Elizabeth Edwards and her husband’s infidelity

Elizabeth Edwards has written a book. I’ll be lined up at the bookstore to buy it when it comes out May 12th.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/04/29/2009-04-29_i_cried__screamed.html

Campaign cad John Edwards’ cheating ways made his wife, Elizabeth, sick to her stomach – literally.

After the former presidential hopeful confessed his betrayal, Elizabeth Edwards writes in her new book, “I cried and screamed, I went to the bathroom and threw up.”

Elizabeth, 59, who is terminally ill with cancer, speaks in far more detail than before about her husband’s infidelity in her new memoir, “Resilience,” due to be published May 12 by Broadway Books. A copy was obtained by the Daily News.

Despite feeling deeply deceived, Elizabeth Edwards nonetheless publicly stood by her husband’s side, lending his candidacy the aura of a warm, loving family life.

But she had actually wanted him to quit the race to protect the family. Edwards admitted the hanky-panky to her days after declaring his candidacy in 2006 – almost a year before the National Enquirer reported it.

In the interest of full disclosure (after all, this is how we roll at TLPC,) I voted for John Edwards in Washington State’s primary. To say that I bitterly regret that vote is an understatement. I think a lot of his wife, and I always have. I can’t imagine being in her shoes — Stage IV cancer, underage kids at home, living in a fishbowl 24 x 7 due to her husband’s presidential aspirations, and finding out that he is a spineless, cheating dog. Then again, that’s an insult to dogs everywhere, isn’t it?

Hey, John Edwards, your wife is a much more gracious and forgiving woman than you deserve. How could you? Even more, how dare you? You knew the stakes for this election, and you did something that would not only sink your possible nomination, it would sink those who counted on you as well. Didn’t matter, did it? Mr. Happy must have his fun. Of course, you put your wife through hell while doing it, too. Bully for you, buddy. What on earth did she ever do to you to deserve this?

I’d love to take the high road on this one, but I don’t think so. Again, Ms. Edwards is a better woman than I. I hope her doctors can keep her here as long as she’d like to be. I hope her children are a comfort to her in what must be some rough days. I also hope that she knows how many people around the country think of her, warmly and often.

-S

There are more happy families in Iowa today

Just a few of the people that could finally marry the person they love. In Iowa.

I do not understand the opposition to two consenting adults making their relationship legal in the eyes of the state. Considering the fact that heterosexuals have managed to rack up a 50% divorce rate, we do not have a corner on the expression of love, and we certainly don’t have the moral high road, either. This does not diminish our union, or anyone else’s. It’s two people who want the same recognition of theirs.

Marriage is still a contract. There are over 1,000 rights and privileges that accompany that piece of paper, and civil unions/domestic partnerships do not offer this protection. The most important is the civil right of having one’s family recognized by society. For some who continue to insist that this is such an abomination,  I wonder how you reconcile the God of mercy, the Christ of the New Testament, with your views.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Congratulations, Iowa, and congratulations to the newlyweds. May you have many happy years together.

-S

The swine flu a-go-go, or handwashing is your new best friend

I had a little chat with our doctor’s office a few hours ago. We didn’t get the flu shot this year. Of course, it doesn’t help. There haven’t been any swine flu cases in Washington State as of this writing, but that doesn’t mean it’s not lying in wait for the unsuspecting. As a result, here are a few tips as a public service, thanks to Seattle/King County Department of Public Health.

• Wash your hands often for 20 seconds. Twenty seconds? Try singing “Happy Birthday” to yourself.
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
• If asked, wear a paper mask. They’re typically available at the doctor’s office.

The big one’s the handwashing. Have you ever seen someone use the bathroom and not wash their hands afterwards? If you’re one of those scofflaws, you might consider a change. The only way we’ll all be able to stay healthy is to avoid the flu germs in the first place, and soap and water is the first line of defense.

If, despite your best efforts, someone in your house is ill, here’s some suggestions for that.

This is an excellent time to get prepared at home and work for a more serious influenza pandemic.

• Store water, food and other essentials. In a pandemic, you should avoid contact with other people as much as possible, including trips to the store. Prepare to get by on for at least two weeks on what you have at home
• Store medical and health supplies such as cough syrup, soap, and pain relief medicines.
• At work, know employer policies about sick leave, and ask your employer what your business will do if there is a pandemic.
• At home, decided who will take care of children if schools are closed.

For more detailed information go to: www.kingcounty.gov/health/pandemicflu

I was reading someone recommending stocking up on a stomach-settling OTC medication (like Pepto-Bismol) and an anti-diarrheal as well. You might also want to get some extra Pedialyte if you have some kids at home.

Obviously, we’re all hoping for the best, and we will never need the above information. At the same time, it never hurts to be even slightly prepared. I’ve seen the “Three Days, Three Ways” campaign to get the residents of Washington State to make even rudimentary preparation for a natural emergency, such as an earthquake. It wouldn’t hurt at all to make sure you have some of this stuff worked out just in case, either.

If you’d like to do some additional reading on what’s happening now, the Centers for Disease Control is a great resource.

Here’s to your and your family’s continuing good health, and to a quick and complete recovery for those who are currently ill.

-S

Good things come in threes — my friend Jane’s baby is here!

Jane and Surfer Ty, now known as Mom and Dad. Welcome to the world, Baby Mac!

This has been a productive year for the members of the Greater Seattle chapter of Romance Writers of America. Besides the usual stuff (authors getting signed by agents, getting that all-important contract and work appearing in bookstores all over the country,) we’ve had three pregnant women in our midst.

Our friend Samantha was first. She gave birth to a son, Jakob, February 1. (How could I ever forget his birthday? He was born on Super Bowl Sunday. He just wanted to watch the game with his dad!) I was very excited to coo over Jakob before a meeting last month. Christine was next — sweet Lucy made her appearance later in February. I hope to meet Lucy soon! We’ve been waiting for our friend Jane’s baby ever since.

Mac made his appearance yesterday! He weighed seven pounds, eight ounces, he’s nineteen and three-fourths inches long, and to say that we’re all excited to meet him is an understatement!

I’m betting he already has a surfboard. Congratulations to all!

Love,

-S

And the Seattle Seahawks pick Aaron Curry of Wake Forest!

I am absolutely thrilled.

Welcome to Seattle, Aaron! We love you already!

-S

Patrick Fitzgerald was in town, and nobody told me?

America’s Hottest Prosecutor picked a great weekend to visit our fair city — after all, it’s blue skies in Seattle till at least May 1. He had a few things to say at the University of Washington last night. Namely, it’s up to all of us to fight corruption in politics and business.

The federal prosecutor behind the conviction of former vice-presidential adviser I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby and the indictment of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich says the public has to take more responsibility for corruption in government and private business.

“The answer to corruption is not necessarily at the end of handcuffs,” said Patrick J. Fitzgerald, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, speaking Thursday evening at the University of Washington’s Evan’s School of Public Affairs.

The public, Fitzgerald said, needs to stand up when it knows something is rotten, not simply accept graft, bribery and greed as a cost of doing business.

“People can’t do this stuff without someone else knowing about it. The metric of whether or not you’re doing a good job is not whether or not you get indicted.”

Fitzgerald, a career federal prosecutor whose other cases include the first World Trade Center bombing and the conviction of former Illinois Gov. George Ryan, delivered remarks and participated in a panel discussion on ethics.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was under The Dauphin’s close supervision for the entire evening. We made an appearance at the local grocery store, went home to have dinner, and watched “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report”. That trail of chocolate wrappers and wadded-up Kleenex on the UW campus? I know nothing about that.

:sniff:

-S

BBC: Condoleezza Rice approved torture in 2002

Obviously, this story broke last night when we were sleeping. It’s good to add my little soapbox to the cacophony, though. It seems that the former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, approved the use of torture on US prisoners as early as 2002.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8013759.stm

The CIA’s use of waterboarding to interrogate terrorism suspects was approved by Condoleezza Rice as early as 2002, a senate report reveals.

As national security adviser, Ms Rice consented to the harsh interrogation of al-Qaeda suspect Abu Zubaydah, the Senate Intelligence Committee found.

Memos released last week show that he and another key detainee were subjected to waterboarding 266 times.

Former Vice-President Dick Cheney has said the techniques produced results.

The latest details were revealed in a timeline of the CIA’s interrogation programme produced by the US Senate Intelligence Committee.

Ex-Vice President Cheney said there were “results”? I’m sure there were, but according to every other published report I’ve seen, the “results” yielded no useful information. Maybe I’m alone here, but I can’t wait to hear Mr. Cheney’s explanation.

It’s surprising that Ms. Rice managed to find time for this between shoe shopping sprees. (Did I say that? My bad.)

This story’s not going away. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next, won’t it?

-S

Men: The NFL draft, and the woman in your life — can they peacefully coexist?

Lofa Tatupu runs onto the field at Qwest. He was a total steal in the second round, wasn’t he?

Photo: www.wolverinefireworks.com

Guys.

The NFL draft is all weekend, and I feel your pain. It’s two fun-filled days of nailbiting and curiosity — who’s joining the team this year? You MUST know. While you’re planning on a beer and snacks run and commandeering the TV, the woman you love more than life itself is giving you The Eye. You know that look: “You’re not watching that all weekend, are you?” Here’s how to avoid domestic discord. She gets what she wants, you get what you want, (plleeease, God, let Aaron Curry fall to #4,) and everyone is happy. First of all, though, I’m going to tell you a little secret about women.

We like attention.

We don’t like it when we’re feeling ignored. This is not a bad thing, it’s just the way women are made, and it’s best to make friends with this fact. If she feels like you are making a special effort in her direction, she’s going to cut you some slack while you are gorging on all things NFL.

If you plan something for the woman in your life pre-and-post-draft, she will not only be happy, she will be the envy of her girlfriends. This is another important point: Women talk. It’s nice when the man in our lives does something especially thoughtful. After all, he thought of us. We tell our girlfriends, who all ooh and aaah, and it’s twice as good. After all, their guy didn’t think about this stuff. The girlfriends all assure your girlfriend/wife/SO that you are hotter than Derek Jeter, Paul Rudd, and Daniel Craig rolled into one, how lucky she is to have such a great guy, and you’re the man.

Yes, it’s sneaky and underhanded, but all’s fair in love and war, buddy. If you don’t think that an uninterrupted weekend in front of the flat screen is worth a little pre-planning, you need to rethink.

Here are some suggestions.

• Friday night. Dinner. If you have a few dollars, you need to take her out to dinner. If you don’t, you need to arrange for dinner, even if you’re cooking it yourself. She is not doing the dishes. If you’re not culinarily inclined, flowers are nice. You also need to get a card. A mushy one.
• Saturday: Does she say she never gets to see her girlfriends anymore? If your buddy wants to watch the draft and she’s friends with his girlfriend/wife, call him and make a deal. Send the women out to the scrapbooking shop/the bookstore/get a pedicure/tell them to buy something they’ve been wanting for awhile. If there’s kids involved, call the neighborhood sitter and make the arrangements.
• Sunday: Draft is over in the afternoon. Do something with her that she loves, and you can tolerate. If you really want to make some points, do something with her that she loves, and you detest. (Yes, you might have to see a chick flick. Walk it off, man. I’ll bet guys in the NFL have to do the same thing, don’t you think?)
• Above all: She gets to do things all weekend that she enjoys. No dishes, no laundry, no picking up. If you’re enjoying yourself all weekend, she should be, too.

The goal here is to not only survive the weekend, it’s to make an impression. If you make some effort, she’ll not only be looking forward to draft weekend next year, she’ll be encouraging you to watch.

I will be as glued to the draft coverage as any guy is. Then again, this makes me a freak of nature. A woman who loves football? The Dauphin assures me that he knows how rare this is, and he is appreciative. If your girlfriend/wife/SO enjoys it as well, you’re a lucky man. It doesn’t hurt to employ a few of the suggestions above, though.

Have fun, and go get ‘em!

-S

Attorney General Holder: Nobody is above the law

I realize that I have been slacking off this month re: blog postings. After all, it’s spring. Even bloggers need to go outside once in awhile, and experience nature. (Our entire family just collapsed into laughter at this.) Plus, let’s just say that the news has been so unrelentingly dismal that I wasn’t sure I wanted to go there.

Today, I do.

It seems the Obama administration must have heard the howls of outrage from the millions who are very unhappy that those who chose to torture in the name of the United States of America would not be prosecuted. Attorney General Holder wants to make it clear he’s on the job. The question is, what’s he going to do about it?

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N22549021.htm

Attorney General Eric Holder on Wednesday said the Justice Department will follow the law wherever it leads in probing U.S. officials behind CIA interrogation policies.

His comments came a day after President Barack Obama opened the door to possible prosecutions of U.S. officials from the previous administration of George W. Bush who prepared the legal groundwork for the use of harsh interrogation methods on terrorism suspects, including waterboarding.

“We’re going to follow the evidence wherever it takes us, follow the law wherever that takes us,” Holder said to reporters at an Earth Day event.

Oh, but here’s the fun part. The torturers themselves are evidently protected by law. They were just “following orders”.  Yeah, right. (I have a stronger term I’d like to use there, but my blog would immediately hit the “R” rating.) The prosecutions that need to happen are those who ordered the torture of prisoners, and that’ ll happen when h-e-double toothpicks freezes over, won’t it?

We each know right from wrong. With the information that’s now surfaced re: one prisoner being waterboarded six times a day, when does “I’m just following orders”  become an excuse? There is no other method to gather information from anyone than drowning them, and resuscitating them? It seemed there were several others (extreme sleep deprivation, putting someone in a box with an insect when they had a fear of insects, etcetera,) but there was no other way to find out?

The USA not only violated our laws, we violated international treaties by this behavior. Even more, those doing this (and ordering it done,) brought shame on our nation. This is a permanent stain on our history, and our reputation. It has been the bedrock principal of our country that we do not torture. We have now done it, and those who ordered it need to be held accountable and punished for their actions. Maybe I live in my own rose-tinted-glasses wonderland, but all Americans should be humiliated by this behavior, and demanding prosecutions as a result, whomever is implicated. I’m looking at you, Bush administration.

Interesting that we’d invade another country to bring “freedom”, but we can’t even obey our own laws.

-S

Columbine: It’s been ten years. What have we learned from this?

I’ve been thinking about this off and on for about a week now. I was remembering what we were doing on April 20, 1999. We were returning from one of The Dauphin’s business trips. (It’s a long story.) We were glued to the television in the Salt Lake City airport that morning, along with several hundred other passengers. Our flight boarded. We came home. Of course, we dashed to the nearest television upon landing at Sea-Tac. I approached a man on the fringes of the crowd and said, “We just got off a plane. What happened?” He turned to us and said, “There’s twenty-five dead at this point.” The flight attendant standing next to me burst into tears.

We now know that thirteen died, and the two assassins. The lives shattered that day, though, are innumerable.

Our little anecdote doesn’t describe what happened at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Is there any way to adequately narrate what it’s like when two teenagers decide to murder a large number of their classmates?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-04-19-columbine_N.htm

Kristi Mohrbacher will stand with friends Monday afternoon at the Columbine Memorial to remember the day 10 years ago when her high school changed forever.

“Ten years, it feels like a milestone,” says Mohrbacher, 26. She was a 16-year-old junior at Columbine High School outside Littleton, Colo., on April 20, 1999, when seniors Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, tore through the suburban school, killing 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves. Mohrbacher escaped uninjured.

I’ve written here before about mass shootings, how they seem to be a symptom of a society that solves its problems with violence instead of negotiation. Even more, we don’t seem to learn. Every time another of these incidents happens, there’s lots of hand-wringing, but no real progress to determine why anyone would believe the best plan of action is to murder a large number of other people, and definitely no attempt to stop the bloodshed. I also can’t figure out how two teenagers could get access to as many weapons as Harris and Klebold had that day, let alone the money to finance all of it, but that’s a question for those directly affected to ask.

How many times do we need the lesson before we finally learn something from it?

In the meantime, investigative reporter Dave Cullen has written an incredible book about what happened that day at Columbine, and what’s happened over the past ten years as a result. I’ll be reading it. The incidents will not stop happening until we all come face to face with the fact that it isn’t just free availability of weapons that cause mass shootings. Something is wrong at our core. We all need to think about what that might be, and start asking questions of our own.

In the meantime, to the families and friends of those who died at Columbine, those who were injured, and those who still live with what I am sure are horrific memories, my thoughts are with you today.

-S