EDWARDS ATTEMPTS TO KILL STUDENT'S STORY
Presidential Candidate Threatens School with Restriction of Access to Campaign

RALEIGH --John Edwards' presidential campaign is under fire for trying to silence a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill reporter for a story she was working on for UNC-TV's "Carolina Week." The graduate student reporter, Carla Babb, was contacted by the assistant communications director for the Edwards campain who relayed the campaign's resentment over the report. Babb referred the Edwards staffer to Associate Professor C.A. Tuggle who oversees the "Carolina Week" program. Professor Tuggle told The Raleigh News & Observer that two top staffers for Edwards demanded that the school drop the segment and asked that the video be removed from YouTube. Tuggle said the staffers threatened to cut off access to the former North Carolina Senator for student reporters at UNC and other student groups if the story was allowed to air. ("Edwards' staff tussles with UNC journalism school" October 26, 2007 http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/politicians/edwards/story/750356.html The controversy over the report erupted because it focused on the location of the John Edwards for President campaign headquarters located in Southern Village, an affluent neighborhood in Chapel Hill. As a part of the story, Babb interviews a student columnist of The Daily Tar Heel, James Edward Dillard. Dillard is quoted in the story as saying, "To pick that place as your campaign center, when you're going to be the man who advocates on behalf of the poor, I just think, why not turn the media's attention to somewhere where there are huge, huge problems."

Linda Daves, North Carolina Republican Party, made the following statement:

"The theme of John Edwards' presidential campaign has been nothing if not consistent: say one thing and do another. Edwards claims to represent the interests of the poor but he treats himself to haircuts costing several hundred dollars. He heads a poverty center at UNC-Chapel Hill but he splurges on a 28,000 square-foot bungalow outside of town. Edwards claims to be the candidate with the plan to eradicate poverty but he locates his headquarters in one of the most affluent areas of Chapel Hill. If Edwards wants voters to take his claims seriously, he should put his money where his mouth is. If Edwards refuses to do that, he should stop opening his mouth to spew contradictions or at least stop threatening those who would expose him."

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