Edwards at Las Vegas union meeting -AP [View All]

By KATHLEEN HENNESSEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS - Former Sen. John Edwards criticized Republicans for passing "immoral" tax cuts and Democrats for focusing on the political center at a meeting of mine workers Tuesday in Las Vegas.

"We've got enough politicians, what we need are leaders, " Edwards, the vice presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket in 2004, told a crowd of about 500 members of the United Mine Workers of America, which represents coal mine workers in Canada and the U.S.

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Edwards, 52, criticized President Bush and Republicans in Congress for supporting a budget he said offered tax cuts to the rich and subsidies to oil companies, while cutting money for college loans and health care programs.

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He called on Democrats to back labor reform, ban the practice of hiring permanent replacement for striking workers and make it easier for unions to enlist members.

"It's time for the Democratic Party to go back and embrace the union movement, the organized labor movement," he said, bringing the audience to its feet. "I hear it from Democratic politicians, you know, 'what our party needs to do ... we need occupy the political center, we need to be more appealing to more people.' Well, how about if we show some backbone and guts and actually fight for the people we've always fought for."

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