Edwards Campaign Press Release - Edwards Launches 36-Hour "Marathon For The Middle Class"

Over 36 hours, Edwards discusses 36 bold ideas for strengthening the middle class

Des Moines, Iowa – This morning, Senator John Edwards kicked off a 36-hour "Marathon for the Middle Class." Edwards will spend the next 36 hours before the Iowa caucuses talking to thousands of Iowa caucus goers about his 36 ideas to strengthen the middle class. As he makes his closing argument to Iowans, Edwards will highlight his bold plans to stand up to the powerful special interests and give hard working, middle class families a voice in Washington. Edwards heads into the final days before the caucuses with growing momentum as more and more Iowans respond to his positive vision of America — an America where everyone can work hard and build a better life for their children.

"Over the next 36 hours, I'm looking forward to meeting with Iowans across the state who are as restless as I am for change – and who understand that making change happen is going to take a fight," said Edwards. "Middle-class families are working harder and harder every day just to get by – and they need a president who will fight on their behalf. Together we can take on the corporate greed and powerful interests that are corrupting Washington and stealing our children's future, and make our government start working again for middle-class families."

Edwards begins the marathon today with a New Year's Day event in Ames, followed by events in Fort Dodge, Des Moines, and Council Bluffs. At midnight, Edwards will attend an event with core supporters in Atlantic followed by an event at 2:15 AM at the home of another supporter in Creston. The marathon continues Wednesday with an early breakfast in Centerville, a visit to a campaign office in Ottumwa, and events in Fairfield, Mount Pleasant, Burlington, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Grinnell. The marathon will end with a "This Is Our Country" rally in Des Moines with John Mellencamp.

During each hour of the 36-hour marathon – at events and on www.JohnEdwards.com/Iowa – Edwards will highlight one specific step to strengthen the middle class. The first idea that Edwards is highlighting is raising the minimum wage. Effective today, Iowa's minimum wage was officially raised to from $6.20 to $7.25 an hour. While Edwards applauds Governor Culver and the Iowa Legislature for taking this important step, he believes the federal government has to show leadership. Edwards has called for raising the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2012 to help millions of low-wage workers earn a decent wage -- and then having the minimum wage go up automatically after that.

In addition to his minimum wage proposal, the first eight hours of the marathon, Edwards will be discussing his other plans to create more good jobs by investing in new clean energy infrastructure. As president, Edwards will also support American ingenuity by investing in education and technology, strengthen labor laws, ban the permanent replacement of strikers, protect prevailing wage laws, cut taxes for working families and strengthen the safety net for workers struggling to find jobs.

In the following five hours of the marathon, Edwards will focus on his proposals for helping families save and get ahead. In hours 14 through 17, Edwards will focus on his plans to pass true universal health care so that every man, woman and child in America can get the care they need.

From hours 18 to 30, Edwards will highlight his plans to strengthen our schools, followed by his proposals for smart trade policy and to help working families. In the last six hours of the marathon, Edwards will talk about his proposals to restore rural communities by investing in rural America, and he'll close the marathon with a discussion of his plans to help America achieve energy independence.

Edwards has outlined his bold solutions for change in an 80-page policy book, "The Plan to Build One America." Further details on Edwards' 36 bold ideas to strengthen the middle class can be found on the Edwards website – .