Question about Andrew Young

[pnwmom]

Has anyone heard his explanation for why he funneled hundreds of thousands of Bunny's gifts to Edwards into his own house building project?

[DURHAM D]

1. I believe it was to create a wonderful home for Reille and the baby.

[MADem]

2. Here's what he said--dunno if it's an explanation, really

For three days, defense attorney Abbe Lowell was determined in his effort to paint Young as a conniving, money-hungry liar who used the senator’s “mistress problem” as a way to line his own pockets. Young was forced to admit that the donated money that flowed through his bank account made him and his wife lose focus as they tried to finish building their Chapel Hill, N.C., home from afar while running from the media. At one point, a longtime Edwards supporter, Texas billionaire Fred Baron, wired $335,000 dollars to the Youngs' builder to hurry construction. In turn, the Youngs added an extra bedroom, a home theater, and a $100,000 swimming pool. “We lost perspective,” Young admitted. “The house got bigger.”

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/28/andrew-young-lashes-out-at-edwards-s-defense-attorney-during-cross-examination.html

[pnwmom]

3. So they basically stole money from Edwards, and now they're testifying against him.

Nice bunch of people-- the whole lot.

[MADem]

4. No. One of Edwards' generous donors knowingly gave them money, to speed up construction of their

house because they couldn't be there to manage the expenditures. We don't know, but we can infer, that it was "hush money"--you guys keep that pregnant problem out of the way, and here's a ton of money sent directly to the contractor building your house because you have to be on the run, hiding out, with Baby Mama.

There was no stealing--the donor gave the cash to Young's builder, and he knew that it was a bribe of sorts, I'm betting. How could he not? He didn't give it to Young for Edwards, he gave it to Young's building contractor. Someone had to tell the wealthy donor that this was the best way to keep the lid on this mess. I am thinking it wasn't Young who asked for that cash.

It was chicken feed to that One Percenter--like giving a quarter to a bum on the street.

[pnwmom]

5. Thanks. I'd only heard that the money was "run through" Young's accounts,

not that any was paid directly to his builder.

Still, I don't see how this adds up to breaking campaign finance laws -- when in history has there been a case like this?

[customerserviceguy]

6. What's the difference?

Is there any difference between money paid to Hunter to keep her mouth shut, and money funnelled to Young to open his to say the child was his? Other than the amount, that is.

[pnwmom]

7. I guess not really. And I don't see how either situation

breaks campaign finance laws.

Of course Edwards wouldn't want his sick wife to know -- he wouldn't have wanted her to find out even if he wasn't campaigning. It just probably would have been cheaper for him in that situation.

[customerserviceguy]

8. It isn't about her finding out and tossing him out on his sorry butt

It's about the country finding out and finding him unsuitable to be President that makes it a campaign finance issue. Clearly, the man gathers cheats and liars to be around him as campaign staff, what does that say about who he would have chosen to serve in his administration if it ever got to that point?

His flowery "two Americas" BS is just that without the slightest shred of sincerity in his heart. He would have used us at least as much as he did Elizabeth and those kids.

[pnwmom]

9. He's a creep and so the prosecutor's hoping he'll be found guilty on the basis

of general creepiness.

But he's supposed to be on trial for violation of specific campaign finance laws.

[customerserviceguy]

10. And while these laws are largely untested

They're about to set a precident. You know the old saying, bad cases make bad law. Well, that was all in the hands of Johnny Edwards, he could have done a goodly number of things to avoid being at the defendant's table, like wearing a condom every time he slept with Hunter at the very least.