The Edwards on The Tonight Show in 2007

When I saw Elizabeth Edwards' interview with Oprah Winfrey, back in May 2009, I recalled the uncomfortable moment shared by Bill and
Hillary Clinton, walking toward a helicopter with their daughter, Chelsea, on
the sparkly, green grass lawn of the White House. And I thought Elizabeth would sing the same old song sung by
other wives of politicians: Stand by your man.  

Well, at least until he becomes a senator, Secretary of State, or got a book deal.

And now that the public has forgotten about her second book,
"Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's
Adversities," which contains accounts of
John Edwards' infidelity, Elizabeth and John Edwards are separated.  People magazine cited a close friend of
Elizabeth's who said she is moving on with her life and is
no longer living together with her husband. They are reportedly planning to file for divorce within a
year or so (North Carolina law requires a couple to separate for a year before getting divorced).

When Hillary decided to stay with Bill even after a series
of humiliating moments -- some private and some public -- many people thought she
had some hidden agenda. (We now
know what her agenda might have been.) Bill may not have been the world's best husband, but he was Hillary's
biggest fan and political cheerleader, who supported her wholeheartedly,
sometimes more than she would have liked him to.

But Elizabeth, unlike the Secretary of State,
never appeared to have political ambition. For a while, I thought maybe, just maybe, Elizabeth and John
were going to stay together because they loved each other. After all, the couple went through so
much together; they lost their oldest son, Wade, in a car accident; she
discovered she had incurable cancer; her husband's dream of becoming President
was shattered. I suppose all the
history they share together wasn't strong enough to put their marriage back on
track.

I am not criticizing these women for getting something out
of their husbands' infidelity. They had to suffer through public humiliations for God's sakes! But we are no longer living in
the '50s, and wives of politicians do not have to try to "work on their
marriage" to save face. All
I'm saying is that these women may set bad examples. They are sending a message to young women out there that
they have to sacrifice to support the political dreams of their husbands.

Next time a famous politician cheats on his famous spouse,
I'd like to see a different outcome. I'd like to see a classy woman who can make a classy
move by saying, "Screw you! I'm out!" to her cheating husband and walk out
without pursuing her personal interests.