July 09, 2004

Rather devastating editorial in the Los Angeles Times -- could it be Kinsley's doing? "[A] lack of core beliefs could be a significant problem. The more frightening possibility, though, is that Edwards does have core beliefs, and that they are reflected in his demagogic us-versus-them arias to juries during his career as a plaintiff's trial lawyer, and in his opposition to free trade, among other issues." ("The Obvious Choice", Jun. 7). "[T]rial lawyers have long been big players inside the Democratic party, but now they are at the center. ... To be fair to Edwards, he's not just in it for himself; he's in it for other trial lawyers, too." (Jim Pinkerton, "John Edwards and the Strangest Mutation of Liberalism Yet", TechCentralStation, Jul. 7). "For someone who didn't care about the money, it's interesting that Edwards avoided cases in which the baby died during delivery." (Ann Coulter, "In Desperate Move, Kerry Adopts Puppy", syndicated/TownHall, Jul. 8).

Virginia Postrel and Glenn Reynolds don't think Republicans will get far by attacking Edwards's trial lawyer background, but Steve Bainbridge and Will Collier at VodkaPundit disagree.