Southern_Hope

For. Fuck's. SAKE, John.

Seriously??

This has already been a shitty week all around for me, and I'm just not gonna go into it all here, but:

All y'all that feel you can no longer in good faith stay in this community, I don't blame you, and I wish you peace on the journey.

I'm back to waffling over "keep it or delete it" WRT this community... I'd put it up to a vote if I thought anyone really cared at this point.

The only thing I'd like for you all to do is remember what One America stood for, and keep in mind that those ideas still need to move forward - eliminating poverty, universal health care, making sure no one goes to bed hungry or homeless... all of that -- still valid causes.

We can move on without the man if need be, and I encourage everyone to do so.

machka

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Friday admitted to an extramarital affair while his wife was battling cancer

Bad bad bad bad bad...

I feel sick.

I understand the pressure and the fact that women throw themselves at you when you're in power and it's got to be insane... but I really believed in John Edwards. What about his wife (while she was battling cancer no less - kicking her when she's down - way to make a woman feel worthless) and his children?

And the fact that "a former Edwards campaign staffer claims he is the father, not Edwards."

Nasty. I think I'll be leaving this community. I don't know a one of you, but I love you all for the kind, wonderful, caring people you are. I wish us all luck.

according to the C-SPAN notification I got in my mailbox just now:

C-SPAN3:
John Edwards Keynote Address at the Campus Progress Nat'l Conference (9am) - LIVE

Note: That is EDT - program will start at 8am Central time, and adjust accordingly. :D

The next program listed in the email starts at 12:15EDT, so I'm not sure if that means that they're broadcasting the entire Campus Progress Convention, and Johnny will be on sometime in that timeframe, or if that means that he's speaking bright and early at 9/8am and the rest is just "filler".... and I have no idea how long he'll speak, but his speeches generally have run about 15 to 20 min IIRC...

SO! There you have it.

~your sad and pathetic mod, who has been doing a shit job of this recently... D:

Today, July 3rd, is Elizabeth's birthday.

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth. Many happy returns, and many future days ahead. ♥

Via the TexasForEdwards Yahoo group:

SENT: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at 8:19 PM.
Forwarded by: Allan R. Jamail
Senatorial District 6
Texas State Democratic Executive Committeeman

Texas Democrats mark your calendar right now so you won't miss this great opportunity to hear Senator John Edwards when he comes to Houston to help Harris County Democrats TURN HARRIS COUNTY BLUE and to help elect Senator Barack Obama as our nest President of the United States.

JOHNSON, RAYBURN & RICHARDS DINNER
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
DATE: Saturday September 20, 2008
EVENT: HARRIS COUNTY DEMOCRAT PARTY ANNUAL FUND RAISER

Ticket's aren't available yet, but they'll probably be $125 regular, $175 VIP, since that's what they were last year. The Harris County Democrat Party website is here for when tickets do become available.

So who's going? I am! :) This is the day before my birthday, so I totally deserve to go.

Just to follow up on this, I thought mah peeps here might enjoy the following excerpt from the The Caucus (NYT blog), "McCain and the Internets" (emphases mine):

And just yesterday, Mark Soohoo, his deputy e-campaign director, drew guffaws at an Internet conference in New York when he tried to dig his candidate out of a techno black hole.

“It’s a mistake to assume John McCain has no knowledge of this,” Mr. Soohoo said during a panel discussion with the Internet strategists of some other presidential campaigns.

“You don’t necessarily have to use a computer to understand how it shapes the country,” he said.

Tracy Russo, who worked for John Edwards, a Democrat and former presidential candidate, as an Internet strategist who was on the same panel, erupted at this response. “You actually do,” she said incredulously, suggesting that a person gains a certain frame of reference from being online.

“John McCain is aware of the Internet,” Mr. Soohoo said. “This is a man who has a very long history of understanding on a range of issues.”

Andrew Rasiej, a Democrat and founder and executive producer of the Personal Democracy Forum, which was holding the conference, said later that Mr. McCain’s lack of familiarity with computers and the Internet “shows he doesn’t understand how the world works and that he doesn’t understand what it would mean to be president.”

The varying degrees of computer literacy among the campaigns was thrown into relief later at the conference on Monday when Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of Mr. Edwards, was brought to the conference via live video hookup from her home in North Carolina, using Skype.

heehee

Elizabeth will be appearing at the Personal Democracy Forum being held this coming Monday and Tuesday.

According to the website schedule, she will be speaking on Monday morning.

Monday evening, former John Edwards 2008 Blog Mistress Tracy Russo will participate in a panel discussion of the different Presidential campaigns -- should be interesting...

From the Eire (PA) Times-News: Triple Star Power
Former presidential candidates, press secretary talk politics in Erie
By John Guerriero

They started with high hopes for the highest office in the land.

But Democrat John Edwards and Republican Fred Thompson wouldn't be their parties' nominees for president.

The voters took care of that early in the marathon primary season that ended this month.

As Thompson, speaking about his own campaign, said in his deadpan delivery: "There's no accounting for the judgment of the American people. Sometimes they just don't get it right."

But for one night in Erie, Edwards and Thompson commanded the stage -- along with former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer -- during the 103rd annual meeting of the Manufacturers' Association of Northwest Pennsylvania.

( Read more... )
*hopes this embed code works for the little bitty video clip they posted...*

Check out the ACORN website -- they will have live streaming video!! And according to that site, Johnny will be speaking on Monday the 23rd... Hope some of my peeps on the Edwards lists can cap it, cuz hello, work. :(

From an e-mail I got from my buddy NCDem Amy:

Senator John Edwards will be the keynote speaker at the ACORN National Convention this weekend in Detroit this weekend (June 21-23). Nearly 2,000 ACORN members will convene in Detroit for the organization's biennial National Convention at the Cobo Center In celebrating 38 years of community organizing, ACORN will focus this year's meeting on stopping foreclosures, ending poverty, winning immigration reform, improving access to healthcare and rebuilding New Orleans.

Senator Edwards, ACORN, and other social justice organizations recently launched the "Half in Ten" campaign to cut poverty in the United States by half within 10 years.

Highlights of the 2008 ACORN National Convention include:

• Speeches by Edwards; The Honorable Maxine Waters, U.S. Rep., D-Calif.; Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners; Renan Almendarez Coello, host of the radio program "El Cucuy de la Manana" and many others
  
• Dialogue on solutions and plans to helping families facing foreclosures, winning immigration reform and gaining paid sick days
  
• Rally and march to stop foreclosures in Detroit and across the nation.

Location: Cobo Hall
Lodging: Wayne State University

Convention begins Saturday, June 21 at 7pm and closes Monday, June 23 at 1pm

John Edwards, Striking a Pose and Running (For Something?)
Posted by Mary Ann Akers

Ex-presidential candidate John Edwards spent much of Tuesday making love to the camera, to use a modeling expression.

The former North Carolina Democratic senator, who seems to be waffling of late on whether he'd accept the No. 2 spot on the Democratic presidential ticket, posed for a two-part photo shoot in Georgetown, his old Washington, D.C. neighborhood, for an upcoming fall issue of GQ magazine.

The well-coifed Edwards, who took much flak during the campaign for his $400 haircut [*eyeroll* - Teh Editor], wore a suit for the first part of the photo shoot. It was his own suit, spokeswoman Andrea Purse tells the Sleuth, not one provided by GQ, though Purse couldn't be sure "who" Edwards was wearing.

"Nothing fancy," she assures us. (Son of a mill worker, remember?) [*eyerolls harder* - Teh Ed.] After all, Edwards had more important things going on in Washington this week than just striking a pose for a glossy, highbrow men's fashion magazine. He had meetings for his organization Half in Ten, which is dedicated to reducing poverty by half within a decade.

For the second half of the shoot, Edwards taunted the camera along the tow path of the C&O Canal wearing a red t-shirt, blue running shorts and running shoes. "But nothing skimpy," Purse assures us. [*cries* - Teh Ed.]

GQ magazine spokesman Cory Wilson says the photos of Edwards will be incorporated in a "much larger political package" [BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAA!!! - Teh Ed.] that will run in the fall.

If nothing else, the photo spread could always help position Edwards for a fashionably lofty post in an Obama administration.

From ABC's "Political Radar" blog: Edwards has not ruled out VP run

2004 Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards this morning left open the possibility of a second run for the position. "I'd take anything he [Obama] asked me to think about seriously," Edwards explained in a "This Week" interview with George Stephanopoulos.

The former 2008 presidential candidate was quick to clarify, however, that he is not actively pursuing the job. "But obviously this is something I've done and it's not a job that I'm seeking."

As the veepstakes continue to heat up, Edwards said Obama should be left to make an independent decision. "Senator Obama ... has earned the right to make this decision for himself. I think he has enormous choices available to him, really great choices available to him. And I think he'll go through this process in a thoughtful, orderly way, and he'll decide who he wants to be his running mate. And that's exactly how it should be done."

Johnny, stop teasing us!!!!!!

Dammit, I hope someone gets the video up soon so I can post it for you guys... :)

ETA: SCORE!!! *plants big sloppy wet kiss on NCDem Amy's cheek*

Remembering Tim Russert:



ETA: here's John and Elizabeth's statement on Tim Russert from last night:

"A great man has been lost. It is not just that our system depends on intelligent, persistent, fair-minded journalists, and Tim was one. It is not just that the civility of our political interchange requires dignity and respect and -- it is also true -- compassion, and that Tim was a model of each of these. It is not just that the manner in which we treasure and respect our essential personal relationships is the real mark of character, and that Tim was an exemplary son and husband and father. It is that too few among us reach for all these things and even fewer attain them. We were blessed to have had his friendship and companionship. We were all blessed to have his wisdom and vision and to have shared his joy for life. Tim will be missed today and tomorrow and next year and the year after and in a decade and for even longer than that. Elizabeth and I will miss him."

thanks, as always, go to NCDem Amy.

As a side note, I know I've been a little, well...distracted? neglectful? recently.... I appreciate those of you who have continued to post here, just to remind us that this place is still around. :)

As school and American Idol are now over, I'm hoping that I'll be able to get some more things up here; maybe switch it towards focusing on John and Elizabeth's roles in the Obama campaign... Does that sound like a good plan?

From Hotline:

This Week hosts John Edwards and a roundtable with ABC's Jake Tapper, ex-Pentagon spokesperson Torie Clarke, ex-Labor Sec. Robert Reich and George Will.

JRE is scheduled to be on Larry King tonight, remembering Tim Russert.

EDIT: OK, he's done. He also talked to Keith Olbermann tonight, too, and that interview just finished. Sorry I couldn't give more notice.

Um, so... like... there's this guy, y'know? Whose birthday is today?? And, um, we should wish him a happy one?

Happy birthday, Vice-Presidential Candidate?? Fmr. Senator Edwards. We still love you, man.

It's been (understandably) quieter around here, so here's an amusing snippet from a New York Times piece called "How Green Is the College? Time the Shower," with an unexpected Edwards mention.

Click image for bigger picture.

The bathroom is the showstopper on the tour. Besides the hourglass timer — Mr. Brown pointed out that it was called a shower coach and cost $3 online — the shower’s energy-saving motivational accessories include a picture of former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina plastered to the ceiling.

That was Ms. Bob-Waksberg’s idea. No one wants to linger in the shower with someone staring down from the ceiling, she said.

“You could also look at it another way,” she said, “that John Edwards is encouraging me to take a shorter shower.”

Why Mr. Edwards? “He had the strongest global warming policies of any of the candidates,” Mr. Brown said.

I don't know if that would encourage me to take shorter showers.

Anyone have a transcript of the endorsement speech?

I'm stuck in South Africa without access to CNN, etc. Pity my news deprivation.

Dun dun dun!

Meh. Thoughts?

Friday
7:05AM - The TODAY Show with Matt Lauer to discuss a new project he is chairing in partnership with CAPAF, ACORN, LCCR and the Coalition on Human Needs.

7:30AM (approx) - Morning Joe on MSNBC

Local Times - All Things Considered on NPR with Michelle Norris. Check npr.org for local times and stations.

Sunday
Face the Nation (CBS) with Bob Schieffer. Check the CBS News website for local time and channel.

Monday
Larry King Live at 11PM ET on CNN

Spread the word and tune in...and PS - Look for the full interview (photos and all) with Senator & Mrs. Edwards in PEOPLE Magazine on the newsstands tomorrow.

Heads up, y'all! John Edwards is going to be on MSNBC's Morning Joe tomorrow morning (Friday, May 9). Morning Joe runs from 6-9am ET/5-8am CT.

I'm not sure what time guests usually come on. If anyone knows, please do tell, because I love John but 5am is a bit much!

From Adam Weinstein's "The Naked and the Read" blog:

You heard it here first: President John Edwards

Oh, I would love a miracle like this to happen, but . . .

It makes too much sense.

In today's New York Times Elizabeth has a great article.
She lambasts the press for making election coverage about the personalities and fluff and not about the issues.

I love her.

Belatedly continuing the CTIA coverage... here's the post-show highlights website, including a bunch a couple video clips of Johnny Reid -- just scroll down the left sidebar to "April 3 - Day Three Video", and off you go. :)

And today, John and Elizabeth sit down to an exclusive interview with the British online tabloid "newspaper" Daily Mirror:

Senator John Edwards talks to the Daily Mirror (with exclusive video!!)

....featuring the fugliest couch in existence. *facepalm* ...at least it looks comfortable....

...but that's not what makes me weep.

That, my friends, would be the fact that John is actually connecting all the fucking dots:

Speaking with a hickory-smoked Dixie twang, John explains that the US needs to remodel its international standing.

"We must co-operate with other nations.

The world has shifted. The dangers are much less nation state against nation state.
They are extreme poverty, climate change, access to water, the spread of disease."

"The wealthiest nations, starting with America, must do more to combat these forces which could destroy our planet. But we are co-dependent on each other - world problems require global effort.

"Bush has alienated people around the world and America will have to go round being nice for a change."

Elizabeth chimes in: "We're still a new nation. We still believe we can bounce back - it's our trademark optimism. But we're ranked low in world opinion. It is Bush who has been the albatross around our neck. His attitudes have held us back."

John: "Climate change. The population explosion. The list goes on and on - a list untouched by the present administration."

But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, America™ was more interested in the "first woman vs. the first Black presidential nominee" than in nominating the best candidate for the fucking job.

asjkdfhaijds *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk* *headdesk*

From the "Wonk Room" blog on ThinkProgress.com:

Elizabeth Edwards On Health Care: 'This Is Not A Cheap Shot; It Is Potentially Life And Death'

John McCain accused me of taking a "cheap shot" on "This Week with George Stephanopoulos" yesterday for noting that people with preexisting conditions, such as he and I have, would not be able to get health care under his plan –- and that he perhaps was not as sensitive to this problem as he should be since he has been in government health care his whole life.

Sen. McCain noted that he was not receiving government health care for the six years he was in captivity. That is true. But it has nothing to do with my point — which is that the problem with Sen. McCain's health care plan is not how it affects us –- but how it affects the tens of millions of Americans with preexisting conditions who, unlike Sen. McCain and myself, do not have the resources to pay for quality health care.

That is not a cheap shot, it is a potentially life and death question for tens of million of Americans. And it is a question Sen. McCain must address.

Read more at the ThinkProgress website - Elizabeth spanks him pretty good. :D

Also, on May 8th, Elizabeth, Caroline Kennedy, Vera Wang, and Debbie Murtha will be honored at the 30th Annual National Mother's Day awards.

"These are truly exceptional women who have nurtured their families, built successful careers and helped improve the lives of others," said Laurie Dowley, Chairwoman of the National Mother's Day Council. "As we honor these outstanding women on Mother's Day, we will donate all proceeds of the awards luncheon to Save the Children, as part of our commitment to support meaningful philanthropies dealing with issues affecting mothers, fathers and children."

Last year, John received a "Father or the Year" award similar to this one. So, will Cate win Daughter of the Year? :)

Two weeks ago, she spoke at the Harvard Institute of Politics last week. See the video here, and read her interview with the Harvard Crimson here.

And finally, Elizabeth addressed the UNC student body last week: Edwards tells students to speak up.

:)

...because YouTube yanked Amy's video for copyright infringement... *eyeroll*



Carry on.

Don't know how many of you saw this already, but John Edwards made a surprise appearance on The Colbert Report, doing his own version of Colbert's "The Word" segment, called "The EdWords." There were a lot of gags, but he did sneak in a lot of serious stuff on his issues, and he got really great audience response.

I'm still incredibly sad that he's out of the race.

From the New York Times political blog, "The Caucus" --

Elizabeth Edwards Is Back in the Spotlight
By Kate Phillips and Michael Falcone
April 9, 2008

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Elizabeth Edwards has pretty well established by now that she's not afraid to express her views, take on institutional figureheads whether they work in the media or in the political maelstrom.

These days, she's speaking out again — critical on policy issues but also strikingly buoyant for someone who ardently campaigned through a health crisis for her spouse but never got to leap that victory hurdle. In many ways, Elizabeth and John Edwards were as much the two-for-one couple as the Clintons when it came to pushing policy proposals.

She's been here at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University this week as a visiting fellow, talking to students, to college Democrats, to various groups. And she's also accepted a fellowship with the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in Washington, D.C., run by John Podesta, former top aide to Bill Clinton.

We caught up with her twice today, but she had already been making news. She's blogging again, and plans to write her own blog now on policy issues, mainly health care, that will be associated with the center. She worried about the immediacy of the Internet a little bit today, talked about the shelf-life of an individual blog post and wondered about the pressure of that kind of responsibility. But she still hadn't settled on a name for her very own blog. (She asked for suggestions today, but you know the double lower-case e's were owned by a poet long ago.)

[*bwee!!* I'm so totally there when it comes online! I'll keep you posted on any info I find. :) - Teh Editor]

( Read more... )

From the Louisiana State University student newspaper, the "Daily Reveille":

Prize winner shares new Web information
Trippi instrumental in Internet politics
By Joy Lukachick
Posted: 4/9/08

Joe Trippi, the top strategist for the 2008 presidential campaign of former Sen. John Edwards, spoke at the University on Tuesday afternoon and was awarded the Manship Prize for New Media in Democratic Discourse.

Trippi talked about how the Internet has caused a shift in democracy through a new type of campaigning.

Trippi explained that television changed politics in the 1960s when the debate between presidential candidates Richard Nixon and John Kennedy was televised - a shift comparable to how the Internet is affecting modern politics.

( Do they have a journalism program at LSU?? )

Broken Soldiers, and a Broken System

To the Editor:

In "For Wounded Veterans and Their Families, a Journey Without Maps" (Editorial Observer, March 24), Lawrence Downes missed an important opportunity to explain why both the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are unprepared to care for the service members who have been hurt in the Iraq war.

The reason is that the frequently reported number of the wounded in action (29,320 as of March 1) does not include everyone who's been hurt.

The complete number of nonfatal casualties in Iraq is 60,645. Most assume the wounded number includes all, but it does not. It leaves out another 8,273 injured and 23,052 who became ill and required medical air transport from the war zone. The Department of Defense releases two reports: one with the weekly numbers of those wounded and killed, and then another monthly report with the complete numbers. After five years, it is time for respected news organizations to use the complete number.

The public needs this information so that we can better prepare for the care of all of our veterans from this war and others. The struggle for them and their families your article addressed is happening all across this country. Nearly 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have already sought care from the V.A.

The system is broken. That is why so many veterans are still fighting for the care they earned. That is why their families struggle with paperwork and months of delay. And that is why 154,000 veterans sleep on grates or under bridges every night.

We have tens of thousands set to come home, and we aren't prepared. Every day we should honor the more than 4,000 lives lost: every suicide, bullet or serious accident.

And every day we should honor those who have been hurt. That number is 60,645 and rising.

John Edwards
Chapel Hill, N.C., March 31, 2008 [<-- And they just NOW got around to printing it?! - Teh Editor]
The writer is the former presidential candidate and former senator from North Carolina.

From the WaPo and Chris Cillizza's "The Fix" blog yesterday:
Elizabeth Edwards Joins Center for American Progress

Former senator John Edwards (N.C.) remains on the political sidelines but that isn't stopping his wife, Elizabeth, from rejoining the fray as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Elizabeth Edwards will be dealing with health care issues at the progressive think tank founded by John Podesta, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton. In her new role, Edwards, who has gained a considerable following in the liberal blogosphere thanks to her willingness to vocally oppose conservative politicos from Sen. John McCain to commentator Ann Coulter, will also be contributing to CAP's blog.

( Read more... )

Video linkage!!
At the Harvard University Institute of Politics: RealPlayer embed here on the Harvard Website [nearly a full hour's worth of Elizabeth! :) - Teh Ed.]

Today, on "Good Morning America" (thanks Amy!):


Today, on "Countdown" with Keith Olbermann (thanks Amy!):

I know a lot of focus today is on Martin Luther King, Jr. (and indeed, it should be)...

However, in this little corner of El Jay for supporters of John and Elizabeth Edwards, I'm hoping that a few minutes' time can be spared in memory of someone most dear to them both.

Fancy Clothes and Overalls
By Wade Edwards

A little boy and his father walk into a firehouse. He smiles at people standing outside. Some hand pamphlets to his father. They stand in line. Finally, they go together into a small booth, pull the curtain closed, and vote. His father holds the boy up and shows him which levers to move.

"We're ready, Wade. Pull the big lever now."

With both hands, the boy pulls the lever. There it is: the sound of voting. The curtain opens. The boy smiles at an old woman leaving another booth and at a mother and daughter getting into line. He is not certain exactly what they have done. He only knows that he and his father have done something important. They have voted.

This scene takes place all over the country.

"Pull the lever, Yolanda."

"Drop the ballot in the box for me, Pedro."

Wades, Yolandas, Pedros, Nikitas, and Chuis all over the United States are learning the same lesson: the satisfaction, pride, importance, and habit of voting. I have always gone with my parents to vote. Sometimes lines are long. There are faces of old people and young people, voices of native North Carolinians in southern drawls and voices of naturalized citizens with their foreign accents. There are people in fancy clothes and others dressed in overalls. Each has exactly the same one vote. Each has exactly the same say in the election. There is no place in America where equality means as much as in the voting booth.

My father took me that day to the firehouse. Soon I will be voting. It is a responsibility and a right. It is also an exciting national experience. Voters have different backgrounds, dreams, and experiences, but that is the whole point of voting. Different voices are heard.

As I get close to the time I can register and vote, it is exciting. I become one of the voices. I know I will vote in every election. I know that someday I will bring my son with me and introduce him to one of the great American experiences: voting.
©1996 Wade Edwards Foundation

I'm sure you've all heard by now, but he said a flat-out "NO" when asked if he would accept the VP slot.

D:

Bu they all say that, until it's offered to them, though, so I think we can still dream for a while...And if not, there's always a cabinet position [*hee!* I said "position"! LOL - Teh Editor in teh slash mode] to look forward to.

[and let's not get into the shit-storm that would occur should he be offered and gods-forbid accept the Veep slot - holy crap we'd need serious waders.... - Teh Ed., observing the obvious]

Obama-backer snark available in three different Daily Kos flavors diaries:
* Edwards: I would not accept VP nomination
* Edwards says "No" to VP nomination
* John Edwards says he will not accept VP nomination

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Today was also the speech with Fred Thompson in Las Vegas.

Coverage can be found on CrunchGear and eWeek.

Here's a short video of part of the Q&A session following their remarks:


ETA, 4-5-08: More coverage --
Wireless Week: Edwards, Thompson share stage
Network World: Ex-presidential candidates dish on technology, campaigning

On the Today show, where Meredith just can't seem to control herself as far as sticking her nose in it:


On MSNBC's Morning Joe:

Elizabeth Edwards To Serve as IOP Fellow
Published On Wednesday, April 02, 2008 1:58 PM
By CRIMSON NEWS STAFF

Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of former North Carolina senator and presidential aspirant John Edwards, will serve as a visiting fellow at the Institute of Politics this spring, institute officials announced today.

Edwards, an attorney and author, took on a high-profile role in her husband's 2008 presidential campaign, calling for more attention to be paid to children's issues and for Americans to engage in public service.

"Elizabeth Edwards stands as one of the foremost women in American politics," IOP Director Jim Leach said in a statement.

The Edwards family already has some ties to Harvard: their older daughter, Cate, is a second-year student at Harvard Law School.

The other fellows announced by the institute today were Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the former president of Latvia, and Andrew White, the head of the Foundation for Relief and Reconstruction in the Middle East.

Remember when she spanked McCain with his so-called "health care plan"? Well, his spokesman, Douglas Holz-Eakin, seems to think that "[her] comments were disappointing and that they revealed she did not understand the comprehensive nature of the senator's proposal."

Oh. Really.

Elizabeth fires back today, with a well-written blog on Think Progress: Why Are People Like Me Left Out of Your Health Care Proposal, Sen. McCain?

"The problem, Douglas, is that, despite fuzzy language and feel-good lines in the Senator’s proposal, I do understand exactly how devastating it will be to people who have the health conditions with which the Senator and I are confronted (melanoma for him, breast cancer for me) but do not have the financial resources we have. In very unconfusing language: they are left outside the clinic doors."

She goes on to ask several questions that she wishes McCain would answer. It's fantastic. :D