Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is in eastern Iowa, touting a series of reforms he says will speed up getting cheaper generic drugs on the market and ensure Americans can get prescription medications from Canada and Mexico, where the drugs are less expensive.Edwards wants the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission to more aggressively go after the major drug companies for alleged price gouging. He would also crack down on Internet sites which sell prescription drugs for exorbitant prices. Edwards says the price of prescription drugs is crippling many families, and it’s time for a President who’ll stand up to the powerful drug companies.Edwards, who is a first-term U.S. Senator from North Carolina, sued drug companies while he worked as a trial lawyer. One of Edwards’ rivals, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, visited Howard County today and became the first presidential candidate in the field to visit each of Iowa’s 99 counties. Another candidate, John Kerry, called for more federal college scholarships during a stop in Iowa City.
