among nation's 10 million cancer survivors and their families. It's Terri Shiavo all over again. SF Chronicle columnist talked to cancer survivors about their thoughts:

Barbara Frey of Piedmont missed the Edwardses' news conference. She was undergoing chemotherapy for her own stage 4 cancer, and she is now in her third year of chemo. She thinks Edwards is absolutely making the right decision.
"It is crazy to think of dropping out now,'' she said. "It is crazy for the public to look at her as a nearly dead woman who needs tea and sympathy. What she really needs to do is go on with her life. And that ought to include the things that bring you joy. Clearly, being on the campaign trail brought her joy.''

"What he is doing is absolutely the most positive thing for his wife,'' said Matthew Loscalzo, director of Patient and Family Support at the Rebecca and John Moores University of San Diego Cancer Center, who has studied the relationships of men whose spouses have cancer. "If he quit, what is he going to do after he asks her every 20 minutes, 'How are you feeling, darling?' "

Cancer survivor Mary Lievore admitted she "got a little peeved'' at all the talk-show conversation. Lievore has metastatic, stage 4 cancer, just like Elizabeth Edwards. In the 11 years since she has been undergoing treatment, she has learned something that the Edwardses are just now finding out: When you have cancer, it gives nearly everyone else a license to offer advice.
"Oh, yeah,'' she says. "People come out of the woodwork to tell you what you should do.''

And then there is the nasty little secret that those who experience cancer understand. All that advice, all those suggestions and questions? There's a reason people feel so strongly.
"The reason they are beating up on this guy,'' says Loscalzo, "is that they are saying 'Oh, my God, she's dying right now.' And they are thinking, 'Go away, get out of the public eye, because you are making me uncomfortable.' ''

Full story here.

Total, absolute vicarious thrill to be a Democrat...People power works...Nevada grassroots led us right out of this mess, that's a state party I'm proud of all the way away from New England...Ahhhh....it's going to be a great weekend...pray to whoever you pray to that the Fox-Nevada battle is a precedent for Democrats across the whole country that partnering with Fox is as bad as crossing a picket line...

The stakes in Nevada are bigger than I have heard anyone articulate, so far. If we can scuttle the Fox debate, we will be setting a precedent. No other state Democratic party or progressive institution will try to partner with Fox in the future for a debate after witnessing the spectacle of the national netroots/grassroots/party activists joining with local Nevada democrats to shut it down.
For a long time now Fox has played smash-mouth politics with the Democrats on an unfair playing field with little or no consequence. Now we have an opportunity to hand Fox a defeat, and one that will pay back for a long time.
It's just as good a victory if the candidates themselves boycott the debate (props to Edwards), but I think we'll get a more effective long-term result if we keep up the pressure and the crticism on the Nevada party and Harry Reid to get rid of Fox, and they do it.
We will also be setting a precedent in the general election: No debates hosted by Fox News, period. Non-negotiable. However we win this fight, we will have to keep active later in the cycle to ensure that Democrats don't backslide in the general.

The netroots, grassroots and Democratic party activists and faithful should start a campaign to replace Nevada as the first western state primary in 2012 if the primary debate in that state goes off as planned with the participation of Fox News.
Democratic presidential primary candidates have been invited to participate in a Nevada debate that will be broadcast by Fox News on August 14. Fox News is a stridently partisan outlet that should not be allowed anywhere near our candidates in the primary season. Though they won't own up to it, the Nevada democratic party and Senator Harry Reid should be held accountable and responsible for partnering with Fox News to host this event. The Nevada democratic party and its poltical leaders have proven they are poor stewards of the Democratic party's standard-bearers and the ideas, values and positions they represent by partnering with Fox News.
What should we do? Nevada should be replaced in 2012 with another western state as the first party primary in the west. Party officials in other Western states should anticipate broad national support for moving another state up, and should be ready to make the case for their own state.

How ragingly stupid is it that Fox News is in control of a Democratic presidential debate in August? Four months ago, Fox News superpunit Sean Hannity told Democrats: "[S]tay home on Election Day ... for the sake of the nation"

On the October 18 edition of his nationally syndicated radio program, Fox News host Sean Hannity encouraged Democratic voters to "stay home on Election Day," adding that, "your vote doesn't matter anyway." He added that Democrats should not turn out to vote "for the sake of the nation" because Democrats' votes "won't change who occupies the White House" and Democratic "candidates have absolutely no idea how to win the war on terrorism." Hannity also appeared to predict he would be criticized for his remarks, stating: "This is how the press is going to report this: 'Hannity says Democrats should stay home on Election Day.' " He did not explain how that would be a mischaracterization of his comments.

Also during the program, Hannity misrepresented the Democratic Party platform, stating: "I don't think abandoning our troops on the battlefield or closing your eyes to enemy communications or listening to enemy communications in our country, or killing the economy, or supporting illegal immigration, I don't think that's something to run on."

Democratic presidential primary candidates have been invited to participate in a debate that will be broadcast by Fox News on August 14. The event is being hosted (organized, supported and marketed) by Fox News, the Nevada Democratic Party, and the Western Majority Project, a political action committee co-chaired by Senator Harry Reid and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano.
Fox News is an inappropriate partner given its long history of anti-Democratic partisan rancor, and its role nearly guarantees this forum will cast the candidates and the party in an unfavorable light. Fox News can be expected to bookend the debate with commentary from strident conservative antagonists, and to mistreat and disrespect some or all of the candidates during the event. Fox also has a conflict of interest: It's owner, News Corp. chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch, has held fundraisers for one of the candidates, Hillary Clinton.
Brit Hume, who would most likely moderate any such debate, sounded off this last weekend in another example of Fox bias when he slandered Democrats with this comment: "The Democratic Party has had this reputation, going back decades, of really not being very serious about national defense. It's because they aren't."
There is no reason why our candidates should offer themselves up to the den of rightwing partisan slashers at Fox News. Here's what you can do:

Fox news' go-to news anchor for moderating debates in the 2004 election cycle was Brit Hume. It's a near certainty that he will moderate the Fox News hosted debate this summer.
Here's Hume's comments from this weekend, and some of Glenn Greenwald's thoughts on it:
More in extended entry:

Who do you think will be asking the questions? Roger Ailes dream panel will include Brit Hume, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh. What the hell are the dems thinking...

FOX News, the Nevada Democratic Party and the Western Majority Project have jointly announced that they will host a 2008 presidential debate, which is expected to attract the top Democratic contenders for President. The debate will be presented live on FOX News Channel (FNC) and FOX News Radio on August 14, 2007 in Reno.
In making the announcement, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said, "This is more great news for Nevada. I'm happy FOX News will be a partner for the August presidential debate. Western issues will be a major focus of this debate in particular. With FOX News as our partner, candidates will have an opportunity to not only speak to Nevada voters, but voters across the West who will be instrumental to electing a Democratic president in 2008."
FOX News Chairman and CEO Roger Ailes added, "FOX News is proud to be a leader in coverage of the 2008 campaign season and a co-host of this important presidential debate. We look forward to working with the Nevada Democratic Party and the Western Majority Project."