Edwards: "The Best of What This Country Has to Offer"

SOUTHWEST IOWA NEWSPAPER: EDWARDS “REPRESENTS THE BEST OF WHAT THIS COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER”

Endorsement Praises Edwards for “Championing the cause of the little guy” and Highlights Edwards’ Rural Support

Des Moines, Iowa – Senator John Edwards today received the endorsement of Valley News Today, a daily newspaper in Shenandoah, Iowa. The paper, which covers a rural southwestern Iowa community, does not typically endorse presidential candidates and has not done so in recent presidential primaries. The paper’s endorsement reflects Edwards’ appeal to rural America and his commitment to making sure Iowans in every part of the state know where he stands on the important issues facing our country. Edwards is the only candidate to visit and take questions from Iowans in all 99 counties twice, and has announced the public support of more than 1,000 rural Iowans.“As the only Democratic candidate with rural roots, Edwards knows first hand about the daily trials and tribulations of the working poor,” reads the endorsement. “As a result of his upbringing, he has by far the most specific, most progressive and most far-reaching ideas to improve our nation.”
The endorsement comes as Edwards continues to gain momentum in Iowa. Earlier this week, Edwards received the endorsement of Congressman Bruce Braley, the most senior Iowa Democrat to endorse a candidate. Last month, Edwards became the first candidate to announce steering committees in all 99 counties, reaffirming the growing strength of his statewide organization.

The full text of the Valley News Today endorsement is below:

Edwards has clear vision for America

Valley News Today, December 7, 2007

There are many reasons why we’re supporting John Edwards as the Democratic nominee for President – not the least of which is his proven ability to unite voters from a variety of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.Unlike his Democratic challengers, Edwards’ support doesn’t come from a single demographic, but rather from all demographics.Simply put, he represents the best of what this country has to offer.If given the opportunity, we believe the former senator from North Carolina will work tirelessly to fight for the little guy as he has done for the past 30 years.

As the only Democratic candidate with rural roots, Edwards knows first hand about the daily trials and tribulations of the working poor. As a result of his upbringing, he has by far the most specific, most progressive and most far-reaching ideas to improve our nation.Born the son of a blue collar mill worker, Edwards learned about the importance of hard work and perseverance from his parents, who taught their son to roll up his sleeves and fight for the things he believed in.That tenacity helped push him to become the first member of his family to attend college – eventually earning a law degree from the University of North Carolina.

For more than two decades, Edwards dedicated his career to representing the little guy. He earned a name for himself as a lawyer by his willingness to stand up against – and ultimately defeat – the powerful insurance industry and their armies of lawyers.His passionate advocacy for people like the folks who worked in the mill with his father earned him respect and recognition across the country.Twenty years later, he’s still championing the cause of the little guy by being an outspoken advocate against poverty.In the 2004 campaign, Edwards brought the plight of the working poor to the front of our American conscience by speaking out about the “two Americas” – one for people at the top who have everything they need and one for everybody else who struggle to get by.Edwards’ powerful message continues to resonate with voters all across America – particularly in Iowa where he has spent the past four years crisscrossing the state to bring his message to each of our 99 counties.As a result of his time spent here, we believe he has developed a true understanding of what matters most to us.Among other things, he has vowed to create a true universal health care system that covers everyone in America, brings down costs, and creates more choices and security.And if Congress won’t cooperate, he has promised to do everything within his power to take away their own government-provided health care. John Edwards is a family man who, if elected, will be the first president since John F. Kennedy to bring young children with him to the White House.And we think that’s a good thing. Each morning when he rises, he will have his children, Jack and Emma, to remind him how important each decision he makes really is to our future generations.

Edwards isn’t afraid to speak out against the political machine that has corrupted our system for years and has pledged as a candidate to refuse contributions from Washington lobbyists – a personal decision that is an important first step towards true campaign finance reform.In an unusually strong field of contenders, Edwards is by far the least polarizing of the other top tier candidates and will clearly provide Democrats the best chance of defeating the Republicans next November.Vote for John Edwards on Jan. 3.