MOMocrats™

Elizabeth Edwards on Universal Health Care -- "I'm for Ideas That Succeed."

As I posted a couple of weeks ago, Elizabeth Edwards is speaking out against John McCain's health care plan (such as it is) and endorsing Hillary Clinton's proposal.  Why not just come out and endorse Hillary as a candidate?

Just as I would expect her to say, Elizabeth Edwards believes that she and her husband John can do more good for the country speaking out on the issues that matter most to them.  For her?  She wants to spend what political capital she has talking about improving health care.

As for her husband?  She believes he will continue to advocate for and work toward ending poverty in this country.

If they don't qualify as the new dynamic duo, I don't know who does. 

When she's not dreaming of an Edwards/Edwards ticket for the White House, you can find Joanne at her place, PunditMom, where she's thinking up new ways to get all political.

Elizabeth Edwards Reminds Us to Keep Our Eyes On the Prize

On the Today Show this morning during an interview with Meredith Viera, Elizabeth Edwards reminded Democrats that despite the contentious primary race between Clinton and Obama, Democrats need to stay focused on promoting the issues that matter most to the country and the party 

Resisting Viera's repeated attempts to steer the conversation into a discussion of why John Edwards has yet to make an endorsement of either leading Democratic candidate, Elizabeth pointed out key flaws in John McCain's health care plan. She revealed the fact that, under the Republican presumtive nominee's current proposal, even McCain himself would likely not qualify for affordable coverage, because McCain's plan fails to protect citizens with pre-existing conditions from being gouged or excluded by health insurance companies.

Yes,Virginia, Republicans can become Democrats!

I have a confession to make.  I have been a lifelong Republican.  Oh, wait, it gets better.  Not only that, but I usually just based my vote on the apathetic reasons of "I am not crazy about any of the candidates so I will just do what I have always done" theory. 

My earliest voting memory was the election of 1976.  All I truly remember about that election was that my Mom knew it was important to teach my the process and let me go with her.  I got to "pull the lever" and "vote" that year.  As soon as I was of age, I never missed an election.  The sad part? I never truly cared.  I just wanted to do my part as a citizen and vote.  Now, in some elections I did truly want the candidate I chose to win.  Sometimes because I agreed with their politics.  But sometimes because more than agreeing with one candidate, I disagreed more with the other one.  Lesser of two evils voting theory.

But that changed this summer.

I came to the Democratic side in a rather "backwards" way.  I, as many other women, had the wonderful opportunity to listen to Elizabeth Edwards speak at BlogHer '07.  I can't say honestly that her words made me jump up and shout, "I am now a Democrat!"  However, what she did was challenge me.  She challenged me to look into the candidates.  To *gasp* research the people who are running for president.  My next (un)logical step was listening to a few speeches that Michelle Obama had made.  Before you say it, I realize that neither Elizabeth Edwards nor Michelle Obama were the candidates, but they started me down my path to listening. Real listening.  Which led me to actually researching the candidates.  All of them.  My conclusion?

My head and my heart began to back a Democrat.  Yes, it shocked this life long Republican, but the facts were there.

Elizabeth Edwards Not So Thrilled With Obama & McCain on Health Care

If health care is your issue, then you might want to hear what Elizabeth Edwards has to say about the candidates' positions.

This weekend, Elizabeth Edwards pointed out that if John McCain is our next president, neither her breast cancer nor McCain's cancer (melanoma) would be covered under McCain's proposed health care plan because they are pre-existing conditions.

The health care proposal she believes is the best among McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton?  According to a Los Angeles Times report, during a speech to the Association of Health Care Journalists:

"Edwards said she favored Hillary Rodham Clinton's healthcare plan over Barack Obama's.

'Sen. Clinton's plan is a great plan' that closely resembles John Edwards' proposal, she said. Clinton's plan mandates that every American be insured. Elizabeth Edwards said only universal healthcare would resolve one of the problems plaguing the healthcare system -- its soaring cost."

While not an endorsement of Clinton's candidacy, Elizabeth Edwards has been vocal that Obama's health care plan is not as "similar" to Clinton's as he purports it to be.

A recent New York Magazine article reported that while Barack Obama was courting a potential John Edwards endorsement, he may have alienated Elizabeth over their discussion his health care policy:

Obama blew it. Speaking to Edwards on the day he exited the race, Obama came across as glib and aloof. His response to Edwards’s imprecations that he make poverty a central part of his agenda was shallow, perfunctory, pat. Clinton, by contrast, engaged Edwards in a lengthy policy discussion. Her affect was solicitous and respectful. When Clinton met Edwards face-to-face in North Carolina ten days later, her approach continued to impress; she even made headway with Elizabeth. Whereas in his Edwards sit-down, Obama dug himself in deeper, getting into a fight with Elizabeth about health care, insisting that his plan is universal (a position she considers a crock), high-handedly criticizing Clinton’s plan (and by extension Edwards’s) for its insurance mandate.

For me, poverty and health care are the two huge issues in this campaign.  Sadly, I have not heard either Clinton or Obama really address (as they promised the Edwards) how they would start down the road to ending poverty in this country.  So whichever Democrat has the better health care plan is the one I'd like to see move into the White House.

And you can bet I'm going to pay close attention to what Elizabeth Edwards has to say.  She's still got her finger on the pulse of this campaign, the common sense to lead us in the right direction on the issues and the gravitas to hold the candidates responsible for leading us in the right direction.

Joanne also discusses political stuff at her pad, PunditMom.

Elizabeth Edwards' father, Vincent Anania, passes at age 87

The MOMocrats would like to extended our deepest sympathies to our MOMocrat hero, Elizabeth Edwards, who lost her father on Saturday.

Our thoughts are with Mrs. Edwards and the entire Edwards-Anania family at this time.

Mr. Anania will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery, and the family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Wade Edwards Foundation.

Elizabeth Edwards Backing Obama? Not So, Says Elizabeth

According to CNN's political ticker, John Edwards met with both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama recently on endorsements.  The article goes on to say that according to two friends of Elizabeth's, she's backing Obama.  Not surprising, really, since Hillary's people threw a hissy when Elizabeth noted that she thought she had more joy in her life after she decided to stay home with her kids.

John Edwards has not formally endorsed anyone, but it would be interesting if the two of them disagreed on who to back.

UPDATE: After we posted this, Elizabeth Edwards commented that this information from CNN is not accurate.  She has not endorsed anyone. 

Sorry, Elizabeth!  We hope that when you DO endorse someone, you'll let us know!

Happy Holidays to You, Too

I got this holiday e-mail from the Edwards in my inbox this morning, and I have to say, this sentiment made me a little teary-eyed:

Happiness. Health. Hope.

But our words are just a promise about our actions. Live deliberately, sacrifice for what is truly important, and, above all, in these times -- and all times -- trust your heart.

I would like to say thanks to the Edwards family for leading by example, for all the sacrifices that they have made, for living deliberately, and for pursuing what is truly important.  I don't think the Edwards campaign is one of vanity or self-promotion; I think it comes from a desire to serve, to leave the world better than they found it, and to promote a vision in which all people have the same opportunities to succeed in life as they have had.

Happy Holidays to you, John, Elizabeth, Cate, Jack, and Emma Claire.  May the blessings of the season be with all of you. 

Eight Reasons Elizabeth Edwards Should be First Lady

I decided to finally sit down and read Elizabeth Edwards' book Saving Graces: Finding Solace and Strength From Friends and Strangers.

It's really the sub-head of the book title that made me pick this book up because isn't that what we all try to do?  I don't know about you, but there are just many times in life when I need a little extra strength or support and I'm trying to learn to take it where I can find it.

Elizabeth writes so gracefully and eloquently about how she has done that in her own life, from the time she was a small girl living in Japan when her father was stationed there in the military to her husband's campaign for the White House with John Kerry to her diagnosis with breast cancer.

Aside from the message of her book that I've taken to heart, her words often made me laugh as I recognized myself, and my friends, in descriptions of herself.  It occurred to me that this is the type of "regular" woman we need to have some influence on our country!

So, here is a short list, taken from Elizabeth Edwards' own words, on why I think this down-to-earth mother, wife, daughter, and professional should be the next First Lady of the United States:

1. She likes meatloaf.  Elizabeth, I make a darn good meatloaf (just ask my dad -- it's what he always wants me to make if he comes for dinner).  So next time you're in town, stop by and I'll throw one in the oven!

2. She's a song geek.  One of my favorite things to do if I'm cruising down the highway is to crank the tunes and start singing.  Elizabeth has what must be the song compilation of all song compilations -- she's been collecting lyrics for car trips since her children were little.  She made copies of her special book for the reporters on the campaign trail when her husband ran for vice-president in 2004 so they'd have something to do on the bus!  I'm sure the current crop of reporters covering John Edwards' race this time have become intimately familiar with it!

3. She shops at Target.  I have a feeling that wouldn't change if she lived in the White House.  After all, you can order online.

4. She buys matching pajamas at Target for herself and her girlfriends.

5. She's just as happy with a burger from Wendy's as she is with fancier food.

6. She likes Lawrence, Kansas.  OK, that's one that's probably peculiar to me.  But as a grad of the University of Kansas Law School, I had to include it!  Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!

7. One of her favorite children's books is Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs.  (Hmmm, meatloaf, burgers, meatballs -- do I see a theme here?)

8. Most importantly, and more seriously, she has an amazing sense of hope.  If I had a fraction of the hope and optimism she does, I'd be a happier person.  But on a larger scale, wouldn't it be great to have a little of her brand of infectious optimism in the White House?

Elizabeth Edwards on Homeschooling and Education Policy

Sunday I had the privilege of talking with Elizabeth Edwards about homeschooling and education in the U.S. I was curious if their experience homeschooling their young children, Jack and Emma Claire, had shaped their views on education and had any impact on John's education proposals. Here's what Elizabeth had to say:

Is homeschooling your youngest children, Jack and Emma Claire, something you had contemplated before the campaign began?
Well, we knew that from our previous experience campaigning was going to require a lot of time away from home. And taking several months for campaigning and seeing the children only every few days, it was not ideal for us. And the way we'd be able to see them more, include them more, let them be part of the experience..., you know they were young the last time, it was easier to pull them out, but in public school, in 2nd grade and 4th grade, you shouldn't be pulling them out willy-nilly just because that's a convenient time for you, even if we could get away with it, it would leave the impression that our children were entitled to special treatment and we do not think that.

So, we thought it was a better idea to just take them out of that environment entirely, although I'm going to put an asterisk next to that word (environment), and home school them for the duration of the campaign, so that they could come with us. They could campaign if they wanted to, or they could see parts of the country if they wanted to while we were campaigning. The asterisk is...that they're not entirely removed from their school. The kids do go over, they periodically have lunch with the classes which they were assigned, they actually visit with their classmates, they still have play dates and things like that that you would normally have whether you were homeschooled or in public school. But they have them largely with their public school friends. So we're trying to keep them in contact.

We're also using the curriculum from [the school] that their assigned teachers have for the year, so that they stay on course. Frankly, I think because [the children] are getting a much more intense experience, they're actually sort of going through the material more quickly than the class itself is. And it has made the traveling not so much of a big interruption in terms of what they can accomplish during the school year.

Do you employ a tutor? How did you choose him/her?
Because we're on the road so much, I could do some things when I'm at home, as I was for most of last week, I can be engaged in things. Or when they're on the road with us, I can be engaged in things, but in terms of somebody there when we're not at home -- which of course is the problem with campaigning. We have employed a certified teacher to teach them. We found someone who uses experiences inside the classroom and outside the classroom... because we thought that was an ideal combination for this experience and he has done an incredible job.

For example, we live on an old farm outside of Chapel Hill, North Carolina and they go out into the woods. A lot of the old farmland is overgrown so they'll go out and catalogue the different plants that are there or take pictures of the different insects and animals and make molds of the footprints or little paw prints they see in the woods. I think it's been an incredible experience for them to have this wide range of ways in which they learn. I don't think it's impossible to translate some of these things into a public school setting, but it's been a little easier of course, because it's just the two children and the teacher who can walk out the door.

Who is the Desperate One?

I suppose it's no big surprise that as we count down the days to the Iowa Caucus, all forms of campaigning are heating up -- including underhanded suggestions and insinuations.

According to The Politico, somebody's pollster is asking potential Iowa caucus-goers whether John Edwards' failure to drop out of the Presidential race to take care of his "ailing wife" could damage his campaign.

Rumors abound.  Is it another Democrat?  A Republican?  The Edwards campaign itself?

Tossing out negative messages during a campaign to see how they will fly is nothing new.  And we all know that as we approach the primaries, not even the fact that we are upon the holiday season that wants us to focus on peace and goodwill toward man will bring a political ceasefire.  The stakes are too high.

Of course, every campaign is denying that the would do something so "abhorrent" and "repugnant."

Several commenters over at The Politico feel it's fair game to take Elizabeth Edward's health into account when deciding whether to vote for her husband.

Not surprisingly, Elizabeth caught wind of the discussion at The Politico and weighed in with her own comment:

"For what it is worth, and you can be the judge of that, I get asked on the campaign trail whether John will be able to continue a campaign all the way to November. 'Of course,' I answer, to which the response is invariably that the questioner was told by supporters of another candidate that John would have to drop out. If I had heard it just once, it would not concern me, but it wasn't once and it wasn't in just one state. So I am suspicious that this is a concerted (and false) personal attack of the worst sort. First, I am doing well and there is no prognosis that would suggest any need for John or for me to stop campaigning because of my condition. Second, the notion suggested by the comments above that there is no negative campaigning going on by other campaigns on this issue is nonsense. On the rumor-spreading, I have some idea from where the false rumors have started. I am assuming that the push poll described above came from the same camp. What strikes me as incongruous is the notion that John's bold ideas are described by the MSM as desperate (we do desperately need change, so maybe that's what they mean?) and these reprehensible tactics are not described the same way."

Aren't the ones trying to raise doubts about Elizabeth Edwards' health and her family's ability to deal with potential issues down the road, really the desperate ones? 

You can also find Joanne pondering the political at her blog, PunditMom.