Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar

Jim Edgar, who served two terms as Illinois governor, explains how being raised by a widowed mother helped shape his views. “I had a great deal of respect for my mother and what she went through,” said Edgar, now a distinguished fellow in the U of I Institute of Government and Public Affairs. “I had a little more sensitivity to women’s issues than the average Republican.”  Edgar said he started out as an aide to the powerful Illinois Senate President Pro-Tem, but he really wanted to hold elected office. “I didn’t want to be the power behind the throne. I wanted to be on the throne,” he tells host David Inge.