The Edwards estate in Chapel Hill, N.C.:
A couple thoughts on this:
1) At 28,000 square feet and 100 acres, if there are two Americas, I'm sure John can pony up and house at least one of them.
2) If a Wal-Mart had wanted to clear-cut that much land in Chapel Hill, the unwashed, protesting, green masses on Franklin Street would still be screaming about it.
3) L.L. Cool J = Limousine Liberal Cool John
4) "The recreation building contains a basketball court, a squash court, two stages, a bedroom, kitchen, bathrooms, swimming pool, a four-story tower, and a room designated 'John’s Lounge.'"
John's Lounge? Senator, I served with Jay-Z, I knew Jay-Z, Jay-Z was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jay-Z.
5) A recent New Republic article asked how Edwards had become the "poor man's candidate," touring the country's labor unions and strike sites with comfort.
I'd guess he had them all over for squash, at the same time. Union guys love squash.
6) "He estimated that the tax value will exceed $6 million when the facility is completed."
I wonder how many free health clinics that would have funded.
7) "...we can invest in some of the cleaner alternative sources of energy — wind, solar, biomass. There are a whole series of things that we need to do." -- John Edwards, in his announcement speech in New Orleans.
Weird, I don't see any windmills or solar panels in that picture.
Listen, I got no problem with the guy being rich and spending his money how he wishes, but it is supremely obnoxious that just about every liberal politican lives like the top 1 percent they've been denigrating for the past six years. That 1 percent is full of George Bush's buddies, but Democrats know none of them, right? The rich are not evil. For the most part, they are people who have worked hard at something they're good at, and the market has deemed them worthy of healthy payment.
Sadly, John Edwards spent his working career building this luxurious life for himself from fairly humble beginnings, and he will spend the rest of his political career trying to convince the rest of America that his story is an impossibility in "George Bush's America."
"Hey, thanks capitalism! Now that I've made it, the rest of y'all enjoy socialism. Love, John Edwards."
I smell a campaign slogan.