What Kind Of Man Hides Behind His Wife In A Firefight?

A few years ago when Elizabeth Edwards announced that she had terminal cancer and John Edwards stood by her side to announce his "campaign would go on", I did a blog post that I'm still proud of.  I called it a "New Low in Politics", that one moment told me all I needed to know about John Edwards.  Anyone who would put a political race as more important than their wife has no business running for anything.

Which brings me back to a story we have been covering here this week with the emergence of Chris Wade in the Braddock District, a Republican who is running as a Democrat in order to get on the ballot against incumbent John Cook.

Chris is making the same argument to everyone who asks about his Democratic credentials.  He says his wife Stacy Wade is a Democrat whose father worked as an undersecretary to Jimmy Carter and that Stacy would never allow him to run as a Democrat if he wasn't one.

I looked up Stacy's voting record and Chris is correct in saying she is a Democrat.  Stacy has voted in three Democratic primaries and never in a Republican primary.  (This is in contrast to Chris who has voted in multiple Republican primaries and NEVER in a Democratic one)

But my overall reaction to this is the same as John Edwards.  Any person that would be under political fire and use their spouse as cover isn't just a bad candidate- they are a horrible person who shouldn't be near any public office.

Shame on you Chris- learn how to fight your own battles and don't drag your wife into this to avoid the scrutiny you deserve.

Comments

[David Jones]

Ben - this is absurd! There is a world of difference between John Edwards using his terminally ill wife for political gain and Chris using his wife to vouch for his credentials as a Democrat. First off, Mrs. Wade is not terminally ill! Part of what was so disgusting about Edwards was that he put his political career above his wife as she lay dying and that he used her illness for gain.

By contrast - Chris has essentially said "She's a D, and I am too." B.F.D. He's asserting that her family political affiliation vouches for his credentials as a Democrat. Is this a strong point - maybe not. But is it reprehensible like John Edwards? HELL NO!

Ben - you are straining your own credibility when you post absurd junk like this. You don't like Chris because you don't believe he is really a Dem because of his voting record - fair enough. You don't like him because he likes Dave Marsden - is that anything more than you being petty?

I may be the only person alive who would claim to be friends with both you and Chris. You're wrong about Chris - he's a good guy and would make a great Supervisor.

Your continued attacks on Chris really make it obvious that this is nothing more than personal animus. You don't see him on his company's web site and extrapolate that to him being "extremely unsuccessful" in his career. The company has nearly 400 employees and only lists Managing Directors and owners on its site - what's the big deal?

Your patronizing tone when you feign feeling bad about attacking him because he is "a little slow" is ridiculous. You don't like him - we know. But don't stoop to name calling - you're better than that.

Dave Jones

[Jus' Sayin']

From Wade site

Local Democrats Endorse Chris Wade’s Candidacy
June 9, 2011

Several Local Democrats Endorse Chris Wade’s Candidacy for Braddock Supervisor

With five months to Election Day, local Democrats have thrown their support behind Chris Wade’s candidacy for Braddock District Supervisor. Over the past week, Vivian Watts of the 39th House District, Dave Marsden of the 37th Senate District, and Penny Gross, the current Mason District Supervisor and Vice-Chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors have all endorsed Wade’s candidacy. Wade was previously endorsed at his May kick-off by Jeff McKay, the current Lee District Supervisor.

“I am honored to have the support of these four elected officials.” Wade said. “They are all well-respected for their pragmatic approach to solving issues that face the citizens of Braddock District, Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am looking forward to working with them to ensure that we elect Democrats this fall.”

Wade will be facing off against John Cook in the general election on November 8th.

[DFW]

I want to weigh in on this topic. As a voter in Braddock and student at George Mason University I know Wade very well. I even took one of the classes he taught. He is a very friendly man, a little too friendly in fact. He seemed to spend more time looking at my upper chest than my face. Wouldn't vote for him if he were the last guy left standing. Thanks for the "A" though, hope it was for my class work and not just my chest.

[A Few Thoughts]

A few thoughts:

1. Gross, Marsden, & Watts are now with Wade, but the 2 who actually recruited him (Connolly & Bulova) are now running away? That's peculiar.

2. Wade's DEFENSE of his votes in Republican primaries essentially boils down to claiming he was being dishonest and that's supposed to be a testament to his character?

3. Wade's self-proclaimed tie to the Democratic Party is that his father-in-law once worked for Carter over 30 years ago. Didn't right-wing Fox News commentator Charles Krauthammer once work for Carter, too?

4. Ben, with all of the above, did you REALLY have to sink so low as to equate a mere tool (Wade) with a raging narcisstic monster who cheated on his wife with cancer? You didn't have to go there and it only serves to weaken your argument.

[A Few Thoughts]

And forgive me for mispelling narcissistic...

[Joel Rutstein]

Sorry for coming in late, but can A Few Thoughts or someone let me know what Connolly and Bulova "running away" from Wade is all about?

The message they're sending me is that they think Cook will probably win regardless. Why don't they care to at least have a candidate out there who can credibly carry a proud Dem message and point out the problems with Cook?

If that doesn't change I'll probably still vote for Bulova, Marsden, Filler-Corn, and Wade if he's there on the D line, but I won't make any phone calls or knock on any doors for any of them.

[Joel Rutstein]

Sorry for the second post in a row, but I just read over at Blue VA about Connolly running away from Wade, and I presume someone somewhere said something similar about Bulova.

I'm skeptical that this will all result in finding a better alternative to Wade, but I'd be happy to take back all the bitterness I expressed above if if does.

[Interested Observer]

Not sure if it is anyone running away but maybe that it was misreported that there was support in the first place.

[Anonymous Is A Woman]

Ok, the analogy to John Edwards may be a stretch, but Ben's basic point that Wade's main claim to Democratic bona fides, is his wife Stacy's father is also quite a stretch.

I' ve known many successfully mixed marriages where one spouse was a Democrat and the other was a Reublican. So, Chris Wade's wife's pedigree and political affiliations are beside the point.

I also don't object to former Republicans switching parties. Far from it. I'm actually delighted to see moderate Republicans switch sides. Especially when they can get up and explain coberently why they did so.

Actually. both Jim Webb and Dave Marsden did so. And both of them won my support and loyalty. I've never regretted supporting either one of those former Republicans who went on to represent true Democratic core values.

My problem with Chris Wade is that I don't see a genuine conversion to Democratic values. Instead this feels uncomfortably like somebody simply trying to hoodwink us.

[NotJohnSMosby]

Cook barely won a special election against a guy who had already lost a time or two in Braddock. How is he suddenly a juggernaut of an incumbent in a district that's a little more Democratic after redistricting? It was already Democratic leaning, but when you're talking a couple dozen precincts, they just picked up a very Democratic precinct and got rid of a Republican one. Not a major swing, but it could be worth a point or two.

Cook is the incumbent and thus has the advantage, but Braddock isn't Springfield and a good Dem with a good campaign should be able to win.

[wholesale jerseys]

Your continued attacks on Chris really make it obvious that this is nothing more than personal animus. You don't see him on his company's web site and extrapolate that to him being "extremely unsuccessful" in his career. The company has nearly 400 employees and only lists Managing Directors and owners on its site - what's the big deal?

[Loudoun Lady]

The comparison seems weak, but Mr Wade is perhaps going back to his roots. Who knows?

What I do know is Elizabeth Edards is haunting John from the grave with video tapes of her explaination on how John tried to hide his mistress and baby. Payback is a bitch.

[cheap jerseys]

“I am honored to have the support of these four elected officials.” Wade said. “They are all well-respected for their pragmatic approach to solving issues that face the citizens of Braddock District, Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am looking forward to working with them to ensure that we elect Democrats this fall.”

[hawaii helicopter tours]

Check out your ship’s report card on the CDC website before you book your passage.

[ergo baby carrier]

Elizabeth Edards is haunting John from the grave with video tapes of her explaination on how John tried to hide his mistress and baby. Payback is a bitch.