The Great Edwards Blow-Off

I’ll bet John Edwards is asking how Bill Clinton got away with it.

John Edwards is burning up the phone lines, begging former aides and backers to forgive him for lying about his affair – but hearing their rage instead. As Democrats kick off their convention Monday, the onetime presidential contender is a man without a party – or a political future – trying to rebuild bridges through dozens of remorseful phone calls.

It’s proving a hard sell with onetime true believers.

What probably irks people most is that many still feel Edwards hasn’t totally come clean.

Those people may be right.

Many are bitter and disillusioned after swallowing his lies about his affair with a campaign staffer and vouching for his credibility with friends and journalists.

Some ignore his plaintive phone entreaties and don’t call back – even when Edwards leaves follow-up messages. A few return his calls – and give him a piece of their angry minds.

When Edwards reached one longtime confidant asking for advice, he was cut off with a terse: “I don’t want you to call me again.”

Americans, obviously, can forgive a lot of things. Screwing around on a wife’s been done, and while it may take a couple of really public mea culpas, most people would allow you to continue breathing. However, when you’re caught lying repeatedly about an affair, and it comes out that you were promising to shack up with your hoochie-mama once your cancer-stricken wife kicks off…?

That’s pushing it.