Bonior in charge of Edwards campaign

Bonior in charge of Edwards campaign
By NICOLE GERRINGTimes Herald
David Bonior, a longtime Michigan congressman and advocate of organized labor and the middle class, will lead John Edwards' 2008 presidential campaign.
Bonior, 61, was a Democratic representative in the state House from 1973 to 1977 and a U.S. Congress representative from 1977 and 2003.
In 2002, he ran as a gubernatorial candidate and lost in the Democratic primary against Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
Edwards, a former North Carolina senator and 2004 running mate to presidential candidate John Kerry, announced his intentions to run for president in late December.A fundraising e-mail for Edwards' campaign sent last week by Bonior used strong language to reject Bush's contention that Congress could not stop the troop surge in Iraq.
"That's bull," Bonior wrote to members of the John Edwards for President e-mail list. "I served in Congress for 26 years, and I can assure you that Congress does have the power to stop this escalation - and it has used that power many times before, including in Vietnam, Lebanon, Nicaragua and Colombia."
The John Edwards for President Web site allows viewers to sign a petition calling on Congress to halt the troop surge. More than 70,000 Americans have signed the petition, Bonior said.
Bonior took a leave from teaching labor studies and politics at Wayne State University in Detroit and moved from Mt. Clemens to Chapel Hill, N.C., where he is organizing volunteers and raising money to boost awareness of Edwards' campaign.
Michigan residents have priorities similar to all Americans, Bonior said.
"I think that people in my home state are concerned about the same things as most Americans: the rising costs of health care and higher education and being able to find good jobs," Bonior wrote in an e-mailed response to questions. "These concerns are universal among all working Americans who are hoping to have a better life for them and their children."
The war in Iraq will continue to be a focus of the Edwards campaign, Bonior said.
Marilyn Merrick, chairwoman of the St. Clair County Democratic Party, said Bonior knows how to achieve bipartisan success.
"The district he worked in (Macomb County) was highly Republican, and he made a mark on many campaigns," she said. "He was able to win, and he knows what to do."
Bonior's ties to Michigan - a key battleground state - may help Edwards win support, she said.
"I'm sure he'll be able to pull a lot of votes for Edwards," she said. "The record he has, the fact that he ran for governor and was so successful in a Republican area are all positive signs that he should be able to do well."
Lauren Hager, former Republican state representative for the 81st District, said Bonior can only help Edwards' chances in a field already packed with Republican and Democratic challengers.
"While generally speaking I didn't adhere to all of his policy issues, I know he was a capable man and was respected by people in his party," Hager said. "He had his reasons for political policy, and he stuck to them. He could articulate his views quite well."
Charlie O'Boyle, a former United Auto Workers official and the labor representative for the United Way of St. Clair County, said Bonior supported workers' rights during his time in Congress.
"Just having Bonior's name in there is going to help," he said. "He did a lot of things for Michigan and for the U.S. ... I think he was respected by both parties, and that's hard to do nowadays."
Bonior said Edwards will be visiting Michigan throughout his campaign.
m Contact Nicole Gerring at (810) 989-6270 or http://www.thetimesherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070127/NEWS01/701270308