Charity starts at home

By Jeff Dobbs

In his national comedy tour disguised as a presidential campaign, John Edwards has added a new joke to his act.

John Edwards, July 26:

"They want to shut me up"

Tom Maguire asked the natural follow up question:

But who is "they"? Not George Soros' Billionaire Boy's Club, surely. Not the Phoenix Group. Baffling.

Oh, well - file it under "Unsolved Mysteries".

Oh ye of little faith!

John Edwards, August 2:

WASHINGTON (AP) - John Edwards criticized Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday for taking more than $20,000 in donations from News Corp. officials, arguing that the company's Fox News Channel has a right- wing bias and Democrats should avoid the company.
...
"The time has come for Democrats to stop pretending to be friends with the very people who demonize the Democratic Party," Edwards said in a statement.

John Edwards, August 3:

BLITZER: Well, because you took, what, half a million dollars in advance from Harper Collins, which is part of the News Corporation.

EDWARDS: Well, I had a book called "Home" that Harper Collins published. There was an advance from Harper Collins. Every dime of the money they gave to me has gone to charity, which I committed to do. And I met my commitment. It has gone to things like Habitat for Humanity, helping low-income kids go to college, the International Rescue Committee. So the money is all gone, not to me, but to important charitable causes.

Ben Smith from Politico.com on Edwards, August 12:

Left unmentioned by Edwards, however, was that Murdoch's HarperCollins paid portions of a $300,000 expense budget for the book to Edwards's daughter and to a senior political aide, Jonathan Prince.

Turns out the "they" Edwards was talking about wanting to shut him up most likely refers to his campaign staff and consultants and probably his wife.