Kerry's Choice

"I have chosen a man who understands and defends the values of America, a man who has shown courage and conviction as a champion of middle-class Americans, and for those struggling to reach the middle class. A man who has shown guts and determination and political skill in his own race for the presidency of the United States. A man whose life has prepared him for leadership and whose character brings him to exercise it."

"Today, under George W. Bush, there are two Americas, not one: One America that does the work, another that reaps the reward. One America that pays the taxes, another America that gets the tax breaks. One America - middle-class America - whose needs Washington has long forgotten, another America - narrow-interest America - whose every wish is Washington's command. One America that is struggling to get by, another America that can buy anything it wants, even a Congress and a president."

"You've been a great governor," Hatch declared of his rival for the Republican presidential nomination. "My only problem with you, governor, is that you've only had four and going into your fifth year of governorship... Frankly, I really believe that you need more experience before you become president of the United States. That's why I'm thinking of you as a vice presidential candidate.

Which is exactly what Edwards was chosen for yesterday.

The defining case in Edwards' legal career wrapped up that same year. In 1993, a five-year-old girl named Valerie Lakey had been playing in a Wake County, N.C., wading pool when she became caught in an uncovered drain so forcefully that the suction pulled out most of her intestines. She survived but for the rest of her life will need to be hooked up to feeding tubes for 12 hours each night. Edwards filed suit on the Lakeys' behalf against Sta-Rite Industries, the Wisconsin corporation that manufactured the drain. Attorneys describe his handling of the case as a virtuoso example of a trial lawyer bringing a negligent corporation to heel...Before trial, he discovered that 12 other children had suffered similar injuries from Sta-Rite drains..On January 10, 1997, lawyers from across the state packed the courtroom to hear Edwards' closing argument...Three days later, the jury found Sta-Rite guilty and liable for $25 million in economic damages (by state law, punitive damages could have tripled that amount). The company immediately settled for $25 million, the largest verdict in state history. For their part, Edwards and Kirby earned the Association of Trial Lawyers of America's national award for public service.

4. Edwards is a liberal. A blatant attempt to divide the voters into party lines, between right and left as opposed to who's the best for the country. And exactly how liberal is Edwards? The Charlotte Observer [registration required] summed up the findings of the National Journal:

"He was more conservative than all but 10 of the Senate's 50 Democrats. Over his four years, the magazine said, Edwards fell into the 'moderage to conservative range' of Democrats. Edwards voted with his party 84 percent of the time last year and 90 over the four years, according to Congressional Quarterly Magazine. He supported President Bush 76 percent of the time last year and 80 percent overall."

Notice how the four talking points above are all about Edwards' personality and not the issues. I feel like banging a gavel and sternly admonishing, "stick to the issues, the issues, people!".

Really, is this the best they can do? I'll try to bite my tongue and not say bring it on.