Chet Edwards, coy on VP prospects, takes lead in attack on McCain record on veterans

Of all the pols on the short and not-so-short lists, Rep. Chet Edwards hasn't exactly been the most visible surrogate for Barack Obama. In fact, the Waco Democrat has laid low for the past month and a half, since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi started to publicly push him as her favorite VP pick.

But Sunday afternoon, Edwards took on the role of lead attack dog as Democrats put on pre-buttal conference call ahead of GOP Sen. John McCain's speech tomorrow to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Orlando. (Obama speaks there Tuesday, and President Bush a day later.)

"Sen. Obama, unlike Sen. McCain, will put expansion of health care services for veterans as a higher priority than tax cuts for people making $1 million a year," Edwards said, arguing that some of McCain's policies would actually restrict access to VA health care for middle income veterans.

Regardless of McCain's heroism when he served in uniform, Edwards said, the Arizona senator's record on veterans health care and benefits is "bad" and "failed."

http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/08/chet-edwards-takes-lead-in-att.html

:sarcasm:

campaign invite him to go on the Sunday shows and get a little national try-out? I'm not opposed to Edwards, based on what I've heard and read, but he hasn't been getting the necessary exposure to run on the national stage. Plus, there's that "Edwards" name confusion...

and would see the benefit of stoking the John Edwards story.

It's certainly no fault of his own. But by having the exact same name as a certain former presidential candidate whom the MSM has gleefully taken a dump on, I think putting Chet Edwards in the V.P. slot would be opening up the ticket for instant excoriation.

It would still be an Obama/Edwards ticket...even with Chet, rather than with John.

I think it's more likely that former Rep. Edwards is planning on running for something in Texas down the road, so they're working on getting his name recognition back up there.