Does Smerconish think Fred Thompson should stay home with his two young children?

[dancingme]

On April 1, Michael Smerconish called John and Elizabeth Edwards selfish for not going home to be with their children instead of continuing to campaign while Elizabeth underwent treatment for cancer.

"Call me crass, but I see a selfish determination by a political power couple more anxious to prolong a presidential run than to go home and spend time with two young kids who may soon be missing a mommy...

There are two reasons - two priorities - why the Edwardses' decision is appalling. Their names are Emma Clare and Jack. They are only 8 and 6, respectively. Another daughter, Cate, is off at Harvard Law. Instead of going home to be with their children, John and Elizabeth Edwards are going to continue with a career path that is 24/7. Monday found him in California, and her in Ohio.

Elizabeth Edwards told Katie Couric that "the most important thing you can give your children wings. Because you're not gonna always be able to bring food to the nest. You're . . . sometimes . . . they're gonna have to be able to fly by themselves."

Baby birds, as Couric pointed out, is more like it. The kids are in elementary school, for goodness' sake.

If this sounds like too harsh an assessment, consider the public reaction if the affected family were out of the public limelight, and the parents no longer needed to work. What would be the reaction of friends and neighbors if the couple immediately pursued a path that would keep them on the road and away from their kids? I think it would be revulsion. So why should our judgment of the Edwardses be any different just because he is running for office?

Again, I hope Elizabeth Edwards has many more years with her family. I wish her a long life. I simply doubt that whenever her days end, she will look back at this time and be thankful for day trips to Iowa and New Hampshire.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/columnists/20070401_Head_Strong___Edwardses_owe_more_to_their_children.html

Fred Thompson has two young children. Will Smerconish now call for Fred Thompson to stop acting and traveling and to go home to spend the rest of his life with his two young children?

Here is Smerconish's e-mail form.

http://www.mastalk.com/mastalk/email.jspx

[Bitwit1234]

1. I never did hear what he had to say about mccain and rudi

After they have cancer..and they are running for president not their spouses. Isn't this a really divided world and a republican owned media.

[TwilightGardener]

2. It's Ok if you're a Republican. You are off-limits--everything you

do is for noble, selfless reasons.

[spanone]

3. It's a different standard for republicons....don't you know???

:sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[Virginia Dare]

4. Of course not, that's his wife's job...n/t

[jobycom]

5. For that matter, did he condemn Bush for not being with his kids

The twins were in and out of legal trouble in high school and beyond, yet Bush kept running for president, and never stepped down to help his kids. He wasn't at their graduations, he didn't go to court to be with them as they sat before a judge, alone, wondering about their futures.

The worst deadbeat dad in politics is in the White House. Has this Smerconish (that can't be a real name, can it?) dude ever attacked him? Mr. S isn't worried about fathers leaving their kids, Mr. S. is worried about Republicans leaving their Daddy Party.

[dancingme]

6. I think that is his real name

he was on Bill Maher's show last week. He is on the radio in Philly. Philly radio is ALL conservative. After the Maher show, Smerconish complained that Maher didn't treat him well.

[jobycom]

7. Geeze, what a name, then. Shir Khan, Smersh, con... It's like a bad joke. nt

[Patiod]

11. Well, it's the name he was born with. At least he didn't change it

to something stupid like Savage. Can't really bust on someone for their family name.

Having said that I can't stand him, but ALL of my friends listen to him - as someone upthread mentioned, he's and the other conservative talkers are all that's on in Philadelphia (dark blue city in a light blue state, and no liberal radio--grrrr)

He appeals to a certain "Happy Days" conservative mentality, and appeals to those who pay attention only to the surface of the issues. He has a hard right ultraconservative Catholic mindset, but frames things so that he appears reasonable and moderate. For example: about Imus he said, in effect, on the "Today Show" this morning: "Well, Jesse "Hymietown" Jackson and Al "Tawana Brawley" Sharpton don't have room to talk, so what we really need is just need more civil discourse in this country".

Hard to disagree with the need for civil discourse, isn't it? So those who aren't paying attention come away with the thought that all sides are guilty of "bad talk," so why punish Imus too much? But what's unsaid is that his Right Wing Talk Radio colleagues (Imus, Rush, The Savage Weiner, Beck, etc.) have been some of the biggest contributors to the coarsening of discourse in this country, and that there's a difference between what's said by the oppressed and oppressor.

[valerief]

8. She may look like a young daughter, but that's his wife! nt

[dancingme]

10. Thompson has 2 children to the young wife

Young wife, young kids.

[valerief]

13. Oops, forgot the sarcasm smiley. nt

[Mandate My Ass]

9. Edwards must have them spooked. Everybody's jumping on the bandwagon

What an asinine opinion and what utter arrogance to air it in public. Hey, Smerconish, Katie, who the *%$@ cares what you think???!!!

[roguevalley]

12. My dad died from Lymphoma last July. He had the easily treatable

kind, not that any of them are that easy. He died of complications. Fred Thompson is in a world of hurt. I don't envy him or his family. Been there, done that. That said, it appears that karma launched a surface to air missile at his face. Leave mean, die hard. I wish only hope for them both.