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| | Edwards promises to win back White House, seeks Arkansas votes
Thursday, Aug 5, 2004 By Wesley Brown Arkansas News Bureau NORTH LITTLE ROCK - Flanked by an impressive lineup of current and former state Democratic stalwarts, vice presidential candidate John Edwards told a crowd of enthusiastic Arkansas supporters Wednesday that "hope is on the way." Appearing before the cheering and sweating thousands, a rolled-up sleeved Edwards said that he and Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry were depending on Arkansas voters to win the White House in November. "We are united in this effort that in 2004, Arkansas will go to Kerry-Edwards," Edwards said at his North Little Rock stop, held in broiling midday heat on the Arkansas River's north levee. "We are going to build one America that works for all of us." In making his first campaign stop to Arkansas, Edwards emerged from his "Believe in America" tour bus to the music of Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days." He then quickly won over the crowd by acknowledging the state's favorite sports team and favorite son. "It is great to be here in Arkansas. I bet there are a few Razorback fans here," Edwards said, then added "and also home of the 42nd President of the United States." The North Carolina senator also gave accolades to former Arkansas Sens. Dale Bumpers and David Pryor, the state's entire Democratic congressional delegation, Attorney General Mike Beebe and other Democratic state officials and lawmakers. "It is so encouraging to me to see such extraordinary unity," he said. After getting all the pleasantries out of the way, Edwards spent the next 30 minutes highlighting the Kerry-Edwards' campaign economic plan to help working families and small businesses. He also received thunderous applause when he talked about Kerry's military service in Vietnam and his fitness as the commander in chief. "Listen to the men who served with him and who stand with him now," Edwards said, pointing to Fred Short, one of the 13 men who fought with Kerry and stood with the Massachusetts senator at last week's Democratic National Convention. "They will tell you what kind of man John Kerry is. These men put their lives in John Kerry's hands. They saw him reach into a river, pull out one of his men and save his life. They saw him turn his boat around and drive it straight through an enemy position ... to save his crew. Strong, decisive - is that not what we deserve as a commander in chief of the United States?" Edwards also criticized the Bush-Cheney team for negative campaigning and accused Republicans of trying to claim exclusive rights to family values. "They like to use that word (values), but where we all come from, you don't judge somebody's values based on how they use that word in a political ad," he said. "John Kerry is a man who represents real American values and will make a great president of the United States." Edwards ended his central Arkansas stump by drawing a disparity between the have and have-nots. "We want to do something about the 35 million Americans that live in poverty every day," he said, adding that 61,000 Arkansas families have lost their health insurance since Bush took office. "We have a moral responsibility to lift those people out of poverty." Without mentioning the president by name, Edwards drew a comparison between current difficult economic times for working families and America's segregated past. "I have seen what it means when we have two different Americas," Edwards said of growing up in the South. "I saw the ugly face of segregation and discrimination." He said the Kerry administration would provide small businesses with tax credits to help with rising insurance costs, give families a $4,000 tax break for college tuition and raise the minimum wage. Edwards closed his 30 minute speech by saying that he and Kerry would make American safer by rebuilding trust with former allies and other countries. "We are committed to keeping America safe and restoring the image of America that all of us are proud of." After the rally, several excited Kerry-Edwards supporters said they would work even harder to defeat Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney, who made his third campaign trip to Arkansas with visits to Hot Springs and Fort Smith on Tuesday. Bob Ruffin of North Little Rock, a war veteran of Korea and Vietnam, said he felt that Kerry would be a better commander in chief than Bush. "I believe he will be one of the best presidents we ever had," said Ruffin, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel. "Mr. Bush only completed four of his six years of National Guard duty. Why he was grounded is still a mystery that has not been explained." Rep. Joyce Elliott, D-Little Rock, reiterated that Arkansas' six electoral votes would be crucial to the entire presidential election. "Let the battle begin," said Elliott, who kicked off the riverfront rally. "Democrats are ready to win." Marc Racicot, spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, said Wednesday that the president is committed to running a clean campaign, yet will continue to make comparisons between his record and Kerry's. "The notion that we are engaging in negative campaigning is a myth," he said. "But there have been particularly vitriolic attacks from Kerry surrogates such as Howard Dean, who called the president a fascist at the (Democratic) national convention." Edwards, traveling with his family, was in the middle of a three-day swing from Louisiana to Missouri, with a side trip planned Wednesday afternoon to the National Civil Rights Museum and a town hall meeting in Memphis, Tenn. On the way, the bus stopped in DeValls Bluff at Craig's Barbecue restaurant. On Thursday, Edwards will rejoin Kerry, who has been campaigning in Iowa. From there, they will board a train with their families for a campaign swing in the West. |
