North Carolina's Favorite Son, John Edwards, and the Democratic Presidential Ticket
NORTH CAROLINA'S FAVORITE SON, JOHN EDWARDS, AND THE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL TICKET -- (House of Representatives - July 12, 2004)
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 7, 2003, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
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Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) for yielding to me.
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to come to the well tonight and to speak on behalf of one of our Nation's most promising leaders. I know that the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) has spoken about his relationship with Senator Edwards. We have heard from the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller), the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. McIntyre), and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price); and they have talked about the experiences they have had with him as well as his record here in this city in our other body.
I was asked the other day by a friend why was it that I thought that John Edwards was so optimistic about the future of this country when all the headlines around us seem to indicate something else. I said to him John Edwards was born in a little town not far from the town where I was born, Sumter. I was born in Sumter. He was born in Seneca. Geographically it is somewhat of a distance apart, but he was born and reared in a value system that I am very familiar with. A value system that is grounded in his faith which can best be described by the words found in the Book of Hebrews: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." I think that John Edwards is optimistic about the future of this country because he has that kind of faith that comes out of a value system that tells us all that, as was said earlier, "where there is no vision, the people perish." He has a vision for the future of this country, and he has expressed that vision time and time again throughout this Nation.
I heard it asked earlier what was the difference between John Edwards and Dan Quayle. The difference is very stark. John Edwards went before the American people. He laid out his life's history. He laid out his vision for the future. He told the people of this country where he would like to see us go, and he did so in such a way that exudes enthusiasm and optimism, and he endeared himself to the people of this Nation, and of course that is the difference. People got to know him. People got to see him. And people tell me that even when they did not vote for him because they may have thought someone else would make the better candidate, they really were moved by him. And today he is a part of what I consider to be one of the most promising teams of leaders this country has ever produced.
I want to close my comments tonight by dealing with an issue that I hear so much about: this issue of liberal versus conservative. In that little town of Sumter where I grew up, I was born and raised in the parsonage. My father was a fundamentalist minister who taught me in my early years that there are times when it is good to be conservative. He taught me that if I earn a dollar, I ought to be able to save a nickle. He taught me that when I leave the room, I turn out the lights, I conserve energy. But on Sunday mornings after his sermon, he never asked his congregation to give conservatively. He always asked them to give liberally.
So I grew up thinking that it is good to be conservative at times, and it is good to be liberal at times. What life is all about is finding the balance that will make us all better for having lived it.
We see that balance in John Edwards, and as we go forward with this campaign, I think the American people will see that balance in John Edwards and John Kerry and will entrust the leadership of this Nation to that team that I am sure will make us all proud and bring back the dignity and respect that this Nation has always enjoyed.
I thank the gentleman for yielding to me, and I appreciate being here.
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