A John Edwards' Presidency

I don't have alot of time right now to offer up an in-depth analysis of what John Edwards stands for, so I thought I would pass this along to give you a fairly clear idea of some of his top priorities.

Democracy For America is a grassroots organization geared toward increasing Democratic representation in our federal government. They are doing a poll to determine the top Democratic choices for president. The following comments by Edwards are a part of that poll.


Here's what an Edwards presidency would mean for America:

CLEAN ELECTIONS: I'm serious about breaking the stranglehold of big money on our democracy. I'm the only leading candidate who has never accepted a dime from political action committees or federal lobbyists. And I'm the only leading candidate to accept public financing because I'm committed to walking the walk on clean elections starting today.

OUT OF IRAQ: I will end the war in Iraq – period. I believe we should begin withdrawing combat troops immediately and will ensure that we have withdrawn all troops within 10 months—leaving no permanent bases behind. I will end the outsourcing of military operations to unaccountable private contractors. And unlike other candidates, I will never equivocate about a potentially endless military involvement in Iraq.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE: I was the first candidate to release a detailed plan for universal health care, and I'm still the only leading candidate with a plan that truly guarantees care for everyone. My plan preserves choice by requiring the insurance companies to compete with a public plan (which may evolve toward a single-payer approach over time), reduces the cost for everyone, ensures every American is enrolled and prohibits any discrimination based on pre-existing conditions.

SOLVING GLOBAL WARMING: I have the most aggressive plan of any leading candidate. I will lead a revolution in the energy economy to reduce carbon levels by 80% by 2050 and create over 1 million new jobs along the way. My global warming plan got more votes from MoveOn.org members than my two closest competitors combined.

ECONOMIC FAIRNESS: I will lead a national effort to strengthen the middle class and end poverty in 30 years through reforms like raising the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2012, creating 1 million stepping stone jobs, bringing opportunity to rural America, and strengthening workers rights to organize. I am proud to have earned the official endorsement of labor unions representing over 2.2 million current and retired workers—more than any other candidate.

SECURING THE VOTE: Every American deserves an absolute guarantee that their vote is counted as cast. That means every vote count must be verifiable by a hand count, with access for people with disabilities. And it means that unaccountable, partisan corporations must not be allowed to monopolize the voting process.

BLUE STATES FROM COAST TO COAST: Poll after poll has shown I'm the one candidate who can really help turn America blue. I'm committed to helping local Democrats win office from Oklahoma to Maine, and to holding Congress accountable to our progressive vision.