How is Edwards different from Lieberman?

[robbedvoter]

MATTHEWS: OK. I just want to get one thing straight so that we know how you would have been different in president if you had been in office the last four years as president. Would you have gone to Afghanistan?
EDWARDS: I would.
MATTHEWS: Would you have gone to Iraq?
EDWARDS: I would have gone to Iraq.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3131295/

[AP]

1. Why are people trying to divide the left on this ONE issue that has so

little impact on the BIG picture of the economic assault on the middle class that the Bush administration is carrying out on us.

Listen to Edwards. He's going to wage that battle better than any other candidate, and we're asking what's the difference between him and Lieberman on Afghanistan?

Come on!

Spend an afternoon in bankruptcy court or the soup lines and let me know if they're talking about Afghanistan.

[KittyWampus]

2. Well, Going Full Steam Ahead With PNAC Means No Money For Social Programs

or stability in the world at large.

[AP]

4. Perhaps that's why Edwards wants to be prez? To end PNAC?

Hello?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

32. I much prefer Kerry's long answer to the question

though it befuddle Edwards in its complexity.

[HFishbine]

43. Why deal with hypotheticals

Has he said so?

[robbedvoter]

5. Divide the left? Edwards is the left now? Geez, that makes me ..what?

Anti-war nut?
I missed the part where the left got "united" around the OBL=Osama issue
Debate
"Can I just go back a moment ago -- to a question you asked just a moment ago? You asked, I believe, Senator Kerry earlier whether there's an exaggeration of the threat of the war on terrorism.
"It's just hard for me to see how you can say there's an exaggeration when thousands of people lost their lives on September the 11th."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/transcripts/debatetranscript29.html

Glad the left embraced the PATRIOT ACT as well


He not only voted for the Patriot act, but authored it . He is proud enough of that to include this embarrassing exchange in his literature:

Patriot Act is being abused by the Attorney General
Q: The PATRIOT Act is two years old. There has been criticism of John Ashcroft for enforcement of legislation you authored. Shouldn't those who wrote the legislation take responsibility?
EDWARDS: There are provisions, which get no attention, which did good things. The reason we need changes is because it gave too much discretion to an attorney general who does not deserve it. The attorney general told us that he would not abuse his discretion. He has abused his discretion. We know that now.
Source: Democratic Presidential 2004 Primary Debate in Detroit Oct 27, 2003
http://www.issues2000.org/2004/John_Edwards_Civil_Rights.htm

Also, in his Senate press relase he bragged:

http://edwards.senate.gov/press/2001/oct26-pr.html
October 26, 2001

"This will strengthen our nation's ability to prevent future terrorist attacks," said Senator John Edwards, who worked on the legislation as a member of the Judiciary Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
And if you missed TIPS, Edwards will bring it back for you:
 http://www.dissidentvoice.org/Jan04/Ireland0129.htm
And while Edwards, when campaigning, bashes John Ashcroft for assaults on civil liberties, his pamphlet boasts that he'd "create thousands of neighborhood watch groups by 2007," which sounds suspiciously akin to Ashcroft's infamous TIPS program of setting citizen to spy on citizen.
and finally, he thinks that WMD or not, the war in Iraq was somehow justified

I supposed the "left" is also against civil unions, non?
man, was I in the wrong end then!

[AP]

11. a sucker for the Rove strategy?

If you want to know what being a liberal SHOULD BE all about: bankruptcy court and soup lines. You'll find your answers there. Spend some time comparing assets and liabilities in the middle class. See how hard they work and where their money is going.

Follow the money.

[GainesT1958]

27. Neighborhood "Terrorist Watch"?

Sounds like the "Revolutionary Committees" that Fidel Castro had set up in Cuba--to "encourage" citizens to keep tabs on any "Counter-Revolutionary activity" for his government. Gotta love that Alien & Sedition Act mentality. And, BTW, folks, this is STILL a primary campaign, so, the last time I looked, we're free to debate it WITHOUT any damage to "Party Unity"!

Thanks, ROBBED, for raising that one--and, yeah, I guess now somebody wants to make us out to be the "Radical Left". Are you feelin' kinda "radical" today? I must be!:eyes:

B-)

[maxanne]

10. so suddenly the war

and US imperialism means nothing?

[AP]

16. It's a part of a bigger strategy -- the transfer of wealth to the wealthy.

I'd rather have a candidate who's going to stop the transfer of wealth to the wealthy and to get elected talks (as Kennedy did) like they're strong on national security, then have a candidate who promises to end aggression (which Kerry doesn't even do) but who won't change the tax code, or regulate markets fairly, and won't protect the value of labor (eg by pursuing unfair trade policies).


Clinton said he was for the death penalty so that Republicans wouldn't cast Democrats as being soft on crime. During Clinton's eight years I don't think one federal prisoner was executed, and the mood in the country shifted towards being against capital punishment.

Gore and Bush barely talked about cap punishment, but when Bush got elected, they started executing people again.

Get it?

Edwards is no imperialist, just as Clinton wasn't a vengeful, blood-thirty executionist.

[GainesT1958]

21. No but I'll bet they're talking about Iraq...

If one of their relatives is over there right now! :mad:

It was the wrong war, at the wrong time. It's regrettable that we're left with two guys who voted for the I.W.R., but at least John Kerry thinks the way it turned out was immoral.

Somebody needs to ask John Edwards more in-depth questions about Iraq--and if he tries to change the subject, have none of it--insist he answer the question he was asked! He never goes past his same justification--that it was "the right thing to do"--ask him if it was worth the price of over 500 American lives, with no stability for that nation in sight, and hard-line Shi'ites taking over the government next door in Iran. Use his own courtroom tactics against him--PIN HIM on the issue; see how fast he'll lose his temper on that one!

I'm proud to have supported a four-star general who led us in a war where zero American lives were lost, a region was liberated--and one tyrannical dictator fell as a result! :D

B-)

[Leilani]

3. John Edwards is charming!

I have never heard Joe Lieberman described as charming.

[annxburns]

6. He's cuter too ...

... not that that makes any difference to me of course (ahem).

[robbedvoter]

7. They called him "of high integrity" and such

Didn't get him enough Joementum, so they went to the gentile version. And . now Edwards = the left,

[Goldberg]

8. John Edwards is well-liked.

Of course, Iraq may have not been an issue if Edwards were president these last four years. Remember, it was Dubya's main issue when he stepped in as president to attack Iraq...to finish what Daddy had started.

[SangamonTaylor]

12. I thought Dubya's main campaign issue was

"no nation building"

Or wait, was it "uniter not a divider?"

[Goldberg]

14. Whatever...

but either way, Dubya ruined this country. I'm sure Edwards would not have jumped into the war in Iraq without undisputed proof of WMDs.

[robbedvoter]

13. He said he would have started it

MATTHEWS: OK. I just want to get one thing straight so that we know how you would have been different in president if you had been in office the last four years as president. Would you have gone to Afghanistan?
EDWARDS: I would.
MATTHEWS: Would you have gone to Iraq?
EDWARDS: I would have gone to Iraq.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3131295/


http://us.f1.yahoofs.com/groups/g_12071821//Yahoo!+Photo+Album/clark-sm.gif?grvPmNABRt2OA38u

[Goldberg]

15. Where does it say he would have started it?

[Leilani]

19. Remember who is Edward's Foreign Policy

& Security Advisor?

Hugh Shelton, of the infamous Clark smear.

And of course, Shelton agrees with Dubya.

[AP]

22. He prepped Edwards for a debate. He's not on the staff, and he's said

nicer things about Kerry to the press than about Edwards. In fact, I don't think he's uttered Edwards's name to the press once in the last 2 years.

[SangamonTaylor]

9. SON OF A MILL WORKER!

duh.

[robbedvoter]

17. Duh?

Silly me. Now I can follow your leader. Kool aid ingested.

[SangamonTaylor]

25. welcome aboard.

:)

Obviously you wont vote for a candidate because one issue means so much to you. That's fine. It's your vote. I chose my candidates based on a great deal more than a few votes.

[robbedvoter]

38. Not until you take sarcasm pills.

I chose my candidates based on my beliefs. Chances to beat the war preznit matter too.
We tried "the economy" in 2002 - worked great, huh?

[Sandpiper]

18. SON OF A MILL MANAGER

n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

33. oh is that the real truth?

I guess managers are people too. :shrug:

[Sandpiper]

39. The "Son of a Mill Worker" line

Is a rather dishonest attempt to make Edwards' background seem more blue collar.

Nothing wrong with being the son of a mill manager, but don't fudge words to make Father Edwards into any old Joe Punchclock out on the shop floor.

[DaisyUCSB]

20. Edwards has made it clear that he would have internationalized it from the

getgo, and not any other way. He has also been the most vocal of the serious candidates of the war profiteering, even talking about it in commercials.

[robbedvoter]

24. But he would have STARTED IT!!!!

How can you go from Clark to Edwards - beats me.
How about the patriot act?
rationalize that for me.
Then TIPS
Then opposoition to civil unions.
I am too depressed. DU looks spooky these days.
people used to believe in stuff...

[disenfranchised]

29. Who opposes civil unions?

[SangamonTaylor]

31. I'm not sure there would have been a war if it was internationalized

who knows really?

[GreenArrow]

37. yeah, he would have internationalized it, but...

he couldn't let those other countries on the "security council hold us hostage."

[tishaLA]

23. His record on civil rights

is worse. And Edwards doesn't know what DoMA says.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

26. Kerry, Edwards, Lieberman ALL the same on war - Edwards different on

the economy and the class war.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

28. Misleading

I don't think we can take an analysis of what Edwards would have done in one sentence like that. I assume he's saying "I would have gone to war if I had the intelligence that Bush was promoting." But keep in mind, the PNAC disciples in the administration either "stovepiped" bad intelligence through to Bush or simply made shit up. Thus, Edwards would have been working with different, legitimate intelligence, and I don't think he would have gone to war.

[swcl]

30. That's not what Edwards said

He said in the same interview (in Oct 03) that he wasn't basing his decision on any Bush admin intelligence that Iraq had wmd.

MATTHEWS: If you knew last October when you had to cast an aye or nay vote for this war, that we would be unable to find weapons of mass destruction after all these months there, would you still have supported the war?
EDWARDS: It wouldn’t change my views. I said before, I think that the threat here was a unique threat. It was Saddam Hussein, the potential for Saddam getting nuclear weapons, given his history and the fact that he started the war before.
MATTHEWS: Do you feel now that you have evidence in your hands that he was on the verge of getting nuclear weapons?
EDWARDS: No, I wouldn’t go that far.

[newyawker99]

40. Hi swcl!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Crunchy Frog]

34. He's young looking, he's cute,

he's charming and engaging and he's much less qualified for the presidency.

That's all I can really think of right now.

[Cuban_Liberal]

35. Besides having $$$, delegates and a viable campaign?

Gee, let me think on this one... :eyes:

[julialnyc]

36. I like Edwards, but he doesn't have the experience

I like Edwards, but he doesn't have the experience. Edwards is speaking out of inexperience rather than conviction (like Lieberman). This is simply not Edwards year (although I hope to see a more qualified Edwards down the road)

[newyawker99]

41. Hi julialnyc!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[jpgpenn]

42. Lieberman had a lil domestic and foreign policy experience...

Edwards has none but likes to talk as if he has it all! Guess you will never get the trained lawyer outa some folks!

[Forkboy]

44. He doesn't look like his face was dipped in hot wax

[arewethereyet]

45. he's still in the running

and he represents the sentiment of America in what you view as a damning one dimentional view of him.

You are welcome to feel as you do but recognize that you are a minority opinion.