Recent headlines threaten Edwards' main campaign theme

[DeepModem Mom]

San Francisco Chronicle: Recent headlines threaten Edwards' main campaign theme
Carla Marinucci, Chronicle Political Writer
Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Democrat John Edwards has eloquently established his credentials as an advocate for the poor with a presidential campaign focused on the devastating effects of poverty in America. But the former North Carolina senator's populist drive has hit a series of troubling land mines: a pair of $400 haircuts, a $500,000 paycheck from a hedge fund, and now a $55,000 payday for a speech on poverty to students at UC Davis.

The problem now facing the Democratic presidential candidate is whether the pileup of headlines, including the latest regarding hefty fees from university speeches reported Monday by The Chronicle, threatens to obliterate Edwards' dominant campaign theme. The former senator, who has been portrayed as the champion of the poor and the son of a humble mill worker, now faces the possibility that voters will have a different image: that of a millionaire trial lawyer who talks one way and lives another.

With months to go before the first primaries and caucuses, the growing perception about Edwards highlights a danger of modern presidential campaigns: In the 24/7 media environment, a few maelstroms of unconnected and unexpected headlines and images can quickly gather momentum and morph into a political storm that obliterates even a carefully crafted strategy and message.

"It's outrageous. He's trying to come off as Mr. Populist and Mr. 'I'm trying to help the poor,' and he charges $55,000 for a speaking fee? That's ridiculous,'' says Dick Rosengarten, Los Angeles-based publisher of the California Political Week newsletter. "Combined with the haircut, who's in charge of this guy's campaign? What are they thinking?''...

Edwards' campaign spokesman Eric Schultz said the senator has in numerous ways proved his dedication to the cause of eradicating poverty in America.

"If you look at where John Edwards comes from and his record, its clear that what makes him tick (is) helping those who haven't been as blessed as he has been,'' Schultz wrote in an e-mail....

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/23/MNG6HQ00861.DTL&hw=edwards&sn=001&sc=1000

[Gman]

1. The Kennedy boys were born rich

yet you will not find a bigger advocate for the poor than Ted Kennedy. This article is a smear.

[MGKrebs]

4. Even so, it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that

the haircuts and fees would be used against him. He didn't HAVE to do the haircuts or the fees. How is the team responding? Can they overcome the spin?

Oh wait, Joe Trippi's on board.

[WCGreen]

7. Fifty-Five thousand ain't shit for a speaking fee....

Especially for a top tiered personality...

Look, he has at least fifteen thousand in expenses tied up in that fee...

And then he has to pay taxes...

He'll be lucky to walk away with five thousand....

[meegbear]

2. ...

[tularetom]

3. As far as I'm concerned all that may be true

but Edwards has been the only one correct on the iraq war funding matter - just keep sending the same bill back to bush and let him keep vetoing it. I'll be very interested in seeing how Clinton and Obama vote when this sellout bullshit reaches the floor for a vote.

You can be a rich guy and still get the support of the poor - remember Bobby Kennedy?

[loyalsister]

5. This is different and everyone should know it

He doesn't just have money.
He has money and appears to enjoy the extravagance it can buy. Edwards comes off as vain and caught up in excess beyond what most people relate to.
While some of the Kennedys seemed to have been very into money and excess, I never got that impression of Bobby or Ted.

[WCGreen]

8. So what...

You begrudge the guy for making some money while he can...

[Beaverhausen]

6. Did that article mention how much the Edwards donate to charity?

Didn't think so.

and that speech was in january 2006.

Edit: found this in another thread yesterday:

The Edwards family donated more than $350,000 to charity, including the International Rescue Committee and Habitat for Humanity.

Edwards also received $333,334 in royalties for his book "Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives." The money was donated to charity.

[mnhtnbb]

9. The SF Chronicle is cutting union jobs in its newsroom

http://freepress.net/news/23267

The paper is losing circulation--badly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Francisco_Chronicle

F*ck'em.