Edwards rallies on Aggie campus

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, running mate to democratic presidential hopeful, John Kerry, wowed hundreds of students on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University when he promised four years of free college tuition in exchange for two years of community service. “You serve your country,” Edwards said, “We give you four years of college tuition.” Edwards criticized Vice President Dick Cheney and President George W. Bush for ignoring the concerns of college students and added the Bush administration has implemented policies that have decreased by 84,000 the number of eligible to receive Pell grants. Edwards’ appearance at A&T came one night after he squared off on a live television debate with Cheney. During his campaign stop at the Greensboro campus, Edwards touched on a range of issues, including the war in Iraq and healthcare “What would be good for our economy is to outsource George W. Bush,” Edwards said. “People are struggling in this country. Healthcare premiums are up over $3,500, which is the biggest increase in American history. Edwards said he and Kerry pledged to do better. “We want to make the same healthcare that’s available to members of Congress available to every single American.” Edwards emphasized that it will be the youth of America who decides the next leader of this country. “If you drive by the polls and the people in line to vote include a lot of young people, John Kerry will be the next president.” Edwards said the problem with the Bush administration is clear and simple. “You can’t fix a problem if you don’t see a problem,” he said. Edwards said while Dick Cheney has been vice president, five million Americans have lost their health insurance, four million Americans have fallen into poverty and the price of a barrel of oil is at a record high. He further stated that Cheney, while serving in Congress, voted against the Head Start early education program, against the Meals on Wheels program for seniors, against a Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday and against a resolution urging the release of Nelson Mandela when he was imprisoned in South Africa. Edwards said that Bush is the first president in 70 years that has failed to create jobs, and that includes both Republican and Democratic presidents who served during war time. “George W. Bush and Dick Cheney … have said over and over … that the outsourcing of millions of American jobs is good for our economy. Tell that to all the folks here in North Carolina who’ve lost their jobs in the last four years,” said Edwards, who is the son of a mill worker. Edwards didn’t break new ground during his speech at A&T. Instead, he reiterated much of what he said during the television debate. For example, he continued to pound Cheney for his connections to big old companies and the Bush administration for the war in Iraq. “They are completely unwilling…to even admit what all of you know from just turning your televisions on, which is that despite the proud service of our men and women in uniform, Iraq is a mess,” Edwards said. He went on to say that not only did the country enter Iraq without enough troops, but that there has been no evidence of weapons of mass destruction found, nor has there been a connection discovered between 9-11 and Iraq. “Over 1,000 American men and women have lost their lives,” Edwards said. “We see Americans being kidnapped. We see beheadings. We know that there are terrorists not only in Iraq but all over the world. “But they’re still in Iraq.” Edwards also fired back at Cheney for insisting during the TV debate that the two had never met until the night of the debate. “Three years ago, I sat a table with Dick Cheney. We shook hands! We had a chance to talk to each other,” Edwards said, adding that Cheney’ actions are indicative of the Bush administration’s problem with the truth. “The last two people in America that think things are going well in Iraq are George Bush and Dick Cheney,” Edwards said. Moreover, he said that Bush is in complete denial about the loss of jobs, the loss of healthcare, the rising cost of healthcare, or about what’s happening with incomes in this country. “They (Bush and Cheney) can’t face what’s happening here at home,” Edwards said. “They are unwilling to level with the American people. Well let me tell you what’s going to happen come November–the American people are going to level with them.”