We Knew

I am using an expression that Elizabeth Edwards would say today but slightly altered: we knew. Her comment was about Wade, you know.

Yesterday, I received e-mails about a WaPO article regarding what John Edwards could teach our POTUS. I am a bit incensed that Chris Cillzza got the memo 4 years later, but it's easy for a progressive political journalist to look back, rather than taking a position at the time. I've visited and told many liberal bloggers that they looked at who could raise money over what was bold and right for all of us. They have conceded privately that JRE was right. But I hear this "but if" meaning JRE's personal trials were revealed in the media. Chickens because of what happened in the 80's by a popular Colorado guy.

Elizabeth knew something of John's problems at the time, but she was willing to go on the campaign. She has been criticized for knowing them. How could any one be nasty towards a person who would later have her illness re-occur? Peeps like Taylor Marsh, who still touts Hillary Clinton as the possible nominee because she was the first viable woman Dem nominee in an election year that was open to anyone?

This blog is about Elizabeth Edwards and JRE's ideas. I am not ashamed to say that we knew what was right for all of us. And I am a Liberal but independent like Bernie Sanders.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/what-john-edwards-can-teach-barack-obama/2011/10/17/gIQA85p8rL_blog.html

Thanks Chris for acknowledging JRE, but you are 4 years too late. We knew all along. So your next job is to help Elizabeth Warren, as her ideas are many like JRE's.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvumTKOSYaI -End the Game (thanks Montana Maven for this reminder)

Hey Party Girl

I am beginning to wonder if the Gold Dust Woman in JRE's life is a sociopath for media attention.

Through her sister, she claims she wants to work if Hollywood gave her a decent offer:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2006928/I-wouldnt-trust-John-Edwards-far-I-throw-says-sister-mistress.html

Why a mother would want to embarrass her former lover over and over when he is providing every expense for her and the child? She's just a party girl and doesn't have a sense of maturity to buck up to handle her situation. Her sister is also to blame for blasting out against JRE.

JRE, you really goofed in being so intimate with this woman and allowing the affair to go too far. But most of all, I feel badly for Emma Claire and Jack--as well as the step sister involved. I think JRE knows now this woman was just a party girl and he treated her as such. But he owned up with his wallet.

She doesn't like being known as a party girl, but that is just what she is.

Overzealous DOJ (updated)

Most of the time, the DOJ has some good reasons to appoint prosecutors for white collar crimes. Last year, our former governor in Illinois had 35 charges against him. No wonder there was a hung jury. They are trying Blagovich again, and I think he will walk out of it.

The DOJ has decided that it will have an indictment against John Edwards for accepting hush funds during the time he had his One America PAC. As far as I can tell, the DOJ is using some creative use of FCC laws about money that Bunny Melon and the late Fred Baron gave him to keep his pregnant mistress in hiding. Bunny considered it a gift and paid taxes on it. I don't know what Baron's wife has reported, which may be the crux of the problem.

Personally, if JRE is indicted, I hope he fights this in court. It will dredge up a lot of unpleasantness, but I'd like to see him win, especially since the prosecutor, Holding, is a Jesse Helm appointee, and may have an old vendetta against JRE since he took Helms' seat for the senate. It will take a lot of money to fight, but JRE shouldn't be concerned as he has plenty of that and can make more via his investments.

And I hope the Gold Dust Woman finally gives up on being a normal wife and mother of Jack and Emma Claire. That's not going to happen. I read she is looking for a book deal. Sleezy--just as Andrew Young was in writing "The Politican." It would be nice to see his truth or lies exposed in court, under oath. Both of them have harmed the Edwards family and their friends (and former supporters) more than JRE did in many respects.

Update: there appears to be much doubt that the DOJ can prove this is a criminal case: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/163785-edwards-affair-is-a-test-case-for-justices-political-prosecutions. (hat-tip to NC Dem Amy)

Happy Mother's Day

Many of the JRE/EE bloggers are human mothers. I am not one of them, but I always appreciated that EE knew I was not as she paid attention to the blogs she and JRE were in charge of.

I reflect more on this day since I lost my girl, Elmora, in late October. Teh Ben is my sole pet and a joyous one to have.

Today, I miss my mom, but of course that I miss EE and wondering what Emma Claire and Jack must be feeling without her. It's got to be challenging for them as youngsters.

I hope JRE is taking this day in grace.

Missed this Beauty

As everyone knows, there is a huge debate in the lame duck session of Congress about the sunset provision of the Bush Administration's tax cuts from 2001, which are mainly for individual and estate taxes, and 2003 tax cuts for corporations. If I recall from the Clinton years, we had higher rates for everyone, and everyone made money or lived decently. I was one of them who struggled, but my tax rate was not that high to begin with. We had a balanced budget, although I was very unhapppy how welfare mothers were treated. On the other hand, poverty and unemployment were not as great as they are today.

Rep Alan Grayson, who lost his Congressional re-election nearly 3 weeks ago, still has conviction and courage to stand up against the Wingnut machine. I missed this speech the other day, but noticed links to it on various blogs, including Taylor Marsh's which is where I finally saw the entire clip. It is classic.



I wish the Obama Administration would hire this man, but I think Alan Grayson is not enough centrist for them. They don't like anyone defending their progress directly, especially good Democrats. Rachel Maddow and Keith Olbermann try, but I think even they will get fatigued at some point.

Taylor Marsh has some serious criticisms of this Administration, especially on the weak messaging issues. More often these days, I find myself agreeing with Taylor's strong opinions. The only reason that I don't have her site on my blogroll is that her readers still keep pining for Hillary Clinton and how Hillary would have made a better president. I don't she would have as I think she would have moved to a more centrist position, albeit she would have worked on keeping her message consistent. While John Edwards was let go by this blogger sometime ago, I keep thinking Alan Grayson reminds me so much of what an Edwards Democrat would want for this country to get it out of the ditch.

Not on Oprah TV

Most of the time, I don't like forwarding gossip from the NE, but this one is so amusing.

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/edwards_mistress_hunter_rejected_by_oprah/celebrity/69693

I'm not certain how the job interview went or why the interviewee even thought she was qualified. The other befuddlement is why she would admit to the NE that she was rejected. Drama queen I guess.

At least she is trying to get a job instead of just collecting child support from a famous politician.

Attraversiamo

Yesterday morning, I read Roger Ebert's review of the new release, Eat Pray Love. (The link is from Oprah's site, in which she was given permission by Elizabeth Gilbert, the author who wrote the book of the same title) He gave it a thumbs down, as he believed it was too narcissistic. There have been movies that I disagreed with him when he liked them and I didn't. My interpretation of his review is that he dismissed this film as a chick flick. Thus, I decided to go see it on my own, knowing that Mr. Benny wasn't likely to have much interest in it right now--and it may be out of town by the time Mr. Benny comes to visit.

The film was very well done. I think Julia Roberts was perfect for the part, and it's very much a Julia film, whereby Julia's characters generally lose themselves in men and run away from them in fear, but move towards of finding out about herselves (if there is such a word). I bought the paperback today because I know quite a bit of the movie used direct quotes in the script from the narration that Roberts has to perform. And some of those quotes resonated with me, one of them being "Attraversiamo" which is Italian for "Let's Cross Over."

I guess I liked the movie because it was a 21st century look at the conflict of feminism and being feminine. What I mean by that is I was influenced by the ERA phenomenon, driven by the feminists such Gloria Steinem. It was important for a woman to be strong and show solidarity with those who had been denied opportunities because of dominant male world. To this day, that is why civil rights are important and why I also believe in marriage equality.

The first time that this conflict really resonated with me in a visual art form was Wendy Wasserstein's 1988 Tony Award winning play, The Heidi Chronicles. Heidi searches for her soul, but undergoes many conflicts with Scoop, the man she loves but wants her to be submissive. They eventually part company, and Heidi eventually finds self-fulfillment, in being a mother and not needing even a partner to help raise her child. At the time, the play resonated with me because of the pain of a breakup with a college love. I had thought he was the "one" in my life. And it took me many years to understand why I was not the one or that we were too young to know what we really wanted.

Cue Eat Pray Love. It's a memoir of a mid-30's person who loses herself in her marriage and decides to end it. In doing so, she makes the mistake of getting involved with an actor in her play and moves in with him too soon. She goes to an Ashram with him and is electrified by the experience--as well as unnerved--and that is the part of the relationship that she takes with her once she realizes she has not been her own person. Using her gift for writing, she elicits an advance on a book about traveling in Italy, India, and Bali, spending 4 months in each place. In Italy, she indulges in the aesthetic pleasures of eating, drinking wine, and seeing wonderful architecture. In India, she stays at a Ashram, learning the discipline of worship--both to her God--and of her inner self. She also gets called on the carpet many times by her friend Richard, for taking short cuts instead of doing the work. Her last of her journey takes her to Bali, where she had been a year ago, and when she had been very unhappy. Bali is a beautiful place and she is encouraged to bringing together her indulgences for a life balance. Only when she confronts how she can maintain this balance is when she cracks open her heart to the possibly of sharing herself with another man. She is frightened again of being lost, but is reassured with these words from her Balinese friends: "To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life."

(At that part of the movie, most of the older women, including yours truly, were in tears).

So the comparison to Heidi is easy: both are comfortable about being silent or alone at times. The contrast is that Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts' character) has decided that she can be alone and be in a relationship--her balance.

The movie is beautiful in the filming, and I was taken back in time of when I went to Italy for a week and for the Bali segment, it sort of reminded me of Caines, Australia.

In crossing over, I hope that I can learn from some of the insights that Gilbert has provided. One inspiration today, and this is something Elizabeth Edwards did (yes readers, there is an Edwards hook this post) and that was to say good bye to the man she was married to. It was painful for her to do so, but it was the only way to find some peace. I joined her in a sense that symbolically, I finally said good-bye to John Edwards too, but in my case, the short-lived career politician. I had three yard signs in my garage that were from the 2008 campaign and I recycled them this morning. I had held on to them because of what the campaign represented to me, economic and social justice for One America. Those ideals will always stay with me, and as I have repeated many times, I have no regrets about as the thousands of hours of volunteer time I spent between 2004 and 2008 of blogging, helping taking care of the Edwardses' websites. Elizabeth put it this way to the campaign workers after John left the race--as described in her new chapter of Resilience:

The race is over for John, and in most ways it would seem that your efforts for his candidacy were for nothing, but that is not right, When some mentions health care, remember that your work got out the first health care plan among these candidates and set the bar for what they would have to say...and pat yourself on the back."

Well, we haven't seen them in the way we've wanted, but Elizabeth is right in general.

Yes, John Edwards misused a lot of money on that mistress of his and got lost in his own mirror of who he was or said he was. Like Elizabeth, I did believe in that John, and I was "seeing what you wanted to see, what you needed to be the truth. Believe in people is what we should do.." and her other words, which connect me to Gilbert's lesson, "Living and believing and loving are not a waste."

Ironic that new chapter of Resilience was written shortly after I saw Elizabeth last.

I hope to strike that balance that Elizabeth Gilbert has found (with Mr. Benny) and an inner peace of a transformed Elizabeth Edwards is uncovering in being alone at times.

Gilbert has said that many women have taken to her book because they know what it is like to be disappointed, to have disappointed themselves, and disappointed someone else. I think if Roger Ebert would have read the book, as he did not, he might have picked up on that theme.

Readers will note I have put away John's picture and have changed my theme--just slightly--to reflect "attraversiamo"--the cross over to what is really my world.

Do see the movie, Eat Pray Love.

Pax.

Update: due to some a-holes by acting like Fox News regulars who believe I am "sick" by admitting family problems and learning from mistakes--and how these same folks despise the Edwards family, I have removed the more intimate parts of this post. I'm not afraid for myself, but I dislike it when these same jokers refuse to be honest about why they attack me otherwise without any substance--and I will do no harm to my friends from the Edwards campaign. Obviously, intimacy is an issue for them. They are just interested in being a-holes.

Gold Dust Woman

To John's mistress, understand this website is more devoted to Elizabeth A. Edwards' ideals, not yours. You are a Gold Dust Woman, and Elizabeth has more grace.

Sure Miss this Politician

http://www.democrats.org/a/2007/02/john_edwards_vi.php

(Flash 8.0 required)

He was right then. Too bad his personal life was different from the politician I wanted in the WH.

Those ideas, likely EE's too, are still on the backburner.

DU Forum Name Change?

Inspired, whom I know from the trails in Iowa, has suggested that the JRE supporters group be renamed the Elizabeth Edwards Supporters group. I actually favor the idea since EE was likely the brains behind the ideas in the last campaign.

I will always feel inspired here though by JRE and I would have not been able to meet his wonderful wife otherwise. I still wish she was POTUS or FL, although I have become a fan of Michelle Obama.

If are a DU'er and want to see that forum's name change, go here.

Soap Opera Media

Geez, is this the best investigative journalism we can get? National Enquirer types who are attempting to get prizes for exposing a personal affair?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/27/edwards.split/index.html

When it is pornographic intent from a rejected lover to trap someone (male or female) (unless there is evidence of physical harm) and another issue when sexual or other abuses are done to youth under the age of 17? There is quite a bit of difference.

How one one get a tape of such evidence if there wasn't a plotting to trap someone like John Edwards (vis a vie possibly Young and the Gold Dust Woman) for extortion? I don't have evidence, I just watch Law and Order. I'm glad I was not and still not privy to any of this tabloid journalism. Just a volunteer and an observer.

No one can wait for history, I guess. History was 5 minutes ago if one is a wantabe as a celebrity.

My sympathy goes out to Elizabeth and to John (to a certain extent, but he really got himself into a mess--and my concern is without further counseling, he will continue on this path) , but no sympathy towards the Gold Dust woman. I do feel for Quinn, who is the most victimized due to two very self-absorbed unmarried parents, especially her lazy mother who was a party person with malice. A gold buddha indeed about the child. How sad.

But what happened to health care? Jobs? Economy?

Guess the Gold Dust woman doesn't care about those things at all. No wonder EE is unhappy, and the children are in tabloids' harms ways.

Geesh.

An JRE Ideas Supporter

Hello John Edwards.

The media loved you when you won big lawsuits for the little person. The media loved you for being the underdog in a senate race 12 years ago. They sort of liked you when you garnered Al Gore's attention for a potential VP nominee in 2000. But they didn't like you in the 2007-8 race for President.

Now, they despise you for stepping out on your wife, thanks to your mistake of being involved with someone not at your social-economic status that you brought your family to due to being a great lawyer. I guess your greatest mistake was underestimating a person who was lazy and never wanted to work --- an antithesis to your own beliefs. I don't like what you did either but I still think it wasn't my business--it was between you and the families involved.

Now I will bring this post to a third person mode.

I never liked John for just being a good looking politician, even if the media did for awhile. I was inspired by him for his ideas, especially being for bold change. As someone who was never involved in politics before, I got involved, and if one talks to other JRE ideas supporters, they will tell you the same story in feeling inspired to help our country. I might add I became a more informed citizen about our government. My hair stylist fires questions at me than anyone else because she trusts my views about various events. We had a big discussion yesterday about what happened in MA and she listens to my opinions since I plug into the blogs. And like me, she doesn't care about JRE's sex scandals. She cares about our country in general.

John helped define the other leading candidates (exception, Dennis K) who were more about identity politics than having ideas. I liked what one of my fellow supporters said about the three candidates in 2007: if you want an engineer of change, you voted for Edwards. If you wanted a shop manager, you voted for Clinton. If you wanted a great salesman, you voted for Obama.

And guess what the media wanted?

John went to Haiti this week and brought back 31 refugees. And the media thinks this is a gimmick? It's not. I know John Edwards in this regard: he cares about the most impoverished. He took the time to meet with me in 2006 privately and was interested in my family history of a family who struggled, just as his did.

Thanks, John Edwards for going to Haiti. And I still wish you were President at times because I think you would have obtained more change that we needed. But America forgives rich Republicans for their un-puritanical mistakes, and not well-heeled Democrats.

Back to MA--a final note: guess what, MA voters were pissed at our POTUS? Why? Here's the answer. John Edwards would have already had health care in the bag and moved on.

Two Families: So Different

One woman of a family thinks of entitlements for having sex with a wealthy politician; the other is a recent widow and has two sons with cerebral palsy. For the second family, my workplace raised over $1200 and bought most of this following wish list:

Mom

Tide laundry soap
Baby wipes
Shampoo
Cascade Action packs



Oldest Son, age 24, confined to wheelchair

Shirts, adult size L
Jeans, 32 W, 32 L

More visual, can’t use hands very much, enjoys animated movies


Younger son, age 12, also confined to wheelchair

Shirts, child size medium or size 8
Pants or jeans, size 10

Hotwheels, just the cars
Transformer toys
Transformer II movie


Household

Both boys could use new sheet sets for bedding, twin size, no flannel

Bath towels, wash clothes

Kitchen towels

Pots and pans


In addition, staff brought cards, postage stamps, etc. I bought for them one of the sets of sheets (some nice all cotton ones).

Can you imagine wishing for laundry detergent and shampoo as personal gifts?


BW readers, we asked what the mom wanted for herself. She said she liked scented candles.

Mind you we are facing furloughs and layoffs.

The Gold Dust Woman in JRE's life is something else to demand 18K a month and doesn't even try to work. She is selfish and lazy.

I call her that based on this song by Fleetwood Mac:

http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoafteck.html

Poverty will always tug at my heart strings. I will not understand why John got involved with such a low class (in spirit) woman and put his family through the tabloids. This woman is capable of working and chooses not to. She is not the working poor when she demands $2100 for babysitting expenses and doesn't try to work.

Quick Dispatch from Kissimmee, FL

Hello BW readers,

It's been awhile since I've posted. Why? I've been on vacation for the past week. It's been beautiful in Central FL, which is where I'm staying. Been doing Disney stuff, also saw the launch of the last flight for the shuttle Atlantis. Most of my photos are on Facebook since they are mobile, and the computer I am on doesn't allow downloads, so I cannot display them here at the moment. I'll try to get those to my flickr account this evening, then repost them here.

Today Mr. Benny continued doing apps for his job searches, and I took the afternoon off, just relaxing by the pool. The temp was identical for the air and water; about 83 deg I would guess. The sunset was fabulous; it looked like a glimpse of Jupiter, fading into the sunset.

I'll try to post once more before I leave. Meantime, what's on your mind? The flailing Senate health insurance bill? Gitmo prisoners moving to Illinois? Obama's campaign playing Chicago politics with the 2008 Edwards campaign? or something else?

More buzz l8tr...

Roxanne Conlin Announces Run for US Senate

Roxanne Conlin, a trial lawyer in Des Moines, announced her bid for the US Senate seat for next year. She hopes to win her primary first, then take on Grandpa Chuck Grassley, the incumbent. Roxanne's campaign released this two minute video that is more biographical and she uses her own voice to narrate it.



Her biography is here. It's no wonder that she was a big supporter of JRE; their personal stories are similar, although she has been an Assistant Attorney general and ran for governor in the 1980's.

Benny's World is taking an early position about this race: we hope Roxanne Conlin wins the Democratic primary next year, but we wish all Democratic candidates well in general. It's time someone represented Iowa's true interests, and Chuck Grassley is not doing it.

A Book I'm Not Likely to Buy

The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe.

He trashes JRE and EE about cutting deals. No, he forgot Obama was willing to be caught on tape that he wanted JRE's endorsement in visiting his house. EE was totally unimpressed with the visit according to my sources.

DP is a scrub. Kiss and tell like Georgie on "This Week."

I'll read the book when it is available at the public library.

JRE Supporter John O'Quinn Killed in Car Crash

I was perusing at the DU and saw this latest breaking news:

Texas plaintiff's attorney John O'Quinn died Thursday in a single car accident on a Houston roadway.

According to the Houston Chronicle, O'Quinn and another man, who has not been identified, were in a black Suburban traveling at a high rate of speed on the Allen Parkway, just west of downtown Houston.

Police reported that around 8 a.m. Oct. 29, the SUV crossed two medians and then hit a tree. Roads were slick due to light rain during the morning.

I thought I recognized that he was a friend of JRE. I was right.

O'Quinn, 68, was one of the most well known trial attorneys in the country, and a big supporter of the Democratic Party.

He was one of the largest donors to presidential candidate John Edwards in the last election, and gave $2.5 million to Chris Bell who tried unsuccessfully to unseat Texas Gov. Rick Perry in 2006.

O'Quinn first gained national attention in the early 1990s when he won $100 million for plaintiffs alleging health problems from silicone breast implants.

The Chronicle quoted Houston attorney Dan Cogdell:

"In his day, he was an incredibly gifted trial lawyer," Cogdell said. "John was a controversial figure, but he was always a gentleman to me, and gave a lot to our community. Everybody’s just in a state of shock, even criminal lawyers."

I remember that race with Chris Bell in particular, who was also a JRE supporter. It was a close race.


Tragedy for the O' Quinn family. JRE must be devastated too.

h/t to create peace at the DU.

Elizabeth Edwards About Her Cancer on Local TV

Elizabeth was interviewed this week on one of the local channels. My understanding is EE was also a speaker at one of the universities this week concerning her battle with breast cancer. As she said in the interview, cancer may win, but why give anymore days or time to that process.



Keep fighting the good fights, Elizabeth. Especially when you are asked your expert opinion on other matters such as bankruptcy legislation that is being considered for medical care expense reform.

Now we need it for dogs, cats, and horses. Vet bills are expensive, and often pets are members of our families too.

UPDATE: Indyvoter posted a link to a C-SPAN recorded testimony about medical debt.

That makes sense to me. I couldn't figure out why the news would ignore this important hearing in the story. I guess they got short on time.

Here's a link too to the written statement.

Great smackdown by Senator Franken about stupid data samples concerning cancer rates around the world--and the lack of correlation to medical debt.

Elizabeth also does a polite smackdown of Sen. Jeff Session's comments about foreclosures and different states' provisions on chapter 7. He didn't appear to understand what he voted for in 2005. I noticed he sought her out after the hearing.

Support Senator Sheldon Whitehouse's bill, Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2009. Senator Russ Feingold has requested to be a co-sponsor. It is S. 1624. Let's reform health care, not just health insurance.

JRE supporters may recall JRE was against the Bankruptcy bill in 2005, and here's why (from TPM Cafe).

Resilence: Another Family's Story

This afternoon, Mr. Benny and I had to make a visit to our veterinarian. Our remaining Aussie Shepherd, Sydney, was low in spirits, would not eat, and had trouble getting up. Her symptoms appeared similar to her sister, Mattie, who went to Rainbow Bridge on October 30, 2008.

We had thought the worst and had expected to help transition Syd as we did with her sister to Rainbow Bridge. However, Syd rebounded yesterday afternoon. She ate some dog food out of a can and she was able to walk a bit better last night. Her spirits and face looked less sad. It was as though Syd knew we weren't ready for her to go; she didn't wish to disappoint us as she knew how much we love her.

While I wish the latter were true, we had some tests run on Syd. Her blood platelet count was exceedingly low, but the rest of the blood levels were fine. However, the x-rays revealed some mitochondrial looking cells around her spleen, lungs, and near her main artery. Her lungs looked compromised. I don't recall what the technical terms are called, but to simplify for BW readers, she likely has two forms of cancer, one benign, the other probably malignant. She has arthritis too in her back, but luckily, we had already started giving her vitamin supplements for it, and it's not quite as bad as it was for Mattie last year.

BW readers remember all too painfully about Elizabeth when her cancer returned with a vengence; this time, there would be no cure. She would have to take meds on a regular basis. We know from interviews and other sources (such as the book Resilence) that Elizabeth gets transfusions in addition to her daily tablet.

And if that weren't enough, her family suffered some other set backs. I read another story in the LA Times this evening about the awkward moments in a restaurant recently. Must be hard on the children, although Elizabeth is still considered popular in the area.

Benny's real world outside of this blog has experienced some setbacks as well. We lost Mattie 50 weeks ago. My momma died 6 months ago. Mr. Benny is now unemployed and while he gets some interviews, more places in his field are pulling the positions, or the HR departments are so sloppy in their "no thanks" responses. Some places haven't offered to pay for his mileage or for a meal in return for driving many hours for the one hour interview. Times have been tough for him. It's demoralizing at times.

Yours truly has taken on extra interim work where I am employed. I receive a stipend for it, albeit I've not seen it yet in my paycheck. Our work place is so stretched that it's hard to get all of the administrative tasks done in a timely manner. I don't make it a habit to talk about my work here, so I won't tell you what I'm doing. But I will say that I'm hoping the experience will pay off on my long term plans of moving ahead in my career. The stipend, when I see it, will be helpful in supporting my family.

I think it would not be wise to put myself in Elizabeth's and JRE's shoes because our situation is very different. Elizabeth and John live a relatively comfortable life. She gets the best health care money can buy (although she wishes for a Medicare option for anyone as I do). Mr. Benny is now on my health insurance, but we have to watch very carefully how it is used. Mr. Benny has make 5 contacts a week to earn his unemployment check. No one in the Edwards family has have to work, although Elizabeth chose to open a part-time furniture store just to leave a legacy for her children to remember. But what Elizabeth's family and my family have in common is that we will continue in the long term to be resilient. We will have more valleys than peaks for the months to come, but we welcome the peaks when they arise.

And in living with Syd's cancer, we were given two options: we could get an ultrasound to confirm, but we also were told that even if Syd would be operated on, she is at high risk for expiring on the operating table in problems with anesthesia. Her tests today were $405. We know we can't afford surgery for her, but even if we could, her survival rate wouldn't be much more than she has in just living with the condition.

Sydney was resilient today. She was happy, went for a short walk, and she had a good appetite this evening. She will continue to have collapses as she did last weekend where she may rebound but each time, the recovery time will take longer--or she may just finally go in her sleep. The vet said she may live a few more weeks or even months, or she may have another relapse in the next days. However, Mr. Benny and I decided not to go forward on other procedures for Syd. We will live each day with her (and for that matter, Elmora, who is afflicted with feline hyperthyroidism, but holding her own at the moment) as though it is another gift from the universe.

We thank all of the BW readers for their positive thoughts and prayers, and ask that you continue to send them as Syd moves through the last days of her earth journey. You are welcome to submit your thoughts in the comments section, even it is a struggle you are experiencing and would like prayers from us.

Blessed be.
Update: Let it Be:

John Edwards Mentioned Positively in a New Poverty Book

A book called Breadline USA: The Hidden Scandal of American Hunger and How to Fix It was published in June. My institution bought a copy and I thumbed through it. Sure enough, on pages 156-7, JRE is mentioned twice.

The context is about pensions (and folks getting cheated out of them when companies declared bankruptcy) within a chapter entitled, "Elderly, Angry, and Looking for Work."

First quote:

"And while leading Democrats, such as ex-Senator John Edwards had long pushed for a reform of the bankruptcy process that better protected workers' pensions and prevented the executives of bankrupt companies from walking away with multimillion-dollar handouts, the Bush White House wasn't interested in such safeguards."

Second quote:

"During his campaign for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, John Edwards claimed that from 2005 through early 2008 nearly two-thirds of US companies had frozen their pension plans, and one in five workers had actually seen reductions in the size of their eventual retirement benefits. This trends was a startling reversal of three quarters of a century of government policy aimed to shore up and protect the nation's pension systems."

The point here is that our elderly got ripped off and had to go to Wal-Mart or some where else to earn extra money.

http://tinyurl.com/ljtllx (link to Amazon copy)

You know, I bet this nonsense is still going on and no one is paying attention to it, even with a centrist administration.

I sure miss his voice. I think Earl Ofari Hutchinson did too when he penned his piece this week, "Poverty Is Still a Dirty Word."