Edwards Stumps To Union Crowd In Georgia

John Edwards speaking at Georgia Southwestern State University, August, 2007. (File photo: Dave Bender)

Fresh off a disappointing third-place finish in Nevada, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards braved a rare Georgia snowstorm on Saturday to tell a packed union hall that he's the best candidate for organized labor.

"I am not the candidate of glitz and glitter," Edwards told a cheering crowd at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local headquarters. "I will be as strong a president for organized labor as has existed in the United States of America."

The swing through Georgia was part of Edwards' cross-country "Fight for the Middle Class" tour to some of the more than 20 states set to vote on Super Tuesday Feb. 5. Edwards also visited Oklahoma and Missouri on Saturday.

The trip came as caucus goers in Nevada handed the former U.S. senator from North Carolina his third third-place finish. Hillary Rodham Clinton won the state Saturday followed by Barack Obama. Edwards has trailed the two front runners in Iowa and New Hampshire

In Georgia, Edwards rolled out what has become a familiar populist speech, saying he would fight entrenched special interests.

"We need a president of the United States that will fight. Because nothing will change until we have a president who's willing to stand up to drug companies and insurance companies," he said.

He called for a hike in the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour, a repeal of President Bush's tax cuts and a national predatory lending law. Booming applause met Edwards call Saturday for strengthening the rights of workers to join a union.

Following his speech, Edwards told reporters that President Bush's proposed economic stimulus plan leaves out too many low-income Americans who desperately need help.

"It makes no sense," Edwards said.

After coming up short in the early contests, Edwards is hoping to do well in South Carolina, the state where he was born. But he said no matter what he would remain in the race until the end.

Click here for more GPB News coverage of the presidential primaries.

(The Associated Press)

Little League champs meet President Bush

Warner Robins' Little League world champions met President George Bush in a ceremony yesterday at the White House. The Macon Telegraph reports the team first stopped at Capitol Hill for a meeting with Georgia Senators Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss. Next was the visit to the White House. There, the boys spent a few minutes with the President and had pictures taken in the Oval Office. The Warner Robins American Little League team beat Japan in the Little League title game in late August.

Cindy Sheehan, counter-protesters face-off at Ft. Benning

Anti-war protester Cindy Sheehan and a small group of supporters demonstrated against the US military outside of Ft. Benning's main gate midmorning Saturday.

Sheehan, speaking before reporters, termed the army post, “a cancer on our country,” and called for impeaching President George W. Bush.

Police stood between Sheehan's group and a similar-sized group of protesters, who rallied in support of American troops. There were no reports of disturbances, or violence between the two.

Sheehan's entourage was on a bus-tour headed towards Washington, DC, when they made the brief stopover. One protester from her group was seen arguing with a police officer over whether the group required a permit for the demonstration.

Sheehan's son, Casey, was killed in action in Iraq in 2004.

Meanwhile, another small group held a vigil in support of US troops near the government center in downtown Columbus.

World War II veteran Jim Rhodes, who led that protest, told the Ledger-Enquirer newspaper, "I just thought we ought to have a turnout here in Columbus on the other side of this thing, showing our support for these men and women who train and everything here in Columbus, Ga., at Fort Benning, and go to Iraq."