Wasserman Schultz kept cancer, operations from media for a year. One tough person.

[AlinPA]

snip
Wasserman Schultz, 42, a mother of three from Broward County, Fla., told The Miami Herald in an interview Saturday that she successfully battled breast cancer for the past year — and is going public with her story in hopes of alerting young women to its prevalence. ...............................

And she says that keeping her illness to a small circle of family and friends allowed her to "maintain control'' over a situation that she couldn't control. "I didn't want it to define me,'' she said. "I didn't want when you wrote a story about me, I would become `Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is battling breast cancer,'' she said. "I didn't want that to be my name because I knew I was going to be fine.''.................

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/politics/story/64550.html

[seemunkee]

1. Tough woman

Good luck to her in the future.

[LeftyMom]

2. A public servant really ought to communicate something like that to the voters.

They have a right to know if you've got a medical condition that is likely to effect your ability to represent them. Hiding it until after campaign season is bullshit.

My previous congressman ran for re-election knowing he had terminal cancer, died a few months later and stuck us with the bill for a special election, basically as a scheme to will the seat to his totally unqualified wife. Worse yet, it worked.

[AlinPA]

6. No problem with your point, but the slime media would have gone berserk with

stories about it.

[rwheeler31]

14. Remember what they did to Elizabeth Edwards.

The media is brutal.

[AlCzervik]

8. And that's the truth, might not sound pretty but that's exactly how it is.

[RB TexLa]

21. Nobody's medical information is any of your business unless they desire it to be.

Elected official or not.

[Ocracoker16]

32. She didn't need to tell her constituents

If she knew that her treatrments were going to interfere with her work or that she was going to die, it would make sense to share her diagnosis and prognosis. However, she had early-stage cancer and she was able to schedule her care so it didn't conflict with her work, so I don't think that she was obligated to tell her constituents.

[gristy]

3. She certainly had a lot going on last year. I don't blame her for not wanting to publicize this.

It must have been very difficult for her.

[burythehatchet]

4. A politician has an obligation to inform voters of a serious medical condition and let them decide

[AlinPA]

9. OK, but the media would have built stories of her being near death, and

other ridiculous exaggerations.

[burythehatchet]

11. That's an unfortunate reality which does not excuse her misleading her constituency

[RandySF]

33. I don't see your point

She kept a busy schedule during all of 2008, especially campaigning for Hillary during the primaries.

[bigtree]

10. bull

Show me where she shirked her responsibilities. It looks like her staff knew, so I don't know what the point in the public disclosure would be except for someone who wanted to take some political advantage of whatever temporary impairment the surgery or treatments may have caused - or to take political advantage of the fear and uncertainty that many folks have about cancer.

[burythehatchet]

12. If you can't "get it" that's your issue. She's a liar.

[bigtree]

15. I 'get' this: She didn't hurt a thing by keeping this to herself

She did manage to keep political weasels from taking advantage of the ignorance many folks have about cancer.

[Behind the Aegis]

29. Right on!

Also, from the article:

"She scheduled her treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center in nearby Bethesda, Maryland, during congressional recesses, so as not to miss votes in Congress."

I think she knew what she was doing and she was representing her constituents to the best of her ability.

"She did manage to keep political weasels from taking advantage of the ignorance many folks have about cancer." AMEN! Including, it seems, some posters here.

[Alexander]

16. She just did.

Satisfied?

[RB TexLa]

20. No one has a duty to inform anyone of any medical condition or procedures they have or are going to

have. That is a civil right.

On edit: You do not own elected officials, just like you do not own your spouse, neither has to ever tell you anything about any of their medical information.

[DaLittle Kitty]

22. Agreed and She Would Certainly Hate To Mess Up Her Career Goals? Maybe She Ought To Focus More On...

Her Family and leave the politics to a legitimate democrat perhaps one w/ a progressive voice and more objective about the middle east.

[cali]

30. Disgusting sexism.

coming from you, it's hardly a surprise. And I'm no fan of Wassermnan-Schultz' politics.

[quiller4]

23. I disagree. She was diagnosed after she was elected. She

has disclosed her diagnosis and treatment before running for re-election. Why is that a problem?

[madrchsod]

5. i did`t like what she did last year but....

i really respect her the reason why she made her condition private.

[Jennicut]

7. Wow. No one would have ever known.

I think as long as she was making progress against her cancer then it was okay to keep quiet about it. If it was definitely terminal then that would be different.

[Carni]

13. IMO she was smart

Until you have gone through it, you cannot know why you would not want anyone to know you had cancer. It does indeed start to define you once it's announced and people treat you like you have one foot in the grave.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

19. Agreed

She should have the right to keep some things private. These statements that she somehow "owes" it to her constituents so that they can - what? - figure out who to vote for if she dies? Jesus, if ever there was a nitwit argument, that would be it.

If she can get through seven surgeries, including a double mastectomy, she is not only tough, but she has very, very good people around her, because none of this was leaked.

She got to announce it on her own terms, which is exactly what she should have done. Becoming a public servant does not mean you abrogate all your rights as a human being.

[elleng]

17. FIRST, I don't like her particularly.

HOWEVER, she was smart and brave to do what she did. Double mast AND oooop whatever, to diminish likeliehood of recurrence, AND at that stage, no need for other treatments.

[RB TexLa]

18. Good for her, it's not any of our damn business.

[Berry Cool]

24. Absolutely. No one should be forced to be "outed" as a person with cancer.

If she didn't want people treating her like she was half-dead already, that was her business and no one but hers.

[kentuck]

25. What a fighter !

She's great !!

[lamp_shade]

26. She's Wonder Woman in my book. Very few worked harder during the campaign

than Debbie, especially during the last few months. She campaigned tirelessly and was relentless and absolutely fearless when going up against some of the meanest rightie talking heads.

[Raine]

27. Wow she's one tough strong woman

:thumbsup: wishing her continued good health in her recovery!

edit: typo

[upi402]

28. i really think she's cool

except the hillary thing... maybe

[d_b]

31. I like her

she doesn't take shit from anyone. Wish we had more Dems like her.

[Hekate]

34. Wow. She's Superwoman in addition to being a strong Dem voice against the RW...

What an incredible story. I was quite impressed with her last year as she was able to prevail against the RW talking heads who were so accustomed to stomping all over Dems. She was (and is) always on message and never backs down.

Long life to her.

Hekate