The American Spectator

Print Email

Text Size

TAS Live

(Page 3 of 3)

The air at least temporarily went out of the Edwards balloon as Democrats around the country doubted whether this stumbling neophyte was really their savior. Edwards supporters went into denial about his flabby performance, but not the Senator. In his car on the way home from the NBC studio, he commented to aides that he had really blown it. He said much the same to me two months later.

Was he not fully prepared? "No," Edwards said, "I think I was fully prepared. I think I was not being as direct about some of the questions that I should've been. I think it's fair criticism." Specifically, he regretted his equivocation on the Kennedy tax rollback. "I had an opinion when I was sitting there, and I didn't say it." And that opinion? "My opinion is that the top layer of the tax cuts that are scheduled to go into effect in '04 should not go into effect."

Having traveled the early presidential circuit to New Hampshire, Iowa and elsewhere, Edwards is increasingly less coy about his intentions. Once a week when Congress is in session, on "Tarheel Day," he meets with visiting North Carolina constituents in Washington. On the week before our lunch, Edwards began by talking about corporate reform, prescription drug subsidies and HMO regulation. But that was not what the visiting Tarheels were interested in.

"I read in the newspaper that you're actually campaigning for the presidential election," noted the first questioner. Answer: "It is something I'm considering, but haven't made a final decision."

The next questioner asked about his poor standing in the polls. Answer: "Once people start to hear that, they either agree with you or disagree with you. But it takes time for that to happen."

Edwards completed the brief session by talking about what he considers fiscal integrity: "The same way that your family has to manage its own funds. I mean, you have decide what you can pay for, what you can't pay for, and how much money you're going to have coming in. We should be able to manage the federal government in many ways the same."

Democratic insiders consider the task awaiting Edwards as difficult but not impossible. In a crowded field likely to include Gore, he must somehow make a strong showing in either Iowa or New Hampshire to survive in the foreshortened primary election schedule. George W. Bush should be rooting against him, considering the experience of Gerald Ford and his own father against crafty Southern politicians with a moderate façade.

topics:
Education, Trade, John McCain, Bill Clinton, Business, Abortion, Environment, Hollywood, Law, NATO, Africa, Oil