Let's Take a Look

at some of the first ladies of the U.S. and their health issues:

Martha Wayles Skelton Jefferson--died long before her husband, Thomas, became president, so he was a widower when he took the job. Sally Hemings doesn't count as First Lady during that administration.

Elizabeth Kortright Monroe--was ill a good deal of the time while her husband, James, was president. She lived on until 1830.

Louisa Adams--wife of John Quincy Adams, was also in poor health during the time her husband was president. She also suffered from depression.

Rachel Donelson Jackson--the target of perhaps the worst smear ever perpetrated on a wife of a candidate for the presidency. She had not been divorced when she married Andrew Jackson and the matter finally got cleared up, but that didn't stop assholes from ruining her reputation when her husband ran for president. It was so bad her health failed and she died before he was inaugurated.

Hannah Hoes Van Buren--died of TB in 1819, long before her husband Martin became president.

Letitia Christian Tyler--was an invalid of two years when her husband became president in 1841. She died in the White House in 1842. Her husband, John, remarried and wound up having more children than any other U.S. president.

Abigail Powers Fillmore--she suffered from bad health and died shortly after Franklin Pierce became president.

Jane Means Appleton Pierce--was primarily an invalid during her husband Franklin's term. She battled depression after the death of their son, Benny. He died when the train he was riding in derailed. It was on the way to his father's inauguration.

Mary Todd Lincoln--her emotional state has been very well documented.

Lucretia Garfield--she came down with malaria during her husband's brief term.

Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur--died of pneumonia right before her husband was inaugurated vice president and shortly thereafter president.

Caroline Lavinia Scott Harrison--died of TB while in the White House.

Ida Saxton McKinley--an invalid during her husband's presidency because she suffered from epilepsy.

Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt--died many years before her husband, Teddy, became president. He remarried in 1886.

Ellen Louise Axson Wilson--suffered from Bright's disease and died in the White House in 1914. Husband Woodrow remarried not too terribly long afterwards, and THAT wife, Edith, basically ran the show when he became an invalid.

Betty Ford--went public with her (successful) battle against breast cancer and was admired by millions.

Nancy Reagan--underwent a mastectomy for breast cancer and continued doing her job watching out for her husband.

More about the First Ladies here.

And these are just the First Ladies. This isn't even counting wives of presidential candidates.

So the media, Republican hacks, and all the rest need to lay the hell off of the Edwardsess