Kerry, Edwards to Face Off in California Debate

Reuters ^ | 2-26-04 | John Whitesides

[jwalburg]

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The Democratic presidential contenders converged on California on Thursday for the first of two debates that give John Edwards his best shot at slowing front-runner John Kerry's momentum before next week's 10-state Super Tuesday showdown.

Kerry, Edwards and the two other remaining candidates, Dennis Kucinich and Al Sharpton, will participate in the 90-minute debate at the University of Southern California on Thursday night.

Along with a Sunday debate in New York, the two forums offer Edwards his most public platform to try to change the dynamics of the Democratic race and stop Kerry's march to the nomination to face President Bush in November.

Bush, who launched his re-election drive earlier this week with attacks on Kerry, continued the theme during a trip to Kentucky and North Carolina. He derided his political rivals as out of touch with working Americans for refusing to support making his tax cuts permanent.

Kerry, who earned the endorsement of the New York Times, has dominated the Democratic race with 18 victories in the first 20 contests, and another blowout on Tuesday could put the nomination in reach and Edwards' candidacy in doubt.

The 10 states include big prizes like California, New York and Ohio and have 1,151 delegates at stake, more than half of the 2,162 needed to win. Kerry would not have enough delegates to win the nomination with another dominating performance, but Edwards would have little incentive to push on.

Edwards, who used a strong debate performances in Iowa and Wisconsin to mount late charges in those earlier races, began the day by earning the endorsements of the California and New York chapters of the ACORN community group, which represents more than 150,000 low and moderate-income families.

"I want to change this country so never again in America does anyone ever utter the phrase 'working poor,"' he said at a rally in San Francisco.

Kerry arrived in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon and planned to stop at a grocery store to meet striking workers. More than 70,000 California grocery employees have been on strike for the past five months over a plan by three supermarket chains to cut their health benefits.

The Massachusetts senator drew more than 2,500 people at a campaign rally in Macalester College's field house in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Wednesday night. Fire marshals said they turned away hundreds more.

During a speech interrupted dozens of times by a mix of union members and college students waving blue-and-white Kerry signs, the senator blamed Bush for sending American jobs abroad, leaving millions without health care, running an inept foreign policy and alienating traditional U.S. allies.

Bush, on a visit to Kentucky, said his challengers were out of touch with working Americans for opposing the extension of his 2001 and 2003 tax cuts at a cost of around $1 trillion over the next decade.

"That's code word for 'I'm going to raise your taxes,"' Bush told workers at a Louisville pipe-making company.

"We don't need to be raising taxes right now as the economy is beginning to recover. We've got plenty of money in Washington D.C.," he said, ignoring this year's projected half-trillion-dollar budget deficit.

Bush also planned a visit to Edwards' home turf of North Carolina on Thursday night for a fund raiser in Charlotte.

"I wish President Bush would spend more time talking to families and listening to their fears, like I do," the North Carolina senator said. "Then he might realize that the people of North Carolina need more from their president than economic photo-ops and $2,000-a-plate fund raisers."

In its editorial endorsing Kerry, The New York Times said he "exudes maturity and depth" and that "what his critics see as an inability to take strong, clear positions seems to us to reflect his appreciation that life is not simple."

But the Times also criticized Kerry for showing little interest in being daring and said: "We wish we could see a little of the political courage of the Vietnam hero who came back to lead the fight against the war."

The Times said Edwards was a strong campaigner but too inexperienced. "When he departs from his stump speech and discusses domestic issues or -- particularly -- foreign affairs, his lack of experience shows," it said. (Additional reporting by Patricia Wilson, Deborah Charles, Adam Entous)

[Mo1]

Sounded it like it to me

[Fledermaus]

I found this on the Senate website: It looks like the President has the power!!

Treaty Termination


The Constitution is silent about how treaties might be terminated. The breaking off of two treaties during the Jimmy Carter administration stirred controversy. In 1978, the president terminated the U.S. defense treaty with Taiwan, in order to facilitate the establishment of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Also in 1978, the new Panama Canal treaties replaced three previous treaties with Panama. In one case, the president acted unilaterally; in the second, he terminated treaties in accordance with actions taken by Congress. But clearly it seems that the right to terminate belongs to the executive, the sole branch of government that communicates with foreign governments. Only once has Congress terminated a treaty by a joint resolution; that was a mutual defense treaty with France, from which, in 1798, Congress declared the United States "freed and exonerated." In that case, breaking the treaty almost amounted to an act of war; indeed, two days later Congress authorized hostilities against France, which were only narrowly averted.

[Stellar Dendrite]

hi, i dont have cable.....can someone post here after the debate regarding Edwards performance specifically?

thanks

[Right_in_Virginia]

Edwards is not doing well at all.

[Timeout]

They all said they would allow Hatian refugees to land in Florida.

Buh-bye, Sunshine State.

[jwalsh07]

Did Kerry just accuse the Bush administration of theological hatred?

Thats nothing,earlier Long John stated the the President did not need Congress' approval to go to war and cited Clintons Kosovo conflicts as proof.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Gad! John eFing just answer with one word: No.

Hell is freezing over...

Whoa, he is on a roll again...

[Dolphy]

I suppose we will have to add Voodoo in diversity training then if Kerry is elected.

[Monty22]

Now they're arguing over how to best socialize medicine.

[Mo1]

Doesn't sound like it is an easy thing to do

[Right_in_Virginia]

I wish someone would define "wealthy" and "middle class".

[Feiny]

I wish King would ask Edwards if he knew those in POVERTY have cable tv, cars, VCR's, and live far better than the middle class in most other countries.

[sinkspur]

Edwards is not doing well at all.

None of them are doing well, IMO.

This is the biggest bullshit session I've ever seen. Nothing but throwing money at stuff, trashing Bush, and lying.

[Mo1]

I wish someone would define "wealthy" and "middle class".

According to Edwards .. anyone making $200,000 and over are rich

[cyncooper]

As I reported already on the thread, my ten year old accurately assessed him as "not looking sure of himself".

Spot on.

He looked very good in the Milwaukee debate. Tonight he looks weak.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Kerry's not even making sense vis-a-vis the tax code.

[jwalsh07]

Turning into a classic liberal bidding war.

I'll give everybody health care.

I'll give everybody health care and a house.

I'll give everybody health care, a house and a new Cadillac every other year.

I'll call ya.

[sonofatpatcher2]

If I understand John Efing's Tax Plan, if you make money, the government gets it.

[Monty22]

did king just bash socialism!?!?

[jwalsh07]

Predatory Capitalism rant from the House Commie.