Why I'm Supporting John Edwards

As the presidential primary elections approach I look at the current state of affairs of our nation. We have millions of people who are without jobs, without enough to eat, without health care, and without hope. We are engaged in an endless war in Iraq that has cost us over $500 billion dollars (so far) while our own people are in need of basic life necessities. Americans struggle day-to-day just to make ends meet and our environment is rapidly deteriorating. All while George W. Bush goes about his business and pretends that everything is fine.

For the last seven years we experienced nothing but unnecessary war and tax breaks for the richest Americans. A rich man's war and a poor man's fight -- a classic example of the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer. It is just wrong.

The people who are responsible for this detriment upon our nation have done so by hiding behind our flag, our troops, and Christianity.

While at the very same time they defy all that is American, betray our troops, and break every law of Christianity.

As someone who served in the U.S. military honorably for 8 years I am saddened by what has come of America. When a person joins the military they do so out of love for their country. They do so because they believe that their fellow citizens should be safe and secure in their homeland. This is not the case.

Most people attribute national security simply to a strong military. Yes we need to make sure America is safe from our enemies, but that is only one part of the equation. The other part is securing the livelihoods of Americans, protecting their jobs, providing education, and ensuring that our people can see a doctor when they get sick.

It is absolutely heartbreaking to go overseas to fight a war just to come home to see your fellow Americans unemployed, in debt, down on their luck, and living hand-to-mouth. What makes it even worse is knowing that the war you fought in has contributed significantly to their desperation. Knowing that all the money used to destroy Iraq and the failed attempts to rebuild it could have gone to our own people in need.

And God forbid you speak up in protest to this terrible injustice. Those who have not shared in the sacrifice one bit will be the quickest to call you a coward, traitor, and a defeatist. This type of behavior has been encouraged by our own president and vice president over and over again. Think about that -- they actually wish to deny the American people of their first amendment rights. Anyone who expresses their right/freedom to dissent is quickly attacked and smeared as "anti-troops." I thought Bush and Cheney said our troops have to die in Iraq to protect our freedom in America ....

How unfair and un-American is that? How hypocritical is that? There are no words to describe it.

The American people are ready for a complete change from what we have lived through with the disgraceful and tragic presidency of George W. Bush. We need a president that will respect and fight for the rights of all Americans.

My ideal candidate will:

- End the war in Iraq
- Only use war as a last resort
- Provide hope & optimism instead of encouraging hate & fear
- Restore America's standing in the world community
- End the division here at home
- Finally end partisan claims to patriotism and troop support
- Place the interests and wishes of the American people as their # 1 priority
- Have the courage to stand up to special interests groups and party orthodoxy
- Stop the outsourcing of American jobs
- Be a strong advocate for universal health care
- Work hard for environmental protection
- Be part of the solution not the problem
- Admit when they are wrong and make the necessary corrections
- Speak in coherent sentences (added bonus)


I strongly believe that John Edwards is the best candidate running for the presidency of the United States. I believe that he will be strong at home and abroad. I believe that he has the best plan to end poverty, protect American jobs, and restore hope to the middle class. Most importantly, I believe wholeheartedly that he will end the war in Iraq and that he would never send our brave men and women in uniform into harms way unless it is absolutely necessary.

Comments

[research]

John Bruhns,

What do you think of Kucinich?

Edwards is probably my favorite of the front runners, mostly for his gumption and he has been a lawyer fighting for personal injury folks.

It's amazing to me that people criticizes Edwards for his work getting money for injured individuals.

http://beldar.blogs.com/beldarblog/2006/12/my_blogospheric.html

[Dap]

Dear Mr. Bruhns,

Seems we (You and I) are in the very same stream of consciousness. Eloquently expressed indeed. Agape.

[DCMike]

John,
I enjoyed reading your blog after a long day at work.
I completely agree with your list of requests from your ideal candidate. I don't understand how any working American could want less for themselves or their family. This is what I thought American values was all about.
I would whole-heartedly support any candidate of any party who could convince me that they would truly try to deliver even half of the things on your list... and didn't require us to always read the fine print of their promises. I would even accept their failures if they put everything they had into trying.
Thank you for a refreshing perspective.

[CyberCitizen]

Thank you for your service and your advocacy of John Edwards. He is focused on saving and expanding the middle class.

[Freedomfinder]

As you must know Elizabeth Edwards comes from a long line of military people and she will be a champion for veterans rights.
God bless you for your service and I hope we get our wish!

[peaceandfreedom]

John,

"a classic example of the rich getting richer while the poor get poorer."

Should read, "while the poor Die; in an illegal war fought for oil, or at home, starved by the compassionate conservatism of our Leader!"

And I believe you have nailed it--Why send men and women to fight and die in any war, if the country they are fighting for is being murdered from the inside.

[CyclingProgressive]

John,

Well said indeed.... I submitted this last month to PDA and it ran as follows...

Keep up the great work!

WW
-------

Why I'm supporting John Edwards:
It's time for a Progressive President with Coat Tails
By Wayne Williams, PDA Advisory Board member
November 30, 2007
http://pdamerica.org/articles/campaigns/2007-11-30-20-06-06-campaigns.php

From day one I made a commitment to myself, that I would speak out and support a Democratic candidate for President who fit these 10 significant criteria. I would not allow my choice to be clouded by imagined dreams, hopes or fantasies for I know most American's don't think as I do. Whether we like it or not, race, and sex are still an issue in conservative voters' minds, and now is not the time to assume that simple prejudice will not win the day for Republicans.

Since 1994, the Democratic Leadership Committee (DLC) has failed our party by moving us to the right and allowing corporations and their capitalist cronies to usurp the political power of working class Americans. They abandoned the values on which the Democratic Party is based and alienated many voters who no longer can tell the difference between Democrats and Republicans. Their strategy lost us election after election for a decade, and we only won last time out because the Iraq War went so horribly wrong. For these reasons, I knew a DLC Democrat would not be getting my vote.

So my candidate would need:
A complete understanding and commitment to full public funding of elections, verified paper ballots as the vote of record nationwide, and is opposed to electronic voting machines (DREs).

To be opposed to the Occupation of Iraq and have a viable plan for rapid withdrawal.

To understand the need for rapid and powerful environmental action to head off further global climate change via renewable energy without coal or nuclear power.

... due to word limits on HuffPo... read the rest at

http://pdamerica.org/articles/campaigns/2007-11-30-20-06-06-campaigns.php

[deminmo]

I was all for Mr. Edwards when this all began.
I just don't have as much faith in his ability
to stand firm against all the influences in
Washington. He's great on the "debates" sometimes. But so far, he has not gone one-on-
one with anyone on the Rebublican side. If we
ever see that, then we will have a better idea
if he could be the best candidate.
I do appreciate the fact that Edwards is not
using special interest money in his campaign.

Its going to take a lot of work to undo what
nearly 8 years of Bush policy has done. And
that assumes there will be no war with Iran.

[DemandTruth]

It's almost like you pulled the words from my heart and put them on this blog.

I suspect many of the people here reading this will feel the same way.

Thanks.