Birthdate: 1953-06-10


Birthplace: Seneca, S.C.


Hometown: Robbins, N.C.


Family:

• Spouse - Elizabeth Edwards
• Children - Wade Edwards (died in 1996), Cate Edwards, Emma Claire
Edwards, Jack Edwards



Religion:

Methodist


Education:

• University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, J.D., 1977; 
• North Carolina State University, B.A., 1974; 
• North Moore High School



Military Service:

None. Registered for the Draft but number was never called.



Career:

• Senator, United States Senate, 1998-2005
• Democratic presidential candidate, 2004



Present Position:

Pulled out of presidential race on January 30, 2008. Did not give endorsement to another candidate.



John Edwards position on the War in Iraq:

• As a senator in October 2002, Edwards voted to support a joint
resolution to authorize the use of United States Armed Forces against Iraq. 
• He now says that the vote was a mistake.
• Edwards is in favor of a complete withdrawal of troops by the end of
2008. 




John Edwards position on Immigration:

• He supports doubling the number of US Border Patrol agents.
• Edwards wants to install surveillance technology to police the border
and
• He favors a path to US citizenship for illegal immigrants if they avoid
a criminal record, pay a fine and learn English. 
Edwards want to go after employers who hire illegal immigrants.
• He is not in favor of a guest a guest worker program that does not
include workplace safeguards for US workers.




John Edwards position on Health Care:

• Edwards supports universal health care and believes it can be funded by
repealing tax cuts for rich. 
• He believes in reforming our health care system and seeking better care
at lower costs.
• His health care plan requires health insurance for all and is estimated
to cost $120 billion annually. 
• He would force government, private companies and individuals to share
responsibility for health care. 
• He would expand Medicaid and the federal-state children's health
insurance plan.
• Edwards would create regional Health Care Markets, giving Americans the
option of buying into a health care plan and increasing their choices among
health insurance plans.




John Edwards position on Abortion:

• 



John Edwards position on National Security:





John Edwards position on the Environment:

• Edwards believes that Americans must act now by investing in clean,
renewable energies like wind, solar, and biofuels.
• He supports the development of efficient cars and trucks, and putting
new energy-wise technologies to work in buildings, transportation, and
industry. 
• He believes that capping emissions is the way stop global warming. 
• Edwards wants a new international treaty that would trade clean fuel
technologies to developing countries in exchange for capping their emissions. 




John Edwards position on Trade:





John Edwards position on Social Security:

• Edwards opposes privatization of the social security system. 
• He believes that repealing tax cuts for the rich should help fund
social security.




John Edwards position on Prescription Drugs:

• Edwards supported a bill that would institute procedures for the
introduction of generic drugs into the prescription drug market and would allow
for importation of prescription drugs from Canada into the United States.



John Edwards position on the Budget:





John Edwards position on Energy:





John Edwards position on the Economy:

• Edwards supports changing tax policy to give bigger tax breaks to the
poor and middle class. 



John Edwards position on Education:

• He is critical of the ?No Child Left Behind? legislation. 
• Edwards supports more funding for early childhood education and
college. 
• He believes that teachers need more training and better salaries.




John Edwards position on the Foreign Affairs:

• He believes that the US needs to restore its moral leadership in the
world by leading the charge against weapons of mass destruction
• He would focus more on world poverty issues
• Edwards believes that the US must do more to end the conflict in
Darfur.




John Edwards position on Tax and Taxation:

• He would do away with offshore tax havens.
• Edwards wants to raise the capital gains tax to 28 percent and repeal
tax cuts for high-income households.
• He vowed to eliminate tax breaks for hedge fund managers and private
equity firms. 
• He would reduce the marriage tax but keep the tax for inheritances
above $4 million.
• Edwards would offer a $500 tax credit annually for families earning
under $75,000.
• He wants to expand child tax credits for expenses up to $5,000. 




John Edwards position on Iran:

• He would support opening direct talks with Iran only if it recognizes
the rights of Jews, the state of Israel and the international rule of law. 
• He would refuse to take the military option off the table.
• Edwards supports sanctions on US and foreign companies doing business
with Iran.
• He would offer economic incentives to Tehran to cooperate with the
West, including modifying the embargo, membership in multilateral organizations
and creation of a fuel bank.




John Edwards position on Guantanamo:





John Edwards position on Business and Labor:





John Edwards position on Same Sex Relationships:

• He supports some civil union rights.
• He does not support same-sex marriage. 




John Edwards position on the Deficit:





John Edwards position on Stem Cell Research:





John Edwards position on Gun Control:

• Edwards believes the right to bear arms is protected by Second
Amendment.
• He has stated that hunting and gun ownership is a way of life in rural
America. 
• He has stated that guns are about independence and that we shouldn?t
mess with that. 
• He voted to support background checks at gun shows. 
• He voted against stronger penalties for gun & drug violations. 




John Edwards position on Marijuana Law:

• Edwards has stated that he will not be going in and raiding the use of
marijuana for medical purposes in states that have legalized it.
• He would give the FDA the responsibility to determine how medical
marijuana use should be handled.




John Edwards position on the Minimum Wage:





John Edwards position on Civil Liberties:





John Edwards position on Capital Punishment:





John Edwards position on China: