Edwards: It's not 'life, liberty and the pursuit of endless corporate profits'

[JohnLocke]

Edwards Offers Middle-Class Pitch
By Mike Glover--Associated Press
Sunday, December 16, 2007
----
AMES, Iowa (AP) — Democrat John Edwards sharpened his populist appeal to working families on Sunday, blaming corporate greed and political calculation for the economic and other problems affecting the middle class.

Edwards, on the seventh day of an eight-day bus tour of the state, spelled out the components of what he calls his "middle class rising agenda," including tax breaks for working families, tougher trade policies and investment in alternative energy. He has outlined much of that agenda before, but on Sunday he lumped the proposals together in a single package and combined it with some of the sharpest rhetoric of the campaign to date.

"Corporate greed and political calculation have taken over our government and sold out the middle class," Edwards said. "That is wrong. It doesn't say 'life, liberty and the pursuit of endless corporate profits' in the Declaration of Independence."

Edwards said he would fight for the middle class against special and entrenched interests in Washington.

"We have a fight in front of us, we have a fight for the future of this country," he said. "We need someone who is going to step into that arena on your behalf, someone who is ready for that fight, somebody who has got it inside, somebody who has the toughness and strength and fight.

"Brothers and sisters, I was born for this fight," he told the more than 500 people jammed into a high school gym to hear him.
(...)
"I hear all these candidates talking about how we're going to bring about the big, bold change that America needs," Edwards said Sunday. "And I hear some people saying that they think we can sit down at a table with drug companies, oil companies and insurance companies, negotiate with them and they will voluntarily give their power away. This is a fantasy."

Edwards also is making the case that he's best positioned to win the White House in November, pointing to polls that show him ahead of all the leading Republican presidential contenders.

"I was the only Democrat who beat every Republican in head-to-head matchups," Edwards said, telling backers to use that argument with wavering voters. "Make sure they know that the data is powerful, that I'm a winner. Say it that way."

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hoAvkYTooNMqpzn8fF_3B76ko8eAD8TIP3200

[Democrats_win]

1. Right message. The corporations won't give an inch without being forced.

The American people were convinced to give up everything so they wouldn't lose their jobs. Guess what? They lost their jobs, benefits, pensions and insurance anyway. Anyone think the corporations will fall for that? No way, they invented it.

Can we convince the corporations to give back some of the power they had so that the middle class will survive? So that the consumer can survive? There is no way we can convince them to swallow that pile of garbage, the same garbage they fed the middle class. They're too smart. They know that all that counts is the bottom line and the government's willingness to allow them to do business without regulation. If this doens't end, the middle class will be nothing but a inaccessible dream.

[Triana]

7. Darn right they won't. And the ONE person with the fortitude, will, passion, ...

...and experience to force them, is JRE.

[provis99]

2. well, it was "life, liberty, and property"

before Jefferson took a happy pill and turned property into "pursuit of happiness". Maybe the rotten corporations are simply living up to the original natural rights of America.

[Quixote1818]

3. He speaks directly to my soul with language like that. nt

[Caseman]

4. I still think Biden is less corporate-owned than Edwards...

But Edwards would be my close second :)

[jgraz]

5. The Senator from MBNA?

:rofl:

[Czolgosz]

9. That's CRAZY! Biden has a higher percent of campaign contributions from lobbyists than even Hillary

Plus, have you read about Biden's horrible votes to throw the middle class under the bus in favor of credit card companies?

Biden is my LAST choice, just ahead of Ron Paul.

[Caseman]

14. I don't have the link...

...but I know that's not true. There was just a poll from a couple days ago showing that Biden was one of the lowest at receiving fundings (can't use search engine cause I'm not a darn donner). But even without the graphs, show me the money. Why doesn't Biden have several T.V. ads running across the different states (except the one he just only started in Iowa last week)? Your statement just doesn't make sense and I hope you have the facts to prove it (not the Bankruptcy Bill which we all hear about every time there is a Biden thread, but the so called lobbyist contributions).

[Triana]

6. THERE HE GOES AGAIN...Speaking for me!!

Love it... K & R!!

[NMMNG]

8. To some, though, $$$=happiness

:-(

[JohnLocke]

10. Kick

[noamnety]

11. How does that square with

having 16 million bucks invested in a hedge fund that functioned as an offshore tax haven?

"life, liberty and the pursuit of endless corporate profits"

[Nutmegger]

12. Damn that "harsh anti-corporate rhetoric".

:eyes:

[mzmolly]

13. Nor is it "We The Corporations" ...

Go John!

[Ninga]

15. We may be on to something very special with Edwards. I send my positive thoughts and

prayers to him as he hammers away executing his plan from behind the pack.

:patriot: