Edwards Coming to Jefferson City

Senator John Edwards will travel to mid-Missouri on Tuesday to meet with voters and discuss his plans to make sure our government works for working families and the middle class, not just special interests. From guaranteeing universal health care to creating good jobs and enacting trade deals that help workers, not just big multinational corporations, Edwards will take on entrenched interests and fight for working and middle class families.

What:Meet John Edwards in Jefferson City Mid-Missouri Rally

When:Tuesday, January 29th at Noon

Where:The Eagles Club 1411 Missouri Blvd.

To RSVP – go to: www.johnedwards.com/jeffersoncity

Edwards Coming to Springfield

Please come meet John Edwards in Springfield Monday evening. This will be John Edwards’ second event in Missouri in less than 2 weeks! John Edwards is serious about winning Missouri on February 5th – and is bringing his campaign to the grassroots!

5:30 p.m., Monday, January 28, 2008
Teamsters’ Hall
1850 Division Street

If you can attend, please take a moment to RSVP here:
www.johnedwards.com/springfield

This helps the campaign with planning this event.

If you’d like to volunteer with the campaign here in Missouri go to http://www.johnedwards.com/states/missouri/volunteer

Truth-O-Meter

For all you Democratic Debate watchers, here's one alleged Truth-O-Meter (truthometer@politifact.com) by Bill Adair regarding the debate:

SUMMARY: The Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach featured sharp comments by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. We found Clinton continued to distort Obama's comments about Ronald Reagan, while other claims were closer to the truth.

The Democratic debate in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Jan. 21, 2008, turned into such a battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama that John Edwards had to remind the CNN moderators that he was on stage.

"There's a third person in this debate," he said.

But alas, the fireworks primarily came from Obama and Clinton, who continued to feud about Obama's statements about Ronald Reagan. And building on comments made over the weekend by her husband, Sen. Clinton continued to distort Obama's remarks.

She said that Obama had talked about "admiring Ronald Reagan" and said that "The facts are that he has said in the last week that he really liked the ideas of the Republicans over the last 10 to 15 years."

But that's not what Obama said. As we noted in this item on Bill Clinton's attack, Obama did not say he "liked" the Republican ideas or that "the good ideas came from the Republicans."

What he said was that "Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that, you know, Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not" and that "it*s fair to say the Republicans were the party of ideas for a pretty long chunk of time there over the last 10,15 years, in the sense that they were challenging conventional wisdom.

But the Clintons continue to twist those words and have earned a False for repeatedly distorting them.

We also checked these claims from the debate:

* Obama claimed that while he was a community organizer in Chicago neighborhoods that had been hard-hit by plant closings, Clinton was a corporate lawyer on the Wal-Mart board of directors. We gave that a True.

* Clinton said she was fighting Republican ideas when Obama was "practicing law and representing your contributor, (Antoin) Rezko, in his slum landlord business in inner city Chicago." We gave that a Barely True because Obama did little work for Rezko and it was before the slumlord charges surfaced.

* Obama claimed that Clinton had once called NAFTA a "boon" to the economy. Although Clinton in the past has had measured praise for the trade agreement, we couldn't find any evidence she called it a boon and it appears the sole source for the Obama campaign's claim is a Newsday chart summarizing her position. We gave Obama's claim a False.

* Edwards had his facts right with his statement that the net worth of black families is one-tenth the net worth of white families. We gave that a True.

Barack and Edwards Impressive in Iowa

WOW - talk about a painful blocked shot of the Billary machine!!

Barack and Edwards both had a message of change. Hillary had a message of experience. The Des Moines Register said 100,000 first time caucus goers would show up and vote for Barack - they were right. Clearly, these folks did not care about the money spent by Barack or Hillary. Iowa voters - and all of America - want a massive change in DC.

The monkey is clearly on the back of Hillary. She has to win New Hampshire. The debate on Saturday night is the chance for Hillary to stop Obama's massive momentum - look for a change in message to "experience to bring about change." Edwards also has to perform well, but the fact that he was out spent by massive margins and lacked Bill Clinton or Oprah shows that he is a huge force. And, if his speech last night wasn't amazing enough, Obama gets to look even more presidential.

I spent 3 freezing days in Iowa for John Edwards knocking on doors, handing out lit and hanging stuff on porch screens. Iowa is a political science major's fantasy. Concerts with John Mellencamp, Jim Dean being at the Steelworker's hall, even KY3 from Springfield was there. I have much more respect for the caucus process. I spent 30 minutes in a coffee shop in Indianola talking about Edwards v. Obama with wonderful woman. The folks there cared enough to be informed and to go out on a horribly frigid night and wait in line. As Missouri native Sheryl Crow says, a change will do us good.

Edwards Leads Latest Poll in Iowa

Here's what I know about polls in Iowa - they don't count for much. Nevertheless, if your candidate is in the lead, your shout it from the mountain top. Here's the latest poll from McClatchy/MSNBC:



Edwards 24%
Clinton 23%
Obama 22%
Richardson 12%
Biden 8%
Dodd 2%
Kucinich 1%
Gravel >1%
Undecided 8%

For an interesting read on how Edwards has spent the last four years securing rural caucus votes, check out Newsweek's Edwards: A Sleeper Candidate?

For months, Edwards has been rounding up support in the state's rural precincts where the front runners have paid less attention. While Obama and Clinton have drawn crowds in the thousands in places like Des Moines and Ames, Edwards has been winning over people in tiny towns like Sac City (population: 2,189). Even if he loses to Obama and Clinton in the state's bigger cities, he hopes he can still win by wrapping up smaller, far-flung precincts that other candidates have ignored. "The bulk of our support is in small and medium counties," says Jennifer O'Malley, Edwards's Iowa state director. O'Malley says Edwards has visited all 99 counties in the state; the campaign has so far trained captains covering 90 percent of all 1,781 precincts. Rural voters are sometimes reluctant to caucus, so the campaign has been enlisting respected community leaders to encourage first-timers to get past their apathy or fear.

One thing you can bank on, Iowa will give both the Republicans and Democrats a surprise. My uneducated, out of touch, biased predication - the first vote in the urban caucus meetings will go like the poll above. Rural voters are all sporting a "Hogs for Edwards" bumper sticker due to Edwards opposition to corporate pig farms, so the rural caucus numbers will be big for John. Since you have to have 15% of the vote to survive to round II (which Richardson and Biden won't get), the Richardson/Biden votes will split between Edwards and Obama because these voters want big change. Edwards wins Iowa, Obama a close 2nd, Hillary is 3rd.

Presidential Poll - It Ain't Decided Yet

The mainstream media would have you believe that the Democratic primary has been decided. The DFA (Democracy for America) poll, however, shows it is much different.

Now, I will give you that an on-line poll lacks lots of the scientific qualities of a poll. However, a primary caucus in Iowa is about the die-hards coming out to stand in the corner of their favorite candidate. In that way, its kinda like an on-line poll - only those who are really pumped up about a candidate show up. The DFA poll shows the top 3 vote getters are Kucinich, Gore and Edwards. Clearly, there are some die hard Democrats out there that wants to vote for a liberal, even if they ain't running. The DFA poll allows you to drop off candidates.

Since the Iowa caucus is a two-round deal, candidates do get dropped off after the first round if they don't have 15% of the vote. Since Gore ain't running and Kucinich doesn't have a chance unless a UFO lands, that leaves lots of liberals looking at Edwards. Like the Iowa caucus, the DFA poll allowed you to put your candidates in order (1 - 3). Edwards won the DFA poll in Iowa. John Edwards picks up the Gore and Kucinich votes if they drop out and won the poll, again. If you drop out everyone but Edwards/Hillary/Obama, then Edwards is still the winner.

Like I said, it ain't real scientific, but I bet we are all a little amazed at what happens in Iowa on January 3rd.

Hillary Reaches Out to Faith Communities

Today Hillary Clinton had a nice fundraiser in KC.

More important, she reached out to faith communities, meeting with ministers, discussing her faith. What I wouldn't give to have heard her address how the religious right has high jacked the morals debate. I understand that is was moving and very real. The Democrats have really gotten religion.

There, I said something nice about someone besides Edwards.

How to Win MO in 2008; Go Sam Page

Blog CCP readers already know of my support of John Edwards and Jay Nixon. I can't pick the Presidential candidate for 2008, no matter how many posts about John Edwards I put up. Attorney General Jay Nixon will be primary free in the race for Governor. The latest - and maybe greatest addition - is Dr. Sam Page.

Dr. Page is a state representative from St. Louis. Sam is the only declared candidate for Lt. Governor. Here's what Sam brings to the table: we all know that women swing voters (who don't vote on abortion) put Sen. Claire McCaskill in DC. Sam is a married, a father of 3 and a real practicing doctor. He is an appealing candidate to swing voters. Jay Nixon gets elected with the help of Sam Page. Sam Page gets elected with the help of Jay Nixon.

Whomever our presidential candidate is will benefit from this one-two combo. I like Edwards, but I vow to help out whomever it is that is at the top of the ticket, and so will Dr. Sam Page.

Why Edwards Can Carry Missouri and Who is Wes Shoemyer

Who is Wes Shoemyer and why is John Edwards smiling so darn big?

Sen. Wes Shoemyer (D) is the hope for Missouri Democrats. He is the state senator from Northeast Missouri, a farmer and the key to Democrats taking back the majority in Jefferson City. Wes knows what it takes to win in rural Missouri. Wes was asked about the possibility of a Clinton campaign. “I think in rural Missouri, a candidate that is not such a lightning rod would be a candidate that would be much better for rural Missouri,” Shoemyer said. That is why at Hannibal Days that former Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell and Sen. Wes Shoemyer endorsed John Edwards for President.

Daily KO's has focused on Edwards work in Missouri. Edwards is smiling because he knows that folks like Sen. Wes Shoemyer are like the folks that participate in the Iowa caucus. Edwards knows that New Hampshire voters fully understand that you have to win not only the liberal states, but also the swing states (like Missouri). US Senator Claire McCaskill had to neutralize the Republicans in rural Missouri to win her Senate seat (which led to taking back control of DC). Senator McCaskill did so by announcing her campaign for senate at her family's feed mill and promising to "never forget rural Missouri." Whomever the Democrats nominate must do the same in Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Arkansas to win the White House.

Run, John, Run!!

Hillary a Drag

We mid-westerners aren't arrogant, but we aren't dumb, either. We know how the Electoral College works. We know Missouri and Ohio are swing states that the Democrats must win to take back the White House. As a Midwestern Democrat, I desperately want to put a D back in the White House.


Here's my beef - Hillary Clinton cannot win the swing voters in Missouri that U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill won. When the top of the ticket in 2004 sported a liberal from Massachusetts, Claire lost her bid for governor. When she was the top of the ticket in 2006, Claire won and helped push the majority in the US Senate over to the Democrats. Democrats need Missouri!!


In Missouri, the presidential primary will be decided without our input. We are left to work with whomever Iowa and New Hampshire give us. Fortunately, Iowa and New Hampshire take their jobs seriously. Maybe they give us John Edwards, who is leading in the Iowa polls. Missouri can build a ticket around Edwards. Attorney General Jay Nixon will be our governor if Edwards is the presidential candidate. Hillary - although extremely smart - is horrible divisive in the swing districts that put Claire into Harry Truman's senate seat. Our Missouri swing voters are in suburban counties, they are women, they don't vote on abortion and they don't like Hillary.


Apparently, others around the country believe the same. Check out Clinton a Drag? Dems Fear Her Negatives. Things like "in more than 40 interviews, Democratic candidates, consultants and party chairs from every region pointed to internal polls that give Clinton strikingly high unfavorable ratings in places with key congressional and state races" scare the crap out of me as we try to take back Missouri's governor's mansion. Quotes like "the chairman of a Midwest state party called Clinton a nightmare for congressional and state legislative candidates" ring true in Missouri as we attempt to take back control of the Missouri house.


The Country needs Missouri if we are to win the White House. Missouri needs a candidate that will allow us to compete. Iowa and New Hampshire – give us someone who can win in more than the Kerry 2004 states.

Edwards Leads in Iowa

Sen. John Edwards, according to a poll by the DesMoines Register, leads the Democratic presidential pack in Iowa.

I have mixed feelings about the early primaries that decide who our candidate will be in November. Iowa does represent the Midwest, New Hampshire the East, South Carolina the South and Nevada the West. I know the caucus voters in Iowa very much want to pick a great candidate that can win. Democrats are highly motivated to put a D in the White House. I don't really care if it is Edwards, Obama or Clinton; they are all qualified and a million times better than the "current occupant."

Assume that the states Kerry won could be won by any Democrat. Assume that you really only need Ohio or Missouri or Florida AND any one Southern state (South Carolina or Arkansas or Tennessee). If you get Ohio and Arkansas - a Democrat is in the White House. Among the Democratic big 3 who is most likely to achieve the electoral college votes? I think this poll indicates that it is Sen. John Edwards.