No Other Serious Candidate
Is Talking More About the Middle Class
And Restoring Hope….


I listened to John Edwards last night at the Iowa Forums sponsored by NAACP and I started to come around to his point of view. Before, he never got a chance to speak in more than sound-bytes and that does a disservice to his ideas that need to be fully expressed....

I dont know if I am going to vote for Edwards but I do know that I am going to try to find out as much as possible about his ideas and his plans.

Here's what I've gathered so far:

He seems to be the only one of the serious candidates who is willing to shake things up. I like the idea of not accepting the status quo. There is much work to be done. And the lobbyists do not get paid to please the voter.

This contrasts with Hillary whose modus operandi seems to be working within the system. I don't believe that no matter how well intentioned, we can work with lobbyists to achieve voter goals. Edwards takes the position, on the other hand, of rooting out the old and replacing it with the new. And that sounds like a more viable idea...

When the subject turned to health care Edwards said that it is hard to accept the favors of the lobbyists and then vote against them.

I agree.

In the last health care reform bill, the PMA won. And all of those involved in pushing for the ‘doughnut,” got guaranteed jobs with PMA members.

This is not the way to get the best deal for the voters.

We cannot have lobbyists crafting the bills for the people.

Eight years ago, NAFTA was crafted by lobbyists and our representatives voted for it believing it was for free trade; actually, it was a bill that allowed entrepreneurs to make fortunes on the backs of the poor and disadvantaged.

It was a sham!

And it also had provisions that left the people out of the machinery for settling grievances.

For the most part, few if any representatives read the bill before the vote.

We can’t allow that to happen again.

Soon we will have to find ways to extend the power of social security after 2056.

Before Clinton left office, that was what SS was good for; with Bush’s bad management of the budget and excessive spending, SS has been shortchanged by fourteen years…

It is time to think about raising social security payments for the very rich.

It’s time to end the tax breaks for those making over 200 thousand dollar per year.

And it’s time to end the capital gains benefits enjoyed by the rich.

We must do what is possible to make it easier for Unions to form.

And we must end the abuse of workers on pensions.

All of these and more are part of Edwards planning if he were to become president.

I like his ideas for getting the lobbyists out of the rule making and influence peddling business.

I like his ideas to rebuild the unions.

I like what he is saying about helping the poor and improving education.

Although Hillary is looking like the presumed front-runner, John Edward’s ideas seem to be the best out there to preserve the democratic tradition of giving th Middle Class reasons for hope.

THere is no question that we need change. And for me at least, change consists of getting rid of the whole crew now running things, especially the lobbyists.

And I hope we take a moment out to listen to what he has to say; it just might change your mind.

Les Aaron

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