John Edwards Stands Down: Full Text Of His '08 Departure Speech

The entire speech is available here, and John Edwards was eloquent as he left the 2008 presidential race today: "It is time for me to step aside so that history can blaze its path. We do not know who will take the final steps to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but what we do know is that our Democratic Party will make history. We will be strong, we will be unified, and with our convictions we will take back the White House in November and we'll create hope and opportunity for this country."

There is more from New Orleans. His words were gracious and uplifting. Still, I had a pang of triste as he stood down.

Martin Luther King III To John Edwards: My Father Would Be Proud Of You

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The son of martyred civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King has penned a letter that praises Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards. It is not exactly an endorsement, yet is more, a portrayal of Edwards as someone truly committed to Dr. King's dream of a just society. MLK III's last paragraph captures the essence:

"So, I urge you: keep going. Ignore the pundits who think this a horserace, not a fight for justice. My dad was a fighter. As a friend and a believer in my father's words that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, I say to you: keep going. Keep fighting. My father would be proud."

John Edwards In Nevada: Reno Gazette Poll Shows 'Meteoric Rise'

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- John Edwards seems to have made up a lot of ground in Nevada, where a Reno Journal-Gazette poll of 500 likely Democratic caucus voters shows he's barely trailing second-place Hillary Clinton. The poll was taken last weekend -- after the New Hampshire primary -- and the Nevada newspaper's political writer Anjeanette Damon says it represents a "meteoric rise" for Edwards since November. (The link will take you to a site where you can find the complete poll.)

Obama now gets 32%, Clinton 30% and Edwards 27%. The results show Obama overtaking Clinton. Damon, who has covered Nevada politics and state government for nearly a decade, thinks the shift means something is brewing.

"There is not too much to explain John Edwards meteoric rise in the poll (to 27 percent from 12 percent in November). I hear that other internal polls done in the state have a close Clinton-Obama race, with Edwards lagging a bit more than our poll found. But it's picking up on something."

She added: "A big percentage of voters can change their minds before Saturday. Nine percent are undecided and 12 percent can change their minds."

Could it be that Edwards emphasis of economic issues has found traction in Nevada, a state that leads the nation in foreclosures?

On the GOP side, it was John McCain, 22%; Rudy Giuliani 18%; Mike Huckabee 16%; Mitt Romney 15%, and Fred Thompson 11%. The poll was taken before Romney's win in Michigan.

Hillary's Problem In Michigan: 'Uncommitted' Could Beat Her In Dem Primary

CINCINNANTI (TDB) -- A political science professor who is one of the national go-to guys about state politics in neighboring Michigan says Hillary Clinton faces a serious hurdle in Tuesday's Democratic primary: Voters have the option of choosing "uncommitted."

Stewart L. French notes that Clinton is the only big name on the Dem ballot, and 'uncommitted' could prove attractive to supporters of Barack Obama, John Edwards and even Al Gore. French, of Saginaw Valley State University, told the Michigan Messenger that he thinks Clinton needs more than 60% of Tuesday's vote to crow she is a winner. If it is a lesser total, he thinks she gets written off as not being able to trounce a field that didn't even bother to campaign.

"God knows what is going to happen on the Democratic side. If she gets 60%, everyone will shrug and say of course she won, she was the only one on the ballot." According to the story: "The worst case scenario for Clinton would be if 'uncommitted' wins. Edwards and Obama could use that to cast doubt on Clinton's candidacy going forward."

Strange Clinton Website: Too Much Money, Or Too Many Lawyers?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Why would anyone even bother to create and compile something like this? It seems to be proof that presidential campaign spending is completely out of control. Or that somebody has a really thin skin.

'Cooter' Campaigns For John Edwards: He Also Sells Rebel Flags

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ben Jones, the former Georgia congressman who played "Cooter" on the Dukes of Hazzard TV show, has a key role in a DVD John Edwards' presidential campaign is distributing across Iowa. The video plays up Edwards' small town roots. It doesn't highlight Jones' affinity for the Confederate flag.

The Edwards backer's Web site is big on redneck culture, and sells the flags and flag-bedecked goodies by urging folks to "display your southern heritage with pride." Others see displaying such symbols of southern heritage as less to do with heritage, and more to do with racism and slavery and white supremacy. Confederate flags can -- and do --stand for the days of segregation.

Jones served two terms in the House from a Georgia district. He's a Democrat and now lives in Virginia. He's an entrepreneur and entertainer who played a mechanic on the Duke's TV show. Iowa political blogger Dien Judge was put off by Edwards' rural DVD, which he described as "about as hokey as a possum wearin' bib overalls." Judge did not pick up on the rebel flag issue.

The Daily Bellwether thinks Edwards needs to distance himself from Jones right away. He should not consort with someone who sells Confederate-themed merchandise, including flags, mugs, afghans, aprons, playing cards and "a hand-held rebel flag that measures 12x7[inches], great for parades, picnics, and other family events." What kind of parade? A KKK march?

Iowa blogger Judge says Edwards' rural strategist Dave "Mudcat'' Saunders has been in touch and explains the DVD is meant to show that Edwards' is passionate bout rural issues. "And the intention of if was that we wanted to show John's roots. We wanted to show where he came from, because an acorn don't fall far from a tree."

No problem with that. Just get rid of the guy who sells Confederate memorabilia.

In John Boehner's Ohio Backyard: Hillary Clinton Wins Dem Straw Poll

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio (TDB) -- Sen. Hillary Clinton cruised to an easy victory in a presidential straw poll sponsored by the Butler County Democratic Party. John Edwards came in second. While official numbers are not yet up on the SW Ohio party's Web site, county chairman Ron Wardrup confirmed the New York senator's win. He told The Daily Bellwether:

"It was a pretty big win for her, she sort of ran away from everybody. Edwards was second, Obama was third. Hillary was big. I don't know if I would say I was surprised. But it was a pretty good win."

Wardrup said the official numbers should be available by tomorrow. He is an official with the United Steelworkers Union, which is officially supporting Edwards. Butler County and Middletown are the home of AK Steel, and while the county votes Republican, labor is still a force in local Democratic politics. The county is also the home of House Minority Leader John Boehner, and it gave President Bush a huge margin over John Kerry in 2004. Wardrup didn't come right out and say it during the interview, but others who spoke with The Bellwether said Butler County did not seem to be the kind of place that would be warm toward a Hillary Clinton candidacy, even among Dems. Wardrup said the straw poll seems to show Hillary has support in unexpected places.

"She certainly has an organization at the lower levels (grassroots) right now. They're more active. I don't think Edwards and Obama are out of the race, but she's strong. Labor supported Bill Clinton. We're not happy with the position he took on NAFTA, or trade in general. But labor can live with her, too. "

Wardrup doesn't buy into the theory that Hillary Clinton is unelectable in a general.

"I have heard that buzz some. I guess you could pose the same thing with any candidate, regardless of sex or race. Personally, I'd be satisfied with any of the top candidates. I couldn't say I dislike Hillary or Obama. They are certainly good candidates."

Ohio Dem Straw Poll Results: Obama Tops Hillary

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Sen. Barack Obama cruised to a solid victory in the first presidential straw poll sponsored by a Democratic organization in Ohio. He received 36% of the vote in the non-binding beauty contest last night sponsored by the Hamilton County Democratic Party. The ballots were counted by optical-scan voting machines operated by volunteers from the county's board of election. Sen. Hillary Clinton finished second with 24% and John Edwards was third with 22%.

[UPDATE: 7:50 AM edt -- Here's another straw poll story from this morning's Cincinnati Enquirer. It is by the newspaper's veteran political writer Howard Wilkinson, who crossed paths a few times with The Bellwether at the event last night. In his report today, Wilkinson didn't seem to think much of Obama's showing. And he didn't seem to capture the enthusiasm of the straw poll process.]

Critics could dismiss the straw poll as unscientific, and they would be correct to a point. But the top tier of the Democratic field finished as the top tier, just as they do in the national polls except for one significant difference -- Clinton was not on top.

There were 285 ballots cast in a theater in a city neighborhood where the county Democratic organization held a rally for its City Council candidates. All the party's announced 2008 candidates were listed on the ballot. Al Gore, the party's 2000 nominee, was not included in the straw poll because he says he in not running, said Party Chair Tim Burke.

Here are the numbers and percentage for each candidate:

1. Barack Obama, D-Ill. -- 102 votes, 36%.

2. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y. -- 69 votes, 24%.

3. John Edwards, D-N.C. -- 64 votes, 22.4%.

4. Dennis Kucinich, D-OH. -- 17 votes, 6%.

5. Bill Richardson, D-N.M. -- 16 votes, 6%.

6. Joe Biden, D-DEL. -- 13 votes, 5%.

7. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. -- 4 votes, 2%.

8. Mike Gravel, D-Alaska -- 0.

The straw poll results run counter to scientific sampling by Quinnipiac University, which found earlier this month that Clinton was supported by 44% of Ohio Democrats sampled. Her lead put her far ahead of Obama at 15%. Edwards had 11% and the rest of the field, including Kucinich, was in single digits. National polls in the last three weeks also show Clinton with a huge lead, ranging from 18 to 20 points over Obama. Pollster Scott Rasmussen's survey of 750 likely voters Sept. 5-8 found Clinton supported by 43% of Democrats, and he has already declared her the default victor on the party's presidential primaries before a single vote has been cast.

Paul DeMarco, a Cincinnati lawyer who is organizing for the Obama campaign in Ohio, said the straw poll signals that the Hillary Clinton juggernaut may be overrated.

"We had a sense we would do very well. It doesn't take anything to turn out Barack supporters. It's like selling ice in the desert. This is important for us because it shows that his accessible campaign is working. He's been in Hamilton County four times, and anybody who wanted to see him could get in to see him and hear what he had to say. So that has generated tremendous energy. We think he's got appeal, and this shows that people will come out and vote for Barack Obama. Sure it's an important win. It may be a straw poll, but I'm really, really elated. "

Three Foreclosed Cleveland Homes: Links To John Edwards Mortgage Co. Investment

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Follow this thread on John Edwards campaign blog and you get a sense that some of his supporters are worried about the Democratic presidential candidate's holdings in Fortress Investment Group. They see the 34 foreclosed homes in New Orleans and 3 in Cleveland as undercutting Edwards theme that he supports the nation's economic underdogs. The right-leaning Washington Times attacked Edwards in an editorial and FOX New Channel is delivering more tonight.

Edwards is campaigning in New Hampshire. He probably needs to do more to counter the negative publicity, which is building upon a Wall Street Journal story earlier this month that detailed the former North Carolina senator's investments. Some of his supporters in Ohio that I know are taking another look at Edwards, and admit they were taken by surprise by the news. They realized Edwards was wealthy, but they didn't know where he put his money. And they aren't happy about the things they have learned in the past two weeks. Clearly, Edwards has been damaged by the disclosures, and I have heard talk that one passionate Edwards supporter is switching allegiance to Obama. Arguments that Edwards is the victim of a right wing attack aimed at discrediting a progressive candidate aren't going to get him off the hook.

Cincinnati Dems: Schedule Ohio's First Democratic Straw Poll For September

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The presidential campaign season in political bellwether Ohio has not yet kicked into high gear like Iowa with its early caucuses and New Hampshire and South Carolina, with their early in the nation primaries. But the state is going to get a huge of amount of attention next month because the Hamilton County Democratic Party is sponsoring a presidential straw poll. It could offer some strong signals into which top tier contender is really up in this critical state -- Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama or former Sen. John Edwards.

Is it possible there could be a dark horse somewhere within the rest of the field? Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich?

The Hamilton County Dems are calling their Tuesday, Sept. 11 beauty contest the first Presidential Straw Poll sponsored in Ohio by an arm of the Demcratic Party. Balloting take place at the 20th Century, an old movie theater on the city's east side. The theater is in the Oakley neighborhood. Dems are also going to hear from ODP executive director Doug Kelly, and there is going to be a presentation on how to become a convention delegate.

But the big show, no doubt, will be the straw poll. Expect a standing room crowd.

Bottomline: No top tier candidate can afford to take a drubbing because the next-day headlines would be brutal. And might even be fatal. Who wants to be known as a loser in Ohio, the bellwether state, the center of the political universe when it comes to presidential elections?

[UPDATE: 6:50 PM edt -- Just dug into the Bellwether archives and saw that SW Ohioans can be pretty prescient straw pollers. In February, when the national pundits were saying John McCain was the GOP front runner, Hamilton County Republicans picked Rudy Giuliani as their favorite. They gave him a big win during an annual pancake breakfast where a poll is conducted during election years. McCain was crushed in the voting, and the loss now looks like a portent the Arizona senator's presidential campaign was not generating sparks.]

[UPDATE: 8:12 AM edt -- The Plain Dealer's Washington Bureau Chief Steve Koff picked up on the straw poll item and credits the The Bellwether. Ripples are starting spread. Watch to see if the political beauty contest in Cincy becomes one of the more important campaign agenda items in September. No doubt that FOX and CNN and MSNBC will all decide to give it coverage, probably live.]

Kucinich: Wants One On One Debates With Hillary & Edwards

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich is steamed that John Edwards and Sen. Hillary Clinton were caught whispering after the NAACP candidates' forum in Detroit that some hopeless hopefuls needed to be cut from future debates. Edwards mouthed into Clinton's ear that the Dems needed a "smaller group" and Clinton whispered back, "We've got to cut the number."

A news video of their post-debate encounter (sorry about the short commercial before the good part begins) seems to show Clinton remarked that some of the candidates turned things trivial. Kucinich now is calling the two "imperial" and took their comments as a conspiracy, finding in them "an attempt to rig the primary election." He's firing off a press release making that claim today, although it apparently has yet to be posted on his presidential campaign website.

"If they want to exclude me and other candidates from the process, why not have the courage to say so publicly instead of whispering it in a way that smacks of collusion, conspiracy and subterfuge."

The Cleveland congressman is also sending letters proposing one-one-one debates with Edwards and Sen. Clinton. He said there should not be time limits topics. "If you are truly seeking debates where they are fewer participants and where there is more meaningful and serious discourse, this is a great opportunity for us to join together in an open discussion on behalf of the American people."

Another way to look at it: Clinton and Edwards might actually get words in edgewise if Kucinich weren't around. Nobody who counts thinks he's a serious contender, they tend to see him as a tireless self-promoter, like the guy who claimed he invented the airplane before the Wright brothers.

Is Obama Stealing Edwards Lines? In Chicago Some Say Yes

CHICAGO (TDB) -- Illinois Sen. Barack Obama is getting roughed up in the Windy City for using a line in his stump speeches that nearly carbon copies the original crafted by John Edwards, who is trailing the Chicagoan in the Democratic presidential primary race. Obama has been saying something like this: "I've been long enough in Washington to know that Washington needs change." He delivered that line Tuesday to the Communications Workers of America in Chicago.

(The Bellwether is in Chicago for a few days doing some scoping.) But Sun-Times political columnist Lynn Sweet went after Obama right away -- as did others here -- and pointed out that Edwards long ago used a similar line. What did Edwards say? In his 2003 presidential campaign, the then North Carolina senator would remark, "I've spent enough time in Washington to know how much we need to change Washington."

Columnist Sweet ripped Obama, saying he's becoming prone to gaffes as a campaigner. She said they were mounting, and particularly found his explanations about the Philip de Vellis "1984" anti-Hillary ad less than satisfactory. She wrote Obama told Larry King that the YouTUBE spot exceeded the skills and equipment his media consultants. "We don't have the technical capacity to create something like that," Obama told the CNN talk show host. But de Vellis claimed he did in on a Mac on a Sunday in his apartment.

"It's too early to say whether the gaffes slow Obama's momentum -- or if they become barricades, extracting a more significant price for the Illinois Democrat's White House bid. They are getting noticed."

She didn't mention that one major tracking poll, Rasmussen Reports, showed Obama's numbers fell last week after the Hillary ad dustup.

John Edwards on Katie Couric's Questions: She Did A Fine Job

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards says he has no beef with the questions Katie Couric asked during a March 25 interview on 60 Minutes. John and Elizabeth Edwards appeared on the CBS News show to discuss the reappearance of Elizabeth's breast cancer and the couple's decision to remain in the presidential race despite her illness.

Some critics have been hammering Couric on blogs because they consider her questions sensational or inappropriate. John Edwards released this statement saying he thought Couric did an excellent job. If he's happy, case closed.

"So no, I thought the questions were fair. Tough. I thought they were tough, but they were fair."

New Rasmussen Poll: Cancer Report And Edwards Gets Bump In Poll

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Weekly presidental tracking poll numbers for former Sen. John Edwards reached their highest level this year after his wife Elizabeth disclosed that her breast cancer had returned. Although John Edwards remains in third place in the Democratic 2008 presidential field, 17% now say they support him, a six point increase from the week before.

Elizabeth Edwards' cancer is incurable. Rasmussen Reports conducted a telephone survey of 757 likely Democratic voters March 19-22. Edwards held a press conference in Chapel Hill, N.C. last week and said he would not suspend his presidential campaign despite her illness, which she said is treatable.

Meanwhile, Sen. Hillary Clinton leads with 37% support, and Sen. Barack Obama is second with 25% support. Obama fell five points. Rasmussen did not offer a reason for the change, but Obama's campaign had to distance itself from an attack ad on YouTUBE that satirized Clinton as a figure from 1984. Philip de Vellis, who worked for a firm doing consulting for Obama's campaign, claimed credit for the ad, which copied an Apple Computer ad used during the 1984 Super Bowl game. De Vellis said he acted alone and was not coordinating with the Illinois senator's campaign.

Rasmussen said Hillary's lead was holding.

"In fact, ever since Al Gore was dropped from the list of contenders, Clinton's support has remained remarkably steady, ranging from 34% to 38% over a five week period."

[Now UPDATED W/Full Transcript] Take A Brief Peek At Elizabeth Edwards On CBS 60 Minutes Tonight

The Edwards on 60 Minutes: Don't vote out of sympathy.

"Elizabeth Edwards: Cancer took a lot away from us a few years ago. It took a year of my life and a lot of John's. I didn't want it to take this away not just from me but from those people who depend on our having the kind of president he would be.

"Katie Couric: Here you're staring at possible death...

"Elizabeth Edwards: Aren't we all though.

"Katie Couric: And you're thinking, "I don't want to deprive the country of having my husband lead us."

"Elizabeth Edwards: That would be my legacy wouldn't it, Katie. That I'd... that I'd... that I'd... that I'd taken out this fine man from the possibility of giving a great service. I mean, I don't want that to be my legacy.

"Katie Couric: Politics, as you know, can be a cynical business.

"John Edwards: No!

"Katie Couric: You didn't know that?

"John Edwards: Yeah, I was not aware of that.

"Katie Couric: Glad I... (laughter) I’m glad I could teach you something today. Some have suggested that you're capitalizing on this.

"John Edwards: Here's what I would say about that. First of all, there's not a single person in America that should vote for me because Elizabeth has cancer. Not a one. If you're considering doing it, don't do it. Do not vote for us because you feel some sympathy or compassion for us. That would be an enormous mistake. The vote for the presidency is far too important for any of those things to influence it. But, I think every single candidate for president, Republican and Democratic have lives, personal lives, that indicate something about what kind of human being they are. And I think it is a fair evaluation for America to engage in to look at what kind of human beings each of us are, and what kind of president we'd make.

"Katie Couric: Some people watching this would say, "I would put my family first always, and my job second." And you're doing the exact opposite. You're putting your work first, and your family second.

"John Edwards: But this is not work. Work is what I did as a lawyer. This is service. This is... this is a country that I love – both of us love, as much as we love our lives.

"Katie Couric: I guess some people would say that there's some middle ground. You don't have to necessarily stay at home and feel sorry for yourself, and do nothing. But, if given a finite – a possibly finite period of time on the planet – being on the campaign trail, away from my children, a lot of time, and sort of pursuing this goal, is not, necessarily, what I'd do.

"John Edwards: Well, but we all... we are all different, number one. Number two, we all have a finite period time, and the idea that we know what that finite period is, is a fantasy to begin with.

"Elizabeth Edwards: We learned that in ’96.

"John Edwards: As we learned in 1996, with our son. We don’t know what’s gonna happen. We don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow. We have to live today the best way we know how. And that's exactly what the two of us are doing. I do think, though, that we have to be very sensitive about the tension that exists between our wanting to serve our country, and our children.
Continued
1 2 3 4 5



CINCINNATI (TDB) -- CBS News now has some early video available of John and Elizabeth Edwards' appearance on 60 Minutes discussing the reappearance of breast cancer. An advance snippet shows her remarkably determined to keep the presidential campaign going.

Elizabeth is due at the Cleveland City Club tomorrow, March 26, and the Edwards campaign said Sunday she will be there for her address, which was scheduled before the diagnosis that cancer had returned.

The Edwards interview is conducted by Katie Couric, the CBS anchor who lost her own spouse to cancer. Couric asks Elizabeth about staring at the possibility of death, to which Elizabeth replies: "Aren't we all, though."

Latest Rasmussen Tracking Poll: Hillary's Lead Has Grown

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Rasmussen Reports weekly tracking survey is out and shows Sen. Hillary Clinton picked up 4 points and now has the support of 38% of likely Democratic presidential primary voters. That 38% marks a new high for the New York senator, who has opened quite a lead over her rivals, much of it because she is a favorite of women and has remained popular among black voters.

Some pundits have taken shots at Sen. Clinton as staged and stiff. But she just keeps holding her pace and the lead.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama remained No. 2 at 26%. No change. And former North Carolina Sen. John Edward was at 15%, holding third and also no change. Rasmussen surveyed 783 Americans March 5-8, which was after conservative polemicist Ann Coulter denounced Edwards as a "faggot." Coulter drew severe criticism for the anti-gay slur, and Edwards attacked the remark as offensive. However, he did not move up any in the polls.

Blacks are a major voting bloc in Democratic primaries, but neither Clinton nor Obama has locked up a majority of the African-American vote, Rasmussen said.

"Obama and Clinton are essentially even about African-American voters. Clinton leads Obama by 15 percentage points among women and by 7 among men."

Rasmussen called New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson " a very distant fourth" with just 3% of the vote.

John Edwards: Junk Touch-Screen Voting Machines

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Progressive Democrats of America says John Edwards spoke at a California event and said he wants to rid the nation of touch-screen voting. Many are suspicious that the machines can be jiggered to report inaccurate results. There is a movement out there that suspects John Kerry and John Edwards are not in office today because the 2004 election was rigged.

[UPDATE: This post is on the Edwards campaign Web site about his comments. Though not directly from the campaign, it does say Edwards wants DRE machines scrapped. However, there is an inconsistency. The post says he wants those eliminated that do not have paper trails. The other says paper and paperless. I'm attempting to find out what is up.]

Apparently, Edwards was questioned during an appearance four days ago in Pacific Palisades and said the machines must go. His campaign does not seem to have put out a presser. The PDA has a weblog and is reporting an exchange between Edwards and a questioner:

Q. "You know the effect new technology has had on our elections, and after working a year and a half on this, Progressive Democrats of America and others have identified that the worst offender is the touch-screen direct record electronic voting machine.

"Edwards nodded and vigorously drew a large X in the air in front of him with his free hand.

Q. "So I'm going to ask you, do you support complete removal of Touch-Screen Director Record Electronic voting from our election systems, with or without a paper trail?"

A. "Yes!" Edwards replied without elaboration or equivocation."

The blog report said the room erupted in cheers and applause. Election machinery is a sleeping issue on the trail. Questions about accuracy and access and competency are hot in Cuyahoga County, where the board of elections has been plagued with miscues and finally eased out the elections director. Democrat Jennifer Brunner made voting integrity the heart of her successful campaign for Ohio Secretary of State last year. Prediction here: As the campaign grinds along there will be a lot more said about voting and counting ballots correctly. There are too many people out there who don't trust the system to function properly and fairly.

How Soon We Forget: Conservatives Slammed Edwards Over Gay Remark

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- When former Sen. John Edwards was the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2004, Republicans were in high dudgeon accusing him of taking a cheap shot at Dick Cheney's daughter, who is a lesbian. By comparison, Ann Coulter's ''faggot" remark is radiocative.

Edwards mentioned Mary Cheney's sexual-orientation during a Cleveland debate at Case Western Reserve University. It touched off a hurricane of condemnation that nearly rivals the Category 5 storm now battering Ann Coulter, who dismissed Edwards as a "faggot" last week.

This Meet the Press transcript has former RNC chair Ken Mehlman firing flak at both Edwards, and Sen. John Kerry, for even discussing Mary Cheney, an official in the Bush campaign at the time, and using the word "gay." Mehlman said her lifestyle was a personal issue and off-limits. Neither Edwards nor Kerry used a slur to point out her sexual orientation.

MR. MEHLMAN: Well, Tim, I think it's pretty simple and I think that, as you pointed out, most of the American people understand it, and that is, it's wrong to bring up the private life of a member of the vice president or president's family to make a political point. It's that simple.

MR. MEHLMAN: Tim, I think fundamentally it's pretty simple. Again, you don't use the private lives of the member of the family for political purposes.

MR. MEHLMAN: Remember the famous Dean scream? The famous Dean scream was seen as relevant because it was a window into something that people thought was bigger. And I think what you saw when John Kerry--when he brought that inappropriate point up in the debate, it was part of a larger pattern here, a pattern of someone who is literally willing to say anything--anything--in order to win.

Mehlman's larger point is clear -- there are inappropriate topics that should be off-limits. By the standard he laid down in 2004 over the Edwards incident, Coulter's ''faggot" remark was nuclear by comparison. She's radioactive.

A portion of the exchange between Dick Cheney, John Edwards and moderator Gwen Ifill at the Cleveland debate that kept the row going is as follows:

IFILL: Senator Edwards, 90 seconds.

EDWARDS: . . . Now, as to this question, let me say first that I think the vice president and his wife love their daughter. I think they love her very much. And you can't have anything but respect for the fact that they're willing to talk about the fact that they have a gay daughter, the fact that they embrace her. It's a wonderful thing. And there are millions of parents like that who love their children, who want their children to be happy.
And I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman, and so does John Kerry.
I also believe that there should be partnership benefits for gay and lesbian couples in long-term, committed relationships.
But we should not use the Constitution to divide this country.
No state for the last 200 years has ever had to recognize another state's marriage.
This is using the Constitution as a political tool, and it's wrong.

IFILL: New question, but same subject.
As the vice president mentioned, John Kerry comes from the state of Massachusetts, which has taken as big a step as any state in the union to legalize gay marriage. Yet both you and Senator Kerry say you oppose it.
Are you trying to have it both ways?

EDWARDS: No. I think we've both said the same thing all along.
We both believe that -- and this goes onto the end of what I just talked about -- we both believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.
But we also believe that gay and lesbians and gay and lesbian couples, those who have been in long-term relationships, deserve to be treated respectfully, they deserve to have benefits.
For example, a gay couple now has a very difficult time, one, visiting the other when they're in the hospital, or, for example, if, heaven forbid, one of them were to pass away, they have trouble even arranging the funeral.
I mean, those are not the kind of things that John Kerry and I believe in. I suspect the vice president himself does not believe in that.
But we don't -- we do believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
And I want to go back, if I can, to the question you just asked, which is this constitutional amendment.
I want to make sure people understand that the president is proposing a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage that is completely unnecessary.
Under the law of this country for the last 200 years, no state has been required to recognize another state's marriage.
Let me just be simple about this. My state of North Carolina would not be required to recognize a marriage from Massachusetts, which you just asked about.
There is absolutely no purpose in the law and in reality for this amendment. It's nothing but a political tool. And it's being used in an effort to divide this country on an issue that we should not be dividing America on.
We ought to be talking about issues like health care and jobs and what's happening in Iraq, not using an issue to divide this country in a way that's solely for political purposes. It's wrong.

IFILL: Mr. Vice President, you have 90 seconds.

CHENEY: Well, Gwen, let me simply thank the senator for the kind words he said about my family and our daughter. I appreciate that very much.

Ohio Republican Party: Hillary Swipes Edwards' Rhetoric

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The Ohio Republican Party is out with a 10-page background document from RNC headquarters that roughs up Sen. Hillary Clinton and contends she has been borrowing her stump themes from others. Specifically, the GOP says she is echoing Democratic rival John Edwards, who trails her in the national polls but has been running strong in Iowa. "In Iowa, Hillary adapted Edwards ideas and rhetoric as her own," the GOP says. (Check page 2 of the document.)

The Republicans point out a handful of standard oratorical flourishes in phrases like "basic bargain" and "play by the rules" that crop up in Edwards campaign appearances over the past few years. And, of course, they both talk a lot about health care, especially for children. The GOP says Hillary has sounded too eerily similar recently -- but the material it cites seems to fall somewhat short of full copyright infringement.

Still, the GOP wisely is monitoring every word and may eventually catch one of the Democrats delivering another candidate's script. Wouldn't that make great TV?

Elizabeth Edwards On Ann Coulter: Drown Out Her Hate

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The spouse of former Sen. John Edwards says Americans should not sit silently when bigoted language is used in public. She wants people to keep the heat on conservative columnist Ann Coulter, who used the word "faggot" while speaking to CPAC last Friday.

Elizabeth Edwards is fanning outrage over Coulter's comment, which was directed at Edward's Democratic presidential campaign.

"But please find a way not to sit silent in acceptance. It doesn't change until we say we will not be silent when this happens," Elizabeth Edwards wrote. Coulter is notorious for using charged language. Elizabeth Edwards said a furious negative public reaction could drown out the hate she spews. "Nobody can stand by when words of bigotry and division are used."

Some have counseled ignoring Coulter, contending that reacting to her provocations only builds mystique and popularity.

Elizabeth Edwards blog post on the Edwards for president campaign Web site is HERE. It is now obvious that the campaign is not going to back away from the incident, and will instead use Coulter as a punching bag to generate money and sparks. Coulter's mouth may actually have put some octane in the campaign's tank at a time when it looked to be coasting.

Elizabeth Edwards said the lesson of the Coulter incident is that it is time for everyone to say they are "sick and tired" of hate words being introduced into the national dialogue. On that note, she is probably correct.