In Repair

Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley has written an article expressing his support for John Edwards and explaining why he may be the only electable candidate running for the Democratic nomination.

Polls consistently show that John is the strongest general election candidate against Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and the other Republican candidates - not just nationally, but in battleground states like Iowa, Wisconsin, and Ohio. Polls also show that John is the only Democrat who actually beats Republican candidates in traditionally Republican states like Virginia and Oklahoma.

This is an election we can’t afford to lose. With John Edwards, we’ll have a nominee who can compete and win anywhere in the country and help Democratic candidates up and down the ticket.

Several people who normally vote Democratic have expressed to me that they will not vote for Hillary or Obama in a general election, which leads me to believe that John Edwards is the only candidate that can give the Democrats a shot at regaining control of the White House in 2008.

Edwards is kicking off “Building A Better America” this week, where he will be highlighting the following initiatives:

Universal Health Care

Forty-seven million Americans live without health insurance. All of us struggle with the skyrocketing costs and inconsistent quality of care in our health care system – a system that fails to ensure that even insured Americans get the care they need. Edwards will create a true universal health care system that covers everyone in America, brings down costs, and creates more choices and security.

Good Jobs

Approximately 25 million jobs are at risk of moving offshore within the next decades, according to the Economic Policy Institute. Edwards will invest in the good jobs of the future by creating a new energy economy based on clean, renewable energy, rejecting failed trade deals in favor of new smarter trade policies, and eliminating tax incentives for corporations to invest overseas.

Excellent Schools

America still has two school systems that are separate and unequal. Every year 200,000 qualified students cannot afford college. Edwards will invest in teachers with higher pay and a new National Teachers University, overhaul No Child Left Behind, and invest more to turn around struggling schools. His College for Everyone initiative will let everyone work their way through college.

Affordable Housing

Affordable housing in safe neighborhoods near good schools and good jobs is a key to opportunity. Homeownership is a cornerstone of the American Dream and helps families build wealth and security. Edwards will help families save for a downpayment with a new Get Ahead tax credit, create 1 million housing vouchers to let families live where they choose, build more economically integrated housing.

Strong Families

Two-third of mothers now work, but American workplace policies are badly outdated. The U.S. is one of only five countries in the world without paid maternity leave. Edwards will work with states to offer eight weeks of paid leave to new parents and workers with serious illnesses in the family. He will also create a universal Great Promise program of early childhood education and more than double the child care tax credit.

Visit his website for more information.