Jack Edwards Turned 9 Last Week

Sorry, I missed the birthday. Jack is the inspiration for me to post as my kitteh, Benny. Benny is so friendly, and I suspect Jack is unfailingly a good dude, but maybe more guarded these days, as I saw on Oprah.

JRE Buzz: Vacation Edition

Greetings BW readers! It's been awhile since I've penned a JRE Buzz post, but then again, there hasn't been as much news until the last couple of weeks. I'm certain the upcoming NC primary on Tuesday (May 6th) is some of the impetus.

Speaking of the primary, last night was NC's J-J dinner. I watched a little of it on Blue NC, but I didn't see the two candidates, other than Obama being introduced. But I read in both the News-Observer and the LAT blog that Clinton and Obama praised John and Elizabeth. From the LAT blog:

But whatever recreation he and his wife, Elizabeth, were engaged in Friday night, their ears must have been burning -- in a good way. At a state party dinner in Raleigh, N.C., Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama sang the praises of the Tar Heel native son they vanquished earlier this year, as well his high-profile spouse.

And what did they say?

"Let me say what a great fighter North Carolina and working Americans everywhere had in John Edwards," Clinton said as the crowd cheered. "His courageous fight to end poverty is a fight I will see to the finish." "I want to thank Elizabeth Edwards for her passion."

Amid more applause, she lauded the erstwhile first lady contender as "a true champion for universal healthcare."

Then Obama had this to say, according to the News-Observer:

"I want to make sure that I say a special thanks to John and Elizabeth Edwards, because they really set the tone for this presidential race with their courage, with their ideas, with their passion and their commitment for working people, and making sure that we focus our attention on not just the haves, not even the have-a-littles-and-want-mores, but on the have-nots in America."

As the LAT blog entitled the event, John and Elizabeth are stars at an event they didn't attend. They were on vacation, well at least part of the time.

Otherwise, Elizabeth Edwards was in Atlanta speaking at a women's conference. Instead of talking about politics, she spoke about her own mortality. From the Atlanta Constitution-Journal's website:

“The only thing we are promised is the moment,” Edwards said, adding that women should always look for “do-overs” in life.

But then she poignantly added: “I may have run out of time for my own do-overs.”

Edwards also urged women attending the 11th annual Possible Woman Leadership Conference to not focus on material success. Instead, the real pleasure in life is reaching out to others.

And before taking questions, she told the crowd there was one she could answer right away: she was not endorsing anyone. Apparently, long time Edwards strategist Harrison Hickman verified that John and Elizabeth were not sharing their thoughts about the candidates in a CBS interview as well.

While Elizabeth Edwards was speaking at the Women's conference, another famous person met JRE, Cate, Emma Claire, and Jack: Miley Cyrus. According to People magazine (but posted at HuffPo),

On Thursday, Cyrus and her brother Braison rode the rides at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. While in line for the Test Track ride, Cyrus ran into Edwards and his three children. (The senator's youngest two children, Emma Claire and Jack, are Hannah Montana fans who were super eager to meet the star.)

"She chatted with them about all the rides and attractions they saw at Walt Disney World," a source close to the singer tells PEOPLE. "It was a sweet moment."

Lastly, Elizabeth Edwards wrote a poignant essay about Lance Armstrong, who was among Time Magazine's 100 Influential People List.

He inspired all of us who face a cancer diagnosis to search out the doctors who believe that we can live, to hold on to those friends and family who stand beside our bed—and then to fight to prove the faith of those friends and the beliefs of those doctors well founded. After Lance, no one of us could ever again say it was too hard, the odds stacked against us were too high, the fight already lost. The fight I fight is for me and my family, but the power to fight belongs in good measure to Lance.

Elizabeth was on that list last year. How fitting she was happy to honor Lance with her words.

More buzz l8tr...

New Movie Trailer Ad Featuring the Edwards Team

It's different from the other candidates, tad corny (but then Iowa grows a lot of corn), but I think it's brilliant at the same time. It's rated CG: Caucus Goers.

Take a look:



The voice-over is by JRE supporter George Hoyo, who is well known for his voice overs in trailers. And I think Kevin Bacon is helping out with the e-mails (and possible snail mailings) to Iowans. You can read more about it at the Caucus Command Center at JRE's site.

I missed JRE on the Today show this morning, but apparently he was on his game, according to Chuck Todd, who thought a few weeks ago Edwards wasn't worth mentioning since he wasn't a viable candidate.

And if you haven't seen Newsweek this week, check it out. JRE is on the cover.

Today Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne will be back with the JRE to help campaign in NH. Wish I could go.

America rising indeed--and so is Edwards' campaign. The media just woke up.

Holiday Greetings from John Edwards

This is what Elizabeth wrote:

Happiness. Health. Hope.

But our words are just a promise about our actions. Live deliberately, sacrifice for what is truly important, and, above all, in these times -- and all times -- trust your heart.

John & Elizabeth Edwards
Cate, Emma Claire & Jack

This is the 3rd holiday card I have received from the Edwards family. I've noticed it generally comes out around the 11-13th of December.

I am very fond of this picture. What a beautiful family with a never ending spirit of kindness and best wishes for us all. Can't you just see them in the White House?

The Inspiration for this Blog

My own Benson reminds me of the First Son of our future, soon to be next President, John Edwards. (courtesy of Jackie R, from JRE's blog)

From Iowa..Jack's on the Road again.

Check out this video too.



That's Ed Fallon, a very progressive politician from Iowa, who is introducing JRE. I met him at the campaign kickoff in Iowa back in December.

Good job, JRE...and Jack. He's a smart, but playful kid. Gotta love him.

Happy Birthday, Emma Claire Edwards

Emma Claire is 9 years old. And she is the apple of dad's eye, as seen in this photograph from January 27 on Energy Action Day. This is where they helped a family in Pennsylvania "winterize" their home. Jack, the inspiration for "Benny", is on the stairs.

Our future first family will be travelling together this summer and the fall, and they will be seeing New Hampshire. Speaking of NH, Edwards picked up 40 endorsements from Granite State legislators and was the first Democratic (and may be only) from their state senate, as reported yesterday. That rocks!