Could Edwards Become First Woman Preside nt?

“Could Edwards Become First Woman President?
By JOSH GERSTEIN
March 8, 2007

BERKELEY, Calif. — Toni Morrison famously dubbed President Clinton America's "first black president." With that barrier broken, the comments of a prominent feminist are provoking debate about who may lay a similar claim to the title of America's first woman president.

The candidate being touted as a torchbearer for women is not Senator Clinton, but one of her former colleagues, John Edwards. At a rally near the University of California, Berkeley campus this week, a veteran of the abortion-rights movement, Kate Michelman, asked and answered the question she gets most frequently about her decision to back the male former senator from North Carolina.

"Why John Edwards, given the historic nature of our extraordinary campaign for the presidency this year with Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and all the others?" Ms. Michelman asked as she warmed up the crowd for Mr. Edwards. "I've gotten to know a lot of political leaders over the years that I've been an advocate for women's rights. I know the difference between those who advocate as a political position and those who understand the reality of women's lives."

Compared to Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Edwards is short an ‘X' chromosome, but listening to Ms. Michelman, that is easy to forget. "As a lawyer, as a senator, as a husband, as a father of two daughters, he understands the reality of women's lives. He understands the centrality of women's lives and experience to the health and well-being of society as a whole. … He understands that on an extremely personal level," she said.

Her comments drew some quizzical looks, though if she had extended her argument to suggest that Mr. Edwards understood the plight of African Americans as well or better than Mr. Obama, some audible dissension would surely have arisen.

After the rally, another journalist and I sought out Ms. Michelman, who spent 20 years at the helm of one of the nation's leading abortion-rights groups, NARAL Pro-Choice America, before stepping down in 2004. Asked how Mr. Edwards could have a better understanding of women's concerns than Mrs. Clinton, Ms. Michelman denied trying to convey such a message. "I didn't say ‘better,'" she said. However, she did acknowledge recently to an online magazine, Salon.com, that touting Mr. Edwards "necessarily" meant criticizing his opponents.

Pressed about how Mr. Edwards could have a feel for women's problems that is even comparable to that of someone like Mrs. Clinton, Ms. Michelman said her concerns goes beyond identifying the issues. "He doesn't just understand. You have to begin with understanding. It's an understanding but it is a commitment…He understands in a way that is tied to all of his beliefs about lifting everyone up."

Mrs. Clinton's campaign declined to respond, but her allies dismissed as hyperbole much of the rhetoric from Ms. Michelman, who has signed on as a senior adviser to Mr. Edwards's presidential bid.

"I would argue that Hillary has a really good sensibility, as well, of what it's like to be a woman," the head of NARAL's New York chapter, Kelli Conlin, said with a chuckle.

The leader of a group that endorses and funds female candidates supportive of abortion rights, Ellen Malcolm of Emily's List, said Mr. Edwards's sensitivity can only go so far. "Every once in a while we get in a primary race where a man says he's the best woman in the race. I've never seen a candidate win with that argument yet. It's just ridiculous," she said.

" Hillary Clinton has spent her entire adult life working on behalf of women and children. She has a unique experience as a woman who has faced the obstacles in the way of women," Ms. Malcolm, whose organization has endorsed Mrs. Clinton, said. "No white man can understand the experience a woman has to go through to move ahead."

Ms. Michelman's decision, after a career in the women's movement, not to back the strongest female presidential candidate in history, has prompted speculation and grumbling in some quarters. Some suspect that Ms. Michelman is still fuming over a 2005 speech in which Mrs. Clinton called abortion "a sad, even tragic choice to many, many women" and said abortion should be reduced or eliminated by better promoting birth control measures. "I think Kate will never forgive Hillary for suggesting abortion should be rare," one New Yorker close to Mrs. Clinton said.

For what it's worth, both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Edwards have 100% ratings from NARAL on their abortion-related votes.

When Ms. Michelman is asked what quibbles she has with Mrs. Clinton, the veteran activist replies by citing a preference for Mr. Edwards across a wide array of issues. They include health care and a so-called living wage, two areas where the 2004 vice presidential nominee has arguably staked out more aggressive positions than the former first lady. Ms. Michelman also mentions her own stint on welfare, gesturing perhaps to the objections some liberals had to the welfare reform law President Clinton signed over a decade ago.

Still, the longtime abortion rights champion acknowledges that some of her enthusiasm for Mr. Edwards springs from an intangible affinity she can't quite explain. "It is hard to describe. I am inspired by him," she said.


http://www.nysun.com/article/50057


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Not saying a word. :-)”

“Thank you hick!”

“Has the ignorant boy in me gone south, no infact ,he's alive and well looking into this fish bowl and never giving way to the killer of age which soon will comsume all of you.”

“My goodness, what an urbane intellectual reply.
[VBG]”

“Bowling balls with no holes tend roll without tolls to the target with control by minds with no foldings to maintain their control in what they behold.”

“you're killin' me cliff --- ROF

Strolling roans rather no gaus!”

“The above comments were not intended to insult or degrade people of rural upbringing. It is understood that the term hick is often applied to lesser educated or civil members of our society but in case a couple of people of hypersensitive nature read this it was meant as a humorous suggestion or comparison.”

“I was surfing the AM talk shows yesterday and found Rush. He was talking about the Breck Girl and I couldn't figure out what the hell he was talking about until I made the connection...John Edwards = Breck Girl. LOL!”

“I have two pairs of bowling balls with no holes.”

“He understands women and yet he spent his career by indirectly raising the cost of health care for women by suing the pants off any OB-GYN he could find.”

“Hussen is taking Hillary's Black votes away and Edwards her women votes.
She must be worried.
[VBG]”

“And the Republican will take away all the idiot votes if she does get the nomination.”

“The idiot votes are what got her where she is in the first place.”

“In Austin, Edwards feigns punch at Coulter

06:32 PM CST on Thursday, March 8, 2007

Cox Newspapers

AUSTIN -- Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards feigned a punch Thursday when asked what he'd like to say to Ann Coulter, the conservative commentator who seemingly characterized his sexual orientation in remarks at a political confab last week.

Edwards, appearing on Texas Monthly Talks, was asked by host Evan Smith to momentarily imagine that Coulter was seated in Smith's place. Anything to say to her?

Edwards, his right fist curled, feigned a punch and said: "No, there's absolutely nothing. Grow up."

Coulter told the Conservative Political Action Conference last Friday: "I was going to have a few comments on the other Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, but it turns out that you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot." Amid laughter and applause, she continued: "So I'm kind of at an impasse - can't really talk about Edwards."

Edwards, a former U.S. senator representing North Carolina and the Democratic Party's 2004 vice presidential nominee, is married to Elizabeth Edwards. They have three children, ages 24, 7 and 5.

His campaign has posted Coulter's remarks and a pitch to raise $100,000 in "Coulter cash."

During Thursday's taping, Edwards also rapped President Bush as untrustworthy, vowed to fund universal health care by raising taxes on wealthy Americans, and revisited his view that he made a mistake as a senator in voting to authorize the invasion of Iraq.

Predicting that Americans will choose a Democrat for president next year, he stopped short of judging two Democratic competitors - U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois.

Edwards, whose national finance chairman is Dallas lawyer Fred Baron, attended a breakfast fundraiser in Austin before the taping. He held a fundraiser and rally in San Antonio on Wednesday and was headed next to a Corpus Christi luncheon-fundraiser and an evening fundraiser in Houston.

The Texas Monthly interview airs in Austin at 7 p.m. March 15 on KLRU-TV, Channel 18. The weekly program airs on all public TV stations in Texas.

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/030907dnwashedwards.261e6cd.html


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Oh My!!! The next Woman Pres wants to hit a woman.
How manly, but typical of his type.
last edited: 3/09/07 8:34:07 AM”

“I think Ann could take him without any problems. LOL”

“There are OB-GYNs (along with every other specialty) who shouldn't be practicing medicine. The AMA does not police its own and the result is what you read in the papers. Insurance companies simply raise malpractice coverage rates for all of them, competent and incompetent alike.”

“I see ol' tiltypoo thinks it is ok for Democrats to mock violence against women.


*crickets*”

“Ann: "There's only going to be two hits in this fight, me hitting you, and you hitting the floor. Got it?"

John: (soils his panties)”

“Stove..sorry but


THE ABOVE comment was intended as a humorous sarcasm about the duplicitious nature of political extremes. It was not intended to indicate the shame of violence to women is a joking matter. Neither Sir Stove or any persons connected with him, his sponsors, or supporters TRULY believes that Democrats encourage or condone violence against women. This was the usual twist of language to gain a humorous response.”

“*snicker*”

“Tilt - yes I know. I pay professional liability insurance premiums every year. It's the cost of doing business. There are situations where it's needed and there are frivalous cases. There are lawyers who go out "creating" cases. That's generally what causes the rates to rise.”

“*crickets*”

“Yes there are, DH. There's a certain quantity in any profession. Why do you say Edwards is one of these? The one case of his I heard about was a negligent hot-tub manufacturer(?)... It sounded legit. His firm made a lot of money (they take a financial risk to pursue these things, as you know)and the plaintifs did as well.

There are abuses, absolutely.... nuisance suits, etc.

OTOH, what I see on C-SPAN are business interests who would like to completely eliminate our ability to sue negligent entities. What recourse would we have then?

Some doctors I know have had nuisance suits filed against them and then the insurance companies settled out of court --- the doctors had no say. Their reputations were on the line but they had signed away the right to protest the settlements. Does that save money or encourage more lawsuits?

It's a mess --- but I don't blame malpractice lawyers exclusively. I do wish the AMA would be more proactive.”

“Tilt...in court he CHANNELED THE SPIRIT OF SOME unborn child...( I thought to libbies that was an unviable tissue mass)

The guy is typical of the people we get in law who abuse the system.

Day..if, and I assume you work in the medical field, attorneys HAD to maintain the same Liability insurance medical professionals do. Do you think that would influence the number of litigations on flimsy grounds?”

“Tilt, that was a calm and well reasoned argument. Unfortunately that sort of thinking has no place here.”

“tilt I have never argued that the ability to sue is very important. It is necessary in any "society" to have a reasonable way to right wrong against people. My problem is there is no "brake system" to prevent abuse.

There needs to be a responsible way to make all people consider the hazards of pursuing litigation for the purpose of "getting some free money".

I still favor a loser pays system and include that if the plaintiff is unable to pay the Plaintiff attorney will cover the damages out of their Liability insurance (errors and omissions). It was make the TV attorneys think twice when their liability premiums matched those of OBs.”

“I think Coulter made a bad choice with the word faggot, but I thought the part about going to rehab for saying it was funny.

What ever happened to that actor that was sent to rehab for saying faggot? That was hysterically funny.”

“I'm back in the office now. Had to run out to a job site. A sinkhole appears to be opening up under a 600,000sf building I designed that's currently under construction. I had to be very proactive on this. Thank God I have insurance...wait, insurance doesn't cover acts of God but that might not stop some lawyer. After all, when I put my structural engineers seal on a drawing I am personally responsible as until the statute of limitations runs out which happens to be 13 years in my state.

I wasn't trying to say Kerry was a bad lawyer from a capability standpoint. Sorry for the confusion. I was saying that my understanding is that he made his millions sueing, almost exclusively, OBGYNs. I agree that we should be legal recourse, but at the same time there are ambulance chasers. One example is that if I do more than 5% of my receivables as condo work then my insurance rates will at a minimum double. Why you ask? Well, some homeowners associations are bad at maintenance so lawyers go to them explaining that they can sue the design and construction team and recoup some money. THey then hire architects and engineers to nitpick the building and build a case. That stainless steel on the elevator should have been ASTM 123456789 instead of ASTM 123456788 and that's why it's rusting. It has nothing at all to do with the caked salt from being on the coast and you haven't clean anything in the 10 years you've been here. Anyway, there are whore lawyers that do this and whore architects and engineers that do the investigations.

Rant off.
last edited: 3/09/07 12:25:13 PM”

“That darn Kerry;)”

“I wonder who has more hair on their legs...Edwards or Hillary.”

“No question who has the bigger balls, XL, LOL.”

“wow --- shades of "Master-Blaster".



There was no question re: capability, DH. I was just wondering what the basis was for the comment about Edwards and OB-GYNs.”

““There are OB-GYNs (along with every other specialty) who shouldn't be practicing medicine. The AMA does not police its own and the result is what you read in the papers. Insurance companies simply raise malpractice coverage rates for all of them, competent and incompetent alike.”



Then I guess 100 million dollar lawsuits have no effect on rates then?”

“Well it is the education of the average American juror. I have actually heard a juror say,"Well the doctor didn't DO anything wrong but he can afford to pay to he'p those people out."”

“http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3301365

Fool has stepped in it now.”

“Well, being a tax and spend democrat I can see why they should be against gay marriage. All those single people getting married and not paying the same taxes? PISH!”

“;-)”

“Edwards is falling so fast in the polls his skirt is up. I wish he had done better. He is a funny gal.”

“Siding with Coulter against Edwards
Sunday, Jul 1, 2007

By David Sanders

John Edwards has taken his campaign to new depths. Presidential candidates drowning in desperation do stupid things.

Surely you've heard about how Ann Coulter, the conservative fire-breather who makes a living saying things discerning people keep to themselves, was apparently set up by Chris Matthews and the Edwards' campaign.

Halfway through his cable news program on which Coulter was a guest, Matthews announced that Elizabeth Edwards, wife of candidate John, was on the phone with a message for Coulter: You've hurt our feelings, so quit attacking my husband.

Mrs. Edwards was supposedly upset by Coulter's comments on a network morning show the day before. The anchor had asked Coulter about a prior disparaging characterization of Mr. Edwards' sexuality. Coulter claimed that she'd only jokingly referred to Mr. Edwards as a "faggot."

"Oh yeah, I wouldn't insult gays by comparing them to John Edwards," Coulter said. "That would be mean. But about the same time - you know - Bill Maher was not joking and saying he wished Dick Cheney had been killed in a terrorist attack. So I've learned my lesson. If I'm going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot."

Coulter was a little miffed by an apparent double-standard. It was OK for Maher to state seriously that he'd wished terrorists had killed the vice president. Yet the media pounced when she joked about the sexuality of a prissy Democratic presidential candidate, who everyone knows isn't gay.

Mrs. Edwards and her husband were so upset by Coulter's comments that they decided to promote her words as a fundraising tool on the campaign's Web site.

They excluded her references to Maher. They included only the text and video of Coulter saying, "So I've learned my lesson. If I'm going to say anything about John Edwards in the future, I'll just wish he had been killed in a terrorist assassination plot."

Mrs. Edwards, who sounded like she was reading from a script, tried to chastise Coulter for several minutes, but the conservative firebrand wouldn't have any of it. She aimed her pithy comments at Mrs. Edwards.

Later in the segment, Mrs. Edwards told Matthews that she hadn't talked to her husband about the stunt. Apparently, John and Elizabeth don't talk much. While appearing on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Monday, they commented on their new "public" disagreement over gay marriage. She supports it; he doesn't.

"Well, can I tell you how I found out? I read it in the newspaper. It's the first time. She's never told me that," he claimed.

It's bad enough to claim to be offended, hurt and outraged by comments while simultaneously and feverishly promoting those words out of context to raise money and capture media attention. But that Mr. Edwards hides behind his wife is beyond the pale.

Are we to conclude that if John is sitting in the Oval Office when Hezbollah's leader calls him the great Satan, he'd trot Elizabeth out on the evening news to let the world know she disapproves? Perhaps she would do it on her own.

If Mr. Edwards was half the woman Hillary Clinton is, he might be leading in the polls.

http://www.arkansasnews.com/archive/2007/07/01/DavidJSanders/342580.html”

“My concern equals the approval ratings of these worthless people. Mann Coulter and Joanne Edwards are just the serrated tear lines that roll over the top of my TP holder.”

“Are you talking about Ann Coulter, the adams apple thick neck with man hands?”

“Big difference: Bill Maher is funny.”

“Libbies do think so.”

“Who was it that called for Cheney to be killed? OH yeah..Bill.

Who was it who brought the "gay" daughter issue up...Oh yeah it was the Breck Girl.”