Charge her candy to the campaign

Philandering elected officials have to be pleased that the federal judge in John Edwards' campaign finance trial Friday rejected a defense motion to dismiss the charges. If the former Democratic presidential candidate is convicted, it will make it a lot easier for others who run for office to keep their demanding paramours happy.

The case against Edwards is a stretch. A couple of his rich, longtime friends gave his mistress and "baby Mama" Rielle Hunter about $1 million to cover her rather lavish living expenses.

The money never went to the Edwards' campaign or to Edwards. But prosecutors insist it was a secret campaign contribution that Edwards accepted and failed to report -- charges that could cost him up to 30 years in prison.

The prosecution's theory is that Edwards' image as a devoted family man was a centerpiece of his campaign. If the affair became public it would have hurt his run for president. They argue that means the money was provided for the purpose of influencing the presidential election, which made it a campaign contribution. That wildly distorts any reasonable definition of the term.

Should Justice Department lawyers, who rested their case Thursday, succeed in convicting Edwards, they will have gone a long way toward establishing that supporting a candidate's mistress is a legitimate campaign expense.

If that happens, the next sound you hear will be randy elected officials everywhere popping Champagne corks.