Now Elizabeth Edwards is to Blame?

As an early adopter of the John Edwards presidential campaign, I'm still smarting over the news of his affair.  Not because I think his personal life, or personal mistakes, are any of my GD business, but because of how this could have truly messed things up for the Democrats if he had become the nominee.

Because of how this distracts from reducing poverty in America, Edwards' pet issue.

Because of what he's said in the past about character and commitment to family and their importance for politicians.

It never occurred to me to hold Elizabeth Edwards responsible for what might have happened to an Edwards candidacy this late in the game.  But apparently, Sally Quinn had a lot of extra time on her hands, because in her Washington Post column, "On Faith," she blames Elizabeth Edwards for encouraging her husband to run for president even though she knew about the liaison.  And then smacked a really ugly and loaded label on Elizabeth -- "enabler."

Top ten reasons I'm done with this John Edwards affair (and why you should be too)

Wow. Activist and former presidential hopeful John Edwards had an affair. Two years ago he had an intimate relationship with a person with a made-up name who is so interesting she dated Jay McInerney and became a featured character in one of his books. (Alison Poole in Story of My Life, for the record, and not a particularly flattering depiction, but then, some of us know how exes can be. Fellow writer Bret Easton Ellis was also struck by Druck/Hunter/Poole, and included her in one of his books, too.)

That's right; I called her an interesting person. Not a slut. Not a ho bag. Not a home wrecker. I find that language sexist, offensive, and frankly? If I did it, I'd have to think of myself as a Mean Girl.

That's also right; I called him an activist and politician. Not a jerk. Not a cheating liar. Not anything worse. I find that unconstructive, and frankly? I don't give a damn.

That's right. I said I don't give a damn what sex Edwards had. Nor do I care with whom or where or when or how. It's none of my business.

Most adults have had sex. Some of it was poor choice, a mistake. It doesn't define us, or it shouldn't. If you've never made a sexual error, I bet you've made some sort of error. I have, plenty. It makes me reluctant to cast stones, and it makes me realize we can't define ourselves or our abilities solely by the mistakes we have made.

Speaking of adults, sex and mistakes, I'll be honest and tell you if a man is running for office, I assume he's got skeletons in his closet, usually of the affair sort. For some men, it's the sort of woman who launches two great books. For others, it's cops in the bathroom in the Midwest. For others, it's a string of women after a traumatic POW experience.

Let's grab that word trauma for a second. One of the questions I've seen asked most is, "How could he do this? Why why why? I mean, after all his family went through, his wife with cancer, losing a child, how could he do this?"

I have no idea. But I have heard that a lot of trauma and stress (work, health, grief) can cause people to seek an escape hatch of some sort. In other words? Your question just might be your answer.

So I'm not going to vilify him. I'm also not going to vilify her. In fact? I'm all done with the Edwards affair and I hope you are too. I'm even finished with discussing how it trickles down and affects other candidates and overshadows issues.

I have control over that. I'm not going to let it, and I hope you do the same. To that end, I'm going to give you ten good reasons to be done with this.

Elizabeth Edwards responds to news of affair

Read her diary on Daily Kos.

John Edwards hops aboard the Bad Judgment Express

So John Edwards had an affair.

Another politician can't keep it in his pants. Quelle surprise.

What to say? I am disappointed. I wish it wasn't the candidate I supported for president. Can I get my money back? I mean, if your candidate turns out to be a total douche, you should be able to get your money back, right? Actually, more than that I want my time back. The time I took to carefully explain his position to friends, family, and strangers. The time--all that time--I put into writing about him and why I thought he was the best candidate for president.

Hello, have you seen this site? It's called MOMocrats and we started because we supported a guy for president...gee...what was his name again? Right now I am thanking the universe that we had the forethought from the moment we hit publish on our blog to also keep our eyes on the bigger prize.

I've written before how I feel about cheaters, so you can imagine what I think about John Edwards now. And how I feel for one my idols, his wife.

As I've said before about public figures who choose to make such stupid mistakes, where were his people? I mean, if Edwards doesn't have the self awareness to keep himself on the straight and narrow where, for god's sake, are his people?

Lean in close, John, because I'm about to school you.

There Should be a Better Rule Than 'Don't Get Caught'

JOHN EDWARDS!

Yes, John, I'm talking to you.

How could you be that stupid?

You know, as a general matter, whatever politicians do in their private lives is their business.  I don't want them poking into my personal matters or anyone else's, so I think that's only fair.  Have extramarital affairs or don't, but keep CNN and the networks at bay.

In our day of 24/7 news coverage and cable news that feeds on stories about sex or anything even coming close, you have to be a fool not to believe that if you fool around, you are going to get caught eventually.

I really didn't think you were a fool, John.

Whether it's our business or not, when you get caught (and people always get caught), it will pretty much be the end of your political career, unless you are an uber-politician like Bill Clinton.

John, how could you not know that? 

The only way I would be more ticked off right now, is if you HAD become the Democratic nominee and this news was coming out 2 1/2 weeks before the convention.  In any event, the GOP is still going to find a way to make hay with this.  I know they are working on the ad even as I am typing this post.

Perhaps an even bigger problem for you, John, is that those of us who were your most ardent supporters, were also equally enamored of your wife Elizabeth.  As a matter of fact, some of us thought she should be the one running for president.  So, it's sort of a betrayal two-fer -- we don't care about the affair other than how it impacts your important messages on poverty and health care, and how it impacts your amazing wife.

If you or other politicians are going to find ways to mess up your political careers, and disenfranchise those of us who supported you, can find some new way to do it?

At least surprise us next time.

Cross-posted from Joanne's place, PunditMom.

Elizabeth Edwards on The Colbert Report

Elizabeth talks about healthcare and the free market system, poverty and that jet ski that hasn't arrived yet!

-Christine Modern English

Go Read It: Elizabeth Edwards on Tony Snow's Death

It should not be a surprise to anyone that the always eloquent Elizabeth Edwards has a wonderful commentary on the passing of Tony Snow.

It's online at Newsweek, called Finding Common Cause,  and worth a read just to give us a reminder about what's really important, even in this heated political season.

Virtual Hugs to Elizabeth Edwards Who Still Rocks Our World

Elizabeth Edwards took the stage at the Personal Democracy Forum today virtually - via Skype. As her flight was cancelled at the last minute, she was unable to make her in-person slot for us or "Good Morning America" so she did them both from home. As I watched the program - questions from PDF cofounder Andrew Rasiej directed to Elizabeth, who was projected on a huge screen in the theatre at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall - I wanted to go up and give her a big virtual hug from all of us at the MOMocrats and the Silicon Valley Moms Blog & sister sites, but since it was no easier to do from that venue than this one, I decided it was better done from here. (It was the request everyone made when I said I was "going to see Elizabeth Edwards at PDF". They said "give her a hug for me!")

So here, Elizabeth, is a big virtual [**HUG**] from all of us, along with an official invitation to blog here any time you like. One of the apropos questions Rasiej asked of Elizabeth during the program (sorry, I just can't use her last name in this forum - seems too formal) was about what she was going to do next with "her constituency" and she, of course, replied that she would like to liveblog more and cross post more about policy issues important to her. So since I couldn't just stand up and yell to her that she could blog for us any time since she would have caught every third word, we're asking here. Please, pretty please!

It's not party hopping. It's going with your convictions.

I recently had a conversation with a good friend and awesome blogger about politics.  Let me just say it can get heated when we talk politics.  Mainly because she really knows her stuff and has for quite a while, and me?  Well, I am just learning and just jumping into this arena with this election. 

The question arose (as it does many times when people know that I have always voted Republican and then found myself a county delegate for Obama):  How can someone who has always been loyal to one party suddenly jump ship and change their beliefs and their party affiliation?

The question itself is flawed.  It isn't like I suddenly woke up one day and said, "Republicans? Forget it. I want to go Democrat this election and stir things up!"  Here is what happened and why (and how) I become an Obama supporter.

Obama to partner with Elizabeth Edwards on healthcare

It rolled across my Twitter page this morning, an exciting update from MOMocrats contributor Erin Kotecki Vest:

I don't have cable (and I was listening to the WWDC iPhone announcement) so I hadn't heard it, but that news made my morning.

For many, the sharpest difference between Obama and Clinton policy-wise is that his plan does not have an individual mandate while hers did. If you are worried that Obama's plan won't cover everyone, perhaps this is a sign that his plan will soon be moving in the right direction.  With Mrs. Edwards advising (someone who is intimately familiar with the flaws in McCain's plan), I dare say, we're in capable hands.

This news trumps cheaper, faster iPhone news any day.

MOMocrats co-founder Stefania Pomponi Butler hearts her Blackberry.