Elizabeth Edwards: Bush threatens safety

[JI7]

<MANCHESTER - "Keeping Our Families Safe" was the name of Elizabeth Edwards’ town hall discussion Saturday in Manchester. Her message was be afraid.

Addressing an audience of about 100 in the Green Acres School gymnasium, Edwards, wife of vice presidential hopeful John Edwards, told the group that America is not safe and that President Bush is to blame.

Elaborating, Edwards said there is a one in 10 chance of a terrorist successfully smuggling a nuclear bomb into this country, as President Bush spends 90 percent of the homeland security budget on airports, where cargo is not checked. She said two-thirds of American borders do not have the necessary resources to be adequately protected, that the president is "not doing anything to protect our rail system" and that he "has refused" to protect chemical and nuclear plants.

Edwards also stated the country’s ports are at risk because cargo containers are largely unchecked and mentioned Portsmouth by name. According to Geno Marconi, director of the Pease Development Authority, cargo containers have not come to Portsmouth Harbor since 1990.

Edwards’ said the president has underfunded firefighters and the military and is looking to cut soldiers’ and veterans’ benefits. She said Bush has cut local and state first responder training and that Americans are "at greater risk today than we were before September 11." >

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