Edwards Condemns NAFTA, Discounts Celebrity Campaigners
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2007/12/08/edwards_condemns_nafta.htmlJohn Edwards at at town hall meeting in Concord Saturday. (AP).
CONCORD, N.H. -- As his main rivals for the Democratic nomination are wielding the big names today -- Oprah Winfrey for Barack Obama and Bill and Chelsea Clinton for Hillary -- John Edwards is trying to make a virtue of his lack of star power. He focused his day on an aggressively un-flashy subject, the 14th anniversary of the passage of NAFTA, condemning the deal as a "particularly clear example of... big corporate powers getting exactly what they want in Washington, at the cost of over a million American jobs and incredible damage to the middle class in this country."
Along the way, he took a swipe at Hillary Clinton for her attempts to distance herself on the campaign trail from the trade deal signed by her husband in 1993.
The Clintons "were the movers behind NAFTA along with big corporate America. My view is that NAFTA's been a disaster for America and has cost us over a million jobs," Edwards said to reporters after a town hall meeting here with voters. "She'll have to carry that burden herself in trying to convince people that now she's changed her view."
Asked about the absence of any A-list celebrities at his side this weekend, Edwards noted that he's had some boldface names with him during the campaign, including Bonnie Raitt. "Most people vote on the basis of candidates themselves," he said. "I don't think that is a crtical part of what's happening. People take this very seriously. I don't think they decide who to vote for based on what movie star is for you." But asked whether Obama's events with Oprah amounted to a "stunt," Edwards demurred. "Any presidential candidate has the right to bring somebody out who's supporting them to try to help attract a crowd," he said................
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