Over at The Nation, Joel Rogers make the progressive case for Edwards: To begin with what they hold in common, Edwards and Kerry have similar views, all pretty good, on healthcare, women's rights, Medicare and Society Security privatization, and the environment--including the idea, recently revived by the Apollo Alliance, of an aggressive national project to achieve energy independence within a decade. Of course, they also share the baggage or ignominy of having voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq... Where Edwards diverges from Kerry is in addressing a series of issues of distinctive concern to progressives--inequalities of race and class, abusive corporate power, neoliberal globalization, ghetto poverty and prison, and the importance of worker and community organization outside the state. And what makes him distinctive is not just that he regularly touches these third-rail issues but is effectively running on them. And Antonio R. Villaraigosa makes a less convincing case for Kerry: Senator Kerry understands the consequences of these failed domestic and foreign policies. He understands the pain being felt daily in the pocketbooks of millions of hard-working Americans, and the sacrifices of our men and women serving in the military overseas and of their families here at home. Senator Kerry's views on the role of government and his plan for America stand in stark contrast to President Bush's. Kerry believes government should play an important role in insuring equal opportunity and upward mobility for the middle class, new immigrants and the poor. He believes that every one of us, not just the elite few, should be able to realize the American dream He will fight for working Americans and the less fortunate. He will restore fiscal responsibility and fairness to our nation's economic policies and promote civil rights, social justice, equality and fairness, with meaningful policies rather than meaningless lip service. He will protect our environment and reverse the damaging course of the past three years. He understands that success is judged not by slogans but by substance. He will be a President our nation can trust.