The Edwards Gaffe

Has Jack Edwards' insatiable appetite for the latest and greatest in video game technology derailed daddy John's '08 presidential ambitions? It seems in between stops on his book tour, John Edwards (okay...his staff) was demanding a brand-new Playstation 3 from Wal-Mart for his precocious kids. This comes after Edwards has repeatedly bashed Wal-Mart for its business policies. Yes; we all know that by now. But the reaction from all parties involved has been frenzied.


A nervous Edwards trying to shake the whole ordeal off:
"My wife Elizabeth was looking for a PlayStation for my kids," Edwards said in an interview. "A young man who volunteers for us, apparently without our knowledge, was looking for a PlayStation 3 for himself and offered to look for one for us. He was not aware that Wal-Mart doesn't provide health insurance or decent pay for many of its employees or of my efforts to change the way Wal-Mart treats its employees."

"He made a mistake by using my name," Edwards said. "He was simply trying to help."


A rightish statement from a proudly gloating Wal-Mart:
"While the rest of America's working families are waiting patiently in line, Senator Edwards wants to cut to the front," (Ouch...)


Huffington Post in a vigorous defense of Edwards:
'Wal-Mart has a smear out on John Edwards.

"While the rest of America's working families are waiting patiently in line, Sen. Edwards wants to cut to the front," the Wal-Mart statement said." That is an official Wal-Mart statement! Have you ever heard anything like that from a company? Is this the business Wal-Mart is in? What right does a corporation have to issue a statement like that about any citizen?'


What - Target was out of PS3's? While this is really a small matter, image is everything for a presidential candidate, and there is no doubt that the GOP will use this against Edwards as the Dem nominee (hahahahaha!) or as part of a Dem ticket. What was this guy thinking?