Patterico's Pontifications

6/2/2011

Quote of the Day

Filed under: General — Aaron Worthing @ 7:04 pm



[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; if you have tips, please send them here.  Or by Twitter @AaronWorthing.]

“Trial or not, John Edwards is the Charlie Sheen of American politics — great hair and no chance for rehabilitation,” said Democratic consultant Jack Quinn.

It’s been a while since I have seen a funny Charlie Sheen reference.  Anyway, it’s all on the impending indictment of John Edwards and you should read the whole thing.

Basically the theory of the case is pretty simple.  It works like this.

1. These people gave money to keep the Reille Hunter story a secret.

2. This benefited his campaign by preventing a revelation that would have completely destroyed it.

3. Therefore, that money was an undeclared campaign donation to Edwards, and thus illegal.

And of course Edwards defense is to claim that really, it was just to save his late wife’s feelings.  Of course if he really wanted to save his wife’s feelings, he might have waited until she was dead before seeing other women, but hey, who cares?  I mean it’s not like a President should have character or something.*  Seriously, it’s like as if you think that if you grant a person massive amounts of power that we should feel they have a moral core that might prevent them from abusing that power, or something.  How parochial!

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* Note: I am being sarcastic here.  I know, sometimes it can be hard to tell on the net.

[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing.]

22 Responses to “Quote of the Day”

  1. that’s so true and both of them have little kids what got the short end of the daddy stick

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  2. so to speak

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  3. parochial!

    is this today’s secret word?

    *

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  4. I think that dirty socialist old Mellon bat should be free to give Edwards large sums of money to hush up his bimbo eruptions if she wants so I guess I hope he gets off after a long humiliating trial.

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  5. I wouldn’t mind these laws Edwards broke being declared unconstitutional.

    However, he did know he was breaking the law. There’s no doubt about that much. And he’s a lawyer. It’s especially bad when a lawyer commits crimes with money. A lawyer who can’t be trusted with money should be slapped pretty hard.

    I can only imagine the trouble these guys would have caused with real power. This guy easily could be our Attorney General right now. I can only imagine.

    I do appreciate that Barack Obama appears to be a good family man. Whether it’s an act or not, this country needs more of that.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  6. …but hey, who cares? I mean it’s not like a President should have character or something.* Seriously, it’s like as if you think that if you grant a person massive amounts of power that we should feel they have a moral core that might prevent them from abusing that power, or something. How parochial!

    Quite nicely said. Am pretty sick of the rationalization by some that private lives shouldn’t be considered when evaluating someone’s fitness for public office. Honor and integrity in one’s personal life, or the lack thereof, might be the single best indicator of how someone will handle business duties.

    no one you know (98f5be)

  7. I do appreciate that Barack Obama appears to be a good family man. Whether it’s an act or not, this country needs more of that.

    Comment by Dustin — 6/2/2011 @ 8:04 pm

    Dustin,
    Do understand the reasons why some people think it’s an act, but it does seem real to me, and is maybe the one thing I honestly like about President Obama.

    Well that and his winning smile I guess.

    no one you know (98f5be)

  8. If a man cheats on the most precious relationship in his life, what makes you think he won’t cheat on you?

    Tanny O'Haley (12193c)

  9. NOYK, it seems real to me too.

    The guy isn’t actually very good at acting, so if he didn’t love his kids and wife, I think he would have slipped. I mean, the worst he does is lame jokes about her eating tamales.

    The reason I said ‘even if it’s an act’ is that Vera Baker accusation, which I honestly know little about. If Obama is just acting like an upstanding husband, well, at least he’s doing it well. I’m tired of sleazeballs like Edwards, or practically every NY politician, or Sanford.

    People shouldn’t roll their eyes at just how important moral leadership is. Yeah, I know it’s not perfect reasoning to ask for people to look up to their government’s leadership for morality, but these people do have an impact.

    If every man treated his family like Obama appears to treat his, this country would be a lot better off.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  10. look what he did to his kids they’re probably gonna end up on drugs like Ashley Biden

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  11. what Edwards did to his kids I mean – Obama’s kids are probably gonna end up with ferocious eating disorders and obscure vitamin deficiencies

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  12. Obama’s kids are probably gonna end up with ferocious eating disorders and obscure vitamin deficiencies

    Comment by happyfeet — 6/2/2011 @ 8:27 pm

    They do seem to need more red velvet cupcakes in their diet, from what I can see anyway

    no one you know (98f5be)

  13. baby steps, noyk

    maybe we start with a marshmallow each?

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  14. Obama’s kids will probably be major politicians. It just seems like Obama will start a democrat dynasty. I laughed at the eating disorder quip. My guess is that they do not lack much (nor should they… I wouldn’t wish that weirdly exposed life on anybody).

    Edwards’s kids who are older seem pretty OK. I never liked Liz Edwards’s politics, but she was a good person, and she probably raised them right. I can only imagine what the Rielle and John’s 3 year old daughter will be like.

    Perhaps awesome. I know plenty of people who come from terrible families only to be great people. But if my father denied me, just because of his wish for power, that would sting.

    Dustin (c16eca)

  15. Comment by happyfeet — 6/2/2011 @ 8:33 pm

    Quite possible – unless Michelle is co-opting forbidding them

    Wait did I just make a Michelle Obama joke? I denounce myself Sockpuppet Friday, here I come!

    no one you know (98f5be)

  16. OT new National Soros radio meme coming soon to dirty socialist media near you

    No Quick Fix For Economy

    “The financial crisis really left the economy hobbling. We’re lucky to be growing after a financial crisis. But we’re not growing enough to recoup the losses that we endured during the recession,” she says.

    lucky us

    happyfeet (3c92a1)

  17. Down by fifteen with five left and the Mavs win.

    I’m sorry what were we talking about?

    Oh yeah, jerks. Jerks are jerks. Sometimes they skate, but kharma is a bitch.

    Ag80 (1bc637)

  18. I’ll be interested to read the indictment. I will be a bit surprised if it’s limited solely to the theory proposed in the AP article that Aaron linked. I’m certainly no expert on campaign finance laws, but I’m thinking in terms of parallel/associated counts on things like mail and wire fraud, maybe money laundering/banking violations, obstruction, and/or conspiracies in connection with those. I’d be surprised if the feds put all their eggs in one basket that depends on a particular characterization of the financial transactions. And I wouldn’t expect the feds to insist on going public with an indictment before talking turkey on a plea; instead, that’s a “send the community a message” position that implies a strong prosecution case.

    Beldar (9d5838)

  19. Sorry, I dropped a phrase in that last sentence that impairs its meaning, and otherwise didn’t express my point. It should have read:

    And if that theory is all they’ve got, I wouldn’t have expected the feds to insist on going public with an indictment before talking turkey on a plea. By insisting upon the indictment, rather, the feds are taking a “send the community a message” position, which implies that the prosecutors think they have a strong case.

    Beldar (9d5838)

  20. Sometimes they skate, but kharma is a bitch.

    Comment by Ag80

    Hence the Lakers, ‘eh?

    Dustin (c16eca)

  21. Yeah, if that’s the theory on which he’s being charged, then I’m with happyfeet in saying that I hope he’s acquitted after a long and humiliating trial. Bimbo payoffs aren’t a legitimate campaign expense (I mean, how would you report them on FEC filings?) so how can paying them be a campaign contribution? That sounds to me like the FEC wanting to eat its cake and have it too.

    Milhouse (ea66e3)

  22. Be alert to a concealed monkey wrench in the indictment, it’s not like the Silky Pony’s pals in the Justice Department are above a little legal sabotage for one of their own.

    Especially since Edwards’ sins are rather venal compared to the stinking heap of corruption hanging over Eric Holder’s head.

    ropelight (d5403b)


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