A Tale of 2 (Rich) Candidates

Edwards, Romney draw different lessons from good fortune
By Caroline Zimmerman,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 23, 2007 11:52 AM CST
A Tale of 2 (Rich) Candidates
Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, speaks to supporters during a campaign visit to the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office in Spartanburg, S.C., Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)   (Associated Press)

John Edwards and Mitt Romney are both self-made millionaires who used their wealth to climb the political ladder, the New York Times reports. But Edwards is an old-school populist who chalks up the current 1920s-level income gap to Reaganesque policies eroding the middle class, while Romney thinks the key to growth is laissez-faire economics.

Edwards says he wants to slash Bush tax cuts as president; Romney wants to extend the free market to health care. Their diverging views reflect their career paths: Romney made his $350 million fortune making smart investments as the head of a consulting firm, while Edwards amassed his $30 million by going after big business as a lawyer. (More Mitt Romney stories.)

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