John Edwards' Perfect Moment at UC Berkeley

[JohnLocke]

John Edwards' Perfect Moment at UC Berkeley
By Frank D. Russo

John Edwards, Democratic candidate for President, received an enthusiastic reception just off of the University of California at Berkeley campus yesterday as he spoke to a largely student crowd of over 1000 that spilled from a packed room, out across a courtyard, and onto to the sidewalks.
This event was as perfect a moment a Presidential candidate can have, as Edwards was lauded by Michelle Wasserman, the President of the Cal Berkeley Democrats, and then introduced by Kate Michelman, the former President of NARAL Pro-Choice America and close adviser to Bill Clinton when he was President, who told the crowd she was dedicating the next two years to see that Edwards was elected President.
Edwards spoke passionately about the two Americas and the growing divide between the rich and poor in America and wove in themes and issues he is known for. But there was something more here that resonated with the students I talked with and many specific issues that are either about California or will resonate well with our state's Democratic voters and activists. There was a poignancy to the speech as well, as Edwards spoke on the anniversary of the historic 1965 civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, where those seeking the right to vote were beaten by the police.
With his shirt sleeves rolled up, speaking against the War in Iraq, genocide in Darfur, about civil rights, and poverty in America, and also challenging the Democratic Party to return to its soul and reject incrementalism, one former UC student behind me noted similarities to Robert Kennedy in 1968.

Juliian Posadas, the Executive President of AFSCME Local 3299, the union that represents 19,500 UC workers statewide also warmed the crowd up. He noted the Edwards event was held across the street from the University and not on the campus itself as Edwards showed his support for the union which is having difficulties in negotiations with the University. Posadas spoke of the difficulty experienced by his union members, some of whom have to hold two jobs to make their ends meet, and do not see much of their children. He said "There is a problem with America where the richest public university in America, the University of California, refuses to pay its custodians a living wage." He concluded, "We need a candidate like John Edwards to eliminate poverty in America."

(...)


He spoke extensively in his speech and later in a press conference about the human rights abuses in Darfur, Sudan. In his speech, he said, "Today, we live in a world, where America is seen as a bully. That has to change and it can change… We in the interests of both ourselves and the world have to make it clear that we understand out responsibility not just to America, but we understand our responsibility to humanity." He noted the epidemic of Aids in Africa and the thousands who die because they cannot get a $4 dose of medicine. He said "The richest nation stands by and watches while we spend billions of dollars on the War in Iraq."

He once again stated clearly that he was wrong to vote for the war in Iraq, took responsibility for it, When he started his next sentence, "The United States Congress, now controlled by my party, needs to stop this President" the applause was deafening and one could not hear the rest of the sentence.

At home, he spoke about "respecting diversity of every conceivable kind--cultural diversity, faith diversity, ethnic diversity, whatever your sexual orientation is, we of the United States of America embrace you."

Edwards said "We are at a historical point in American history. We don't need baby steps any more. We don't need political calculation. We don't need incremental change. We need bold, transformational change."


On global warming, he said he was "convinced that George Bush is the last person on the earth" not to know about the cause of it. He noted that with 4% of the world's population, we produce 25% of the greenhouse gases in the world. He asked how we can go to China and other countries without taking care of our own problem. "That has got to change," along with the current level of usage of the world's oil, he concluded. "How about if America as a nation says 'we're going to commit ourselves to a serious, long term, comprehensive investment in clean renewable sources of energy?'" he asked.

"How about if we have a President of the United States who actually asks Americans to be patriotic about something other than war?" was the next question he asked to applause of the crowd. "We need to conserve, we need to drive more fuel efficient vehicles, and if people don't do it voluntarily, we need to mandate it. And more controversial, but absolutely necessary, we need to have a national cap on carbon dioxide emissions in the United States of America and we need to ratchet that down every day. America needs to understand this is an emergency. That's how serious it is. If you look at the Pentagon's analysis of what can happen in the world with a 3 to 8 degree climate change in the next 75 years, it's a frightening thing."

http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/03/john_edwards_pe.html