2008 Presidential Rat Race: Spending Habits.

Those of us without limitless fortunes know that we need to manage our money wisely. We know the value of a good deal. That's why I generally prefer to get good deals when I am ornamenting my person. I rarely pay more than $15 for a haircut, or more than $25 for a pair of shoes. Look like a million without spending a million, I always say. It's just part of being smart with money. I like to look nice, but there are more important things I could be doing with my money. Like buying groceries. Or donating to charity.

I don't really understand why anyone would think it worthwhile to pay $300 for a handbag at Saks Fifth Avenue, but ultimately I don't care if other people are dumb with their own money, as long as they don't ask me to bail them out later, or to trust them with mine.

But that's the trouble with government. We entrust our tax money to our elected officials to spend on our behalf, and I do wish they would exercise a little wisdom and restraint when it comes to that. It has been several years since the national debt reached the point where we will probably never be able to pay it off. How many private citizens are able to survive in that state for long?

But then, how can we expect restraint from a person who will spend privately donated campaign funds on a $200 hair cut that most of us would probably be able to get for under $50? And how much honesty can we expect when said person only reimburses his campaign after the public finds out and gets annoyed? Now, he says he is embarrassed. By what? That we found out he is that stuck on himself? Embarrassed that he is a sucker who would pay too much for a haircut? Embarrassed that we're finding out he is wealthy after all of his talk? Or is his natural appearance such that it really takes hundreds of dollars to maintain the pretty face we all know (but don't necessarily love)?

Edwards isn't the first politician to spend idiotic sums of money on his cosmetic maintenance. I seem to remember hearing some annoyance about Bill Clinton doing something similar. But, after all of his talk about "Two Americas", and the evils of the wealthier one, I have to wonder why he is so happy spend the extra money to live in it with all of those evil, money grubbing, polluting rich conservatives. Why doesn't he just go to Supercuts and show his solidarity with those of us in the other America?

Maybe it's because Mrs. Edwards doesn't want her children around any "rabid republican" "gun-toting" middle class conservatives.

H/T: Dean Barnett