Former governor (Barnes) who changed flag endorses John Edwards

[JI7]

"ATLANTA (AP) - A Southern governor who confronted Confederate symbols and was later booted from office gave his endorsement to North Carolina Sen. John Edwards Monday and condemned the rebel flag flap ignited by presidential rival Howard Dean as "almost unforgivable."
Roy Barnes, defeated for re-election in 2002, a year after all-but-eliminating the rebel X from the state flag, said Edwards understands the South is "not a bunch of folks who go around waving Confederate flags" and called him "by far the best qualified and competent candidate for president."
For his part, Edwards called Barnes "a man of strength and character who stood up for what he believed in even when it was hard, even when it was an enormous political risk to him."

Barnes was awarded a Profile in Courage award by the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum earlier this year.

They appeared together at a get-acquainted meeting for Edwards and potential contributors. The Democratic presidential candidate said he will remain in the public campaign financing system, which Dean has eschewed.

"I think it is a matter of principle," Edwards said. "I think the integrity of the system matters.""

http://newsobserver.com/nc24hour/ncnews/story/3015125p-2758528c.html

i think this is a really good endorsement for edwards. i admire governor barnes very much.

[0rganism]

1. Isn't an endorsement from a recent ex-gov sort of like...

...having your grown kids move back in with you?

[JI7]

2. depends on who it is

governor barnes loss was a surprise. he was expected to win. but he lost for doing something positive. and that's why his endorsement is special.

[AP]

14. He might have lost because of Diebold.

[billbuckhead]

4. Roy was a good Governor and he fought the good fight.

He was highly rated by the NRA but it didn't help. It's possible Barnes won, but was cheated by Diebold BBV. HO HO using the Confederate flag as a marketing tool has to be appalling to Roy who risked all getting rid of that damn flag.

[ShaneGR]

3. Gees, the south is so friggin diverse... kind of like the Dem Party

How can we overcome all of this stuff (I believe Dean is right in his own way, and Edwards is also right in his own way), and beat that fascist bastard in the White House?

[Leftist78]

5. I admire Barnes

He must have known that changing that flag would jeopardize his chances at reelection, but he did it anyway just because it was the right thing to do. That kind of courage to stand by your convictions is rare today.

Ever since the Dean comment, Edwards has been looking better and better to me

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. You don't have to always agree with what Gov. Barnes did...

such as appointing Zell Miller(Dixiecrat) to the senate. But he did some good things for Georgia in terms of Enviromental Protection and Improving Public Education. Most of all, he paid a deep price when he took on the Confederate Flag. He was right to do so and I say bless him. If he had won re-election he would have been considered Presidential Material, and unfortunatly that will not happen.

Race and Cultural differences are still too real in our nation and it is sad to see it be this way

:dem:

[Skwmom]

7. Didn't this endorsement take place back in April?

http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/0403/24gaprimary.html

[chimpymustgo]

8. But that was before Edwards officially announced...(LOL)

Get those endorsements early and often! Barnes is a good one to have.

[chaska]

9. Edwards is not a serious contender.

I wish Clark and Dean would go ahead and promise him a job. Get him out of there, already.

[JI7]

10. edwards has a chance

i think edwards has a good chance of winning. why do you say he isn't a serious contender ?

[drfemoe]

11. He supports the patriot act

eom

[Bombtrack]

12. every serious candidate supports it, only Edwards has a plan to solve

the major problems it presents, permanantly.

"I think the problem with the Patriot Act is not the law itself, it's the way it's being administered, particularly the way it's being administered by the attorney general of the United States, General Ashcroft," Edwards said. "It is why I have proposed taking away from the FBI the responsibility of fighting terrorism here in this country and simultaneously setting up an independent watchdog group, Office of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights."

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/05/04/dems.debate/

[AP]

16. EDWARDS: "I support dramatic revision of the Patriot Act"-Meet the Whores

RUSSERT: Do you regret your vote for the Patriot Act?
SEN. EDWARDS: No, I think there are provisions in the Patriot Act which never get any attention, Tim, that were very good provisions: for example, provisions to deal with some of the information-sharing deficiencies that existed before September 11, provisions that, in fact, bring the law up to date with technology, that allow us to deal in an effective way with some of the money laundering that’s gone on.
But I do believe there are provisions in the Patriot Act that can be changed. I can give you a couple of examples. For example, we are now allowing what is called sneak-and-peek searches without notice to the person who’s being searched, in my view, without adequate due process safeguards in place. The same thing is true—and I mentioned this in the statement you just showed—about the ability to go into libraries and bookstores without—and, again, in my judgment—adequate procedural safeguards in place. But if I could just for a moment step back from the Patriot Act, I think this issue’s a lot bigger than that. I think, for example, the administration’s pursuing a policy on what they call enemy combatants that allows them to arrest an American citizen on American soil, put them in prison, keep them there indefinitely. They never see a lawyer, never see a judge, or even get a chance to prove that they’re innocent. You know, to me, this violates absolutely everything we believe in as a nation. So I think there are provisions in ‘the Patriot Act that need to be changed. There are provisions that need to stay in place. And I think there are other policies of this administration that run completely contrary to our civil liberties.

[Bombtrack]

13. Edwards and Clark on on pretty equal grounds

Clark has won like 1 SC poll and Edwards has won every other recent one by like 10 points

They're also about even for 3rd in NH(if you consider all recent polls)

and unlike Clark, Edwards still has a chance to get a decent showing in Iowa

Edwards is also beating Clark in Oklahoma

[Scott Lee]

15. I've put in my call for Edwards as AG in a Dean administration

And I hope he gets it.

[AP]

17. Edwards might be too anti-big business for Dean's taste

Or, at least, he wouldn't have fit into Governor Dean's VT administration.

Perhaps President Dean will be a different man.

[chimpymustgo]

18. Dean would make a good Surgeon Gen. for President Edwards.

Yes, indeed.

[AP]

19. Just keep him away from Treasury, tax/budget and equal rights policy...