Edwards's one hour inteview on Diane Rehm re Four Trials online now:

[AP]

http://www.wamu.org/ram/2003/r1031125.ram

John Edwards

North Carolina Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate John Edwards discusses why he's running for president.

John Edwards, US Senator (D-NC) and Democratic presidential candidate. Author of "Four Trials" (Simon & Schuster)

It opens with an interview with USA Today reporter, Susan Paige, and she plays up Dean, and plays down Edwards She says Dean won the debate, and does everything right. She's consistently wrong in her opinions, so I'm not surprised.

[AP]

1. at 29:40 talks about how wrong the 2000 election was.

He talks about Florida being a travesty, and about the Supreme Court splitting on purely political lines, and that all the votes weren't counted and, if they were, Democrats would have won.

He was genuinely and palpably angry about what happened.

[AP]

2. at 37:30 he talks about lobbyists being so awful.

Edwards is the ONLY candidate who won't take lobbyist money. It's wrong to have these guys all over the hill trying to pass legislation all day, and then have them throwing parties for you and giving you money at night.

Free broadcast time and public funding of political campaigns are the way to take money out of politics.

[AP]

6. Diane Rehm was a snotty bitch when she asked Edwards this quesiton.

Listen to how she has to fake the tone that says, "well, how the hell do you think you're going to do this?" as if it isn't possible.

Edwards told her how it was possible.

Her tone reminded me of how all those stupid DC insiders treated Clinton like he was some hick from the sticks who didn't understand how DC worked.

[AP]

3. at 40:40 talks about dismantling the social safety net.

From huge surpluses to huge defecits. Don't believe that Bush wants to do help you, but just doesn't have the money. He had the money, and gave it away to the wealthy, and he doesn't want you to provide medicade or any social service.

[AP]

4. at 42:00 talks about tort reform. Difficult question answered brilliantly.

Lawyers abusing the system should be sanctioned, but don't take away the rights of injured single moms and children.

He notes the hypocrisy of Republicans never wanted to touch economic losses, but wanting to cap non economic damages.

He said that's great if you're rich, because rich people have huge economic losses. But a child only has a future. If you cap a child's non-economic losses at 250,000, there's no way that that child is going to be able to take care of themselves for the rest of his or her life.

[AP]

5. at 46:00 talks about why you should vote for him over Dean.

[DemDogs]

7. Thanks for the link

This was great!
He handles every interview brilliantly.
When you listen to him you just know he would take Bush apart -- with a smile on his face the whole time.