Two democratic presidential candidates visited the North Country over the weekend. Senator John Edwards of North Carolina and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean used the opportunity to invoke democratic themes of decent wages and affordable healthcare. Edwards emphasized his rural background while touring the paper mill in Gorham. In North Conway, Howard Dean urged democrats to get back to their political roots. NHPR's Trish Anderton reports.
John Edwards is a highly successful lawyer and a U-S senator. But Edwards grew up in rural North Carolina. His father worked in the textile mills. Edwards stressed these connections at a news conference after touring the Nexfor Fraser paper mill in Gorham.
I asked each of the\se people how long working here and they said 20, 30 years. all very familiar to me, these are the same kind of folks I grew up with, they have hard lives, trying to make a living, but we appreciate what they do.
EDWARDS USED THE BLUE-COLLAR SURROUNDINGS TO DISTINGUISH HIMSELF FROM THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. IN PARTICULAR, HE SLAMMED THE RECENTLY-PASSED REPUBLICAN TAX CUT BILL SAYING IT FAVORED THE WEALTHY.
I support tax cuts that help working families like the people at this mill. cuts that help with education, help small biz provide helath care.. what I don't support is what the prez is doing, which are huge tax cuts for people at top of inc spectrum
IN HIS RECENTLY-RELEASED "PLAN FOR RURAL AMERICA," EDWARDS ARGUES TECHNOLOGY IS CRUCIAL. HE PROPOSES A NATIONAL BROADBAND POLICY TO BRING HIGH-SPEED INTERNET TO LESS POPULATED AREAS. AND HE SUPPORTS BUILDING BIOMASS REFINERIES IN THE COUNTRYSIDE, TO TURN LEFTOVER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS INTO ENERGY.
they take a product that's basically wast,e that's produced in rural America and they create energy, ethanol, first, and second create jobs. building these refineries will help create jobs.
EDWARDS said he would work to REIN IN HEALTHCARE COSTS. HE ARGUED WASHINGTON MUST GET TOUGHER ON PATENTS, TO ENSURE DRUG COMPANIES CAN'T BLOCK COMPETITION. EDWARDS KNOWS HIS BACKGROUND AS A TRIAL LAWYER LEAVES HIM vulnerable to criticism that he and other members of his profession are part of the problem. ACCORDINGLY, HE OFFERS HIS OWN VERSION OF 3 STRIKES AND YOU?RE OUT TO REDUCE THE COST OF MEDICAL MALPRACTICE SUITS.
I wd say for a lawyer to file malpractice case, has to be reviewed by ind med expert who's determined its meritorious. and to hold the lawyers resp. and if he or she doesn't meet std the lawyer can be held actable. if they violate three times, its three strikes and you're out, they shd not be able to file cases like these for a pd of time.
amb
EDWARDS ROUNDED OUT HIS STOP IN GORHAM WITH A VISIT TO A LOCAL INSTITUTION, MARY'S PIZZA. ONLY A HANDFUL OF ACTIVISTS TURNED OUT TO MEET HIM. EDWARDS SHOOK HANDS WITH THE OWNERS AND CHATTED BRIEFLY WITH CUSTOMERS.
is it the best pizza in town? oh yeah. (laughs) well, it's good to see you.
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if john Edwards' visit was designed to feel like a cozy kind of homecoming, howard dean's was more like a church revival. dean attracted a boisterous crowd to the gibson senior center in north conway. audience members murmured "yes" and "that's right" as the former vermont governor called for democrats to get back to their roots.
what has happened in congress? the democrats have given up.
Dean REACHES OUT TO THE DEMOCRATIC FAITHFUL WHO SAW THEIR PARTY LOSE CONTROL OF THE U-S SENATE IN 2002. He casts himself as the conscience of his party AND PROMISES TO ADVANCE AN AGENDA THAT WOULD NEVER BE CONFUSED WITH SOMETHING THAT WOULD COME FROM THE GOP. He criticized Democratic candidates who voted for Republican bills.
the reason we haven't won elex is our platform is I voted with prez 85 pct of the time. if that's our platform, guess what, they're gonna vote for the guy who voted for the prez 100 pct of the time. and we can put a stop to that right now. (apll)
DEAN HAD HARSH WORDS FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION AS WELL. HE SAID DESPITE THE PRESIDENT'S EMPHASIS ON FIGHTING TERRORISM, AMERICANS ARE NOT SAFE.
our oil money going to mid east and Saudis are using it for terrorism and to teach children to hate Americans and jews. it's the next gen of suicide bombers. this pres has not confronted Saudis, he's doing nothing about it.
AS PRESIDENT, DEAN SAID HE WOULD WORK TO GIVE HEALTH CARE TO ALL AMERICANS. HIS PLAN WOULD EXTEND EXISTING GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, AND USE A COMBINATION OF CARROTS AND STICKS TO GET BUSINESSES TO EXPAND THEIR COVERAGE.
we oughta be standing up for what harry Truman put in the 1948 platform
- hardly a big liberal - and standing up and saying here's our program for health care for every American. and mr prez I'd like you to explain every single day of your admin why we can't have what the germans and French and brits and japanse and Israelis and costa Ricans have, which is helath care for every single citizen.
DEAN INSISTS THIS COULD BE DONE TWICE OVER IF CONGRESS WOULD SIMPLY RESCIND THE TAX CUT PACKAGE IT JUST PASSED.
DEAN'S RABBLING-ROUSING STYLE SEEMED TO BE A HIT. MARGIE WACHTEL AND MAURY STETNER OF PORTSMOUTH HAVE SEEN BOTH DEAN AND EDWARDS IN PERSON. WACHTEL SAID EDWARDS' REFERENCES TO HIS SMALL-TOWN ROOTS DIDN'T MOVE HER.
WACHTEL: it just seemed like a politicians story trying to win people's hearts and it didn't really work for me/ STETNERl yeah, you have to admire how dean walks into a room and immediately dives into substance.
BUT STETNER QUESTIONED HOW DEAN - AND OTHER CANDIDATES, FOR THAT MATTER
- IS GOING TO PAY FOR HIS PROGRAMS.
all that stuff about healthcare and education sounds so great but I'm sure how its going to be funded. I'm not sure repealing the bush tax cuts will really pay for it all.
OTHERS SUGGESTED DEAN'S SUPPORT FOR GAY AND LESBIAN CIVIL UNIONS WOULD HURT HIM. WITH THE CAMPAIGNS JUST BEGINNING TO HEAT UP, CIVIL UNIONS, HEALTHCARE, AND THE RURAL ECONOMY ARE ALL LIKELY TO BE CENTRAL ISSUES FOR MONTHS TO COME. FOR NHPR NEWS I'M TRISH ANDERTON
