Just got off a conference call w/John & Elizabeth Edwards

[Truth2Tell]

I just hung up from a conference call with supporters of the Edwards campaign. Both John and Elizabeth spoke.

Some of my notes:

Elizabeth Edwards introduced John:

"...I felt in 2004 that we left the campaign without leaving a mark... not this time... a lot of the policies on the table are the result of John..."

John Edwards:

"We were just and righteous and correct in what we tried to do for the country..."

Decision not about money, wants to unite the Party, believes McCain has the Rep nom locked up. "My withdrawal was not money driven... had nothing at all to do with money... it was based on my belief that continued battle was not going to serve our country well... when it's a two person race someone emerges quickly... it's very clear to me that McCain is the Republican nominee..."

"...I wish you could understand how hard this is inside of me..."

Poverty will be the issue on which Edwards will continue to push for concessions. "I have not endorsed anyone... I pressed them (Obama and Clinton in conversation in the last few days) on details of what they would do about poverty... we have very detailed commitments from both of them... both of them have given me their word to do certain things if elected, at the convention... "

No endorsement before Tuesday. "I will be meeting with each of them... there is no chance it will happen (any endorsement) before Tuesday, or even after... "

Take a breather and don't make any support decision yet. "I'm counseling you all to keep your powder dry... to take time, take a deep breath, don't be in a hurry (in choosing who to support)..."

"It's impossible to know what tomorrow holds..."

That's what I wrote down and I think it covers the key items discussed.

[Beausoir]

1. Thank you for this. n/t

[Fresh_Start]

2. Ditto, thank you for sharing this NT

nt

[Seabiscuit]

3. Thanks for the update. nt

[Ninga]

He must know we are all dying out here. I will vote for him in the Ohio Primary.

I want all Edwardians to send the fucking corporate media a message.

[Wednesdays]

25. Send them a message??

I want to send the fucking corporate media packing.
:mad:

[femrap]

94. If Ohio doesn't count by then,

I will vote for him. He was the only one I really liked. Now it is a choice between 2 icks.

[Ninga]

4. n/t

[book_worm]

5. Thank you and I think he probably is right about the endorsement issue

if he endorses somebody prior to Super Tuesday it will politicalize his exit.

[global1]

10. And If He Waits Till After Super Tuesday It Won't Be Politicized?......

When would his endorsement make the most impact?

In my mind - it would make the most impact going into Super Tuesday - not after.

[hfojvt]

55. exactly. After Tuesday he will be endorsing the inevitable

before Tuesday he can perhaps make a difference. Perhaps he thinks that he can have a bigger impact as part of the Clinton administration instead of trying to fight the near-inevitable coronation.

[femrap]

95. Why the hell didn't he wait for his

supporters to vote for him on Super Tuesday??? If $$$ is not a problem, what difference does a week make. PEOPLE WANT THEIR VOICE HEARD. I don't want my vote to be between my 2nd and 3rd choice.

Something is going on....a deal of some kind behind the scenes.

[alllyingwhores]

123. Seriously, why in the f__k didn't he stay in until Tuesday...

...was he that certain that he wouldn't make any gains.

What about him claiming that he was staying in until convention? I'm glad I contributed $250. a week ago. Seriously, WTF?

[PerpetuallyDazed]

125. Don't forget about the last debate.

Edwards was HANDS DOWN the winner! Even those in the Corprofascistmedia were giving him kudos. I'm thinking that they didn't want him to show up Clinton/Obama again.

[FlyingSquirrel]

126. I feel your pain.

I don't think he exited the race without seriously considering the fact that he had promised to stay in till the convention. I have a feeling that something may have triggered this decision that he may be unable to talk about right now. Either personal or with regard to his feelings on whether it would serve the greater purpose of our party, or both. As far as the money I've donated goes, I know that any excess funds have to be returned. If I get anything back, I'll donate it to causes I believe Edwards would support.

Sorry I can't give you more than that.

[BearSquirrel2]

175. Maybe he made a VP deal ...

Maybe he made a deal for a VP nomination.

[JDPriestly]

142. I am still voting for Edwards.

He still speaks for me. For me, it was about Edwards' message, not so much about Edwards as a person except to the extent that Edwards' message and his person were one intertwined.

So, I really can't change to another candidate.

Also, I very much object to the way that the American people were manipulated by the media. And don't tell me they weren't. I was out there talking to voters -- many, many voters, and they did not know about Edwards. They did not know he was in the race -- because the news spoke only about Hillary and Obama. Even when Edwards won second place in Iowa, the news focused on Hillary and Obama. The media shut Edwards out. It was deliberate. It was wrong. And I am very angry about that. I will not forget this.

Interestingly, in the early days of the American nation, the media favored the message of Hamilton and his friends -- the idealogical ancestors of the Bushies. Madison and Jefferson tried to set up their own newspaper to counter the overwhelming media support that the Hamiltonian conservatives enjoyed. Madison and Jefferson's newspaper was not a financial success, but, as we all know Jefferson and Madison eventually prevailed in the polls. We need to take courage from their experience. I will post more on this later.

[femrap]

186. I had been waiting decades to hear that

anti-greed corporate message. And of course the media (80% owned by 5 rich white guys) aren't going to give Edwards any coverage. Looking forward to more on Jefferson and Madison. I need a lift.

[Vattel]

187. don't insult one of my heroes

Alexander Hamilton would have despised Bush. Would Bush agree with the following remarks of Hamilton? "While, therefore, the legislature can alone declare war, can alone actually transfer the nation from a state of peace to a state of hostility, it belongs to the 'executive power' to do whatever else the law of nations, cooperating with the treaties of the country, enjoin in the intercourse of the United States with foreign powers. In this distribution of authority, the wisdom of our Constitution is manifested. It is the province and duty of the executive to preserve to the nation the blessings of peace. The legislature alone can interrupt them by placing the nation in a state of war."

[aggiesal]

189. Same here. n/t

[global1]

6. What Is The Strategy Of Not Endorsing Before Next Tuesday?......

We have a debate coming up before Tuesday and Super Tuesday itself. What is the reason to wait after Super Tuesday to endorse a candidate? Is it just to support the person that looks like the proverbial winner? Or is there another deeper reason?

[DJ13]

13. "What Is The Strategy Of Not Endorsing Before Next Tuesday?....."

Im thinking he's going to endorse Obama, but he's holding off his endorsement until the last minute before Feb 5th as a concession to Hillary.

[book_worm]

16. or he may wait until the nominee is more clear.

[K Gardner]

14. I think he's been specifically asked not to.. probably by the same person or

group who asked him to leave the race to "save the party". It ALL bites, big time.

[femrap]

96. That 'save the party' line is pure crap...

a deal was made. Edwards did NOT have the life or death of the Party in his hands.

[alllyingwhores]

124. What party--the DLC? What does that save--NeoCon light?

[maximusveritas]

52. It helps Hillary

Without any direction from Edwards, his voters will split evenly between Obama and Hillary and she'll keep her advantage.

[NastyRiffraff]

7. Thank you!

"...I wish you could understand how hard this is inside of me..."

I think I'm gonna cry, again.

[ecstatic]

8. I was right!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4286156&mesg_id=4289719

[Apollo11]

167. Yes you were!

I think Edwards always wanted to win the nomination. He was not interested in coming in 3rd place.

On the other hand - Republicans still have a real choice going into Super Tuesday (even without Rudy).

Maybe we should all start using your picture on our posts?

[K Gardner]

9. Thank you for posting this. I do feel I was correct in my assessment then

that someone pressured him, or otherwise convinced him to drop out, after last night's coronation of McCain and Hillary's self-promotion in Florida. I do not think it is in anyone's best interest for Edwards not to endorse. His supporters deserve to know how he feels about this race as he is closer than US to it. He's never been one to be quiet or to hold his opinions.. I find it odd that he is doing so now.

[zalinda]

79. No, it makes perfect sense

If he doesn't endorse and people vote for him he can get more delegates. That way he can put more pressure on at the convention. And, he gets to see how the 2 debate without him, and if they will keep their word to him.

zalinda

[NJSecularist]

11. Damn. He needs to endorse somebody before Tuesday

I'm dissapointed.

[emilyg]

77. He's doing the right thing.

[NashVegas]

85. Early Voting Changes Everything re: Endorsements

There are tons of people in my state who've already voted, many more who were waiting for Tuesday.

If he endorsed, he'd basically be making worthless all those who voted for him early.

[Leopolds Ghost]

190. Not sure I follow your logic there. n/t

[Nutmegger]

12. OH god thank you for this.

I'm doing everything I can to not break down into a puddle of tears.

This is the worst feeling in the world.

:cry:

[JSK]

19. Not quite the worst...

I cried this AM as I watched JE's speech. But I cried much harder while watching Al Gore concede to the Supreme Court in 2000.

[VolcanoJen]

47. I cried like a little baby....

... watching John Kerry's concession speech in Boston the day after that crappy 2004 election. :-(

[ClericJohnPreston]

50. I on the other hand

was red-faced with anger. Kerry folded like France.

[femrap]

98. I am so fucking sick of crying....

Sometimes I think we are all caught in some kind of Kabuki theater and none of this means anything...the Corporations run the world and our efforts mean nothing. Go watch 'Network.' That's what I need to do. Who knew that in 1976, I was watching our future?????????

And 10 years prior to that I was reading '1984' in high school...thinking this could never happen here. And VOILA...it has.

Get me off this planet where the Corporations have even forced the destruction of the Amazon...we are doomed.

[bdamomma]

106. oh, I remember how I was in shock was more like it.

the most terrible feeling to confront. Thanks for your conference call, it sheds some light on the situation.

[nonconformist]

164. I curled up in bed and was worthless for days.

It was pretty pathetic.

[gaspee]

15. My wishful thinking

Has he and Gore announcing they're running together.

I know, I know, fantasyland. Once can have dreams though, right? Too bad it's just a dream. Sigh.

[southerncrone]

86. Well, on the clip I heard played on the radio today, he said:

"I'm suspending my candidacy for the President"

In my book, suspended means "put on hold".

What do you translate that to mean? :shrug:

[femrap]

99. It means you are a good witch...

and I wish you were right. It would be cool to see a Gore/Edwards ticket....maybe in my next life. Oh, I forgot....I'm headed for a unisex planet! lol.

[teleharmonium]

118. reason for "suspended" as opposed to "ended"

It's been said that the reason for the "suspended" terminology is a legal one - it allows him to continue to receive Federal matching funds, which the campaign needs for staffer paychecks. The matching funds are behind schedule in being sent out due to a problem with budget allocation of the money, which was an issue dogging both Edwards and McCaint.

[southerncrone]

119. Thanks, teleharmonium, & Welcome to DU!

:hi:

Wow. "A problem with budget allocation of the money". Imagine that in a *co administration (for anything besides WAR). :sarcasm:

But your explanation makes sense.

I was just ahopin'..........:(

[Vadem]

87. OMG, from your mouth to G_d's ears! I was just thinking the ...

same thing when I read that he said to take a deep breath and to keep your powder dry!

I wonder what he meant by that statement? Anybody?

[emmadoggy]

178. Oh, what a wonderful dream.

I have the same fantasy. You are not alone.

:hug:

[Occam Bandage]

17. He said over and again that he was taking it to the convention, too. Interesting, but

I'm not sure we can take this on its face.

[LittleClarkie]

18. Edwards people need to read this

k & r

[Auntie Bush]

20. Gee, thanks for that post! Answers a lot of questions.

Edwards is in a good bargaining position! He'll get his help for the poor yet. And I still think someday he might become president...if he plays his cards right and doesn't burn any bridges and Elizabeth remains in remission....even if she doesn't. Best of luck to the both.

[redqueen]

21. "a lot of the policies on the table are the result of John"

AMEN!

I will always be grateful for that, no matter how many clueless fucktard assholes around here spew rightwing talking points about him.

:bounce:

[Kittycat]

78. One of the big reasons I liked Edwards.

He was willing to keep the spotlight on certain topics, not just add them to a list. It was clear how close it was to his heart to do that. I heard an incredible person on the radio today, talking about how he saw Edwards speaking. After the event, he was doing the customary sign and greet line, when he noticed this elderly woman sitting in a chair. He walked over to her, and she thanked him for all he was doing. He held her face in his hands and she cried, and told her what he was doing was for her. Apparently media and photographers were trying to take pictures, and he waved the off. Incredible moment, and just hearing that story really touched me.

I really hope John has sealed himself a spot in someone's administration to really be able to continue to make an impact on the issues he campaigned so hard for.

[SammyWinstonJack]

Since Edwards was the one who could be McCain, this makes no sense.

:shrug:

[saracat]

22. This really doesn't make any sense , especially since he is the one that polls the best against

McCain. And it doesn't explain why his supporters don't even get a note and why Trippi started a funraising effort!

[Truth2Tell]

23. I agree

Yesterday the campaign here in Washington got word that John was going to try a WA State visit between the 5th and our caucuses on the 9th. Late last night people here were scrambling and coordinating with top campaign people in Chapel Hill about locations, events, airports, etc... clearly top ops people in the campaign had no idea this was coming as recently as 7PM last night.

[saracat]

39. We in AZ were also making arrangements for a venue before the 5th!

I just spoke to them yesterday! They said he was "in" till the convention.We just orderd $1000 worth of signs!

[SammyWinstonJack]

24. I just posted that. It makes no sense.

[KoKo]

28. The suddeness is what bothers me about it, too.

Something just doesn't make sense unless he got pressured personally and his staff wasn't aware of it.
I would think the Kennedy endorsement and the Caroline Kennedy ad had to hurt...and since Kennedy is close to Kerry he must have dealt with him in the past. I wonder if the Kennedy's would urge him to drop out...maybe using influence because they had helped Kerry select Edwards to run with Kerry? :shrug:

[Gloria]

82. OR--maybe his savvy wife saw the terrain and decided she wanted him HOME

safe and sound to enjoy family life for however long they have the chance! Seeing her husband being ignored by the media hurt her...she referred to "tearing her hair out" over the treatment they got....and seeing Tweety Matthews patronizing her awhile back...I don't know how she kept her cool. The stress on her may have just reached the point where it had to stop....

[FlyingSquirrel]

131. I am absolutely certain that was not the reason.

Elizabeth Edwards could have made that decision long ago. She made the decision she made and I'm sure that she and John made the decision to end the campaign jointly as well, and for reasons they felt were right. (And I'm somewhat bothered by the use of the word "savvy")

[N4457S]

100. Actually...

...it makes all the sense in the world. The big boys want McCain because he'll continue the war.

[bdamomma]

109. that could be a factor.

[INdemo]

180. Campaign debt

I think the last fund raising effort was to pay off or at least help pay off the campaign debt and probably boost their matching federal funding.
They probably made their decision to drop out right after the SC primary.
If this is the case than it was unfair to supporters.With this tactic John Edwards becomes just another politician..
With McCain... well his sudden surge didnt happen by accident (Corporate $$$$)Corporate Republicans saw him as their only chance of keeping this contest close..Close enough that another election theft wont look so obvious..

[Babel_17]

26. Regarding endorsements

Once you give one your ability to sway the candidates any further is essentially gone. Both Hillary and Obama want JE's endorsement, yes.

By not giving it to either he can influence both to better heed his campaign's message.

[mirrera]

71. Bingo! He doesn't want lip service from them...

I think he wants to hear something specific from one of them. He and Dennis have forced a more populist/progressive conversation. I think he wants to hear policy around something specific.

I agree with Randi rhodes that a brokered convention would have been an awesome civic lesson. But as we all know the Biggest fight is with the extreme right wing who have taken over the GOP and our government.

[SammyWinstonJack]

72. ...

:thumbsup:

[Phillycat]

27. Thanks for sharing this. nt

[EFerrari]

29. Thank you for posting this!

:hi:

[pat_k]

30. He could leave a FAR bigger mark by. . .

. . . http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2008/1/30/133618/211">getting back in the race as a champion for Impeachment !!

[KoKo]

53. It sounds wonderful...but NO WAY Clinton/Obama are gonna rock th' boats

even thinking about that. "We have to look to the future and not the past" is the Mantra of both.

[CorpGovActivist]

31. THANK YOU!

That was very generous of you.

:hug:

:cry:

- Dave

[liberalla]

"It's impossible to know what tomorrow holds..."

Very true - especially yesterday.

[Yael]

37. Man, isn't THAT the truth.

Just wow.

[2rth2pwr]

32. He didn't say that he was threatened or pressured in any way? nt

[Truth2Tell]

34. No.

But there were quite a lot of people on the call and I can't imagine he'd say such a thing in that setting even if it were true.

[smalll]

76. I read/heard somewhere that John was visited last night by

the CEOs of GE, ExxonMobil, Halliburton and Google, accompanied by a vampire, a little green man, Queen Elizabeth, G.H.W. Bush (representing Skull and Bones) and of course Oprah.

THEY told him to get out. You can't say no to that lot!

[troubleinwinter]

40. Huh? What's up with the bullshit?

[Truth2Tell]

42. Which bullshit?

Edit to add: Ahh, got it. I just saw some of that poster's trolling in another thread. I shouldn't feed them. My bad.

[rucky]

33. Here's how I read this:

Hold off on supporting a candidate, in hopes it will pull the candidates closer to addressing the same issues Edwards addressed in his campaign.

I hope it works.

[Yael]

35. Thank you for posting this. Strategic move on his part

not to endorse -- this way he can keep them where he wants them. ON HIS TERMS not theirs.

Oh man, I feel like I am going to start crying again. I have been weeping all day. Not for John and Elizabeth, but for the message that will now be lost into the wind. While he was still in the debates, at least he had a chance to stand up for us. Now we have nothing.

[KoKo]

51. And, think about the Gore, Kucinich supporters who then went to Edwards....

Some of us are now with our "Three Strikes." :-( Our Party...gives us Three Strikes.... Our Democratic Party that we supported...and worked for...some of us becoming Activists after the 2000 Selection. Some of us who started with defending Clintons against the RW Media who were reading Salon Mag. and Eric Alterman about our Media Whores way before all this.

We are feeling very low.......How many years we devoted out our lives...our money, many couldn't afford but gave, anyway...the "Meetups for Dean" the Rallies for Kucinich...the ABB for Kerry/Edwards...the Midterms.....Getting involved in our State Parties (who didn't want us rabble rousers but we made our voices known) and NOW elections are decided for a second time in the first Month?

How can a Party Survive if it doesn't listen to it's people but "front loads" and allows the MSM to decide what it does? The Repugs at least listen to their base...

[Yael]

66. They are blowing off the people who are willing to put boots on the ground for them

I just don't get it.

WE are the activists and WE are the ones who are disposable to them.

The math just isn't there.

[troubleinwinter]

160. I haven't seen anyone being 'blown off'.

I haven't seen anyone regarded as 'disposable'.

[InvisibleTouch]

133. Yeah, I'm one of those.

At first I was hoping against hope for Gore, then when it became obvious despite all the wishful thinking around here that he was not running (and said so, many times, but we hear what we want to hear), I was looking forward to voting for Kucinich. After he dropped out, I switched to Edwards, who always ran a very close second (or third, depending on how you count). Now within the space of about a week, my two candidates have dropped out. I was a Deaniac in '04. Quite a track record, hm?

[desertflamingo]

140. i'm right with you, invisible...

i'm starting to think i'm from a different planet. ugh. i'm so down. but why?!?! why couldn't he wait until the 5th? what the hell? i feel so disenfranchised as an american. and as a californian, my vote NEVER counts. in the primaries everything's always decided by the time i get to vote. in the general, before i even vote, the election has been decided. it's bullshit and i'm over it. i always get stuck with other state's decisions, which if i may add - SUCK.

EDWARDS whenever

[JDPriestly]

143. How right you are.

I'm gaining more sympathy for those who voted for Nader every minute. I feel so angry and frustrated. Why did the Democratic candidates and the party allow the media to control, moderate and sponsor the Democratic debates? It's ridiculous. The media is extremely right-wing, but it has selected the two candidates from which we get to "choose." Well, this is not my choice. And it is not the choice of my neighbors either. The Hillary/Obama "contest" is no test at all and it was just pushed on us by the Republican media.

Wait till November. You'll see. It will be President McCain, and there is not a thing we can do about it. The press has already decided that one too. The Obama and Hillary supporters are about to get a lesson in politics that they will rue. John Edwards was the only candidate who had been there and done that. He warned that this will be a fight. His warning was based on his experience in 2004. Hillary and Obama think they know better. Just wait. They have no idea what is coming at them. That is one of the reasons I worked so hard for Edwards.

[troubleinwinter]

36. .

[troubleinwinter]

38. ...don't make any support decision yet. "I'm counseling ... keep your powder dry... take time..."

"Take a breather and don't make any support decision yet. "I'm counseling you all to keep your powder dry... to take time, take a deep breath, don't be in a hurry (in choosing who to support)..."

"It's impossible to know what tomorrow holds..."

[Madam Mossfern]

41. Just what does that mean?

Also, did he say that he was 'ending' his campaign or 'suspending' his campaign. I was a work all day and only heard a little sound byte in the car on the way home. I could have sworn that he said that he was suspending his campaign.

I am NOT a happy puppy today. ;(

[Truth2Tell]

44. He was pretty clear that the campaign is over.

I didn't hear anything that sounded like a door cracked open at all.

[troubleinwinter]

58. Sorry for you, the campaign is SUSPENDED, not ended. You can keep trying, though.

He keeps his deligates. Sorry. Keep posting on all the threads.

[Truth2Tell]

69. So you are suggesting that he is still in the race?

I don't get your point? :shrug:

And I haven't posted in any other threads on this, so WTF are you talking about?

[troubleinwinter]

156. He has suspended the campaign. He has not withdrawn his candidacy.

[Tarc]

176. You didn't heed a single thing in the original post, did you?

Edwards does not see the benefit or wisdom in prolonging this as a three-way race.

As that say in internet-parlance: LERN2LETGO

[Tarc]

177. duplicate

...

[FlyingSquirrel]

127. "Suspended" is a technical term which allows him to continue paying his staff.

eom

[troubleinwinter]

152. Edwards has not withdrawn his candidacy.

[Vadem]

92. He said "I am suspending" my campaign! ..... n/t

[FlyingSquirrel]

128. It allows him to continue paying his staff. I'm sorry...

I know the first part of the grieving process is denial.

[troubleinwinter]

157. Yes. That is exactly what he said.

[mirrera]

74. What does that mean? My caucus is coming up! How long?

[troubleinwinter]

158. The candidate has suspended the campaign, but has not withdrawn his candidacy.

[2Design]

135. kind of like - don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes - strategic moves n/t

[troubleinwinter]

159. I don't think I have met you,

but I think I like you.

[JDPriestly]

144. Depends on the context in which it was said.

[troubleinwinter]

154. He said exactly, "I am suspending my campaign". Here it is in context:

Thank you all very much. We’re very proud to be back here.

During the spring of 2006, I had the extraordinary experience of bringing 700 college kids here to New Orleans to work. These are kids who gave up their spring break to come to New Orleans to work, to rehabilitate houses, because of their commitment as Americans, because they believed in what was possible, and because they cared about their country.

I began my presidential campaign here to remind the country that we, as citizens and as a government, have a moral responsibility to each other, and what we do together matters. We must do better, if we want to live up to the great promise of this country that we all love so much.

It is appropriate that I come here today. It’s time for me to step aside so that history can blaze its path. We do not know who will take the final steps to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but what we do know is that our Democratic Party will make history. We will be strong, we will be unified, and with our convictions and a little backbone we will take back the White House in November and we’ll create hope and opportunity for this country.

This journey of ours began right here in New Orleans. It was a December morning in the Lower Ninth Ward when people went to work, not just me, but lots of others went to work with shovels and hammers to help restore a house that had been destroyed by the storm.

We joined together in a city that had been abandoned by our government and had been forgotten, but not by us. We knew that they still mourned the dead, that they were still stunned by the destruction, and that they wondered when all those cement steps in all those vacant lots would once again lead to a door, to a home, and to a dream.

We came here to the Lower Ninth Ward to rebuild. And we’re going to rebuild today and work today, and we will continue to come back. We will never forget the heartache and we’ll always be here to bring them hope, so that someday, one day, the trumpets will sound in Musicians’ Village, where we are today, play loud across Lake Ponchartrain, so that working people can come marching in and those steps once again can lead to a family living out the dream in America.

We sat with poultry workers in Mississippi, janitors in Florida, nurses in California.

We listened as child after child told us about their worry about whether we would preserve the planet.

We listened to worker after worker say “the economy is tearing my family apart.”

We walked the streets of Cleveland, where house after house was in foreclosure.

And we said, “We’re better than this. And economic justice in America is our cause.”

And we spent a day, a summer day, in Wise, Virginia, with a man named James Lowe, who told us the story of having been born with a cleft palate. He had no health care coverage. His family couldn’t afford to fix it. And finally some good Samaritan came along and paid for his cleft palate to be fixed, which allowed him to speak for the first time. But they did it when he was 50 years old. His amazing story, though, gave this campaign voice: universal health care for every man, woman and child in America. That is our cause.

And we do this — we do this for each other in America. We don’t turn away from a neighbor in their time of need. Because every one of us knows that what — but for the grace of God, there goes us. The American people have never stopped doing this, even when their government walked away, and walked away it has from hardworking people, and, yes, from the poor, those who live in poverty in this country.

For decades, we stopped focusing on those struggles. They didn’t register in political polls, they didn’t get us votes and so we stopped talking about it. I don’t know how it started. I don’t know when our party began to turn away from the cause of working people, from the fathers who were working three jobs literally just to pay the rent, mothers sending their kids to bed wrapped up in their clothes and in coats because they couldn’t afford to pay for heat.

We know that our brothers and sisters have been bullied into believing that they can’t organize and can’t put a union in the workplace. Well, in this campaign, we didn’t turn our heads. We looked them square in the eye and we said, “We see you, we hear you, and we are with you. And we will never forget you.” And I have a feeling that if the leaders of our great Democratic Party continue to hear the voices of working people, a proud progressive will occupy the White House.

Now, I’ve spoken to both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama. They have both pledged to me and more importantly through me to America, that they will make ending poverty central to their campaign for the presidency.

And more importantly, they have pledged to me that as President of the United States they will make ending poverty and economic inequality central to their Presidency. This is the cause of my life and I now have their commitment to engage in this cause.

And I want to say to everyone here, on the way here today, we passed under a bridge that carried the interstate where 100 to 200 homeless Americans sleep every night. And we stopped, we got out, we went in and spoke to them.

There was a minister there who comes every morning and feeds the homeless out of her own pocket. She said she has no money left in her bank account, she struggles to be able to do it, but she knows it’s the moral, just and right thing to do. And I spoke to some of the people who were there and as I was leaving, one woman said to me, “You won’t forget us, will you? Promise me you won’t forget us.” Well, I say to her and I say to all of those who are struggling in this country, we will never forget you. We will fight for you. We will stand up for you.

But I want to say this — I want to say this because it’s important. With all of the injustice that we’ve seen, I can say this, America’s hour of transformation is upon us. It may be hard to believe when we have bullets flying in Baghdad and it may be hard to believe when it costs $58 to fill your car up with gas. It may be hard to believe when your school doesn’t have the right books for your kids. It’s hard to speak out for change when you feel like your voice is not being heard.

But I do hear it. We hear it. This Democratic Party hears you. We hear you, once again. And we will lift you up with our dream of what’s possible.

One America, one America that works for everybody.

One America where struggling towns and factories come back to life because we finally transformed our economy by ending our dependence on oil.

One America where the men who work the late shift and the women who get up at dawn to drive a two-hour commute and the young person who closes the store to save for college. They will be honored for that work.

One America where no child will go to bed hungry because we will finally end the moral shame of 37 million people living in poverty.

One America where every single man, woman and child in this country has health care.

One America with one public school system that works for all of our children.

One America that finally brings this war in Iraq to an end. And brings our service members home with the hero’s welcome that they have earned and that they deserve.

Today, I am suspending my campaign for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency.

But I want to say this to everyone: with Elizabeth, with my family, with my friends, with all of you and all of your support, this son of a millworker’s gonna be just fine. Our job now is to make certain that America will be fine.

And I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard — all those who have volunteered, my dedicated campaign staff who have worked absolutely tirelessly in this campaign.

And I want to say a personal word to those I’ve seen literally in the last few days — those I saw in Oklahoma yesterday, in Missouri, last night in Minnesota — who came to me and said don’t forget us. Speak for us. We need your voice. I want you to know that you almost changed my mind, because I hear your voice, I feel you, and your cause it our cause. Your country needs you — every single one of you.

All of you who have been involved in this campaign and this movement for change and this cause, we need you. It is in our hour of need that your country needs you. Don’t turn away, because we have not just a city of New Orleans to rebuild. We have an American house to rebuild.

This work goes on. It goes on right here in Musicians’ Village. There are homes to build here, and in neighborhoods all along the Gulf. The work goes on for the students in crumbling schools just yearning for a chance to get ahead. It goes on for day care workers, for steel workers risking their lives in cities all across this country. And the work goes on for two hundred thousand men and women who wore the uniform of the United States of America, proud veterans, who go to sleep every night under bridges, or in shelters, or on grates, just as the people we saw on the way here today. Their cause is our cause.

Their struggle is our struggle. Their dreams are our dreams.

Do not turn away from these great struggles before us. Do not give up on the causes that we have fought for. Do not walk away from what’s possible, because it’s time for all of us, all of us together, to make the two Americas one.

Thank you. God bless you, and let’s go to work. Thank you all very much.

[Blue_In_AK]

43. Thank you.

That just reinforces what I'm thinking. I'm not supporting anyone right now. A lot can happen between now and the convention.

[Reader Rabbit]

45. Any indication of why the decision happened so suddenly?

All indications seemed to be that the campaign was going to go forward, at least until Super Tuesday. Why the abruptness of the decision?

[Truth2Tell]

46. No.

But the fact that he's had detailed conversations with both Obama and Clinton suggested to me that this has been in the works for more than just a day or two. I think it wasn't sudden to the inner circle, just to the rest of us. But I really don't know.

[KoKo]

48. Could they have pressured him so much....offering something?

Something he might not have wanted but they told him it was for the "good of the party?" I don't buy into them offering him the Attorney General Job..btw. Too many others are vying for that one in the Obama and Clinton Camps. :shrug:

[troubleinwinter]

60. Hahaha!

"detailed conversations". Got a link? Another load of shit from you. No shit you "don't know", but you'll keep posting crap all over.

[Truth2Tell]

70. I think you have me confused with someone else.

I haven't posted anything anywhere. Get your accusations straight friend.

[judaspriestess]

49. thank you for posting

[Faux pas]

54. Thanks for the news. I still feel like

:cry: though.

[ulysses]

56. appreciate this post.

Thanks.

[Raine]

57. Thanks...

this shows what a great person he is to be so unselfish that he put his party and country before his own desire.

Unfortunately he is the one that is needed the most. :-(

[Tatiana]

59. Thank you so much for sharing this information.

Looks like it was a really tough decision for John to make. I LOVE Elizabeth's fighting spirit!

[Flabbergasted]

61. So he's withdrawn to prevent the primaries from going to a brokered convention...

in order to save the party from a nasty fight and probable damage to our chances of winning the GE.

In a sense it's wise; deserved or undeserved, he would probably be blamed for the fighting in the convention and, if we lose, for that as well.

[flyarm]

107. he has not withdrawn..he has suspended his campaign..he did not withdraw. eom

[orleans]

112. what is the diff? suspend/withdraw--is he going to get back in after

super tuesday?

[flyarm]

120. here is the difference,,

and if..say Obama is indicted in the Rezko case..do remember the Chicago Trib did a caveat in their endorsment of Obama...perhaps John would or could jump right back in at the convention!!


http://www.slate.com/id/1004841/

explainer: Answers to your questions about the news.
Do Delegates Have Free Will?
Ted Rose
Posted Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at 3:02 PM ET
Last Thursday, Bill Bradley withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Republican John McCain announced that he was "suspending" his campaign. Bradley said he would not release his delegates to the Democratic nominating convention. Similarly, news reports suggested that McCain used the term "suspending"--as opposed to "withdrawing"--in order to retain control of the delegates he has won so far. How do the candidates keep control of their delegates?

The two national parties set the rules for the selection and responsibilities of their delegates. (All states have their own laws regarding delegates, but in recent decades the U.S. Supreme Court has struck them down, ruling that the parties can set the policies.) Democrats dictate their policy from the top down: All delegates are pledged, but not bound, to reflect the conscience of the candidate they were chosen to represent. The Republican Party, on the other hand, relies heavily on its organization in each state to set the rules regarding its delegates. A handful of state parties give delegates complete autonomy to vote at the convention for whomever they chose. Others require that the delegates vote for their candidate until the candidate releases them from that obligation.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

snip:


Bill Bradley may say he is retaining his delegates, but in the Democratic Party an official withdrawal severely weakens a candidate's power at the convention. Since he has withdrawn, Bradley will not be able to appoint supporters to the all-important convention committees, which determine the rules and the platform for the convention.

In addition, he will lose a significant number of the delegates already placed in his column by news organizations. In the Democratic primary process, one group of delegates from every state--the at-large delegates--is officially allocated late in the primary season. If a candidate drops out of the race, party rules dictate that his at-large delegates are to be distributed among the remaining candidates. In New York, for example, MSNBC News reported that Bradley earned 87 delegates. At the convention, this number will drop to roughly 70.

As a result, Democratic candidates, unlike their Republican counterparts, have a real incentive to "suspend" their campaigns, as opposed to ending them. In recent history, a number of Democrats have chosen to suspend their presidential candidacies, including Al Gore in 1988. By contrast, only one other Republican in recent memory has chosen to suspend a campaign that made it into the primaries: John McCain's new nemesis Pat Robertson, in 1988.

[orleans]

162. interesting--thanks for that post about the difference between

suspending and dropping out.

[Common Sense Party]

62. He should endorse Gravel.

Seriously.

[bigwillq]

63. Thanks for that info.

:hi:

[dajoki]

64. Thank You n/t

[sellitman]

65. Did you get the impression that...

he was holding out his support for a position as VP? Did you get the impression he would be offered it?

[Truth2Tell]

73. Nothing about VP

- just about pressing his ideas on poverty, but like I've said, there were lots of people on the call and I think he was sticking to the script. It certainly doesn't mean it's not a consideration. That could also explain waiting til after Tuesday.. :shrug:

[laylah]

67. I respect all they both said; however,

I want to know what kept him from going on to Super Tuesday as he promised? Please! I want to know the reasoning.

[orleans]

115. same here. what good is someone's word when they say one thing

and turn around the next day and do the opposite?

i'm very bothered by this.

he SAID he would be in it for the long haul. that didn't mean overfuckingnight.

"Chideya: If you don't perform well in South Carolina, will you drop out of the race? What do you plan to do after South Carolina's primary, if you don't come in at least second?

"Edwards: I'm in this for the long haul, and the causes that I've engaged in — speaking for the people who don't have a voice, speaking for the uninsured, for people who live in poverty, for our veterans, for the men and women serving in Iraq — those are the causes of my life. And they're not going away. I'm in it for the long haul.

from "Edwards Says He's 'In It for the Long Haul"
--january 25, 2008

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18418858

[mirrera]

68. Thanks!

[lisainmilo]

75. Thank you for sharing this but....

I have either been crying or on the verge of crying all day. I was a child when the Kennedy assasination took place. I have seen news clips only, but I think I feel like people felt on that horrible day. I am very very sad, I am grateful I don't have to work today, I don't think I could have!

[Gloria]

80. I hope he endorses NO ONE....I'm going to VOTE MY VOICE on

Tuesday for JE in NM!!!

I hope he remains unsullied and spearheads an organization to keep up "the struggle" because if he endorses one of the corporate duo, he wrecks that, IMOP.

[benny05]

88. Absolutely

I'm voting for him in IL on the 5th!!

[wildflowergardener]

81. Suspending campaign

Just FYI, I either read or heard somewhere today that He had to suspend his campaign in order to get the public financing matching funds - it was something like that - that was the term he needed to use rather that dropping out in order to get the funds. I'm afraid I'm not sure where I read it.

Meg

[Gloria]

84. That would be interesting....

[flyarm]

163. not so..he would get the money regardless..it is delegates he would lose..

so obviously he wants to keep his delegates!..all of them!

fly a 2004 dem delegate

please read full article..............


http://www.slate.com/id/1004841/

explainer: Answers to your questions about the news.
Do Delegates Have Free Will?
Ted Rose
Posted Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at 3:02 PM ET
Last Thursday, Bill Bradley withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Republican John McCain announced that he was "suspending" his campaign. Bradley said he would not release his delegates to the Democratic nominating convention. Similarly, news reports suggested that McCain used the term "suspending"--as opposed to "withdrawing"--in order to retain control of the delegates he has won so far. How do the candidates keep control of their delegates?

The two national parties set the rules for the selection and responsibilities of their delegates. (All states have their own laws regarding delegates, but in recent decades the U.S. Supreme Court has struck them down, ruling that the parties can set the policies.) Democrats dictate their policy from the top down: All delegates are pledged, but not bound, to reflect the conscience of the candidate they were chosen to represent. The Republican Party, on the other hand, relies heavily on its organization in each state to set the rules regarding its delegates. A handful of state parties give delegates complete autonomy to vote at the convention for whomever they chose. Others require that the delegates vote for their candidate until the candidate releases them from that obligation.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Bill Bradley may say he is retaining his delegates, but in the Democratic Party an official withdrawal severely weakens a candidate's power at the convention. Since he has withdrawn, Bradley will not be able to appoint supporters to the all-important convention committees, which determine the rules and the platform for the convention.In addition, he will lose a significant number of the delegates already placed in his column by news organizations. In the Democratic primary process, one group of delegates from every state--the at-large delegates--is officially allocated late in the primary season. If a candidate drops out of the race, party rules dictate that his at-large delegates are to be distributed among the remaining candidates. In New York, for example, MSNBC News reported that Bradley earned 87 delegates. At the convention, this number will drop to roughly 70.

As a result, Democratic candidates, unlike their Republican counterparts, have a real incentive to "suspend" their campaigns, as opposed to ending them. In recent history, a number of Democrats have chosen to suspend their presidential candidacies, including Al Gore in 1988. By contrast, only one other Republican in recent memory has chosen to suspend a campaign that made it into the primaries: John McCain's new nemesis Pat Robertson, in 1988.

News reports have also suggested that McCain may have suspended his campaign in order to remain eligible for additional federal matching funds. In order to receive funds for an active candidacy, however, McCain would have to continue campaigning in at least one state. Later this month, the Federal Election Commission is likely to rule that McCain's announcement last Thursday was a de facto withdrawal. Accordingly, he will be eligible for the same funds that are available to Bradley and any other major candidate who withdraws: money to help retire his campaign's debt and close his campaign's offices.

[ChiciB1]

83. Thanks For The Post... And If You Hear From Him Again... PLEASE

tell him how much we HURT, and how much we LOVE them all!

[Maven]

89. Kick

[Two Americas]

90. define "country" John

You say that it is your "belief that continued battle was not going to serve our country well."

What do you mean by "country?" Define that word for us again. Which of the two Americas was not being served well by the continued battle?

[femrap]

91. I just don't understand why he didn't wait 7

fucking days until after Super Tuesday and let his supporters vote for him. I don't understand....I thought that was what a Primary was for....there is something else going on behind the scenes...some kind of deal.

If it wasn't money, then wait 7 days.

[pnwmom]

93. There are a lot of people who will be voting on Tuesday. It's too bad

Edwards won't make an endorsement before then.

[Kajsa]

102. I agree,

it's less than a week away.

[martymar64]

97. Unfortunately . . .

Hillbama will ignore the issues in less than a week. I'm through with America. It's a shame I can't renounce my citizenship and move to another country, since I was born here (shit!!!). Australia is looking better every day.

[sueh]

101. Thanks so much for your report...

:hi:

[7horses]

103. No... something stinks!!!

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...something is not right!!! Why did they ask for money just yesterday? Why did they buy ads in 10 Super Tuesday states? Why tell us to wait and not rush to one of the other candidates? Why suspend his candidacy? Why say two days ago that he was in until the convention? Why? Why? Why? Something is not right!

Oh, and my early vote for John... was that a waste?

I don't get it, John, I just don't get it!!!

[FlyingSquirrel]

132. Something definitely does not seem right.

I don't want to speculate at this time. But if I WERE to speculate...

I'd say it's something very personal.

[earth mom]

136. I agree with you. Something is not right about this. It does NOT make any sense.

:tinfoilhat:

[pleah]

172. This is just my humble opinion. I think he was pressured to step aside

because the party does not want him to run against their choices ( a woman and a black man). Edwards said ",but what we do know is that our Democratic Party will make history." Don't get me wrong, I'm all for either a woman or a person of any color for president. Watching him give that speech, I noticed his heart was not in it.

[kerstin]

104. This was my feeling. That he was doing it both for the good of the party

and the good of the country.

(Of course the best thing would have been for him to win.)

[libodem]

105. another thing

for me to be bitter and angry over. Everything is manipulated by money, personal ambition, and the mainstream media. God, save our Democracy!

[martymar64]

108. Now he'll disappear for 5 or 6 years like Gore did after 2000

Now that he's not running, the media can ignore him just like they do Chomsky, Zinn and others that speak the truth.
I'm sorry to be the turd in the punchbowl, but the more I think about this, the more I feel he's abandoned us. Hillary and Obama can just humor him for a week and then go back to business as usual. I actually believed his rhetoric and now I just feel like a chump for believing in him. At least with Hillary and Obama, I know their line is bullshit. My faith in our party has been shattered and I'll never trust another democrat again.
Is it possible for a native born American to renounce their citizenship? This place is no longer my country.

[FlyingSquirrel]

129. No. He won't disappear.

I just have a feeling about this one. John Edwards is for real, and we haven't heard the end of him.

[JDPriestly]

149. No. I am in touch with a number of Edwards supporters.

We are asking Edwards to continue to sponsor One Corps and the action on poverty and community involvement that One Corps organizes. One Corps members do not just assist in Edwards' campaigns. That is not the idea of it. It is more focused on community involvement especially with regard to poverty than normal campaigns. Many Edwards supporters are drawn to him by his commitments to equality, justice, eliminating poverty and safeguarding the rights, especially economic rights, of the middle class. So our support of Edwards will not end with his primary campaign.

We Edwards supporters are in this for the long haul. A lot of his supporters were backing him in 2004.

Edwards has the wisdom to know that life continues. The issues he has dedicated his life to are still there, unresolved. And his supporters are loyal to him because of his stands on those issues. This has never been a campaign based just on charisma or charm (although Edwards has both) or empty promises. This is not about winning or losing although Edwards had the best chance of all Democratic candidates of winning in November. We Edwards supporters are intensely patriotic. And our support of Edwards is motivated by our love of our country and our conviction that he would be the best president for our country. We are not going away.

[bdamomma]

110. kick and rec.

[diane in sf]

111. Take a breather and don't make any support decision yet.

"I'm counseling you all to keep your powder dry... to take time, take a deep breath, don't be in a hurry (in choosing who to support)..."

This is very curious...

[bdamomma]

114. yes it is, keep your powder dry, .....

something is going on, and thanks again for the information.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

116. I don't find that curious, just rational...

He's clearly not endorsing one or the other (yet, if ever), and is just telling us to be cool.

I don't read anything else into that, such as him riding back into the race on a white horse (with Al Gore, no less!).

He's just saying to make a rational decision, not a rushed one. Now for those of us voting in just a handful of days, that's tough. I'm still voting for John in California.

[troubleinwinter]

161. "Time is yet young"

[frylock]

113. Take a breather and don't make any support decision yet.

i wish he would have told me before i voted for him and dropped my fucking absentee in the mail on monday.

[Penndems]

117. Thank you for posting this heartwarming message from the Edwardses

It helps to lift this cloud of sadness I've felt since the news broke this afternoon.

[bagrman]

121. If poverty is to be an issue, there will be plenty to work with after the election.

[never_get_over_it]

122. Sorry

John Edwards is a LIAR and no better than any of them - he told us he would stay in - if I had known yesterday that he would do this today I would have voted for the one candidate that I know I can believe and that is Dennis Kucinich

Sorry John I was worried I couldn't believe you - and you proved me right to worry.

Makes NO FUCKING SENSE to get out today - maybe next Wednesday - but this is COMPLETE BULL SHIT -

[FlyingSquirrel]

130. Snap out of it, man.

It'll make sense soon enough. There's more to this story than meets the eye. The abruptness of his decision shows that if nothing else.

Don't call him a liar, I know you don't mean it.

What he did, he did for good reason and at the best possible time. You have to believe that.

[eridani]

134. But why? He said he was going all the way, regardless

What convinced him that a two-way race was actually a good thing? I was SO hoping for a brokered convention. We can unify after Denver--why do we have to do it now?

I really, really hope this isn't about Elizabeth taking a turn for the worse.

[never_get_over_it]

138. I just said the exact same thing in another post

this abrupt departure only 6 days before super Tuesday MAKES NO SENSE..if its not money what possible difference would 6 days make - it would make so much more sense for him to have done this after a poor showing in 22 races - but man there really have only been a handful of primaries - not that I think he was going to have some big miracle next week...

If God forbid Elizabeth has taken a turn for the worse 6 DAYS WOULD BE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT

oh Jesus I hope to God my fears are SO SO SO WRONG I love that woman....

[aquart]

147. My prayers with yours.

That was the first thing I worried about.

[bigbrother05]

137. It's impossible to know what tomorrow holds

[MagickMuffin]

139. Party Unity?.?.?.?.? With Obama's and Clinton's behavior

:rofl:

If anyone is causing a division in the party it's the frontrunners doings. NOT JOHN'S.


TO John: Don't endorse either one of them. Gov. Richardson isn't endorsing anyone yet, so why should you.



I do believe I will STILL vote for Edwards in my primary, just to send a message and warning "they can't silence me or take away MY vote." I believe in John's message and he will receive my vote to show my support for John and the Progressive movement.

[JDPriestly]

141. I am voting for Edwards on February 5 as a protest against the dominance

of our election by the media.

[aquart]

145. Thank you, I'm emailing it to my Luddite sister.

Or, rather, her geek husband who will print it out for her.

[KitchenWitch]

146. Thank you for posting this here.

:yourock:

[Liberty Belle]

148. What about labor, John? Who speaks for workers now?

Or all the rest of us who are tired of being screwed by the corporations.

Why couldn't you stay in until the convention, or at least until after Super Tuesday?

[avaistheone1]

155. No one really speaks for workers now.

:scared:

[Liberty Belle]

184. Certainly not Hilary, who sat on Wal-Mart's board and never spoke up against union-bashing

tactics by the world's biggest corporation headquartered in her home state.

[TomClash]

170. Maybe workers should learn to speak for themselves

. . . and stop waiting for godot to save them.

[Spiffarino]

150. I decided Obama would be my second choice

...a very long time ago. Hillary Clinton has always been my dead last choice, right after Gravel. "Mike Gravel" sounds like a Flintstones character. That was good enough.

[Swagman]

151. what a really decent bloke he is

[Desertrose]

153. I think in the GE it'll be Hillary/Edwards vs McCain

just my gut.

[nonconformist]

165. Thanks for this. And I'm glad he's not endorsing.. don't endorse anyone, John! nt

[jor_mama]

166. I think this is the biggest part of your notes from that conversation ...

Poverty will be the issue on which Edwards will continue to push for concessions

...to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me...
Jesus
Mt xxv:40

[Hekate]

168. Thanks so much for passing this along..... nt

[pjt7]

169. Don't take you eye off the ball

Tuesday, is very important in determining the future of our country. Positive change can happen & hopefully John will be a large part of it.

Take a day or two or three & think things over & then decide who you want to join up with & influence.

[Hekate]

185. Barack Obama, without question. I got a yard sign yesterday, will vote next Tuesday.

I wanted the ticket to be Edwards-Obama this year, but since that is not to be...

I ran into an older gent at the gym yesterday who told me that the Obama HQ had just opened up in Santa Barbara a week ago, so I took two friends and went on over. The air of excitement is palpable.

Hekate

[liberal N proud]

171. Thanks

[BearSquirrel2]

173. Will endorse for VP nomination ...

My guess is that Edwards will endorse the candidate that offers him the VP nomination. If both offers, he'll sit on the fence to see who will win, then he will endorse.

I cannot remotely see either remaining candidate nominating the other for the VP slot. Things are likely to get a little nasty before this thing is settled.

[FATCATs]

174. Yes Thanks for the post

And thank you John for remembering the forgotten:patriot:

The last true progressive leaves the race with his head held high and his powder dry.

[DB1]

179. He has put his poverty agenda over his ego and the nominee choice.

This tells me he is more about getting things done than which candidate is nominated. If he supported one and they were not nominated it could hurt his efforts for the poor and middle class. I think he made the right choice to wait to support. And no, I don't think he has cut any deal that benefits him personally.

[Name removed]

181. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[thetaoofterri]

182. Thanks for sharing this,

but it doesn't make it any less painful.

I hope he's made a VP or Attorney General deal. If either is the case, that's where I will cast my vote.

[PATRICK]

183. I bet AG won't even come up

since you would have an immediate dilemma about going after the crooks versus the approach of the president. I don't think Edwards or anyone would want to be in that position of not being in harmony with the executive on a critical policy. Something more related to poverty and NOLA reconstruction perhaps. Would that be Interior? I think it obvious that the Veep position is pretty much determined on how much conflict the winner carries into the Convention.

[aggiesal]

188. He should have stayed in thru Super Tuesday, ...

The more delegates he receives in this process, the
louder his voice is at the convention. His agenda,
will not even be addressed, so none of his policies
will be included in the Democratic Platform after
the convention.

Right now, both candidates will ignore his message, and
switch back to their own. Watch & listen, to what happens
at the debate tonight!

[CorpGovActivist]

191. KICK

[kelligesq]

192. Thanks Truth2Tell - what sticks with me is

that he said he may not even endorse anyone on Feb 6 or after

and to wait