Robert Novak (archive)

WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Edwards, following advice from political handlers, reneged on his commitment to return to NBC's "Meet the Press" to counteract his poor performance on that program last May, which negatively impacted his presidential prospects.

Edwards had told many people that he intended to "get back on the horse" and field another round of tough questioning by "Meet the Press" moderator Tim Russert. However, strategists planning Edwards's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination ruled out a Russert repeat as too risky. Instead, Edwards went to ABC's "This Week" program for a softer interview by George Stephanopoulos.

A footnote: Edwards raised eyebrows during the Stephanopoulos interview when he was asked to name his favorite book. He mentioned only "The Trial of Socrates" by the late radical journalist I.F. Stone, who has been identified as a covert Soviet agent.

-- Anonymous, January 11, 2003