The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Ben and John

8.19.08 @ 12:01AM

PRIORITIES DIFFER
Re: Ben Stein's Whacked Priorities:

John Edwards, welcome to the Leave Us Alone Coalition.
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

Come on Ben, Edwards was on the short list for VP. It shows a lack of judgment and unbelievable arrogance to run for President knowing you're having an affair and your wife has cancer. The scandal is that the Enquirer had to cover this because the MSM didn't do their job over one year ago.
-- Jim Usher
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Ben Stein has done it again. His points are very well stated and oh so valid. Good job, Ben!
-- Barb
New Jersey

Regarding Ben Stein's article on John Edwards' affair with Rielle Hunter, I agree that history is replete with examples of leaders whose extramarital affairs in no way diminished their competence to lead. Notably missing, however, from the examples of cheaters Stein listed was that of presumptive GOP presidential nominee John McCain.

It's fine with me if Republicans such as Stein want to opine about the Edwards scandal. But lets remember that adultery is not limited to Democrats. And McCain wouldn't be the first President guilty of stepping out on his wife.

If there's any difference between Edwards' and McCain's behavior, it is that, so far, the former North Carolina Senator has not abandoned his wife and children.

McCain's mistress, however, is now poised to become the First Lady. And the children from his first marriage are conspicuously absent from the campaign trail.

Just saying, Ben.
-- Linda Tilsen

Sorry, Ben, your Monday offering was banal, insipid, vapid treacle from stem to stern. Edwards was running for office. He was running to get on board the supposedly future liberal-Democratic political bandwagon and had his eye on a nice slot in it. He put himself in the political and personal coverage crosshairs.

By the way, each and every one of your examples of flawed men was a poster boy for venality and corruption. While it is true that great and good men can be, and usually are flawed, the ones you held up were, with the exception of Mr. Caesar, rather limp arguments for any kind of "greatness." The last sentence was a cop-out. People need to be judged. We do it every day and ought to do it. You do it too. Ask sister Paris.
-- J.C. Eaton
Wisconsin

Maybe it's all that smoke from the California wild fires wafting over Beverly Hills that has Ben Stein's eyes seeing rosy red rather than reality. How else to explain one of Mr. Stein's most inane articles to date? I had hoped it was parody, but sadly, he meant this drivel.

Points Two and Three of Mr. Stein's tripe speak of a frightening naivety and nonchalance concerning Edwards' breath taking hypocrisy, power lust, and sickening moralizing. But more folly from Mr. Stein flows; he applauds Ms. Hunter for having the baby, but it apparently hasn't dawned on him that 15 K a month in support payments might be a substantial motive for being mother of the year. Not to mention her trump card over Edwards: an affair is brief, a child a lasting commitment.
-- A. DiPentima

Although most (married) men may have momentary thoughts of being with an attractive woman they have either just met or spotted walking through the mall many don't ever act on it. (I've never cheated on my wife of 28 years.)

When this story first broke Edwards was in fact running for his party's nomination but the MSM ignored it. I for one am glad that a media outlet was willing to go after a Democrat and expose the true character of the man (Edwards) when the rest of the MSM continues to protect members of the DNC no matter how serious the alleged offenses while at the same time looking for anything (even resorting to making stuff up) to go after Republicans.

Letter to the Editor

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