Whether or not President Obama is reelected in November, Clinton plans to leave her post in December 2012. How will Americans reflect on her tenure as Secretary of State? Will she run for President in 2016?

We’re considering the life and death of Elizabeth Edwards, today. She was the author of two books, “Resilience” and “Saving Graces.”  She was also a student of literature and politics, a fierce advocate for health care reform, and the former wife of former Senator John Edwards. Over the course of her life she became an increasingly public figure, who surrounded herself with family and friends in the last weeks of her life.

In the final days leading up to midterm elections, some of the most prominent candidates on the national stage are women. Between Meg Whitman firing her immigrant housekeeper, Carly Fiorina getting caught mocking her opponent's hair, Sharron Angle attacking Harry Reid, and Linda McMahon trumpeting her success in the brutal world of professional wrestling, conservative women politicians have earned a reputation as being mean girls with cutthroat personalities who play by their own rules. 

There's a discussion that’s happening around a lot of watercoolers in America today: Elizabeth Edwards is finally going public about her husband's infidelity. In advance of her new book, Resilience, the wife of former Senator and former presidential candidate John Edwards sits down with Oprah Winfrey today to discuss her husband’s affair. Are politicians more likely to cheat than other men? And why do their wives stay with them? The Takeaway talks to Gail Sheehy, author of Hillary’s Choice and contributing editor of Vanity Fair, about the enduring fascination with political scandal and public marriages.

Oprah's interview with Elizabeth Edwards airs today, but here's an AP report to tide you over:

Senator Hillary Clinton goes before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee today for confirmation hearings in the hopes of becoming Secretary of State in the Obama administration. Some analysts predict that Clinton will face tough questions regarding a potential conflict of interest linked to her husband. President Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation has accepted donations from governments in the Middle East and wealthy businessmen in India and Nigeria. Will his fundraising activities affect Senator Clinton’s confirmation? The Takeaway talks to Gail Sheehy author of the biography, Hillary's Choice, and a contributing editor at Vanity Fair.