Inside Politics

Two Americas

When Sen. John Edwards ran for president four years ago, the North Carolina Democrat declared that President Bush had divided the nation into “two Americas … one America that does the work, another America that reaps the reward.”

Turns out that the other America lives right next door to the 28,000-square-foot, $5.3 million mansion Mr. Edwards has built near Chapel Hill, N.C.

The Edwards’ neighbor, Monty Johnson, lives on 42 acres that the Johnson family has owned for decades. Mr. Johnson, 55, has been known to brandish firearms to chase away trespassers, which frightens the former senator’s wife, who called the Johnson property “slummy” and condemned its owner as a “rabid Republican.”

“I don’t want my kids anywhere near some guy who, when he doesn’t like somebody, the first thing he does is pull a gun out,” Elizabeth Edwards told the Associated Press, explaining why she hasn’t said so much as “howdy” to her neighbor.

In response to Mrs. Edwards’ suggestion that he left his property in run-down condition to spite the Edwards family, Mr. Johnson said: “I have to budget. I have to live within my means. I don’t have millions of dollars to fix the place.”

Mr. Johnson, who has posted a “Go Rudy Giuliani 2008” sign on a fence just 100 feet from the entrance to the Edwards’ driveway, says he plans to sell his property and move because of increased taxes and hostility from the Edwards family.

“I thought he was supposed to be for the poor people,” Mr. Johnson said. “But does he ever socialize with any poor people? He doesn’t speak to me.”

At HotAir.com, Bryan Preston remarked: “The Edwards family: They’re all about the little guy, even when they’re complaining about him in the press and driving him out of his home.”

‘Misleading’ story

House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer over the weekend denounced as “misleading” a wire story that said he met with a leader of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during a trip abroad.

The Associated Press reported Saturday that Mr. Hoyer, Maryland Democrat, met twice with Mohammed Saad el-Katatniwhen on a bipartisan congressional delegation to Sudan and Egypt last week.

The wire service quoted a Brotherhood spokesman as saying Mr. Hoyer first met Mr. el-Katatni, the head of the Brotherhood’s parliamentary bloc, at the parliament building and then at the home of the U.S. ambassador to Egypt. Mr. el-Katatni isEgyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s rival.

But Mr. Hoyer’s office, in a “clarification” statement released on Sunday, said none of the 11 members on the bipartisan trip had “personal meetings” with Mr. el-Katatni.

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