John Edwards stands up for New Orleans

From the Boston Globe.

John Edwards continues to stick up for New Orleans, where he launched his second presidential bid, where he has spent time rebuilding neighborhoods and which he uses as Exhibit A in his case against the Bush administration's incompetence.

The impetus this time is that the Commission on Presidential Debates bypassed the Crescent City, announcing on Monday that it plans events next September and October at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Belmont University in Nashville, and Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. The backup sites are Centre College in Danville, Ky., and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Though he would need to build his support -- he's third behind Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in the national polls and in the early voting states of Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina -- to make it on the debate stage, Edwards said today he will urge the debate commission to reconsider.

"As a nation, all of us have a responsibility to do everything we can to help rebuild this great city, and holding national events in this city, like a presidential debate, will help New Orleans move forward," he said in a statement. "I have made rebuilding this city a central part of my presidential campaign because I believe we cannot stand on the sidelines as President Bush continues to fail the people of New Orleans.

"The truth is America is not the country of the Superdome in New Orleans after Katrina. We can prove it by fulfilling our moral responsibility to get New Orleans back on its feet. At a minimum, when I am the Democratic nominee, I will push to make sure we hold a presidential debate in New Orleans. And, as president, I will make sure that our government does everything in its power to help restore the city."

Democrat Hillary Clinton also said she wished the debate commission had picked New Orleans, saying in a statement: "While the locations it selected are worthy ones, I believe the Commission on Presidential Debates missed a golden opportunity to show New Orleans that the entire country is committed to its recovery, by passing it up as a site for a debate. Hosting a debate in New Orleans would spotlight the city to the rest of world and push to ensure that its rebuilding is not ignored."

Hat Tip to Doctor Jolie.

Comments

[doctorj]

John Edwards won my support today with these statements. I finally believe he sincerely cares about the city and her citizens.

[GentillyGirl]

To Hell with the Hillary bitch, or the other "front-runner". Edwards cares about the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. He comes from a state that also faces the same dangers.

I have three desires: fix the damage of the Federal Flood of New Orleans, repair the hurricane damage of the Northern Gulf Coast and end the illegal and immoral war in Iraq.

Edwards is my guy.

[Sophmom]

Yeah. I'm there too. He had me at "national shame".