Here is a look at the the issues I am looking at when trying to decide which candidate to support for president.
I want a candidate for president that…
is strongly against Free Trade and recognizes that NAFTA ships US jobs overseas and is a driving force behind our immigration problem.
is in favor of universal health care
sees the major flaws in NCLB and will drastically change the program or just get rid of it
is committed to ending our addiction to foreign oil and sees renewable energy and green technologies as a way to create millions of jobs in the country
sees Iraq as a distraction from fighting al Qaeda and dealing with terror threats around the world, will bring our troops home from Iraq ( the British withdrawal from Basra reduced violence in the city by 90%), and understands the only solution in Iraq is a diplomatic one
John Edwards stopped in Marshalltown this evening on the first day of his 8 day bus tour across Iowa. Edwards spoke in front of 154 people at Marshalltown High School. A long time Marshalltown Democrat and former county chair told me this was the first time a presidential candidate has come to the High School.
This was my 8th time seeing Sen. Edwards and I noticed some differences tonight compared to past speeches. First, the message was toned down. A couple months ago the headlines were about John Edwards being too angry. Tonight, Edwards took the high road and even joked about the silly campaign antics of Clinton and Obama arguing about a Kindergarten essay. A few times throughout the event Edwards made distinctions on policy with Clinton and Obama, but they were very minor.
I also noticed more emphasis on his rural upbringing. Edwards mentioned growing up with the same kind of people, being born in a small town, and yes, being the son of a mill worker.
Edwards stayed on his theme of power in America being concentrated in the hands of a few. The problem is that regular people are being left behind and their voices aren’t being heard. He mentioned problems in health care, the prescription drug plan, and Blackwater and other paid mercenaries running around Iraq. Edwards brought up unfair trade agreements that ship jobs overseas more than he has in past events.
He discussed the responsibility of leaving a better country, calling it the moral test of our generation.
He then told the story of James Lowe, who was born with a clef pallet that was easily fixable and was unable to speak. However, Mr. Lowe did not have health care and could not get it fixed until, through the generosity of others, had the simple operation when he was 50.
James Lowe finally got his voice. Now it’s time for you to get yours.
Edwards then transitioned into his new theme of America rising.
…the great thing about America — and this has happened over and over in this country’s history — when America’s faced with great obstacles, what do the American people do? They rose up; they stood up; they spoke up; they faced these challenges, and they brought about the change America needs. Well, we’re in that place again. It’s time for us to stand up. It’s time for us to rise up.
Edwards opened it up for questions, which I shot some video with my digital camera of a few of his responses.
There is a proposed coal-fired power plant in Marshalltown. A citizen who is concerned about the power plant asks Edwards about coal plants and the importance of conservation.
Here Edwards is asked about No Child Left Behind. This was the first time that I have heard him say that he might totally ditch the law.
John Edwards ended his speech by asking people to caucus for him, but then did something a little unusual. He said that if he wants you to caucus for him then it is his responsibility to answer every question.
I thought the entire event was very good. Edwards was on message, he drew distinctions between himself and the other candidates, and his rhetoric was toned down. He gave a very good final push and came across as a nice guy with bold ideas who will stand up and fight.
I drew a different feeling from observing the audience. At times, when I expected more applause, there were little. However, when I looked at the crowd I would see heads nodding up and down in agreement. These people weren’t here to cheer on their candidate. These were undecided voters who are thinking long and hard about who they want as their next president. The question is if they will be rising in support for Edwards on caucus night.
The top two lawmakers on the Senate Education Committee said Friday they are putting off consideration of a new No Child Left Behind law until next year.
Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., have decided that there’s not enough time this year to complete work on the legislation, which has not yet been formally introduced.
This means the the No Child Left Behind bill will be pushed back until next year, which might make it more difficult to pass meaningful reform because it is an election year.
However, it may be even more difficult to pass a rewritten No Child bill next year because it is a presidential election year. It is harder to get the bipartisan consensus needed to pass major legislation against the backdrop of an intense presidential campaign.
“No Child Left Behind is important to our children’s future. We will not and cannot rush it,” Enzi said in a statement. “Sen. Kennedy and I have agreed that our goal must be to produce solid legislation — not to meet an arbitrary deadline.”
T.M. Lindsey has an interesting story over at Iowa Independent about an event by Jonathon Kozol, an award winning author about our education system. Kozol had some truthful comments about the No Child Left Behind act…
Jonathan Kozol’s contributions to public education and role in exposing the educational inequities between the rich and poor have left big footprints in our nation’s public education narrative. Kozol, a 71-year-old Boston native, addressed a room full of educators, administrators and prospective educators at the Marriott Hotel in Coralville Tuesday. The event, co-sponsored by Prairie Lights Bookstore and The Iowa City Public School, was billed as a reading of Kozol’s new book, “Letters to a New Young Teacher,” but the real elephant in the room, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), could not be ignored.
“I have a theory about No Child Left Behind,” Kozol told more than 400 people who gathered to hear his reading. “I believe the right wing’s agenda underlying No Child Left Behind is not to help students on the bottom end of the spectrum, but to serve as more of a shaming ritual in the public spectrum to soften the ground for vouchers.”
The Iowa City Press Citizen has a story about Rep. Loebsack and No Child Left Behind that is set to expire in September.”I have serious concerns about No Child Left Behind,” said Loebsack, a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, which is w…
The No Child Left Behind Act is up for renewal this year and discussion is getting underway in Washington about what to do with the act. US News has this story about Bush losing Republican support for the bill.Bush supports a fast renewal of NCLB, and…
On Saturday, Tom Vilsack spoke at the DNC Winter Meetings. I caught most of the speech on CSPAN and thought Vilsack did very well. Radio Iowa has a very good writeup on the speech.Vilsack’s theme was pushing for real change. Vilsack spoke against No Ch…
Here is a good article that outlines some of the reasons why No Child Left Behind is not working and will never work.You can have 100 percent proficiency or you can have a meaningful definition of proficient. You cannot have both. Think about it. Whate…
