John Edwards launching anti-poverty effort

[onehandle]

Source: Courier Post

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is launching a nationwide anti-poverty effort.

Edwards was in North Philadelphia on Tuesday to begin a campaign in partnership with ACORN -- the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. It's designed to reduce poverty in the United States by 50 percent in 10 years.

Edwards used the Thankful Baptist Church as a backdrop for his announcement.

Attacking poverty was a keystone of his presidential campaign. He will serve as chairman of the national effort, called "Half in Ten."

Read more: http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080514/NEWS01/80514013

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Edwards in N. Phila. to help fight poverty

Former Sen. John Edwards ended his Democratic presidential campaign nearly four months ago, but he was back on the stump yesterday in the Tioga section of North Philadelphia, urging Americans to join him in the "moral cause" of fighting poverty.

Edwards, the party's vice-presidential nominee in 2004, came to the Thankful Baptist Church to kick off Half in Ten, a new movement to reduce the national poverty rate 50 percent during the next decade.

"What we do for each other says something about who we are, what our character is, what kind of country we are," said Edwards, who will be chairman of the effort. Helping fellow citizens have an opportunity to lift themselves up is part of "our responsibility to each other," he said.

Poverty was a central part of Edwards' populist-tinged message in his campaign for president, which he abandoned Jan. 30 after coming up short in states with early primaries and caucuses. The event yesterday marked the beginning of a new phase in his career; Edwards plans a summer tour to highlight the issue.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080514_Edwards_in_N__Phila__to_help_fight_poverty.html

[OhioChick]

1. Good for John!

:applause:

[roguevalley]

16. The blogs are saying he's going to endorse Obama today.

[bpeale]

19. your blogs are full of shit as usual

[silverojo]

23. No, you're full of shit

It's all over the news that Edwards did endorse Obama. I would've lost a lot of respect for him, had he endorsed Mrs. Bill "Proud To Have Destroyed The Safety Net" Clinton.

[bpeale]

27. he should have stayed out of it completely & not endorsed anyone

if they can't win without his endorsement, then they don't deserve the nomination. period.

[JDPriestly]

2. As always, John Edwards is leading the country toward healing.

He is still my pick for best candidate for president (or any other office). I already signed up for the Half in Ten campaign.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Mine too!

[Joe Chi Minh]

8. He's also thinking ahead concerning the looming economic crisis.

[SavageDem]

3. This is great!

I got so mad at people that felt Edwards was running just to gain the spotlight. I felt that he really cared about issues like poverty and social justice. I think this just validates my beliefs.

[balantz]

4. K&R n/t

[Ken Burch]

5. Glad to hear it. I hope Edwards stays involved and continues to develop this issue.

n/t.

[Arctic Dave]

7. I am going to make a blanket statement here.

Why is it when Democratic politicians leave office they still try to do work to help their fellow countr yperson but when pugs leave office they go back to trying to screw over their fellow country person for their own personal enrichment?

[benny05]

9. Interesting observation

Seems that way, doesn't it?

[Preening Fop]

10. Whoop-De-Doooo......!

There's a rumour floatin' around the water cooler,
an :nuke: Amurikan :nuke: is nothing more
than business opportunity...

[cindydivine]

11. This is great news!!

Maybe he can make a bigger impact outside of politics...

I sure wish he was still running though, with last night's West Virginia numbers you can't help but wonder how he would have done if he'd stayed in.

[redqueen]

12. Thanks for posting this here.

[Nutmegger]

13. R&K for John Edwards!

That's my candidate right there.

[Zero Division]

14. K&R.

:kick:

[Megahurtz]

15. Someone fighting poverty IN OUR OWN COUNTRY

for a change, what a concept! :sarcasm:

Glad to see someone is finally publicly addressing poverty in the good ol' U.S.A. "The Richest Country in the World"! :eyes:

[silverojo]

24. That's so true

I get tired of people (Dems as well as Repukes) acting as if poverty in America doesn't exist, or doesn't matter, or whatever freakin' excuse they use to justify personal greed. Go, Johnny, go!

[TBF]

17. College for Everyone -

I also got an email message today re Edwards "College for Everyone" program that he started right in NC. I made a small donation, and will continue to donate regularly. I really like the way John has turned to philanthropy, although I'm sure we haven't heard the last of him in the political arena. He really is one of the good guys.

[Barack_America]

18. Good. North Philly needs help.

And ACORN is a quality organization. Their voter registration efforts are phenomenal.

But I'm awfully sorry I missed this. This is the first I heard of it.

[Greylyn58]

20. As always, John Edwards shows what a good man he is.

Thanks for posting this. He is still my choice for President.

[bpeale]

21. in light of his endorsement, i am going to put the kibosh on joining

any other effort of his. he's not as good as his words when he will do something like endorse obama when obama will not stand up for any of us.

[silverojo]

25. As if Hillary "Screw The Poor" Clinton stands up for anyone but herself?

With the Clintons, it's all about the power...for them. They'll say anything to anyone to gain power, but when it's time for them to deliver, nothing happens.

[bpeale]

26. i am NOT a hillary supporter & never was. i WAS an Edwards supporter.

Edwards endorsement pushes me to Nader. his endorsement tells me that even he does not believe all the bullshit he spouts about supporting the poor & middle class.

[DissedByBush]

22. I see one element of a workable plan

"They aim to advocate federal and state policies to help people get out of poverty, including increasing the minimum wage and indexing it to inflation; expanding earned-income tax credits, offered by the federal government and some states to supplement wages for low-income families; and expanding access to subsidized child care."

Of those, helping child care can actually pull people out of poverty, as it will allow parents to work who would otherwise have to stay home. I have ideas they can add: How about a comprehensive job training program to help people get the skills they need to pull themselves away from minimum-wage jobs and out of poverty? How about a time limit on freebies for people capable of getting jobs so they have incentive to get out there and work? That'll free up money for the training program.

[barnel]

28. Edwards co-sponsored largest H-1b increase, ever S2045 in 2000

and voted MFN-China, which scraped the Mills off his state's map

In his extremely short official career, he couldnt screw working people hard enough

he owned millions in a fund that forclosed katrina victims

http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2007/8/17/124237.shtml

after office, he worked at a hedge fund and a poverty center (fry cook and brain surgeon, jethro?)

he's got a very nasty habit of being on the side of things he rails about

SEN. EDWARDS: I want to go back for just a minute though to this whole discussion about our liberties and about what we see happening in America today, because I think it is so fundamental. First, I want to say that this idea that the FBI is increasing surveillance of anti-war protestors, which Reverend Sharpton just made reference to, is outrageous. What kind of McCarthyism is that? And, on top of that—on top of that, they have a policy that allows them to arrest an American citizen on American soil, label them an enemy combatant, put them in prison, keep them there indefinitely—they never see a lawyer, never see a judge, never get a hearing. These violate the very heart and soul of this country. These folks will change the fabric of America if we let them, and we have got to stand up and speak out.

MR. BROKAW: But, Senator Edwards, as I remember, your colleague Russ Feingold was the only senator who said just that when this bill was before your chamber, and you voted for the Patriot Act as a lawyer. You knew what was in it.

(OOPS!)

In 2004, I thought he was so good I considered working on his campaign, so I did due dilligence before making a commitment. What I found, blew my mind. I dont blame people for finding him appealing, I did. But I do ask you having read this post to only ask 'is it true'?