Fundamental Issues

Did John Edwards Break the Law?

The obvious answer in this witch hunt is “no, he did not break the law”, according to legal scholars all over the place, even Republicans. Even if he “KNEW”, the payments are still personal gifts because they likely would have been paid even if he wasn’t running for President.

Instead of bringing contrived charges against Edwards and making up violations as they go along, maybe the Obama administration should stop fighting with all they have here an abroad to keep Bush & Cheney out of court for the many violations of domestic & international law that they committed (for example), and do something to stop money from deciding US elections. But then again, this “Democratic” administration has doubled down and beefed up many of those Bush programs, so that’s not going to happen.

Bush, Rove, and Alberto Gonzales fired US attorneys if they wouldn’t target Democrats (e.g., David Iglesias). Even this “protector-of-Bush/Cheney” administration has called Bush’s behavior “inappropriate”, but not criminal. George Holding wasn’t fired, for obvious reason. What he was, was a law clerk for Terrence Boyle, a racist right-wing judge that Edwards placed a hold on, who never got appointed to the US Court of Appeals because of it, also limiting Holding’s prospects at the time. Personal vendetta, anyone?

Being a “scumbag” is not against the law, and whether or not someone “deserves what [they] get” only matters if we live in a country of men instead of laws, which we obviously do. Wouldn’t be surprised either way.

Great article from TheNation breaking down the specifics of the “laws” that Edwards “allegedly” broke: http://www.thenation.com/blog/161158/did-john-edwards-break-law

Just finished watching Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer

Best part to me was near the end, when the smart guys said all the same things I always say regarding the hypocrisy of the moral firing squad. Countless political figures do the same as guys like Eliot Spitzer, or even John Edwards, but they never pay the price these days, suffer the consequences or get “taken down” like the critics of Wall Street do.

I posted more than enough comments stating my opinions here, as “TRAYNTP”.

And yes, I completely disrespected the hypocritical, non-thinking, subjective moralists on that page since they don’t even realize that their only real comfort is in knowing that a majority of people feel the same way they do, as if that somehow makes a position ideal. It does not.

Robert Reich-sparked Rant: Double Standard

Robert Reich says we have “two economies.” Talking like this, it’s a good thing he hasn’t had an affair.

Wouldn’t want his voice silenced, which is ironic since political A-holes like David Vitter, John Ensign, and Newt Gingrich remain free to lie after getting caught committing adultery. Newt Gingrich, who cheated on his 1st wife with is 2nd then his 2nd with his 3rd, all after issuing the first one divorce papers while she was in the hospital recovering from cancer surgery, hasn’t been politically exiled like John Edwards has he? Instead, he’s preparing to run for President. David Vitter just got reelected to the Senate after getting caught wearing a diaper in a hotel room with a prostitute, but Elliot Spitzer was forced out. The FEC didn’t even bother investigating how John Ensign’s mistress-wife-of-a-campaign-aide ended up with $86,000, but a spectacle is being made of Edwards in federal court just so they can “find out” if he used campaign money as hush money.

I could care less who cheats on who. It’s their personal business, and last I checked, it didn’t hurt the job performances of FDR, Eisenhower, or JFK. But clearly there’s a double standard these days, as usual. Corporate-friendly, plutocracy-enabler…no one cares. Take on Wall Street or monetary rule, get banished.

But, not to take away from Reich’s op-ed. The real division in this country is clearly “top vs. bottom”, not “left vs. right.”

robertreich:

The Jobs Report, and America’s Two Economies

The U.S. economy added just 36,000 jobs in January, according to today’s report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Remember, 125,000 are needed just to keep up with the increase in the population of Americans wanting and needing work. And 300,000 a month are needed — continuously, for five years — if we’re to get back to anything like the employment we had before the Great Recession.

In other words, today’s employment report should be sending alarm bells all over official Washington…

We have two economies. The first is in recovery. The second remains in a continuous depression…

Too bad the kind of obvious truth in Reich’s piece stands out so much when you hear it because you so rarely do. All our so-called “Representatives” should be saying the same thing…then maybe we’d go back to a time when the media wasn’t all tabloid journalism, and they couldn’t target politicians who do speak out when they aren’t doing any more than the rest of them.