"Eager to face any jury--and the voters" (W. Post story on Edwards)

[spooky3]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4099-2004Feb1.html?nav=hptop_ts

This was on the front page. They are featuring candidates in turn.

And shock of shocks, there were actually a few columnists who (gasp) criticized Bush today on the editorial page!

From the Edwards article:

(snip)
"Edwards's appeal as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination may have jolted the pundits -- given a political résumé that begins and ends with five years in the U.S. Senate -- but it was no surprise to hundreds of doctors, trucking company officials and manufacturers who had faced him in court.

(snip)

Adversaries as well as partners said he routinely out-prepared and outperformed them. But his biggest distinction was what more than one called an "unnerving" appetite for putting his case before a jury, even though most victories -- his included -- came in settlements, not trials. Knowing his record -- of about 70 trials over 15 years, defense and plaintiffs lawyers said he lost only two or three -- defendants offered hefty settlements to avoid a showdown.

(snip)

(Plaintiffs' lawyers typically take cases for no charge up front, and are paid only if the client wins. Edwards said he took no fee in some hardship cases.)

(snip)

Edwards won his biggest verdict on Valerie's behalf -- $25 million -- against the manufacturer of the pool drain cover, which had snapped off before Valerie sat on it. Edwards showed that the manufacturer knew the cover was faulty, and had quietly settled a dozen similar evisceration cases. Valerie needed 12 surgeries, and faces a lifetime of costly medical problems, including frequent infections from a catheter that pumps nutrition into her bloodstream 12 hours a day. Her parents said the money was calculated to cover a lifetime of potentially catastrophic medical expenses for their daughter, who is now 16."

(more)

I wish the voters would let him turn these skills on the fraudulent administration in the White House.

[ShaneGR]

1. When he ran for the Senate in North Carolina

He was trailing by 10 points when his opponent ran an ad criticizing him for being a trial attorney. Edwards brought out some of the people he had represented, and within a week he had won the race.

[spooky3]

2. Very smart.

[colonel odis]

3. aside from being someone who could beat bush

i think he could be a very good president.

i haven't been as excited about a candidate since carter.