Now we know why John Edwards likes to fuss with his hair. When you pay $400 for each trim, it had better look good. This is one of those stories that no candidate wants out there. It runs about as counter to the working-class, I'm-one-of-you rhetoric that defines the Iowa primary as you can get. Worse for Edwards, his campaign picked up the bill for two of the $400 Beverly Hills stylings. Hey, you're rich like Edwards (or any other current candidate for president) and you want to blow a bunch of money on a facial or a pedicure, go for it! But what Edwards supporter is going to be happy to learn that the exorbitant tab for the snip-snip came from the campaign coffers?
Referring to a picture of Edwards published Tuesday in the Los Angeles Times, Torrenueva [Edwards' barber] said: "That's my cut." The stylist said he couldn't vouch for the source of Edwards' haircuts in other photos. One reason the cost of the cut was so steep even by Beverly Hills standards is that Torrenueva went to Edwards rather than the candidate coming into the stylist's salon a block off Rodeo Drive.Don't get me wrong, I like John Edwards quite a bit as a candidate, but I have a suggestion on the hair matter. Go to a corner barbershop in Iowa or New Hampshire the next time you need a trim. Talk local politics with the people in the waiting room, make a friend or two, pay the $10 or $12 bill, and leave a nice five dollar tip. Kill two birds -- substance and style -- with one inexpensive stone.
Previously on 'The Stump':
· What Is Edwards' Real Position on the War?
· John Edwards Beats Expectations
Reader Comments ( Page 2 of 8)
16. It is a shame that we Senior Citizens living on Social Security can only afford to get our hair cut once every 6 weeks for $15 will we get a significant raise in benefits to afford the same type of lifestyle should John Edwards be elected?
Georgia Straight at 11:28AM on Apr 18th 2007
17. I am an Edwards supporter. I am not crazy about how he pays for his haircuts. Let's make sure that is the case before we believe everything written. I do however like his politics. We all have our hangups, his is his hair. Makes him a little more human. He is the true example of the American dream. Middle class boy grows up to be successful man.
Lynne at 4:14PM on Apr 18th 2007
18. if you think it's foolish what he does with campaign money, wait til he gets his hands on your hard earned tax dollars. by the way, as far as his own personal fortune, he made it with multi-zillion dollar lawsuit awards, which are now costing all of us. where do you think these award monies come from? if you think insurance companies pay them, then think about that next time you pay your premium.
christof at 3:35PM on Apr 18th 2007
19. believe me-- he could have gone to cost cutters,
for about $ 10.00 and he would have look the same.
What a fool to pay $ 400.00 for a haircut, i don;t care how much money you have.
Only the ones who didn;t have to work very hard
would spent, for something like this.
Those of us who had to work,and make money just
to pay the daily bills, known how dumb this is.
anthony fama at 11:08PM on Apr 18th 2007
20. If Edwards throws away $400 on a haircut, what kind of nonsense spending would he do if in the White House? $400 on a paperclip next? Remember, we are the one's that will be taxed for all these "essencials". Would you hire someone for your business that had no regard for the budget? And yes, I understand this is his "own" money that he is spending for a haircut, but spending habits are what they are..."habits"....hard to break. Just because a person may have the money to spend like this, doesn't put him in a good light to me. I'd say he might as well start hanging out with Paris Hilton. Of course, he might be out shopping with Paris as we speak.
Caroline at 12:00PM on Apr 18th 2007
21. Oh dear Nicholas, the 28 year old male who would like to "enter into politics". If you want to succeed in politics, your first move should be to hire someone else to write for you. Do not send out any letters, memos or even personal notes with grammatical errors as egregious as the note you posted here today. It is appalling that someone educated in this country can reach adulthood and still be functionally illiterate. Fortunately, for the last 6 years we have had the opportunity to observe the supreme example of educated idiocy. Perhaps unfortunate for you, we will not be easily persuaded to do it again anytime soon.
PaminLR at 12:06PM on Apr 18th 2007
22. Please give this man a chance. It seems that anyone
who is a serious threat to the Republican machine
gets criticized for anything they do. Given what
this man and his family has endured, he is entitled
to pay any amount for his haircut and have a house
any size he likes. He is a good man and there are
much more important things going on right now than
the price of a haircut.
Foster208 at 12:12PM on Apr 18th 2007
23. Oh please.... people get a life!!! With everything that is going on in this country, you have to discuss a mans hair cut??? For the past 7 years we have had to put up with an administration that lies, cheats, destroys, blames everyone and everything for their stupidity. Now we worry about hair cuts. Why don't we do something about getting on the same page to reclaim our country? Why don't we focus on things such as what happened at Virginia Tech? Why don't we just come together and wory about the things that matter?
As for the individual that wrote "I wonder what the Katrina victims think of Edwards"s hair cut?". I think the better question is, "I wonder what they think of the man that is soupoused to be the president of this nation?" How many of us remmeber what Nancy's choice of china for the White House cost, back in the 80's??? $275.00 per plate setting, where was the outrage then?
Patty Farber at 12:19PM on Apr 18th 2007
24. Come and let me tell you about a man named John
A poor southern textile boy who learned the con
Then one day he was shooting for some bucks
And up through the courts came bubblin luck
Cash that is, the big green, wampum
Well the first thing you know ol John’s a millionaire,
Kinfolk said “John move away from here”
Said DC is the place you ought to be
So they loaded up the Lexus and moved to DC
DC, that is – The White House – politicians - TV
Well now its time to say good bye to John and all his kin
And they would like to thank you folks for buyin into his grin
You’re all invited back again to this frivolity
To have a heapin helpin of government charity
Presidential that is. Sit a spell. Take off your Gucci’s.
Y’all come back now, it’s a new year.
Bill at 12:24PM on Apr 18th 2007
25. First...kudos to christof, and PaminLR for your entries.
Re: Edwards $400 hair cut....if there are any taxpaying voters out there that are concerned with skyrocketing health care costs, you might want to querry J.Ewards on that subject. He has played a major role in that dilemma with all his lawsuits against doctors and health care providers.
Dan at 12:28PM on Apr 18th 2007
26. Hey guys, wanna start a revolution? wanna take the system down and start something else? a society with more social and economic equality perhaps? no? well then you have no right to complain about $400 haircuts. if you support the current class system, and capitalism, then you can't really hold a $400 haircut against someone. edwards is not a hypocrite, he's a politician. you, you the ones who say you want the world to change for the better but would rather complain about something than to get up and change it yourselves, you are the hypocrites, and you will always be represented by your own kind.
grace at 12:27PM on Apr 18th 2007
27. YUP..EDWARDS IS A HYPOCRITE..
HE CALLS HIMSELF AN ENVIRMENTALIST BUT LIVE IN AN ENERGY PIG OF A MANSION.
AND HE ISN'T ALONE.
READ ON:
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
LOOK OVER THE DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FOLLOWING TWO HOUSES AND SEE IF YOU CAN TELL WHICH BELONGS TO AN ENVIRONMENTALIST.
HOUSE # 1:
A 20-room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house all heated by gas. In ONE MONTH ALONE this mansion consumes more energy than the average American household in an ENTIRE YEAR. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2,400.00 per month. In natural gas alone (which last time we checked was a fossil fuel), this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not in a northern or Midwestern "snow belt," either. It's in the South.
HOUSE # 2:
Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university, this house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house contains only 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on arid high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in winter and cools it in summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas, and it consumes 25% of the electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Flowers and shrubs native to the area blend the property into the surrounding rural landscape.
HOUSE # 1 (20 room energy guzzling mansion) is outside of Nashville, Tennessee. It is the abode of that renowned environmentalist (and filmmaker) Al Gore.
HOUSE # 2 (model eco-friendly house) is on a ranch near Crawford , Texas Also known as "the Texas White House," it is the private residence of the President of the United States , George W. Bush.
TOM at 12:47PM on Apr 18th 2007
28. We had 33 people killed in a mass murder on Monday. A Peace Corps volunteer was found buried in a shallow grave. The war in Iraq rages on, resulting in the loss of many, many more young people. Why on Earth would anyone consider the price of somebody's haircut the remotest bit important?
teleiamc at 12:44PM on Apr 18th 2007
29. How true is this? If it's true, then he's OUT in my book and he was my wife's and my first choice. We donated $500.00 already to his campaign. So, if he left a 20% tip, then 100% of my donation has been spent on a freaking haircut??? Geez Louise. I should have just given the money to the local shelter...
Martin Weiss at 12:43PM on Apr 18th 2007
30. If Waitresses spend 5,000 or more for breast implants what’s wrong with a lawyer spending $400 for a haircut?
Angela at 12:44PM on Apr 18th 2007