John Edwards 
|
|
Wed Mar 28, 2007 at 02:31:31 PM EDT
|
|
This post is entirely my own opinion and does not reflect any consideration by my employer or any of his employees. So if you want to read anything into it, read that I really want John Edwards to be our next President and stop at that.
Shortly after I left the Navy, I discovered exactly what it means to have health insurance. A sinus infection had developed into pneumonia, and I was trying everything from huffing Vick's Vapor Rub to eating half my weight (of course, I was thinner back then) in onions and hot peppers. I could have easily gone to the doctor and gotten a shot of antibiotic - but that would cost $75 for an office visit, not to mention the cost of getting a shot and the cost of the medicine. I was working four part-time jobs at $6.50 an hour. It took everything I made to almost pay our bills.
The truth was, as my health eroded, so did my ability to earn the money to earn the money I needed to go to the doctor. I finally hit upon a plan - I found out the Plasma Center would give you $20 for your first donation and $15 for subsequent donations - with a $5 bonus for every fifth one (technically, it isn't a donation if you're getting paid). Since I was running a fever, though, they wouldn't let me donate. So I'd run the last six blocks (it isn't easy to run with pneumonia, let me tell you - but if you enjoy being dizzy and unable to catch your breath, it's fine). Then I could get checked in and blame everything on the run instead of my health.
It took almost four weeks of this (you can donate plasma about every third day or so) for me to save up enough to see the Dr. Thankfully, when he saw the shape I was in and he noted that I didn't have insurance, he offered to give me a shot of penicillin at no cost. The most frustrating thing in the world is to hear, "Yes, you're sick and we could heal you - but we aren't going to because you can't pay."
I could have, of course, not worked at all for six months and gone on charity care. I'm not sure my lungs would have taken that strain, though.
That would never happen to me now. You see, when I heard John Edwards talk about "Two Americas", I knew at a visceral level what he was talking about. I've lived it. I've watched friends and relatives suffer without medical care because the only hospital in the area wouldn't take you unless you could prove you could pay. No insurance? Drive to Lubbock (120 miles away and out of state).
I'm not naive enough to think this doesn't go on right here in New Jersey either. There are over one million people in New Jersey without health insurance - you think it's because they don't want it?
|
|
There's More...
:: (3
Comments, 392 words in story)
|
|
|
|
Thu Mar 08, 2007 at 01:49:55 PM EST
|
|
Fairleigh Dickinson University's latest presidential primary poll among New Jersey voters is out today. The winners are Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Rudy Giuliani. The losers this month are John Edwards and John McCain who each lost 3 points from their January numbers.
Also, Bill Richardson's support grew by an astronomical 200%.
| March | January |
| Hillary Clinton | 46% | (41%) |
| Barack Obama | 18% | (15%) |
| John Edwards | 10% | (13%) |
| Joe Biden | 5% | (4%) |
| Bill Richardson | 3% | (1%) |
| |
| March | January |
| Rudy Giuliani | 59% | (48%) |
| John McCain | 20% | (23%) |
| Mitt Romney | 6% | (2%) |
|
|
Discuss
:: (2
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Mon Mar 05, 2007 at 12:00:00 AM EST
|
( - promoted by JRB)
The polls are now closed with 68 votes.
Last month's results are here.
Note: In response to this, Wes Clark will not be a candidate next month unless he announces.
|
|
Discuss
:: (47
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Wed Feb 28, 2007 at 03:47:05 PM EST
|
(That was quick. Codey was at the fundraiser on Monday where he introduced Edwards and said at the time he still had not made up his mind. - promoted by jmelli)
Via PoliticsNJ:Former Gov. Richard Codey will endorse John Edwards for the Democratic presidential nomination, and will chair the Edwards campaign in New Jersey. Codey, the Senate President, met privately with Edwards on Monday. Discuss amongst yourselves.
|
|
Discuss
:: (10
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Tue Feb 27, 2007 at 03:02:13 PM EST
|
|
This was taken last night at a fundraiser in Colts Neck that apparently raised over $100K. From left to right: Rosi Efthim, myself, Jeff Gardner and some other dude. (thanks to Robin for the photo)
Have fun. (and not that it matters, but I don't think any of the three of us have decided on a candidate yet)
|
|
Discuss
:: (18
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Tue Feb 06, 2007 at 01:08:13 PM EST
|
|
(I had been planning to post this yesterday, and forgot. Here it is a day late!)
We are now less than a year away from New Jersey's projected Democratic Presidential Primary. This is the first of what will become a monthly strawpoll, with the last one to take place on February 5, 2008. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order and the position will rotate every month.
UPDATE: After a day and a half, this poll is called at 68 votes (all further results are void). And John Edwards is the overwhelming victor.
|
|
Discuss
:: (16
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Sun Feb 04, 2007 at 01:21:20 AM EST
|
|
I'll just say up front that John Edwards's speech blew me away. His supporters were in an organized block in back. All had white tee shirts over their regular clothes with the logo one corps. As one of the volunteers explained to me, they are not just campaigning but volunteering to fight poverty.
His intro music was "This is our Country." There was a lot of applause welcoming him. He opened by acknowledging the loss of Molly Ivins.
Then he began his speech. He said that somewhere in America, a little girl is hungry. He spoke of union picket lines. Then, a young man who has been accepted to college, but puts the letter aside because he cannot afford it. It doesn't have to be that way. A mother hearing that her precious son who volunteered after September 11th is dead. Refugee camps half a world away, where a little boy tries to protect his even younger sister, now that their parents have been murdered. It was astoundingly moving, I was ready to cry. Some where in America there's a working dad who has to beg at the emergency room for treatment for his sick daughter. Will you stand up? The crowd roared and stood. It was amazing. I wrote Wow! multiple times in my notes.
|
|
There's More...
:: (7
Comments, 380 words in story)
|
|
|
|
Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 05:50:44 PM EST
|
|
Though we do need to keep our attention on increasing Democratic majorities in the 2007 state races and on Lautenberg's 2008 senate seat, I want to make the case that former Sen. John Edwards is a presidential candidate who merits the support of Garden State voters and would be an incredibly viable candidate in the general election. For the central concerns of state voters, both Democratic and otherwise, Edwards is completely in line with issues important to us -- increasing the minimum wage and labor rights (he is often on picket lines, leading the charge), working to make college more affordable, promoting a pro-environmental agenda, and beginning the long overdue process of bringing our troops home from the resource-depleting war in Iraq. Perhaps the most endangered economic class in our state, that is, the middle class, would become enfranchised and empowered under an Edwards administration with increases in federal subsidies to make college more affordable, laws against predatory lending practices, and a pro-protectionism stance on the outsourcing of American jobs.
I could give you several logical reasons (he would most likely win Ohio and Florida, for example) that I consider Edwards to be the most attractive candidate of the many worthy candidates, including Vilsack and perhaps Clark, who have declared thus far; but at the core of my support for him is a belief that an Edwards candidacy would initiate needed change in domestic and foreign policy, as well my tendency to be genuinely inspired and moved whenever I hear him speak. I count him in the great tradition of American orators from King to Clinton who, on a personal level, can truly make an audience believe that he is being honest and forthright with them.
New Jersey's presidential primary will be moved up to early February, if Codey's initiative becomes law, but Hillary Clinton is currently leading in the state by a wide margin, according to a recent Quinnipiac Poll. Edwards, who has called for an immediate withdrawal of 40-50k troops from Iraq, presents a better progressive platform than the centrist Hillary; and I encourage others to join us in supporting Edwards in his quest to become president. There are multiple One Corps chapters. for Edwards already forming in the state, and a New Jersey for Edwards yahoogroup.(with at least two Blue Jersey bloggers already on it) has been formed for activism and networking. We'd love to have you join us.
|
|
Discuss
:: (15
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Tue Jan 16, 2007 at 12:15:09 PM EST
|
|
Based on this video, courtesy of the Barack Obama Presidential Exploratory Committee, the New Jersey Draft Obama for President may be transitioning into New Jersey for Obama much sooner than expected.
In the meantime, we are going ahead with our plans to engage the community-at-large in a conversation about the 2008 Presidential elections and the impact that we believe a Barack Obama for America campaign could have on the national debate as well as how a Barack Obama presidency could shape a new future for our country and world.
The next step in these plans is to host a series of State of the Union Watch house parties throughout the state in an effort to bring people together, no matter whom they are supporting or not supporting for President at the moment, to look at the 2008 elections through the lens of the current failed administration and talk about how our country and world can resurrect itself going forward no matter who the next President of the United States might be.
|
|
There's More...
:: (1
Comments, 487 words in story)
|
|
|
|
Thu Jan 11, 2007 at 10:25:23 PM EST
|
|
For me, there were two brightspots in the '04 Democratic Convention. The first was a skinny black guy who no one had ever heard of who lit up the podium like a jackelope on fire. The second was the Vice-Presidential nominee who had to work a bit too obviously to tone down his charisma to keep from overpowering his running mate. Although I lack the statistical data to prove it, I have a sneaking suspicion that if the Democratic '04 ticket had been inverted, we'd not be suffering through the current dark times and talking about escalating the most ill-advised US military action ever.
I've been no less impressed with John Edwards since then. Instead of fading off into the sunset like he "should have", he went to work building a grassroots coalition and calling attention to the enduring problems that divide American society. His recent speech from New Orleans is as visionary as it is ground-breaking.
So I'm risking putting the cart ahead of the horse and asking New Jersey to start planning now for '08. I've been asked to help build a statewide grassroots organization to support John Edwards for President, and I'd like to invite anyone who is interested in joining that effort to send me an email so I can sign you up for our list-serv. Xpatriated-underscore-Texan-at-yahoo-dot-com.
|
|
Discuss
:: (6
Comments)
|
|
|
|
Mon Dec 25, 2006 at 04:01:03 PM EST
|
|
As reported last Friday, New Jersey's population growth slowed in 2006 and North Carolina has replaced us as the 10th most populous state (Kiss our electoral votes goodbye, Edwards). The Star Ledger speculated that the slowing would cause New Jersey to drop a seat in the House by 2010, but a projection from Electoral Data Services says we're not on the chopping block ... yet. As of now, seven states are slated to each lose a seat, and six are to gain (Texas will pick up two). The full prediction can be found here (.PDF).
A very merry hat-tip to kwilkinson.
|
|
Discuss
:: (6
Comments)
|
|
|
|
|
| Featured Stories |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
.gif)
