Thom Hartmann: Something Stinks - John Edwards & a 30 Year Jail Term?

[thomhartmann]

Mike Papantonio, Attorney/Host-Ring of Fire Radio, joins Thom Hartmann. The jury in the John Edwards case has now deliberated for three days without reaching a verdict - and if convicted - Edwards could face 30 years in jail. Meanwhile - Republicans that get caught up in sex scandals get off scott free - and are applauded by their colleagues. So what's really going on here?

The Big Picture with Thom Hartmann on RT TV & FSTV "live" 9pm and 11pm check www.thomhartmann.com/tv for local listings

[AnotherMcIntosh]

1. And how many banksters have gone to prison for the wide-spread fraud?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. I would be very, very surprised if Edwards gets a long jail term

if he's convicted (and he isn't accused of a sex crime at all, even though a sex scandal ensued). That 30 years is the maximum, and the federal sentencing guidelines give judges a fair amount of discretion to consider prior criminal history, etc. Assuming he's convicted he will probably get a year or two in a minimum-security federal prison camp.

Still, it's very true that some people (Republicans, mostly) haven't even been prosecuted for any of their various misdeeds.

[provis99]

9. they didn't think Don Sigelman would get jail time on his shit charges, either.

He got seven years. IOKIYAR.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

3. If this man gets a 30-year term, GW Bush needs to be tried for crimes against humanity. nt

[polichick]

4. This is the country that promises "justice for all" - right?

[marble falls]

5. This isn't about sex. This is about misappropriation of campaign funds .......

none of the charges are about sex or the baby or the girlfriend. Its about where the money came from and whether there was an attempt to cover it up. If everything was so hunky dory, why was there such an effort to cover up?

[rhett o rick]

6. Does that mean you support a 30 year prison term? nm

[freshwest]

7. Yep, campaign hijacks. Christine O'Donnell did no time, neither did Tom Delay.

[marble falls]

8. Name a poitician who's been sentenced to 30 years for any crime short of murder......

first time black crack heads get 30 years, not politicians. You get all the justice you pay for or plead to. Especially when these criminals write the freaking laws. Do I think 30 years is too long? Hell yes. But then he helped write and voted for laws mandating more jailable crimes with longer terms. I don't think for a moment he'll get 30. Not even five with four and a half years suspended in a weekends off halfway house for over $100,000.00 misappropriated after HE made his fidelity to his wife an issue. Crack-heads get 30 years on a first time offense. I'm sorry, he had enough of his own bucks to buy off the mother of his child and there wouldn't have been a thing wrong with that. President? And I preferred the guy over Dole, and I thought he was a good match with Kerry. Presidential? Nope, not even Supreme Court and knowing of Thomas and Scalia and Roberts - that's saying something. I only wish Mitt or Eric Kanter, or Scalia or Thomas would get caught like this. Wouldn't YOU like to know how Justice Thomas might have paid off his child's mother if he were 'caught' in the same situation??