George, you have unintentionally offered an argument pro John Edwards helping the poor while senator. You noted that Edwards “didn’t have a whole lot of time to actually spend on legislation.” Given that Edwards famously missed countless floor votes, one could argue that having a pro-government-“help” vote absent (usually in Iowa or New Hampshire) could be construed as a marginal benefit to the poor. Just as deciding not to kick a man when he’s down could be construed as a marginal benefit to him as he struggles to get up.