Letters to the Editor
-
From Joan Walsh
John Carson, I think you're probably right -- I was the one who remembered "safe, legal and rare" being part of the controversial (to some) speech where Hillary Clinton called abortion "tragic." My mistake, not Elizabeth Edwards's. Thanks!
-
Enchanted
I really love the risks the Edwardses are taking this time around by being so frank and grounded. Not that Elizabeth hasn't always been that way, but you sense that she is being given freer rein this time around. In 2004, I thought John Edwards was such a phony, but I think he's my guy this time around, even though I am a Chicagoan who volunteered for Barack's senatorial campaign. John had me a few months back when he was asked on Meet the Press how he planned to finance his health care plan and he explained, "yes, of course you'd have to raise taxes, among other things -- and I'm tired of leadership that won't exercise fiscal responsibility and won't be straight with the American people about costs and sacrifices." I think it's not often that a presidential candidate can be so candid, but after the dishonesty of the current administration, I believe the public is really hungry for the brutal truth right now.
This is a bit of a tangent, but one thing I keep not hearing much about from the Democratic nominees is TERRORISM. This is one of the few areas in which Republicans still have an advantage. I hear Obama talking today about gun control and Edwards talking about a war on poverty, and I just think those are important issues that they can deal with in office, but which are going to help very few people determine whom to vote for in a few months. I know that we are all sick of being manipulated by having this issue hung over our heads. But I sense that many progressive people think the terrorist threat is overblown, and I'm not so sure. The incidence and impact of terrorism on our country has been relatively low, but the problem with biological or chemical attacks is that low incidence can still lead to massive harm. I would like to hear what real thought our candidates have put into combatting terror, and I can't imagine why they are not already addressing it, even if only for political purposes. Elizabeth, please get your husband cracking on this.
-
John Edwards
I started out an Edwards' supporter; then stopped for a bit to give Obama a good listen, even attending one of his (Obama's) paid events, out of curiosity. My dad is a Biden supporter but knows very well Biden doesn't stand a chance and will vote for the Democratic nominee no matter who it is. Today, and until I see something very real to change my mind, I am a Hillary Clinton supporter.
I am a woman (60 years old), with two grown daughters. My eyes were really opened when I began researching the work Hillary has been doing on behalf of women for many years. It is impressive. I also like Hillary's Fair Paycheck Act and the meter she had on her website which enables women to see how much less they make per year than a man in a given profession. PlanB is another Hillary accomplishment. There are too many to list but many can be found on her senate website.
I would never vote for a woman simply because she is a woman, although that damned glass ceiling could use a good breaking. I've just done my research and while I think all of our candidates are valuable in what each brings to the table, there is little doubt in my mind that Hillary Clinton is a worthy representative of the issues that matter to me.
-
Interesting interview
Mrs. Edwards impresses me as a dignified, intelligent woman, clearly a great asset to her husband's campaign. She especially impressed me in her confrontation with Coulter - seeing that creature squirm while actually being confronted by one of the targets of her hateful venom was quite rich, believe me.
Back in '04, I was all gung-ho to get Hillary on the campaign trail, but since then I've changed my mind. I simply don't trust her. Nothing she says convinces me, possibly because the things she's actually done while being a senator have turned out, almost to a one, to be things I disagree with. Edwards, on the other hand, does give me the impression that he'll take the reins and do things that the other Democratic candidates are too scared to even mention doing. I'm not going to vote for a woman just because, neither will I vote against a man just because a woman's running. Edwards has my vote because quite simply, I trust the guy, more than I trust any other candidate with an actual chance to win.
-
Safe, legal and rare again
Joan Walsh, the 2005 Hillary Clinton speech does actually use the phrase "safe, legal and rare". My point was more pedantic: this line was not new ground and is not why the speech is remembered (though how much new ground was broken by the speech is a matter for debate).
-
I Guess I'm In The "Vocal Minority"
I have no real problem with taking Ann Coulter to task for her offensive statements. But I do have a problem with the media (even the partisan media, like Salon) intentionally distorting what Coulter says in order to make her seem even worse than she is. She did NOT joke about Edwards being assassinated. She was actually comparing what she DID say (the faggot incident) to the no-reaction by the media when liberals joked about the failed assassination attempt against Dick Cheney in Afghanistan. Admittedly, she was doing her own best to twist what Bill Maher actually said into an endorsement of a Cheney assassination, but by not quoting Coulter's entire sentence, and never admitting to the error, Salon is showing itself to be just as vile as Coulter herself. Here's what she actually said on Good Morning America that prompted Elizabeth Edwards to give Ann a call:
"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."