John Edwards Ends Fling With Anti-Poverty Center

[bijou]

ProSense  (1000+ posts)       Mon Aug-11-08 12:46 PM
Original message
John Edwards Ends Fling With Anti-Poverty Center
 Advertisements [?]John Edwards Ends Fling With Anti-Poverty Center
By Ken Silverstein

Once upon a time John Edwards wanted to be president. “Poverty,” he said back then, “is the great moral issue of our century,” he told a group of students at Berkeley in 2005. “People living in poverty need you. And another thing: America needs you.”

To show his own dedication, Edwards “created a tax-exempt nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty”, reported the New York Times. Except:

The organization, the Center for Promise and Opportunity, raised $1.3 million in 2005, and—unlike a sister charity he created to raise scholarship money for poor students—the main beneficiary of the center’s fund-raising was Mr. Edwards himself, tax filings show…

The organization became a big part of a shadow political apparatus for Mr. Edwards after his defeat as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004 and before the start of his presidential bid this time around. Its officers were members of his political staff, and it helped pay for his nearly constant travel, including to early primary states.

While Mr. Edwards said the organization’s purpose was “making the eradication of poverty the cause of this generation,” its federal filings say it financed “retreats and seminars” with foreign policy experts on Iraq and national security issues. Unlike the scholarship charity, donations to it were not tax deductible, and, significantly, it did not have to disclose its donors—as political action committees and other political fund-raising vehicles do—and there were no limits on the size of individual donations.

In other words, the Center may have done some good, but its primary purpose was to serve as a vehicle for Edwards’ political career. Indeed, it appears to be very similar to the bogus “Reform Institute” that John McCain set up after his defeat to George W. Bush in 2000, and which was designed to keep alive his presidential ambitions and reward his cronies.

Edwards of course lost his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination this year, and guess what happened to his big anti-poverty initiative? That’s right–it appears he pulled the plug on it.

About a week before Edwards acknowledged having an affair with Rielle Hunter, Edwards quietly shut down a “scholarship program he started at an Eastern North Carolina high school–a program he once promised would be a model for the nation under an Edwards presidency,” reports the Raleigh News & Observer:

more

The Backlash Cometh  (1000+ posts)     Mon Aug-11-08 02:54 PM
Response to Reply #62
65. I'm numb.
 I'm just not going to believe in anything or anyone until the pony with a pink ribbon shows up at my house with the ownership papers in my name.

MonteLukast  (709 posts)      Mon Aug-11-08 12:49 PM
Response to Original message
2. Oh God. Tell me this isn't true.
 The affair is nothing. Going back on THIS, his ideas, WILL undercut his reputation.

No, don't do it, John...
 

link

Long thread with lots of fighting, sfexpat defends Johnny boy. 

[Wretched Excess]

a waste is a terrible thing to mind.

[bijou]

TexasObserver  (1000+ posts)       Mon Aug-11-08 01:10 PM
Response to Original message
12. Now he wants to solve poverty one middle aged woman at a time.
 He'll pick one each year, and with the help of his buddy, Mr. Baron, will lift out of poverty the chosen woman for the year.

[FlaGator]

ProSense  (1000+ posts)       Mon Aug-11-08 12:46 PM
Original message
John Edwards Ends Fling With Anti-Poverty Center
 Advertisements [?]John Edwards Ends Fling With Anti-Poverty Center
By Ken Silverstein

Once upon a time John Edwards wanted to be president. “Poverty,” he said back then, “is the great moral issue of our century,” he told a group of students at Berkeley in 2005. “People living in poverty need you. And another thing: America needs you.”

To show his own dedication, Edwards “created a tax-exempt nonprofit dedicated to fighting poverty”, reported the New York Times. Except:

The organization, the Center for Promise and Opportunity, raised $1.3 million in 2005, and—unlike a sister charity he created to raise scholarship money for poor students—the main beneficiary of the center’s fund-raising was Mr. Edwards himself, tax filings show…

The organization became a big part of a shadow political apparatus for Mr. Edwards after his defeat as the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004 and before the start of his presidential bid this time around. Its officers were members of his political staff, and it helped pay for his nearly constant travel, including to early primary states.

While Mr. Edwards said the organization’s purpose was “making the eradication of poverty the cause of this generation,” its federal filings say it financed “retreats and seminars” with foreign policy experts on Iraq and national security issues. Unlike the scholarship charity, donations to it were not tax deductible, and, significantly, it did not have to disclose its donors—as political action committees and other political fund-raising vehicles do—and there were no limits on the size of individual donations.

In other words, the Center may have done some good, but its primary purpose was to serve as a vehicle for Edwards’ political career. Indeed, it appears to be very similar to the bogus “Reform Institute” that John McCain set up after his defeat to George W. Bush in 2000, and which was designed to keep alive his presidential ambitions and reward his cronies.

Edwards of course lost his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination this year, and guess what happened to his big anti-poverty initiative? That’s right–it appears he pulled the plug on it.

About a week before Edwards acknowledged having an affair with Rielle Hunter, Edwards quietly shut down a “scholarship program he started at an Eastern North Carolina high school–a program he once promised would be a model for the nation under an Edwards presidency,” reports the Raleigh News & Observer:

more

The Backlash Cometh  (1000+ posts)     Mon Aug-11-08 02:54 PM
Response to Reply #62
65. I'm numb.
 I'm just not going to believe in anything or anyone until the pony with a pink ribbon shows up at my house with the ownership papers in my name.

MonteLukast  (709 posts)      Mon Aug-11-08 12:49 PM
Response to Original message
2. Oh God. Tell me this isn't true.
 The affair is nothing. Going back on THIS, his ideas, WILL undercut his reputation.

No, don't do it, John...
 

link

Long thread with lots of fighting, sfexpat defends Johnny boy. 

I thought that sfexpat only defended dictators.

[Carl]

That these idiots ever thought a multi millionaire malpractice lawyer ever gave a damn for them or any "poor" is laughable on its own right.

The shock at reality being thrown in their faces and how hard it is for them to accept it is just pitiful.

[Lord Undies]

That these idiots ever thought a multi millionaire malpractice lawyer ever gave a damn for them or any "poor" is laughable on its own right.

The shock at reality being thrown in their faces and how hard it is for them to accept it is just pitiful.

Did you read the thread?  The bankless Rhetoric River has changed courses again:  Hardly anyone at DU liked John Edwards!  Most everyone knew he was sleaze from day one!  Just about everyone of them could see right through him!

The real humor is in the DUmmies' true confessions - the ones who own up to loving John Edwards and now feel duped.  The words they use to describe their feelings "back then" - how and why they admired Edwards - paints the same picture they now have of this Obama character. 

The DUmmies love to be emotionally vested in these politicians.  They talk like they have a personal relationship with these phony elite clods who populate the democrat party.  It's just funny as hell. 

The DUmbasses remind me of how teenage girls use to worship/fight about The Monkees.  Everyone of them thought their favorite Monkee thought only about her and what she cared about.   Funny stuff.   

[Miss Mia]

That these idiots ever thought a multi millionaire malpractice lawyer ever gave a damn for them or any "poor" is laughable on its own right.

The shock at reality being thrown in their faces and how hard it is for them to accept it is just pitiful.

It should have been quite evident to his supporters when he joined a hedge fund to learn about poverty.      Oh and that $400 hair cut and the giant mansion.

[delilahmused]

sfexpat2000  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list  Donate to DU!      Mon Aug-11-08 01:20 PM
Response to Reply #15
18. Do we know that his activity had no benefit?
   
Or is this just one more knee jerk?

I think that whatever time and attention can be brought to the issue is better than no time and no attention, regardless of Edwards' motives. He needed a prop, we needed the press. Ir's a wash.
   Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 

I think we need to have a fund raiser for sexpat to hire an escort. The woman is clearly desperate...she defends the most despicable of men. At the very least the woman needs a good vibrator.

Cindie

[Carl]

sfexpat2000  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list  Donate to DU!      Mon Aug-11-08 01:20 PM
Response to Reply #15
18. Do we know that his activity had no benefit?
   
Or is this just one more knee jerk?

I think that whatever time and attention can be brought to the issue is better than no time and no attention, regardless of Edwards' motives. He needed a prop, we needed the press. Ir's a wash.
   Printer Friendly | Permalink | Reply | Top
 

I think we need to have a fund raiser for sexpat to hire an escort. The woman is clearly desperate...she defends the most despicable of men. At the very least the woman needs a good vibrator.

Cindie

It may take a large fund raiser as something tells me she probably looks like the wrath of God.

[Chris_]

  That was evil.  Funny, but evil.   

[franksolich]

It may take a large fund raiser as something tells me she probably looks like the wrath of God.

Actually, Doug's ex-wife used to look pretty good, but then and again, I'm biased.

Thin, svelte, aquiline nose, northern Mediterranean features, which made her look younger than her great years.

But about three years ago, she started to go downhill, and went downhill fast.  Like, really fast.

I suspect mood-altering pharmaceutical cocktails work from the inside outward.

[Chris_]

I think we need to have a fund raiser for sexpat to hire an escort. The woman is clearly desperate...she defends the most despicable of men. At the very least the woman needs a good vibrator.

Cindie

She'll have to find one that will fit.  I had a friend who used to work in one of "those" stores, and he said the biggest ones were always the first to sell.

Hotdog, hallway, etc, etc.

[delilahmused]

I think we need to have a fund raiser for sexpat to hire an escort. The woman is clearly desperate...she defends the most despicable of men. At the very least the woman needs a good vibrator.

Cindie

She'll have to find one that will fit.  I had a friend who used to work in one of "those" stores, and he said the biggest ones were always the first to sell.

Hotdog, hallway, etc, etc.

Well, I guess the size depends upon where she plans to put it.

Cindie

[Wretched Excess]

this is becoming one of the bigger political "crash and burn" episodes ever.  the guy was 100,000 votes in ohio away from being vice president two elections ago.  today, he can't even sleep on the nice couch in his own house.