Dear Editor,

One of the principal rights granted by the Bill of Rights is expressed
in the first amendment which provides for a free press.  Our
Constitution provides the right to proclaim unlimited personal beliefs.
A recent HDR editorial recently praised the qualities of ex-North
Carolina Senator, John Edwards.  In doing so, it supporting his
presidential candidacy, declaring him to be a "moderate."  John Edwards,
it must be remembered, is a multi-millionaire who became one of the
richest 10% of all Americans as a result of successfully suing people.
While a U.S.  Senator, he missed over 1/3 of all possible votes because
of his time spent campaigning with John Kerry.  As a lawyer, he
incorporated himself and paid himself through subchapter S corporate
dividends, rather than a salary, to take advantage of a tax-law loophole
that allowed him to avoid paying $591,000 in Medicare taxes, unlike the
rest of American businesses.

In order to determine whether John Edwards can be considered a moderate,
his views and his voting record are a good matter of record.  Take, for
instance, his standing as measured by various independent interest
groups:

- Rated 94.5% liberal by the non-partisan National Journal in 2003.
- Rated 0% by the Christian Coalition indicating an anti-family voting record.
- Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating his pro-abortion agenda.
- Rated 100% by the AFL-CIO, indicating a pro-union voting record.
- Rated 22% by National Taxpayer Union, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes.

John Edward's senate record seems to place him well outside the
mainstream of American opinion:  He voted against tax cuts for
middle-class Americans, against banning partial birth abortions, against
maintaining ban on military base abortions, against criminal penalty for
harming unborn fetus during the commission of a crime, against
restrictions on violent videos to minors, against Educational Savings
Accounts, against phasing out the estate tax ("death tax"), against
eliminating the 'marriage tax penalty,' against prioritizing national
debt reduction below tax cuts, against more penalties for gun and drug
violations, against the display of the Confederate flag at any time or
for any purpose, against requiring a photo ID for voter registration.
Far from being against everything, he voted for affirmative action which
the Supreme Court has held to be unconstitutional, for the destruction
of human life through embryonic stem cell research, for barbaric
late-term abortions, for permanent normal trade relations with China who
have subverted the very concept of "free trade," for partnership
benefits for homosexual couples, and on and on.  If these voting
patterns are those of a "moderate," I pray that a moderate never gets
elected to the office of President of the United States.  [The views of
all politicians may be found at www.ontheissues.org]

Derick S. Hartshorn
Conover, NC