Hmmm... faulting someone for being financially successful. That's exactly what republicans accuse Democrats of doing. Alas, republicans have realized they can't hide from their hypocrisy any longer, and they certainly don't seem able to actually, you know, not be hypocritical in the first place. The only thing left to do is wear your hypocrisy like a badge of honor and gamble on the short-term memories of the American people. Ooops... snake eyes. Oh well, there's always 2008.

You've got to admit that your critique seems a bit cold. But, I'm sure that it was meant to be in the spirit of the new bipartisanship and civility being practiced in Washington, D.C. these days.. wasn't it? :)

Would that I could get such a return on my real estate investment in 5 years or less!! Oy!!

Still, the Breck Girl seems quite "not ready for Prime Time" in my book... notwithstanding his fabulously coiffed hairdo and muscular legs achieved from chasing ambulances...

But I digress. Please don't ban me for being meanspirited. I meant it all as a joke.

In keeping with the theme of civility over the past year or so, if I just apologize and claim a "mea culpa," would all be forgiven? I could "come out of the closet," or "admit to substance abuse," but it's already been covered by greater personages than I...

Keep me apprised...

YOu really don't get it, do you? THat was a post to point out the hipocrisy of EDWARDS. Republicans have nothign against someone making money. WHat is bugging HERE is Edwards is CONSTANTLY talkign about the "Haves" and "Have nots" when its obvious he is one of the former not the later, advocating tax increases on people on the premise that they don't really NEED the money. IF he is advocating taking OTHER people's money away, surely he can GIVE His own away.

And he will also will hide his estate in trusts while supporting the death tax, and increase taxes while dodging them himself. Like all good Democrats before him.

So... a rich guy bought a rich house... STOP THE PRESSES!!!!! Yeesh...

Physician, heal thyself.

Please Noonan, try this some other time. Every living soul in America knows that Congress, especially the Senate is the domain of the rich. Do you really wish to go down a list of housing sales by GOP senators? Have you done any research into where former Sen. Rick Santorum lived? I think not. Why not sit back, ser, and enjoy the march toward better government as dictated by the shiny new Congress run by the Democrats and save your mudchucking for say mid July of 2008?

Georgia,

We non-corrupt conservatives have no problem with being wealthy, however, it is "how" one acquires that wealth that is sometimes troubling.

One issue I have with the Breck Girl is the way he "got his". Personal Injury lawyers are some of the scummiest people I've ever known and each and every one of them that I personally know, have a dark side that hides a disingenuous sense that they are "doing the right thing"

"Edwards made his personal fortune through his trial successes and his 2003 financial disclosure forms showed a total net worth between $12.8 and $60 million.[2] Edwards was criticized for paying himself mostly through subchapter S corporate dividends, rather than a salary, to take advantage of a tax-law loophole that allowed him to avoid paying $591,000 in Medicare taxes; Edwards claimed that he chose the subchapter S structure to protect his assets from liability.[3]"

This says it all.

We non-corrupt conservatives have no problem with being wealthy, however, it is "how" one acquires that wealth that is sometimes troubling.

First of all, that's simply not true. Second, that wasn't even the point of this post. He was clearly faulting a wealthy Democrat for perceivably being almost as grubbing and nasty and sociopathic as many Republicans self-admittedly are.

A very whatever entry...

The problem I have with guys like the Breck Girl and Skerry et al is the hypocricy of ranting about how the wealthy don't pay enough taxes all the while using every dodge and loophole available to make sure they don't pay any taxes themselves. They also go on about helping the poor and unfortunate while donating virtually nothing to charity. Liberals generally do less volunteer work, donate less blood and contribute less money to charity than conservatives all the while crowing about how morally superior they are. I'd like to see some of these ultra wealthy dems follow the example of President Bush who donates virtually his entire salary as President to charity. I won't hold my breath though.

Cavalor,

Mudchucking? I merely point out information in the public domain and suggest that Edwards' rhetoric would indicate a very large donation going to the poor...how is that mudchucking?

There is also the stern Catholic in me - I, personally, would never own a house which costs that much, and I don't care how rich I ever wind up. To spend millions of dollars on your private residence while some people have no house at all is, well, morally wrong. Nothing wrong with being wealthy and nothing wrong with having a very nice house....but Edwards manse had 7 full baths and 2 half baths...for what seems to be him, his wife and their two younger children. That is excessive - it is far more than even the needs of a luxurious life. Edwards could have bought a much less expensive home, still lived very swell, and put the rest of the money to good use.

Now, do GOPers do this all the time? Certainly - but what I can't stand is the endless stream of rhetoric from Democrats on how they care about the poor, but only seem to want to use the money of the hardworking middle class to pay for programs for the poor.

RYan, Edwards is advocating tax increases on Rich people who can afford it, such as himself. Both Edwards and Kerry were willing to raise their OWN taxes so that the middle and lower classes would not be shouldered with that debt.

The same cannot be said for the Bushies. Taxes are an ideological battle to them, nothing more.

Edwards took advantage of opportunities, much like President Clinton. President Bush just got things handed to him, being born into wealth as he was, to Northeastern blue bloods just like the Kerry family.

The difference is, John Edwards came from poverty and made something of himself. But instead of rewarding those like him, he's choosing an agenda to empower the poor.

All of us, regardless of religion, should identify with that agenda. The current president has done more to disenfranchise the poor (ie Black) Americans than anyone since Reagen. Racism and poverty are bigger threats to America than terrorism ever could be.

I, for one, am willing to die in a terror attack so long as my freedom is not violated. But that's not seen as valid in today's world. I'll die for my freedom, but conservatives want to "protect" me by limiting it.

As for abortion, all of us want less of them. But some, like me, don't believe that life begins at conception.

GOP

The top 1% already pay ~34% of all income tax; the top 25% pay ~84%, and the top 50% pay ~97% of all income tax. This information is readily available from the IRS. The Dems are lying to the American people knowing that the press will support them and most people will not check the facts. Edwards, Kerry, Kennedy etc. use every dodge possible to avoid taxes for themselves while lying about who really pays the taxes in America. They know that they will have a hand in drafting any new tax bill and will make sure that they won't actually pay any more taxes.

"First of all, that's simply not true. Second, that wasn't even the point of this post. He was clearly faulting a wealthy Democrat for perceivably being almost as grubbing and nasty and sociopathic as many Republicans self-admittedly are."

It isn't true that the Breck girl acquired his wealth through frivilous law suits...gimme a break. That's my point, whether "exactly" on topic or not.

"The American Medical Association lists North Carolina's current health care situation as a "crisis" and blames it on medical-malpractice lawsuits such as the ones that made Democratic vice-presidential candidate Sen. John Edwards a millionaire many times over."

Why do you suppose meds, products manufactured in America and most of all, liability insurance costs are skyrocketing? Don't even come back with the conspiracy theory.

You obviously have never owned your own business.

While some of you will never admit anything good about John Edwards until he joins the GOP, you should at least do yourselves a favor and check out the lawsuits that made him his money. They were far from frivolous. In fact, you can also see, as a matter of public record, the cases he turned down PRECISELY because they were so frivolous. In fact, Edwards supported fair tort reform, although he didn't support the GOP version which protected corporations far too much.

But go look at his cases involving children and tell me any one of you wouldn't have wanted him defending you against some of those corporations. He held some bad people accountable and made some money in the process. Also, check his donation records when it comes to the tsunami, Katrina and other charities. It's astonishing how much he gives.

Now, now, now...

It isn't true that the Breck girl acquired his wealth through frivilous law suits...gimme a break.

No. Re-read my post in light of yours. I was saying it's simply not true that Republicans give a flying fig how someone makes his money... Unless that someone is an ideological opponent. In that case, it's suddenly fair game. (This is of course not to say I believe his lawsuits were frivilous -- I don't -- or that obliquely homophobic comments -- "Breck Girl"? Surely you can do better -- somehow cement your argument.)

Also, you should really source your quotes (ie, the second one you posted, after quoting me.) It's just good form.

PCL

I just read the briefs of all of the lawsuits that the Breck Girl won...it totalled $95.075 million!!!

I agree that some of these suits were pretty despicible, and some should have been awarded higher sums of money than others, but I'm sure that there are two sides to each story, just like the Duke Lecrosse case, wherein I believe the accused should give Duke the bird and find a college that is more respectible. Off topic, but the way our system is set up, if you come from an effluent upper class white home, the cards are already stacked against you in the liberal public eye.

Shouldn't theeese guys be paid for their pain and suffering? Or because they're white and come from effluent homes, they don't need it...which is it?

Nifong should resign...now, and cough up some restitution for these guys. At least pay their tuition for a year or so.

Now, here's my point. The Breck Girl and the Dem party are 100% anti-corporation, just ask Barney Frankfurter, and they believe that CEO's salaries should be regulated by the shareholders, well, how would the Breck Girl justify his so-called earnings as compared to say the CEO of Exxon, or will he just spin it his way to convince his constituents that there IS a difference... you know, two Americas. Where's the regulation on the hundreds of thousands of personal injury lawyers that are literally making a killing off suing you and me? Talk about a double standard.

I know this, if the Republicans don't beat this and every other hypocrisy within the Dem party in the next two years like a drum, we conservatives better start to look for a new plan because there ain't no justice in this society...at least at present there isn't.

Talk about a hypocrite!

Uh, Silky Pony didn't come from a poor household--yes, his daddy "worked in a meal." Daddy was a supervisor!

btw, no need to remind me that I misspelled "mill." Silky pronounces it "meal," just as my SC relatives do.

GOPis,

No, he's not - the "tax increase for the rich" is always on INCOME, never on investments or property. You'll never, ever get one of these fat cat liberals actually ponying up for what they say they believe.

Proud,

Are you kidding? The major part of his law practice was junk science - so junky that hardly anyone brings the sort of suits he brought because the concept that ceasarian sections can prevent birth defects has been proven asinine.

teh l4m3

It appears you don't think before you write sometimes, or you wouldn't post crap that HAS NOT been substantiated. At least by a reputable firm. Where are your facts to counter my assertions?

If you pay a little bit of attention to what I'm saying, you'll notice that I'm expounding the details of the Breck Girl's wealth and how it came to be, and if you'd take a minute to read each lawsuit, you'd agree that he is just a small part of the ballooning insurance industry in America.

"First of all, that's simply not true. Second, that wasn't even the point of this post. He was clearly faulting a wealthy Democrat for perceivably being almost as grubbing and nasty and sociopathic as many Republicans self-admittedly are."

Post something other than "your lying", or "that's not what he's saying". It helps to promote a more provocative thought.