Edwards Defends Poverty Center's Efforts

[Hissyspit]

Source: Associated Press

Edwards defends poverty center's efforts
By MARTIN GRIFFITH, Associated Press Writer
39 minutes ago

RENO, Nev. - Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said his nonprofit anti-poverty center's activities have been "completely legal" and he does not plan to go beyond the legal requirements to disclose its donors.

Speaking to reporters after a town hall meeting Saturday night in Reno, Edwards denied accusations that the Center for Promise and Opportunity has been used to promote his presidential campaign. Edwards noted his efforts on behalf of the center to raise the minimum wage in states, help low-income students attend college, organize workers into unions and engage young people in the fight against poverty.

"All of this was an effort to try to deal with the issue of poverty in America, which is the cause of my life," he said. "What I've been doing is not only significant and there's nothing wrong with it, it's something I'm very proud of. Everything we did was not only completely legal but we did a lot of good."

The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based research group that tracks money in politics, has suggested Edwards used the nonprofit to help his presidential campaign and has pressed him to disclose its donors. Asked whether he would comply with the request, Edwards replied, "I will do whatever the law provides. That's what I do on all these things."


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070624/ap_on_el_pr/on_the2008_trail

[rodeodance]

1. If everyone in america with his kind of money would devote 1/100 of

his effort, maybe there would be headway in the cycle of poverty!

[Maribelle]

2. The Center for Responsive Politics ...

this organization while claiming to be nonpartisan is heavily funded by Scaife.

It appears the sagacious and duplicitous efforts of the democratic-hating Scaife, that we’ve all come to know, will be rearing its ugly, hostile head in all areas of the democratic debate for the next year. Scaife is right up there with the nastiest of nasties vis-à-vis his protégé Coulter.

Buckle up - - it's going to be a rough ride.

[Garbo 2004]

6. The opensecrets.org folks are "heavily funded" by Scaife? Got any source for that?

This would be news, if it were so. But I rather doubt that it's so, having looked for such a connection and so far finding none. And given the nature of the work they do...revealing the power of money in politics and policy.

Are you simply smearing the organization by claiming it's funded by Scaife or do you have actual evidence to support your assertion?

[mntleo2]

3. Give Me A Break

...Scaife is an evil, greedy, selfish old man who would rather see his fellow Americans starve at his profit. To question Edwards, who is spending his life trying to unravel the reasons for poverty, is like the wolf with chicken feathers sticking out of his mouth, questioning the bunny as to why the bunny is eating the farmer's cabbage.

Scaife and his ilk ought to all be condemned to arise up at 4 AM and go wait at the Day Labor place for a real job ~ then be sent to the nearest rich man's house. Let him get the wonderful job of cleaning out the gardens surrounded in opulence and the rich man's snotty, demanding teenagers, while he sweats his guts out spading the lilac bushes wondering if he is going to be homeless the following day.

Don't you just hate these people?

My 2 cents

Cat In Seattle

[LiberalFighter]

4. I have googled and googled and haven't found any connection with Scaife

In response to both post #2 and #3

I haven't seen any pattern of partisanship with the Center for Responsive Politics. The key is pattern.

But in this case the Center for Responsive Politics is wrong to suggest that there is any connection with his campaign that needs to be reported.

If there is a connection with Scaife please please provide the source(s).

[Joe Bacon]

5. So when is Edwards going to sue the SCREW YORK TIMES for libel?

C'mon, John, Bring it on. Sue those lying Pre$$titutes for every last penny you can get. Maybe that will scare the Gerths, Dowds, Herberts and all of the rest of those liars into telling the truth for a change!

[KittyWampus]

10. There was no libel. The Times reported the truth which was unflattering to Edwards.

Edwards is merely trying to muddy the waters here to cover up the fact he skirted the law the way so many other slick politicians do.

[karynnj]

7. The first paragraph sums up the story

Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards said his nonprofit anti-poverty center's activities have been "completely legal" and he does not plan to go beyond the legal requirements to disclose its donors.

To me this says that Edwards did something that was legal - but that he will not go beyond what is required and divuldge the people who funded this center. The center was very likely a place for 2004 campaign strategists etc to go until a 2008 campaign was formed. This is not illegal - they likely worked on the 2008 poverty platform that was both wanted for 2008 and consistent with the organizations mission statement.

It was a think tank. I bet there are other examples that did the same thing for others.

[KittyWampus]

11. There are TWO organizations. And he used $ from the other to fund retreats and meetings unrelated to

poverty.

What Edwards did was legal but it skirted the law.

[karynnj]

13. I understand there are 2 organizations

- a charity which really is
and
- the other group that is in question -

[Doctor_J]

8. This smacks of swift-boating

2004: Your purple hearts are fakes. Prove otherwise

2007: Your good deed is a fake. Prove otherwise.

Republicans are evil, malignant filth, and anything they say is probably a lie.

[KittyWampus]

9. No actually, The Times Very Clearly Differentiated Between Edwards' Two Organzations

One actually does give out scholarships and the other WAS used to pay for Edwards going to retreats and meetings of Iraq.

[Cameron27]

15. Thanks for trying to make this clear,

Edwards seems to be trying to blur the distinction.

[karynnj]

14. Not equivilent

The Navy gave Kerry his purple Hearts and the two very important medals. The SBVT provided no proof to dispute them. The Navy gave him the medals and there was no reason to doubt them.

Here, no one is questioning Edwards'charity. They are questioning the poverty center. They are saying the donors are not known, which is true and legal. They are saying that it paid for Edwards' travel and paid salaries to former Edwards staffers. The way to answer it is to respond ith what the center did. Even if the purpose was to create the 2008 poverty platform that could fit the specified mission.

This is something that is valid to question. It is not a question of being illegal or shady, but whether portraying the center as they did oversold its goals.

[smalll]

12. poverty - "which is the cause of my life" - a little over the top perhaps?

Or to update my cliches, did anyone else throw up a little in their mouths with this one? Has Al Gore, for example, ever say that the environment is "the cause of my life"? Somehow I don't think so.