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