Thanks for the kind words. I do see your point. However tort law (especially when it involves a jury) isn't about whether there was a right or wrong. It is about creating the appearance of a right or wrong. Sometimes these cases have merit. I believe Edwards fought a jacuzzi case or something that sounded to me quiet justified. The monetary awards are another matter. Do you honestly think that John Edward's would have pursued a career in tort law if a lawyer's take after expenses was say $100,000. and not the millions he has made? Why not take 2%-5% from the large settlements after expenses and give the rest to the plaintiff. That is altruistic.

I'm a first time fray poster, but this thread made me want to jump in the conversation...

I have some alternative thoughts on issues that have been brought up regarding John Edwards and his wife.

Regarding Edwards' financial status, I'm very suprised by all the venom directed towards him. Isn't John Edwards' climb to economic success basically a microcosm of what everyone secretly hopes and dreams The American Dream is all about. A family starts off at the bottom of the ladder, climbs into the middle class and, eventually, through hard work and skill, their child climbs to the top. I realize that some people take issue with work done by plaintiff's attorney's but, to the extent that people are claiming that John Edwards was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, that is untrue on its face. Achieving financial success doing something that you are skilled at and care about is nothing to be ashamed of as far as I am concerned.

Regarding John Edwards' "misuse" of his wife in the campaign, I think people are assuming a lot here...almost as if their minds are locked in the 18th century. The implicit assumption seems to be that, of course, everything Elizabeth Edwards does must be somehow directed by her husband and not anything she herself is doing on her own. On the other hand, when she does speak out, everyone takes it as obvious proof that John Edwards can't fight his own fights. So John Edwards is supposedly both a domineering manipulator of his wife and yet too weak to stop her from making him look like "less of a man" at the same time. Perhaps so many people are in disfunctional relationships that this actually sounds plausable.

I personally think that Elizabeth Edwards is likely a very strong woman, her educational and career history combined with her intelligent and forceful communications makes me believe that she's no push-over and no one forces her to do things she doesn't want to do. So I don't buy that she's a pawn of the campaign. I also don't buy that John Edwards is weak because he doesn't keep his wife bottled up. To me it shows the confidence and manliness of a husband if they DON'T feel threatened by a strong woman in their life. Weak men fear allowing their mates to shine because their sense of self-worth is so low. This isn't advanced psychology or anything...the idea of why some men buy exotic sports cars to compensate for their shortcomings is widely known. John Edwards is enough of a man not be threatened by a strong wife and he should be praised, not ridiculed, for this character trait.

Finally, as to the issue of what "Worst" thing John Edwards has faced and whether it is worthy of us not scorning it. I personally don't see it as the single issue(s) of his law career, the death of his son, his wife's illness, or any other thing he has experienced. I think it's larger than that. I think the worst thing, the thing that makes everything else harder, is when you try to do what you believe is right, when you try perservere in times of hardship and uncertainty, when you choose to do what is hard instead of what's easy...and, after doing all this, you constantly see your actions and motivations derided and questioned by a cynical nation that sees anything less than perfection as no more than worthless.

I'm the lone child support attorney in a tiny, out-of-the-way Ohio County. I love what I do and I try to do the right thing in every case I see, but sometimes I make mistakes and sometimes there just are no good answers in a certain situation...and people say some nasty things about me. It goes with the territory and it's part of the job, but sometimes you feel the effect so much negativity when you feel like you are trying to do right. I only have to hear that from small numbers of people on a local level...I can't imagine having to have my dedication to a cause I've spent years of my life on being questioned because I spent to much on a haircut...because, of course, no voters ever actually care what a candidate looks like...not as if any comments have ever been made about Al Gore's weight or anything...

I was a volunteer for the Gore campaign in 2000 and I was a big fan of Bill Clinton in his day, but I'm 100% behind Edwards this time around. Hillary is not Bill, they are different people, it's not 2 for 1...nostogia will not make it otherwise. I think, long term, the economic direction our country will take will mark sucess or failure for our democracy. Right now we're headed back to the 19th century because the far right can't see that the benefits of globalization have been very lopsided. The far left, on the other hand, seems to think that we can just pull back out of free trade all together. I'm more a fan of trying to start raising the floor world-wide so as not to undermine U.S. values on fair labor standards. Granted, no one is really doing this idea now...but John Edwards at least seems to see the problem most clearly. I'd like to see Obama as a VP because I think bridging the freligious divide (i.e. The Right = America should be a christian theocracy, The Left = Religion is for idiots) is a close second on issues that will make or break the republic.

I do think that the Edwards campaign does a poor job at communicating the massage of John and Elizabeth Edwards to regular America. From all the campaign work I've done I've grown to loathe consultants. They are clueless about what real America cares about or thinks and eventually throw candidates off the tracks by convincing them to abandon the values that made them good in nthe first place. It's ridiculous that candidates listen so much to beltway-minded handlers when the elections tend to swing on what people in the Midwest and new Southwest are concerned about. Yes, the war is a huge issue, but here in Ohio people think that the economy is definately worth more air time than it's been getting. Hire some Ohioans Edwards Campaign!!!

In closing, give Edwards a bit of a break, he's a pretty decent guy for a mortal human being and I don't seem him on-record yet as claiming to be the messiah or anything.

BTW, I apologize for the typos in my above post...I thought I corrected those. I'll make sure I do better job in any future postings.

Cary

I was a Spanish major, but I would prefer to take a year or two off to gain some work experience before applying to highly-selective grad schools.

Honestly, I don't understand what one can do in real life after getting this kind of education. No disrespect intended, but what kind of job would you find in the non-governmental entities - unless you have pretty rich parents with connections?! If you were an artist, a writer - I would have understood, but that's pretty much it.

Not that I should have to defend my degree, but I'm very proud of the education I received, at a top university.

Again, I hope you all the best. But again, I don't see how such education prepares you for the real life...

I have no problem starting as an unpaid intern for a Congressman, but if I didn't have parents who were willing and somewhat able to help me along the way, I wouldn't have this option. And I would have to flip burgers.

Of course - because you would have to work for a living. And as you said, without their support, you would be flipping burgers. To me this indicates that your education had more of an entertaining value...

And there's nothing wrong with that -- it's just not what I'm looking for in terms of a career.

Exactly my point! You chose being an unpaid intern exactly because you did not have to think how to provide for yourself. I have a feeling that you choose your major also based on the same criteria. But I hope you agree that luckily, there are plenty of people in America who think differently from you.

And in a few months, I will be at the frontline for a very lucrative job, so for awhile, yes, I will have to work a minimum-wage job that will barely pay the rent. (No, not in DC, but in my home state, which is considerably cheaper, where I will be able to make rent, albeit not in a nice part of town.)

If you are in a frontline for a very lucrative job - then what stops you from getting another very lucrative job right now?

But I don't mind paying my dues -- it'll make me a more appreciative person of my education and the opportunities that have been afforded to me. And I won't be criticizing other people's education 10 years from now. I'm sure it feels really good.

But you are not paying your dues. You got a first rate education, and live of your parents' money, and you don't pay a penny supporting the liberal programs.

I don't want to be misunderstood - I am not saying you are a bad man. You are young, I guess, you just finished school, and your parents ar ewilling and able to support you. I can easily imagine that it would be quite seductive to get an interesting position as an intern - and don't think abotu the consequences. I am not blaming you at all, really. But what I said was simple - if you had to depend on yourself, you would have been actually working now, earning your living...

Elizabeth, Elizabeth: I understand what you are saying. You are quite simply trying to save our country because only John Edwards CAN and WILL win a national election. Thousands--millions of us--thank you and John for your unselfish generosity in making your selves available to us in these dire times. Daily Kos has a great post on why the corporate media is threatened by Edwards. I firmly believe that he is the only Democrat who the Republicans are afraid to run against. And yes, I recommend the book in order to know who John Edwards has stood with and for. Love you both.

In case my other post doesn't get read, please everyone, look at the truth about this amazing couple, John and Elizabeth, rather than the crap being dished out by the same people who ridiculed the Gores--and got us George Bush's Presidency. Listen to who they really are--and think what it will mean to working-class Americans to have ONE of their own as a Presidential candidate. And he's the only one.

Dear cbishop,

You wrote a pretty reasonable post, but I am not sure I can agree with most of it. There are two main problems we (right-wingers) have with Edwards. First of all, we think his ideas are bad for America. I don't care how much he cares about the poor - what I care is that his "solutions" are wrong. Secondly, I disagree with the way you characterized Edward's career.

Isn't John Edwards' climb to economic success basically a microcosm of what everyone secretly hopes and dreams The American Dream is all about. A family starts off at the bottom of the ladder, climbs into the middle class and, eventually, through hard work and skill, their child climbs to the top. ...

Achieving financial success doing something that you are skilled at and care about is nothing to be ashamed of as far as I am concerned.

I personally believe that what Edwards was doing was nothing more than legalized robbery. Al Capone also became rich - but his life is hardly what American Dream is all about. Edwards was choosing cases he thought he could win, and then used his power of emotional persuasion to make juries believe him, and give him and his plaintiffs money. This is why the right are not celebrating his achievements. It is quite another story with, say, Soros or Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Say what you want about Soros, but he made his money fair and square. I disagree with his politics, but the guy is a financial genius.

Absolutely, shithead. I'm an attorney that graduated from the sixth ranked law school in the country about 18 years ago. And I know an illiterate talk radio head when I encounter one. "Who's [sic] fauIt is that?" You mean "whose," don't you?

I call bullshit on your reading anything in any newspaper except the sexual services ads.

"Present your arguments." Learn to read and write first.

Absolutely, shithead.

That sounds like a nice new nickname for you. I think I will use it. It serves you right.

I'm an attorney that graduated from the sixth ranked law school in the country about 18 years ago.

So you are another lawyer. Oh. That makes sense. Well, let me teach you a lesson. I am a PhD candidate in Electrical Engineering, and I got my education from the best lab in my area of expertise. It's not #6, it's #1. I am a Senior Hardware Engineer in a major corporation, and I create wealth for the American people. Don't forget that you are a lawyer and know your place.

And I know an illiterate talk radio head when I encounter one. "Who's [sic] fauIt is that?" You mean "whose," don't you?

Sounds like you are not a good attorney either. You open your big mouth before you learn the facts. You see, shithead, my English skills suck, I grant you that, but there is one extenuating circumstance. I am a Russian speaker, English is my second language. And I earn my money by providing technical expertise, not by writing novels.

I call bullshit on your reading anything in any newspaper except the sexual services ads.

Fine. Lets compare our knowledge.

"Present your arguments." Learn to read and write first.

Well, so far, you presented no arguments relevant to the discussion, you said my English was substandard (I agree with that), and somehow you believe this disqualifies me. Granted, my English writing skills are not the best, but this does not mean that my arguments are wrong. Or maybe you believe that all foreigners who make mistakes when they write in English - are stupid?

man,

Whatever his faults, he is not a simple man in the sense you and other project as in simple simon.

During the 2004 presidential campaign, your "simple" president by shear personal effort won re-election and took back his Senate from the Democrats.

Unwise, perhaps, simple, no.

Here we have another fine example of the jaded press corps attempting to "bury" a candidate because, for whatever reason, it has decided not to like him. It happened with Al Gore, it happened with John Kerry, and it's happening now with Edwards. Funny how the "unlikeable" candidates that the press decides to bury are always Democrats, while the candidates they seem to like are morons like Bush. Thanks for the last 8 years, press corpse.

Oh, and just in case you doubt that the nation's political press corpse is truly this corrupt and crass, check out the Atlantic Monthly's Marc Ambinder (formerly of the Hotline) admitting as much:

"Fairly or unfairly, a healthy chunk of the national political press corps doesn't like John Edwards"

and:

"Fairly or unfairly, there's also a difference in narrative timing: when the first quarter ended, the press was trying to bury Edwards. It's not so much interested in burying Romney right now -- many reporters think he's the Republican frontrunner."

Here we have one of Dickerson's colleagues basically coming out and admitting what so many of us suspected: that the press corpse plays hardball with candidates like Edwards, but puts on the kid gloves and knee pads for candidates like Bush and Romney.

Corrupt.

John Edwards may live in the America of private jets now, but he was not born into it. As the first person in his family to go to college, he's a self-made millionaire, something I'm surprised more people don't have respect for.

The two Americas may be oversimplifying things a bit, but, unfortunately, with the way campaigns are run today, in an era of soundbites, it's a great way to describe how people are feeling.

I'm 23, and come from a solid middle class background - both of my parents have college degrees and careers. Yet I struggled to pay for college, and I'm up to my ears in student loans while working a job that I don't really need my degree for. Yet, in the eyes of politicians, I don't really exist, and neither do many of the people in the income brackets below me. I tend to see the 2 Americas as the America that runs things and everyone else. And I'm glad to see someone talking about it, even if it is oversimplified.

You seriously think you exist for the liberal elites? You think one day a politician will come to you and give you a $1,000,000 - just so you could be better off? If not - then what exactly do you expect from them? They will sing songs about the middle class - but it is they who strangle it through taxation and regulation. If you are smart, young, and you want to succeed - you will succeed if given freedom. The government should stop holding you back, that's all. If the government allows companies to build new houses - the housing prices would drop down and you will be able to afford a much better and cheaper house. If the government drops most regulations for businesses and stops giving away the money - you will be able to find a much better job. Politicians cannot give you anything - because they have to take from you first. You want a government handout? It will come out of your paycheck. You want help with education? It will again come from your paycheck. It's not like Ted Kenned and John Edwards will give up their own money - it will all come from your purse.

your effort on behalf of your husband as he campaigns for the Democrat Presidential 2008 nomination.

Frankly, I get the impression that candidate Edwards has done more, in terms of hands on work, for our nations poor than a Hillary Clinton for example.

Slate, and other liberal Internet entities, in my opinion, supports Clinton and you do well to bring to their attention your husband's strong points.

Personally, I am a conservative. One who now, thanks to your effort, is a bit more aware of Candidate John Edwards.

Thank you for talking to us.

MoveOn.org "morons like Bush" canard.

Our president may not be a Slick Willie type ( he is a lousy politician) but he certainly is not a moron, a liar, some one AWOL from our military, one who treads on our Constitution, whatever your verbal soup de jour may be.

Sorry, you lost my respect.