A Stitch in Haste

So John Edwards is running for president again.

Yawn.

I have little to say about the announcement that I didn't already say in the last presidential campaign.

Except to note:

1. How astonishing — and depressing — it was to see a man intentionally making divisiveness the core theme of his campaign. It is wrong when conservatives do it ("us versus gays," "us versus immigrants," "us versus Muslims"), and it's wrong when liberals do it ("us versus the rich," "us versus Wal-Mart," "us versus Wall Street"). September 11th wasn't so long ago that such categorizations are proper.

2. Becoming a successful multi-millionaire, while hardly a sin, is also not "selfless public service." Such spin was a crock when Bill Frist tried it; it was crock when John Edwards tried it and will still be a crock should he try it again. All politicians are, by definition, moral defectives. Being a rich trial lawyer beforehand is hardly an offset.

3. I sincerely hope that, one way or the other, the Edwards campaign will set the record straight on whether he ever did any pro bono work while he was making his millions "defending the little man." I'm fairly certain that Edwards would have corrected the media reports had they actually been incorrect. But perhaps not. In any event, he has a second chance — and voters should demand a straightforward answer.

More thoughts from PoliBlog.

UPDATE: Edwards' campaign site is now live. The biographical section contains the following --

For the next 20 years, John dedicated his career to representing families and children just like the families he grew up with in Robbins. Standing up against the powerful insurance industry and their armies of lawyers, John helped these families through the darkest moments of their lives to overcome tremendous challenges. His passionate advocacy for people like the folks who worked in the mill with his father earned him respect and recognition across the country.

It also earned him tens of millions of dollars. Which, again, somehow qualifies him as a "selfless public servant."

Meanwhile, the website's search function yields no results for the term "bono."