It may be a coincidence and not the vaunted Clinton PR machine at work, but since Hillary announced there have been two attacks on John Edwards (see Gary’s post below: The Orange County White House.) and one on Barack Obama in the media.

The attack on Edwards went like this: How can he build a 29,000 foot mansion, on a 102 acre estate in Chapel Hill, and run for President as the candidate of the poor? Edwards’ critics drew blood when Mrs. Edwards, inadvertently, dug the hole deeper by trying to explain that the 29,000 square foot mansion, which has an indoor basketball court, racquetball court and swimming pool – isn’t “grandiose” at all. It doesn’t even, Mrs. Edwards said, have “a grand staircase.” (It does have a $190,000 corridor, which costs more than a lot of homes in Raleigh, linking the two wings of the house.)

By then the News and Observer reporters’ ears must have been spinning. But, oddly, Mrs. Edwards kept on digging the hole by explaining the Edwards don’t take fancy vacations, then added, Why, once, when they went to Europe they had to use frequent flyer miles. (I’m sure Edwards’ critics will be quick to point out he also owns a million dollar beach house at an exclusive resort.)

Of course, Gary has a point. There is no reason Mr. Edwards can’t live in a mansion and be concerned about poverty. Being both wealthy and compassionate certainly doesn’t necessarily make him a hypocrite. But responding to his critics by saying, Oh, no, a 29,000 square foot mansion is not a mansion won’t wash.

When it comes to politics Bill and Hillary Clinton came from a tough school. They shoot real bullets. And John Edwards just loaded their gun.

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