaign.

This was especially sad, as I had taken the afternoon off from lab today to do some phone banking. I am a little on the shy side, and yet I have been talking to complete strangers in class and on campus, and handing out flyers from welikeedwards.com, with absolute confidence and pride regarding your message, telling them why you are the greenest, the most progressive, the most compassionate and genuine candidate on either side of the spectrum. And they have listened. You have been garnering ever more support, especially since the South Carolina debates (I think that your outstanding performance came too late to give you the boost you needed in South Carolina, as many people already had their minds made up and, as the saying goes, didn't wish to be confused with the facts). My deepest regret is that I have not been an official member of your campaign for a longer period of time. Guilt nibbles at me, for I take some infinitesimal slice of the blame for my lack of involvement earlier in the race. I know one person doesn't always make an immense difference, but every infinitesimal slice together makes up the area under the curve. But I digress. I wish to let you know that you inspired this jaded college student to have a little hope that maybe, this time, there was finally a candidate who, if nominated, wouldn't leave me caught between Scylla and Charybdis in the general election. To say it more positively....I finally saw a candidate who wasn't an "anyone but....(insert somebody I don't want to be president here)" candidate. I was looking forward so immensely to being able to vote FOR someone instead of AGAINST somebody else. I was genuinely excited and inspired to help with your campaign, to get your message out there and inspire people as you have me. I wish perhaps more than almost anything I have ever wished for that you could stay in the race, that the presidency was not some terrible hybrid of American Idol and a commodity sold to the highest bidder. I am still voting my conscience on February 5th, here in Oklahoma, where I know you had an excellent chance. Your presence in this race has continuously elevated the discourse and forced a focus on issues that truly matter. Furthermore, your presence in this race has been inspiring to me not only politically, but in the parallels I can draw to my own life. The amount of support you have generated despite the odds against you in this year's race are absolutely inspiring, but more inspiring than that is the DEPTH of that support. I have yet to meet an Edwards supporter who isn't well-informed and passionate about what you have to say, AND what you plan to DO. Your presence in this race, your ability to say, "I'm going to have my incredible, inspiring, progressive agenda, to do what I know is right for America instead of checking boxes that I supposedly need to check in order to get elected," inspires me in my undergraduate career and my aspirations to go to medical school and get an md/phd. Since becoming involved in your campaign, I have been much happier with myself and what I am doing in school, doing ALL of the things that I love, including music, writing, and volunteer work that isn't necessarily the cookie-cutter medical school applicant work, that is for the sake of a greater good and because it is my passion, not because I am checking boxes to pander to a certain school. I feel that what I am doing, on my own path, will ultimately have a much greater chance of having an immense positive effect on the lives of others, my ultimate goal above all else in my professional and personal life, BECAUSE I am truly passionate about it. Everything else will fall into place accordingly, and the opportunities that I receive, the people and places that are receptive to that, are where I want to be and who I want to be with. I feel that your campaign, and its supporters, are of this caliber, of this depth. They appreciate you for your passionate stances on everything from global warming to health care to the genocide in Darfur. I know, we know, and I hope you know, that America is a much better place with your voice and your activism in it, at whatever capacity you choose, because your heart is truly in it. Even people I have talked to who were not official "supporters" had and still have deep respect for you. I think that you would have been pleasantly surprised by the reflection of this profound respect in the polls on Super Tuesday and am truly sorry to see that you have suspended your campaign for the presidency, but I am also immensely happy that you have not and will not ever suspend your campaign for the things in which you believe so profoundly and passionately. I feel as though you speak from my own heart when you use your success, the opportunities that you have created for yourself, to give others a chance and a voice. I hope to continue hearing from you. All my absolute best to you, to Elizabeth, to Cate and the entire family. All of you are an inspiration. Thank you for a noble and inspiring campaign.

Sincerely,
Ally Beasley
Norman, Oklahoma

Guadalupe59 wins Karita Hummer's Silver Pen Award for : "My hero, Francesco Bernardone, My guy, John Edwards"

My hero, Francesco Bernardone, My guy, John Edwards

Cross-posted from: http://blog.johnedwards.com/user/Guadalupe59

user icon Guadalupe59 in Diaries Feed of Guadalupe59's Diary
1/22/2008 at 3:56 AM EST

My parents moved from Mexico City to southern California with their first three children and number four on the way in the 50s. The first house I lived in backed up to a farm. I remember running outside to watch the neat old bi-plane crop-dusters flying so low over that farm. How cool that was! My younger brother was conceived in that house. My younger brother was born with Spina bifida. That birth defect was later linked to DDT, that's right, the stuff the cool crop-duster was spraying.

I'm not sure if that's what pushed Dad into being environmentally aware, but along with that, he became very involved in farm worker's rights, organizing huelgas, and he also became very active in the anti-Vietnam war movement.

My mother was in many ways a typical Mexican, Catholic mom. Where we had one image of Jesus on the cross in the house, we had images of the Virgin de Guadalupe all over the place. And in the garden, my mother's special place, St. Francis stood.

Mom would be out there tending to her plants and would talk about what an amazing man "San Francisco" was. Born to Pietro Bernardone, a wealthy Assisian cloth merchant, he was Christened Giovanni Bernardone by his mother Pica. His father later altered his name to Francesco. Francis, not happy at home land feeling a call to a greater good, left a life of comfort to aid the poor and down-trodden. "Can you imagine anyone doing that these days?" my mom would ask, in Spanish, rhetorically.

americancatholic.org:

St. Francis of Assisi, lover of all creation, champion of justice, patron saint of animals and the environment.

My mother loves all of Earth's little creatures and allowed her children to have many pets. As long as we were kind and tended them properly, pretty much anything went. I can't count how many wounded birds we took in in the hopes of making them well enough to return to the wild.

My father, a self-proclaimed agnostic, also admired St. Francis greatly. Dad says things like, "...now if these so-called Christians were more like St. Francis..."

americancatholic.org:

He walked away from comfort and wealth and declared himself "wedded to Lady Poverty", renounced all material possessions, and devoted himself to serving the poor.

"...that woudn't be too bad."

Hardly Christ-like, Francis rejected the wealth and corruption of the Vatican too. As Francis's popularity grew, he was seen as a threat. Pope Innocent III reluctantly gave verbal sanction to the Franciscan Rule, thus founding the Order of Friars Minor.

My parents taught my five siblings and me to be respectful of other people, animals and our Earth, and to join the struggles of those less fortunate than we.

americancatholic.org:

Through his example, St. Francis reminds us that we are called to bring about justice and peace in our world, to end violence and war, poverty and oppression and to protect our fragile planet.

Convinced that violence and war were wrong, St. Francis believed in peaceful dialogue with all our brothers and sisters. He calls us to be instruments of peace and healing by turning from weapons of violence to acts of love. "Happy those who endure in peace."

So how did all of this shape my choice for a presidential candidate? Let's see, poverty, the environment..., I'm for John Edwards. And when I say that I really wanted to be for a fellow Latino, a fellow woman or just a person of color, I really wanted to be. But no. It is John Edwards who speaks to the issues that matter most to me.

The biggest being the environment.

grist.org:

John Edwards is running left. He was, on climate and energy as on many other issues, the prime mover, staking out strong, comprehensive climate and energy positions that the other Democratic frontrunners later adopted. He's stumping for 80 percent cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050, with 100 percent permit auctions, and fleshing that goal out with detailed proposals for big boosts in renewables and fuel efficiency, changes to the energy grid and efficiency standards, a green-jobs program, and more. Edwards can no longer claim to be the greenest Dem frontrunner -- that's a tight competition -- but he gets credit for getting there first.

The Friends of the Earth endorsement in October spoke was great too. Yeah, he had me at the environment.

His very smart Rural Recovery Act tackles other issues that are important to me. I work with small family farmers and their livestock in my very ag oriented, semi-rural area of California. Edwards proposals are well thought out and could really help here.

Poverty. It is the issue with which he launched his campaign, and it wasn't for popularity! Many people thought that it was in fact, a losing proposition. I didn't and I'm not alone.

Do I think John Edwards is another St. Francis? No, not close.

But is he speaking truth to power? Is he standing up for those less fortunate than himself? Is he standing up for family farmers and even the hogs they raise?

Yes to all of the above and more.

TheEmeraldQuill receives Karita Hummer's Silver Pen Award

TheEmeraldQuill receives Karita Hummer's Silver Pen Award for this piece.


Letter to Mr. Edwards

Cross-posted from John Edwards 08



user icon TheEmeraldQuill in Diaries Feed of TheEmeraldQuill's Diary
1/14/2008 at 6:41 PM EST

I've just sent a letter of encouragement to Mr. Edwards. My concern is that not placing first in a very, very small portion of states at so early a stage could lead people in upcoming states to conclude that he can't win... when in fact, he's the most likely candidate to win in November. I want people to realize that we can't allow such an important issue to be determined by so few results at this time.

I also want to caution people not to get caught up in "first"-itis. While I think it would be great to have our first female or African American president, I think it would be far greater to have the RIGHT person in the job -- and at this time, I don't feel that either a woman or an African American candidate happens to be the right person.

I've posted the entire letter if anyone cares to continue reading my rambling...

Mr. Edwards,

I apologize if this note becomes lengthy, as I am aware that this is the time when you have the least amount of time available. Like many Americans, I feel like a lot needs to be said right now that isn't being said, and that I'm not hearing. I think you're the best man to say them, and the man that needs to say them, so it is my hope to impress a few things on you if you can bear with me for a few lines.

In my life of 42 years, I've found that at time of presidential elections, all of the candidates seem to fall into the trap of having the "big issues" defined for them. In recent presidential elections, I recall things like gay marriage and abortion becoming forefront issues. To me, these are more intensely personal issues to be addressed on a more personal level, and should not be part of a major election. Yes, they can be big issues -- but in truth, issues like that only affect a small percentage of Americans. I am not saying that Americans affected by such issues are not important as well... What I'm trying to say is that there are SO MANY issues that affect SO MANY Americans, that I'd like to see a candidate step aside from falling into that trap and address more mundane issues, perhaps less exciting issues, but issues that affect more people on a more regular basis than these hot button issues. It looks to me like you are the closest candidate to doing that as far as I can recall. But you need to be louder -- I don't think people are getting the message, and maybe it's partly because the message isn't coming out as clear as it needs to be.

Big issues of discussion in the current campaign seem to be Iraq, health insurance, and overall (but somewhat ambiguous) "change." I agree these are important issues, of course. But where is the voice that specifically says it wants to fix the things that affect me -- and the majority of Americans -- almost every day? Where is the voice that tells us that this is what the candidate wants to do, to improve as much of the lives of as many people as possible? It will have to be a dynamic voice, because it will need to refer to things so mundane that they will be hard to get noticed amid the defined (by the media?) "big issues."

You know what I want more than anything from our next president? Lower gas prices and/or a definitive move toward alternative fuel. My health insurance doesn't come into play every day of my life, but paying for gas to get to work so I can pay for everything else does. And the current administration has done nothing to protect all of us individuals out there from what is so obviously blatant price gouging. I'd be okay with seeing the price of gas make a significant drop; I'd be better with seeing a firm commitment to work with American auto manufacturers to get us completely into alternative fuel sources that will be less expensive and more environmentally friendly. And it has to be done without harming the auto industry, so it has to be done with their cooperation. But they have to be made to cooperate. It's an old saying, but you can catch more bees with honey... We have to find a way to incentivize the auto industry to go that way. Tax breaks for them for R&D in that area? And even more for every car or line of cars that they produce in that direction? They need to be brought together and unified on finding the best direction to move forward, and on moving in that direction. No easy task, but keeping America moving has got to be a much bigger issue than it is. Most Americans drive a car at some point, don't they? That's an issue that affect SO MANY more Americans than some of the "bigger" issues... I want to see a candidate tackle an issue like that. Something for virtually ALL of us, not just a few, or a certain segment.

Most people are easily misled by so many things, distracted by other things, and unaware of most things they should be paying attention to. I'm sure this makes it very hard to get elected for the right reasons. I don't think many people in this country take the time to think about our Constitution, much less ever read it, and even less seriously consider it and what it means and what it was meant for and meant to do. The core problem is that more and more people in this country are getting less and less of a quality education. Not that a quality education isn't available, but that most of the best quality education that is available is unaffordable to far too many people. Education isn't like cars; the best of it should be available to everyone, regardless of financial means. A very sharp change needs to be made to ensure that everyone who wants to be educated can be educated. And the other part of the education problem is this: we have become too lenient in our expectations, both from educators and from students. Too many people are being allowed to "pass" without being qualified to do so. This is a tragedy to the very fiber of our nation... it sends the message that it's okay to get by with being substandard. This country didn't become the greatest nation on Earth with that kind of mentality! Yet I find it prevalent across the board in today's world. And it has to be stopped. It has to start at the education level. The solution isn't to assign more homework, either - though I've seen that increase in high schools considered to be better. I'd like to see a major, national emphasis on researching and improving education in America. To me, this is the highest priority we should have, because our education is the basis for everything we do with our lives, and everything we do with our lives is what makes America. If we settle for less than we should at that level, it just flows out into our society, and perpetuates the mentality of "settling" rather that striving for our best, and to become better. We need to start each generation off with the drive to improve, and we need to get them enthusiastic about it. And we need that to be immediate in order to get our nation back to where it needs to be as a world leader, and in icon of the best that our world can be.

One of the most promising things I've noticed in your plans is the idea of a Citizen Congress. For quite some time, I've been saying to people I know that one of the biggest problems we face in governing this country is the gap between the representatives and the represented. When the Constitution was written and the government structure was developed, the founders intended for there to be a congressional representative for about every 10, 20, 30,000 people. (The actual number escapes me at the moment.) This number of people represented by one congressman was raised, I believe in the 1960s. But here is where I see the biggest contributing problem to voter apathy, and a government dangerously out of touch with its constituents. Today, an individual can be elected to the House of Representatives and be assured of working in near anonymity of his or her own constituency! Ask almost any American who their congressional representative is, and I'm sure that you'll find almost 100% cannot tell you. Does this not mean that it is exponentially easier for representatives to act NOT in the best or desired interests of their constituents, but perhaps in their own interests, or those of lobbyists or other non-constituent influencers? As a congressman, you have virtually no recognition by your constituents, and therefore no fear of repercussions and no need for shame if you choose to act contrary to what your people would want most of you. Not only that, but this anonymity is a strong deterrent to voter involvement, and discourages citizen participation. However, if I feel more connected to my representative, then I feel more represented. More as if I am part of the government of my country. And that is how the founders meant for us to feel. But the vast majority of Americans today feel completely unrepresented in the national government, and completely unheard. And they're right, at least to some degree. I realize that the numbers of representatives would swell to (possibly) unmanageable proportions if we were to restore the ratio of representatives-to-citizens that originally existed. But I believe it is an imperative of crisis level that we get back to where Americans feel in touch with their representatives. Your Citizen Congress idea... well, in truth, that's what the Congress is SUPPOSED to be. We just need more representation. More personal to smaller sized groupings. And the effort has to made by ALL in congress to be visible to their constituents. In fact, it needs to be an enforced rule that congressmen make a point of not only informing their constituents, but seeking the input of their constituents. (On a related note, I often wonder if each state shouldn't have three senators, rather than two. Not sure about this, but if the two senators from any state vote the opposite way on any issue, does that not in effect wind up nullifying the input of that state in the senate? At least with a third senator from each state, there will be a tie breaker that assures each state of having had some input into every issue, rather than the possibility of being cancelled out altogether... It can't be too much to ask to add one Senator to every state, can it?)

Mr. Edwards, I make my living as a writer. And while this message may not be the best representation of my finest work, I know I can put together some very influential writing. I intend to do so, in fact. I'd like to do it on your behalf. But if these few things I have discussed sound like solid reasoning, or at least coming from the right place, then maybe this message accurately represents me and what I stand for. I send this message to you because I have the feeling that you and I have similar ideas about what needs to be done, and possibly even similar feelings about the sad state of affairs. And, hopefully, similar optimism that these things CAN be fixed, if only with the Herculean effort that will be required to do so. But that must be done.

A couple of weeks ago, I awoke from a dream. In that dream, John Edwards had made a major victory of some kind. And it was a good thing. I don't doubt you've had, and have, a similar dream. I don't think that the scant results of the first very few states should determine the nominee to run for president in November. I'd like to think that each state will not irrationally assume that, because a candidate has won in a previous state, the other candidates cannot win. I want each state to realize this, and I want each state to understand that the best man for the job still needs to be picked, and it's far too early to decide that the best man for the job has already been determined. I think it would be great to have the first woman president, or the first African American president. But I think it would be MORE great to have the RIGHT president, and in this case, I just don't think that a woman or an African American happens to be the right person for the job. And what this nation needs right now more than anything is the RIGHT person for the job. Please make sure you tell people this, because I think it is far too easy to get caught up in the excitement of a potential "first" and lose sight of what really matters... the details. And a plan to improve the day-to-day life for ALL Americans, regardless of color, sex, financial status, or any other divider. We're not called the UNITED States for nothing... If there's one thing we SHOULD be uniting on, it's the idea that every individual's day-to-day life is the big issue here, no matter how unexciting that may seem.

Make them listen, Make them hear you. Find a way. This is what you will have to do to get elected, and what you will have to do in office. Just don't give up.

"I'd storm the gates of Hell with John Edwards - and expect victory", receives Karita Hummer's First Golden Pen Award

Don Vila, Winner of Karita Hummer's Golden Pen Award: First Recipient of KH's Golden Pen Award




I'd storm the gates of Hell with John Edwards - and expect victory.

Cross-posted from John Edwards 08 Blog

I have the great good fortune to post with grannyhelen, and I'll piggyback a bit from her post "Why I'm Sticking With John Edwards"
http://www.progressivessouthbend.org/200 8/01/why-im-sticking-with-john-edwards.h tml .

I should be clear that there is nothing she says that I differ with -other than my own circumstance, of course. My support of John Edwards though is highly visceral as well as intellectual. His campaign gets to who I am and the change I want to see in the world.

Aside from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., my only heroes up to now have been my parents.

Anyone who knew my father would describe him as person of high standards, possessing a fiery intellect and unquestioned integrity. Honesty was compulsory in our household, and my first and ongoing training in critical thinking took place at the dinner table every evening.



Focused and driven














The Thinker
















My mother spent many years working (for small stipends, at best) in Third World countries helping others better their lives - including stints in Guatemala, India and Peru. Her organization sponsors demonstration projects. These projects guide locals to available resources, provide volunteer labor and technical assistance, but the residents plan and implement the projects. They're also expected to sponsor a project of their own for others.

The projects can be as simple as micro lending programs or as comprehensive as the transformation which took place in Conacaste, Guatemala.

A small mountain village, Conacaste had no running water, no electricity, etc. A good chunk of time was lost to the women of the village as they walked to the river (over a kilometer away) or other basic chores needed to keep their families going.

By the time my mother left, Conacaste had running water, electricity, new businesses and even a social club for the village women. She wrote a very enjoyable book "Between Two Worlds - The Human Side of Development" about her experiences.

People who have read my previous essays may remember my parents were active in the civil rights movement (and included me in the activity) and allowed me my own activism without interference when I was older.

There's a lot more I could add, but I suspect you get the point. I come from very good people.

Now I have daughter who will turn five in March. Now it is my turn to set the example, to be the change I want to see in the world.

Four years ago, I discovered someone running for President of the United States who seems to feel as I do - someone who is impressed with the idea of doing what's right, rather than what's expedient or materially self enriching. Someone who could provide an example to others of the possibilities and was willing to the lead the fight to achieve them. He didn't win, but I certainly didn't forget John Edwards.

After he announced this effort from the ninth ward of New Orleans in December of 2006, I spent a great deal of time investigating what he had been doing since 2004. He had clearly done a lot of soul searching about the Iraq War. He had toured the world - witnessing the abject poverty inherent in so much of it. He spoke to not just to leaders, but to the citizens as well. He had formed a poverty center - studying the issues and calling experts together to propose solutions.

This experience clearly has honed his world view. It seems very simple - yet most people either can't grasp it, or don't believe it. I'd put it this way: It is in our best interests not to (consistently) act in our own selfish interest.

Grannyhelen noted some of John Edwards' detailed proposals - and he has a lot of them. I'd point out that if you look at them in their entirety, it's clear that they form a tapestry to lift people from poverty, keep those not in poverty - but threatened with it - from slipping into it and reclaim our role as an important, responsible world citizen. Or put it another way, to recognize the advantages he (and I) have had, and pay it forward.

I see what's great about my country and the people I hold dear in The Campaign To Change America.

And if you missed the short video "Challenge The System: The Edwards Movement Is Growing", click the link below. It is powerful. (3700 views in twenty-four hours)


I am baffled by people who complain that John Edwards expresses negativity. He has said “The American people are optimistic – relentlessly positive…” as is he. He also recognizes reality, and has ideas about changing it to a better one.

And by the way, take the title of this piece literally.

Don Wheeler
South Bend, IN

Blog Writer, "Mainiac", Analyzes Media Coverage of John Edwards Campaign and Receives Karita Hummer's Silver Pen Award

Recipient of Karita Hummer's Silver Pen Award





Cross-posted from John Edwards 08 Blog


http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2008/1/9/204413/6259#19

"Stopping Edwards"

by Mainiac in Diaries Feed of Mainiac's Diary
1/09/2008 at 8:44 PM EST

in John Edwards Blog/Diaries, at:

http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2008/1/9/204413/6259#19

With the presidential contest heating up, Iowa and New Hampshire behind us,
JRE has managed to stay in the chase even though the media has ignored his campaign, focusing on a Clinton-Obama matchup.

The reason for ignoring Edwards is that corporate leaders want to insure that the major parties will nominate candidates who can be relied upon to protect and foster their interests. With his challenge to their power, Edwards does not fit their
qualifications.

In the 2004 primary, the corporate-owned media used a lot of ink and airtime to help take down Howard Dean in Iowa and persuade voters that the Democratic candidate who had "electability" was John Kerry.

This year the media wasted no time in getting on the case. Long before a caucus was held or a vote cast, they narrowed the Democratic field to two, offering us the unprecedented choice of a white woman or a black man as the next president.

Even though she has the highest negatives of any Democrat, Hillary Clinton
was an obvious pick because of her name recognition and fundraising ability.
Barack Obama needed more of a media buildup before being showcased in this
matchup. Less than a month ago, Paul Krugman, the New York Times columnist,
wrote, "According to a recent survey by the Project for Excellence in
Journalism, Mr. Obama's coverage has been far more favorable than that of
any other candidate."

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Clinton and Obama far
outstrip their Democratic rivals in contributions received from donors in
such industries as securities and investments, hedge funds, private equity,
commercial banks, pharmaceuticals and health products, education, computers
and the Internet. Hillary leads all of them in contributions from lobbyists.
Edwards, a trial lawyer, joins the two at the top only in the category of
contributions from lawyers and legal firms. Chris Dodd led all Democrats in
contributions from the insurance industry before he and Joseph Biden bowed
out of the race after Iowa.

It's not surprising that media outlets paid little attention to the fact
that in November, while Edwards spoke out against the Peru Free Trade
Agreement -- one of the NAFTA babies that the Bush administration has been
fast tracking -- both Obama and Clinton said they supported it.

This spotlight on Clinton and Obama is essentially a "stop Edwards" move.
Interestingly, a CNN poll revealed last month that Edwards was the only
Democrat who could win against any of the Republicans. What's more, Edwards
managed to finish second in the Iowa caucuses, ahead of Clinton, despite
being dismissed by the media and outspent by his two key opponents. When the campaign headed into New Hampshire, the media treated Edwards' second plan finish as if it never happened.

The Federal Election Commission also seems to be doing its part to stop
Edwards. After he opted for federal matching funds, the FEC voted last month
to not match contributions made to Edwards through Act/Blue, a political
action committee that handles contributions for many Democrats nationwide.

Why has Edwards been targeted in this fashion? For one thing, he offers a health care plan that can morph into single-payer if enough Americans choose the expanded and improved Medicare option. He has shown his commitment to unions by walking picket lines over the last three years and he promises to make union organizing easier. As president, Edwards has said he wants to repeal tax breaks for the wealthy while increasing the minimum wage again. He wants to shift our foreign policy from unilateralism to more cooperation with other nations, with more foreign aid shifted to assist the world's poor. Unlike Obama and Clinton, he does not believe that nuclear power should be part of the mix to decrease dependence on fossil fuels.

More important than any of these is Edwards' call to end the chokehold that giant corporations have on our government. No wonder a senior Republican strategist recently commented on national television, "Edwards is the one that we fear the most."