There Are Two Americas; John Edwards’ New House Takes Up Almost All of One Of Them

I’m sure many of us hear about John Edwards’ massive new house, and say, “hey, good for him.”

Presidential candidate John Edwards and his family recently moved into what county tax officials say is the most valuable home in Orange County. The house, which includes a recreational building attached to the main living quarters, also is probably the largest in the county.
“The Edwardses’ residential property will likely have the highest tax value in the county,” Orange County Tax Assessor John Smith told Carolina Journal. He estimated that the tax value will exceed $6 million when the facility is completed.
The rambling structure sits in the middle of a 102-acre estate on Old Greensboro Road west of Chapel Hill. The heavily wooded site and winding driveway ensure that the home is not visible from the road. “No Trespassing” signs discourage passersby from venturing past the gate.

But between this and the S Corporation tax shelter, which saved him paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in Medicare taxes, he might want to give it a rest the next time he talks about the richest one percent not paying their fair share.
UPDATE: A bit more detail here – there will be two additional residences on the property – one for Edwards’ daughter; one for guests. This quote from an unnamed Democrat suggests that Edwards’ primary rivals may find this a convenient line of attack:

“It’s one thing to be a millionaire, but it’s totally tone-deaf to be using Katrina victims while you’re putting the finishing touches on your multimillion-dollar mansion,” said one Democratic operative.