Edwards: Take back government from corporate interests

JohnLocke

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Mon Nov-05-07 11:57 AM
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Edwards: Take back government from corporate interests

Edwards pleas: Take back government from corporate interests
By John Skipper--(Mason City, Iowa) Globe Gazette
Sunday, November 4, 2007
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CHARLES CITY � Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards ignored a prepared speech on education Sunday and instead issued a plea for citizens to take back their government from corporate interests.

Prior to his appearance at the Charles City Library, aides distributed press releases about Edwards� talk that indicated he would give details on his education plan.

When he spoke to the audience of about 200, he touched briefly on education and then launched into his main topic, saying, �We could be the first generation that doesn�t leave America a better place for our children and grandchildren than how we found it.�

Dressed in sport coat and jeans, Edwards gave many examples of what he considers government inefficiency and corruption.

�Look what our soldiers are doing in Iraq,� he said. �As for our government, we can�t even get the lights on in Baghdad.�

In this country, he compared the work of hundreds of volunteers who have helped Hurricane Katrina victims to the �mess� the government made of it.

�Why is there such a disconnect between the American people and their government?� he asked. �A lot of it is corruption that has taken place for over two decades.�

Edwards said there have been billions of dollars in no-bid contracts given to firms like Haliburton and others.

�We have CEOs who are driving companies into bankruptcy,� he said. �While their employees are losing jobs and pensions, the CEOs come out of it fine.

�And NAFTA. What did we get for NAFTA � millions of dollars in dangerous Chinese toys, that�s what,� he said.

Edwards said corporations and their lobbyists are running the country.

�This system is corrupt and rigged against you,� he said. �And if we replace corporate Republicans with a bunch of corporate Democrats, nothing is going to change.�

He said the reason all candidates for two decades have talked about universal health care and nothing has been done is that lobbyists are writing the laws.

�Drug companies and insurance companies have Republican lobbyists and Democratic lobbyists �but they all have the same boss,� Edwards said.

He said government employees have great health insurance plans.

�When this election is over, I�m going to be fine, Sen. Clinton is going to be fine and Sen. Obama is going to be fine. The question is, will America be fine?�

He said if elected, he will use his power to dismantle the congressional health care plan if Congress doesn�t pass universal health care legislation by July 2009.

On Iraq, he acknowledged he voted for the war.

�I was wrong,� he said. �I learned my lesson the hard way � but I learned my lesson.�

He concluded by repeating his warning about how the country is being run.

�The people in Washington have a vested interest in nothing changing,� Edwards said. �We must take the power away from corporate interests and return it to you.�

http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2007/11/04/latest_news/doc472e8dc8d82e7619625018.txt