FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 26, 2007

Contact: Press Office

As the Democratic candidates gather for their first debate in South Carolina tonight, the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press has released a poll showing Hillary with a double-digit primary lead. In addition, the poll found Hillary was considered by wide margins the strongest leader, to have the best experience, the most electable and the most likely to make changes America needs of the three leading Democratic candidates.

The Pew Poll shows Hillary leading with 34 percent, Barack Obama 24 percent and John Edwards 18 percent.

STRONGEST LEADER: Hillary Clinton leads with 37 percent, Barack Obama 20 percent and John Edwards 12 percent.

BEST EXPERIENCE: Hillary Clinton leads with 39 percent, Barack Obama 5 percent and John Edwards 5 percent.

MOST ELECTABLE: Hillary Clinton leads with 32 percent, Barack Obama 17 percent and John Edwards 16 percent.

WILL MAKE CHANGES AMERICA NEEDS: Hillary Clinton leads with 37 percent, Barack Obama 22 percent and John Edwards 11 percent.

At tonight's debate, Chris Dodd will demonstrate the Presidential qualities Democratic voters are looking for. At a time when the stakes could not be greater, Chris Dodd offers the bold leadership and the proven ability to get things done that America needs in its next President.

BOLD LEADERSHIP

• Bringing an End to the Iraq War. Chris Dodd was the first presidential candidate to support the Reid-Feingold legislation that will force the President's hand to end the Iraq war and safely redeploy our troops within one year.

• Fighting Global Warming. Chris Dodd offers a realistic plan to turn the clock back on global warming - a Corporate Carbon Tax on big polluters that makes cleaner energy more affordable for families and businesses. Roger Ballentine, former Chairman of the White House Climate Change Task Force, said that Dodd's plan "will likely be the gold standard against which all plans will be measured."

• Ending Our Dependence on Middle East Oil. Chris Dodd's plan would raise fuel efficiency standards to 50 mpg by 2017 to end our dependence on oil from the most politically fragile corner of the globe.

A PROVEN ABILITY TO GET THINGS DONE

• Family and Medical Leave. Chris Dodd brought business and workers together, Republicans and Democrats, to pass the landmark Family and Medical Leave Act, which has since helped an estimated 50 million people take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave when they were ill or needed to care for a new child or a sick family member.

• Homeland Security. Even before the September 11th attacks, Chris Dodd was working to get needed resources to our nation's firefighters. In 1999, he authored the FIRE Act with Republican Senator Mike DeWine, which has provided funding to local fire departments for training and equipment. Following the success of the FIRE Act, Dodd introduced the SAFER Act which has helped communities recruit and hire additional firefighters. More than 30,000 grants, totaling $3 billion, have been awarded to communities throughout the country as a result of both the FIRE and SAFER Acts.

• Child Care. Chris Dodd worked with Republican Senator Orrin Hatch to pass the Child Care and Development Block Grant, which has provided billions of dollars in federal aid to improve the quality and availability of child care services all over the country.

• National Defense. In 2006, Chris Dodd helped secure the billions of dollars our military needed to begin the process of repairing and replacing thousands of critical military vehicles and aircraft.

• Head Start. Millions of children start school ready to learn everyday because of Chris Dodd's tireless effort to improve the availability and quality of Head Start. As a result of his efforts, he was honored as the "Senator of the Decade" by the National Head Start Association.

In the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, John Edwards is the only candidate who has consistently led the field when it comes to the most pressing issues facing Americans.  Edwards was the first candidate to introduce a detailed plan to provide universal health care to every man, woman and child in America; he was the first presidential candidate to release a detailed plan to combat global warming; and he was the first candidate to release a detailed plan to combat global poverty.
 

Edwards Is Leading The Presidential Field On Issues

Heilemann: Edwards’ Campaign Has Been "Most Substantive." In April 2007, John Heilemann wrote in New York Magazine of Edwards, "his campaign has not only been the most substantive of the lot (see his proposal for universal health care) but also the most strategic and focused." [New York Magazine, 4/23/07]

Akron Beacon Journal: "John Edwards Actually Has Elevated The Debate."  In a March 2007 editorial entitled, "John Edwards actually has elevated the debate," the Akron Beacon Journal praised Edwards’ willingness to propose specific proposals to tackle issues, even though voters may disagree with him.  "He isn’t simply the guy with the slick stump speech, obsessed with the flip of his hair ... He has ideas to contribute, and thus a good reason to stay  in the race.  [Akron Beacon Journal, Editorial, 3/27/07]

Mario Cuomo: "Edwards Comes Closest To Actually Spelling Out His Positions" On Tough Issues.  In April 2007, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo told New York’s WNBC "that Edwards comes closest to actually spelling out his positions" on tough issues in the campaign.  [WNBC, 4/16/07]

Bill Bradley Praised Edwards' Willing To Be Specific On Issues.  In an April 2007 interview with the Austin-American Statesman, former US Senator and presidential candidate Bill Bradley was asked if any of the candidates running for president were running the kind of campaign he wanted to see in 2008.  "I think John Edwards is closest in terms of being specific with people about what he would do," Bradley said.  "I think he's been very specific on health care, very specific on energy and on poverty."  [Austin American-Statesman, 4/22/07]
 

Praise For Edwards' Health Care Plan

Krugman: "Edwards Gets It Right" On Health Care.  In a February 2007 column titled "Edwards Gets It Right," Paul Krugman wrote that "John Edwards has just set a fine example" for candidates who need to "provide enough specifics to show both that they understand the issues, and that they're willing to face up to hard choices when necessary."  [New York Times, 2/9/07]

Kennedy Called Edwards' Plan "A Serious And Thoughtful Proposal."  In February 2007, Massachusetts Senator and health care champion Edwards Kennedy praised Edwards' universal health care plan.  "John Edwards has made a serious and thoughtful proposal to address the growing health care crisis," Kennedy said.  "His innovative plan offers practical steps to lower the high cost of health care, improve the quality of care and provide coverage for all Americans.  I’ve been encouraged by the fresh ideas coming from all corners of this debate to solve the health care crisis.  I’m very hopeful we'll make progress in providing Americans with the care they need."  [Kennedy Statement, 2/5/07]

Krugman: Edwards Offered "Specifics" On Health Care When Opponents Only Had "Vague Generalities" And Obama Had "No Real Substance."  In February 2007 a column titled "Substance Over Image," Paul Krugman wrote in the New York Times, “All the leading Democratic candidates say they're for universal care, but only John Edwards has come out with a specific proposal. The others have offered only vague generalities -- wonderfully uplifting generalities, in Mr. Obama's case -- with no real substance.” [New York Times, 2/26/07]

Tumulty: Universal Health are Is More Than A Slogan In Edwards' Case.  In a March 2007 column following the SEIU/CAP health care form in Nevada, TIME's Karen Tumulty, who moderated the forum, wrote that "while health care for all is now a popular slogan, Edwards is the only candidate offering a plan that would actually get to universal coverage."  [TIME, Tumulty Column, 3/29/07]
 

Praise For Edwards' Plan To Combat Global Warming

Friedman: Edwards Is The "Most Forward-Leaning" Candidate On The Environment.  In an April 2007 interview on CNN, New York Times columnist Tom Friedman said in response to a question from Wolf Blitzer on whether any of the candidates shared his vision for the environment, "I will say this. John Edwards in the past few weeks has come out with a series of proposals which I am now studying that strike me as probably the most forward-leaning of all the candidates so far." [CNN, 4/22/07]

LCV: Edwards Led The Way Among Presidential Contenders On Global Warming.  In March 2007, the League of Conservation Voters praised Edwards' plan to combat global warming.  In a statement, LCV President Gene Karpinski said, "The League of Conservation Voters applauds Sen. John Edwards for taking the lead in announcing aggressive plans to combat global warming ... Senator Edwards' plan demonstrates that he understands the magnitude of the challenge before
us and the need for bold leadership to meet it ... Senator Edwards has outlined the most comprehensive global warming plan of any presidential candidate to date. We look forward to other 2008 presidential candidates outlining their plans to address this pressing issue." [LCV Press Release, 3/20/07]

Sierra Club Executive Director: Edwards Plan Is "The Kind Of Dialogue We Were Hoping For From The 2008 Presidential Election."  In March 2007, Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope praised Edwards' plan to combat global warming.  He said. Edwards "issued a visionary set of energy proposals at a speech at the Biomass Energy Conversion Center in Nevada, Iowa ... This is the kind of dialogue we were hoping for from the 2008 Presidential election -- one that, whatever it yields, will give us a president whose name is not Bush, and almost certainly one who will have had to seriously debate his approach to global warming and energy issues.  It’s great to see someone lead the way, and now the ball is the courts of the Clinton, McCain, Giuliani, Obama, Richardson and Romney campaigns. Come on in folks – the water is fine!"  [Carl Pope Column, 3/21/07]
 

Praise for Edwards' Plan To Combat Global Poverty

Kristof: Edwards Followed Specific Health Care Plan With "Good And Specific Ideas" On Combating Poverty.  In a March 2007 blog post, New York Times columnist Nick Kristof wrote, "More than any of the presidential candidates, John Edwards has come up with a specific and plausible plan that provides for health care coverage for all Americans. And he followed that up yesterday with an excellent speech on poverty at home and abroad, with some good and specific ideas ... Let's hope the campaign over the next 18 months produces more specific ideas like these and raises the visibility of poverty and health care generally."  [Nick Kristof, “On The Ground,” 3/16/07]

Errol Louis: Edwards Leading All Opponents By Offering "One Sound, Compassionate Plan After Another" To Fight Poverty.  In March 2007, Errol Louis wrote in the New York Daily News that "Edwards has already done America a great service by running for President and putting the issue of poverty where it belongs: front and center."  Louis added that Edwards "has backed up that passion with one sound, compassionate plan after another to extend the hand of government to Americans in dire economic straits."  Louis wrote, "Edwards is doing what every Democratic presidential candidate ought to be doing - talking about ways to eliminate desperate poverty from our midst once and for all."  Noting that "For every news story about issues in the presidential campaign, there seem to be 10 about trivial matters like which candidate called his rival a liar," Louis praised Edwards, writing, "Edwards is aiming for something higher and grander, and asking us to do the same. Exactly what a man running for President ought to do." [Daily News, 3/1/07]
 

Praise For Edwards' Candor And Honesty On The Budget

Krugman: Edwards Was Specific About Deficits While Opponents Failed To Make Their Stance Known.  In February 2007, Paul Krugman wrote about "serious debate within the Democratic Party between deficit hawks, who point out how well the economy did in the Clinton years, and those who, having watched Republicans squander Bill Clinton's hard-won surplus on tax cuts for the wealthy and a feckless war, would give other things -- such as universal health care -- higher priority than deficit reduction," and commented that "Edwards has come down on the anti-hawk side. But which side are Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama on? I have no idea." [New York Times, 2/26/07]

Dionne: Edwards Honest About Budgeting Realities.  In January 2007, E. J. Dionne wrote, "Edwards's ideas on the budget have the additional virtue of reminding us that the argument over arriving at a balanced budget by 2012 is largely phony. The real issue, given the burgeoning costs of health care and the retirement of the baby boomers, is how to put policies in place now that achieve sustainable fiscal balance … over the next 30 years.  Dionne added, "Edwards, at least, is willing to say which taxes he would raise to keep the deficit from going through the roof … Edwards deserves points for honesty and for stating the politically difficult truth that both fiscal and social balance demand a comprehensive health-care fix." [Washington Post, 1/19/07]
 

Will Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Adopt Her "Southern Drawl" For Her Debate In South Carolina?

"New York's Illinois-Born Senator" Adopts "Southern Drawl" For Alabama Rally. "Senator Clinton may have drawn rousing ovations during her appearances at civil rights rallies in Selma, Ala. ... but it was not what she said that stirred the most buzz yesterday - it was how she said it. A 27-second snippet of audio clips ... showed New York's Illinois-born senator adopting a Southern drawl during parts of her speech at a Selma church." ("Clinton Stirs Buzz On The Web With Her Southern Drawl," The New York Sun, 3/6/07)

Click Here To Listen

MSNBC's Tucker Carlson: "Hillary Clinton morphs into Scarlett O'Hara. Well, she talks like her anyway." (MSNBC's "Tucker," 3/5/07)

Will Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) Show Up With A New Makeover?

"Amid The Nearly $3.3 Million In Travel Costs, Equipment Rental Fees And Salaries Listed On Presidential Candidate John Edwards's Most Recent Campaign Finance Filing, A Few Expenses Stand Out." (Robin Givhan, "Primping For President: A Little Dab'll Do Ya," The Washington Post, 4/20/07)

• "They Are The Ones Incurred At Designworks Salon In Dubuque, Iowa, Torrenueva Hair Designs In Beverly Hills, Calif., And The Pink Sapphire Salon And Spa In Manchester, N.H." (Robin Givhan, "Primping For President: A Little Dab'll Do Ya," The Washington Post, 4/20/07)

 What Part Of His Resume Will Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) Exaggerate?

"[Sen. Obama] Has ... Shown A Tendency Toward Seemingly Minor Contradictions And Rhetorical Slips That Serve As Reminders That He Is Still A Newcomer To National Politics." (Mike Allen, "Rookie Mistakes Plague Obama," The Politico, 3/26/07)

Obama Said His Parents "Got Together" And He Was Born As A Result Of The Selma March. Sen. Obama: "Because some folks were willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama, Jr. was born. So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama." (Senator Barack Obama, Remarks At Brown Chapel AME Church, Selma, AL, 3/4/07)

• "Earlier In The Day At A Prayer Breakfast, The Illinois Democrat Said: 'If It Hadn't Been For Selma, I Wouldn't Be Here.'" (Anne E. Kornblut and Peter Whoriskey, "Clinton, Obama Link Selma March To Present," The Washington Post, 3/5/07)

• But Sen. Obama Was Born In 1961, 4 Years Before The 1965 Selma March.  "Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4th, 1961." (Obama For America Website, www.barackobama.com, Accessed 3/6/07; Anne E. Kornblut and Peter Whoriskey, "Clinton, Obama Link Selma March To Present," The Washington Post, 3/5/07)

• But On The University Of Chicago Law School Website, Obama Is Listed As A "Senior Lecturer In Law (On Leave Of Absence)." (University Of Chicago Law School Website, http://www.law.uchicago.edu/faculty/obama, Accessed 3/30/07)

"In Academia, There Is A Vast Difference Between The Two Titles. Details Matter." (Lynn Sweet, "Obama's Book: What's Real, What's Not," Chicago Sun-Times, 8/8/04)

Will Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) Arrive At Debate On A Horse, Helicopter, Or Corporate Jet?

Richardson Used State Helicopter To Go Horseback Riding At A Ranch. "The New Mexican's Mitote column of Sept. 21 reported the governor had taken a state helicopter to go horseback riding at The Chama Ranch of Santa Fe art and real-estate investor Gerald Peters." (Tom Sharpe, "Helicopter Flight Raises Questions," The Santa Fe New Mexican, 10/10/03)

• Use Of Helicopter Cost Taxpayers $2,500. "According to the report, a high-tech Blackhawk helicopter scheduled for a training trip from Santa Fe to Carlsbad on Sept. 6 [2003] was diverted to Chama at Richardson's request -- a cost to taxpayers of $2,500 -- on a day when a state police helicopter often used by Richardson was grounded for maintenance." (Tom Sharpe, "Helicopter Flight Raises Questions," The Santa Fe New Mexican, 10/10/03)

Will Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) Proclaim That He Is A "Northeast Liberal" ... Again?

Biden Is A "Self-Described Northeast Liberal." (Valerie Bauerlein and Lee Bandy, "Thousands Pay Respect To S.C.'s History Maker," The [Columbia, SC] State, 7/2/03)

Richmond Times-Dispatch Referred To Biden As "Liberal Icon."(Editorial, "History Lesson," Richmond Times-Dispatch, 9/15/02)

The New York Times' David Brooks Referred To Biden As A "Liberal Hawk." (David Brooks, Op-Ed, "Too Quiet On The Home Front," The New York Times, 3/20/04)

Will Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) Be Asked To Show Identification Before Being Allowed On Stage?

"More Problematic Is The Fact That Dodd Is Not Well Known Outside The State, Except To C-SPAN Junkies." (Howard Reiter, Op-Ed, "Is Dodd A Contender?" Hartford Courant, 1/14/07)

• "[D]odd [Is] Barely Registering In The Polls." (Adam C. Smith, "Biden And Dodd Have Been Around And That's Good," St. Petersburg Times, 4/22/07)