An intimate luncheon with the Dem candidates' wives

Leave it to South Carolina to bring together the Democratic presidential candidates' spouses in a way that other cities haven't. For the first time, they were entertained together.

The six wives present had only good things to say about each other, and Charleston, while they lunched at High Cotton on East Bay Street in Charleston.

Jackie Clegg Dodd, a wisp of a lady, said, "Charleston is a dangerous place to visit, as I know from times past, visiting Peatsy and Fritz Hollings. You can put on 25 pounds in a few days if you don't watch out, the food is so good."

She charmed her way through a she-crab soup laden with crab and a touch of cream and sherry; succulent grouper; and a lemon dessert that she, like most of the wives, ignored.

In all unfairness, the dessert arrived as the wives were introduced to speak.

Dodd was nearly as funny as she says her husband is. She wouldn't choose who was funnier, Sen. Chris Dodd or former Sen. Fritz Hollings, saying Hollings is the raconteur but that her husband has kept her laughing for the 20 years they have been together.

English teacher Jill Biden was witty, quoting Blanche Dubois in Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire" — " 'I have to depend on the kindness of strangers' to elect my Joe."

She spoke passionately of her husband's battle against adversity. Those who tease about him speaking too much at times have probably forgotten he stuttered as a child and overcame it.

Elizabeth Edwards quoted her daughter about seeing her in black tights: "Are you becoming a Goth?" Edwards loves her food (and perhaps was most politically astute) enough to congratulate the chef and staff of High Cotton before saying anything about her husband.

After speaking about his crusade on poverty, she spoke about the group of wives gathered. "They are a splendid group of women," she said. "It is a pleasure to be here with them all, and if my husband can't win, I hope one of the other Democratic candidates will."

Whitney Stewart Gravel said it was the first time she had ever spoken at a campaign event. If that was true, she is a natural speaker, holding us rapt as she spoke of her husband's ardor about public health.

Elizabeth Kucinich's jacket was simply adorned with a small pin saying "Peace." She decided on her second date with Dennis she was going to marry him, and three months later, they were.

A very moving speaker, she recalled growing up in London. "America was the hope of the world." She concluded her speech with, "Where is America?" Privately, she said she was eagerly awaiting her American citizenship.

Barbara Richardson, whose first trip to Charleston was during a vacation 30 years ago, provided some of the best laugh lines, expressing gratitude for all the wives being together at the luncheon. "Usually, when the candidates' wives enter the room, we are separated as if we will be in a catfight."

She spoke about what it means to be a spouse of a candidate. "We have traveled together, campaigned together, laughed and cried together, private women in public lives. People come up to us and say, 'Your husband is so wonderful.' When 'Mr. Wonderful' is out there campaigning, we are still schlepping at home."

She said they "will unite behind whoever is the candidate to bring back the White House, no matter who wins."