There are two Americas

John Edwards, during both of his failed attempts to run for President and while he wasn't banging his mistress instead of his cancer-stricken wife, claimed that there were two Americas--one for the privileged and one for every one else. Of course, he leveled this charge mainly against Republicans, claiming that they were representatives only of the prominent while Democrats always stood up for the little guy. Yeah, right.

This past week, two of Obama's nominees for cabinet positions--former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer--withdrew their names from consideration because of tax problems. Timothy Geithner who was confirmed, despite major opposition from both Democrats and Republicans for failing to pay over $45,000 in taxes during his stint as a consultant with the IMF, was grilled but managed to survive.

During the campaign, Joe Biden remarked that it was the patriotic duty of every American to pay their taxes, even to pay more taxes in these uncertain economic ties. While I am vehemently opposed to income taxes, which I believe are unconstitutional despite the amendment to the US Constitution, this is not the issue here. Why is it that when these prominent Democrats fail to pay their taxes, it is always an "honest mistake"? I fail to see that constant notices and warnings from the IMF and warnings could be overlooked and thus dubbed an "honest mistake."

The fact of the matter is that if any one of us ordinary schmoes had not paid our income taxes, we would have been severely audited, fined and even thrown in the jail. We wouldn't have been given all of this time to make amends.

If a Republican had done this, the media would have raked him over the coals for this same thing and called for the President who nominated him to be impeached or resign. It's the same old double standard that I've come to expect from our current political climate.

There is no change in Washington. It's just that a different party is calling the shots and has become drunk on its own power. Two Americas--one for honest, hard-working people and another for cheats.