Op-Ed
Why I'm for Edwards

By Councilman Oliver Koppell

To win the presidency, Democrats need to nominate a candidate who will both offer a clear alternative to the policies of the Bush administration and have broad appeal across all regions of the country and to a broad range of people of varying backgrounds. Senator John Edwards is such a candidate.

He grew up in a small town in North Carolina in a hardworking middle class family, and it's clear that the lessons he learned growing up in that small town shaped everything he stands for today. Edwards has a vision for America that helps people deal with the real challenges they face -- from jobs to education to health care. And because he has spent his entire career fighting for regular people, he has the connection that allows him to explain his vision. This contrasts with George Bush, a son of privilege who has little connection to average Americans.

We need a candidate who can go into every state against George Bush this year and challenge him for a win. Not every candidate can do this, but John Edwards can.

To win against George Bush, we need a president who can connect with that region of the country, and who understands the types of rural, small-town issues and voters that Democrats have been losing. I believe North Carolina Senator John Edwards is that candidate. 

Since day one, President Bush has run an administration of the insiders, by the insiders, and for the insiders. His supporters in big corporations across all fields -- whether it's energy, pharmaceuticals, or timber -- consistently receive special access and perks, while America's hardworking families are largely ignored. 

We need a president who will take our country back from the lobbyists and the insiders. I believe Senator John Edwards will be that president. A lot of the candidates talk about how they're against the powerful interests in Washington, but Edwards puts his money where his mouth is. He is the only candidate who does not accept money from Washington lobbyists or PACs, and he's willing to stand up to the powerful interests that control Washington today. He's done it his whole career -- from the Patients Bill of Rights to fighting the effort to eliminate overtime pay. And Americans can rest assured that if John Edwards is in the White House, he will always fight for them. 

New Yorkers deciding whom to support in the Democratic presidential primary on March 2 would do well to remember one important fact: every single Democrat who has won the presidency since 1960 has been from the south. Moreover, in 2000, if the Democrats had won just one more southern state, we would have a very different president and a very different country today.

Oliver Koppell represents the 11th District, which includes Norwood and Bedford Park, in the New York City Council.


Why I'm for Kerry

By Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz

I endorsed Senator John Kerry for the Democratic nomination for president last year when he was at the bottom of the polls. I strongly believed he was the only candidate who possessed the qualities we need in our president. I believe that now more than ever. That's why I support John Kerry, and that's why I am running as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention pledged to John Kerry.

There is a growing consensus that Democrats should unite behind Kerry and focus their energies to oust George Bush. This administration turned President Clinton's record surplus into record deficits, largely because of Bush's huge tax cuts for the wealthy. John Kerry is committed to reversing the Bush tax cuts for those at the top of the economic ladder while keeping them for the middle class. His environmental record is even worse than Ronald Reagan's. His Medicare "reform" will hand over tens of billions of dollars to the pharmaceutical companies and HMOs. 

John Kerry is right on the issues. He has a real plan to create new jobs and to increase the minimum wage. He believes we need to give every American access to the same health plan that members of Congress have. He's the U.S. Senate's leading environmentalist. He's a strong advocate for public education and has pledged to reform and fund the "No Child Left Behind Act." He is 100 percent pro-choice. 

John Kerry is the only candidate who possesses the unique combination of expertise on domestic issues and longtime experience and leadership in the area of foreign policy. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, we cannot afford to have as our candidate a foreign policy novice if we hope to defeat George W. Bush. 

Not only is John Kerry right on the issues, but he is the candidate best positioned to win the White House back from the most extreme right wing administration in our lifetime. 

He has won almost every primary contest by appealing to a wide cross section 
of Democrats. He is strong in every region of the country and among all demographic groups. 

John Kerry is a strong leader. That quality is crucial in our efforts to beat Bush. Because he is a war hero and a leader in the Senate in foreign policy matters, it will be extremely difficult for Bush to paint him as being weak on defense. And people understand that Bush's foreign policy has actually weakened and isolated the U.S. John Kerry will take us in a different direction and instill in the American people the confidence that they should have in their president to lead the country in these dangerous times. 

Let's vote for the best candidate, and let's win back the White House. Vote for John Kerry for president in the March 2 Democratic primary.

Jeffrey Dinowitz represents the 81st District, which includes part of Norwood, in the New York State Assembly.Jeffrey Dinowitz, left, with Senator John Kerry in New Hampshire.

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