Who knew Elizabeth Edwards was in Rashomon?
Look, I'm sympathetic, because when I worked as a lawyer, I was the only woman in these rooms, too, and you want to reassure them you're as good as a man. And sometimes you feel you have to behave as a man and not talk about women's issues. I'm sympathetic -- she wants to be commander in chief. But she's just not as vocal a women's advocate as I want to see. John is. And then she says, or maybe her supporters say, "Support me because I'm a woman," and I want to say to her, "Well, then support me because I'm a woman." The question is not so much how she campaigns -- that's theater. The question is, what does her campaign tell you about how she'll govern? And I'm not convinced she'd be as good an advocate for women. She needs a rationale greater for her campaign than I've heard. When she announced her candidacy she said, "I'm in it to win it." What is that? That's not a rationale. Same with Senator Obama -- I've yet to hear a rationale. John is extremely clear about what he can accomplish and why he's the one to do it.
Ben Smith has a better parse than the one I started to write.
How/when/where has HRC NOT talked about women's issues? And is Elizabeth Edwards criticizing her for talking too little -- or too much -- about being a woman? And somehow, does Hillary's "women's movement" talk mean that she's too much of a man? All this confusion over gender roles! Paging Judith Butler.
(Ex-parte HRC: Hillary's campaign rationale, so far as one gathers from her stump speeches, is that she has the experience to restore competence to government and the strength to restore America's place in the world.)
In other Edwards outrageousness (kidding)... here's what John said today about impeachment the president and vice president, a la MoveOn.org's fondest desires.
From Air America:
Rachel Maddow: Do you think that there are grounds for impeachment?John Edwards: I think the president and the vice president have engaged in illegal behavior. And there are multiple examples; just one is the fact that they have illegally spied on the American people in blatant disregard for the law. So, do I think they have engaged in illegal behavior, I do. And I know and totally understand the frustration that people have that would lead them to start thinking about whether we should impeach George Bush.
But speaking for myself, I would rather us focus our attention on ending the war, universal healthcare and winning the next election because I think that’s the way to bring about the change this country needs.
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"How/when/where has HRC NOT talked about women's issues? "
Seriously, Marc. I'm done with your blog now.
You aren't even trying to be intellectually serious-- Hillary Clinton has not been at the forefront of any policy debate in the nation since the 1990s Health Care implosion, let alone woman's health, workplace pay or other issues specific to women's lives.
To carry water for her --without even bothering to discuss substance or cite examples of her alleged woman's-issues-fighting ways--is simply lame.
The interview as you clip it needs italics where I have capitalized: "And then she says, or maybe her supporters say, 'Support me because I'm a woman, and I want to say to her, 'Well, then support ME because I'M a woman.' "
Elizabeth Edwards has one thing right: Hillary's campaign is all about Hillary, not about Americans wanting change, or especially not about women's issues or any issue for that matter.
You like to pile on with the cynicism over John Edwards' demands for poverty as an issue but at least he has issues he actually fights for.
How/when/where has Hillary Clinton talked to any of us like anything but her lucky subjects?
Posted by Joe Justice | July 17, 2007 6:57 PM