Edwards' worth: $39 million for decade

WASHINGTON (AP)

Democratic vice presidential candidate John Edwards made almost $39 million in income in a decade, his campaign disclosed Friday.

Edwards, a plaintiff's trial lawyer, and his wife made the money from 1994 to 2003, said the campaign as it released portions of the couple's tax returns. The candidate's wife, an attorney, stopped practicing law in 1996.

The couple paid 34.8% of their income in taxes during the 10- year span, $13.2 million.

The campaign also reported that the Edwards paid 8.6% of their income to charity. ..

The candidate's financial status fits right in with that of President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Edwards' running mate John Kerry, who are all wealthy.
Use your Head

Sure would be nice to get an account of Bush and Cheney's income status, just in the past 3 years would be fine.

far, far less than Cheney

it'd be 3.9 million a year...

I am a jackass

that sounds about right

...means?

It means he made almost ALL his income from working. It's almost all earned income.

Compare that to Cheney or Bush before he was a president. They make almost all their income from "investments" and pay less than 20% tax on it (also, compare to warren buffet who says he pays about 22% effective tax rates, no doubt, because most of his wealth is from buying and selling (taxed at about 15%) and dividends (taxed at about 15%).

Also, didn't cheney donate about .01% of his income to charity?

They broke this witless story. They evidently have nothing better to do.

AP can be contacted at http://congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/?command=org_pages&org_id=442

I messaged a whole list of AP creeps and told them the following:

SO WHAT? HOW MUCH DID BUSH AND CHENEY MAKE IN THE SAME PERIOD? WHAT RELEVANCE? ARE YOU RUNNING OUT OF NEWS TOPICS? HOW ABOUT SOME BALANCED REPORTING FOR A CHANGE? IT WOULD BE REFRESHING...

SINCE YOU'RE IN NEED OF ASSIGNMENTS, INSTEAD OF PURSING THE IDIOTIC, WHY NOT ASK PRES. BUSH THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS THAT THE MEDIA SHOULD HAVE ASKED HIM LONG AGO...

1. Why is it that you claim to be a friend of veterans and yet have proposed so many cuts to programs benefiting veterans including the closure of some V.A. hospitals?
2. If you believe Sen. Kerry's military service was "honorable" and something "about which he should be proud," then why do you refuse to specifically condemn the Swift Boat Veterans? Aren't values more than something to which one gives lip service?
3. Former Sen. Max Cleland left half of his body in Vietnam. Yet when he came to your ranch with a letter signed by 9 other Congressional war heroes, neither you nor any of your immediate aides had the courtesy to accept the letter. Why?
4. The almost 3,000 victims of the WTC attacks did not die for politicians or political parties. How do you justify using images and emotions related to that tragedy for personal political gain at a convention bathing itself in those themes?
5. Do you endorse members of the RNC mocking military medals by wearing "purple heart band aids" at the convention? If not, why have you failed to issue a statement denouncing that mockery?
6. Is it not true that you Mr. President have flip flopped on more issues than Senator Kerry such as the 9/11 Commission; on calling for a UN vote on Iraq; on creation of the Dept. of Homeland Security; on a Constitutional amendment on gay marriage; on use of the military for "nation building;" on the issue of tax credits for hybrid automobiles; on extending the assault weapons ban; on steel tariffs; on spending the Social Security surplus; on the patient's right to sue; on the Federal Government's position on tobacco buyout; on disarmament incentives to North Korea; on lobbying OPEC; on the Condoleeza Rice testimony; on your pledge to issue regulation based on science; on the presence of WMD in Iraq; on restricting Free Trade; on the importance of capturing Osama Bin Laden; on mandatory caps on carbon dioxide emissions; on an investigation into intelligence failures in Iraq; summits in the Palestinian crisis; campaign finance; on providing financial support for the First Responders; on military benefits; on who was responsible for the "Mission Accomplished" sign; on the fingerprinting and photographing of Mexicans entering the US; on refusing to pass budget deficits; your positions on stem cells and human embryos; about your support of the Low Income Energy Support Program; your position on abortion; on racial profiling; on describing success of US objectives in Iraq.
7. Specifically addressing your Flip Flops, which of your recent comments about the war in Iraq and terrorism is really your belief: Mission Accomplished, Mission Miscalculated, Mission Impossible, or Mission Possible?
8. How do you justify the budget cuts for veterans benefits at precisely the time you are ramping up the military for permanent war?
9. Where are the WMD? Would you still go to war knowing that there were no WMD?
10. 45 million people lack health coverage. Do you think basic health care is an American right? Health care costs have gone ballistic during your Administration. Why haven't you made health care more affordable?
11. "I'm also not very analytical. You know I don't spend a lot of time thinking about myself, about why I do things." (June 4, 2003). Recently, you admitted mistakes in Iraq. Don't you think being more analytical, deliberate, and "sensitive" to the intricacies of international politics might promote US success and national security?
12. You are quoted as saying, "When I take action, I'm not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It's going to be decisive." (Sept. 19, 2001). Then why are Americans still dying in Iraq so long after you declared "Mission Accomplished?"
13. "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." (Sept. 29, 2000). Then why are millions of fish now dying in our lakes and streams? Why are there warnings in many states advising people not to ingest fish because of the dangers of mercury poisoning from industrial pollution?
14. "As you know, these are open forums, you're able to come and listen to what I have to say." (Oct. 28, 2003). When was the last time that you spoke before an audience that wasn't exclusively "invited guests?"
15. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." (Aug. 5, 2004). Do you really believe that policy is really beneficial?
16. On Aug 22, 2002 you proposed deforestation as a means to combat forest fires. ("We need to understand if you let kindling build up and there's a lightning strike, you're going get yourself a big fire.") Isn't your support for deforestation actually pandering to logging and timber financial interests? If not, do you think that we should test your theory by setting experimental fires in certain areas of Texas?
17. Sen. Kerry challenged you to run a positive campaign on current issues. In 2001 you said, "It is time to set aside the old partisan bickering and finger-pointing and name-calling." Do you think the RNC and your current campaign are consistent with your prior statements? As you know, Zell Miller is rumored to be suffering from the early stages of dementia. Do you specifically endorse and share Miller's hateful and divisive comments?
18. In 2001 you promised the American people that you were going to balance the Federal Budget. The deficit this year alone is $478 billion. Why have you not kept your word to the American people?

amount of money over a ten year span? On the plus side he paid a lot in taxes. No republican paid that huge a percentage in taxes

with the common folk of course. Why else?

To prop up his failing oil company.

Bush did business with Bin Laden's bankers while Kerry was fighting to shut it down to terrorist and drug connections.

Long before September 11, 2001, George W. Bush got a 25 million dollar loan from the same bankers that dealt with bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, while John Kerry was fighting to stop this bank's global laundering of money for drug lords and terrorists. John Kerry shut it down. He's been fighting terrorism at its roots since before George Bush ran for office.

First in his family to graduate college, first generation millionaire. It can still be done. What a country. Needs some work, but what a country.

Only Republicans can do that righteously!

This should be a point in his favor - he became very successful, working his way up from a fairly humble background. Then he willingly paid substantial amounts of income tax and also gave lots of money to charity.

Good for him. You couldn't ask for a better story when it comes to money.