Edwards Keeps Supporters Waiting in Iowa Heat

Susan McIntyre, an Edwards supporter from Des Moines, was one of several people grumbling. She pointed to the unshaded, concrete parking lot, where the sweaty crowd included numerous white-haired members of AARP, plus young children holding hand-lettered “Iowans for Edwards” signs provided by the campaign.

McIntyre said Edwards is her favorite candidate, but she said this was not the first time she’d seen him be seriously tardy. “I think it’s tacky,” she said. “It isn’t right. It isn’t considerate. It isn’t Iowa.”

When Edwards finally appeared, he apologized for the delay. He said it was caused by a minor ailment his wife suffered at their Des Moines hotel. “Elizabeth ate something for breakfast this morning that didn’t agree with her,” he said. He later told reporters that it had nothing to do with the fact that his wife is taking chemotherapy medicine for cancer.

Edwards spoke to the crowd for less than eight minutes, stressing that he needs Iowans’ support. “We are the party of the people, and we are not the party of the political insiders,” he said.

As he stepped off the hay-bale bedecked stage, the loudspeakers blared the Willie Nelson song “On the Road Again.” The campaign’s blue tour bus roared to life, and aides announced that the candidate was canceling his next scheduled appearance, at the State Fair, so he could try to get back on schedule.

Edwards had been introduced by former state Rep. Ed Fallon, a Des Moines Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for governor last year. Fallon, known for his liberal, outspoken stances, angered fellow Democrats in 2000 when he endorsed the independent candidacy of Ralph Nader.

In an interview, Fallon said Edwards is the best candidate in this race, even though he is not the most liberal. “You have to be able to organize and attract a broad base, and I’m confident John Edwards can do that,” he said.

He also likes Edwards’ opposition to hog-confinement operations and his promise not to take contributions from political action committees.

Fallon said he would campaign for Edwards among the thousands of Iowans who supported his dark-horse gubernatorial candidacy. He said he was not concerned that the Edwards campaign has drawn no endorsements from current Iowa legislators, even though several lawmakers are actively supporting rival candidates. That could change, he said, adding that legislative endorsements are not critical to campaigns.

Edwards plans more than 30 stops on his bus tour, which will lead up to a Democratic debate in Des Moines Sunday.

Reporter Tony Leys can be reached at (515) 284-8449 or tleys@dmreg.com.