Edwards' "one America"

Did Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards think the media wouldn't check it out? His home, or rather his estate, in Orange County, N.C.? He's the candidate railing against "two Americas'' - one for the wealthy and one for the poor. He's the guy who launched his presidential bid from the back yard of a New Orleans woman who lost her home to Hurricane Katrina. The hypocrisy is hard to defend.

Edwards' property is 102 acres marked by no-trespassing signs, according to an Associated Press report. The home is 28,000 square feet with five bedrooms and six-and-a-half baths. A covered walkway connects it to "The Barn,'' complete with an indoor pool, basketball and handball courts, and a living area. Plus, the family has cleared land for a soccer field. If you want to buy it from Edwards, better bring at least $5.4 million, with the house valued at $4.3 million and the land at $1.1 million.

A man is entitled to live in a castle, assuming he can afford it. Edwards, a fabulously successful lawyer, obviously can afford it. But when he's on the stump talking about bridging the gap between the nation's rich and poor, he has some explaining to do. We know where he lives now.