I was going to make this very point, but you beat me to it! I find much to admire about Elizabeth Edwards, including her willingness to speak out instead of being the "nice" woman all the time, but this is indefensible. Yeah, we could go after the Republican candidates for living high, and we do, but at least they aren't being inconsistent with their message. They have no real problem with "haves" and "have nots."

The question she poses about "would it have been better if he didn't build the house for appearances' sake" is disingenuous. Of course that would be hypocritical. But that's not the reason they should refrain from building it. They should refrain because they know how unfair the world is in distribution of wealth, that building it rubs that fact in the face of those who work hard and stay poor; and because they know that it WILL ALWAYS BE impossible for everyone to have a house like that, even under the very best of circumstances.