John Edwards Speaks Up
Don’t crown Hillary yet!
Hillary Clinton may be all but declared the 2008 nominee here in New York, but don’t tell John Edwards that. “I think talking about a front-runner four years before an election is ridiculous,” he tells us. Edwards is coming to town this week to give a speech at the New School assailing Bush tax policies, and to visit his daughter, who works at Vanity Fair. Now at the University of North Carolina, his voting finger is clearly itchy. We ran through some talking points.

The circus of legislative outrage surrounding Terri Schiavo? “We saw the memo that went out to Republican leaders about how they could take political advantage of Terri Schiavo. That’s disgusting. They will pay a price for this in the 2006 and 2008 elections.”

The Democratic acquiescence to the appointments of Condoleezza Rice and Alberto Gonzales? “I would have voted against them.”

Would you oppose John Bolton as U.N. ambassador? “I would.”

The easy passage of tort reform? “People have attacked my [trial lawyer] career ever since I’ve been involved in politics. But the attacks never stick. I think people fundamentally believe that those who have been wronged by powerful interests should be able to hold them accountable.”

The reports that you told John Kerry you wouldn't run against him? “The conversations that John Kerry and I have had are personal and private.”
—Greg Sargent