"We know what needs to be done, we just have to do it," Edwards told an overflow crowd of more than 1,000 packed shoulder-to-shoulder into the Carpenters Union hall in St. Paul. "Enough is enough."
About 16 hours later, Edwards officially dropped out of presidential contention with a farewell speech in New Orleans.
In both appearances, Edwards continued to provide both goals and challenges to his supporters. "Do not turn away from these great struggles before us," he said Wednesday. "Do not give up on the causes that we have fought for. Do not walk away from what\'s possible, because it\'s time for all of us, all of us together, to make the two Americas one."
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| John Edwards delivered a populist message at the packed Carpenters hall Tuesday night. Photo by Michael Kuchta |
And justice for all?
In his St. Paul visit Tuesday, Edwards was not afraid to invoke the legacy of Paul Wellstone and to continue to give voice to the disparities in American society. He contrasted ExxonMobil\'s $40 billion profit with the facts that 37 million Americans go hungry every day and 200,000 military veterans are homeless every night.
He contrasted the head of a health-care company making $200 million a year while 47 million Americans can\'t afford or can\'t obtain health insurance, and a "screwed-up tax system" in which the nation\'s richest CEOs pay lower tax rates than the secretaries who work for them.
Edwards painted a vision for the country in which middle America would be the priority. He called for universal health insurance (paid for by repealing the Bush tax cuts), ensuring that students can complete college without massive loan debt, and trade policies that would be "judged on whether they\'re good for working, middle-class Americans."
Workers should be able to join a union simply by signing a card, he said, and told union members in the hall: "If it becomes necessary for your to go out on strike, to stand up for decent working conditions, decent pay, health-care coverage, pension protection, when you\'re walking that picket line, nobody – nobody – will walk through that picket line and take your job away."
A challenge to his party and his supporters
In his announcement Wednesday, he reiterated that "economic justice in America" was his cause, and criticized fellow Democrats for forgetting that.
"I don\'t know when our party began to turn away from the cause of working people, from the fathers who were working three jobs literally just to pay the rent, mothers sending their kids to bed wrapped up in their clothes and in coats because they couldn\'t afford to pay for heat.
"We know that our brothers and sisters have been bullied into believing that they can\'t organize and can\'t put a union in the workplace," he said Wednesday. "Well, in this campaign, we didn\'t turn our heads. We looked them square in the eye and we said, ‘We see you, we hear you, and we are with you. And we will never forget you.\'
"We, as citizens and as a government, have a moral responsibility to each other, and what we do together matters. We must do better, if we want to live up to the great promise of this country."
Another definition of patriotism
Although economic equity was the focus of Edwards\' campaign, he did not shy away from other challenges Tuesday night. In criticizing the use of torture and continued combat in Iraq, Edwards also challenged voters to hold themselves and their government to higher standards. In promoting investment in alternative energy, he said a president should not be afraid to ask Americans to make a sacrifice.
"How about a president of the United States who actually asked Americans to be patriotic about something other than war?"
Michael Kuchta is communications coordinator for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters.
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The crowd was boisterous in its approval of Edwards\' message. Photos by Michael Kuchta |
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"We know what needs to be done, we just have to do it," Edwards told an overflow crowd of more than 1,000 packed shoulder-to-shoulder into the Carpenters Union hall in St. Paul. "Enough is enough."
About 16 hours later, Edwards officially dropped out of presidential contention with a farewell speech in New Orleans.
In both appearances, Edwards continued to provide both goals and challenges to his supporters. "Do not turn away from these great struggles before us," he said Wednesday. "Do not give up on the causes that we have fought for. Do not walk away from what\’s possible, because it\’s time for all of us, all of us together, to make the two Americas one."
|
| John Edwards delivered a populist message at the packed Carpenters hall Tuesday night.
Photo by Michael Kuchta |
And justice for all?
In his St. Paul visit Tuesday, Edwards was not afraid to invoke the legacy of Paul Wellstone and to continue to give voice to the disparities in American society. He contrasted ExxonMobil\’s $40 billion profit with the facts that 37 million Americans go hungry every day and 200,000 military veterans are homeless every night.
He contrasted the head of a health-care company making $200 million a year while 47 million Americans can\’t afford or can\’t obtain health insurance, and a "screwed-up tax system" in which the nation\’s richest CEOs pay lower tax rates than the secretaries who work for them.
Edwards painted a vision for the country in which middle America would be the priority. He called for universal health insurance (paid for by repealing the Bush tax cuts), ensuring that students can complete college without massive loan debt, and trade policies that would be "judged on whether they\’re good for working, middle-class Americans."
Workers should be able to join a union simply by signing a card, he said, and told union members in the hall: "If it becomes necessary for your to go out on strike, to stand up for decent working conditions, decent pay, health-care coverage, pension protection, when you\’re walking that picket line, nobody – nobody – will walk through that picket line and take your job away."
A challenge to his party and his supporters
In his announcement Wednesday, he reiterated that "economic justice in America" was his cause, and criticized fellow Democrats for forgetting that.
"I don\’t know when our party began to turn away from the cause of working people, from the fathers who were working three jobs literally just to pay the rent, mothers sending their kids to bed wrapped up in their clothes and in coats because they couldn\’t afford to pay for heat.
"We know that our brothers and sisters have been bullied into believing that they can\’t organize and can\’t put a union in the workplace," he said Wednesday. "Well, in this campaign, we didn\’t turn our heads. We looked them square in the eye and we said, ‘We see you, we hear you, and we are with you. And we will never forget you.\’
"We, as citizens and as a government, have a moral responsibility to each other, and what we do together matters. We must do better, if we want to live up to the great promise of this country."
Another definition of patriotism
Although economic equity was the focus of Edwards\’ campaign, he did not shy away from other challenges Tuesday night. In criticizing the use of torture and continued combat in Iraq, Edwards also challenged voters to hold themselves and their government to higher standards. In promoting investment in alternative energy, he said a president should not be afraid to ask Americans to make a sacrifice.
"How about a president of the United States who actually asked Americans to be patriotic about something other than war?"
Michael Kuchta is communications coordinator for the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters.
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The crowd was boisterous in its approval of Edwards\’ message. Photos by Michael Kuchta |
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