1. This Time Around, Edwards Is Talking Tough

2. Edwards promises he won't get along

3. Edwards Supports Writers' Strike, Speaks At Rally

4. `Politics of Parsing' Web ad a hit, survey says

5. Most Democratic candidates are ignoring African Americans

6. Edwards Campaign: Poweshiek County supervisors endorse Edwards for president

7. John Edwards hits his stride

8. Blog roundup

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1. This Time Around, Edwards Is Talking Tough

Last election season John Edwards was the positive guy, which was nice. We saw where that got him...right? Who wants to be nice to a bunch of corrupt selfish politicians anyway?  

CBS) If you think of John Edwards as a sunny candidate with a positive tone, things have changed, CBS News correspondent Chip Reid reports. Listen to him on the campaign trail now, where he sounds like a man looking for a fight.

"Hell yeah I'm confrontational and I'm not ashamed of it," Edwards said. "We need a fighter in the White House."

In the Democratic debates, no one punches harder, especially when the target is front-runner Hillary Clinton, who accuses Edwards of throwing mud.

snip

Critics say he's changed from four years ago when he was known for his smiling disposition and his refusal to go negative. "If you are looking for the candidate that'll do the best job of attacking the other candidates, I'm not your guy," Edwards said then.

Now, Democratic rival Chris Dodd says: "I am surprised at just how angry John has become. This is not the same John Edwards I once knew."

But Democratic strategist Steve McMahon says that with Clinton and Barack Obama running so strong, Edwards has no choice but to turn up the heat.

"The only way he's going to get any attention is if he pushes himself into the focus, into the frame, and that's what he's trying to do," McMahon said. "Call it confrontational - I call it effective campaigning."

In New Hampshire today, Edwards insisted his message is still positive. It's not anger, he says - it's passion.

"What voters want to see is that what you stand for, what you believe, comes from within here," he said, pointing to his heart, "that it doesn't come from just your head."

"She continues to defend a system that does not work, that is broken, that is rigged, and is corrupt," Edwards said.

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2. Edwards promises he won't get along

More of Edwards keeping it real. And tough.

With six weeks until New Hampshire primary voters make their choice, Democratic candidate John Edwards appealed to the undecided yesterday to measure candidates by their integrity. At a town hall meeting in Bow, he asked his audience to consider two questions.

"Who can you trust to tell you what's wrong in Washington?" he said. "And who can you trust to fight like hell to make it right?"

The campaign has labeled this week's events in New Hampshire, New York and Iowa as the "America Belongs to Us" tour. Edwards promised not to be part of what he called the "go along, get along" culture in Washington. He said his years fighting corporate lawyers have given him the determination to fight corporate lobbyists.

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He said if primary voters vowed not to support candidates that take money from special interests, the candidates would stop accepting lobbyist money. Edwards continually has jabbed at Hillary Clinton while campaigning in New Hampshire and Iowa, saying she has taken more from lobbyists than any candidate.

"The idea that they have all the power is just in their heads," he said. "Ultimately, you have all the power."

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Edwards said President Bush has destroyed the trust between the president and the people. He implored voters to use their power to change that.

"I could care less about whether the next president of the United States is a great politician," he said. "But I do care if the next president is trustworthy. . . . Make that judgment."

Edwards spoke to a standing-room-only crowd in front of a wall-sized American flag at the old Bow town hall. Spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield said there were about 250 people there.

In a press conference after the event, Edwards referenced "squabbling" between Clinton and Democratic Sen. Barack Obama over whose health care plan is better. He repeated a pledge to take away health care for members of Congress unless they pass a universal plan by July 2009. Edwards wouldn't actually have the power to strip them of coverage unilaterally but would shepherd legislation through Congress to that effect to put pressure on those who oppose his plan, he said.

"People have gotten fat and happy and complacent, and they don't see what we're seeing across this country with 47 million people without health care and millions more who are terrified about losing their health care coverage," he said. "That's what this battle is about. It's not a battle between politicians. We're all going to be fine."

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3. Edwards Supports Writers' Strike, Speaks At Rally

New York, NY (AHN) - Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards continued his support for the Writers Guild of America by speaking at a rally at Manhattan's Washington Square Park on Tuesday.

"It's about making sure these big corporations, these big media conglomerates don't step on your rights - that you have a real opportunity to share in the work that you've been producing," the Democratic presidential hopeful told the striking television writers.

snip

"After three and a half months of bargaining, the AMPTP still has not responded to a single one of our important proposals. Every issue that matters to writers, including Internet reuse, original writing for new media, DVDs, and jurisdiction, has been ignored. This is completely unacceptable," the union said in a statement on the first day of strike.

Producers and networks have repeatedly said that the concern over royalties is a non-starter, and that no business model has yet been established for the Internet.

Edwards, who has canceled guest appearances on "The View" and "Ellen" until the strike is settled, pledged he would work for the rights of union workers as president. He also revealed several proposals to protect the middle class, such as the creation of a "Borrowers Security Act" that will keep credit card companies from charging consumers large and irregular interest payments.

David Chase, creator and writer for "The Sopranos," told the Associated Press that Edwards "said some very important things."

More on the strike here, including a short video.

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4. `Politics of Parsing' Web ad a hit, survey says

The Politics of Parsing ad...um....worked.

Former Sen. John Edwards's (D-N.C.) attempt to label Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) as a parser was a hit across the board, according to a survey of political insiders by Wilson Research Strategies.

Edwards's Web video, titled "The Politics of Parsing," features clips of Clinton saying apparently contradictory things at a presidential debate in Philadelphia in late October.

As might be expected, Republicans scored it highest -- a 7.9 on a scale of zero to 10. But Democrats and independents both scored it 6.6 or higher, which is well above the average for the survey.
Still, respondents said Edwards faces a do-or-die test in Iowa against the front-running Clinton. In fact, a majority said Edwards, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) all must win Iowa in order to have a chance at their party's nomination.

For those who haven't seen it....

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5. Most Democratic candidates are ignoring African Americans

In an article Jesse Jackson said what many informed voters have known for months... John Edwards is the only candidate focusing on poverty, which affect minorities including blacks & hispanics at a higher rate than any other group.

Can Democrats get the votes they need simply because they're not Republicans? You might think so in this presidential campaign. African-American and urban votes are critical to any Democratic victory. Bill Clinton won two terms without winning the most white votes. His margin was the overwhelming support of black voters. George Bush learned that lesson; that's why his campaigns spent so much effort suppressing the black vote in key states like Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004. His victory margin was the tally of votes suppressed or uncounted.

Yet the Democratic candidates -- with the exception of John Edwards, who opened his campaign in New Orleans' Ninth Ward and has made addressing poverty central to his campaign -- have virtually ignored the plight of African Americans in this country. The catastrophic crisis that engulfs the African-American community goes without mention. No urban agenda is given priority. When thousands of African Americans marched in protest in Jena, La., not one candidate showed up.

Now, I know not all blacks are poor, but some them are just po' as in Linda Dogan endorsing John here.... she's from a place where people couldn't even afford the "or" in poor.

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6. Edwards Campaign: Poweshiek County supervisors endorse Edwards for president

More endorsements for Edwards in Iowa. Is everyone on board yet?

Announcement Highlights Edwards' Strength in Poweshiek County and Growing Momentum in Iowa

Montezuma, Iowa - The Edwards campaign today announced that all three Poweshiek County Supervisors have endorsed Senator John Edwards for President. Supervisors Lamoyne Gaard and Doug Shutts from Grinnell and Supervisor Ellie Snook from Montezuma are all supporting Edwards as the best candidate to take back the White House and change our country.

The Edwards campaign has been very active in Poweshiek County. The announcement follows Edwards' visit to Grinnell on November 20th to discuss his big ideas to change our country. Special guests Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne joined Edwards for a community meeting and special performance at Grinnell College. At the beginning of the month, Elizabeth Edwards visited Poweshiek County and the campaign announced its Poweshiek County Steering Committee. The committee is made up of respected community leaders and party activists who will lead the campaign's effort in the county by recruiting precinct captains, organizing rural areas, signing up volunteers and supporters, and spreading Edwards' specific ideas to change our country.

"I am honored to receive the support of these well-respected community leaders who are fighting every day to build a better future for our children," said Edwards. "Working together, I believe we can change our country and build One America where every person has the chance to work hard and achieve the American Dream."

"We need a leader with the strength and vision to compete in battleground states like Iowa and counties like Poweshiek," said Supervisor Snook. "John Edwards is the candidate who shares our values, understands our issues and offers real and bold solutions. Iowans from rural and urban areas and people from red states and blue states can all relate to Edwards and support his plan to build One America."

"I am proud to support John Edwards for president," said Supervisor Shutts, Chairman of the Board of County Supervisors. "His comprehensive plans to end the war in Iraq, offer real help for family farmers and rural communities and make college more affordable have made him the clear leader in a strong field of candidates."

"I am proud to support Senator Edwards because he will work to make sure every child in America can attend a high quality public school and get a great education," said Supervisor Gaard. "He will work to make sure that all of our children have the education tools they need to succeed in life."

The endorsement by the Poweshiek County Supervisors comes as Edwards' campaign in Iowa continues to gain momentum. In the last month, Edwards has received the endorsements of Caucus for Priorities, which includes 10,000 caucus goers, the Iowa Postal Workers Union, the Iowa State Council of SEIU and 11 other SEIU state councils representing more than a million SEIU members. Additionally, Edwards is the first candidate to announce County Steering Committees in all 99 counties, reaffirming the growing strength of his statewide organization.

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7. John Edwards hits his stride

Started with tough-talk, ending with tough-talk. He can soothe me with hope, but I'll yell for more hell.

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Maybe my judgment is permanently skewed from having watched John Edwards make his closing surge in Iowa in 2004, coming from nowhere (5 percent in the polls at this point four years ago) to almost winning the caucuses. Still, few candidates are more adept at making that all-important final argument to a political jury.

I got a glimpse Monday of how formidable Edwards still might be in a campaign cycle seemingly dominated by Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Here in the quaint clapboard town hall in Bow, just outside Concord, Edwards launched his latest anti-corporate-lobbyist crusade, billed as "America Belongs to Us Week."

New Hampshire, which is fast becoming the most affluent state in New England, is not natural turf for populist politics or class-based argument. But Edwards -- particularly before small crowds (about 100 voters turned out in Bow, not an Obama- or Clinton-size throng) -- is that rare candidate who can pull off antiestablishment rhetoric with an ingratiating smile.

What stayed with me overnight were not the remarks from Edwards' prepared text. Rather, I was far more swayed by a riff that the former 2004 vice-presidential nominee launched into in response to a question about which prior presidents have stood up to entrenched interests. (By the way, Edwards, like John McCain, is a Teddy Roosevelt groupie.)

"I'm going to be critical of my own party," Edwards declared, certainly getting my attention. "One of the mistakes that we make is to believe that all we have to do is to be better at this game than [the Republicans] are. If we're better at this game than them, we can be elected and then wield power. But for what purpose? But for what purpose, if nothing changes? Except for glorifying the ego of a particular candidate, what difference does it make?"

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8. Blog Roundup
John Edwards' positive message to Iowans by desmoinesdem
Time to Step It Up for JRE (John Edwards) by be inspired
updated:Jesse Jackson: Edwards Is Only Dem not ignoring African Americans by wade norris
If Edwards Wins: The January 4th Narrative by david  mizner
Iowa: Please don't repeat your mistake by palpatine316
Edwards: "Voters should be choosing their representatives - not the other way around" by framecop