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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRemind me again...why WAS John Edwards put on trial?
I had no use for the guy. What he did in his personal life was scuzzy.
But, seriously...a criminal trial? Really?
The guy's career is over...his marriage ended up collapsing...he's nobody at all now...why wasn't THAT punishment enough for the people who insisted on prosecuting this?
Why were they that fixated with actually having a trial over it?
Was it really that unforgiveable that, for a moment, it looked like he might get elected president?
Who was it out there that still felt this vindictive about the whole thing?
(on edit)
Thank God it's over. May what remains of the Edwards family now be left in peace. And may baby Quin lead a happy and anonymous life.
banned from Kos
(4,017 posts)Go AWAY, John Edwards!
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)bhikkhu
(10,725 posts)Here is one long list, capped off by Edwards currently: http://politicalgraveyard.com/trouble/campaign-finance.html
Christine O'Donnell may be next. There's always talk about malfeasance with campaign funds, but most often it seems to come down to forgivable errors in accounting. Edwards was just blatantly stupid.
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)dsc
(52,169 posts)and found no case, none, where the FCC had declined to call the money contributions, as happened in Edward's case. Nearly all of the cases listed involved either bribery or perjury neither of which are present in Edwards case.
bhikkhu
(10,725 posts)...just making the point that illegal use of campaign contributions is a fairly ordinary and prosecutable crime, and Edwards is hardly the only one to ever be prosecuted.
Perhaps he is being treated unfairly anyway and his defenders have a valid point; to be honest, I don't care. Living in a predominantly repug town, at some point or other in too many political discussions Edwards is trotted out as a prime example of a lying asshat of a democratic politician, a laughable hypocrite of the "save the poor" variety. I know memories are short and these things come and go, but he did a great deal of current damage.
dsc
(52,169 posts)that is my point. Most of the cases were either violating limits, bribery, perjury, or some combination of those. Unlike you, I actually live in the jurisidiction where this case was filed and thus have to live under that rouge federal prosecutor.
Hawkowl
(5,213 posts)He is prosecuted for his message. He was against the 1% before they were defined as such. He attacked the wealthy who run this country as their own personal plantation.
So I believe they are prosecuting the message, not the man. John Edwards should have known better. So should have Elliot Spitzer. We no longer live in the 1960's where Kennedy could hide his affairs. Then again, I'm sure Kennedy would rather have been impeached for a blowjob.
cali
(114,904 posts)that piece of shit never fucking gave a damn about the poor. He is the wealthy. He cynically trumpeted a message that he never lived. I warned people here of this back in 2006.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)I think, if they had it to do again with what they know now, every progressive that backed Edwards instead of Kucinich would make a different choice.
SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)The PTB certainly did not want Edwards any where near the Presidency.
Give them a seat at the table and they'll eat all the food.
coalition_unwilling
(14,180 posts)project.
Cf. Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers. One reason Nixon went after Ellsberg with such a hard-on was to deter other putative whistle-blowers\leakers.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)The "Edwards betrayed us" crybabies need to get over it. He didn't do anything that a dozen GOPers don't do every day, without repercussions or even a moment of embarrassment. He just happened to do it while being a democrat.
He is, like all of us, a flawed human being. Because is flawed doesn't mean his message wasn't important, and it doesn't even mean that he didn't believe it. He's only got enough blood for one head, and gravity won.
And his innocent children have been through enough humiliation.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)n/t.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)leftyohiolib
(5,917 posts)The Magistrate
(95,257 posts)struggle4progress
(118,379 posts)than his failed 04 and 08 POTUS bids
The original prosecutor George E. B. Holding was, however, a Dubya appointee, who hoped to turn his habit of prosecuting only Dems into high political office -- and indeed George E. B. Holding is today the GOP nominee for the NC-13 Congressional slot
The Magistrate
(95,257 posts)struggle4progress
(118,379 posts)I hope you mean that Holding was a Faircloth donor
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)It was just a pronoun problem in the post.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)Im sure you knew that.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)has only been punished with a fine.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)see post below:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002745758#post6
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)Whatever you might think of me, I do NOT deserve the "reread for clarity" treatment from you. I already read that post.
Your condescension is not justified.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)"This is not about sex, this is about a politician who essentially used bribery to cover up a personal scandal. The affair is not a huge issue with me, that is between him and his family and I don't really see it as any of my business. Using campaign dollars to cover it up however is a big deal, many working class people donated their hard earned money to his campaign having no clue it was being used for this.
I think Edwards brought the hell he is going through on himself and I think he deserves to be prosecuted, I will say however that it does bother me that these politicians only seem to be held to account when sex is involved. Money corrupts politics in so many ways and there is such massive corruption in Washington but it rarely seems to be prosecuted unless it involves sex. That is my only problem with the Edwards prosecution, there are so many other politicians who are just as corrupt or more so but as long as they keep their pants on they don't ever seem to be held to account for it. A politician's sex life is none of my business, how they use money to influence public policy is and I wish more corrupt politicians were prosecuted because way too many of them are corrupt and they don't get prosecuted for that corruption no matter how blatant it is. "
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=745799
cali
(114,904 posts)and I don't think the prosecution proved that beyond a reasonable doubt.
DCBob
(24,689 posts)The question was why Edwards was brought to trial in the first place.
The charges may be over the top but what he appears to have done is illegal and serious.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)to fine him an amount equal to the amount sent to Ms. Hunter.
The costs of this trial, even just on the prosecution side, must have run into the millions by now. It's been a complete waste of time for all concerned.
Yes, Edwards was wrong to do what he did. No, it wasn't a freaking war crime. And making him rot in prison would serve no purpose at all(as making most of those currently rotting in prison rot there also essentially serves no purpose, especially the "three strikes felons" who were just sent there for selling a few joints, and were mainly sent there just to make sure they would never be able to vote, for the record).
DCBob
(24,689 posts)I think that has been answered.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)Last edited Thu May 31, 2012, 09:46 PM - Edit history (1)
Was there something else you MEANT to link to?
HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)Bjorn Against
(12,041 posts)This is not about sex, this is about a politician who essentially used bribery to cover up a personal scandal. The affair is not a huge issue with me, that is between him and his family and I don't really see it as any of my business. Using campaign dollars to cover it up however is a big deal, many working class people donated their hard earned money to his campaign having no clue it was being used for this.
I think Edwards brought the hell he is going through on himself and I think he deserves to be prosecuted, I will say however that it does bother me that these politicians only seem to be held to account when sex is involved. Money corrupts politics in so many ways and there is such massive corruption in Washington but it rarely seems to be prosecuted unless it involves sex. That is my only problem with the Edwards prosecution, there are so many other politicians who are just as corrupt or more so but as long as they keep their pants on they don't ever seem to be held to account for it. A politician's sex life is none of my business, how they use money to influence public policy is and I wish more corrupt politicians were prosecuted because way too many of them are corrupt and they don't get prosecuted for that corruption no matter how blatant it is.
ellenfl
(8,660 posts)HiPointDem
(20,729 posts)former9thward
(32,097 posts)For those who think it is not I would like to see anyplace where the government has used their theory to go after someone.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,380 posts)Odin2005
(53,521 posts)That's called fraud.
Taverner
(55,476 posts)The fact that they are talking jail time means this is a witch hunt
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)As I understand it, it's not clear that Edwards himself KNEW they were being used.
And still, why wouldn't it be enough to fine the guy?
This just seems like it's way the hell overkill.
cali
(114,904 posts)the question is were the funds in question campaign funds or personal gifts unrelated in any way to the campaign.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)I knew there was some ambiguity regarding the funds.
Still, clearly the NC powers-that-be would never have prosecuted this in a criminal proceeding if a Republiban candidate had been involved.
grasswire
(50,130 posts)The campaign had been suspended.
Taverner
(55,476 posts)Yes, he fucked up.
Yes, he should pay all kinds of fines, the money back, and be dis-barred.
BUT - he did not earn this witch hunt.
FSogol
(45,555 posts)Also, the Repubs are afraid of him becoming JFK.
cali
(114,904 posts)public figures in the country with no way back.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)Response to Ken Burch (Original post)
freshwest This message was self-deleted by its author.
yodermon
(6,143 posts)Some punishment may be appropriate but 30 years?
nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)Justive doesn't.
I suspect it's a message...a bad one b the way...and also what he was pushing. This two Americas crap ( a good description) needs to die.
Yes, call me very cynical.
cali
(114,904 posts)as a messenger long before he was indicted. And he was indicted because an ambitious republican prosecutor wanted to use him as a springboard for his run for the U.S. House. That simple.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)Thanks for posting that.
slackmaster
(60,567 posts)Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)Life Long Dem
(8,582 posts)Politically motivated by Republican's. Okay... four words.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)Still, you did offer a nice summary.
Edwards has now been aquitted, and, hopefully, the sanctimonious Republiban hypocrite who prosecuted him will lose his race for Congress.
rufus dog
(8,419 posts)And it was purely a political payback.
We all need to remember this about the enemy, and I do not feel this is too strong.
Edwards is getting a great deal of well deserved grief from numerous posters on DU.
On the other hand, Newt Gingrich did almost the exact same things and was considered a viable Presidential candidate to Republicans.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)Now, it's time to let Edwards fade into obscurity.
Finally, this shit is over.
Vattel
(9,289 posts)This should never have gone to trial.
cherokeeprogressive
(24,853 posts)That might sound a little crass but I'm thinking if that had never happened, the world might be a different place today?
Thanks John.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)Just that he doesn't deserve to rot in prison for it. A hefty fine would have been more than suffecient.