PRESS RELEASE from John Edwards for President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 16, 2007

CONTACT:
Dan Leistikow
 

EDWARDS CAMPAIGN ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE RURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE, EXPANDS STRONG IOWA ORGANIZATION

Organization Reflects Edwards’ Leadership On Issues Important To Rural Iowa and Depth Of Support Across The State

Dunlap, Iowa – At the start of a two-day, nine-county “Barnstorm for Rural America,” Senator John Edwards announced the Statewide Rural Advisory Committee for his Iowa campaign. Consisting of 44 rural leaders from across the state, the steering committee reflects the breadth and depth of Edwards’ support throughout Iowa.

The committee consists of a wide group of leaders including first responders, business leaders, elected officials and agricultural leaders. The committee will work with the campaign’s 99 Rural County Chairs to advise Edwards on the issues facing rural Iowans and spread his detailed plans to strengthen rural towns and communities across America. Edwards was raised in a small rural town and has made rural revitalization a cornerstone of his campaign. In August, the campaign announced more than 1,000 rural supporters showing Edwards’ broad support throughout rural Iowa.

“I am pleased to announce today our campaign’s Statewide Rural Advisory Committee,” Edwards said. “This widely respected group of leaders shares my commitment to restoring hope to rural America.  They know that our small towns and rural communities have unlimited potential and we need to do more to help make sure they reach that potential.  As president, I will never forget rural America – it’s part of who I am.”

“Having grown up in rural America, John Edwards understands our challenges like no other candidate can, and you can see this in his policies,” said Denise O’Brien, 2006 Democratic Secretary of Agriculture Nominee and Organic Farmer from Atlantic.  “John Edwards has outlined bold plans to bring back jobs and prosperity to rural towns, invest in alternative fuels and ensure fairness for family farmers. Plus, he can beat the Republicans in key battleground states and put more states in play, so we can make sure we put a Democrat back in the White House.”

As a native of a small rural town, Edwards knows that America cannot turn its back on rural areas. Small towns and rural areas are the keepers of American values like family, work, community, and freedom.  Edwards’ plan for rural recovery would restore economic fairness and create new jobs and businesses in rural America, help struggling counties and towns and protect rural people and their way of life. As president, Edwards will restore hope to rural America by:


A listing of the complete membership of the John Edwards for President Statewide Rural Advisory Committee follows.

John Edwards for President Campaign
Iowa Rural Advisory Committee

 
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