| U.S. News

Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan both operated Web logs, or online commentary pages known as blogs, before being hired by the Edwards campaign.

Edwards, a Democrat and former U.S. senator from North Carolina, was the running mate of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in the 2004 election and is running for his party's presidential nomination in 2008.

Beginning with a Feb. 6 press release, William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, demanded that Edwards fire the two women because some of the writing they did before they were hired criticized the Catholic Church in sometimes grotesque and obscene terms.

Donohue called them "anti-Catholic, vulgar, trash-talking bigots," and quoted from several comments written by each woman during 2006 on their generally satirical blog pages.

His critique was picked up by an assortment of other online commentators. For several days blog pages ranging from the Democrat-leaning Daily Kos to the Republican-leaning National Review Online fed and expanded a debate about free speech rights and religious bigotry.

The women's blogs, Pandagon by Marcotte and Shakespeare's Sister by McEwan, were dissected and quoted. Previous actions by Donohue on topics such as gay rights, the role of secular Jews in Hollywood and Christmas displays also became fodder for the online debate.

In a Feb. 8 statement, Edwards said that the sentiments in some of Marcotte's and McEwan's postings on their blog pages "personally offended me. It's not how I talk to people and it's not how I expect the people who work for me to talk to people."

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion," Edwards' press release said, "but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone in my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor or anything else."

Edwards said he would not fire the women, however, adding that he believes "in giving everyone a fair shake."

He said both women had assured him that "it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith and I take them at their word."

A call to the campaign from Catholic News Service Feb. 9 seeking further comment was not returned.

In statements posted on Edwards' campaign Web site as well as on their own blogs, Marcotte and McEwan apologized for offending people.

"My writings on my personal blog, Pandagon, on the issue of religion are generally satirical in nature and always intended strictly as a criticism of public policies and politics," wrote Marcotte. "My intention is never to offend anyone for his or her personal beliefs."

McEwan wrote that she does not expect Edwards to agree with everything she has written on her blog.

"We do, however, share many views, including an unwavering support of religious freedom and a deep respect for diverse beliefs," McEwan wrote. "It has never been my intention to disparage people's individual faith, and I'm sorry if my words were taken in that way."

Alexia Kelley, executive director of the Catholic Alliance for the Common Good, weighed in, saying in a statement that the group "condemns these and all religiously intolerant remarks."

She said the group – a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded to advance Catholic social justice teachings and the common good – accepts Edwards' assurances that religious intolerance has no place in his campaign.

Kelley, who briefly served as director of religious outreach to the Democratic National Committee during the 2004 election and also worked for the U.S. bishops' Catholic Campaign for Human Development, said that with Catholics comprising more than a quarter of the U.S. public, "neither John Edwards nor any other candidate can afford to take this constituency for granted."

"We hope this unfortunate incident will initiate a deeper conversation on the part of all presidential candidates regarding the broad range of issues and values of primary importance to the Catholic community, including the Iraq War, a concern for the poor, human life and dignity, the availability of health care and a commitment to the common good."

Donohue, however, was not satisfied with Edwards' response. In a Feb. 9 press release he vowed to immediately launch an advertising and public relations campaign directed at Edwards on "the incredible double standard that exists regarding bigotry in American life ... that will keep this issue afloat for the remainder of the year."