Dave Horsey on John Edwards' trial

[pnwmom]

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-horsey-edwards-text-20120502,0,3176892.story

The more I read about John Edwards' shenanigans during the 2008 presidential campaign, the more I'm convinced he is a mirror-gazing, fork-tongued, tramp-chasing weasel. But the more I read about the federal case against him, the more sure I am that he does not deserve to go to jail.

SNIP

One thing is sure: No one has been sent to jail for 30 years for doing what Mr. Edwards may have done. A big, fat fine may be justified, but demanding more than that for violating ever-shifting campaign finance rules is draconian. Given how campaign finance laws have evolved over the last four years, the penalty seems even more absurd. Thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, corporations are now "people" and they are free to donate unlimited amounts of money to super PACs that "independently" promote candidates for president.

A corporate super PAC would have come in handy in 2008 when Edwards was trying to hide his girlfriend from his dying wife.

John Edwards deserves scorn. He deserves his ruined reputation. On the scale of philandering politicians, he is pretty much rock bottom. Higher up that scale, however, Bill Clinton carries on as an admired and popular senior statesman. Former, New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been rehabilitated as a TV commentator. Louisiana's Sen. David Vitter remains in the United States Senate.

John Edwards brought this on himself, but his narcissism and moral failings do not warrant prison time. Better to banish him to the backwoods of North Carolina, up a long dirt road, a hundred miles from the nearest hair stylist.

SNIP

[freshwest]

1. And Tom Delay is still running loose and living fancy free.

[pnwmom]

2. good point

[Tunkamerica]

3. A giant mansion in Chapel Hill is the backwoods of North Carolina?

[HiPointDem]

4. the prosecution seems clearly political. just not sure from whence it comes.

[Inuca]

5. "a hundred miles from the nearest hair stylist"

This being said, the whole thing is sickeningin the extreme.