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Former Sen. Edwards, Walmart, and why DC is the way it is
Hmm... former Senator John Edwards, a serious critical of Walmart, is said to have tried to buy a Playstation 3 at that retailer.
His explanation: he knew nothing of it. He just happened to mention wanting one for his kids, a staffer overheard, and he instructed a campaign volunteer to go out and get one. The volunteer in turn called Walmart and dropped Edwards' name in an attempt to pull strings and get one.
I'd believe it. But it tells you a lot about national politics. A moderately big figure (former senator, unsucessful VP candidate) has only to be overheard wanting something, and his staff rush to satisfy him and kiss up (even at personal expense of several hundred bucks). They hand it off to a volunteer, who deems it a sacred quest. The volunteer figures he can drop the boss's name and get special consideration, over a game system, of all things.
If you want to know how the corruption/scandal cycle works in DC, just figure this is a tiny example. They guy on top is treated as a demigod, and starts to believe it.
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Of course the guy at the top eventually either starts to believe he really is a god, or he sees through the whole thing and realizes the extent of his power and plausible deniability. Why order something messy done when a simple "will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest" will do the job just fine?
This is a lesson. It is not the top guy you have to worry about. It is the minions. The minions will do all sorts of evil in the name of their political. Okay, not evil but abuse of position. It isn't diabolical; it is just their mad desire for advancement. Of course, selfish interest is the greatest evil. Minions are leaches who seek power by attaching themselves to power. They hold no power of their own but are promiscuous in using the perceived power of their primary.