HARRISBURG – Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Robert A. Gleason, Jr. was not surprised to see that frequent Democrat Presidential candidate John Edwards is endorsing Democrat Presidential candidate Barack Obama, who is coming off an embarrassing loss in West Virginia to the floundering campaign of Senator Hillary Clinton.

“Barack Obama and John Edwards have made their livings as lawyers, but both believe in higher taxes on families, runaway government spending, and subscribe to the ‘do as I say, not as I do’ philosophy that has infected Washington D.C. during the limited time they have been in government service,” Gleason said.  “Obama’s elitist remarks that small town Pennsylvanians were clinging to guns and religion because they were bitter may have helped him earn Edwards’s endorsement.  Remember, Edwards is the same guy that talks about making sacrifices for poor Americans, yet pays $1250 to get his hair cut.  Edwards’ elaborate 28,000 square foot home doesn’t match up well with the champion of the poor character he played while on the campaign trail. (“Cost Of Edwards' Haircut Hits $1,250,” CBS News, 7/5/07) 

“I wasn’t shocked to see Edwards endorsed Obama, because both candidates are so similar.  These two are the typical tax-and-spend, big government bureaucrats that don’t trust working class Americans to spend their own money.  There is nothing new about their plans and the results will be the same - business crushing taxes, higher unemployment, and market instability. 

“This endorsement can be summed up easily.  One of the least qualified nominees in American history for Vice-President has endorsed the least qualified candidate for President in American history.”

Edwards And Obama Are Birds Of A Feather, Both Backing Higher Taxes And Government-Mandated Health Care:

Obama Followed Edwards’ Lead In Calling For Higher Taxes For Health Care. “Obama joins former North Carolina Democratic Sen. John Edwards in calling for higher taxes to help fix the nation's health care woes.” (Rick Klein, “No Lip Service: Dems Trade Higher Taxes For Social Programs,” ABCNews.com, 5/29/07) 

·       Edwards Also Considered Raising The Capital Gains Tax Rate To 20 Percent. Edwards: “And the capital gains rate now is at 15%. It was at 20% under President Clinton. And I think those are revenue sources that are worth thinking about.” (ABC’s “This Week,” 5/6/07)

o       Obama Followed Edwards’ Lead And Called For Higher Capital Gains Taxes. Obama: “I think that we can have a capital gains rate that is higher than 15 percent.” (CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” 3/27/08)

Both Edwards And Obama Back Government-Mandated Health Care. “The ‘universal care’ bandwagon is rolling, as if it's 1992 all over again. Barack Obama says every American should have health coverage within six years. John Edwards promises universal care and says he'd raise taxes to pay for it. … U.S. health care has its problems. But as we've pointed out in a continuing editorial series, the system is not so dysfunctional that it can't be made worse by the wrong kind of reform. Vague talk of ‘universal’ care is not harmless if it starts us down the road to a government monopoly -- the ‘single payer’ option beloved by the left.” (Editorial, “A Chance For Choice,” Investor’s Business Daily, 3/2/07)

Both Edwards And Obama Also Have A History Of Iraq Reversal:

Edwards In 2007: “I Am Speaking Out With Every Fiber Of My Being To Get America Out Of Iraq. We Need To Be Leaving Iraq, And We Ought To Start Today, Not Two Months From Now.” (Stephen Dinan, “Edwards Pitches Clinton-Era Taxes,” The Washington Times, 4/30/07)

·       But In 2003, Edwards Said He Would Never “Suggest That America Simply Leave” Iraq And “Walk Away From That Responsibility.” Edwards: “The answer is, first of all, we have a responsibility there [in Iraq]. … I would never suggest that America could simply leave, take our troops out and walk away from that responsibility. I don’t believe that.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 11/9/03)

At The June 2006 Take Back America Conference, Obama Said “It's Time To Start Bringing Our Troops Home Now.” Obama: “It's time to start bringing our troops home. Not a year from now or a month from now, but now. Not a year from now or a month from now, but now.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At The 2007 Take Back America Conference, Washington, DC, 6/19/07)

·       Obama In 2004: “[W]hat I also said was, once we go in, then we’re committed. I did believe in the Powell theory of you break it, you own it.” (PBS’ “The Charlie Rose Show,” 11/23/04)

·       Obama In 2004: “So what I said was, once the decision was made, then we’ve got to do everything we can to stabilize the country, to make it successful, because we’ll have too much at stake in the Middle East. And that’s the position that I continue to take.” (PBS’ “The Charlie Rose Show,” 11/23/04)

THE OTHER JOHN EDWARDS: ATTACKED OBAMA DURING THE PRIMARY

Former Sen. Edwards Has Attacked Obama’s Record And Experience:

Edwards Attacked Obama For His Voting Present Over 100 Times In The Illinois State Legislature. Edwards: “Why would you over a hundred times vote ‘present.’” Obama: “John …” Edwards: “I mean, every one of us, every one – you’ve criticized Hillary, you’ve criticized me for our votes. We’ve cast hundreds and hundreds of votes. What you’re criticizing her for, by the way, you’ve done to us, which is you pick this vote and that vote out of the hundreds that we have – (applause) – and all I’m saying is, what’s fair is fair. You have every right to defend any vote, you do, and I respect your right to do that on any – on any substantive issue. It does not make sense to me and what if I had just not shown up…” (Former Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama, CNN Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Myrtle Beach, SC, 1/21/08)

·       Click Here To View: http://youtube.com/watch?v=eDVoXQzSgnA

Edwards Attacked Obama’s Experience And Noted That He Is “Relatively New To National Politics.” Edwards: “[I] think that Barack Obama, because he is relatively new to national politics, it’s, it’s not as clear to me where he stands on, on, on issues. And, and no, I’m not faulting him for that, I just—I think he just hasn’t been around as long, so he doesn’t have as long a track record…” (NBC’s “Meet the Press,” 2/4/07)

·       Edwards On Obama’s Early Opposition To The Iraq War: “He Was A State Senator.” Edwards: “[Sen. Obama] wasn’t burdened, like a lot of us, with the information that we were receiving on the Intelligence Committee and as members of the United States Senate. We were getting very intimate detailed information about what was actually happening in Iraq. Senator Obama, I think, what did you say? He was a state senator. So he obviously wasn’t in the Congress and wasn’t part of the decision-making.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 2/4/07)

Edwards Called A Nonbinding Resolution Against The Iraq Troop Surge Favored By Obama “Useless.” “That nonbinding resolution against the Iraq troop surge favored by Barack Obama? ‘Useless,’ said Edwards. ‘Exactly like a child standing in the corner and stomping his feet.’” (Roger Simon, “Edwards ‘08: Talking Tough,” The Politico, 2/1/07) 

The Edwards Campaign Criticized Obama’s Position On A 2007 War Funding Bill. “The Edwards camp is taking issue with Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., for telling the Associated Press that if President Bush vetoes the war funding bill because of its timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq, the Congress will provide the president with another version that lacks such a provision. According to the AP, Obama explained this by saying that no lawmaker ‘wants to play chicken with our troops.’” (Teddy Davis, “Edwards Camp Takes Issue With Obama For Not Forcing ‘Showdown’ With Bush On Iraq,” ABC News’ “Political Radar” Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 4/2/07)

Edwards Criticized Obama’s Previous Acceptance Of Contributions From PACs And Federal Lobbyists. Edwards: “And I’m proud of the fact that I’ve never taken any money, unlike Sen. Obama, never taken any money from a Washington lobbyist or a PAC.” (Former Sen. John Edwards, Press Conference, 12/22/07)

Early In The 2008 Presidential Campaign, Edwards Criticized Obama’s Lack Of Substance And “Highfalutin Language” On Health Care. “John Edwards—the candidate Obama pushed into third place in the polls—is more specific, suggesting that Obama’s fine words are no substitute for his missing health-care policy. ‘We have a responsibility, if you want to be president of the United States, to tell the American people what it is you want to do,’ Edwards said at last week’s presidential debate in South Carolina. ‘Rhetoric isn’t enough. Highfalutin language is not enough.’” (Richard Wolffe, “Details, Details,” Newsweek, 5/7/07)

Edwards Took A Veiled Shot At Obama By Claiming That “It’s Not Enough To Talk About ‘Hope.’” Edwards: “I hope you will put a really rigorous test to [the presidential candidates]. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the rhetoric. It’s not enough to talk about ‘hope’ and ‘we’re all going to feel good.’ We’re past that. This is a very serious time in American history. It’s time for anybody running for president to treat this seriously. I have talked about hope and inspiration in the past, and they’re wonderful things, but you have to translate them into action.” (John Dickerson, Op-Ed, “Edwards’ Emotionalism,” Slate, 4/3/07)

·       “The Only Way It Could Have Been Clearer That He Was Talking About Obama Would Have Been For Him To Hold Up The Illinois Senator’s Book Jacket And Point To It.” (John Dickerson, Op-Ed, “Edwards’ Emotionalism,” Slate, 4/3/07)

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