July 12, 2007

Gosh, where's Lloyd Bentsen when you need him!?

John Edwards takes page from RFK's book

By NEDRA PICKLER
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The campaign of presidential hopeful John Edwards has a ready answer for all the criticism about his expensive haircuts and expansive home: A man can be wealthy and care about the poor, too.

Just look at a Democratic hero — Robert F. Kennedy. [...]

Senator, you're no Bobby Kennedy.

Anyway, no one (well, no one with any common sense) is begrudging him his days at the beauty parlor, or begrudging him his money. What strikes some folks (including me) the wrong way is that he constantly rails against the rich (of which, he is one) and has constantly tried to misrepresent the amount of wealth he DOES have (by going about preaching his faux-populist, po' millworker's son schtick) without the slightest sense that he understands why anyone would object. If you're going to vilify those with money, don't be surprised when people point out how rich you are.

And back to this thing with the haircuts--if he's suddenly decided to be proud of his Kennedy-esque wealth and a newfound noblesse-oblige, why has he felt it necessary to make his campaign pay for his haircuts? Why not just grab one of his big sacks of gold coins and toss a few ducats to the stylists?

Because his sin is not in being rich, it's in being a venal little twit.

Posted by Terry Oglesby at July 12, 2007 10:00 AM
Comments

Can an empty suit be venal?

Posted by: jim at July 12, 2007 12:38 PM

Hmm--good question, Jim, but it assumes that he actually is an empty suit.

However, I believe him to be in reality a suit full to the brim with supercilious self-importance, a burning desire to wallow pig-like in filthy lucre, and little sample-sized bottles of Aveda Cherry Bark Shampoo.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 12, 2007 01:01 PM

Either that or a hair cut on a stick.
Like most politicians in the state he will support whatever the polling data indicates. If a poll showed that 54% on the people supported bird flu— Edwards would release a statement indicating his long support for the disease and wondering if poor people were getting their share.

Posted by: jim at July 12, 2007 01:20 PM

It's just that sort of compassion that one learns while working as a hedge fund consultant.

Posted by: Terry Oglesby at July 12, 2007 01:24 PM