Image via latimes.com

I hate to break it to Gloria Cain, but I think she might be in denial about her husband Herman.

For Hillary Clinton, accusations against her husband President Bill Clinton about potential sexual extra-curricular activities could only be viewed as part of an ongoing “vast right wing conspiracy.”

The late Elizabeth Edwards initially believed that her husband John Edwards’  indiscretion with Rielle Hunter was a one time event, and let us all know that she had forgiven him, so we should too.

And then the tides infamously turned on both of those stories.

Clearly, we don’t know what Gloria Cain does or doesn’t know at this point about the allegations that have been made against her husband.  But there’s a long list of political wives who’ve each given their husbands the benefit of the doubt when it came to alleged sexual improprieties, only to have those stories change later.  So it’s hard to watch when yet another political wife becomes a character witness for the defense.  Gloria Cain may be right about Herman, but we know all too well how stories like this have frequently turned out in the past.  And it’s also not so uncommon for those who’ve been harassed or abused to wait years to come forward because of how they are often portrayed in the media, so the defense that these women would have come out sooner if their allegations of harassment were true doesn’t hold a lot of water.

I think Gloria might want to have a sit-down with Herman over dinner sometime soon.  Because while we all think we know our spouses or partners well enough to know their character and what they are, or are not, capable of, sometimes we’re wrong.  And then we’re surprised and shocked that we were wrong, and that we didn’t see the signs of something bigger before the truth hit us in the face.

Gloria says Herman Cain would have to have a “split personality” for the allegations against him to be true.  Like so many political wives who’ve come before her, she’s taking the “standing by her man” approach.   But we all know that could easily change sooner rather than later.

And, as every week, I’m hanging out at my Speaker of the House column, still reflecting on the death of Elizabeth Edwards.  One time I said she’d make a great First Lady, but now I think I was wrong — she should have been Commander-in-Chief, not mom-in-chief.  Come on over and let me know what you think.

While I never met Elizabeth Edwards in person (the line was so long at BlogHer ’07, I never made it to the front), I did have a chance to interview her by telephone shortly after that.  I’ve long been an admirer, even when those guys who claim to be journalists who wrote Game Change smeared her as a political she-devil and others mocked and criticized her for the life choices she made.

But I admired her for the choices — even the ones that I might not have made if I had been in her shoes — because she was honest about them.  Plus she was one outspoken, warm, intelligent and politically savvy gal.

We all knew that she would not, in the end, be able to vanquish the breast cancer that had taken over her body, but I think we all hoped she would somehow pull it off, in the same way she pulled off her late in life second motherhood.  Because she was an amazingly strong voice for the things she believed in.  And when she believed in something, she didn’t back down — whether it was championing health care for everyone or, yes, standing by her man even if he didn’t deserve it.

And she was the kind of woman we all wanted to be gal pals with — you could talk with her about public policy, as well as hearing about her love of meatloaf and jammies she bought at Target.

Elizabeth was a great friend to the MOMocrats, a group to which I’ve belonged since it’s inception.  She often told us via E-mails or notes that we needed to keep up the good fight to get more women involved in the political process.  As we mourn the loss of such an amazing woman, I think the best tribute we could make to her is to keep the promise to have more women speak out, run for office and take charge of this crazy, messed up political world.

I have a feeling her daughter, Cate, might just step into those shoes.

Image via People magazine.

]]> http://www.punditmom.com/2010/12/elizabeth-edwards-knew-what-was-important/feed 8 http://www.punditmom.com/2010/01/a-little-light-reading http://www.punditmom.com/2010/01/a-little-light-reading#comments Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:11:59 +0000 PunditMom http://www.punditmom.com/?p=4017 While I’m trying to get some book writing work down today, here’s some excellent reading — I just wish I had some time to weigh in on all these right now!

– Why the Game Change guys who want you …

While I’m trying to get some book writing work down today, here’s some excellent reading — I just wish I had some time to weigh in on all these right now!

– Why the Game Change guys who want you to believe that Elizabeth Edwards is a crazy bitch are wrong.

– Who knew Cindy McCain had it in her to publicly support gay marriage? Bet that will make for some fun dinner conversation with John.

– The Supreme Court has handed our political system over to our biggest corporations. I am hoping the Founding Fathers will be haunting SCOTUS Chief Justice John Roberts for a long time to come (so much for his claim not to be an activist judge).  And HEY, right-wingers — you don’t like activist judges! Why aren’t you all upset?!

– HAH!  Take THAT Timothy Geithner and Larry Summers!

As Linda Richman would say, “Discuss!”

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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.”

In Political Wives Enabling Immoral Behavior, Quinn claims to respect Elizabeth Edwards, but then attacks her as someone who “allowed” her husband to lie and lays the decision of Edwards to run for president at her feet, launching into a diatribe about political wives enabling the dalliances of their husbands. But if we start going down that road, then don’t we have to hold all wives of cheating husbands responsible for those actions? Sally, I’m sure you have friends who have found themselves in the same situation. Are you ready to hold their feet to that moral fire, too?

While Elizabeth supported her husband’s decision to run for president, I have a hard time believing that she could have stopped him or that any reasonable journalist would find a backhanded way of holding the wife responsible for the sins of the husband. Really … wasn’t she just a little bit busy fighting cancer, taking care of two small children and, I’m guessing, still being a big support system for her older daughter?

As Diane raised in her blog post over at The WomensDISH, I’m also uncomfortable with one woman trying to toss another under the bus after viewing the situation through a lens of righteousness that I’m pretty sure she bought in the 1950s. The funny thing about judging others too harshly, though, is even if you think politicians are fair targets, that game can come back to bite you, especially if you live in a similar spotlight.

Sally, if you want to take on the issue of infidelity and politics, try putting the blame where it belongs. Or better yet, let’s leave this one where it should stay — back in the 1950s.

Elizabeth Edwards is going to advise Barack Obama on health care. Elizabeth is no slouch on the health care wonky stuff and if anyone can convince Obama that his plan should look like Hillary Clinton’s and John Edwards’ plans, it’s her.

Not just because she has great ideas. Not just because she’s got a national profile.

But because she can take on John McCain, and any of his surrogates I dare say, with the best of them and chop his arguments into little pieces with the knife skills of Top Chef.

I can’t wait for her to get started! (Insert gleeful dance here!)

While she is working on health care policy issues over at the Center for American Progress, taking the Republicans to task, she’s also got her eye on the media’s continued lackluster, ADD-type coverage of the campaign at the New York Times.

Nobody gets a free pass when Elizabeth is watching. And I like that. Maybe if more of us took her approach to putting out voices and opinions out there, and we weren’t afraid of political confrontation, we’d be more effective for the causes that matter to us, not matter what they are and no matter what our political affiliation.

Now that’s the stuff that dreams are made of!

She’s long been a woman after my own heart — politically-oriented, not afraid to speak her mind, at the ready to set the MSM straight when it’s needed.

She’s not afraid to take on the McCain, as she proved recently when she took him to task for his version of health care for America.

Even though her husband’s race for the Presidency is over, Elizabeth is not resting her political voice. She’s joined the progressive think tank Center for American Politics as a senior fellow on health care issues. Plus, she won’t be far from the blogosphere — she’ll be contributing to the CAP blog, Wonk Room, as well.

And it’s no secret that Elizabeth Edwards is committed to the cause of universal health care, but I’m so excited that she has taken on this role to keep the issue in the public conversation.

The CAP is based in Washington, D.C., so I’m sensing there may be a new power couple in town! Imagine what Elizabeth and John Edwards can do for this country as passionate advocates for universal health care and ending poverty even though they won’t be living in the White House.

I’m thinking they may be able to get even more done without moving into that big, white house. But then again, there’s still a chance John Edwards could have an office in a new Democratic administration, even though it’s not shaped like an oval.

Either way, the Edwards aren’t going off the political stage, and that can only be a good thing for the Democrats.

And Elizabeth, please feel free to stop by Chez PunditMom for some coffee and political talk any time you’re in town. I’m not that far from your new office!

When Joanne isn’t straightening up her kitchen just in case Elizabeth Edwards stops by, you can find her thinking of new ways to go all political over at MOMocrats.

Elizabeth Edwards is speaking out about the health care proposal of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Over the weekend, she criticized it when speaking to a group of journalists. Now Elizabeth Edwards has written an open letter to John McCain at The Wonk Room blog taking him to task for a proposal that she says would not cover her pre-existing condition (breast cancer) or McCain’s (skin cancer).

While neither Edwards nor McCain have to worry about their personal health insurance, the point is a powerful one. What would happen to my mom, another cancer survivor, if she couldn’t keep the policy she and my dad have now? What would happen to my many friends who have fought breast cancer and lymphoma? We’ve all got friends and family who for one medical condition or another would be out of luck under McCain’s plan.

Take a minute to read her short, yet powerful, explanation of who would lose under McCain’s health care plan.

As I wrote yesterday over at MOMocrats blog, Elizabeth Edwards has her finger on the pulse of the health care plans of the remaining Big Three. Aside from health care being a personal issue for her, her husband John Edwards was the first Democratic presidential contender to come out with a comprehensive proposal that would have covered every American.

While the Edwards aren’t endorsing a candidate for president at this point, it’s great to know that they haven’t given up on fighting for quality health care for all of us.

Thanks Elizabeth.

Kos says Obama/Edwards, but I say (and have said before) Edwards/Obama.

Elizabeth Edwards and Michelle Obama, that is!