cross posted from Daily Kos, part of a nightly series running continuously since April 2007.  This is a long one but gives you a good flavor of what we cover every night — we gather it all up in one place so you don’t have to search it out!

Welcome to the Thurday edition of the Edwards Evening News Round-Up (the title will become obvious shortly!).  As usual with this campaign, it’s been a rollicking day: from a new union endorsement to a 1,000 student rally, from a blast at the Bush mortgage plan to volunteering for Ohio’s 5th District special election, with a little global warming thrown in for good measure. Here are tonight’s stories:

  • CWA Nevada

  • Global Warming: Al Gore vs. Lieberman-Warner

  • Homeownership

  • Ohio’s 5th

  • More Support and a bit of Walking for Edwards

CWA Nevada Endorses Edwards

LAS VEGAS (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has won the backing of the Nevada affiliate of the Communication Workers of America.

CWA claims 4,000 active and retired members in the state. It is most politically active in northern Nevada.

CWA, Local 9413 President Chuck Benway cited the former North Carolina senator’s rural background, aid to working families and support for gun owners’ rights as reasons for the endorsement. Edwards gets backing of Nevada communication workers, Las Vegas Sun, Dec 6, 2007

For more information on this exciting news, check out benny05‘s diary from earlier today.  She has some great quotes from CWA Nevada leaders that show why they elected to endorse Edwards today.

Global Warming: Al Gore vs. Lieberman-Warner

I’ll admit that’s not much of a contest, is it?  On one side, we have someone who has a lifetime commitment to the environment, who understood the dangers of global climate change while the rest of the country was asleep at the while (literally), who has been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his work in this area.  On the other, we have to Republicans (yes, I said it!) who seem to be trying to let something happen so they can prevent anything serious from happening.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  I think it’s high time our Congress took action on these issues, and I understand that incremental change is better than no change at all (not really, but for the sake of argument and to stop me from going off on some massive political strategy digression on the power of revolutionary change).  So, I guess the Lieberner legislation is better than none.

Actually, I believe Senator Edwards sums it up quite nicely:

“Addressing global warming is one of the great moral tests of our generation, and it’s time for bold action and leadership to address this crisis that threatens the globe. While I’m glad to see that global warming legislation is finally moving in the Senate, unfortunately the Lieberman-Warner bill doesn’t go far enough to address the crisis of global warming. We cannot be limited in our approach by the armies of lobbyists from big oil companies and other special interests. This bill gives away pollution permits to industry for free – a massive corporate windfall – instead of doing what is right and selling them so that we can use these resources to invest in clean energy research, create a new economy of green jobs, and help regular families and business go green.

“I believe it is our moral obligation to do everything climate science says is needed to save our planet. Ending global warming won’t be easy, but it is time to ask Americans to be patriotic about something other than war. If we start taking the bold action I have recommended, we can emerge from the crisis of global warming with an economy built on clean, renewable energy and more than one million new jobs.”

So the Lieber-ner bill is finally out of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works.  Barbara Boxer is pushing for the bill to be taken up quickly (her press release is a bit over the top to me but then she has a lot invested in this — still, I’m not sure this bill is better than sliced bread…).

I’ll be taking my cue on this from Senator Edwards and the Friends of the Earth.  Just to let you know — FoE is not too happy right now, and I agree with them on this.  I’m sick of my tax dollars going to line the pockets of energy companies.

The latest version of the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007 still gives hundreds of billions of dollars to the fossil fuel industry over the lifetime of the act. According to the latest analysis by Friends of the Earth, almost $900 billion could be gifted to the fossil fuel industry.

But back to Big Al.  In about 9 days, former Senator and Vice President Al Gore will once again step to the international stage in Bali before the UN Conference on Climate Change to challenge the world to really heed the danger signals all around and to urge the adoption of a visionary new treaty to address global warming.  He is asking all of us to sign his petition, and is promising to take our names with him on that stage.

Click here to sign my petition today and I will bring your signatures on stage with me as a clear demonstration of our resolve: http://climateprotect.org/standwithal

Over the next ten days, I would like you to help me get people from across the country to sign our message to the global community. We can demonstrate that the American people understand the immediacy of the climate crisis and want to work with the nations of the world to solve it. Time is short – we need to mobilize everyone to bring this message to Bali: http://climateprotect.org/standwithal

The American people want a visionary treaty to address climate change and for the US government to play a positive leadership role in its development.

Thank you,

Al Gore

Edwards On Bush’s Plan to Ease Mortgage Crisis

From a CBS.com report, “Bush on Thursday announced a plan to freeze interest rates for five years for hundreds of thousands of strapped homeowners whose mortgages are scheduled to rise in the coming months.”  Of course, as is so often the case these days with the traditional media, what isn’t included in the article about the Bush plan –or even what is wrong with the statement in the report itself– is that the Bush plan will actually exclude hundreds of thousands of strapped homowners since it excludes anyone who is behind in their mortgage payments.

In response, John Edwards said that the Bush plan doesn’t go far enough:

Our nation is facing a housing crisis that could cost millions of families their homes, devastate neighborhoods, and seriously damage our economy. The Bush plan is months late and more than a million families short. It helps only 12 percent of homeowners with subprime mortgages, according to Barclay’s, and fails to ensure that any loans are refinanced.

As Tracy Joan says in her diary over at the JRE Blog:

Yesterday, Senator Edwards outlined bold proposals, including a new right for every family to halt the foreclosure process until their lender offers key foreclosure prevention steps. His plan would also insist that any freeze on interest rates keep rates low for seven years so housing markets can fully recover and families have the time to escape unaffordable mortgages.

To get more information on the Edwards housing plan, click here

Edwards Volunteers Supporting Weirauch in Ohio’s 5th

If you’ve been reading the Front Page here lately, you know there’s a special election in Ohio’s 5th Congressional District coming up on December 11, pitting Democrat Robin Weirauch against Republican State Rep. Bob Latta. (Actually, it’s one of many special elections around the country on December 11, including some in my home state of Virginia but we’ll leave those for another diary).

Well, let’s say you have been paying attention and you really want to help out. Maybe you live in Ohio’s 5th and are itching to get in that voting booth next Tuesday.  But what if you don’t live in that district? What if you live in say, Washington state or Georgia?  Hey all you EENRers out there, did you get your email from John Edwards today?!  No worries, I brought my copy with me:

Dear Friend,

I wanted to take a moment and thank you for working so hard on my behalf in Ohio.

Whether it is helping to gather signatures to put my name on the Ohio ballot, making a contribution to the campaign, or encouraging others to become involved — your efforts are greatly appreciated.

As you know, throughout my campaign, I have highlighted the importance of making sure we have strong Democratic majorities in the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. If we’re going to bring about real change for hard-working Americans and end politics-as-usual in Washington, then we need to elect Democrats who will stand up and fight for America’s families, end the war in Iraq and bring about universal health care.

This coming Tuesday, there is an important special election in Ohio’s 5th Congressional District. I’m asking you — and your family and friends — to get out and vote on December 11 for the Democratic candidate, Robin Weirauch. This is a tough race — and every Democratic vote for Robin is going to count.

Robin needs more than your vote to win this race — please take some time to volunteer for her campaign over these last few days before Tuesday’s election. Specifically, the campaign is looking for folks who will call voters in the district, reminding them how important it is to get out and vote on December 11. You can make these important phone calls right from home! If you can help, please send an e-mail to the following address with your contact information and someone from Robin’s campaign will be in touch:
Phonebank4robin@gmail.com

You can also learn more about Robin, and what she will do for the hardworking men and women and families of the 5th Congressional District, by going to her campaign Web site:
www.robinweirauch.com

Please make sure to get out and vote next Tuesday, December 11 — and help elect Robin Weirauch to Congress.

Sincerely,

–John Edwards
  December 6, 2007

You can get your phonebanking practice in now for Robin Weirauch, and then head on over to the New Hampshire phonebanking for John Edwards!

More Support and a bit of Walking for Edwards

Madeleine Stowe was in Iowa recently, not for a movie premiere or shoot but to do what so many others (including our own TomP and clarkent) are doing on behalf of Sen. Edwards: canvassing the neighborhoods.  Here’s a short video as she hands out the position booklet to some lucky Iowans:

You say you want one of those booklets too.  Well, head on over to the John Edwards website and download your own.  It won’t be signed by Madeleine Stowe but it will provide you with critical information on the many different and connected plans that make up John Edwards’ Plan to Build One America.

And while we’re on the subject of whose supporting Edwards, in Charleston SC today, Harry Belafonte stepped up for the next President of the United States saying:

“I’ve looked at his platform on education, healthcare, poverty, what young people are going through and I have come to believe he’s the best candidate,” Belafonte said.

He says all the other candidates talk about the plight of the middle class, While only Edwards talks about the poor.

“I also happen to believe that had he not so forcefully and precisely put the issue of poverty into this campaign, I don’t think we’d be talking aobut it as much as we are,” Belafonte said.

… Belafonte attended a rally with Edwards at the College of Charleston. link

Recent and interesting diaries:

JRE Action Alerts:  Want to know when the next diary on Edwards comes out? Want to be one of the first to arrive at EENR every night?  Then sign up for the JRE Action email list.  Join us as we celebrate our way from Iowa to New Hampshire, from Nevada to South Carolina and on to Super Tuesday!  Sign up here.

Money Money Money:  And finally, folks, let’s be real. Every little bit does help!  Don’t give John the money you’d use to pay the rent but if you’ve got a little extra, then no time like the present to show your support!

0 0 votes
Article Rating