Des Moines, Iowa-

NPR Moderator, Michelle Norris, discusses US and China policy and, if we’re losing our leverage over the Chinese.

Sampling of Answers.

Edwards: “America must engage the Chinese” on product Safety. ” Big corporations are driving American foreign policy with respect to China.”

Obama:” We’re losing our leverage …presence of China is only exceeded by the absence of the United States. We have to be tough negotiators with China…We have not been the best negotiatiors.”

Clinton: ” We have handicapped ourselves because of the irresponsible fiscal policies by the Bush administration..(but) we
need to have a strategic relationship with China.”

Biden:” We’re making them 10 feet tall.. a country with 800 million in poverty does not have greater leeverage over us ..Preposterous.” Biden said.
” What we’ve done is yield leverage (to big corporations)….As president, Bang, no importing of those (Chinese)toys.”

The National Intelligence Estimate revealing that Iran dismantled its nuclear weapons program in 2003 has been the subject of the first 15 minutes of the NPR debate — with Hillary Clinton’s opponents using the new revelation to attack her vote for the Kyl-Lieberman resolution calling on President Bush to designate the Iranian National Guard a terrorist organization.

Senators Biden and Dodd voted against the resolution, while Obama, though he missed the vote, has criticized Hillary for supporting the resolution. And John Edwards has called it part of the rush for war, saying today that “among the Democratic candidates there’s only one who voted for this resolution, and it’s exactly what Bush and Cheney wanted.”

Responding to Edwards’ charges, Clinton said “I understand politics and making outlandish political charges, but this goes too far.”

She points out that many opponents of the Iraq war (including Obama supporter Dick Durbin) voted for the resolution, calling it a vote for aggressive diplomacy.   She also argued that since the vote commanders on the ground have said they’ve seen Iran draw back from its involvement in Iraq — a point that Joe Biden then disputed.

Des Moines, IA-

Senator Edwards challenging Bush comments on the Iran this morning, describes it as “saber rattling” and ” eerily similar to what we saw in Iraq”. Edwards chastises the Senate for voting for the measure defining the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Edwards criticizing , specifically, Clinton’s vote for the measure, saying this is what Bush and Cheney wanted. HRC reponse: “outlandish”.

” I want to make clear to our listeners…We have a real vision among the Democratic candidates,” Edwards says after the break, directing his criticism towards Clinton.” There is only
one candidate here who voted for the(IRG) resolution.”

Des Moines, Iowa-

Presidential candidate John Edwards(D) released a statement through his campaign, denouncing President George Bush’s “outrageous” comments on Iran , even when a new national intelligence estimate found that Iran had stopped their nuclear weapons efforts 4 years.

“I view this report as a warning signal that they had the program they halted the program,” The President said this morning during a press conference.”The reason why it’s a warning signal is they could restart it.”

Edwards criticized Bush for “saber-rattling” even when the new report showed Iran is ” no longer pursuing nuclear weapons.”
“Just a couple of months ago, George Bush was telling us Iran was about to start World War III,” he states.

“Bush still refuses to back from his outrageous rhetoric,” Edwards writes. ” Enough is Enough….We must once and for all reject the failed bellicose, neconservative foreign policy of the Bush administration.”

SEE FULL EDWARDS STATEMENT HERE:

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, Senator John Edwards released the following statement:
“Just a couple of months ago, George Bush was telling us Iran was about to start World War III. Today – even after his own government just said that Iran stopped its program in 2003 and is no longer pursuing nuclear weapons – Bush still refuses to back down from his outrageous rhetoric.
“Enough is enough. At long last, the spin and the saber-rattling must stop. We must once and for all reject the failed, bellicose, neoconservative foreign policy of the Bush Administration, and get back to the foreign policy I have proposed based on diplomacy, reengagement, and restoring the moral authority of America.”

Edwards is participating in NPR’s Democratic debate today in Des Moines,where the assumption is that this subject will be brought during the
event.
Wire reports contributed to this report

Waterloo, Iowa-

John Edwards picked up a key endorsement today, when freshman U.S.Representative Bruce Braley (D-IA) announced his support for the
former senator from North Carolina. Braley is the first Democratic member, of three total from the Hawkeye state, to officially endorse a presidential candidate, and had been courted by both Senator Clinton, and Obama. Braley said part of his reasoning behind the endorsement was his similar roots, and the significance of Edwards being the only candidate from “rural America”, thus understood the needs of people like those he represents in his congressional district.

During the Waterloo event, Edwards also commented on the “sniping” between his two rivals in the past 24 hours, saying it was “fascinating” to watch. He also poked fun at the Clinton campaign’s effort to present Senator Obama’s 3rd grade essay on wanting to be president, as a part of a ” character issue”.Obama had said previously that he wasn’t a candidate who spent his life thinking about running for president. Edwards told the crowd he wanted to take the opportunity and “confess” to them, that in 3rd grade, he wanted to be two things:” a cowboy, and I wanted to be Superman”.
The crowd erupted in laughter.

“I don’t think America benefits from any personal fighting between candidates,” Edwards said afterwards to reporters. ” What they want to see us doing is talking about what we want to do as president of the United States.”

See here for his comments:

The campaign is really pushing two new Iowa polls that show her leading, within the margin of error — pointing out that while Obama is responding to her hits on his health care plan by pointing to sinking poll numbers, the two most recent surveys show her ahead.

The AP poll has Hillary topping Obama 31-26, with leads in every demographic. And a new Hawkeye poll from Iowa State University has her up on John Edwards 31% to 24%, with Obama at 20%.

But both polls have some weird features. The AP survey was in the field from Nov 7th to Nov 25th, while the Hawkeye poll was out from the 6th to the 18th — both unusually long date ranges, and long enough ago that they don’t reflect the developments of the last week and a half. The Hawkeye poll, meanwhile, has a margin of error of 6 points, and while it cites interviews with 1,416 registered Iowa voters, it’s likely caucus goers that matter. That number isn’t listed.

The upshot? Iowa is notoriously difficult to poll, and every survey in the last 3 months has shown all top candidates within the margin of error. It’s really just too close to call out here. In fact, the Clinton camp is using that fact to raise money — putting out a fundraising email called “Dead Heat in Iowa” that asks supporters to drum up $1.25 million in the next week.

——————

Obama has a new website called Hillary Attacks to point out and refute Hillary’s latest jabs on his health care plan and his political action committee (as well as on those Kindergarten essays he wrote expressing his desire to be president).

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Minutes after a Clinton spokesman jokingly threatened to down the press plane if reporters failed to write about the new, positive surveys, the cabin began filling with smoke after landing on an icy runway in Mason City… the same airport where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper boarded their ill-fated flight on Feb 3, 1959. Her event, meanwhile, is being held in the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake — the last concert venue those three ever played.

That spokesman has promised he did not intentionally jinx us, but the national press corps understandably suspicious. We’re supposed to get back on that same plane to fly to Sioux City. Many of us are considering renting a car.

Des Moines-

Many of the presidential aspirants during tonight’s Brown and Black Forum, had unique and at times colorful questions when their turn came up, as part of tonight’s rules, to ask a question to one or all Democrats on the stage.  At times they were quite humorous, like Dennis Kucinich asking himself a question. However, one of the best moments for any of the 3 chief Democratic contenders tonight was when John Edwards, complimented Senator Obama on his campaign, then cemented a promise from him to push for a minimum wage of at least 9 dollars, if he becomes president. Obama has repeatedly said that he would get minimum wage to increase incrementally per each year, during an Obama administration, but has not ever given a cemented number like he did tonight. ” The answer is yes,” Obama replied to Edwards question.

Tonight’s Brown and Black Presidential Forum is being broadcast in high definition by the relatively young HDNet… and it looks like they’re still working out the kinks. First, voices from the control room came over the loudspeaker when Barack Obama was talking — and were finally cut off only after one of those disembodied voices said “oh, no.”

Someone brought Obama a handheld microphone to give his answer.  But just after that techno-fiasco, the audio for moderator Michelle Norris cut out in the hall. She had to repeat a question.

But the highlight, or lowlight, was when moderator Ray Suarez asked Governor Bill Richardson a question, and his microphone went out as well. Skipping ahead, Suarez went straight to Dennis Kucinich — whose microphone ALSO didn’t work.

Finally, Barack Obama stood up and handed his stick mic to Kucinich, to much applause. Kucinich responded, “Barack I want to thank you for passing the baton in this race.”

So far, there have been more audio drop-outs than there have been answers.

Des Moines, Iowa-

Before answering his first question, Sen Edwards took a moment to express his good wishes, and sympathy that the hostage situation at Clinton’s campaign offices, in Rochester, NH, was resolved without anyone hurt. Edwards said how ” glad” he was about the “result.” Edwards also discussed the significance of “the young people who have devoted their lives” to their respective campaigns.

Clinton responded soon after on the dramatic situation yesterday.

” Im very grateful for the prayers and good wishes. All my friend on this stage, as well as Sen. Biden called yesterday. We’re very relieved at the way it turned out.”

West Des Moines, Iowa-

Tonight while speaking to Iowa Democrats at the Governor’s Holliday party , John Edwards took a moment to speak on the hostage situation that occured at the Clinton campaign office in Rochester, Nh earlier in the day.