Edwards Campaign Press Release - Edwards To Launch "America Rising, Coast To Coast" Tour

Edwards will bring his fight for the middle class to red states and blue states from the West Coast to the East Coast

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – On Thursday, January 17th, 2008, John Edwards will launch a three-day "America Rising, Coast to Coast" tour to bring his fight for the middle class to states from the West Coast to the Heartland to the East Coast. Over the course of three days, Edwards will visit Nevada, four February 5th states and his native state of South Carolina to share with voters his detailed plans to stand up to the powerful interests and make sure hard-working families can get ahead.

"For too long, powerful entrenched interests have gotten every break imaginable from Washington, while middle class families have struggled," said Edwards. "I have spent my entire life standing up and fighting for regular Americans against these interests – and beating them. I know that if we fight together we can get the change we need and take our country back -- because every time we fight for jobs, for families, for the middle class, for universal health care, America rises."

As a sign of his commitment to making sure the voices of all Americans are heard in Washington. Edwards will travel to red states and blue states from the West Coast to the East Coast. Born to a working class family and raised in small, rural mill towns, Edwards understands the struggles facing hard-working families. His message of change is resonating with voters in red states and blue states, in big cities and small towns.

During the tour, Edwards will visit Nevada, California, Oklahoma, Missouri, Georgia and South Carolina to demonstrate his broad, coast to coast strength and his advantage as the best candidate to win the general election. In addition to strong grassroots support in these states, Edwards also enjoys the support of numerous labor groups and state and local elected officials. A recent CNN poll showed Edwards was the only Democrat to beat all four leading Republicans nationally, and state by state polls show even more conclusively that Edwards is the most electable democrat in key battleground states -- and even wins in states like Missouri and Oklahoma that have gone "red" in recent presidential elections. As former Georgia Governor Roy Barnes has said: "John Edwards is the best positioned to win all across the country—not just part of it."

Further details of the tour will be provided in the upcoming days. The cities Edwards is visiting are:

Thursday January 17th, 2008

9:00 AM PST

John Edwards to hold an "America Rising, Coast to Coast" event

Henderson, Nevada

12:15 PM PST

John Edwards to hold an "America Rising, Coast to Coast" event

Los Angeles, California

6:15 PM PST

John Edwards to hold an "America Rising, Coast to Coast" event

Reno, Nevada

Friday, January 18th, 2008

9:00 AM PST

John Edwards to hold an "America Rising, Coast to Coast" event

Las Vegas, Nevada

6:15 PM CST

John Edwards to hold an "America Rising, Coast to Coast" event

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

9:15 AM CST

John Edwards to hold an "America Rising, Coast to Coast" event

St. Louis, Missouri

2:30 PM EST

John Edwards to hold an "America Rising, Coast to Coast" event

Atlanta, Georgia

6:15 PM EST

John Edwards to hold an "America Rising, Coast to Coast" event

Greenville, South Carolina