Edwards forced to comment on Paris Hilton

[Capn Sunshine]

Paris who?
(I kinda wish Paris would get counseling from Big Dog. That might scare her straight.)

At a press conference today in New York City, John Edwards tackled some of the more weighty topics in the race for the White House. After reminding reporters that “terrorism is still alive, and ongoing, and a serious threat to America and to the rest of the world” and outlining his plan for a 10,000 member “Marshal Corps” to win back the hearts and minds of people around the world, one intrepid member of the press corps attempted to hold the feet of Mr. Edwards to the fire on what is surely the issue on the minds of most Americans.

Here’s the exchange:

At a press conference today in New York City, John Edwards tackled some of the more weighty topics in the race for the White House. After reminding reporters that “terrorism is still alive, and ongoing, and a serious threat to America and to the rest of the world” and outlining his plan for a 10,000 member “Marshal Corps” to win back the hearts and minds of people around the world, one intrepid member of the press corps attempted to hold the feet of Mr. Edwards to the fire on what is surely the issue on the minds of most Americans.

Here’s the exchange:

Reporter: Senator you speak all the time about two Americas, can you just tell us briefly, you know, what you think the message sends that Paris Hilton got out of jail after three days, when she was originally supposed to spend 45 days in jail?

Mr. Edwards: Um, I’m gonna stay out of the Paris Hilton story.

(laughing)

Although I saw it seems to be completely dominating the news, I had the television on just before I came down. Uh, I still do believe, without regard to Paris Hilton, that, uh, we have two Americas and I think what’s important is, it’s obvious that the problem exists.

The issue is what are we going to do to create one America with universal health care, with more economic equality, having, raising the minimum wage, access to decent housing, access to college for kids who can’t afford it? Those are the tools, some of the tools, that allow us to close the gap that exists in America today between those who are doing well and everything else. I think the next president of the United States is going to have a huge responsibility. Last year the top 300,000 income earners earned more than the bottom 150 million, and that gap is not healthy. It’s not healthy for our economy, it’s not healthy for our democracy, and I think we need to do something about it — without regard to Paris Hilton.

Obviously, this is a classic rendition writ large of John Edward's classic theme of "two Americas" It's like the estate tax deal. I never understood why the party never rolled with calling it "the Paris Hilton tax relief act" Since she's a prime recipient of the rollback of the purported "death tax".