Interview with Presidential Candidate John Edwards; The Exchange

From New Hampshire Public Radio I'm Laura Conaway and this is the exchange. John Edwards has only served in the U.S. Senate for five years and is the man from Robbins North Carolina campaigns for president. He sometimes asked about his relatively short political resume. Here's his answer. I haven't spent most of my life in politics but I've spent enough time in Washington to know how much we need to change it. Did any exchange Senator Edwards is with us. And we'll ask what he wants to change if elected president. For example Edwards would repeal some but not all of President Bush's tax cuts. And he says his administration would stress what he calls the morality of labor where a job is more than just a paycheck. It's about responsibility and dignity. Also Edwards and all the Democrats have harshly criticized the Bush team's foreign policy. We'll ask what President Edwards would do differently. Join us 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 1 800 892 and HPR. And Senator Edwards welcome back to the Exchange. Good to have you. Thanks Laura. Glad to be here. I'm going to ask you

why you want to be president but let me preface it a little bit not in terms of you know George Bush maybe taking the country down the wrong path or I'm better than the other Democratic candidates. But why you John Edwards want to be president. Because I you know I grew up in this in this extraordinary country and it gave for you is you've talked about before came from a family of working people a long line of working people and now I've gotten to the United States Senate I'm a candidate for president of United States and the kind of opportunities that I have had are not available to nearly enough Americans. And so for me this whole campaign is driven by the basic notion that I want to make sure that more Americans get exactly the same kind of chance and opportunity that I have here is what my whole life's calls has been about. And that's why I'm running for president. What kind of opportunities educational opportunity economic opportunity the chance to have a good job the chance to have access to quality health care. It start it starts with the basic notion that

everybody is entitled to the same chance in the same start in life and an opportunity to do what they're capable of doing. And I think there are huge barriers to that in this country today. I do think that President Bush has made it worse. But I think we have to look at there's no limit in my judgment on what the American people can do if we give them the opportunity we give them the chance and we'll definitely talk about those subjects today education the economy and health care because I know you have a big plan on that. But first foreign policy Senator Edwards that's on many people's minds Iraq. You voted in favor of the revolution resolution giving President Bush authority to go to war. How do you feel about that vote today. I think Saddam Hussein being gone is a good thing good thing for the security of that region of the world. Good thing for the Iraqi people. I feel very strongly. I've said this for over a year now before the resolution ever came to the Congress that it was critical. Two things were critical. One is that the president have a clear plan for what would happen now. Second that our friends and allies be involved in this effort so that it was an international

effort. I think the president has failed both those tests and has made the situation even worse by creating the appearance that friends of the president friends of the administration are going to benefit from what's happening in Iraq right now Halliburton for example with their with their no bid contracts. And so I think it's an it. I think he's made huge mistakes in particularly this phase of the campaign. And I think it's enormously important that we have friends and allies so that number one we help relieve the burden on the American taxpayer. Number to help relieve the burden on our troops. And number three over the long term probably most important that this be an international effort and the Iraqi people start moving toward self-governance and we hope toward democracy. Now at the time of the vote did you think that President Bush would as you say involve friends and allies and have a clear post-war plan. I was optimistic that Colin Powell would would have a plan for what would happen in this phase of the campaign. And and hopeful

that it Powles influence would lead to more allied involvement at this phase. It became pretty clear pretty quickly that prior to the military intervention that was not likely to occur. But no I think that in as a matter of fact I wrote in an op ed piece in The Washington Post you know a week or two weeks before the resolution even was sent to the Congress that these things were critical in order for us to be successful. And they just have not been done. And I think the president needs to be held accountable for that. Do you think that in hindsight those things should have been in the resolution on paper instead of this sort of hope. Cross your fingers that it will happen but that's just not the way. That's not the way things work. If you look back in the past it and are are are going into other military actions. The reality is that first you have to put together the military plan. Then and you have to also put together the plan for what comes after the military action and when that resolution was presented to Congress and we had to vote yes or no. Remember it was relatively early mid-fall I think of last year about a year ago.

And the military action started what five four five six months later. No I think I think it is the responsibility of the president United States to conduct the military action and to have a plan. He did not meet that responsibility in my judgment. Now let's put you in the president's chair today. Senator Edwards how would you handle what's happening in Iraq now. Several things One is do go to the U.N. but go to the U.N. not only asking for a resolution but with a clear plan to relinquish some control and give others some responsibility in what's happening there. What the sticking point and the reason we're having problems getting our friends and allies to help provide troops provide financial support for Iraq. Is the president completely unwilling to give up any control. Well this is not going to work unless he's willing to give up some control. The second thing that I think is important is this we have we have young men and women our troops who are trying to provide a security function something that they were

never intended to do and they're not trained to do. And we're seeing the results with loss of lives with their lot with them being at risk every day. The truth is that the security force in Iraq needs to be an Iraqi security force so that the people of Iraq feel more comfortable so that they can communicate so that they don't feel the way they do now about an American security force. Do you think they're ready for that. The Iraqi security forces. I think that we are we have to get them ready. We have to make sure that they're organized and if they're in place. But at the end of the day we don't do that and do it relatively soon. We're going to continue to be in this environment. I think the single most important thing for us to do. Let me make this straightforward simple is we need friends and allies there we should not be doing this by ourselves in order to accomplish that. We're going to have to be willing to give them a seat at the table. Let them for example let the U.N. be responsible for the setting up of the transitional government. We should give them that responsibility there's not only nothing wrong with that it's the right thing to do. But second we should also be in the process of not just transitioning with respect to the government but

transitioning with respect to who provides security on the ground. 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 is our number in the exchange I'm more annoyed today. Senator John Edwards is with us. Democratic U.S. senator from North Carolina and candidate for president. It's our second round of interviews with presidential candidates today on the exchange. Join us 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. We're going to be covering a variety of issues from Iraq to health care to education. Again 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. Another question about foreign affairs. Very quickly Senator Edwards North Korea has been telling the world a lot lately that hey I've got nuclear weapons. How would a President Edwards approach this very treacherous situation. Well this is this is one area where the Bush administration's policy has been a complete and abysmal failure when they came into office. The Clinton administration was engaged with North Korea engaged in a relatively constructive way. And what's happened is because of either no policy or an inconsistent policy. The

president and the administration have managed to disengage in North Korea and in the process alienate a lot of our friends for example the the South Koreans what we should be doing at this point is we should be at the table with the North Koreans. They are extraordinarily dangerous not just as a direct threat to us but they are clearly over the last decade the biggest proliferator of missile technology and potential proliferator of raw fissile material that exist on the planet. So we need to be at the table with the North Koreans. Now we should be tough. We should demand that they stop their nuclear weapons development that we have real transparency and the ability to verify which means being able to travel throughout the country and go to the sites and make certain that that nothing is happening. But we should be willing to give something up if they if they're willing to do that. The North Koreans need something from us. Their economy is in shambles their people are struggling and suffering. And we can help provide some of that support. So the bottom line is the most important thing

is for us to be at the table with them making demands but being willing to give something in return. Now both of these issues North Korea and Iraq ultimately have to do with homeland security here in the United States. As you know the Bush administration has been traveling around the country promoting the USA Patriot Act. But as you also know it's this act has been harshly criticized as overbearing infringing on civil liberties. Now as I understand you voted for the ACT Senator Edwards. Is that right. That is right. And are you still glad you did. Well everybody the Senate voted for it. I think it's with one exception. So here's what I think. I think that the Patriot Act has some provisions that never get any attention that are actually good. They addressed some of the information sharing that should go on within the government. Some of the problems that existed before September 11th they update for Protect to take into account today's technology cell phones and so forth that sort of thing. All of which are good. The problem is that the Patriot Act does to at least two things that are that is a serious problem. One is it

gives the attorney general of the United States too much discretion particularly when the attorney general is John Ashcroft. And second that has provisions in it such as a provision allowing the attorney general to go into libraries and into bookstores to find out what books are being checked out what what books are being barred in bookstores all all with very little in the way of structural safeguard against abuse and against violation of our of our liberties. If I can step back from this for just a minute I think first of all there are provisions in the title that that clearly need to be changed. Number one. Number two I think the problem is bigger than that. I think there are Rojan there is an erosion of our civil liberties going on at multiple levels. For example the Bush administration's policy on how they handle what they call enemy combatants. Now obviously these people are accused of doing very bad things but they have a policy that allows an American citizen to be arrested on American soil

held indefinitely in prison without ever seeing a lawyer or a judge or having a hearing or even getting a chance to prove that they're completely innocent. This is not our America. This is not the country that we grew up in. And we cannot let these things happen. And and and again from a little more altitude that the test for our liberties and our freedom doesn't come when times are easy. It comes at times like this after September 11 but we look back at World War II and the internment of Japanese Americans and were humiliated about that now we should be. Well I want our children and grandchildren to say looking back when the heat was on we stood up for the very rights and freedoms that really matter for America. So in addition to fixing the Patriot Act stopping things like this policy on enemy combatants I think we actually need a new watchdog office of civil rights and civil liberties whose responsibility it is to oversee the government and report to the Congress and to the president about what about what's occurring to make sure that in times

like these we're not losing the very things we're supposed to be fighting for. Would you institute that. Absolutely. The president absolutely when the Senate and the Congress passed the USA Patriot Act did you realize that some of these problems might crop up. But what we did you remember it happened very quickly. Yes it was. It was right after September the 11th. What what what happened was the administration appeared before the Congress and various committees and assured us that the problems that we're seeing now would not happen. We believe them wrongly or rightly and and as I said I think that that is it turns out the attorney general was given too much discretion and there are provisions that we now know are creating serious problems and they need to be changed. Let's talk about taxes. Senator Edwards taxes and the economy and jobs. Major parts of what you have been talking about in recent weeks. First taxes. You were one of a few senators who voted against President Bush's tax cut package. How come.

Because it's loaded up for four people at the top with high incomes. It doesn't do the things that need to be done in this country. I think that you know if you listen to all the Democratic presidential candidates everyone is against George Bush's tax cuts for millionaires. We should be. But I believe there's something more radical than that going on here. And I believe this is a position that I alone have been taking. I think that what has what is happening is this president is in the process of shifting the tax burden in America from wealth and the wealthy to work in the middle class. What I mean by that is he wants to eliminate taxes like the capital gains tax the dividends tax the taxation of large billion dollar estates all those are taxes either pass it or you don't passive unearned income on wealth or on wealth itself. That tax burden if it's eliminated gets shifted directly to the middle class to middle

class and working working people. The result that result is wrong for two reasons. One has to do with what we our principles and values are. I think this president should have to explain to the American people why under his plan a millionaire sitting by swimming pool getting a financial statement each month to see how much he made is paying a lower tax rate than a secretary or a fourth firefighter or a schoolteacher. I mean this is not what we believe in. It's also the second reason it's wrong is because it's terrible for the economy. If you look back historically over the last 50 years long term sustained economic growth has occurred in America when there was expansion of the middle class strengthening and expansion of the middle class. It happened after World War 2. It happened more recently in the second For example in the second half of the Clinton administration and what this does is not only does it not strengthen and empower and expand the middle class it places an additional burden on the middle class if the middle class

is clearly the engine of this economy. And the last thing we should be doing is putting additional burden on them. Senator Edwards I have a lot more tax questions for you and we'll also talk about jobs after a short break. We'll start taking your calls 2 1 8 8 8 excuse me 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 is the number you should call if you want to talk to Senator Edwards. But first we need another type of call from you a call with your pledge of support to New Hampshire Public Radio 1 8 8 8 8 0 5 6 4 7 7. And thanks. And good morning I'm David Durman from the New Hampshire Public Radio NEWSROOM along with Mike Arnold our program director asking you to go to the phone and check that pledge. Become a member renew your membership or make a pledge to New Hampshire Public Radio at 1 8 8 8 8 0 5 6 4 7 7 that's 1 8 8 8 8 0

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This the exchange. I'm Laura Canobie. Senator John Edwards is with us. He's a Democrat running for president. He's also a U.S. senator from North Carolina. We want to hear from you 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. It's your chance to talk to Senator Edwards about the issues that you want the presidential candidates to focus on. Again our number 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. And Senator Edwards let's go right to those phones. We'll go first to Darrie and Neal joins us from there. Hello Neal you're on the air. Good morning. Morning. Hi Senator. Hi Neal how are you. Very good yourself. Right so I've actually got two quick questions the second one is probably easier to answer than the first. The Bush administration is claiming a jobless recovery and maybe you could speak to that in New Hampshire we've lost somewhere between 15 and 20000 jobs. Most of those are in the manufacturing sector and as we know a lot of the plants are actually leaving the state and leaving the country. What can we do to stop this. What is your plan to stop jobs going overseas. Well you may start with that one.

Well well first of all Neal I'm not sure what jobless recovery means. You know if you if you don't have a job you certainly don't have a recovery. The things that have happened to this administration are extraordinary. Three million more Americans without a job. Three million more Americans living in poverty 9 million plus people who are in fact unemployed. And I would add to that almost 4 million more people who don't have health care coverage. Here's what's happening for a variety of reasons. We've seen a flow of manufacturing jobs of those three million jobs that have been lost about two and a half million manufacturing jobs. Here's what I think we need to do first. We need to have not just free trade but fair trade which means these trade agreements that we're entering into Need Serious protections enforceable protections for the environment for labor the right to join the union prohibition against things like forced labor and child labor. It's important for two reasons. One is to allow American workers to compete. It's also important to lift up the standards of the rest of the

world instead of instead of continuing to see what we're seeing in other places like China. The second thing we ought to do is close down the loopholes that exist in our tax code that actually create incentive for American companies to go overseas. I mean it's the last thing in the world we should be doing is actually incentivizing companies to leave because our own tax code so we should stop that. And then I think we should go further than that and actually give tax cuts to American companies that will keep jobs here in America. So get rid of the loophole number one. Number two they actually give a reason for American companies to stay here. One thing that I meant to mention earlier law is I believe that anybody who's running for president the United States and asking for the vote of the people of New Hampshire should be willing to say where they stand on everything I have written all of my position today on health care education foreign policy jobs the economy all these issues in a booklet and I would say to anybody who wants that booklet please let me let me know. You can reach us at John Edwards 2004. Com and we would

love to hear from you. I want you to see where I stand. I want you to see all my ideas on these issues. And that's the reason I wrote them down. So please either call or email or write in we would love to provide it to you. Now you and all the Democrats are talking about George Bush's stewardship of the economy and how it's been very poor. And yet on Friday I'm just holding up the business section right here. Jobless claims down by 23:00. Stocks close out remarkable year of recovery. September retail sales better than expected. So maybe things are picking up. Maybe those George Bush tax cuts that tax cuts helped. Yeah of a few. A few thousand jobs and about three million to go. No I think that's absolutely not true. I mean you're going to always see some small minor fluctuations but the reality is because of what George Bush is doing which is shifting the tax burden from wealth and the wealthy to the middle class because he has no specific ideas about how to create jobs or protect jobs. I mean for example one of the things I would like to see done is to identify the places in America

where job loss has been the greatest. And in those areas we should have a national venture capital fund so that we have seed money available to new business that's willing to start in those areas to create jobs to create some new business in those places. And secondly to existing business and industry say if you'd like to new a new plan a new facility in one of these areas we will provide you a reason to go there. In other words we will give you tax breaks for things like wages an investment and an investment in the facility. So let's not only create jobs. Let's actually bring jobs to the places where job loss has been the greatest and where jobs are so badly needed. So I don't think it's enough to just protect the jobs that we have. I talked about that earlier but I think we actually need some new ideas about how to create jobs and these are enterprise zones that people have been talking about for a while. They have talked about they haven't but they've been used in the past they've been used largely in large urban areas. I think they should be expanded and used in in rural areas in smaller towns and smaller

communities many of which have been hit very hard by job loss and the other idea which is to provide entrepreneurs a reason to start new businesses and the places where job loss has been high. That's something we haven't done in the past and I think it makes a great deal sense. 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 to Concord now and Tom Tom you're on the exchange. Go ahead. How are you doing. Fine thanks. Senator good to talk to you. Good morning. I do have a question. I know it seems like we've been talking about taxes a great deal but I guess I'm going to reiterate some points that you have already been making. All but Democrats are saying that they oppose the president's tax cuts for the rich. You know the ability to write off your very expensive SUV or what have you made it into the tax code. Can you continue to talk a little bit about how your vision and your plan for how taxes are going to be administered in this country is different and how it's going to change the country. Yes good question John. I'll be glad to. Well here's I can tell you very specifically

what I believe we need to do and why I believe we need to do it. First I would stop President Bush's tax cuts for those who earn in excess of $200000 a year. Not that those people are entitled to any tax relief. Just think at this point in time when we're in deficit where the economy is dragging. That's not that's not a priority. The second thing I would do is I would close down a whole group of corporate tax loopholes including for example the loophole I mentioned a minute ago that gives American companies a reason to go overseas. I would for working families in the middle class have a group of tax cuts that not only would I not raise taxes on the middle class which I think would be a huge mistake for all the reasons I talked about earlier we should not put additional burdens on the middle class. I actually think there are there there are more things we can do to help create wealth in the middle class you know say I'm the I'm for wealth creation but I unlike President Bush I'm not just for wealth creation for those who already have wealth for wealth creation for

those in the middle class and working families. Specifically what I would do is for example give a $5000 tax credit. Dollar for dollar credit to allow people to make the downpayment on their first home. I mean one of the problems the great impediments to people buying their first home particularly for middle class working families is being able to come up with the down payment. We should help them with that. Second I would reduce the capital gains rate for those in this category to allow them and create some incentive for them to invest that otherwise they might not do. And third we have one of the worst private savings rates in the world. And if you combine that with the onslaught of the baby boomers people like me coming into the Social Security system. And second the fact that we're going deeper and deeper into deficit with this president. Those three things are converging to create a train wreck down the road. What we should be doing is helping people save who otherwise will not say. So what I want to do is for the same group of people we're talking about match dollar for dollar the amount they're able to save up to $1000 per family per year. In other words let's create a

real reason for people to say let's create a nest egg to to help deal with this problem that we see coming down the road. Now how do you pay for all these programs. All of them are paid for the same way. But what I'm proposing is rid of the Bush tax cuts for people who make over $200000 a year and actually raise the capital gains rate for those who earn over $300000 a year so that they aren't paying less on their investment income than they are on their earned income. I think as a matter of basic equity and and closed down the corporate loopholes that I talked about just a few minutes ago those things generate and also cut some bureaucracy in Washington. Those things together generate about one and a half trillion dollars over the next 20 years. It is enough money to pay for everything I've proposed and we haven't talked about health care yet but I'm sure we will help my health care plan my education plan how we do the things to create wealth and a middle class. All those things and several hundred billion dollars for deficit reduction

1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 is our number in the exchange join us. Senator John Edwards is the guest. 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. And let's talk about health care a little bit. Senator Edwards you've called your plan a giant step toward providing universal health insurance for every American. Is that the goal finally universal health insurance. This that is the Gulf and I think we want every American to have health insurance coverage. What I'm proposing that we do is for the first time in the history of the country to make health care a birthright for every child in America we have 12 million kids under the age of 21 who have no health care coverage. I think they should be covered. And I and I will say we are pointing out some differences between myself and other candidates. I am the only one that actually requires that these kids be covered. It's different than than access to health care. It's different than a voluntary program is different than just providing supplemental help. I think it should be mandatory I think it should be

just like public education needs 24 right up day 21 21 and age 21 and then for those above the age of 21 particularly our most vulnerable adults parents of the same kids those over the age of 55 who aren't yet eligible for Medicare. Make sure that they get the coverage they need and that we provide coverage for them and for people who are in the gap between jobs. And one of those frustrating things that I hear from out on the campaign trail is are people who are between jobs particularly in this economy who have no the only access to health care coverage they have is what was called COBRA. And then we hear the Bush administration saying well yeah they're between jobs but COBRA is available to them. Well how in the world they're not working how they're supposed to pay for COBRA the cost is extraordinary. So this same group of people that are between jobs who've worked hard and they just haven't been able to find another job. They deserve our help too. And then last but far from least is we have to get health care costs under control in this country.

They are completely out of control which is going to be my question is that we're having a hard time coming up with a prescription drug benefit just for the elderly never mind covering every single person under 21. That's exactly right. And one of the reasons we're having that problem is I've seen this up close you know John McCain and Senator Kennedy now the three of us wrote what's called the Patient's Bill of Rights so that patients can make their own health care decisions. Well every day we were fighting to get it passed. The lobbyists for all those health care industry is working against us. And they have a stranglehold on Washington it's a scary thing to see up close. And I hope we have just a minute to talk about campaign finance reform because I think that's one of the problems with the power those people have. But so the second thing is even more recently I give you a more recent example just a couple of months ago I tried to do something about drug company advertising on television which of course everybody pays for. And if you watch their ads you'd believe that that you take their medicine and you'll be dancing through the field with your spouse that night. And we got 38 to 39 votes on a simple issue which is truth in advertising

you have to tell not only what's good but also what's bad about the product and it's all because of the power of these lobbies in Washington. And we have to stop the price gouging that's going on. We have to stop the abuse of the system to keep generics out of the market so that we actually have more competition. I think we should allow re-importation from Canada to create downward price pressure here in this country. I think we should do something about the anti-trust exemption that insurance companies have. There are a whole group of things we have to do but the starting place is to have a president that actually will stand up to these people. I just have one more quick question on health care. When you talk about universal health insurance some people think of a government run single payer system like Canada. Is that what you're aiming for. I think that what we have to do is move dramatically from where we are now and make real progress that people can see immediately because it doesn't do us any good for another 15 20 years of debate about this. What I have proposed is achievable doable. It's bold it's serious and I

know that we can get some support from those who are more middle of the road. You started small here. Yeah. I mean we're not at all. I think we're actually starting big. But I think we should always have our eye on the ball and the owl the ball has to get to the place in the next several years where everybody has health care coverage. 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7 is the number for you to join us our conversation with Senator John Edwards Democrat from North Carolina a candidate for president. Senator Edwards let's go to Meredith next. Sandy wants to join us. Hi Sandy go ahead. Hi Laura. Hi Senator. And my question actually you touched on it just a little bit. I'm deeply concerned about the importance of the Corporate America has with the drug companies and the oil companies on a national policy and the adverse effect it's having on our environment and our long term well-being of the middle class. And so my question for you is first of all do you share that concern and it's clear that you probably do. And then why are you the best Democratic candidate to address this issue.

B B The answer is I absolutely share that concern. Somebody asked me at an event a couple of months ago whether I think George Bush was bought and sold by big corporate America and my answer was No I don't think they had to buy him. I think these are the people he grew up with they helped elect him he knows that and he's not ever going to forget it. And we need a president that will stand up for for Americans who are being hurt by the powerful presence of these lobbies the reason that I believe I'm the best candidate is because this is what I've been doing my whole life. You know I grew up in a family where of working people. I spent my life as a first person of my family to go to college and then I spent my life as a lawyer fighting for the same kind of people that I grew up with against the very people we're talking about big corporations big insurance companies big drug companies. And so that they could get a fair shake. And winning those fights is exactly what I've done in the Senate when I did something

about drug company advertising when I fought along with Senator McCain and Senator Kennedy for the patients bill of rights. I mean this has also been my calls in the Senate and I am I believe the only presidential candidate who takes no money from either PACs or Washington lobbyists will not take contributions from PACs or Washington lobbyist so I can be independent from those people. So the bottom line is this is what I've done my whole life. I mean I've been standing up to these big corporate interests that make life that sometimes make life very very difficult for ordinary Americans. And I believe that I'm the person for that reason that can stand up to them as president the United States. Now Senator Edwards you don't need me to tell you this. The Republicans have been making much about your support from trial lawyers and saying well there's another special interest group and he's just as tied into any group as this. We may be wrong about that for a simple reason. As I said just a minute ago you have voluntarily even though it's perfectly legal don't take money from PACs

or Washington lobbyists and that includes PACs or Washington lobbyists from trial lawyers in addition to that. You know what. I have spent my life doing as a lawyer was fighting for regular people against the very interest that we're talking about here. And I'm proud of that. I mean I am proud of the fact that I took on the causes of I wrote mostly represent kids that represented kids and families in these very very tough battles in courtrooms against these corporate interests with all their lawyers and and people standing up for them. Now if lawyers choose to support me for that reason because they believe in individual lawyers then I'll take their support. No question about that. And I mentioned this earlier and I don't I don't mean I really don't mean any of these issues to sound holier than thou every presidential candidate has to raise money. We all do. That's just the truth. And we need to tell people the truth about that. But the way to fix this problem is not in small ways.

You can't. I worked very hard on McCain-Feingold and I think it was a good step in the right direction to help ban some of the soft money contributions. That's all fine doesn't go nearly far enough if we really want to put this democracy back in the hands of the American people and remove the influence of these Washington insiders who are so such a large degree running this country. It is a scary thing to see. I mean when you worry about well I think I always think about people like my parents and the people I've met here in New Hampshire. And whether their interests are being represented in Washington. If we really want to fix this system the way to fix it is to really get money out of politics and the way to get money out of politics is to have public financing along with free broadcast time. That's the way to get money out of politics. All right. That's a whole nother subject which we could go into but we won't. We'll take another phone call instead. This one from haziness he's calling from Worcester Massachusetts. Hey hazes. Go ahead you're on the Exchange. Hey how are you. Fine thanks.

Good good. I just get a question Senator. So are we going to immigration. I mean can we see now. It's been attacking me and everywhere about immigration illegal immigrants. I mean what's going to happen in the future. I mean I know Republicans in fact hate crime that don't go along with because they are always looking for a kind of reason to attack them and not looking. You know I mean you to for good to help the illegal immigrants to get their status. These were sort of United States. Thank you. I don't think we should use September 11th as a reason to change the very nature of what we are as a country. I do believe that those Americans who have been those those undocumented workers that you're asking about who have been living in this country are doing the right thing working hard and are having to live in the shadows because of their undocumented status. I do think we need a plan

and we need reform that allows them to get on the path to citizenship. I think it's the right thing to do. I think it's consistent with what we believe. I'll just give you a quick anecdote. You know I myself grew up in a small town of Robbin's which Laura mentioned earlier between 800000 people in North Carolina. While our population in Robbins now is about half Hispanic which is an extraordinary change from the time that I grew up there. And the truth is those families came to Robbin's for the same reason my family came there to try to build a better life and provide opportunity for themselves and for their family they've worked hard they've been responsible they've been an important part of the community both economically and culturally. And we should give those folks a chance to be a mayor a serious chance to be American citizens and I think we can't we can't ever forget what it is that makes this country what it is we are a country of immigrants. We all are. And we should never forget that Senator Edwards I want to ask you a purely political

question you've been campaigning in New Hampshire very hard and been all over the state holding town after town meeting after town meeting. And yet how Dean is still such a strong frontrunner here. Why do you suppose New Hampshire is so. Well Howard Dean's really caught on fire here in New Hampshire. And you and many of the other candidates are still kind of in the single digits in the polls. Well the first thing I would point out if you look back historically Bill Clinton was it three or four percent in New Hampshire in December. Really. Yes. And I think that's just a fact. This is this is not not a complicated thing this is very simple. First you have Governor Dean and Senator Kerry who are from right next door very well-known who have been well-known in this area of the country for a long time. That's understandable that nothing wrong with that. The same thing is true of me in South Carolina which will hold the next primary. And as a result I've got a substantial lead in South Carolina. But now we're entering the serious phase of the campaign where everyone will be judged on the basis of their ideas and their vision and their character

and whether whether whether the voters of New Hampshire believe they have the capacity to lead. Now I can tell you from my campaigning here that as people start to focus and I think we're in that phase of the campaign between now and the primary right now as people start to focus they will compare and scrutinize all of our ideas. New Hampshire voters are tough. They should be tough. They play such an important role in this process. They've got good sense they're well grounded. And what they're going to do is look and see what each of us have to say. And it's not an accident that I said a few minutes ago that I am proud of the fact that I have written down all my proposals I have. I want the voters of New Hampshire to know what I stand for. But I think they look at the ideas that each of us are presenting and see what our vision for the country is and how we intend to get there. I will fare very well here in the state of New Hampshire. Well I appreciate you coming in to take the time today. I hope we'll get one more opportunity before the primary and loved primary and thank you very much. Thanks for having me Laura. North Carolina Senator John Edwards a Democrat running for president in the New Hampshire primary. There's one more thing you need

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