Some truth about Edwards' Senate record

Tip of my hat to PurityOfEssence for his great job researching Edwards' record.

PurityOfEssence (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Jan-06-08 04:05 PM
Response to Reply #9
17. Repost of Edwards' Senate Record notes

Much has been said about Edwards’ supposedly conservative term in the Senate. Like much “common wisdom”, this is largely unfounded.

When remembering that he came as a neophyte from a rather red state, it’s quite surprising to see just how populist he was on many key social issues. (Well, it’s not surprising to many of us, but to those of you who’ve been poisoned with the endless snideness about the “new” Edwards and the “old” Edwards, it should be an eye-opener.)

He only sponsored two bills, but he co-sponsored a whopping 203 in his six-year term. This is a partial list of them (yes, I omitted the Patriot Act and IWR; much has already been said about them) and bears a quick skimming. They’re in chronological order, so details can be found fairly easily. The two bills he sponsored were for research into the “fragile x” chromosome associated with mental retardation, and the “Spyware Control and Privacy Act”, an important early bulwark against attempts to compromise our computer privacy. This last one is a true civil-rights issue, taking on corporations and attempting to secure the rights of individuals, and it’s visionary stuff.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d106:SN03180:@@ ...

Russ Feingold said he was a “terrific asset” in getting campaign finance reform through. He was the person who deposed Lewinsky and Jordan in the impeachment trial; quite an important task to entrust to a newcomer in literally his first year in office. His opposition to Ashcroft in the confirmation hearings was vigorous and mesmerizing, even if it didn’t work. This is also the guy who tirelessly fought to keep the sunset provisions from being stripped out of the Patriot Act. His votes on labor and trade are solidly leftist, although he did vote for the China Trade Bill. Then again, since this was something Bill Clinton was solidly for, he was voting with his party. (Funny how Hillary supporters take him to task for this vote…) He also (along with Dodd and Biden) voted against the free trade bills with Singapore and Chile, unlike Senator Clinton, who voted for them.

Here’s a guy who constantly brought up the issue of “predatory lending” even though he hailed from a state with a huge banking and financial services industry. If you listen to or read his stump speeches from late ’02 and early ’03, you’ll wonder what the hell his detractors are talking about when they say that his populism is a new tack; his platform was economic and worker-oriented from the beginning, telling of how the Bush Administration was systematically shifting the burden of taxation from wealth to wages.

So here’s that partial list of the bills he co-sponsored. This is not a list of his votes, just those bills he actively got behind and worked to get passed. This is hardly the stuff of a closet conservative or an opportunist, as he’s been tarred, nor is it the record of someone who was just phoning it in. I would request, in interest of fairness, that the deriders among you at least skim through this VERY long list; it’s all pure fact.

When taking all this in context, it’s interesting to reflect on Kerry’s sneering that he probably couldn’t win re-election had he decided to run. Kerry may have been right on this point, but if so, it’s because of Edwards’ populism and social decency.

Details can be found here; each phrase separated by a comma is a particular bill, and in most cases attempt to use the bill’s title to lessen confusion and give the sense of the legislation.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d107&querybd ... (FLD004+@4((@1(Sen+Edwards++John))+01573)):

Sense of the Senate for funding lifestyle research for preventative medicine, Sense of the Senate honoring National Science Foundation, Sense of the Senate to preserve six day mail delivery, designating “biotechnology week”, Children’s Internet Safety Month, Joint Resolution against excessive campaign donations, to protect the civil rights of all Americans, Bi-partisan Campaign Reform, Restrict access to personal health and financial information, Establish a Center for National Social Work Research, provide more effective remedies for victims of sex discrimination in work, provide incentive for fair access to the internet for everyone, require fair availability of birth control, increase the minimum wage (’01), protect consumers in managed care programs, emergency relief for energy costs to small businesses, prohibit use of genetic information to discriminate on health coverage and employment, provide families with disabled children to buy into Medicaid, eliminate the loophole for interstate transporting of birds for fighting, provide funding to clean up contaminated land, informing veterans of available programs, Designating part of ANWR as wilderness, establish a digital network technology program, reduce the risk that innocent people be executed, restore funding for Social Security Block Grants, provide for equal coverage for mental health in insurance policies, amend Clean Air Act to reduce emissions from power plants, establish uniform election technology (sponsored by Dodd), extend modifications to funding for Medicare and Medicaid, Federal Funding to local governments to prosecute hate crimes, reinstate certain Social Security earnings exemptions for the blind, overhaul RR retirement plan to increase benefits, Establish a Nurse recruitment and retention program, amend FDA to provide greater access to affordable pharmaceuticals, Establish African American Museum within the Smithsonian, Federal funding for research of environmental factors in Breast Cancer, Increase hospital benefits under Medicare, Establish Tariff Quotas on milk protein imports, Federal funding for mental health community education, protect patients in managed care plans (again), establish Office on Women’s Health in HHS, increase the minimum wage, allow media coverage of trials, prohibit racial profiling, improve health care in rural areas, protect consumers in managed care plans, prohibiting trade of bear viscera, provide greater fairness in arbitration of motor vehicle franchises, provide adequate insurance coverage for immunosuppressive drugs, provide financial assistance for trade-affected communities, acquisition and improvement of child-care facilities, prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation, establish programs to deal with nurse shortage, establish a National Cyber Defense Team to protect the internet’s infrastructure, provide services to prevent family violence, require criminal prosecution for securities fraud, reissuance of a rule on ergonomics, ensure safe pregnancy for all U.S. women, improve investigation and prosecution of rape cases with DNA evidence, improve national drought preparedness, increase the minimum wage (yet again), assistance in containing HIV/AIDS in foreign countries, emergency assistance for small-businesses affected by drought, child care and developmental block grants, provide economic security for America’s workers, enhance security for transporting nuclear waste, FEMA hazard mitigation grants, increase mental health benefits in health insurance, criminal prosecution for people who destroy evidence in securities fraud cases.

Is this the record of a corporate appeaser? Is this the record of someone just loafing about and collecting a paycheck?

Funny what you find when you read a little, isn’t it?

(end of post)

The Bush Cartel is Shivering In Its Boots About John Edwards: This is An Actual North Carolina GOP Alert Sent to a BuzzFlash Reader

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

Below is a copy of an actual GOP alert sent out by the North Carolina Republican Party.

It illustrates how frightened the GOP is of Edwards spoiling the Neo-Confederacy "Southern Strategy" that the Grand Hypocrisy Party (GHP) depends upon to win presidential elections.

Sincerely,

Buzz

* * *

Dear XXXX,

Senator John Edwards' (D-NC) latest effort to package himself as a "mainstream North Carolinian" is entirely contradicted by a four-year voting record that consistently puts ultra-liberal special interests ahead of the people he represents.

CNN's Candy Crowley: "I want to ask you, lastly, about the political spectrum and where you are on it. You are often described as having a liberal voting record. The liberal groups tend to give you high ratings. The conservative groups give you low ratings. Are you a liberal Democrat?

John Edwards: "I'm a mainstream North Carolinian. I think my views and my values represent the values of most people in this country." (CNN's Inside Politics, January 2, 2003)

Bill Cobey, Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party had the following response: "Senator Edwards, your voting record does not lie. 'Mainstream North Carolinians' don't vote like Georgetown Liberals."

Edwards made similar assertions in 1998 when he promised the people of North Carolina that he would be a moderate voice in the U.S. Senate. Edwards' record, however, reveals the liberal truth:

Edwards' Voting Record Matches Those Of Senators Ted Kennedy And Hillary Clinton

From 1999-2002, Edwards Voted With Senator Ted Kennedy 90% Of The Time. (CQ Vote Comparison, CQ Online Website, www.oncongresscq.com, 106th and 107th Congresses)

From 2001-2002, Edwards Voted With Senator Hillary Clinton 89% Of The Time. (CQ Vote Comparison, CQ Online Website, www.oncongresscq.com, 107th Congress)

Edwards' Liberal Record On Business/Job Growth

Edwards Received A 0% Rating From The Small Business Survival Committee For His Voting Record In 2001. (Small Business Survival Committee Website, www.sbsc.org, accessed Dec.1, 2002)

Edwards Received A 17% Rating From The National Federation Of Independent Business For His Voting Record In 2001. (National Federation Of Independent Business, www.nfib.com, accessed Dec. 1, 2002)

Edwards' Liberal Record On Education

Edwards Voted Against The Creation Of A Demonstration Public School Choice Voucher Program For Disadvantaged Children. (Amendment to S. 1, Roll Call #179: Rejected 41-58: R 38-11; D 3-46; I 0-1, June 12, 2001)

In 2000, Edwards Voted Against The Creation Of Tax-Free Education Savings Accounts For Children To Be Used In The Payment Of Public Or Private School Tuition. (S. 1134, Roll Call #33: Passed 61-37: R 52-2; D 9-35, March 2, 2000)

Edwards' Liberal Record On Abortion

In June Of 2000, Edwards Voted Against Tabling An Amendment That Would Have Repealed The Ban On Privately Funded Abortions At Overseas Military Facilities. (Amendment to S. 2549, Roll Call #134: Passed 50-49: R 48-6; D 2-43, June 20, 2000)

In October Of 1999, Edwards Voted Against Passage Of A Bill To Ban Partial-Birth Abortions. (S. 1692, Roll Call #340: Passed 63-34: R 48-3; D 14-31; I 1-0, October 21, 1999)

Edwards' Liberal Record On Health Care And Social Issues

Edwards Called For A Federal Prescription-Drug Benefit And Lamented Over The Lack Of Universal Health Insurance For Children. "Moving to health care, Edwards - his words being recorded by a National Public Radio reporter sitting near his feet - again called for a federal prescription-drug benefit and decried the lack of universal insurance coverage for children. 'In America,' he intoned, 'that's wrong, and we need to do something about it.'" (Eric Dyer, "Testing The Waters?" News & Record, June 23, 2002)

In 2001, Edwards Voted To Table An Amendment That Would Have Prohibited The Use Of Public Funds For Needle Exchange Programs In The District Of Columbia. (Amendment to H.R. 2994, Roll Call #328: Motion To Table Passed 53-47: R 5-44; D 47-3; I 1-0, November 7, 2001)

Edwards' Liberal Record On Taxes/Fiscal Responsibility

Edwards Voted Against President Bush's Bipartisan Tax Relief Package. (H.R. 1836, Roll Call #170: Passed 58-33: R 46-2; D 12-31, May 26, 2001)

Edwards Voted Against Permanent Repeal Of The Estate Tax. (H.R. 8, Roll Call #151: Failed 54-44: R 45-2; D 9-42, June 12, 2002)

In 2001, Edwards Voted Against A Capital Gains Tax Rate Reduction. (Amendment To H.R. 1836, Roll Call #115: Failed 47-51: R 40-8; D 7-43, May 21, 2001)

In 2000, Edwards Voted Against A Bill That Would Have Reduced Taxes On Married Couples. (H.R. 4810, Roll Call #215: Adopted 61-38: R 53-1; D 8-37, July 18, 2000)

In 2000, Edwards Voted Against A Temporary Suspension Of The Gasoline Tax. (S. 2285, Roll Call #80: Failed 43-56: R 43-12; D 0-44, April 11, 2000)

Edwards' Liberal Record On The Environment

Edwards Argued That President Bush's New Source Review Plan "Defies Common Sense." 'It defies common sense to me,' said Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C." (Karen Masterson, "Port Arthur Activist Testifies Against Easing Clean Air Laws," The Houston Chronicle, July 17, 2002)

AT ODDS WITH FELLOW DEMOCRATS

On Trade Promotion Authority

Edwards Disagrees With Kerry, Daschle And Lieberman On Trade Promotion Authority. Edwards voted against trade promotion authority, but Kerry, Daschle and Lieberman voted for it. (H.R. 3009, Roll Call #207: Passed 64-34: R 43-5; D 20-29; I 1-0, August 1, 2002)

On Common Sense Tort Reform

Edwards Disagrees With Lieberman On Tort Reform. Unlike his Senate colleague Lieberman, Edwards adamantly opposes liability limits and civil justice reform. (Jill Zuckman, "Medical Bill," Chicago Tribune, June 24, 2001; Senator Lieberman, Press Conference, July 15, 1999)

When Asked By Bob Novak, Edwards Could Not Recall A Single Conservative Position That He Has Taken On An Issue As Senator. "'I could give you an answer to that question if you give me a little time to think about it.' - Democratic presidential aspirant Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, asked by columnist Robert D. Novak in...the American Spectator to recall any conservative position he's taken in the U.S. Senate ." (John McCaslin, "Dependably Liberal," The Washington Times, October 15, 2002)

http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/03/01/14_Edwards.html

PurityOfEssence (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Dec-30-07 01:35 AM
Response to Reply #15
24. I agree; the repeated "fact" that he wasn't a populist to start with is simply wrong

If one looks at his record, one sees populism as a very clear through-line.

People wave the bloody shirt of Stephanopoulos' grilling of him as some kind of proof of his calumny, when those same people seem to forget that little Georgie's a Clinton operative of the first rank. His leap to prominence came from being a key member of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, and he's a friend as well as a rooter. He has no more journalistic objectivity than James Carville does, and it's a form of deception to not have it tattooed on his forehead as he masquerades as a reporter.

Edwards is a classic Southern populist: pro-affirmative action, constantly trying to raise the minimum wage, for civil rights, for healthcare for the poor, pro-union and on and on. His Senate record is actually quite good, and I've posted to that effect. Anyone who has issues with this should look up the 203 bills he co-sponsored as a Senator.

It's all very convenient to say that he was a hawkish Democrat who changed his ways, but you'll note that the media NEVER tries to foist off the lie that he was a corporatist or anything of the sort. Except for this series of bills--which are hardly clear-cut, as I point out above--his record has been solidly for the little guy from the beginning. He voted for the China Bill, but that was Bill Clinton's pet and he was voting with his party. He voted AGAINST free trade with Singapore and Chile, and he's consistently voted for worker's rights, union rights, ergonomic rules, environmental protections and the usual "little guy" concerns. It's simply a chickenshit lie that he's only now become some kind of populist; his record shows that he has been all along.

Lest we forget, voting against tax cuts isn't that much of a personal risk for a John Kerry from Massachusetts, but it sure as hell is for a first-termer from North Carolina.

People constantly try to make complex situations simple, but they fall into one of the most despicable and self-congratulatory traps of human hypocrisy: flatly dismissing others as mere caricatures while demanding that they and their champions be given break after break and accorded the elaborate complexity of the gods. It's human nature, and it's the sucky part of human nature.

As for your primary point about admitting one's mistakes, I fully agree: the macho, blockheaded, uber-male approach of most politicians (regardless of gender) is tiresome, and to them, admitting a mistake is tantamount to admitting sheer worthlessness or admitting that they might occasionally pull over and ask for directions. Many people decry the inability of people to admit a mistake, but when someone actually does it, he/she gets pounced upon and torn limb from limb. It's vulgar and immature.

Why I shied away from addressing this first is that letting the conversation veer that way tacitly reinforces the big ugly stupid black-and-white lie that he's truly changed. He hasn't. He was good then and he's good now. Yes, he got suckered with the IWR, but Tenet looked him right in the eyes and lied to him. Others did too. Can you trust a man who changes his mind? Hey, at least you know he HAS one. He's done something truly courageous, and deserves a point or two for it. He also deserves points for addressing the issue of poverty; it's a sure vote-loser, but it's THE RIGHT THING TO DO and it's been his cause from the beginning.

Things aren't black or white, and those who insist they are are either fools or skunks. The very way bills are characterized is a good illustration of this, and it's important to try to see things in their totality and in their historical context.

Oh, and welcome to the board. I'm in LA; where are you?

(end of post)

Edwards's Record as A Freshman Senator
Lawmaker Labored on Issues Such as Health Care, Intelligence and Trade

-snip-

Edwards has little in the way of concrete legislative achievements, but he gained attention on issues ranging from health care to intelligence to environmental protection.

While aspiring to build a national profile, Edwards also labored on issues important to his home state, such as proposing amendments to help textile workers who were losing their jobs to lower-wage workers in other nations. In recent weeks, he increasingly has raised trade issues in trying to differentiate himself from Kerry.

-snip-

He voted to support abortion rights, authorize the war in Iraq, require criminal background checks on buyers at gun shows, block the confirmation of some of President Bush's most conservative judicial nominees, and prohibit oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

-snip-

But it was the patients' bill of rights, which Edwards had championed in his 1998 Senate campaign, that proved to be his biggest accomplishment -- and disappointment.

-snip-

Edwards voted against trade pacts with Chile, Singapore and Africa, which Kerry supported. But he voted in 2000 to grant most-favored-nation trading status to China, as did Kerry and most other senators. "I think it's clear that Senator Kerry and I have very different records on trade," Edwards recently told reporters. On the same day, Kerry declared: "We have the same policy on trade -- exactly the same policy."

In discussing trade, Edwards focuses on the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement, which was enacted with Kerry's support five years before Edwards entered the Senate. While his campaign statements assert that "Edwards has consistently opposed NAFTA," the North Carolina senator recently told New York Times editors that NAFTA "is an important part of our global economy," although he wants tougher protections for the environment and worker conditions.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15414-20...

Clinton Defense Leader in Impeachment Trial

Kennedy-Edwards-McCain Patients' Bill of Rights

Kennedy-Edwards Minimum Wage Raise Laws

Vote Against Bush's First Taxgiveaway

Vote Against Bush's Second Taxgiveaway

Vote Against $87 Billion "I support Bush's War Bill"

Wrote Bill that allowed individuals to buy prescription drugs from Canada

Wrote and Sponsored Bill that would make sexual orientation a legally protected category in job discrimination

Wrote Sunset Provision into Patriot Act

Floor leader for Feingold-McCain Campaign Finance Reform.

Voted against the Chilean trade agreement, against the Caribbean trade agreement, against the Singapore trade agreement, against final passage of fast track for this president.

Actually defeated a Republican incumbent in a Red State who had the Helms Machine with him.

Great stuff, and most useful when confronting the dense.

:toast:

Don't always agree but he always offers something to think about. Edwards has seriously caught my attention, this post is comforting and helpful since I started leaning in Edwards direction.

:applause:

I apologize for the bad joke above. :) But really, great post!

:dem:

And of course hats off to POE, he did some good work here. This should be a cut, paste, and save for all Edwards Supporters.

And it doesn't hurt to memorize either.

Thanks! :hi:

:kick: And I would R it too if I could. Great post!!!

but it's too bad when so many on DU also participate in spreading lies about Edwards. Hearing the truth for a change is a breath of fresh air.

go John go!!

I am going to S.C. next weekend to canvass for John for the week leading up to Primary in SC!!

Go John Go..this is one incredible man married to a wonderful Lady who i respect in so many ways!!

fly

There is lots to admire about her too. What a team.

Hope you are able to report Good Stuff from SC.

:kick:

...but as Edwards and other DLC members have proved, even DLCers can't be place in some strict ideological corner.

Dean was also a member of the DLC. Dean, like Edwards, was ultimately rejected by the DLC. Now another progressive sweetheart has all but given the DLC's blessing yet Obama is still perceived as a savior by many folks who hate the DLC. :shrug:

I think he ought to talk more about this type of thing. I've seen him respond to questions that disparaged his Senate record, and I don't remember him coming up with anything like this in response.

And it would be complicated to put it in context, explain how amendments work and hence ineffective. So he gives a short answer like "I voted for the interests of working people hundreds of times. You can flyspeck anyone's record." It is the best he can do but we need to confront the Big Lie about his record at the grassroots level. That is where it can be defended. Most people have not bought the Big Lie. His favorable ratings are as good as Obama's.

He co-sponsored 531 bills in six years, around the same the number (529) Obama co-sponsored in half the time. In six years no bill out of 81 sponsored by Edwards was enacted, while one bill of 129 sponsored by Obama was enacted in the course of half the time. For her part, Clinton co-sponsored 1706 bills, sponsored 350 bills, and one was enacted in the course of seven years.


http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=300039

Yes, we get it. Edwards was just loafing around and collecting a paycheck. :eyes:

Purity's point was you can tell from the bills he co-sponsors what Edwards' priorities were in the Senate. Those priorities totally debunk the Big Lie about Edwards' record that has been going around for a year, and for some reason picked up around February of 2007.... In your comparison you neglected to mention Edwards was a nobody for most of his time in the Senate. Obama and Hillary were celebrities from the beginning. They had far more clout than Edwards did. By the time Edwards had the same level of clout he was running for VP.

It is very instructive that no one has come into this thread and, in face of the truth and total record, attempted to promote the Big Lie that Edwards was a right-winger whose record is in complete contrast to his current message. He was always an economic populist. To amend what Purity said, he was very good then. He is great now.

So lame. But you enjoy the rest of your day :hi:

This has been used against Edwards for a while and mysteriously increased in its frequency in last February (what happened that month?)... From my vantage point it seems you were continuing the part of the Big Lie about Edwards' record that claims he was a slacker. Your post would have more credibility if you noted the humongous difference in clout between the two celebrities and a first termer who was unknown until late in his career and by that point he was busy running for vice president.

I corrected it. We're done here.

...the overall tenor of Edwards' voting record in the Senate.

Edwards in a way that had nothing to do with the point of the original post, but thats ok.

Kinda hard to get anything passed when you do not control the House.

Do the names Trent Lott, Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay and Henry Hyde mean ANYTHING to you? Lets see Obama work with those monsters when they have the MAJORITY.

:wtf:

It is intellectually dishonest to pretend Edwards was on a level footing with them. They had far more clout than Edwards, or any other normal first term senator, by virtue of their celebrity status. How many first termers are used to headline fund raisers and speak on behalf of candidates across the country? Obama was in most demand of all the Democratic senators to campaign for others. Hillary was probably second. To compare them to an Edwards is intellectually dishonest.

This is much-needed information. Let's keep it visible.

:)

:kick:

Details can be found here; each phrase separated by a comma is a particular bill, and in most cases attempt to use the bill’s title to lessen confusion and give the sense of the legislation.

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/?&Db=d107&querybd ... (FLD004+@4((@1(Sen+Edwards++John))+01573)):

Sense of the Senate for funding lifestyle research for preventative medicine,
Sense of the Senate honoring National Science Foundation,
Sense of the Senate to preserve six day mail delivery,
designating “biotechnology week”,
Children’s Internet Safety Month,
Joint Resolution against excessive campaign donations,
to protect the civil rights of all Americans,
Bi-partisan Campaign Reform,
Restrict access to personal health and financial information,
Establish a Center for National Social Work Research,
provide more effective remedies for victims of sex discrimination in work,
provide incentive for fair access to the internet for everyone,
require fair availability of birth control,
increase the minimum wage (’01),
protect consumers in managed care programs,
emergency relief for energy costs to small businesses,
prohibit use of genetic information to discriminate on health coverage and employment,
provide families with disabled children to buy into Medicaid,
eliminate the loophole for interstate transporting of birds for fighting,
provide funding to clean up contaminated land,
informing veterans of available programs,
Designating part of ANWR as wilderness,
establish a digital network technology program,
reduce the risk that innocent people be executed,
restore funding for Social Security Block Grants,
provide for equal coverage for mental health in insurance policies,
amend Clean Air Act to reduce emissions from power plants,
establish uniform election technology (sponsored by Dodd),
extend modifications to funding for Medicare and Medicaid,
Federal Funding to local governments to prosecute hate crimes,
reinstate certain Social Security earnings exemptions for the blind,
overhaul RR retirement plan to increase benefits,
Establish a Nurse recruitment and retention program,
amend FDA to provide greater access to affordable pharmaceuticals,
Establish African American Museum within the Smithsonian,
Federal funding for research of environmental factors in Breast Cancer,
Increase hospital benefits under Medicare,
Establish Tariff Quotas on milk protein imports,
Federal funding for mental health community education,
protect patients in managed care plans (again),
establish Office on Women’s Health in HHS,
increase the minimum wage,
allow media coverage of trials, prohibit racial profiling,
improve health care in rural areas,
protect consumers in managed care plans,
prohibiting trade of bear viscera,
provide greater fairness in arbitration of motor vehicle franchises,
provide adequate insurance coverage for immunosuppressive drugs,
provide financial assistance for trade-affected communities,
acquisition and improvement of child-care facilities,
prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation,
establish programs to deal with nurse shortage,
establish a National Cyber Defense Team to protect the internet’s infrastructure,
provide services to prevent family violence,
require criminal prosecution for securities fraud,
reissuance of a rule on ergonomics,
ensure safe pregnancy for all U.S. women,
improve investigation and prosecution of rape cases with DNA evidence,
improve national drought preparedness,
increase the minimum wage (yet again),
assistance in containing HIV/AIDS in foreign countries,
emergency assistance for small-businesses affected by drought,
child care and developmental block grants,
provide economic security for America’s workers,
enhance security for transporting nuclear waste,
FEMA hazard mitigation grants,
increase mental health benefits in health insurance,
criminal prosecution for people who destroy evidence in securities fraud cases.

That he wrote sunset provisions into the Patriot act should be more widely known especially as an answer to those cranking that argument up, as his vote on this and the war is a near deal breaker. But I can understand it in the web of lies that were being promoted at the time and the huge pressure within the beltway. The sunset provision makes it somewhat easier to swallow especially since he now recognizes it as a big mistake.

Great diary!

n/t

Need to keep this one on top and regularly repost, good stuff.

:kick:

No child Left behind? Patriot Act?
All righty then :shrug:

There was only one bankruptcy bill while Edwards was in office. The nastier one came about in 2005.

I'm not thrilled with the one he voted for, but seem to recall its main focus (or supposed intent) was to get people to try to work with their creditors (and creditors to try and work with the debtors). There were specific provisions about payment plans having been negotiated, if I remember correctly.

Most dems voted against it. Not Edwards.

Read it and you will know where the IWR went. Yucca and bankruptcy were votes. This is a list of bills he cosponsored and other things that paint a broad picture of his Senate record. This is not a listing of the thousands of votes he cast in six years.

Yucca. Where do you propose we put that waste? We can't just "hope" it goes away.

Markin' too! I feel victory in the air! :kick:

:kick:

who will be tabling next week at her university for John Edwards. Also I'm making some pecan bars to go along with this wonderful information.... Can't learn on an empty stomach.

Edwards is not perfect but neither is any other Congressperson (I posted an example of how easy it is to swiftboat a senator in another thread). His record is very clear, consistent in his populism and championing of common folk. He also was strong on trade, intelligence, and privacy.

http://votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=21107

02/02/2000 Bankruptcy Reform bill - Voted Y
11/19/2002 Homeland Security Act of 2002 - Voted Y
05/21/2004 Condemning Iraq Abuse of Prisoners resolution - DID NOT VOTE
10/11/2002 Use of Military Force Against Iraq - Voted Y
10/06/2004 National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 - DID NOT VOTE
10/25/2001 USA Patriot Act of 2001 - Voted Y
09/14/2001 Military Force Authorization resolution - Voted Y
09/16/2003 FCC Media Ownership bill - DID NOT VOTE
09/19/2000 U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000 - Voted Y

Since you are probably an Obamite (the biggest proponents of the swiftboating of Edwards' record) let me play your game with Saint Obama.

10/18/2007 Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions NV
09/06/2007 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion NV
10/26/2005 Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Funding Amendment N
04/18/2005 Future Military Funding for Iraq Amendment NV
12/18/2007 Inclusion of Iraq Operations Funding with the Consolidated Appropriations NV
12/13/2007 Energy Act of 2007 NV
12/14/2007 Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act of 2007 (Farm Bill) NV
12/06/2007 Temporary Tax Adjustments Act of 2007 NV
12/06/2007 Temporary Alternative Minimum Tax Adjustment Act of 2007 NV
11/01/2007 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) NV
10/30/2007 Amtrak Reauthorization NV
10/25/2007 Amtrak Federal Subsidy Limits NV
10/18/2007 Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions NV
10/03/2007 Border Fence and Customs Appropriations NV
09/27/2007 State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization NV
09/10/2007 Bridge Repair Funding NV
09/07/2007 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants NV
07/26/2007 Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act NV
07/26/2007 REAL ID Funding NV
03/07/2005 Minimum Wage Amendment N
To highlight how easy it is to swiftboat a Senate record I will point out that Obama vote for a Minimum Wage Amendment on the same day
09/20/2007 Expressing Support for General Petraeus and All Members of the Armed Forces NV
07/26/2007 Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act NV
07/26/2007 REAL ID Funding NV
07/19/2007 Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees NV
06/06/2007 English as the Common Language Y
12/18/2007 Iraq Withdrawal Amendment NV
11/07/2007 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies NV
09/07/2007 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants NV
07/20/2007 Student Loan Lender Subsidy Cuts and Student Grants NV
12/13/2007 Energy Act of 2007 NV
06/21/2007 Energy Act of 2007 Y
06/14/2007 Offshore Drilling in Virginia NV
07/29/2005 Energy Policy Act of 2005 Y
06/28/2005 Energy Policy Act of 2005 Y
11/08/2007 On the Nomination of Michael B. Mukasey for the Office of Attorney General NV
06/11/2007 Attorney General No Confidence Vote NV
12/06/2006 Robert Gates, Secretary of Defense Y
4/21/2005 John Negroponte, Director of National Intelligence Y
02/15/2005 Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security Y
01/26/2005 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Y
11/07/2007 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies NV
11/01/2007 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) NV
10/23/2007 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies NV
09/27/2007 State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization NV
07/25/2006 Child Custody Protection Act N
12/18/2007 Iraq Withdrawal Amendment NV
12/04/2007 United States-Peru Trade Agreement NV
09/26/2007 Expressing the Sense of Congress Regarding Iran and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps NV
09/06/2007 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion NV
07/19/2007 Sense of the Senate on Guantanamo Bay Detainees NV
11/01/2007 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) NV
0/18/2007 Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions NV
09/27/2007 State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization NV
6/21/2006 Increasing Minimum Wage Amendment N
03/02/2006 USA PATRIOT and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization Y
10/18/2007 Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions NV
09/06/2007 Prohibiting U.S. Assistance for Groups that Support Coercive Abortion NV
12/04/2007 United States-Peru Trade Agreement NV
09/19/2006 U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement Implementation Y
06/29/2006 U.S. -Oman Free Trade Agreement Y
09/10/2007 Bridge Repair Funding NV
11/01/2007 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP) NV
09/27/2007 State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization NV
10/18/2007 Prohibiting Funds for Groups that Perform Abortions NV

http://votesmart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=9490

Funding the war: "Until he ran for president, Sen. Obama supported every funding bill for Iraq, some $300 billion. <2005 Vote # 117, HR1268, 5/10/05; 2005 Vote # 326, S1042, 11/15/05; 2006 Vote # 112, HR4939, 5/4/06; 2006 Vote # 239; 2006 Vote # 186, S2766, 6/22/06, HR5631, 9/7/06>

Sen. Obama waited 18 months to give his first speech on the Senate floor devoted to Iraq, in which he opposed a timeline for withdrawal. Obama said "I'm also acutely aware that a precipitous withdrawal of our troops, driven by Congressional edict rather than the realities on the ground, will not undo the mistakes made by this Administration. It could compound them."

Sen. Obama didn't introduce legislation to end the Iraq war until he started running for president.

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=516...

There is also Dick Cheney's energy bill and tort reform.

I believe in what a candidate DOES, not what he SAYS.

I readily admit to cherry picking through his record. I noticed several IMPORTANT bills that he voted pro-Corporation, pro-War and pro-Police State on. He had a chance to vote differently when he was a Senator and DID NOT. Why anyone would believe anyhing he says when what he does is so obviously contradictory, I'll never understand.

He's no longer a Senator, he's running for the nomination now and quite obviously will say ANYTHING to get elected.

:yawn: So has every other Senator.

It is a Big Lie (promoted mostly by supporters of one rival candidate) that there is a chasm between his record and rhetoric.

Let's look at the votes you flyspecked out of thousands (what happened to running on "hope"?). Three he missed because he was runn
ing for president or vice president. Of those three one was not even important. It was a meaningless sense of the Senate resolution condemning something that had already been roundly condemned, including by John Edwards. Why didn't you remember that since you are so keen on researching his record?

IWR: been discussed, explained how many times now? He was wrong on that. He is right now on Iraq and the best on that issue.

Patriot Act: Your intent is made clear by including this. You ignore him fighting for a sunset provision in the Patriot Act and then vilify him for voting for something that passed 98-1 a month after 9/11. Your hero voted to reauthorize it.


China: I answered this in the other thread. You ignored it then but it is important other people get the whole truth about it so I will say it again.

The China bill was pushed by a Democratic president. It had bipartisan support. Only about a dozen folks voted against it. Edwards does not have a crystal ball. The purpose of the bill was to normalize trade relations with China. The idea was to bring China into the international trading regime so it would play by the rules. It was not as cut and dry as people make it out to be eight years later.

If you really care about his trade record you will note this:

"Edwards voted against trade pacts with Chile, Singapore and Africa, which Kerry supported." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15414-20...

Kerry is a progressive saint now isn't he?

Homeland Security: A bipartisan bill. Hardly a bad thing to support. Whether DHS is necessary is one thing but I make no apology for Edwards and others trying to protect the country by creating DHS, which Bush initially opposed.

Bankruptcy Reform bill: I'll turn it over to the great POE again.

PurityOfEssence (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Dec-30-07 12:24 AM
Response to Original message
14. Here are some things to think about

This is an exchange from earlier this month:

DODD: : Back in 2001 the congress passed I think one of the worst pieces of legislation of all time: the so called the Bankruptcy Reform Act. Senators Clinton, Biden, and Edwards voted for that bill, which drove a lot of people working class families into poverty, & made it very difficult for them to manage their lives & to get back on their feet again. John, you made a big issue of poverty, something you have dedicated your life to. So could you explain to me why you'd vote for a piece of legislation like that which did so much damage to so many families in our country?

EDWARDS: Yeah, I was wrong. I was wrong and you were right Chris. I should not have voted for that bankruptcy bill. It was a bad, bad piece of legislation. I think any of us who voted for it were wrong to have voted for it. I think there were some good provisions in it but I think on the whole when you look it at it actually did damage to low income families and working families in this country.

Source: 2007 Iowa Brown & Black Presidential Forum Dec 1, 2007

Why did he vote for it? For one thing, it also included AN INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE, something that has been a pet issue for him from the beginning.

I don't find any explanations from a quick web search, so even this is putting words in his mouth. Since I've already started to do so, I guess I'll continue.

The bill was novel in its means testing, which made it more difficult for people to completely wipe the slate clean if they had some ability to repay some of the debts. It didn't mean that people would be completely denied bankruptcy and made debt-slaves for the rest of their lives, just that they'd have to repay up to 25% of the debt if they could. The bill has been sweepingly mischaracterized as one that would deny ANY protection for individuals in a tight spot, and that's not the case.

It also tried to cap the homestead rules at $125K, so rich people in Texas and Florida couldn't play the time-honored game of the rich of piling up a huge mountain of debt by (among other things) buying a mansion and then welshing on their obligations and keeping the house. (Why do you think Kay Bailey Hutchison voted against it?)

Another big provision was the changing of rules on privacy brought in by Leahy. This actually gave a form of protection to those filing bankruptcy that they'd never had before. You may not be aware of it, but this is a big early cause of Edwards, with one of the two bills he sponsored being the "Spyware Control and Privacy Protection Act of 2000".

Legislation is often a rearguard action against looming legislation that could be worse, and there was a great deal of tactical maneuvering done in the sculpting of S.420. In the end, it wasn't a good bill, but the idea that some accountability should be had by those seeking protection from their creditors is hardly complete submission to corporations.

There are also the less pleasant aspects to it: it was a bill with overwhelming support, so perhaps it wasn't a battle worth fighting, especially coming from a state with a huge banking industry. I don't like to think that this was a major reason, but it would be disingenuous to not point out such a thing as an influence.

Please do remember, though, that he repeatedly used the term "predatory lending" in his stump speeches in '03 and '04, so he certainly stuck out his neck in the face of the powerhouse industry back home.

I would welcome any comments he's made on the bill, but I couldn't find any.

Once again, he has come down very specifically on the side of the little guys with his current proposals, and that should be taken into account.

China: I agree that "Edwards voted against trade pacts with Chile, Singapore and Africa." He voted for normalization of trade with China, however...You say that "Only about a dozen folks voted against it." Edwards wasn't one of them, and if he doesn't have a crystal ball, he better start at least READING legislation before he votes for it.

IWR: Yes - he was wrong. He can afford to be right at this point in time, however, as he doesn't have to justify a vote.

Patriot Act: Wrong again. I don't care how many voted for it and I could care less about the sunset provision. It will certainly be endlessly reauthorized. I'm positive that Edwards would have voted to reauthorize, had he been given the chance. The sunset provision seems merely like a CYA rearguard action more than anything else, from someone who never really stopped running for president. This is only my opinion, however.

His YES vote on the Patriot Act doesn't alter his YES vote on Homeland Security Act of 2002, either. Wrong again.

Bankrupcy Reform: He has said it was a lousy bill and that he was wrong. OK.

Edwards knows all about predatory lending, alright. First hand experience. I keep wondering if he made $4 million or $6 million off the backs of the foreclosed and evicted in 2006-7 (plus $459,000 salary and $180,000 contributed) by predatory lenders leveraged by Fortress investments. I'll PM you when I find out.


It's all I seem to hear about Edwards - he was previously wrong, but now he has "seen the light." Pffffffft. He can say that he's a "changed man" all he wants - he is no longer required to back any of it up as he is no longer a Senator. Yhe USA has just had 7 years of WRONG...anyone for FOUR MORE YEARS?

He has absolutely nothing to lose, so he can say absolutely ANYTHING in order to win. He's been consistently wrong about several EXTREMELY important pieces of pro-Corporate, pro-War and pro-Police State legislation. Some of them possibly the most important pieces of legislation in the past seven years.

I do not find ANY of his explanations regarding his employment or investments at Fortress credible in the slightest, nor did I appreciate his vilifying of Clinton for taking $20,000 from NewsCorp while he, himself accepted a $500,000 advance and $300,000 payment from a NewsCorp owned publishing house. The fact that he whined about "media bias" afterword did not impress me much, either

Someone who flys his hairdresser in from Hollywood at a cost of $1100 for a $400 haircut has some pretty big balls to run as an anti-poverty candidate. Edwards will speak at length about it, too - as long as you have his $55,000 speaking fee. I thought his complicity (with Clinton) in marginalizing less popular candidates was absolutely disgusting, as well.


I am not an Obamite. I'm just against Edwards. Really, really, really against Edwards. I believe that he is a liar and that his candidacy is an insult to Democrats.

Why is a "Canadian" so obsessed with an American candidate who is mired in a distant third? :tinfoilhat:

China: What were the arguments for/against it? Most Democrats voted for it. They all must be corporatists right? :rofl:

Africa, Singapore, and Chile: He voted against them while Kerry voted for them. Edwards is the closest thing to a protectionist you will find in a credible presidential candidate. He also opposes the South Korea free trade bill, which Hillary and Obama support.

Patriot Act: He did the right thing to add sunset provisions to it. The Patriot Act had far more good than bad in it. That is why it was reauthorized with only slight modifications. Something had to be done and the country was not in a mood for spending five months debating the fine points about a bill that was gigantic in size. You are allegedly a Canadian so you aren't aware of the climate at the time the Patriot Act was passed 98-1.

Homeland Security Act of 2002: I didn't link this to the Patriot Act. I said: A bipartisan bill. Hardly a bad thing to support. Whether DHS is necessary is one thing but I make no apology for Edwards and others trying to protect the country by creating DHS, which Bush initially opposed.

Is any candidate talking about abolishing DHS? Only one is and he is a fringe Republican candidate. Maybe there is a reason Obama and Hillary aren't talking about abolishing it?

I won't even dignify the Republican swiftboat talking points in the second half of your post with a reply.

Do you actually believe that as a citizen of the USA's closest neighbour and largest trading partner, I should not be concerned about who gets nominated to run for POTUS? WTF??? I worked for 10 years as an analyst for a USAmerican computer services company that has several USAmerican Defense contractors as clients. Two other USAmericans are now doing my job, since I no longer have access to data from these defense contractors. I'm bitter, but I will survive. My father has passed on, so I now help my husband run a small mixed dairy/poultry farm 10 minutes from the US border (NY State). My father used to export to the US for 30 years through marketing boards, but due to industry overregulation it is no longer cost effective to do so.

China: Issues - human rights/unfair trade practices/gov't monopoly/technology transfer... Voting: 15 Senators voted against the bill, including some Democrats. If THEY had the brains to read the bill and figure it out, why didn't Edwards? Edwards voted FOR it, EoS. Other: What percentage of the USA's total trade deficit can be attributed to Africa, Singapore, and Chile? What percentage is directly attributable to China Trade? I see the difference, can YOU see the difference.

"You are allegedly a Canadian so you aren't aware of the climate at the time..." Again, WTF??? 75% of Canadians live within 250km of the US-Canada border. Can you comprehend what legislation like the Patriot Act and Homeland Security Act have done to trade, travel, agriculture, immigration, border issues, industrial and environmental regulations and tourism THROUGHOUT BOTH of our countries? How you can make the ridiculous assumption that US Citizens are the only ones being affected by this legislation is beyond me.

Swiftboat? No WAY. All Edwards' financials (the ones he will talk about, anyway) are a matter of public record, and more will be disclosed on May 15, when we are allowed to find out how mny millions of dollars Edwards made through his investments in Fortress. Edwards has unsuccessfully attempted (in my opinion) to address these issues, because like many others, I simply refuse to believe that any reasonable person would invest $16 million (HALF his net worth, remember?) into a BLACK HOLE, especially when said person is employed by said black hole. This is what he actually expects people to believe, just as he expects people to believe that he made some innocent mistakes as a Senator and now, voila, his views have changed and he is now an anti-poverty activist (with a new $400 haircut and a 28500 sq. ft. house) and advocate for change. Sorry to be so rude, but in my opinion, the man is obviously either a liar, a total moron, or BOTH.

Apologies for the shitty tone of this post, but as a Canadian, I get understandably more than a little pissed off when an anonymous USAmerican tells me I should be blissfully unconcerned about something that has ALREADY cost me ONE career and threatens even my meagre farm income. You have done USAmericans (especially Democrats!) an absolute disservice in reinforcing negative stereotypes with your last post, I am afraid.

That is all I need to see.

Perhaps you will post as a response to this reply a list of all of the worst decisions in YOUR life and from now on will mention them right away to each person you meet and in the first 2 minutes of each job interview YOU have so that you can be judged as if those were the most important things about you.

Thanks, but for those of us who are human, "I readily admit to cherry picking through his record." sounds like shitty thing to do.

Cherry-picking (at least in this instance) is not shitty AT ALL. His ENTIRE voting record was posted above my post, but obviously, some votes are more important than others.

I cherry-picked his record because I believe that some of his worst Senate votes were on extraordinarily important issues. Some of these issues ACTUALLY AFFECTED ME, while other did not. Some of this legislation affects EVERYBODY in North America. Some of it affects everyone in the WORLD.

I absolutely refuse to give each Supplemental Appropriations Bill equal consideration to The Patriot Act or the Use of Military Force Against Iraq.

02/15/2005 Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security Y
01/26/2005 Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Y

why? has he explained these votes? and this wasn't very long ago...i don't get it

i'm still feeling dennis kucinich (and joe biden, and especially al gore!) but time is getting shorter and this thread is pushing me toward edwards.

the good news is it's a tough decision. i'm not even sure my vote will matter by the time it comes around to NC. or ever as far as that goes. i thought i'd made a firm decision to vote my conscience in the primary then go with whatever democrat was the nominee, but now it looks as if the nominee might possibly be someone other than clinton or obama, and depending on the situation at the time of the NC primary, well all i can say is i'm keeping an open mind.

You are loved lots! :hug: and lots!
THANK YOU!


This thread has been a long time coming! :patriot:

Thank you for all your work!!!

:hi:

RL

a perfect 10 -- out of 100, that is. They rate Sen. Clinton a 9 out of 100, and Sen. Obama an 8. So they're in a statistical tie as the most liberal candidates. (They don't list Dennis Kucinich -- he's probably a minus 20 or something.)

To give some perspective, this organization ranks Sen. Feingold a 12, Sen. Biden a 14, Sam Brownback a 95, and Tom Tancredo a 99.

Voting records do mean something, but when I compare a voting record then vs. what a candidate says they will do NOW and in the FUTURE, I put more emphasis on the latter.