Major Announcement Expected From John Edwards

This doesn't sound good for Elizabeth Edwards given the way the media is running with the story. She had battled breast cancer a while back and the expected announcement may relate to the fact that Edwards may be forced to reconsider his run for the Presidency.

WASHINGTON, March 21 — John Edwards, the North Carolina Democrat making a second bid for the presidency, announced late Wednesday night that he would hold a news conference Thursday, a day after he and his wife, Elizabeth, visited Mrs. Edwards’ doctor to assess her health following her recovery from breast cancer.

Mrs. Edwards, in a brief interview from her home in Chapel Hill, said she and Mr. Edwards would discuss her health at the news conference, but she declined to elaborate.

“I’m still here,” she said.

Jennifer Palmieri, communications director for the Edwards campaign, said that she would not provide any details in advance of the press conference, which will be held in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Edwards campaign announced the news conference at the end of a day when Mr. Edwards canceled a campaign appearance to join his wife at a visit to her doctor. Mrs. Edwards was diagnosed with cancer in 2004, almost on the day that Mr. Edwards, running for vice president on the Democratic ticket with Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, lost to President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

Mrs. Edwards subsequently wrote “Saving Graces,” a memoir that recounted her battle. On the campaign trail, when talking about health care, Mr. Edwards has frequently talked about his wife’s battle with cancer, and the treatments she underwent.

Mr. Edwards had waited until he and Mrs. Edwards’ doctors were confident about her recovery before announcing that he was making a second bid for the presidency. Since then, he had established himself as a contender in a race that has included Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois. A decision by Mr. Edwards to withdraw, should he decide to do that, could have thus have a profound impact on the dynamics of this Democratic contest.

I wish Elizabeth and the rest of the Edwards family well. This is not news anyone should have to hear.

If Edwards does withdraw, this certainly will change the dynamics of the Democrat party race as both Obama and Clinton will rush to fill the void and try to pick up Edwards' support. Frankly, I'm not sure how much that support is worth - considering that he was a one term Senator with no foreign policy experience, but as a trial lawyer, he's connected to lots of money and that will be what the other Democrat candidates are looking at.

UPDATE:
Edwards is going to be suspending his campaign in light of the recurrence of Elizabeth's breast cancer.

UPDATE:
All the early prognostications have proven false that Edwards would quit or suspend the race. Edwards is not quitting the race and will continue despite the fact that Elizabeth has bone cancer that was discovered after she had a bone scan following cracking a rib. She will continue to work with the campaign and receive treatment as needed.

UPDATE:
Politico has issued a retraction/apology for getting its story wrong. They relied upon a single source and that proved fatal to their reporting that Edwards would quit/suspend the campaign.