Mrs. Edwards takes lead from Dr. Seuss

Elizabeth Edwards takes a lesson in economics from “The Lorax.”

In the Dr. Seuss story,… Elizabeth Edwards takes a lesson in economics from “The Lorax.”

In the Dr. Seuss story, which she reads to her children, a small guardian tries to protect a forest of Truffula trees from destruction.

“What happens when the last truffula tree is cut, when the last manufacturing job is moved overseas?” Edwards asked.

Edwards, 55, held a town hall meeting at the South Side Market House Monday to talk about the issues her husband, Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., have advocated.

“We want someone who walks into the Oval Office and thinks about us,” Edwards said.

The discussion focused primarily on issues such as health care, job security and the education system. Edwards said one of her children brought home an assignment that offered 10 extra points to any student who typed his or her own paper.

“What does it say to the student who can’t type his paper? It says you can’t get the best grade in the class,” Edwards said.

Audience members raised issues about prescription drug costs and a possible solution of importing drugs from Canada. Edwards cited payment increases in drugs and the pharmaceutical industry’s donations to Republicans.

“[Bush is] not protecting your health; he’s protecting the pharmaceutical companies,” Edwards said. “Senator Kerry would import drugs from Canada, and he would allow Medicare to negotiate the lowest possible price.”

One audience member asked Edwards what she thought of “security moms” — mothers voting for Bush because they feel he will better protect national security.

“I never run across the mythical women they have on television,” Edwards said. “I don’t feel better protected right now.”

Edwards emphasized the defense of ports and chemical plants and the screening of cargo holds on airplanes, drawing a comparison to football.

“You can’t play only offense; you’ve got to play defense,” Edwards said. “It would take four days of what we spend in Iraq to protect the 600-plus ports we have in this country.”

Gene Ricciardi, city council president and representative for the third district, was not surprised that the discussion was held on the South Side.

“South Side is a very diverse community; in terms of ethnicity and lifestyles, we are very cosmopolitan,” Ricciardi said. “They picked the perfect location, the perfect place.”

Tyler Cao, a Cornell student and resident of Squirrel Hill, saw the visit as informative and casual. Cao supports Kerry because he believes President George W. Bush mismanaged the war in Iraq and the economy.

“I would like to get a job when I graduate, and I know that this president is not going to give me one,” he said.