Edwards to Continue '08 Bid Despite Wife's Cancer

The New York Times ^ | 3/22/07 | John Broder & Christine Hauser

[alisasny]

Would you quit your job and be forced to go on public assistance?

Or would you work and use your sick time and vacation time, nights and weekends taking your wife to her treatments, visiting her in the hospital as much as you could while continuing to work to support your family?

Everyone I have known in a similar situation continues to work to support the family and the extended family chips in to fill in the void.

It is beyond pretentious to think this man would sit by his wife's side 24/7 till the day she dies which we have no idea is even coming anytime soon.

[from occupied ga]

I know all about cancer

Are you an oncologist?

[SJackson]

Well, it's their decision....Politics is their life...Which is why he should never be elected president.

Surely you didn't mean he's not qualified because of his wife's cancer.

Presuming we need a candidate for whom Politics isn't their life, as evidenced by less than 6 years in the Senate I suppose, who on earth are you supporting?

Obama? He's the only candidate I can think of who's life isn't intertwined by politics.

[SJackson]

let's ask this question; So Edwards won the presidency. Where's his mind going to be as president when his wife is living her last days?

Good question.

At what level of responsibility should an employer be allowed to terminate an employee with a terminally ill spouse?

Should that be among the qualifications to be hired?

[veronica]

No, but I helped care for someone with ovarian cancer for 3 years. That included going to doctor appts., becoming informed about the disease, going to chemo with the person, and being there at the end. Is that enough experience for you?

[marsapan]

"At what level of responsibility should an employer be allowed to terminate an employee with a terminally ill spouse?

Should that be among the qualifications to be hired?"

Hard decision...i'd say, no, you cannot terminate an employee with a terminally ill spouse.

[This Just In]

"I really think its none of our business how they chose to spend this time."

If this is true, why did they make the televised announcement? Mr. Edwards obviously wanted the nation to know about their personal lives involving this decision.

Furthermore, when an individual decides to run for the most powerful political position in the world, people have a right to know what kind of a leader they may be electing. What kind of character the man is made of.

[newcthem]

My prayers for this lady. No one deserves this.

Still, I wonder how long it will be before Hillery announces that Bubba has breast cancer?

[Bookwoman]

I agree. He probably steamrollered over any opinions she might have had, which no doubt would have made her feel even worse than she already did. I see in her stance a defeated woman who has just been dealt the ultimate blow (the cancer returned) and has not been supported by the one who should be her protector and champion. She knows she is going to have to go through the worst alone and have to be strong for her children. I am so sorry for her. Money and power are no substitute for true love.

[SJackson]

Your speculation that they would try some publicity stunt is not out of line. I bristled more at the term "nut cancer....But just in the last 24 hours, I've seen FReepers joking about Giuliani's cancer, about the Edwards situation and now you bring the Clintons into it.

I've noticed that too.

I've also noticed FR's moral arbiters criticized Rudy as morally flawed for NOT running.

Now Edwards is criticized as morally flawed for running.

I guess morality has a large political component to it.

[FriendlyFreeper]

I don't know if he steamrolled her opinion. Maybe his decision to keep campaigning is just a form of denial. It might be easier to focus on running for the White House than to sit at home and face your wife's terminal illness. Regardless, I wish Mrs. Edwards the best.

[NC28203]

>>>let's ask this question; So Edwards won the presidency. Where's his mind going to be as president when his wife is living her last days?

That's why your supposed to divorce them before resuming the campaign. 8^)

[SJackson]

Whats the over/under that Bill Clinton mysteriously comes down with Nut Cancer?

Probably pretty low, nut cancer is only 1% or so of male cancers.

If you're betting, I'd go with butt cancer.

Myself, I'd prefer he gets neither and lives a long life, but to each their own.

[seanmerc]

Are you?

[from occupied ga]

Is that enough experience for you?

Not really enough for you to claim you "know all about it." Since cancer is the number on killer of folks under 70, a great number of people have had similar experiences from the patient viewpoint I can claim a couple of relatives who died from it too, but I actually learned more about it in terms of therapy, prognoses, and staging from a course in oncology I took years ago, but I'd never claim to know all about it.

I know enough to know that Stage IV is unrelieved bad news, and that she'll most likely be dead in two years or less, and that if Edwards chooses to pursue his presidential ambitions instead of spending time with her I'd judge him to be a jerk (kind of like Newt, whom I know is a jerk).

[Holicheese]

To become President, Hillary would scrafice Chelsea to Zorcom the Space God!

[from occupied ga]

Are you?

Am I what?

[seanmerc]

Since you weren't there, nor were you a party to this decision, isn't your post a bit presumptuous?

[hadaclueonce]

What would you expect from a lawyer?

[rhetorica]

Ok folks, I'm not an Edward's supporter, but I do have a mother who was recently diagnosed with a stage IV cancer. While I wanted to turn my life upside down to stay with her and help her. It seemed very important to her that I resume the normal activities of my life. Perhaps the same is true with Elizabeth Edwards. Perhaps she needs him to continue so she won't feel like her situation is hopeless. I've learned the hard way that the psychology of all this is very very tricky. They are the only ones that get to decide what is appropriate and what isn't.