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Posted: January 3, 2008 1:15 PM
Despite Bus Breakdown, Miles to Go Before Edwards Sleeps
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Four years after his unexpected second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses, former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., is delivering his “closing argument” to Iowans during a marathon bus tour before they caucus on Thursday.

During the 36-Hour “Marathon For The Middle Class” tour, Edwards is sticking to his populist themes and touting his plans for education, health care, clean energy and investing in rural communities.

Edwards wants to raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2012 to help millions of low-wage workers. The minimum wage would increase on an automatic schedule after that.

“We’re on this 36-hour marathon for the middle class,” Edwards told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re not sleeping. We’re working. I want people to know what kind of work ethic I have, and what kind of work ethic I’m going to have when I’m president of the United States And this is an example of it.”

But during the night, Edwards’ bus broke down, giving him yet another demerit for tardiness.

Headed into the caucuses, Edwards is in a statistical dead-heat with his better-funded rivals Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, despite his years of courting Hawkeye State voters. He spent more than 100 days in Iowa since 2005, visiting all 99 counties — twice, the New York Times reported.

Edwards is mostly foregoing sleep as his three-year campaign charges through to the finish. He promised to improve his campaign’s financial standing with a good showing on Thursday.

“When I win the Iowa caucus on Thursday,” Edwards said to an audience member who asked about money at Monday event, according to the New York Times, “what’s going to happen is, the money is going to pour in. That’s what always happens.”

Edwards’ marathon bus trip will end Thursday with a rally in Des Moines alongside rocker John Mellencamp.