by Rick Pearson
DES MOINES—Wrapping up his eight-day “Main Street Express” bus tour of Iowa, former Sen. John Edwards touted the endorsement today of the state’s first lady, Mari Culver.
“I believe John Edwards can win, not just the caucuses but the general election too,” Culver told a downtown crowd of a couple hundred people. “He’s ready. He’s been battle-tested. He’s been through this before having been on our national ticket. I think these experiences give him a real advantage.”
The Iowa first lady had initially said she would remain neutral in the Democratic contest, like her husband, Gov. Chet Culver. But Mari Culver supported Edwards in his 2004 bid for the Democratic nomination. She said her husband will not endorse and said no one should think her leanings reflect on his.
Edwards, who was joined by his wife, Elizabeth, said Mari Culver’s endorsement reflected the “enormous momentum behind the campaign.”
“It feels very familiar to me from four years ago and I’m very excited and energized by it,” said the former North Carolina senator who finished second in the 2004 caucuses and was tapped by John Kerry as his running mate.
Edwards said he believed he was the most electable Democrat seeking the nomination, in part because his small town background plays well in rural America, where Democrats need to be able to compete. He also noted he was elected to the Senate in a traditional Republican state.
“This message of change and fighting for change, I think cuts, across ideological and partisan political lines so I think I can carry that message any place in America,” Edwards said. Citing a recent CNN poll that had him defeating Republicans in potential general election match-ups, Edwards said, ” I think the evidence is overwhelming that I’m the strongest general election candidate.”