Insinuation and hyperbole seem to be part and parcel of today's campaigning. But to suggest, as the New York Times recently did, that John Edwards' work on poverty is anything less than honorable is just plain wrong. Worse than that, it's insulting to the workers around the country he's lent his tireless support to over the years.
Ask them what they think of Edwards' work on poverty, and they will tell you about the difference it's made in their lives. When 450 poverty-wage janitors went on a two-month strike in Miami for a better life for their families, Edwards didn't hesitate to offer his support. When Edwards was asked to join the hotel workers campaign, he rolled up his sleeves and made those workers' struggles his own. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, he traveled to Louisiana not for a photo op, but to do real work for those affected. And he held a summit on the failed response to which I and other national leaders were invited to devise ways to ensure the mistakes of the federal government were never repeated.
I've known the Senator for years, and I know he has a deep commitment to creating a new American Dream for working people in this country. It's a commitment that comes from growing up in a family that faced and overcame economic hardships, and gave him the strong values and work ethic that he now uses to advocate for others. In his work with my union and others, he has seen firsthand the importance of a union in ensuring that parents are able to give their children a better life. And he's worked to make the middle class dream of owning a home and sending your kids to college a reality again because he's seen that dream slipping away for too many people.
To call into question the motivation of a person who has done so much to advance the cause of workers is unwarranted and unjust. Voters have a right to reject or support a candidate based on the facts. My union, SEIU, hasn't endorsed a candidate yet because we feel strongly that it's still early and our members need time to evaluate where the candidates stand. But voters can't make an informed opinion when reporters focus their efforts on trying to raise controversy where there is none.
If voters want to know where the Senator stands when it comes to lifting up workers in this country, they don't have far to look. His record speaks for itself.