Edward or Edwards? (they both have fangs)

The name "Edward" has a certain allure, especially since Bella introduced us to her white-fanged lover.

"Edward" resonates with us as someone who is true and strong and brave and pale and very, very fast, and yes, a bit strange and mysterious. There are women all over America drooling when they hear the name "Edward" (and arching their necks appropriately).

But the name "Edward" gets an entirely different reaction when you add an "s" to the end and make it "Edwards". We wrinkle our noses and shake our heads and wonder how in the world we were fooled (and what the heck he thinks he is doing in Haiti, because he certainly isn't fooling us anymore).

Interesting that the added "s" is the shape of a snake, isn't it?

John Edwards. The Kennedy-in-looks-only golden (fake tan) boy who almost stole the nation's vote and became a President, but instead fathered an illegitimate child and lied about it, repeatedly, to everyone.

I am familiar with the power of political pull. I have experienced the rush of standing on the floor of an in-session state legislature, I can understand the desire to be there.

I have watched the primping and prancing of powerful men and women as they strut (Adam Lambert, where are you when I need you) across the red carpets of their legislature (or Hollywood - whichever pays better and gets more PR).

I am a bit cynical, yes, but also a realist. It takes a huge ego to fight through the press troops, ignore the tabloids, receive the criticism and press forward in a campaign for issues you truly believe in.

But it  takes an inflated ego to swear to your supporters that you will not veer from the platform you have paid millions to publicize, all the while knowing that the minute you take office you are going to do pretty much whatever the hell you want (or the party powers-that-be dictate).

And then, as you tow the party line, over time you will learn to play the game even better, hedge your bets until the last minute, schmooze the right folks and move from the tiny newbie office at the end of the hall to that bigger office next to the party whip.

I've seen it first-hand, from beginning to end, and back again, because some people run again and again and again, and for lesser offices, or for totally unrelated offices or even better, they get appointed to a commission and it all just flows on - the power, the ego, the paycheck and perks (on the backs of the taxpayers).

Yes, there are some honorable folks in public service through elected positions and I admire them and respect them for holding true to their morals, their convictions, their character. But they are few and far between, and that needs to change (and not the "change" Obama promised or is telling us he is making).

But that's not really what this blog post is about, it's just background for the real issue which is John Edward's total infatuation with himself, his total disregard for the people he was asking to support him, his total denial of a child that he helped to create, his total disrepect for his marital vows, his total dis-allegiance to the children he had with his wife, his total disrepute as a leader in our country and his absolute dis-patriotism to America.

Talk about fangs, and not the good vampirish "Edward" fangs that have captivated a nation, but rather the extremely frightening, totally self-absorbed, "I love blood (and fame and power) no matter what the cost" fangs of a lying, adulterous, cheat.

A wanna-be President. A fake do-gooder. A briber, an extortionist, a con-man, because in the end, that's all John Edwards is, isn't it? A con-man who almost conned us all.

Shame on him.

Shame on us for not watching closer.

Shame on those who facilitated the great lie and are now making money with it.

Shame on the press for turning away from something they simply did not want to believe or have to share.

And shame on America, for still putting faith in good looks, warm handshakes, sparkling smiles and party politics.

I, for one, will be very careful how I arch my neck to see campaigning politicians from now on. I am tired of being bit by their inflated egos.

I'll take a vampire named Edward over a snake named John Edwards any day. All day.

There's something to be said for honorable fangs.