Edwards Tells Labor: Be Wary Of Clinton

Democrat John Edwards vowed Wednesday to labor leaders that if elected president he will reverse trade and tax policies - some of them dating from Bill Clinton's administration - that he said are designed to wipe out middle-class working families.

He introduced his mother and father - Wallace and Bobbie Edwards - to underscore his argument that as the son of a mill worker he understands union issues best among the candidates.

"I grew up in a Carolina mill town and I've seen firsthand how people's lives are devastated when factories close down and those manufacturing jobs are lost," said Edwards. "Manufacturing has suffered more than any other sector of the economy because of currency manipulation, illegal foreign subsidies, bad trade deals and rising energy and health costs."

The former North Carolina senator capped three days of appearances by Democratic candidates before a regional conference of the United Auto Workers, a union that has a heavy influence on Democratic politics in Iowa's leadoff precinct caucuses.

Edwards was sharply critical of rival Hillary Rodham Clinton, accusing her of being financed by corporate money and reminding about 250 labor leaders that her husband was responsible for trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement that have drained millions of jobs.

"The person who has raised the most money from Washington lobbyists is not a Republican, it's a Democrat," said Edwards. "The person who has raised the most money from the defense industry is not a Republican, it's a Democrat. The answer to every one of these questions is Senator Clinton. We have to say the system does not work, it is broken."

Clinton has raised more money than any other candidate, about $80 million; Edwards' has raised $30 million. Clinton has accepted $567,950 from lobbyists, while Edwards' has accepted $18,900, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

While Edwards doesn't accept money directly from federal lobbyists, he is not above benefiting from the broader lobbying community, accepting money from firms that have lobbying operations.

Edwards veered from his middle-class pitch to remind the union leaders of Clinton's ties to trade deals that union leaders strongly fought.

"Does anybody really believe that anything will change if we trade a crowd of corporate Republicans for a crowd of corporate Democrats," said Edwards. "It will not happen. It is a lie."

Asked after his appearance if he included Clinton among the corporate Democrats, Edwards said: "She is part of a system that includes a lot of corporate Democrats.

"I listen to Senator Clinton and I hear her defend the status quo," said Edwards. "It's a very different perspective from mine."

Edwards argued that Clinton's history on trade issues should give union leaders pause, noting that NAFTA passed during her husband's administration.

"These trade deals didn't come about in a Republican administration, they came about in a Democratic administration," said Edwards. "This is complete insanity."

While Clinton has built a substantial lead in national polls over rivals seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, the race in Iowa is much tighter, with Clinton in a virtual three-way tie with Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.