Edwards At Harkin Steak Fry
On the eve of Hillary Clinton's much anticipated health care speech, John Edwards focused on health care in his speech at the Harkin Steak Fry.
"Brothers and sisters, when are we finally going to stand up to drug companies and insurance companies?" he asked to a roar of approval from the record-setting crowd of more than 12,000.
After grilling steak with Sen. Tom Harkin, he took a swipe at the forthcoming Clinton plan. His campaign promised that he would respond directly to her plan in his Monday morning address at the Laborers Convention in Chicago and offer a "unique way to get universal health care actually passed in this country."
Muscatine voter Tracy Hatfield said that Edwards' health care policy was one of the first things that drew him to the former North Carolina senator. An early Clinton supporter, Hatfield said he also liked Edwards' College for Everyone program in North Carolina.
"I needed to see someone with a different approach," he said of his switch.
Other Edwards supporters at the steak fry cited a variety of reasons for their choice.
Jerry Dingman of New London, a third-time steak fry attendee, said he caucused for Kucinich in 2004 but would caucus for Edwards in 2008.
"Edwards is more electable," he said. A retired factory worker and farmer, he said that he appreciated Edwards grew up in a "working-class" family.
Carma Armstrong of Indianola, who caucused for Edwards in 2004, said she believed Edwards is the only Democrat who could be elected to the White House.
Bill Clinton - that's William Joseph Clinton from Carroll - said he became an enthusiastic Edwards supporter after the first ad he saw for him in the 2004 race.
"That's somebody that's not blowing smoke at me," he said.
Jackson Hawks, who got his ticket to the event from the Obama campaign, said that he caucused for Edwards in 2004 but this year is still undecided.
"On domestic policy there is nobody better than John Edwards," he said. He was concerned, however, that he knew nothing about Edwards' foreign policy other than his plan to get out of Iraq.
In his speech Edwards also talked about global warming and the Iraq war.
"It is time to be patriotic about something other than the war," he said.
On Monday Edwards is scheduled to speak at the laborers convention in Chicago and the SEIU conference in Washington, D.C. [TRICIA MILLER]
