Posted on 02/13/2007 5:47:59 PM PST by mware
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- A second blogger working for Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards quit Tuesday under pressure from conservative critics who said her previous online messages were anti-Catholic. Melissa McEwan wrote on her personal blog, Shakespeare's Sister, that she left the campaign because she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the level of attention focused on her and her family.
"This was a decision I made, with the campaign's reluctant support, because my remaining the focus of sustained ideological attacks was inevitably making me a liability to the campaign," McEwan said Tuesday night.
Kate Bedingfield, a spokeswoman for the Edwards campaign, said McEwan left the campaign under her own terms. Both Bedingfield and McEwan declined additional comment.
McEwan's resignation came just one day after another blogger, Amanda Marcotte, left the Edwards staff for similar reasons.
Both had become a flashpoint for conservative critics. Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, called Marcotte and McEwan "foul-mouthed bigots" for remarks he deemed anti-Catholic. Last week, Donohue called on Edwards to fire both bloggers.
Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, responded that he considered the bloggers' past writings personally offensive and added that similar content would not be tolerated. But he decided to keep Marcotte and McEwan on staff to give them "a fair shake."
"We're beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can't let it be hijacked," Edwards said in a statement last week.
Donohue had promised a nationwide public relations campaign in newspapers, magazines and Catholic publications in an effort to rid the Edwards campaign of the two bloggers. The Catholic League counts 350,000 members.
McEwan and Marcotte have stressed that the content and opinions on their personal blogs are in no way a reflection of the Edwards campaign.
In one posting, McEwan described Christian supporters of President Bush as his "wingnut Christofascist base." Marcotte once posed a mock question-and-answer session in which she speculated what would have happened if the Virgin Mary had taken an emergency contraceptive.
"You'd have to justify your misogyny with another ancient mythology," came the answer.
Donohue is a brash and frequent critic of those who speak out against the church, as well as homosexuals and Hollywood's control by "secular Jews who hate Christianity." Donohue did not return phone messages Tuesday seeking comment.
F-words is the biggest wuss around. He could have looked dignified and he blew the opportunity. He's toast. Old Crusty and Ears Obama are the MSM darlings. F-words will be in the dustbin with John Kerry soon.
He's looked weak long before this.
PJ is going to have a ball with this one. The heads must be exploding at DU.
I think he did fire them and when the nutroots started to protest, rehired them and asked them to quit. He's trying to please everybody and of course the msm is trying to blame it all on the 'conservatives'.
This guy is a joke. I am from NC and over 80 percent and no I did not take poll believe he is a scumbag.
Malicious McSpewin' Alert!
I didnt realize Shakespeares siter was a Ho
I like to take some credit for this, since I proudly donated to the FRC, where one of the blogger biggots blames them for her fall.
Tempted to see if DU found out about it yet.
Oh come on! Have a thick skin! You talk smack about our President and now you don't like the light shined upon you! LOL!!!
Cut-n-Run! Typical liberal!
Edwards might want to work on his hiring process would be my guess.
That's what it looks like to me too. Now I wonder how much it's going to cost to keep them quiet.
Man, they are really taking aim at the Catholic League. I got to send them a donation.
I hope so. Literally. They are still praying to gaia that Algore jumps in.
Yes, it's one of those "I'm so important that I'm diverting attention from our beloved St. John so I'm falling on my sword for the glory of my master" resignations.
Wow, that Clinton dirt machine is well-oiled, indeed. Good. Let Hillary get rid of rest of the scumbags and then the Republicans can get rid of her.
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