Elizabeth Edwards v Slate
EmailYesterday Slate columnist John Dickerson posted a critical analysis (LINK) of Democratic former Sen. John Edwards’ new presidential campaign TV ad (LINK), which features the candidate’s wife Elizabeth saying "It’s unbelievably important that in our president we have someone who can stare the worst in the face and not blink."
Slate columnist John Dickerson wrote, "When we see an ad with Elizabeth Edwards talking about "the worst," we’re talking either in whole or in part about her cancer. So, how does this square with Edwards’ statement on 60 Minutes that he doesn’t want anyone to vote for him because of his wife’s cancer?"
Today Elizabeth Edwards fired back at Slate with a letter to the editor (LINK) in which she states that "John Dickerson needs to read my husband’s book, Four Trials. In it, he will read the stories of four families uprooted by tragedy or accident who leaned, in their worst moments, on John Edwards. He was but a young man when he represented a former salesman, E.G. Sawyer, who, because a doctor prescribed an excessive amount of a pharmaceutical, was confined to a sliver of life in squalor. Without John’s strength, intelligence and voice, he would have died that same way. …
"Yes, he has faced death and disease in our family, but the measure of his strength is the fights he has — for his entire adult life — voluntarily taken on, not just those that fate would not permit him to avoid."
– jt
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Mrs. Edwards wrote: “Yes, he has faced death and disease in our family, but the measure of his strength is the fights he has — for his entire adult life — VOLUNTARILY taken on, not just those that fate would not permit him to avoid.” (Emphasis mine!)
Voluntarily??? Jake, would you happen to know how many of John Edwards’ cases were pro bono? Or is Mrs. Edwards meaning that her husband voluntarily took these cases…even though it was going to have to accept 30%-40% of the award?
Posted by: James Danley | July 19, 2007, 1:03 pm 1:03 pm
Yeah, right. One can ony wonder how big a piece of the lawsuit Mr. Edwards got, for his “charitable” help.
Please spare me this tripe. We all know Mr. Edwards has made a fortune as an attorney, and you don’t do that by being a “nice” guy.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | July 19, 2007, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
Was E. Edwards plagiarizing Dickens: “He was but a young man . . .” and “a doctor prescribed an excessive amount of a pharmaceutical. . . “? Who writes that way?
Posted by: DKNY | July 19, 2007, 1:35 pm 1:35 pm
Which one is running for President.
Oh come on anyone who does not believe he is using the unfortunate circumstance of her having cancer then I got a bridge to sell you.
He is using her for another reason also to counter Hilary.
Oh there was a report, he took no pro-bouno cases and took a lot of money from groups for the off shore tax shelters (forgot the name of this)
Posted by: spock | July 19, 2007, 1:47 pm 1:47 pm
I’m sure Elizabeth Edwards is a very nice woman, but man she has a mouth on her. She is attacking everyone lately. She had better step back, take a deep breath, and realize she is going to hurt her husband’s chances instead of help him. Remember Kerry’s wife? She hurt him a lot, especially with the men.
Posted by: Ron | July 19, 2007, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
I don’t like writing this. But I think it’s true.
She looks to be playing the role of the attacker that cannot be counter-attacked because of sympathy for their victimhood.
Posted by: QC | July 19, 2007, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm
In her ad, Mrs. Edwards seems to want to have it both ways: she wants to praise her husband for his strong character, but then leaves it to us to assume what exactly it was that forged that character. It’s a very reasonable assumption that the “worst” to which she refers is her illness. Of course, she could also be referring to her son Wade’s untimely death, her husband’s devastating loss at the polls in 2004, or even when her husband had to get a $25 haircut instead of a $400 haricut–she isn’t specific. So, she has no room to criticize if she isn’t clear in saying exactly what she means.
And, DKNY, you’re absolutely right. When I read Mrs. Edwards’ letter excerpt here, I thought I’d somehow was rereading “Great Expectations” with the wit removed!
Posted by: chuck | July 19, 2007, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm