Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is gaining national attention for her brave fight against cancer, earning kudos from Chris Matthews and moving her way up the Dem food chain.
The 42-year-old congresswoman appeared on Matthew's "Hardball" show last night where the host lavished praise on his frequent guest in a long segment.
Then Politico.com posted a story today naming Wasserman Schultz as a rising star who could fill the House leadership role formerly held by Rahn Emanuel.
The high-ranking Broward Democrat had kept her breast cancer diagnosis and the subsequent seven surgeries last year a secret but decided last week to share her story.
In a recent interview with NBC 6, Wasserman Schultz said she kept her cancer battle a secret for nearly two years mainly to protect her three young children.
"Being diagnosed with breast cancer, I mean that's the call that every woman dreads," Wasserman Schultz said. "It's like getting hit in the head with an anvil."
"I have faith in my doctors and I wanted to make sure that I knew what all of my options were," she said.
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She has since appeared on "Good Morning America" and was given the "Hardball Award" by Matthews, and has introduced a bill for a breast cancer awareness campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for women under 40.
"Young women so often don't know their risk factors, they think they're invincible," she said.
Wasserman Schultz has been a workhorse throughout her battle, and doesn't expect to slow down.
"I feel great, everything was fine," she said. "My last surgery was in December of last year and I've been able to maintain my full schedule, my family is thriving and doing well."
"I told my kids on Saturday night that I'd be around for many years to continue to torture them," she added.
