Why does Edwards refer to a vote he never made?

[annagull]

He keeps saying he didn't vote for NAFTA, but his ass didn't abide anywhere they counted votes
He frequently talks about his opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Kerry supported, suggesting it has cost many U.S. jobs. Edwards wasn't in the Senate when NAFTA was passed in 1993.
And he rarely mentions a trade-liberalization measure he did vote for, as did Kerry -- a 2000 measure giving China elevated trade status. Far more U.S. jobs have been lost to China and other Asian nations than to Mexico or Canada, the countries covered by NAFTA, economists suggest.
http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-edwards-a-closer-look,0,5085820.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines
ooohhh, Baad Trade, Eddie!

[AnnitaR]

1. Same reason he talks about

being the son of a mill worker and all that stuff... it makes for a good stump speech. It's all politics.

He grew up in a middle class household and he wasn't even in the Senate when the NAFTA vote came up.

[MrSlayer]

2. Because it's an easy stance for him to make.

Since he didn't have a say or vote in it.

[DjTj]

3. He ran his Senate campaign in 1998 against NAFTA...

...and there are real differences between Edwards and Kerry on trade:

Fast-Track Authority for Bush: (Kerry Yea, Edwards Nay)
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00203

Trade with Singapore: (Edwards Nay, Kerry was campaigning)
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00318

Trade with Chile: (Edwards Nay, Kerry was campaigning)
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00319

Trade with Africa and Caribbean: (Kerry Yea, Edwards Nay)
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=2&vote=00098

[mohc]

4. Same could be said

About Dean, Clark, or Sharpton and the IWR...

[spooky3]

6. Exactly. Or any comment by Kucinich, Kerry, Lieberman, Braun

on any matter related to anything that was not in a specific bill put in front of them.

[Cuban_Liberal]

5. Borderline exhaustion? 18-20 hour days? Because he's human?

I dunno. Why don't you tell me? :)

[spooky3]

7. This is a misleading post. Search for the word "vote" in the article.

You'll find it only where Hoffa is talking about China.

As your quote indicates, he says he *opposes* NAFTA, and that is consistent with his position when he was campaigning in 1998.

[HFishbine]

8. He Did Oppose It

Edwards Opposition to NAFTA on Record With Shop Owner
Raleigh, NC

Speedy Mart owner Zachary Shabaz came forward today to say that democratic presidential candidate and mill worker's son John Edwards had indeed opposed NAFTA in the early 1990's.

Shabaz' convenience store was frequented almost daily my mill worker's son Edwards. "I remember he would always get a package of Little Debbie Frosted Donuts and a Yoo-hoo, always chocolate, never that froufrou strawberry crap."

Hearing that reporters were searching high and low for any record of mill worker's son Edwards having opposed NAFTA, Shabaz contacted the Raleigh News & Fishwrap with his recollections.

"John, and I got into a lengthy discussion one morning. I kept telling him he was going to be late for court, but he told me it was just a dog bite case and that there were more important things in the world," Shabaz said. "He went on and on, cupping his ear and asking, 'Do you hear that giant sucking sound, Zach?' I thought he was talking about the compressor for the cooler, but now I see that he was actually right on target about the jobs going to Mexico."

Son of a mill worker Edwards' office could not be reached for comment.

[mmonk]

9. lol

[democratreformed]

10. Because it works.....

Go figure.

[mmonk]

11. I've been trying to drive those facts home.

It's politics, pure and simple. It's also what some labor leaders pointed out after the Kerry endorsement.