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==Early life, education, and family==
==Early life, education, and family==
Edwards was born on [[June 10]] [[1953]] to Wallace R. Edwards and Kathryn "Bobbie" Wade in [[Seneca, South Carolina]]. The family moved several times during Edwards' childhood, eventually settling in [[Robbins, North Carolina]], where his father worked as a [[textile mill]] floor worker, eventually promoted to supervisor; his mother worked as a postal worker [[mail|postal letter carrier]] when his father left his job.<ref name="from_mill_town"> {{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/10/05/from_mill_town_to_the_national_stage_boston_globe/?page=full|title=From Mill Town to the National Stage|publisher = Boston Globe|author=Patrick Healy | date= 2003-10-05 | accessdate= 2007-03-27}}</ref> Edwards was the first person in his family to attend college. He first attended [[Clemson University]] and later transferred to [[North Carolina State University]]. Edwards graduated with a [[bachelor's degree]] in textile technology in 1974 from North Carolina State University, and later earned his [[Juris Doctor|law degree]] from the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], both with honors.
Edwards was born on [[June 10]] [[1953]] to Wallace R. Edwards and Kathryn "Bobbie" Wade in [[Seneca, South Carolina]]. The family moved several times during Edwards' childhood, eventually settling in [[Robbins, North Carolina]], where his father worked as a [[textile mill]] floor worker, eventually promoted to supervisor; his mother worked as a postal worker [[mail|postal letter carrier]] when his father left his job.<ref name="from_mill_town"> {{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/10/05/from_mill_town_to_the_national_stage_boston_globe/?page=full|title=From Mill Town to the National Stage|publisher = Boston Globe|author=Patrick Healy | date= 2003-10-05 | accessdate= 2007-03-27}}</ref> Edwards was the first person in his family to attend college. He first attended [[Clemson University]] and later transferred to [[North Carolina State University]]. Although the Vietnam War was raging during this time, Edwards was in college and graduated with a [[bachelor's degree]] in textile technology in 1974 from North Carolina State University, and later earned his [[Juris Doctor|law degree]] from the [[University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill]], both with honors.


While at UNC, he met fellow student and eventual partner [[Elizabeth Edwards|Elizabeth Anania]], who is four years his senior. They married in the summer of 1977 and have four children. Their son, Wade, was born in 1979 and daughter [[Cate Edwards|Cate]] followed in 1982. In 1996, Wade, age 16, was killed in a car accident when strong winds swept his Jeep off a North Carolina highway. Following Wade's death, Edwards and his wife chose to have children again: Emma Claire, born 1998, and Jack, born in 2000. The Edwards family now lives on a farm [[Orange County, North Carolina|Orange County]], in the [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]/[[Durham]]/[[Chapel Hill]] metro area of North Carolina.
While at UNC, he met fellow student and eventual partner [[Elizabeth Edwards|Elizabeth Anania]], who is four years his senior. They married in the summer of 1977 and have four children. Their son, Wade, was born in 1979 and daughter [[Cate Edwards|Cate]] followed in 1982. In 1996, Wade, age 16, was killed in a car accident when strong winds swept his Jeep off a North Carolina highway. Following Wade's death, Edwards and his wife chose to have children again: Emma Claire, born 1998, and Jack, born in 2000. The Edwards family now lives on a farm [[Orange County, North Carolina|Orange County]], in the [[Raleigh, North Carolina|Raleigh]]/[[Durham]]/[[Chapel Hill]] metro area of North Carolina.

Revision as of 01:22, 17 May 2007

This article is about the American attorney and politician. For other people, see John Edwards (disambiguation).
John Reid Edwards
File:JohnEdwards1.JPG
United States Senator
from North Carolina
In office
January 6, 1999–January 3, 2005
Preceded byLauch Faircloth
Succeeded byRichard Burr
Personal details
NationalityAmerican
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseElizabeth Edwards
ProfessionAttorney, Politician
Signature

Johnny Reid "John" Edwards[1] (born June 10 1953) was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and a one-term U.S. Senator from North Carolina. On December 27 2006, he announced his entry into the 2008 Presidential election.

Edwards was a trial lawyer before entering politics. He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in North Carolina's 1998 Senate election and during his six-year term sought the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election.

He eventually became the Democratic candidate for Vice President, the running mate of presidential nominee Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. After Edwards and Kerry lost the election to the incumbents George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, Edwards began working full time at the One America Committee, a political action committee he established in 2001, and was appointed director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law. He was also a consultant for Fortress Investment Group LLC.

Early life, education, and family

Edwards was born on June 10 1953 to Wallace R. Edwards and Kathryn "Bobbie" Wade in Seneca, South Carolina. The family moved several times during Edwards' childhood, eventually settling in Robbins, North Carolina, where his father worked as a textile mill floor worker, eventually promoted to supervisor; his mother worked as a postal worker postal letter carrier when his father left his job.[2] Edwards was the first person in his family to attend college. He first attended Clemson University and later transferred to North Carolina State University. Although the Vietnam War was raging during this time, Edwards was in college and graduated with a bachelor's degree in textile technology in 1974 from North Carolina State University, and later earned his law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, both with honors.

While at UNC, he met fellow student and eventual partner Elizabeth Anania, who is four years his senior. They married in the summer of 1977 and have four children. Their son, Wade, was born in 1979 and daughter Cate followed in 1982. In 1996, Wade, age 16, was killed in a car accident when strong winds swept his Jeep off a North Carolina highway. Following Wade's death, Edwards and his wife chose to have children again: Emma Claire, born 1998, and Jack, born in 2000. The Edwards family now lives on a farm Orange County, in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill metro area of North Carolina.

On November 3, 2004, the day Kerry and Edwards conceded defeat in the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election, Elizabeth Edwards revealed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. She was treated via chemotherapy and radiotherapy,[3] and has continued to remain an activist for women, cancer patients, the Democratic Party, and her husband's One America Committee. On March 22, 2007, the Edwardses announced that her cancer had returned to her rib, but that she was asymptomatic and expected to continue her activities in his Presidential campaign while being treated.[4][5]

File:Four Trials.jpg
Four Trials by John Edwards

Both Edwards and his wife began private practice with law firms in Nashville, Tennessee. Edwards became an associate at the law firm of Dearborn & Ewing in 1978, doing primarily trial work, defending a Nashville bank and other corporate clients. The Edwards family (John, Elizabeth, and son Wade) returned to North Carolina in 1981, settling in the capital of Raleigh.

Before entering politics, Edwards was a personal injury trial attorney. He represented families and children, and specialized in corporate negligence and medical malpractice claims. Edwards made his personal fortune through his trial successes and his 2003 financial disclosure forms showed a total net worth between $12.8 and $60 million.[6] Edwards was criticized for paying himself mostly through subchapter S corporate dividends, rather than a salary, to take advantage of a tax-law loophole that allowed him to avoid paying $591,000 in Medicare taxes; Edwards claimed that he chose the subchapter S structure to protect his assets from liability.[7]

Edwards' first important case was a 1984 medical malpractice lawsuit. In that case, Edwards won a $3.7 million verdict on behalf of his client who suffered permanent brain and nerve damage after a doctor prescribed a drug overdose of anti-alcoholism drug Antabuse.[8] In 1985, Edwards obtained a $5.75 million settlement in a cerebral palsy case for medical malpractice during childbirth, representing Jennifer Campbell, a five-year-old cerebral palsy patient. This established the North Carolina precedent of physician and hospital liability for failing to determine if the patient understood risks of a particular procedure.[8] During the trial, it has been argued that Edwards relied more on his verbal skills as a trial lawyer than on actual science. While delivering his summary, Edwards said that "I have to tell you right now — I didn't plan to talk about this — right now I feel her [Jennifer], I feel her presence...[Jennifer's] inside me and she's talking to you."[9]

The biggest case of his legal career was a 1997 product liability lawsuit against Sta-Rite, the manufacturer of a defective pool drain cover. The case involved a Raleigh, North Carolina girl, Valerie Lakey, who was disemboweled by the suction power of the pool drain pump when she sat on an open pool drain whose protective cover other children at the pool had removed, after the swim club had failed to install the cover properly. Despite 12 prior suits with similar claims, Sta-Rite continued to make and sell drain covers lacking warnings. In his closing arguments, Edwards spoke to the jury for an hour and a half without referring to notes. It was an emotional appeal that made reference to his son, Wade, who had been killed shortly before testimony began in the trial. Mark Dayton, editor of North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, would later call it "the most impressive legal performance I have ever seen."[10] The jury awarded the Lakeys $25 million, the largest personal injury award in North Carolina history. The company settled for the $25 million while the jury was deliberating punitive damages, rather than risk appeal. For their part in this case, Edwards and law partner David Kirby earned the Association of Trial Lawyers of America's national award for public service.[8]

In December 2003, during his presidential campaign, Edwards (with John Auchard) published Four Trials, a biographical book focusing on cases from his legal career.

Political career

Senate term

John Edwards Senate Portrait

Both the success of the Lakey case and his son's death (Edwards had hoped his son would eventually join him in private law practice) prompted Edwards to leave the legal profession and seek public office. A Democrat, Edwards won election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 against incumbent Republican Senator Lauch Faircloth. Despite originally being the underdog, Edwards beat Faircloth by 51.2% to 47.0% — a margin of some 83,000 votes.

During President Bill Clinton's 1999 impeachment trial in the Senate, Edwards was responsible for the deposition of witnesses Monica Lewinsky and fellow Democrat Vernon Jordan.

During the 2000 presidential campaign, Edwards was reported to be on Democratic nominee Al Gore's vice presidential nominee "short list" (along with John Kerry and Joe Lieberman, Gore's eventual pick). In November 2000, People magazine named Edwards as its choice for the "sexiest politician alive."

Edwards served on the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and U.S. Senate Committee on Judiciary.

During his Senate term Edwards cosponsored 203 bills.[11] He cosponsored Lieberman's S.J.RES.46, the Iraq War Resolution, and also later voted for it in the full Senate to authorize the use of military force against Iraq,[12] but subsequently apologized for that vote. Edwards also supported and voted for the Patriot Act. Among other positions, Edwards generally supported abortion rights, affirmative action, and the death penalty. Among his first sponsored bills was the Fragile X Research Breakthrough Act of 1999.[13] He was also the first person to introduce comprehensive anti-spyware legislation with the Spyware Control and Privacy Protection Act.[14] He also advocated rolling back the Bush administration's tax cuts and ending mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent offenders.[15]

Edwards supported the expansion of the H-1B visa program to increase the number of work visas for immigrant workers.[16] Edwards generally supported expanding legal immigration to the United States while working with Mexico to provide better border security and stop illegal trafficking.[15][17]

Before the 2004 Senate election, Edwards announced his retirement from the Senate and supported Erskine Bowles, former White House Chief of Staff, as the successor to his seat; Bowles, however, was defeated by Republican Richard Burr in the election.

2004 presidential campaign

Main articles: United States presidential election, 2004 and John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004

Edwards unofficially began his presidential campaign as early as 2001, when he began to seek speaking engagements in Iowa, the site of the nation's first party caucuses. On January 2, 2003, he announced formation of an exploratory committee, allowing him to begin fundraising while not officially campaigning. On September 15, 2003, Edwards unofficially announced his intention to seek the 2004 Democratic Presidential nomination, on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, thus fulfilling a promise he made as a guest during the show's coverage of the 2002 midterm elections. The next morning, Edwards made the announcement officially from his hometown. He declined to run for reelection to the Senate in 2004 in order to solely focus on his presidential run. Edwards' campaign was chaired by North Carolina Democratic activist Ed Turlington.

As Edwards had been building support for a presidential bid essentially since his election to the Senate, he led the initial campaign fundraising, amassing over $7 million during the first quarter of 2003, more than half of which came from individuals associated with the legal profession, particularly Edwards' fellow trial lawyers, their families, and employees.[18]

Edwards' campaign was often characterized by the American news media as populist.[19][20] His stump speech spoke of "two Americas", one composed of the wealthy and privileged, and the other of the hard-working common man.[21]

After campaigning for most of 2003, Edwards' campaign struggled to gain substantial support in the Democratic Party. In early 2004, weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Edwards began to gain momentum and poll numbers began to rise steadily. Edwards' late-stage momentum carried him into a surprising second place finish in Iowa with the support of 32% of caucus delegates, behind only John Kerry's 39% and ahead of former front-runner Howard Dean at 18%. Edwards finished with 12% support in the New Hampshire primary one week later, in fourth place behind Kerry, Howard Dean, and Wesley Clark. The following week, during the February 3 primaries, Edwards won the South Carolina primary,[22] lost to Clark in Oklahoma, and lost to Kerry in the other states. Edwards also garnered the second largest number of second place finishes, again falling behind Clark.[23]

Edwards on the campaign trail in 2004.

After Dean's withdrawal from the contest, Edwards became the only major challenger to Kerry for the Democratic nomination. He finished with 34% of the votes and second place to Kerry in the Wisconsin primary on February 17.

Edwards largely avoided attacking Kerry until a February 29, 2004 debate in New York, where he attempted to put Kerry on the defensive by characterizing the front-runner as a "Washington insider" and by mocking Kerry's plan to form a committee to examine trade agreements.

Edwards' campaign ended after a disappointing finish in the Super Tuesday primaries on March 2, when Kerry finished well ahead in nine of the 10 states voting that day. Edwards finished only slightly behind Kerry in Georgia, but, failing to win a single state, chose to withdraw from the presidential race. He announced his official withdrawal at a Raleigh, North Carolina press conference on March 3, 2004. News of Edwards' withdrawal from the race made major media outlets relatively early on the evening of Super Tuesday, at about 6:30 p.m. CST, before polls had closed in California and before caucuses in Minnesota had even begun. This influenced many people in Minnesota to vote for other candidates, which may partially account for the strong showing of Dennis Kucinich in that state.[original research?] Edwards did win the presidential straw poll conducted by the Independence Party of Minnesota.

After withdrawing from the race, he went on to win the April 17 Democratic caucuses in his home state of North Carolina,[24] making him the only Democratic candidate besides Kerry to win nominating contests in two states.

2004 Vice Presidential nomination and campaign

File:Kerryedwards.JPG
Kerry/Edwards campaign logo

On July 6, 2004 Kerry announced, first in an email to his supporters and later in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that Edwards would be his vice presidential running mate. Kerry's decision was widely hailed by Democratic voters in public opinion polls and by Democratic leaders in interviews. According to sources close to Kerry, other individuals said to have been under consideration for the vice presidential nomination by the Kerry campaign were Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack, Illinois Senator Richard Durbin, Florida Senator Bob Graham, Clark, and Congressman Richard Gephardt (the New York Post had incorrectly reported a day earlier that Kerry had decided on Gephardt for the running mate slot). Though Ralph Nader and many Democrats supported the nomination, others criticized Kerry because of Edwards' perceived lack of experience. In particular, the nomination caused the business community, including the Chamber of Commerce network, to throw its support to George W. Bush when they had been neutral in previous presidential elections, because of Edwards' opposition to tort reform.[25]

The highlight of Edwards' campaign for the vice presidency was the debate with incumbent Dick Cheney, in which the Vice President blindsided Edwards with the false charge that they had never met before, and blamed this on Edwards' frequent absences from the Senate to campaign for the Presidency. Later, the media found at least one videotape of a Cheney/Edwards meeting.

Post-Senate activities

Edwards is a candidate for the 2008 U.S. presidential election; his concession speech at the close of the 2004 race hinted at his continued presidential ambitions: "You can be disappointed, but you cannot walk away. This fight has just begun." The following day, he announced that his wife Elizabeth had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Coincidentally, a few months earlier, in February 2004, doctors suggested that the distinctive mole on Edwards' upper lip might be developing cancerous properties; he had it removed, although it turned out to be benign.

File:Edwards TonyBlair.jpg
Senator Edwards and Prime Minister Tony Blair

During the months that followed Edwards was courted by a number of organizations; he told interviewer Larry King that he doubted he would return to his occupation as a trial lawyer and showed no interest in the possibility of becoming the Democratic National Committee chairman, a post sought by fellow nomination contender Howard Dean. He finally chose to accept an offer from his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, of a part-time faculty position as director of a new "Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity" at the university. Shortly before the November 2004 election Edwards purchased a parcel of land in Orange County, where he now lives with his family.

In February 2005, Edwards headlined the "100 Club" Dinner, a major fundraiser for the New Hampshire Democratic Party. That same month, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced that he had been appointed as director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity in the university for studying ways to move people out of poverty. That fall, Edwards toured 10 major universities in order to promote "Opportunity Rocks!", a program aimed at getting youth involved in the fight against poverty.

File:Edwards kemp russia.jpg
Senator Edwards and former Congressman Kemp in the Red Square

On March 21 2005, Edwards recorded his first podcast[26] with his wife. Several months later, in August, Edwards traveled to Waterloo, Iowa to deliver an address to the state's chapter of the AFL-CIO, a potential key supporter in the Iowa caucus. In the following month Edwards sent an email to his supporters and announced that he opposed the nomination of Judge John Roberts to become Chief Justice of the United States. He was also opposed to the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito.

In 2005, Edwards joined the Wall Street investment firm Fortress Investment Group as a senior adviser.[27]

File:Edwards Kennedy.jpg
Sen. Edwards and Sen. Kennedy campaigning for raise of minimum wage

During the summer and fall of 2005, he toured the country, promoting various progressive causes. He visited homeless shelters and job training centers and spoke at events organized by such groups as ACORN, the NAACP, and the SEIU. He spoke out in favor of an expansion of the earned income tax credit, a crackdown on predatory lending, an increase in the capital gains tax rate, housing vouchers for minorities to integrate upper-income neighborhoods, and a program modeled on the Works Progress Administration to rehabilitate the Gulf Coast following the effects of Hurricane Katrina. In low-income Greene County, North Carolina he unveiled the pilot program for College for Everyone, an educational measure he promised during his presidential campaign, in which prospective college students will receive a scholarship for their first year in exchange for ten hours of work a week.

On November 14, 2005, he wrote an op-ed in the Washington Post in which he expressed regret for his vote supporting the Iraq War in 2002, and discussed three solutions for success in the conflict.[28] Previously, Edwards had defended his vote. In an October 10, 2004 appearance on Meet the Press, Edwards told Tim Russert "I would have voted for the resolution knowing what I know today, because it was the right thing to do to give the president the authority to confront Saddam Hussein...I think Saddam Hussein was a very serious threat. I stand by that, and that's why [John Kerry and I] stand behind our vote on the resolution."[29] In a February 4, 2007 appearance on Meet the Press, Edwards told Russert "over time, when I reflected on what I thought was going to be necessary going forward, to have some moral foundation to work on issues like poverty and genocide, things that I care deeply about, I could no longer defend this vote. It was pretty simple. And I got to the place I felt like I had to say it and had to say it publicly. And so—what? — a year — a year or so ago I did that."[30]

Edwards was co-chair of a Council on Foreign Relations task force on United States-Russia relations alongside Republican Jack Kemp, a former congressman, Cabinet official, and vice presidential nominee.[31] The task force issued its report in March 2006.[32] On July 12, the International Herald Tribune published a related op-ed by Edwards and Kemp.[33]

On April 6, 2006, Edwards joined Ted Kennedy at a rally for raising the minimum wage.[34]

Edwards announced his presidential candidacy for 2008 on December 27, 2006. Though he was expected to announce it a day later, his campaign Web site was accidentally launched a day early.

2008 presidential campaign

Template:Future election candidate

Main article: United States presidential election, 2008
Further information: Official and Potential 2008 United States presidential election Democratic candidates
See also: John Edwards presidential campaign, 2008
See also: Political positions of John Edwards
File:JRE 08.gif
John Edwards 2008

On December 27 2006, Edwards' campaign website accidentally released that Edwards would be entering the 2008 Presidential election when it went live for a short time one day prior to Edwards' planned announcement in the Eastern New Orleans area of New Orleans.[35] He also inadvertently released his campaign slogan early as well: "Tomorrow begins today."[36] This ended months of speculation about whether or not Edwards would make a second run for President. On December 28 2006, Edwards officially announced his candidacy for President in the 2008 election.[37]

The most recent national polls show Edwards placing third among the Democratic field, behind Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama.[38] The most recent polling of the early primary states (see Opinion polling for the Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008) shows Edwards leading in Iowa and in either 2nd or 3rd place in Nevada and New Hampshire.

Edwards' campaign has stated that its main focus is on eliminating poverty, fighting global warming, and providing universal health care.[39] These goals reflect the more progressive campaign Edwards is running compared to his 2004 campaign when he did not focus on global warming and universal health care as issues. One of Edwards' most notable policy opinions since announcing his candidacy has been denouncing a troop surge in Iraq, coining it the McCain Doctrine.[40] Edwards has said that he is not ready to take a position on the issue of same-sex marriage, stating that he is "just not there yet".[41] In 2004, Edwards stated that he was opposed to same-sex marriage, although he also opposed a Constitutional amendment against it, saying the issue should be left to individual states to decide.[42][43] Edwards does now offer support for civil unions and partnership benefits.[41] In 2004, Edwards expressed reservations about civil unions, saying that he did not think the country was ready for it and that it should be left up to the states.[44][42]

David Bonior, a former House Democratic Whip from Michigan, is serving as Edwards' campaign manager. Bonior brings strong relationships with organized labor, as well as experience in grassroots campaigning.[45] Kate Michelman, a nationally prominent abortion rights activist and former leader of NARAL, has joined the campaign as a senior adviser, charged with outreach to women.[46]

On January 14 2007 Edwards spoke at New York City's Riverside Church where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his April 4 1967 anti-war Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence speech. In the speech Edwards criticized silence on the "escalation of the war in Iraq." In the speech he also spoke on AIDS in Africa, energy independence and the impending increase in the minimum wage.[47]

Since his campaign kicked off, Edwards has faced growing questions about potential conflicts between his campaign against poverty and the way he lives his life personally. The questions began in January 2007 with stories about Edwards' recently-purchased 28,200-square-foot home valued at over $6 million.[48] It continued in April 2007, when FEC records revealed that Edwards had paid $400 for a haircut on 2 separate occasions and billed it to his campaign committee.[49] Edwards responded to the haircut story by saying that he was "embarrassed" by it and explained that it was so high because the stylist had to travel to where he was to give the cut. [50] Finally in May 2007, Edwards was dogged by questions about his work for the hedge fund Fortress Investment Group. Edwards responded that he took the job at Fortress in order to learn more about the way financial markets and poverty were linked. When asked why he didn't just take a university course about the subject, Edwards replied that "It was primarily to learn, but making money was a good thing, too". Edwards initially refused to disclose exactly how much money he made, saying that the information would be released in his scheduled financial disclosure forms. [51] Those forms released on May 16, 2007 showed that Edwards made $479,512 from his time at Fortress, making it his biggest single source of earned income in 2006. [52]

Fortress hired Edwards as an adviser in October 2005, nearly a year after his losing campaign as Democratic vice presidential candidate. At the time, it owned a major stake in Green Tree Servicing LLC, which rose to prominence in the 1990s selling subprime loans to mobile-home owners and now services subprime loans originated by others. Subprime loans are aimed at buyers with poor credit histories and charge higher rates because of the risks. Some loans carry fees and large rate increases that are hidden from a home buyer.[53] In addition, John Edwards has raised at least $167,700 for his campaign from individuals associated with Fortress Investment Group.[54]

On February 6, two newly-hired staff members responsible for the Edwards campaign blog came under fire from The Catholic League[55] regarding comments they had made in their personal blogs prior to joining the campaign which the League considered to be anti-Catholic. Edwards refused to fire them, saying that while "intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign...I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake".[56] The bloggers issued statements separating their personal blogs from the campaign,[57][58] but Amanda Marcotte resigned a few days later, saying that the League's harassment was interfering with her ability to do her job.[59]

On March 2, Ann Coulter used the epithet "faggot" in what she claimed afterward was meant as a one-liner joke about presidential candidate Edwards, a remark for which she was criticized by pundits on the left and the right.[60] Edwards responded to Coulter's remark, saying: "I think it's important that we not reward hateful, selfish, childish behavior with attention..."[61].

On April 1, after the deadline for the fund raising for the first quarter of 2007, Senator Edwards campaign announced that they raised over $14 million for his bid for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and over $1 million for the general election. Almost $3.3 million of the $14 million was raised from over 37,000 contributions made over the Internet.[62]

On April 22, Joe Trippi, former Howard Dean Internet strategist, announced that he will join Edwards campaign as part of media team and also senior adviser.[63]

On April 25, Edwards released a list of 44 politicians and other public figures in New Hampshire who have endorsed him, including three State Senate leaders, giving him the most New Hampshire endorsements of any candidate currently in the race.[64]

Elizabeth Edwards' medical condition

On March 22, 2007,[65] Edwards and his wife announced that she was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer, with newly discovered metastasis to the bone and possibly to her lung.[66][67] They said that the cancer was "no longer curable, but is completely treatable"[68] and that they planned to continue campaigning together with an occasional break when Ms. Edwards requires treatment, saying "The campaign goes on strongly."[4][65] This ended erroneous media speculation prior to the press conference that Edwards would announce a suspension of his campaign.[69]

Universal healthcare

Main article: Political_positions_of_John_Edwards § Health_care

On February 5, 2007, Edwards unveiled his plan for universal health care.[70] The plan subsidizes health insurance purchases for poorer Americans, and requires employers to offer health insurance through the Medicare system as one option for their workers. Since Medicare has lower administrative costs — under 4%, versus 20% or more for many HMOs[71] — Edwards believes that individuals will be able to save on health care by using the public option. While it is not a single-payer plan, the plan states that "over time, the system may evolve toward a single-payer approach if individuals and businesses prefer the public plan." and make Medicare the defacto national health program.

Edwards said "The bottom line is we're asking everybody to share in the responsibility of making health care work in this country. Employers, those who are in the medical insurance business, employees, the American people — everyone will have to contribute in order to make this work."[30] [30]

Electoral history

File:JohnEdwards Senate.jpg
Senator John Edwards
  • 2004 Race for U.S. President & Vice President
    • George W. Bush/Dick Cheney (R) (inc.), 51% (286 electoral votes)
    • John Kerry/John Edwards (D), 48% (251 electoral votes)
    • John Edwards (D), 0% (1 electoral vote)
    • Others, 1% (0 electoral votes)
  • 1998 General election for United States Senate

Bibliography

  • Four Trials (New York: Simon and Shuster, 2003) ISBN-10: 0743244974 (with John Auchard)
  • Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives (New York: Collins, 2006) ISBN-10: 0060884541
  • Ending Poverty in America: How to Restore the American Dream (New Press, 2007)[72] (co-editor)

References

  1. ^ Sheryl Gay Stolberg (2007-07-07). "THE 2004 ELECTION; A First-Term Senator's Swift Political Ascent — John Reid Edwards". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-04-23. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ Patrick Healy (2003-10-05). "From Mill Town to the National Stage". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2007-03-27.
  3. ^ Elizabeth Edwards battles breast cancer, MSNBC
  4. ^ a b Nedra Pickler (2007-03-22). "Edwards Presses on With 2008 Campaign". ap.org. Retrieved 2007-03-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ Dan Childs. "Elizabeth Edwards Enters Second Cancer Fight". ABC News. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
  6. ^ "Personal Financial Disclosure for John Edwards". OpenSecrets.org. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  7. ^ "Liberal Loopholes". Wall Street Journal. 2004-07-13. Retrieved 2007-03-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ a b c "John Edwards". FindLaw. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  9. ^ Marc Morano (2004-01-20). "Did 'Junk Science' Make John Edwards Rich?". Cybercast News Service. Retrieved 2007-03-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Joshua Green (2001-01-10). "John Edwards, Esq". Washington Monthly. Retrieved 2007-03-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ "Search Results". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  12. ^ "S.J.RES.46". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  13. ^ "Fragile X Research Breakthrough Act of 1999". Library of Congress. 1999-05-26. Retrieved 2007-03-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "S.3180". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  15. ^ a b "John Edwards on the Issues". OnTheIssues. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  16. ^ http://www.zazona.com/ShameH1B/Library/Politicians/Edwards.htm
  17. ^ http://grades.betterimmigration.com/testgrades.php3?District=NC&VIPID=483&retired=1
  18. ^ Hill News, May 7, 2003
  19. ^ Washington Post, July 6, 2004
  20. ^ BBC News
  21. ^ http://quote.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards#Two_Americas
  22. ^ 2004 South Carolina primary results
  23. ^ CNN
  24. ^ 2004 North Carolina caucuses results
  25. ^ http://www.pointoflaw.com/archives/000488.php
  26. ^ http://oneamericacommittee.com/media/podcasts/20050321/
  27. ^ http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/oct2005/nf20051013_3314_db016.htm
  28. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/11/AR2005111101623.html
  29. ^ "Meet the Press transcript for October 10, 2004".
  30. ^ a b c "Meet the Press Transcript for Feb. 4, 2007". MSNBC.
  31. ^ http://www.cfr.org/publication.html?id=8142
  32. ^ http://www.cfr.org/publication/9997/
  33. ^ http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/12/opinion/edkemp.php
  34. ^ http://www.senatedemocrats.net/node/775
  35. ^ Nedra Pickler (2006-12-28). "John Edwards Joins Presidential Race". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2006-12-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  36. ^ "Democrat John Edwards: I'm running for president". AP. 2006-12-28. Retrieved 2006-12-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  37. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2521766,00.html
  38. ^ http://www.rasmussenreports.com/Political%20Tracking/Democratic%20Primaries/DemocraticPrimary.htm
  39. ^ "Edwards to focus on poverty, global warming, health care". AP. 2006-12-29. Retrieved 2007-01-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  40. ^ "Edwards calls troop surge 'McCain doctrine'". AP. 2007-01-01. Retrieved 2007-01-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  41. ^ a b "Universal health care, poverty trump deficit on Edwards' agenda". AP. 2007-01-01. Retrieved 2007-01-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  42. ^ a b "John Edwards on Civil Rights". On the Issues. 2004. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  43. ^ "Bush amendment proposal prompts strong reaction". John Edwards '08. 2004-02-24. Retrieved 2007-01-03.
  44. ^ http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/US/TheNote_May12.html
  45. ^ "Bonior Joins Edwards: Ex-congressman will lead his run for White House". Detroit Free Press. 2006-12-29. Retrieved 2007-01-06. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. ^ "Abortion Rights Activist Backs Edwards". ABC. 2007-01-05. Retrieved 2007-01-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ Edwards echoes King's anti-war message, Associated Press, January 15, 2007.
  48. ^ Edwards Home County's Largest, Carolina Journal, January 26, 2007.
  49. ^ Edwards' haircuts cost a pretty penny, MSNBC, April 17, 2007.
  50. ^ Edwards 'embarrassed' by haircut, Quad City Times, April 20, 2007.
  51. ^ Edwards Discusses Time at Hedge Fund, AP, May 8, 2007.
  52. ^ Candidates’ assets, income on display, MSNBC, May 16, 2007.
  53. ^ [1]
  54. ^ [2]
  55. ^ Catholic League press release
  56. ^ Edwards, John (2007-02-08). "Statement on Campaign Bloggers". Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  57. ^ Marcotte, Amanda (2007-02-08). "About My Personal Blog". Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  58. ^ McEwan, Melissa (2007-02-08). "My Words". Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  59. ^ Marcotte, Amanda (2007-02-12). "Announcement". Pandagon. Retrieved 2007-02-13. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  60. ^ "Controversial columnist draws fire for gay slur". ABC News. 2007 03-04. Retrieved 2007-03-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  61. ^ "John Edwards Breaks Silence on Coulter's 'Faggot' Barb". foxnews.com. 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2007-03-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) CNN, April 2, 2007.
  62. ^ [3]
  63. ^ http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2007/04/20/former-dean-internet-strategist-joe-trippi-joining-john-edwards-campaign
  64. ^ Chelsea Conaboy (2007-04-24). "Edwards Touts Endorsements". Concord Monitor. Retrieved 2007-04-26.
  65. ^ a b Transcript of press conference (2007-03-22). "Former Sen. Edwards Holds a News Conference on Wife's Health: Breast Cancer Has Returned". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-03-25.
  66. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/03/22/edwards.2008/index.html
  67. ^ http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-03-21-edwards-press-conference_N.htm
  68. ^ http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditions/03/23/edwards.cancer.ap/index.html Retrieved March 24, 2007
  69. ^ See politico.com's explanation and retraction of their incorrect blog post which other media had cited in the hours leading up to the press conference. Ben Smith (2007-03-22). "How Politico Got It Wrong". politico.com. Retrieved 2007-03-23.
  70. ^ "Universal Health Care Through Shared Responsibility" (PDF).
  71. ^ "National Health Insurance Liberal Benefits, Conservative Spending". Annals of Internal Medicine).
  72. ^ "John Edwards pushes focus on poverty in book"
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John Edwards


Template:Succession footnote
Preceded by U.S. senator (Class 3) from North Carolina
1999–2005
Served alongside: Jesse Helms, Elizabeth Dole 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Democratic Party Vice Presidential candidate
2004 (lost) 		Succeeded by
N/A: Most recent(a)


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