Transcript: Sen. Edwards at Iowa Campaign Event

Sen. John Edwards made his first solo campaign appearance since being picked as Sen. John Kerry's running mate on Wednesday in Des Moines, Iowa. A transcript follows.

SPEAKER: U.S. SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS (NC)

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

EDWARDS: ... she is extraordinary. She is a wonderful woman.

All of you are proud of her, we're proud of her. Nationally as Democrats, we're so glad to have her speak at the convention.

(APPLAUSE)

And also I'm a little like Tom: I got to say something about the woman who at the end of this month I'll have been married to 27 years, the love of my life, the mother of my children, Elizabeth.

(APPLAUSE)

I have to tell you, the time that I spent here in Iowa was so important to what I am today, and I know John Kerry feels exactly the same way because we talked about it.

And Tom Vilsack mentioned this: It wasn't a matter of just speaking; it had to do with listening -- hearing on main streets, in houses, all across the state of Iowa the problems that people face every single day in their lives; what you want your president and vice president to fight for; the values that you want us to stand up for.

I heard it day after day after day in events six, seven, eight times a day some days campaigning here in the state of Iowa.

I just want you to know when John Kerry and I are in the presidency and the vice presidency, we heard your voices. You are part of who we are. And your cause is our cause. And it will be when we run this country.

(APPLAUSE)

You know, there's news from London today, the British just came out with their intelligence report on the failures and the mistakes of the intelligence with respect to Iraq, and it was an interesting response from their prime minister.

Tony Blair didn't run from the report, he didn't try to not acknowledge it. Instead what Tony Blair said was, "I take full responsibility for the mistakes."

(APPLAUSE)

It's because he understands what leadership is.

John Kennedy did exactly the same thing after the Bay of Pigs. He said, "I take full responsibility. I am the public servant responsible for this."

The truth is this: What we need in the White House is somebody who has the strength, courage and leadership to take responsibility and be accountable, not only for what's good, but for what's bad.

That's what John Kerry will be.

(APPLAUSE)

And you know, it's not very complicated. When John was captaining that swift boat in Vietnam during the Vietnam War, he was the captain of the ship. He didn't try to give responsibility to somebody else. He knew who was responsible and accountable for those men who served with him. He showed then, as he has his entire life, that he will be responsible, that he will lead, that he has courage and dedication.

EDWARDS: This is the man you and I are going to put in the White House. This is the man that will stand up for us, stand up for all Americans just as did he for those men in Vietnam.

(APPLAUSE)

And I have to tell you something: You're going to hear a lot during this campaign about values. You'll hear some of the candidates talking about values. Well, I know something about values just like all of you do.

I grew up in a small town in North Carolina. I know what values are. I grew up with them. Work, faith, responsibility, family, giving everybody an opportunity to do what they are capable of doing, not just a few people at the top. Those are the kind of values you and I grew up with.

(APPLAUSE)

And John Kerry understands it. All of you know that because of the time he spent campaigning here. He knows about the struggles that middle- class families are facing.

And you all don't need us to tell us about this. You know you can't save any money, it takes all the money you make to pay your bills. And the problem is if something goes wrong, if somebody in the family gets sick, if there's a layoff, if there's a financial problems, you go right off the cliff.

John Kerry knows that, which is why he will fight for jobs, the creation of jobs, for a trade policy that works for America and for American workers.

(APPLAUSE)

And I want to say just as an aside, just for a moment, you know, I have to -- I have to admit something to you. Something happened in Washington today that is so extraordinary and so unusual, which is Democrats and Republicans together joined to reject the politics of division.

(APPLAUSE)

The president and the vice president tried to use our Constitution and the amendment of that Constitution as a political tool. And the United States Senate, they said, "No. We will not accept it."

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Both Democrats and Republicans said, "Instead of focussing on using the Constitution as a political tool, why don't we focus on the things people face in their lives every day: the creation of jobs, health care, making sure parents can send their kids to college? Is that not what our public servants are supposed to be doing in Washington?"

EDWARDS: That's what the United States Senate said with its vote today.

(APPLAUSE)

I'll tell you something else: John Kerry will fight to get rid of the greed and the waste in our health care system so that we have a health care system that actually works for all Americans, bringing down health care costs for all Americans and providing health care coverage to the millions of Americans who have no health care coverage. That's what we'll get when John Kerry is our president.

(APPLAUSE)

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