Edwards as Democratic hair apparent?
Former Sen. John Edwards, whose wind-swept look has drawn its share of comment in the presidential race, evidently took time out from his campaign to stop for a haircut.
But this wasn’t your basic barber shop. Rather, Edwards apparently visited Torrenueva Hair Designs in Beverly Hills, owned by celebrity stylist Joseph Torrenueva. And he paid Rodeo Drive prices. Twice.
According to his campaign finance report, Edwards’ campaign spent $400 at the salon on Feb. 20. Two weeks later, it spent another $400.
The reports did not say explicitly that it was Edwards who received the haircuts, and neither his campaign nor Torrenueva returned calls seeking comment.
The payments recall a 1993 incident in which then-President Clinton delayed his departure from Los Angeles International Airport in order to receive a trim by Beverly Hills stylist Cristophe. Back then, Cristophe was said to charge roughly $200.
At 53, Edwards shows little sign of graying, and he is the focus of a mocking YouTube video that shows him straightening his hair and being made-up by a stylist as the song “I Feel Pretty” plays in the background.
Edwards, who raised $14 million during the first 90 days of the year, is not viewed as a lavish spender on the campaign trail. His $3.3 million in expenses were significantly less than those of his two main rivals for the Democratic nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Edwards represented North Carolina in the Senate.
Based on his campaign reports, Edwards flies on commercial airlines and stays in chain hotels.
At a recent Bay Area fund-raising stop, he traveled with a single aide and rode in a minivan, rather than the limo or SUV favored by some candidates.
In addition to the two $400 payments to Torrenueva Hair Design, Edwards listed a payment of $248 to a salon in Dubuque, Iowa.
“In this day and age, particularly when you’re a candidate positioning yourself as a spokesman for the middle class, the common person, it doesn’t make any sense,” said pundit Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, who teaches at USC.
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