Candidate profile: Sen. John Edwards
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Sen. John Edwards
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From the Wolf Blitzer Reports staff in Washington:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- John Reid Edwards: The kid next door, who seemingly caught every break -- but in reality, made most of his breaks.
Edwards was born to parents who worked the textile mills in the Carolinas and Georgia and settled in the tiny train-stop of Robbins, North Carolina.
Don't let the homespun southern drawl fool you. This is a man driven from early on. He was the first member of his family to go to college and law school.
He was a star civil litigator who from the start dazzled his employers with his talent and ambition. Taking on manufacturers, hospitals and other corporations, Edwards didn't just win. He won settlements and judgments that set records, on behalf of the 'little guy.'
And his personal life couldn't have been much better.
John and Elizabeth Edwards had 20-year love story, two beautiful kids, professional success and wealth beyond their dreams.
John had an especially close bond with their son, Wade. Together, they climbed Africa's Mount Kilamanjaro.
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But even John and Elizabeth's experiences as litigators -- helping other families deal with tragedy -- couldn't have prepared them for what was to come.
On April 4, 1996, 16-year-old Wade Edwards was on his way to meet his parents at their beach house when he was killed when his vehicle flipped off a North Carolina interstate.
Part of the rejuvenation for the Edwards family came later, when Elizabeth was in her late forties and daughter Emma Claire was born followed two years later by son Jack.
On the professional front, Iowa proved what many in the Carolinas already knew: Underestimate John Edwards at your peril.
