Keller @ Large: John Edwards, One Of The Worst Dirtbags In Politics

BOSTON (CBS) - It's Day 2 of the corruption trial of former Senator John Edwards down in North Carolina, and before too long, we'll likely to be treated to fresh details about the amoral life of one of the worst dirtbags in modern American politics.

Listen to Jon's commentary:

In essence, Edwards is accused of extracting close to a million bucks in campaign donations from a political crony and a very elderly millionaire supporter that were never really campaign donations at all, but slush funds to be used to cover up the sleazy affair he was having at the expense of his terminally-ill wife.

Apparently, there will be evidence introduced in court that Edwards conspired with several others, including his late wife, to hide the affair, which produced a child, so that he could continue to seek the presidency in 2008.

I distinctly recall Edwards going on at length about the damage another Republican presidency might do to the people and causes he purported to champion; imagine what would have happened if he had somehow won the Democratic nomination, then had his vulgar scheme exposed.

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A national poll the other day found three percent of Americans still holding a favorable view of Edwards, and you have to assume they are completely ignorant of the details of his behavior. If not, it's kind of scary.

But, the gruesome Edwards saga does put into perspective the caliber of most of his political contemporaries.

Whatever your views of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama, we can surely agree that they would never indulge in the kind of narcissistic vulgarity that Edwards wallowed in.

John Kerry may have made a frightening error of judgment in choosing Edwards to be his 2004 running mate, a call that makes John McCain's choice of Sarah Palin seem thoughtful by comparison, but Kerry is a prince of a fellow compared with Edwards. Deval Patrick, Tom Menino – we're pretty lucky around here with the character of most of our top elected officials.

If convicted, Edwards could go to prison for up to 30 years. That seems a harsh sentence – for the other prisoners.

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