Edwards reaches
out to Ojai
By Bret Bradigan

Ojai resident Cynthia Lindenbaum has been trying to get presidential candidates to Ventura County since 1996. She succeeded Thursday, with the visit by North Carolina Sen. John Edwards for a meet-and-greet with Democratic faithful and curious from around the county at the Pierpont Inn.

The crowd of 50 contained an Ojai contingent numbering nearly a dozen, including Rikki Horne and Rudy Petersdorf, Judy and Judge Fred Bysshe, Laura and Judge Bill Peck, and Ventura County Supervisor Steve Bennett.

Edwards ran through the short version of his platform for the audience before returning to Los Angeles to shoot a television commercial, then it was off to Texas for another day of event, before returning to Iowa.

A boyish 50 years old, Edwards is a former trial lawyer known for his persuasive closing arguments. Speaking as though he were still a prosecutor, with George W. Bush as the defendant, Edwards asked the crowd to turn the man out of office.

Citing the 3 million jobs lost during the Bush administration, the 9 million people out of work and 3 million people who have given up looking for work, "There's a powerful case to be made about his mismanagement of the economy."

And that case would likely center around the tax cuts, which, Edwards argued, have shifted the tax burden to America's shrinking middle class. "He's put a huge burden on the engines of economic growth," he said.

The half-hour session began with a quick commentary on his growing momentum. Polling either third or fourth in Iowa's Jan. 19 primary race, and inching up to third in New Hampshire, Edwards, who represents the adjacent state, is well ahead of the pack of nine candidates in South Carolina, the nation's third primary race. And that strategy, of gradually gathering recognition and exceeding admittedly low expectations in the northern states' primaries, closely parallels that of Bill Clinton in 1992, who was polling at 1 percent before his campaign caught fire.
"It's all about momentum," Edwards said.
Should he repeat Clinton's success, Edwards, who, with his tieknot slipped down and is sleeves rolled up, appeared ready to go to work on a long list of policies and initiatives.

On the economy, he said he would first repeal the tax cuts on incomes over $200,000, and end tax breaks for companies that export jobs overseas. He would also establish a national venture capital fund that would give "tax writeoffs to for bringing jobs to areas where jobs are most desperately needed."

Education: Teachers would receive cash incentives to teach in less prosperous and more needy areas of the country. He also sketched out a plan, "College for everyone," in which those students with the desire and ability, who were willing to work 10 hours a week, would be guaranteed a college education.

Iraq: "This president has completely screwed this up. I don't know how else to say this.' While Edwards voted earlier this year to authorize the war, he voted against giving the president the $87 billion he requested for reconstruction efforts. He would turn over the management of that reconstruction to the United Nations at the first practical opportunity. He also said that Bush administration's unilateral moves to disengage foreign policy from international collaboration began well before Sept. 11. America's security, Edwards said, depends on understanding how we are viewed abroad.

"We are much safer in a world where America is looked up to and respected," he said.

Health care, Edwards said, "Should be a birthright for every child born in America." To accomplish this bold goal, Edwards would combine a mix of cost containments and `competition, such as allowing the reimportation of Canada's much cheaper prescription drugs.

Edwards answered questions varying from his support of a woman's right to choose, and his support of the Iraq war. He spoke about the need to reach out to the middle class with plans and programs that speak to their needs, and hopes. 'The middle class always decides these elections," and while they may not pay much attention to the New York Times editorial page or CNN punditocracy, "they are usually quite good at figuring out who has their best interests at heart."

© 2003 The Ojai Valley News

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