200805061199 | USA John Edwards won't pick sides on Obama and Clinton

USA John Edwards won't pick sides on Obama and Clinton

Washington - Ex-Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards declined in an interview released on Tuesday to endorse either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, as the two battle head-to-head for the party's White House nomination.

In the interview posted on People magazine's website, both Edwards and his wife weighed in on the pluses and minuses of the two candidates, whom Edwards fought for the nomination before falling a distant third and dropping out on January 30.

Edwards, formerly a North Carolina senator whose run for the White House with presidential candidate John Kerry in 2004 failed, said he was impressed by Clinton's toughness as she fights to overtake front-runner Obama.

"I think her tenacity shows a real strength that's inside her," he told People.
But he is turned off by what he called "still a lot of the old politics" associated with her campaign.

Serious change

As for Obama, he raised the issue of how much meat lies behind the black senator's inspiring speeches.

"Sometimes I want to see more substance under the rhetoric."

But, Edwards added, "I think he really does want to bring about serious change and a different way of doing things.

"And secondly, I think it's a great symbolic thing to have an African-American who could be president."
"What about the great symbolic thing about a woman?" Elizabeth Edwards asked.

She said she appreciates Clinton's proposed changes to the US health insurance system.
"I like Hillary's health care plan," she said.

Elizabeth Edwards, who has been battling with breast cancer since the campaign began last year, was asked what she dislikes about Clinton.

"The lobbyist money," she said, referring to a major source of contributions to Clinton's campaign.
"Misleading" health care plan

She was critical about Obama's health care plan, which she called "misleading".

But, she said: "The fact that he has motivated so many young people to be involved, I think is fantastic."

People magazine said both declined to endorse one of the candidates, who are battling in primaries in North Carolina and Indiana.

They are "saving their political capital for their own causes - his fighting poverty; hers, fighting for universal health care", People said.