John Edwards' $400 haircuts. He Is Front-Row Center in the Good Section of the "Two Americas." How About You?

Gary North

John Edwards is still campaigning with his "two Americas" theme: rich and poor.

You've heard me talk about the Two Americas? One for those families who have everything they need, and then one for everybody else. Katrina showed us the Two Americas. Those images of men and women at the Superdome stranded without food, water or hope -- simply because they didn't have a car or the cash to escape. Those images are something we'll never forget.

They've become the face of poverty in America -- a symbol of the poor and forgotten families that live in big cities like New Orleans and in small towns and rural America too.

This April 13, 2007 speech is posted on his site.

http://johnedwards.com/news/speeches/20060622/index.html

I searched his site for "two Americas" and got 272 hits.

http://johnedwards.com/search/?mode=perform_search&keywords=%22two+Americas%22&x=15&y=14

Edwards is rich. He is not just filthy rich. He is hair salon rich. MSNBC reported the following.

Looking pretty is costing John Edwards' presidential campaign a lot of pennies. The Democrat's campaign committee picked up the tab for two haircuts at $400 each by celebrity stylist Joseph Torrenueva of Beverly Hills, Calif., according to a financial report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

FEC records show Edwards also availed himself of $250 in services from a trendy salon and spa in Dubuque, Iowa, and $225 in services from the Pink Sapphire in Manchester, N.H., which is described on its Web site as "a unique boutique for the mind, body and face" that caters mostly to women.

A spokeswoman for Edwards' campaign did not respond to requests for comment.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18157456/

Is his campaign's main theme sheer hypocrisy? Of course. It's politics. Politics is sheer hypocrisy. What's new?

The politics of plunder has been basic to the West for almost two centuries. Edwards is just one more purveyor of the message.

"Vote for me. I will use the politics of plunder to assuage your guilt. The poor will still be poor, the rich will still be rich, and the middle class will feel better about themselves for having voted to pay for programs for the poor funded by what they thought would be other people's money."

You can still get elected President with the politics of plunder. Basically, it's not possible to get elected President without it. It's merely a question of which group a campaign targets as the exploiters.