More Edwards Remarks from Yesterday.

America is not better when people are working and not being able to make it, to paraphrase Edwards. We can change the war on poverty. People should earn a decent living wage, we ought to reform and strengthen laws to unionize the workplace. If you join the Republican Party by signing a card, you should be able to do the same thing with a union. He has been in the trenches working with unions, calling employers, walking picket lines, and so forth in order to lift families out of poverty. We aren't saving anything in this country. We have a negative savings rate. If people were educated on saving money, if we had a program that would help people save money, and combine that with a national predatory lending law, this would go a long way in helping the poor. Edwards said we need to make it easier, not harder, to go to college. He mentioned his "College for Everyone" program, which he and Elizabeth started in North Carolina and said it was successful, with about 70 percent of students being eligible for college. Health care, access to college, a decent wage, ability to save, affordable housing, all of these are important for a One America.

Why is Edwards running for president? He said he wants other people to have the same chance he had. He had nothing, and now he has everything and wants others to have the same opportunity. Then he hammered critics who say how he can be talking about helping the poor when he is so rich (you know, like the mainstream media are attacking him for in an attempt to get him out of the way to pave the way for yet more Republican rule). "I don't claim to be poor. Does that mean I can't speak out for people who don't have a voice...I am going to tell you, every time you do that you are going to be attacked...it's always true in American history, because people who have wealth and power, they do not want to hear this, they want this message to be squelched, and so they try to kill the messenger, in this case it's me. I will say this directly: They are not going to kill this voice as long as I'm alive and breathing..."

He talked about a couple more issues. On Iraq, "we've got to end this war." He voted for the war and said he was wrong. It's important for the president of the U.S. to admit when he's wrong and be open and honest to the American people. What do we do now? Congress has a mandate to end this war. Talked about the timetable for withdrawal. When our dictator vetoed it, Congress should have submitted another bill and resubmitted it until it passed. If we're going to restore America as a moral leader again, we have to do two things. One we have to reverse all the damage that's been done. Second, we have to do some affirmative things to show America's humanity. With regard to the negative, if the war is still going on, he will end it, if Guantanamo is still open, he will close it. He will make it clear to the U.S. and the world that we will not condone torture. Last but not least we will put an end to the illegal spying on the American people.

Now let's talk about something positive, what America can do good. America cannot stand by and watch genocide in Darfur. We need to be leading on HIV AIDS, teaching people in the Third World on prevention of HIV AIDs. We should make education a reality to millions in Africa and the developing world. He has been involved in some humanitarian efforts around the world, we have a responsibility. The world can look up to us again.

America must lead on the issue of global warming. America must demonstrate leadership on this crisis of climate. Cap carbon emissions, national investment in biofuels, solar, wind, and other alternate forms of energy. No more nuclear power plants, no more Yucca Mountain. We should be building efficient vehicles. Edwards talked about the "domino effect" this would have on the economy, including the creation of a million "green collar jobs." We have to force change and it will have influence on the Europeans, the Chinese, and even the Middle East (which is "hooked on a drug called oil"). Edwards also mentioned about "global poverty" and it's connection to the oil issue.

In closing Edwards admitted he's and optimist and said there is nothing this country can't do. "All we need is a little backbone, a little courage."

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