John Edwards' Response to the SOTU

Like many of you, I watched the State of the Union last night and heard more of the same at a time when we need fundamental change.

Rather than honest assessments and a vision for the future, we got rationalizations for the failed policies of the past -- and small ideas that won't make a difference in the lives of working Americans.

But if Washington can't face reality and go big, then it's up to us to show the way. The next president must do more than simply undo this president's mistakes - the next president must offer a vision to transform America in the 21st century. The American people are ready for something fundamentally new.

We should be talking about the great things we can do for our nation and our world if we put our minds to it. And I want to start tonight.

Please join me tonight for a live online video discussion tonight at 9:30 ET at JohnEdwards.com

We'll talk about our ideas for changing America and take questions from you about the big challenges we face -- from ending the war in Iraq to rebuilding America's Gulf Coast. How are we going to end the scourge of poverty in 30 years? What role do we all have to play in stopping global warming? How do we ensure that every American gets the top quality health care we deserve? And a topic the president did not even mention last night -- what can we do to ensure that there will be good jobs and job security for Americans in the decades to come?

This campaign is about more than the presidency, and it's certainly about more than me. It's about a whole generation of Americans who are ready to take personal responsibility for ensuring our nation's greatness.

Join me tonight, and let's get started.

Sincerely,
John

P.S. - Thanks to your support, we've got a full page ad in today's edition of the D.C. newspaper Roll Call showing Congress that -- despite what Bush says -- their constituents know they have the power to stop the proposed escalation in Iraq, and we expect them to do so.