December 23, 2007

Did you know that John Edwards convinced the Senate Democrats to vote for war?

Some blame George W. Bush or Hillary Clinton for the Iraqi War Powers Resolution.  That is a lot like blaming the Dodgers when the Yankees lose their pennant.  Neither George W. Bush nor Hillary Clinton were on the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2002.  Bush wasn't even in the Senate and his party held a minority in the Senate.  In order for the Senate to vote for war, they needed a Democrat from the Senate Intelligence Committee to convince the Democratic majority that Saddam Hussein was a threat.  This was something members of the Senate Intelligence Committee couldn't honestly do.  Though according to Dick Durbin they were confined to secrecy, they learned in that committee that Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction and was not a threat.  Dick Durbin apologized for not being able to reveal the truth to the other Democrats.  Durbin had the integrity to use his knowledge to vote against war.  What made the matter worse was that John Edwards, who was on the Senate Intelligence Committee, lied to the Senate Democrats and made the case for war.  It must have been hard for Durbin to sit back and keep silent as his fellow Intelligence Committee member knowingly falsified the information to fellow Democrats to convince them war was the only option.

"I believe that Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime represents a clear threat to the United States, to our allies, to our interests around the world, and to the values of freedom and democracy we hold dear.
...
"What's more, the terrorist threat against America is all too clear. Thousands of terrorist operatives around the world would pay anything to get their hands on Saddam's arsenal, and there is every possibility that he could turn his weapons over to these terrorists. No one can doubt that if the terrorists of September 11th had had weapons of mass destruction, they would have used them. On September 12, 2002, we can hardly ignore the terrorist threat, and the serious danger that Saddam would allow his arsenal to be used in aid of terror."  John Edwards, September 12, 2002

Now, that Johnny's words have been proven to be lies, he says he was wrong.  He blames Bush for misleading him.  When a football player tackles his teammate instead of the other team's guy, he doesn't blame the captain of the other team.  Dick Durbin's apology, which included the fact that the Senate Intelligence Committee learned there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, establishes Johnny as a liar who is now trying to blame someone else for leading him into lying.   How many times are John Edwards' friends going to believe Johnny's lies before they stop being co-dependents?   Can you trust anyone who pretends Johnny is anti-war?

Some say that he's changed.  If that is the case, why has he pushed for war with Iran, Syria and Palestine in 2007?

"At the top of these threats is Iran. Iran threatens the security of Israel and the entire world. Let me be clear: Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons.  ...
...
"Iran must know that the world won't back down. The recent UN resolution ordering Iran to halt the enrichment of uranium was not enough... To ensure that Iran never gets nuclear weapons, we need to keep ALL options on the table, Let me reiterate-ALL options must remain on the table.
 
"...Hezbollah is an instrument of the Iranian government, and Iranian rockets allowed Hezbollah to attack and wage war against Israel.

"... Syria needs to be held accountable. Syria has recently called for peace talks with Israel. Talk is cheap. ...

In his supporters dreams, John Edwards is for peace.  To the rest of America, he's just a warmongering liar.

Did you know that Edwards was one of the strongest advocates of the Patriot Act?

"Mr. EDWARDS. Mr. President, I rise in support of S. 1510, the Uniting and Strengthening America Act. 
"...
"... it is a good bill, it is important for the Nation, and I am pleased to support it.
US Senate, October 11, 2001, pages S10589-S10590.

Did you know that when John Edwards was a big proponent of Homeland Security?
This from a release from John Edwards titled  "SENATOR EDWARDS PROPOSES HOMELAND INTELLIGENCE AGENCY"

Did you know that John Edwards has the worst environmental record of any Democratic Presidential candidate in this century? 

In the 108th Congress (2003-2004), John Edwards had a 32% rating from the League of Conservation Voters.  In, his last year in the Senate, Edwards had a 17% rating, a low even for Republicans.  In the 108th Congress, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Christopher Dodd and Dennis Kucinich all had ratings above 87%.  Next to Edwards, Dodd's rating was the lowest at 88%.  Neither Bill Richardson nor Mike Gravel has been in Congress in more than ten years, and the LCV doesn't rate local or state leaders.  Barack Obama  wasn't in Congress until 2005.   In the 109th Congress, Dennis Kucinich has the top score with 100% with the other scores among Presidential candidate members of Congress filtering down to 89%.  John Edwards left Congress at the end of 2004 with the 32% LCV rating.

Much of the problem was that Edwards didn't care enough about the environment to show up to vote on a number of bills that could seriously harm the environment.  His failure to do his job and show up to vote may have been a good thing in view of his pro-nuclear position when he was on the record.  An example of an anti-environmental vote was Roll Call 208 on S14, the Senate Energy bill, where John Edwards voted against the Boxer Amendment to hold fuel companies liable for damage caused by their additives. Other examples involve his strong support for Yucca Mountain when he had a chance to vote on the issue. See above.

Does Edwards LCV rating that is low for a Republican say anything about how his supporters feel regarding the environment?  Is it ignorance on their part?


Did you know that Edwards plans to give your health care money to the insurance companies while leaving you uncovered?

A good name for the Edwards health care plan is bait and switch.  His health care plan leaves managed care in charge of whether those who can afford insurance are covered or denied.  This seems like more of  the disaster America saw in Sicko.  So why does Edwards use the name "universal health care" for his insurance company welfare plan?  Edwards will only get away with calling it that name because his supporters help him mislead the American people.  Will the people fall for the Edwards deception?

Did you know that Edwards makes money from mortgage foreclosers?

Johnny worked for and still is paid big bucks by subprime lender Fortress who is foreclosing on homeowner after homeowner.  When asked about the situation, Johnny gave an excuse that would get him an "F" in a debate.  He said he was there to learn about finance.  Johnny's 48-page campaign-finance disclosure for 2006 reveals substantial investments in limited partnerships, subprime-mortgage lenders and an offshore hedge fund.

Did you know that Edwards represents the rich America and considers middle class American folks to be "slummy?"

Edwards has heavily profited from stock in Apple, BP PLC , Burlington Resources, Medtronic, Schlumberger , the chief rival to Halliburton where Vice President Dick Cheney was once CEO, and Wal*mart.

As noted above, Edwards was recently employed by Fortress.  When you think of Fortress, you think of offshore funds that can't be regulated, gambling interests, subprime lending,  pharmaceuticals,  insurance, biotechnology, oil, gas, cigarettes, beer,  and war profiteering.

Edwards investments have paid off.  While Katrina victims lost their homes through subprime mortgage foreclosure, Edwards made millions.

Johnny doesn't have to worry as he has more than enough money to buy a $30 million dollar, 28,200 square foot mansion on 102 acres, complete with a full recreation center, a basketball court, a squash court, a swimming pool, two stages and a four-story tower.  It is the highest priced mansion in his county.  This is Johnny's idea of a spending priority.

At least now, he doesn't have to worry about being expected to speak to his "slummy" middle class neighbors, who can't afford to live in Edwards-style.  In answer to the verbal put down of his lack of funding to make his place look as palatial as that of the Johnny, former neighbor Monty Johnson said, "I have to budget.  I have to live within my means.  I don't have millions of dollars to fix the place."  Johnson noted the inconsistency of Johnny's image, "I thought he was supposed to be for the poor people. But does he ever socialize with any poor people? He doesn't speak to me."  Johnny drove off Johnson, who commented, "I don't want to live somewhere where someone's always complaining about me."   If you look at the picture, Johnny's estate is currently surrounded by trees.

Did you know that Edwards makes money off poor people?

Want to hear Edwards talk about poverty?  The cost is $55,000.  The ticket money the struggling UCDavis students had to pay  to see Johnny speak about poverty would have come in handy in helping them buy school books..  Somebody, give the starving homeless some money so they can hear Edwards speak. 

Want a quick buck while preparing to run for President?  John Edwards came up with a great money-making approach.  He started a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting poverty.  The poverty he seemed to be fighting was that of his Presidential campaign.  The nonprofit staffers are now working on Edwards' presidential campaign.  The nonprofit raised money and was able to pay for a national speaking tour for Edwards and for consultants now working on the Edwards campaign.  Of course, it had to close it's doors.  Why help the poor when you can use their poverty to increase your odds of becoming President?  A good analogy would be a high school football team that raises money for orphans but finds that it doesn't have money for the orphans after paying for team expenses.

 Edwards knows how to avoid paying Medicare taxes so that some old needy person doesn't get his money.  In 1995, he set up a professional corporation to shelter at least $10 million in legal earnings from having to pay Medicare taxes on them, saving himself some $290,000.

Did you know that Edwards was the son of a mill manager?

Johnny leaves his father's status as mill manager out of his stories.  Informed journalists laugh and say, "There he's going again," when he repeats the "son of a mill worker" line.  It seems his father got into upper management by spying on his co-workers.  The term used for workers, like Johnny's father, who did that was time-study man   After being promoted to management, Johnny's father went on to found his own business.

Did you know that, for John Edwards, $400 is a lowcost haircut?

Edwards also pays for the airfare for his haircuts.  His Beverly Hills hairstylist Joseph Torrenueva has spoken of Edwards paying $1250 to fly to Torrenueva Atalanta to and cut Edwards' hair.

Did you see the video of John Edwards stabbing a close friend in the back?

Since 2004, the close friendship between John Edwards and Dennis Kucinich has been a matter of common knowledge.  The two made a pre-caucus agreement to share their Iowa delegates in 2004.  Kucinich has always spoken kindly of his friend Edwards.  Kucinich must have been stunned when the news media caught Edwards on video discussing a private deal to limit public information by cutting Kucinich and others out of the debates.  If his friends can't trust Edwards, who can?

Did you know that John Edwards used his wife's cancer to promote his campaign while cheating on her?

This is something most of America knows.  Those who sent sympathy emails to Elizabeth Edwards were put on the campaign email list for John Edwards.  Those who sent cards are receiving letters from the campaign?  You did not have to express support for the campaign or a desire to be on the campaign supporter list.  If you expressed sympathy for Mrs. Edwards, you were automatically placed there.  The donations to the campaign surged when the doctors discovered the new cancer.  Elizabeth Edwards' cancer meant big bucks and lists of sympathizers for John.

John's wife helped him at every turn.  She did not let her personal tragedy stop her from being a great wife and asset to his campaign.   He played the nice guy while she came off as his attack dog. 

The National Enquirer has accurately broken a number of scandals, including the Garry Hart - Donna Rice Scandal and the Bill Clinton - Gennifer Flowers Scandal and the Bill Clinton - Monica Lewinsky Scandal.  Hillary Clinton was not sick and she was a powerful woman and an excellent attorney in her own right. 

An objective person reading the details from all the information available on the Internet about the John Edwards - Rielle Hunter Scandal  would get the impression that the story in the National Enquirer is true and that John Edwards is the father.  Rielle Hunter denied the relationship before she was even named.  There are phone calls and emails between Rielle Hunter and the National Enquirer source to the effect that Edwards is the father, that Andrew Young is just a friend and that Edwards is the one being protected.  Both Andrew Young and Reille Hunter have been caught lying to reporters about irrelevancies, such as their own names.

All old and new accounts are to the effect that Rielle Hunter met John Edwards in a bar about 18 months ago and while his wife had cancer.  The accounts establish that she received $110,000 for filming home movie quality short videos of Edwards and that these were removed from the Internet after rumors of a relationship between Edwards and some woman were leaked. The videos appear to be of a quality worth less than $1000. 

Edwards' former financial chairman Andrew Young, Young's wife and Young's children do not seem to be affected by the situation.  Ms. Hunter has moved from New York to a gated community containing million dollar homes near Edwards's campaign.  She is using a limousine provided by a member of the Edwards campaign and the house she is living in is owned by an Edwards supporter. 

Edwards' wife has received a 28,200 acre home at a time when the purchase of such an estate could hurt the image of the campaign.  According to an interview done with Mrs. Edwards the house is something she wanted.  To the average outsider, it appears Mrs. Edwards and Ms. Hunter got payoffs.  Mrs. Young seems to be acting as the wife of an Edwards' employee. This all tends to substantiate the basic allegations in the National Enquirer article on John Edwards and Rielle Hunter.

A candidate who cheated on his devoted, dying wife with a girl he met in a bar is something that cannot be sold to the public between now and the general election.  After Iowa and California, but before the general election,  Rielle Hunter's baby will be born.  Is the news media that will cover the general election owned by Democats or Republicans?

Bill Clinton is much more sympathetic than John Edwards.  His wife was a healthy, powerful corporate attorney when Bill ran for office.  She was powerful enough in her own right to be elected a U.S. Senator before leaving her position as First Lady.  Hillary comes across to the public as more her own person than as the devoted wife.  She and Bill come down on the opposite side of national issues and she does not appear to rely on him for personal or financial support.  The similarities and differences between that situation and the Edwards scandal all work against Edwards and all put Edwards in a dislikable light.  Bill Clinton never had a child with another woman.

Did you know that the news coverage towards Democratic nominees is much worse after the primaries?

The best con that John Edwards has pulled off on his supporters is convincing them that he is electable.  He might win the support of uninformed voters who regularly regret the nomination choices.  Are his supporters responsible voters or is their work putting the nation on the track towards another major loss that will dwarf George McGovern's 1972 defeat.

Note:  If you received this article though an email or other source that doesn't copy the links, return to the original to see sources for the information.  There was so much backup material for each issue in the article that the links had to be limited to a fraction of those available to verify each of the points above.

Copyright ©2007 by Steven L. and NextPresidentofUSA.com