I know a lot of people are reluctant to sort of "judge" John Edwards for what they consider a private matter. I don't count myself in that camp. I agree with former congressman and John Edwards's campaign manager, David Bonior:

David Bonior, Edwards' campaign manager for his 2008 presidential bid, said Friday he was disappointed and angry after hearing about Edwards' confession.

"Thousands of friends of the senators and his supporters have put their faith and confidence in him and he's let him down," said Bonior, a former congressman from Michigan. "They've been betrayed by his action."

Asked whether the affair would damage Edwards' future aspirations in public service, Bonior replied: "You can't lie in politics and expect to have people's confidence."

Very disappointing.

Update [2008-8-8 16:18:43 by Todd Beeton]:Not to mention that it gives the right so much satisfaction. My Republican Dad might as well have been walking on air when he came in the door today, announcing the affair as though it were some right-wing triumph. Perhaps I'll bring up the fact that John McCain left his wife, in a wheelchair no less, for Cindy McCain? No doubt he'll have the same level of disgust.

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Cross-posted from The Left Anchor

We have previously profiled Sen. Joe Biden (Sec. of State) and Sen. Chuck Hagel (Sec. of Defense) individually.  We're changing the format of the series, however, so consider this a reboot.  Each profile will offer a short primer on the responsibilities of the office and how the current appointee has approached those responsibilities.  We will then offer brief profiles of the top two or three contenders for the post.  We'll be posting new profiles every Tuesday and Thursday for the rest of the summer, so mark your calenders and tell your friends.  We intend to create the most detailed look at the cabinet positions and their potential candidates available in one location.

Overview:  The Secretary of Labor is considered one of the top cabinet positions.  It was formerly known as the Secretary of Labor and Commerce, but the two divisions were separated in 1913 under President William Howard Taft.  Here is a succinct description of the office:

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Today's LA Times broke the news about what may be a camapign finance scandal involving the Clinton campaign:

The Times examined the cases of more than 150 donors who provided checks to Clinton after fundraising events geared to the Chinese community. One-third of those donors could not be found using property, telephone or business records. Most have not registered to vote, according to public records.

And several dozen were described in financial reports as holding jobs -- including dishwasher, server or chef -- that would normally make it difficult to donate amounts ranging from $500 to the legal maximum of $2,300 per election.

LA Times

"The bottom line is we need a nominee who can do two things," Bonior writes, "campaign in all 50 states and challenge our broken system in Washington. With every day the growing question has to be can Hillary Clinton do either?"

MSNBC.COM: First Read

More after the fold.

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Last week, DailyKos had a diary that intentionally attempted to impugn John Edwards character.

Unfortunately, the diarist used the perception of change in John Edwards to make a conclusion that I view as grossly incorrect.  The theory was prefaced as such:

He says he regrets the war vote, yet there is solid evidence of his cheerleading leading into the war.

It is not contradictory, let alone dishonest, to have supported a vote in the past and to regret that vote.  In this case, it is called progression.  The conclusion of the diarist is if John Edwards is different, he must be a panderer, an opportunist, and a fraud.

That is obviously incorrect as people change on a daily basis and it isn't for some sinister purpose.  Also, the obvious contrast with Bush's absolute stubbornness is actually quite complimentary to John Edwards.

The progressive policies and plans that John Edwards is putting forth, speak for themselves.  This has lead to the acceptance by many that John Edwards is the most likely to succeed in implementing progressive ideas.  Therefore, the question that is being asked is not so much how he is different, but why is John Edwards different?

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Welcome to the Saturday night Edwards Evening News Roundup.  Tonight, our major focus is on the education plan that John Edwards released yesterday.  I think it's a great plan that will put our public education system back on track after years of neglect.  I'll highlight some of that plan tonight.

Beneath the fold, we'll delve into the following stories:

• Teach Your Children Well: The Edwards Education Plan


• Campaign Manager David Bonior on Hardball


• Breaking News: Bush May Have Misused the DOJ AGAIN


• Celebrating OneWebDay with the Edwards Campaign

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