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John Edwards passion to war against poverty

Ex-senator says he's 'megaphone' for American poor

By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published July 23, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Updated July 23, 2008 at 12:13 a.m.

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Sen. John Edwards reacts to a question by Isaiah Schaible- McWilliams, 10. The boy and his brothers, Dakota, left, and Dravell, center, met Edwards at the University of Denver.

Photo by Preston Gannaway / The Rocky

Sen. John Edwards reacts to a question by Isaiah Schaible- McWilliams, 10. The boy and his brothers, Dakota, left, and Dravell, center, met Edwards at the University of Denver.

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He stumped the nation as the Democratic Party ticket's No. 2 man in 2004. He aspired to be president in 2008.

But former Sen. John Edwards told a Denver audience Tuesday that now he's plunged into a new kind of campaign, "to end poverty as we know it in a generation."

"As long as I'm alive and breathing I'm going to be fighting that fight," said Edwards, who blew in and out of Denver as part of a national tour for his Half in Ten campaign, which refers to the goal of eliminating half of America's poverty in 10 years.

Edwards called his fight against poverty "the cause of my life" and said he likes to tell low-income families, "think of me as your megaphone."

Tanned and tie-less, the 55- year-old attorney and former North Carolina senator met the media at the University of Denver and pressed the flesh with admirers. They included a group of young people wearing red T-shirts touting ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, one of four anti-poverty groups that backed Edwards' visit.

Edwards was accompanied by state Senate President Peter Groff, D-Denver, and Sen. Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood, both of whom have sponsored the kind of anti-poverty legislation Edwards is backing.

Edwards said he is also convinced Barack Obama will make the issue a major commitment of his administration. "I am convinced he will do that; he gave me his word he would," Edwards said.

Edwards also batted around some political questions, alluding, with a self-deprecating grin, to his own "remarkably unsuccessful" 2008 presidential campaign. He said it would be "hugely presumptuous" to discuss what kind of vice president Obama should pick.

As for himself?

"I'm not seeking the job," he said. "But anything Senator Obama would ask me to do in his campaign or presidency I would consider seriously."

For now, there are the poverty issues.

Nationally, the Half in Ten campaign is touting programs such as indexing a national minimum wage, expanding child-care tax credits and child- care subsidies, and making sure each state has an earned-income tax credit program (EITC).

Edwards acknowledged that in the more than four decades since President Lyndon Johnson launched the War on Poverty, total success has been elusive, but said he's still optimistic about eventually eradicating poverty.

"There have been starts and stops," he said. "Some mistakes have been made. Instead of independence we created a cycle of dependency."

Nonetheless, he said, such programs as Medicaid, Medicare and Head Start are examples of successes.

Comments

  • July 23, 2008

    7:28 a.m.

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    JonFraudCarry writes:

    So John Edwards is in Denver today?! Seems like he was just seen running out of a hotel in LA last night! There are two Americas for Edwards, one family in North Carolina a second one in LA.

  • July 23, 2008

    7:59 a.m.

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    treecat writes:

    What does state Senate President Peter Groff, D-Denver, and Sen. Betty Boyd, D-Lakewood say about the two Americas for Edwards?

  • July 23, 2008

    8:12 a.m.

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    jjfjules writes:

    It would be novel to see one of these guys with all the cash spend themselves down to a normal American level in their causes. That would convice most they actually mean what they say now wouldn't it!!!

  • July 23, 2008

    8:23 a.m.

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    Joe_Dozer writes:

    So the wealthy, elitist, con-artist, whoremonger is partyin' with the ACORN poverty pimp criminals and local Marxist-Progressives while conspiring to throw away more middle class taxpayer money. Meanwhile, that intellectual giant of reportage, Jean Torkelson is utterly oblivious to it all! It's all so breathtaking!

  • July 23, 2008

    9:05 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Sabre460 writes:

    Was Rielle there, "standing by her man"? And Johnnie sez; "As long as I'm alive and breathing I'm going to be fighting that fight"! Will that be the split over the domestic assets with Elizebeth and/or the support payments for the "love child"?

  • July 23, 2008

    10:18 a.m.

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    DBCooper writes:

    "Passion" ? Give that editor a cigar. Just proves that even a liberal journalist can have a sense of humor. Shame he couldn't slip in "Edwards channels Bill Clinton".
    Although Edwards plan to end poverty in a generation is impressive, I kinda liked his 2004 debate pledge (After Chris Reeves died) to make the lame walk and the blind see!
    Change you can believe in!

  • July 23, 2008

    10:37 a.m.

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    ConservativeWoman writes:

    John Edwards is channeling Gary Hart. You would think after the Enquirer was on his tail last December he might have been more discrete, but no. He just couldn't help himself and now his wife and children will undergo the public humiliation of finding out there is a mistress and a child of that union. Lovely. Would be wonderful if the mainstream media would cover it, but alas Edwards is not a Republican.

  • July 24, 2008

    10:12 a.m.

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    ProgressiveChick writes:

    I knew that Colorado tends to be conservative, which is fine, but why would anyone believe the National Enquirer?? It's owned by Rupert Murdoch who has a vested interested in trashing the Democratics. Oh he also owns Fox News, but wait, you all probably believe the dreck they spew everyday...

    As for John Edwards having an affair, well all I can say is "Damn, why wasn't it ME?"