John Edwards

For the 18th century preacher, see Jonathan Edwards.

John Edwards, is a prominet leftist and Democratic candidate for Vice President and running mate of John Kerry for the 2004 presidential elections. He is known for his advocacy of socialist policies.

Early Life and Education

John Edwards was born in Seneca, South Carolina on June 10, 1953. He grew up in Robbins, North Carolina, and graduated from North Carolina State University in 1974, and received a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1977.

In 1977, he married Elizabeth Anania. Their son Wade was born in 1979 and daughter Cate in 1982. Following Wade's death in a car accident in 1996, the couple chose to have more children. Emma Claire was born 1998, and Jack was born in 2000.

Private Sector

Edwards served as a personal injury trial lawyer in Tennessee and in North Carolina for 20 years, specializing in negligence and medical malpractice suits. Critics ascribe Edwards personal fortune as having been amasssed preying on malpractice victims and using junk science to win large settlements. Michael Medved said "Ambulance chasers like Edwards don’t create wealth; they seize wealth from its creators...There are also serious questions about his misuse of his own S-type corporation to dodge taxes, and the shady sale of his previous mansion in Georgetown in a sweetheart deal with a supporter who’s currently under government investigation....lawsuits on which Edwards built his career damaged the economy ...building nothing at all and benefiting only the lawyer and his clients. On what basis can Democrats argue that government should cap or actively discourage big salaries for successful corporate heads, but never consider such a limitation for a court-room conniver like Edwards?" The deal Edwards pocketed the most from was a $25 million suit for a girl who was disemboweled by a swimming pool drain.

Political Career

In 1998, Edwards ran as the Democratic candidate for a seat in the U.S. Senate. He beat incumbent Senator Lauch Faircloth to win the seat.

Edwards served in the Senate for one year, declining to stand for re-election so that he could run for the 2004 Democratic party nomination for president. He withdrew from the presidential race on March 2, 2004 after failing to win any state of the 10 contested states in the Super Tuesday elections. Democratic nominee John Kerry named Edwards as his vice-presidential candidate for the Democratic ticket.

The Kerry-Edwards ticket lost to incumbent president George W. Bush and Dick Cheney with 48% of the vote to the Republicans' 51%.

2008 Presidential Candidacy

On December 28, 2005, John Edwards officially announced that he would again seek the Democratic nomination for president for the 2008 election.

Edwards is reported to be miffed over having been branded "the Breck Girl" in the 2004 Vice Presidential contest. Columnist Joan Vennochi characterized Edwards problem, "Usually, women are forced to ward off stereotypical thinking that equates beauty with brainlessness. But Edwards is not the first male politician to feel the double-edged sword that comes with being too pretty to be taken seriously." In the spring of 2007, Edwards reimbursed his campaign $800 for two $400 haircuts.

On Memorial Day 2007 Edwards was accused of using the National Holiday to "trash the sacrifice, honor and glory of American soldiers."

Political views

During his Senate career and the 2004 presidential campaign, one of Edwards' main themes was "Two Americas," contrasting the poorer working-class Americans with wealthier Americans. Critics cite the hypocricy of Edwards call for "affordable health care," when it is malpractice attorneys that use junk science to win big awards such as himself that have made the cost of health care beyond the reach of the poor.

Criticism

Edwards came under fire for not firing two of his campaign workers who made bigoted and hateful statements on their blogs. Statements included calling Christian supporters of President Bush his "wingnut Christofascist base", asking what would have happened if the Virgin Mary had taken an emergency contraceptive, and asking religious conservatives "What don't you lousy motherf——ers understand about keeping your noses out of our britches, our beds and our families?". These incidents were largely ignored by the mainstream media. Edwards was criticized for not firing the employees, but they later resigned themselves.

Critics also cite Edwards lack of government experience. The most often heard criticism is that, other than the fact he has a full head of hair, there is little else to qualify him as a candidate.

Post Political Career

After losing the bid for vice president in the 2004 election, he became the director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Miscellania

Books

The Four Trials (with John Auchard), about his career as a lawyer

Trivia

The $25 million settlement was the largest in NC history.

Recently, Elizabeth Edwards called Ann Coulter by phone on Chris Matthews HARDBALL to express her concern about some comments made by Coulter, which Edwards felt were offensive. These included Coulter calling John Edwards a "faggot" at a C-PAC gathering , using a tasteless comment by Bill Maher to make a tasteless comment about Edwards in which she expressed the hope he would be killed in a terrorist attack, , and telling a "joke" about Elizabeth and John Edwards' dead son in which she pictured Edwards driving a car with a bumpersticker that read " "Ask me about my son's death in a horrific car accident"

Sources

http://johnedwards.com/