1. John Edwards in Louisiana last night:

Edwards gave a half-hour speech at state Democrats' annual Jefferson-Jackson dinner, winning standing ovations when he ridiculed President Bush and praised labor unions. If elected president to replace Bush, Edwards said he would bring all troops home from Iraq within a year.

"We need big, bold change in this country; we don't need the little stuff," said Edwards, of North Carolina, the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004

South Mississippi Sun-Herald

Damn right: We need big, bold change and John Edwards will bring it.  Our problems are too big to have little, incremental changes offered by the others.

2.  From a story yesterday in the  Des Moines Register

Elizabeth Edwards said Friday that she'll continue speaking her mind, even if she sometimes catches flak for it.

"I just say it as it appears to me. I'm usually trying to answer a direct question that was asked me and not do that thing that politicians do, where you ask me one question and I answer another one," she said in an interview before a West Des Moines campaign stop. "I see that happen, and it aggravates the business out of me."

That's why we love her.  She tells the truth and they think it's hell (to paraphrase Harry Truman).  

3.  More on John Edwards at the Young Democrats of America Convention Friday.  

Some liveblogging from Young Democrats of Atlanta:

8:46 P.M. "Who cares whether [fighting poverty] is a good political strategy?" Well, apparently the other candidates do care, we don't get these kinds of speeches from them. He just said he wants the minimum wage ought to be $9.50 an hour (heh, nice!) and he's shouting out to unions again.

8:56 P.M. Edwards has just wrapped up, and I have two words for everything he said - "fuck" and "yeah". To say that Senator Edwards was well-received here would be a huge understatement. He put out the call to action to young people - he didn't just give the stock stump speech, he knew his audience and he spoke right to them. After that speech, and coupled with the fact that Senators Obama and Clinton are apparently too high and mighty to grace us with their exalted presences (they still have time to change their minds), I'd be very surprised if Edwards didn't come out of here with a lot of converts. We're hearing from an Iraq war veteran now, and this should be a nice followup to what Edwards had to say.

Young Dems of Atlanta

4.  Some video by NCDemAmy of John Edwards on the Poverty Tour in which she asks us to "Stand up for Our Rights!":

5.  The You Tube Debate tomorrow:

7:00-9:00 p.m. ET
Broadcast live on CNN

John Edwards and other Democratic presidential candidates participate in the South Carolina Democratic Party's Presidential Primary Debate sponsored by CNN and YouTube.

CNN and YouTube are teaming up to host the first-ever voter-generated presidential debate. For the first time in presidential debate history, the Democratic debate in Charleston, SC will feature video questions submitted to YouTube which will be broadcast and answered by the candidates on CNN. CNN's Anderson Cooper will moderate the two-hour debate and pose follow-up questions. The debate will be at The Citadel in Charleston, SC, on Monday, July 23 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm (ET) and will air live on CNN.

CCN/You Tube Debate

6. Edwards to Answer Viewers' Questions on Webcast Following CNN-YouTube Debate

Immediately following the CNN-YouTube debate on July 23rd, Senator John Edwards will conduct a 30-minute live webcast on five web sites, where he will answer questions submitted to the campaign prior to and during the debate. The webcast will allow Edwards to give in-depth, substantive answers - not 60-second sound bites - on the critical issues facing the country.

By taking questions from third-party sites, a larger and more diverse audience will be able to participate in the live webcast. Many of these sites will also co-host the live webcast with Edwards, allowing their communities to view the webcast without leaving their own site. The post-debate webcast will air live on the following websites: the campaign website (www.johnedwards.com), Edwards' MySpace page (myspace.com/johnedwards), CommunityCounts.us, Ustream.tv, and Care2.com. Additionally, Edwards will answer the two videos on CommunityCounts.us that receive the most votes from its community.

7.  The Wall Street Journal says Edwards sets the agenda:

Christopher Cooper
The Wall Street Journal
Jul 20, 2007

John Edwards may be stuck in third place in the polls and fund raising in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. But the populist seems to be playing an outsized role in driving the terms of the party's debate -- generally to the left -- on everything from Iraq to health care.

Wall Street Journal: Edwards, Trailing Rivals, Holds Sway Over Party's Agenda

It's because John Edwards wants big, bold change.  He's not afraid to lead.

Edgery did a great diary on this yesterday: Is the Press tide beginning to turn for Edwards?

Well worth reading.

8.  And, last, John Edwards recaps his Road to One America tour and makes an invitation to George W. Bush in Knoxville, Iowa on July 19, 2007.

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(I don't know how to do You Tubes on MyDD, so here's the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPYF5X4Of 4I

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And that's the Edwards news for tonight