Friday, July 16, 2004

John Edwards Interview With Fox News

Here's a link to John Edwards interview with Fox News.  Link.   I find Edwards' answers to the questions in the interview very telling and inconsistent. 
 
In the prelude it discusses Edwards' pre Gulf War belief that we should "go to war with Iraq even without the backing of the U.N.".  But then in the first paragraph he blasts Bush because "He did not in a serious way put together the kind of international coalition that could have been put together".  If Edwards felt we should have go to war without the UN, then how can he criticize Bush for not putting together a more firm coalition?  I agree with Edwards when he states that Bush "had no thoughtful detailed plan about how to win the peace".  Which I interpret to mean we had no exit strategy.  But, I'm not sure anyone could have come up with a good exit strategy.  There wasn't one in Kosovo, Bosnia/Hercegovina, or the first Gulf War.  Too much is in a state of flux to have a good exit strategy in a conflict of this size.
 
On the Gay Marraige question Edwards says, "I believe this is an issue that ought to be decided in the states, and I think we as a national government ought to recognize whatever the states decide.  See, under existing law today no state is required to recognize another state’s marriage, as a public policy exception to the full faith and credit, and the result of that is we don't — there’s no need to do anything."
 
But I disagree, under the full faith and credit clause, states do recognize marraiges from other states as legal and binding.  So, if Massachussetts lets marraige be defined as including the union of homosexual partners, then it does affect all other states.  What if Utah says it will no longer recognize Massachussetts' marraiges?  How can it be a state's choice, when it affects relationships within other states?  I believe one way or the other it should be addressed nationwide.  Edwards choice to "leave it to the states to decide" I think is a cop out that means he is noncommittal on the issue.  He states that "there is no need for a constitutional amendment, but what’s happening is the president and the administration are using it as a political tool."  What is happening is that the President and the administrtion are trying to solve the issue.  It is a political issue, just as Edwards and Kerry are using it as a political tool on the other side.
 
Pretty interesting interview, but full of campaign doubletalk.  It comes from both sides.  I love having the freedom to be able to elect our top executive every 4 years.  I just hate the campaign leading up to it.

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