Mrs. Edwards on
Campaign Can't Dos

Is she for real?
Political junkies were abuzz on Tuesday when this quote from Elizabeth Edwards was published:
"We can't make John black, we can't make him a woman. Those things get you a lot of press, worth a certain amount of fundraising dollars. Now it's nice to get on the news, but not the be all and end all," Edwards, the wife of former Sen. John Edwards, was quoted as saying in an article in the business journal CIO Insight.

The Edwards campaign didn't comment at first -- raising the possibility that the quote was somehow a mistake. Mrs. Edwards is on vacation in Italy and couldn't be immediately reached. But now it's confirmed. "Elizabeth was noting what countless reporters and pundits have said for months, that Senators Clinton and Obama get a lot of media attention, and deservedly so, because of the potential 'firsts' of their candidacies," Edwards campaign spokesman Eric Schultz said. "But the reality is, with so many candidates in this race, we just have to work a little harder to get our message out and inform the people about John Edwards' bold vision for America.

--Anne E. Kornblut