He's Ready to Rumble (John Edwards criticizes senate dems on Iraq war)

[Herman Munster]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16960415/site/newsweek/

Feb. 12, 2007 issue - John Edwards played defensive back in high school, and waiting offstage to speak, he looked eager to get onto the field and hit someone. That is what he did (rhetorically) in the first scrimmage of the 2008 presidential campaign last Friday. Speaking to the Democratic National Committee after Sen. Barack Obama and before Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, he accused Senate Democrats (that is, Obama and Clinton) of caving in to President Bush's Iraq escalation policy. Democrats had to use all their "vigor and tools and strength" to block the surge and begin a withdrawal. "Americans are counting on us not to be weak, political and careful," he said. "It's time for political courage."

Isn't it a little early to start calling your opponents cowards, even if you don't do it by name? Not this time: nasty is in season already. One reason is the insane money scramble, which literally raises the stakes. And with such a demographically diverse field, chances for emotional collisions abound. When Sen. Joe Biden called Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy," Hillary's minions didn't focus on Biden; they focused on Obama, who was accused by some black leaders of not being indignant enough on behalf of his own racial heritage.

But the real flash point is Iraq. Hillary's idea of threatening to pull support for the Iraqi government would produce "nothing but disaster," Biden told The New York Observer. He was equally critical of Edwards's plan to call home 40,000 troops now.

Senators are bumping into each other as they move left. Sen. Chris Dodd says Democrats should stage a new "authorizing" vote on the war itself. "The original justifications are gone—discredited," he told me. Obama unveiled his own Iraq plan, which sets a March 31, 2008, deadline for removing all American troops unless the Iraqi government meets tough conditions.

[illinoisprogressive]

1. Easy to run at the mouth when you are unemployed. Especially for one who was

a coward and voted for the war.
Amazing what being unemployed for 2 years does to your memory....

[mike_c]

2. Edwards co-sponsored the IWR....

I like hearing his current criticism of the senate dems who've been wishy-washy about their condemnation of the war against Iraq-- his past errors don't exonerate them by any means. But his past errors don't make me very willing to support HIS candidacy, either.

[ShaneGR]

4. Except he's not unemployed, lol

He's the director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law.

[FrenchieCat]

6. He quit that job....to run for President.....and it was part-time anyways....

http://www.law.unc.edu/centers/details.aspx?ID=425&Q=3

But he did find time for 17 trips to Iowa! :shrug:

[k_jerome]

7. dog pile!! nt.

[k_jerome]

8. just for my clarification...

was your candidate somehow attacked here? and, is coward name calling?

[FrenchieCat]

9. Actually, congressional Democrats were attacked here......

see Op.

[k_jerome]

11. wow, you seem to speak for everyone...

most impressive.

[Connie_Corleone]

3. Tough talk for someone who doesn't have to vote in the senate anymore.

In 2004, he was still gung ho for the war even after WMD were not found. He still thought it was a good idea to go to war.

I know he said he regrets his vote now, but it's hard to ignore his statements during the debates last time around.

[mdmc]

5. Show them how courageous you were, Senator

:kick::eyes:

[ima_sinnic]

10. "a little early to call your opponents cowards"?

-- hey, it's never too early for that! Edwards, Clinton, Kerry, and the rest of the IWR-endorsers were COWARDS when they approved this war to begin with, six years ago.