ABC Good Morning America Transcript
November 25, 2003 Tuesday
HEADLINE: SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS NEW BOOK, "FOUR TRIALS"
BODY:
CHARLES GIBSON, ABC NEWS
All right. Thanks, Tony.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) Presidential candidate and North Carolina Senator John Edwards has written a new book called "Four Trials." It's about his former career as one of the country's most successful trial lawyers. And it's also about his son Wade, who died tragically at age 16 several years ago in a car accident. And Senator Edwards joined us this morning. Senator, you focus on four cases but essentially you've written a book about the law and about what it can do for little people abused by and then suing the big guys.
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS,
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE
Yeah. It's, what the purpose of the book is, Charlie, is to try to explain the struggles that regular people have. And in the case of these four folks that I represented, their incredible courage and their perseverance through hard times.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) The problem is, of course, that so many people feel that it's a system run amuck. That, that there are frivolous lawsuits, that, that the litigiousness of our society has driven up the cost of everything.
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
Now, I understand that. But this, this book is not about the system as such. This book is about four people that were faced with extraordinary difficulties and hardship and sort of their ability to get through that and still be positive and optimistic. And it's amazing when you do what I did for almost 20 years and, and you live with these people, you fight for them in courtrooms, you understand their struggles, what impact it has on you. Because it really makes you believe that, that everything is possible.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) But how can the system and these kinds of cases reconcile themselves? 'Cause a lot of people do feel the system is out of whack, and yet there are people who genuinely are in need of a redress of their grievances.
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
Well, I think, I think for example the last case that I talk about in the book, Valerie Lakey's case, where she was very badly hurt on a faulty swimming pool drain that shouldn't, that, that this accident should not have happened. And she was devastated, really, for the rest of her life. It's an example of how, actually good that can come from the system. But because of what happened to her, because of the notoriety of her case, there have been changes made in swimming pool drains around the country and they're safer today than were before, before Valerie was hurt. So there's actually a lot of good that can come from this. And I think there are, in fairness for those people who are critical, I think that there's, there are always changes we can make to make the system work better. But we have to always recognize that there are cases like the ones I talk about in this book where people do need justice.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) You use this book to write about your son and you say you can't write about the law without writing about the son that you lost. 16 years old, died in an automobile accident. Why are the two related in your mind?
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
Well, my family and the struggles that the people that I fought for are completely intertwined. I mean, everything I was doing when I was representing these kids and families were intertwined with my own life and my own family's live. And so I talk about both Elizabeth, my wife of 26 years, and, and Kate, my older daughter. And, and my son Wade, who was actually very much involved in, in, in my life during this period of time.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) You write about him in there. I'd be interested to have you read a little bit about what you wrote about him and why he's so entwined in all this.
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
Sure. Would you like me to do that now?
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) Sure. Sure.
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
This is what I wrote. I wrote when I began to think about this book, I did not know how much I would say about Wade or particularly about his death and I thought it would be best not to say that much about it. But as I attempted to explain my life as a advocate, and as a man, I found it impossible not speak of him. As much as anyone is, as much as my other children, Kate and Maclaire and Jack, as much as my parents, my grandmother and my wife, Wade is who am.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) You've never spoken about whether or not he was responsible for your political career. But would you have run for office were it not for his death?
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
I, honestly, I had thought about running for office when Wade was alive. In fact, I had talked to Wade about, about running for office and he used to tease me and say, well, dad, are you gonna run? I remember vividly a conversation the two of us had in my kitchen about that.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) Did you find writing the book cathartic?
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
In a lot of ways, yes.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) In working through his death?
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
Oh, I think that, I think that Wade's life and, and his death are a part of me everyday. So the book itself was, was not that important for that. That's always with me.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) All right. Senator, good to have you with us. Thanks.
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
Thanks, Charlie. Thanks for having me.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) Now go vote on Medicare.
SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS
I'll be there.
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) Indeed, we did that interview before the program. He got on a plane going down to Washington to vote on Medicare. That vote coming in the Senate this morning. You can read an excerpt from "Four Trials" on our web-site, abcnews.com.
graphics: abcnews.com
CHARLES GIBSON
(Off Camera) When we come back, Academy Award-winning director Ron Howard talks about his new western thriller "The Missing." And we'll talk to him about past lives as well. Stay with us.
Copyright 2003 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. ABC News Transcripts