PRESIDENTIAL RACE Edwards talks trade at Valley union hall

The North Carolina senator described 'two Americas' separated by wealth and privilege.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Although U.S. Sen. John Edwards, a Democratic presidential candidate, was short on details, his largely populist message of fair -- not free -- trade and lifting up America resonated with the 600 or so people who packed the Teamsters Local 377 hall.
Stuffed into a hot, small room that typically can hold only 200 or so people, Edwards supporters, most of them standing, enthusiastically cheered and reacted Sunday to the North Carolina senator's speech that echoes the sentiment of "Two Americas," a television advertisement he is airing in Ohio.
During the speech, Edwards contended there is an America for the wealthy and privileged who get the best health care, education and tax benefits, and then there's everyone else, collectively treated as second-class citizens.
Edwards also said he believed in fair trade and that if he had been a senator when the North American Free Trade Agreement was considered, he would never have supported it. He mentioned that U.S. Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic presidential front-runner, supported NAFTA, and said that agreement has damaged the national and Ohio economies.
Kerry is scheduled to visit Youngstown on Tuesday. Details were still being worked out this morning. Kerry's wife delivered a speech Friday in Youngstown at the Oakhill Renaissance Place on the city's South Side.
Support for working class
Edwards said if elected, he'd be an advocate for working-class people, something he said President Bush doesn't do.
"He's talking about Wall Street, not Main Street," Edwards said of Bush. "He's out of touch with real people. ... What would be good for the American economy would be to outsource this administration."
Edwards wants to create incentives for businesses to locate in areas hit the hardest by job loss, such as Youngstown, and wants to fix the tax code to encourage businesses to keep jobs in this country.
Edwards urged those at the union hall to tell their friends and families to vote for him.
"We can do this together," he said to loud applause.
He also said that lobbyists should be banned from making political contributions because they have too much influence in Washington, D.C.
Edwards, a multimillionaire attorney, said he came from humble beginnings. He said that all his life he was told he couldn't achieve, but he always proved his critics wrong.
"We can change America," he said. "You deserve a president who actually believes in you."
After the speech, Edwards told newspaper and radio reporters that the fundamental difference between him and Kerry is free trade.
"We need to talk about our differences," Edwards said, challenging Kerry to a debate in Ohio.
'Outsider' status
When asked about the differences, Edwards said: "I have new ideas, not the same old Washington way of doing things. I'm an outsider. If we're going to bring real change to Washington, and real change to this country, we need somebody from outside of Washington."
When asked if he would quit the race if he fared poorly on Super Tuesday, March 2, in which 10 states, including Ohio, will hold primaries or caucuses, Edwards said, "I'm going to be the nominee. I'm not going to do poorly. I'm not going to be out of it."
Ohio is seen as a key battleground state in the 2004 election.
Although he criticized Kerry, he said he would consider the Massachusetts senator as a potential running mate.
Crowded site
The event was held at the Teamsters hall, which turned out to be a logistical problem because of a lack of nearby parking for those coming to the speech. Inside the hall, it was hot and packed, with most people forced to stand.
Although the Teamsters International supports Kerry, the local had no problem allowing Edwards to hold his event at its hall.
"There's a little more [understanding] on the local level than the international might be," said Patrick Dillon, Edwards' Ohio spokesman.
Before coming to the Teamsters hall, Edwards spoke to locked-out workers at the RMI Titanium Co. plant in Weathersfield. The union workers have been off the job since October.
Kerry and Edwards recently opened up Mahoning Valley campaign offices on Belmont Avenue; Kerry's is at 4891 Belmont and Edwards' is at 4531 Belmont, Suite C.
skolnick@vindy.com