On The Political Level...

...I happen to think John Edwards is a shyster. He was as a lawyer and he was as my state senator.

The disclosure today that his wife's cancer has returned made me feel sorry for her and hence, by extension, him. Bone cancer is a slow and painful way to die. I've seen it. They put on their brave and kick-ass faces today, but I give her two years, tops. Unless they've made some strides in chemo over the past three years I'm not aware of. But, in the end, all you're doing is prolonging a life. And, as it goes, it gets worse the longer you go.

That said, this could catapult Edwards into the lead for the dems. All that talk of love of country, courage, stay the course and such is just mushy rhetoric, but it plays with people with a sympathetic bend to their personality. If he takes her on the campaign trail and parades her around as the suffering servant he just might beat the wicked witch from the west.

I feel sorry for their kids, however. I wouldn't like to have thought as a kid that my parents thought there was a cause greater than my being with them. But, it ain't my ass and I wouldn't vote for him anyways. I offer up my meager prayers for her. She seems like a good lady.