John Edwards has released a statement following the controversy raised over Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan:
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.
Marcotte and McEwan also posted comments on this matter at the campaign blog. Amanda Marcotte wrote:
My writings on my personal blog Pandagon on the issue of religion are generally satirical in nature and always intended strictly as a criticism of public policies and politics. My intention is never to offend anyone for his or her personal beliefs, and I am sorry if anyone was personally offended by writings meant only as criticisms of public politics. Freedom of religion and freedom of expression are central rights, and the sum of my personal writings is a testament to this fact.
Melissa McEwan wrote:
Shakespeare’s Sister is my personal blog, and I certainly don’t expect Senator Edwards to agree with everything I’ve posted. We do, however, share many views – including an unwavering support of religious freedom and a deep respect for diverse beliefs. It has never been my intention to disparage people’s individual faith, and I’m sorry if my words were taken in that way.
Edwards certainly made the right decision in resisting pressure from right wing hypocrits. He certainly had no choice if he had any desire to maintain his degree of support in the blogosphere. I do find it puzzling that this controversy was allowed to go on for so long considering that this should have been predicted. While I haven’t read Pandagon, having read Shakespeare’s Sister made me think that the language used there was going to become an issue. I would think that this is something the campaign should have considered and have been prepared for. While the comments of a blogger on their own blog hardly have any bearing on my views of a candidate, it is possible that others would see it differently. I would think that the campaign should have been aware of their writings before hiring them.
If it was a conscious decision to hire Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan despite their blog posts then they should have been prepared with a response the first time the question came up. If they were unaware of the situation they failed to do their homework raising questions as to how prepared they really are to launch a national campaign. That’s not a good situation for a candidate who many of us fear is a slick but empty suit who lacks the gravitas and experience to be considered for the presidency. Edwards has been insinuating that he would have made a better candidate than John Kerry. As much as I believe Kerry would make the better President, there were times in which he failed to respond quickly enough to attacks and lost control of the message. This situation was even more predictable than attacks based upon taking a joke out of contest to distort the meaning, and a quicker response should be expected from someone who will need to take on the right wing noise machine in a general election campaign.
Edwards made the right choice here and prevented potential disaster, but has also failed to reassure those of us who have doubts about him.
