Edwards Speaks

Remember this? This was the mouth of the right-wing attempting to smear Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan for posts they had written at Pandagon and Shakespeare's Sister prior to joining the John Edwards US presidential campaign. It all escalated when right-wing wanker Bill Donohue managed to co-opt the New York Times to write a story in which he called upon John Edwards to fire Marcotte and McEwan.

Donohue's issue with Marcotte and McEwan was hardly news. He's a rabid right-winger and if the Times had done any research they would have found this, which should have been enough to deny him a place in their forum and ignore the political hairball. At the very least, the Times should have provided Donohue's history to produce balance in the report.

They didn't do the due diligence and Marcotte and McEwan ended up being called to the mat in Edwards' office with the distinct possibility of being fired - because a wingnut demanded it.

Well, today, via The Vanity Press, we see the results of Edwards' conversation with Marcotte and McEwan over the affair and, while they keep their jobs, Edwards' statement is less than inspiring.

The tone and the sentiment of some of Amanda Marcotte's and Melissa McEwan's posts personally offended me. It's not how I talk to people, and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor, or anything else. But I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake. I've talked to Amanda and Melissa; they have both assured me that it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith, and I take them at their word. We're beginning a great debate about the future of our country, and we can't let it be hijacked. It will take discipline, focus, and courage to build the America we believe in.

Amanda and Melissa have also issued statements here and here. They are apologies, something I am certain both women were ordered to produce if they wanted to continue working for the Edwards campaign.

The howler monkeys get a feeble win. Edwards was just swift-boated and he blew it. The worst kind of right-winger, someone who will never vote for Edwards and who's followers will never vote for Edwards, tossed a molotov cocktail which did not explode. Edwards had only to throw it back.

All he had to do was state that he was fully aware of Amanda's and McEwan's prior writing and that they had been brought into the campaign for their skill and political views. He had only to suggest that the rantings of those few individuals who are clearly opposed to his candidacy would not determine the people, and for how long he would employ them, on his campaign.

Edwards broke the gas-filled bottle... at his feet.

Passivity does not work with the likes of Malkin and Donohue. A good dose of truth does, however, send them running for the darkness to which they are most accustomed.