John Edwards Talks, But Not About Her

[waiting for hope]

Ex-presidential candidate sets rules for interview

By GREG WILSON
Updated 3:00 PM EDT, Wed, Jun 17, 2009

Disgraced former presidential candidate John Edwards has resurfaced, but don't ask him about his paramour and that baby that just might be his.

In an interview with the Washington Post, the former North Carolina senator discussed how hard he fights for the poor, how much he wants to help people and his lonely days in his 28,000-square-foot mansion outside of Chapel Hill. Strangely, Edwards' alleged affair with Rielle Hunter, her baby's paternity and a federal investigation into whether he used campaign funds to buy her off were off-limits.

Edwards seems to believe the country needs him more than ever.

"What happens now? If you were to ask people during the campaign who's talking most about , it was me," Edwards told the Post. "There's a desperate need in the world for a voice of leadership on this issue... The president's got a lot to do, he's got a lot of people to be responsible for, so I'm not critical of him, but there does need to be an aggressive voice beside the president."

Nearly a year ago, Edwards finally 'fessed up to cheating on his terminally-ill wife with a campaign associate back in 2006, taking pains to point out that at the time, her cancer was in remission.

Shortly afterward, he pretty much dropped out of sight. In October, he mourned the death of pal financial supporter Fred Baron, the rich lawyer who paid to move Hunter and her baby to Santa Barbara. In December, he helped deliver food and medication to Haiti.

~Snip~

While his wife was promoting her book and opening a furniture store, Edwards was in El Salvador, helping a group called Homes from the Heart with its work building houses and clinics and distributing sewing machines. The group's director, Michael Bonderer, was surprised when Edwards accepted his invitation.

"Obviously, he's got some problems, but he's a nice guy," Bonderer said. "I kind of didn't know that. I thought, 'What in God's name am I going to have when he gets here?' But he's a pretty down to earth guy."

Edwards was funny, Bonderer told the Post. "He jokes about how it's obvious that the American people don't want him to be president."

For his part, Edwards isn't ruling out a return to politics, but says that's not what he's focusing on now.

"The two things I'm on the planet for now are to take care of the people I love and to take care of people who cannot take care of themselves," Edwards said in the interview.

~Snip~

Link

End the Game - August 26, 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvumTKOSYaI

[smokey nj]

1. Thanks for this, waiting for hope

[waiting for hope]

2. Your welcome smokey -

I'm happy to see him still focused on helping out in area of poverty. I also find that the things he said on the campaign trail to be true - it the corporations against us. I hope that a voice against that will be heard again, if not Edwards (one I would welcome back gladly) than another.

[pamela]

3. Elizabeth is opening a furniture store?

"While his wife was promoting her book and opening a furniture store, Edwards was in El Salvador, helping a group called Homes from the Heart with its work building houses and clinics and distributing sewing machines. The group's director, Michael Bonderer, was surprised when Edwards accepted his invitation."

That seems odd. I don't mean that as a slam, it just seems odd to me for some reason.

[waiting for hope]

4. She's been planning it for a while:

Elizabeth Edwards plans to open a furniture store in downtown Chapel Hill in October.

Dwight Bassett, economic development officer for Chapel Hill, says Edwards has leased space in Rosemary Village at 400 W. Rosemary St.

The store, Red Window, will feature styles and prices patterned after a charity store called The Red Door that her mother managed when she lived in Japan.

The Rosemary Village building, at the corner of Rosemary Street and Mitchell Lane, features commercial retail and office space with 30 feet of window frontage and 40 condominiums.

http://www.chapelhillnews.com/news/story/50393.html

I think it's fantastic! I plan on going up the Chapel Hill next fall - it's about 2-3 hours from me.

On Edit - good to see you pamela - are you still making jewelry?

[pamela]

5. Hi! Good to see you, too.

Yes, I'm still making jewelry. We just got back from a cross-country roadtrip and spent a lot of time on various Indian reservations-Navajo, Zuni Pueblo, etc. I drug my poor hubby to about a hundred trading posts and a bunch of bead stores. I bought some beautiful turquoise and just generally got inspired again. Also saw some cool origami jewelry in Santa Fe and ordered an origami book and paper that should be here tomorrow.

That furniture store sounds cool. I hope Elizabeth is ok. I worry about her.

[waiting for hope]

6. Sounds like a great trip!

I think the store is going to be really good for her - the last rounds of interviews I thought she looked good. Check out Benny's World - http://bennycat.blogspot.com/ - some really nice updates on Elizabeth.

[frogmarch]

7. "He jokes about how it's obvious

that the American people don't want him to be president."

Despite everything that happened, I'd vote for him in a minute.

[waiting for hope]

8. I'd still vote for him too -

Everything he said about the special interest groups controlling DC has become more apparent and blatant now .. :(

[Catchawave]

9. I so agree WFH :)

:hi:

His message was never just handing the poor money, but creating opportunities for them to make a living. Hell yeah, that upset corporate interests, who own the media, and make those BIG donations to political candidates :evilgrin:

Now that Gov. Sanford has "repented" and will stay on the job, I do wonder if there is a future for Edwards? As mad as I've been at him for thinking with the wrong "brain", I'm missing his message !

Back to the article....funny how the author spent so much time writing about what JRE didn't want to talk about. heh.

[waiting for hope]

10. I hope he can come back somehow -

maybe not in the political arena but like I had said when he dropped out in Jan 08 - to go the way of Gore.

:hi: back and good to see you!