Edwards Campaign Press Release - At California SEIU Event, Edwards Vows To Elect Super-Majorities In House And Senate

As part of "True Blue Majority" initiative, Edwards says he will campaign in every corner of America to lead Democrats to victory in 2008

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – At an event this morning in Los Angeles with the California Service Employees International Union (SEIU) State Council, Senator John Edwards promised that as the Democratic nominee he would campaign in every corner of America helping Democrats secure super-majorities in the House and the Senate.

"The press and the pundits think the most electable candidate is the one with the most money and the most ties to Washington," said Edwards. "The problem is the press and the pundits have confused the candidate who would win an election inside the Beltway with the candidate who can win an election in the rest of America. I believe any candidate who takes money from lobbyists and special interests is not electable, and I believe any candidate who defends the broken system in Washington will not win.

Edwards continued: "The most electable candidate is the one with the best ideas who is committed to bringing change to every corner of America. The people who want change don't just live in blue states or big cities. They don't just live in swing states - they live in every state in this country, and on every street in America. I believe that if we offer real change, if we reject the broken system, say no to the corporate interests and stand once and for all with the people, nothing can stop us. We'll not only win the White House, we'll elect super-majorities in the House and the Senate as well."

As part of the campaign's new "True Blue Majority" initiative, leaders from red states and battleground states across the nation are holding events to highlight their support for John Edwards for president. On Thursday, elected leaders and labor leaders in Georgia, Oklahoma and Wisconsin held press events and conference calls to discuss their reasons for supporting Edwards. The Edwards campaign also released lists of Democratic leaders from these states who have endorsed Edwards, including more than 50 endorsements from Georgia, more than 40 endorsements from Wisconsin, and endorsements from 32 of the 68 Democrats in the Oklahoma legislature. On Friday, Democratic legislative leaders from Texas, Missouri, Maine, Indiana, North Dakota and Oregon will hold a conference call with reporters to discuss how Edwards' name on top of the ticket will benefit state and local Democratic candidates in down-ballot races. And on Monday, several of Edwards' U.S. Congressional supporters will hold a call to discuss how only Edwards will help them maintain and expand the Democratic majorities in both houses of Congress.

Excerpts from Edwards' prepared remarks for the SEIU event are included below:

"The next three months are going to do much more than determine who our party's nominee is. They are going to determine how big our victory is in November, how big our majority is in January, and how big our accomplishments are in the first 100 days of the next president. And each one is directly connected to the next.

"The press and the pundits love to chatter on about electability – what it is, what it means, who has it, who doesn't. They all think the most electable candidate is the one with the most money and the most ties to Washington. I think the most electable candidate is the one with the best ideas who can go to every corner of America and tell the truth about how badly Washington is broken.

"The problem is, the press and the pundits have confused the candidate who would win an election inside the Beltway with the candidate who can win an election in the rest of America.

"Everybody knows that the American people are hungry for change – change is such a buzzword this election even Republicans like Mitt Romney say they're for it, which would be funny except it isn't a joke.

"So yeah, anybody can say change – but the real question is what are you going to do about it? Are you going to pay lip service to our problems and just offer poll-tested solutions that don't rock the Washington boat? Or are you going to tell the truth about the real challenges we face, be honest about what it's going to take to meet them, and have the courage to put it all on the line and fight with everything you've got to take on the special interests and make it happen? That's what I've been doing my entire life, and that's what I'm going to do as the Democratic nominee. That's what I'm going to do as president.

"If our nominee is just a little better than the Republicans, who knows what will happen? If the people want change and both parties offer slightly different versions of the status quo – a status quo that protects corporate profits and the wealthiest at the expense of everyone else – then all bets are off.

"But if our nominee offers a clear choice between a Republican party committed to corporate power and a Democratic party committed to reclaiming democracy for our people, then we're going to win this election going away.

"And if we have a nominee offering a bold vision of real change who can make the case for that vision in every corner of America, we will Congressional races across America, in red states and blue states, on the coasts, in the South, the Southwest, the Northwest and the Midwest.

"And then imagine what we can do in the first 100 days – end the war, begin the hard work to restore America's moral leadership around the world, launch an all out-effort to enact true universal health care before the summer's over, put America on the road to energy independence ... and we'd just be getting started.

"I'm not running for president just to be president – I'm running for president because our democracy has lost touch with the people who are supposed to own it, and our government has broken faith with the values that are supposed to rule it. I'm running for president to change America and put our government back on the side of the working men and women who make this country great.

"And that's why the next three months are so critical. We are not just choosing a nominee. We are taking a stand as a party. We are saying to America – this is who we are as Democrats, this is what we believe, this is what we will do if you place your trust in us.

"I believe that if we offer real change, if we reject the broken system, say no the corporate interests and stand once and for all with the people, nothing can stop us. We will win the White House, but that's not all. We will elect super majorities in the House and the Senate – 280 Democrats in the House and 61 in the Senate.

"And then we can stop talking about how to get elected, and start rolling up our sleeves to get our ideas enacted. Because make no mistake, a mandate for change is out there. The American people are waiting. Now, it's up to us."