Axelrod, now Obama's "senior adviser" and handler, is still smarting from when Edwards fired him from his 2004 presidential campaign and has been chasing revenge ever since. It was foolish of Obama to give Axelrod his wish because now there will be blow back upon Obama, both political and criminal.
Oh, and did I mention how the lobbyists despise John Edwards for his campaign stand to eliminate them? So, they decided to eliminate Edwards by making sure he is the object of such enduring public scorn and excessive humiliation to ensure he will not rise again as a national politician to thwart them. Remember, Edwards is starting up a public interest law firm to fight lobbyists that have a stranglehold on our government and is no darling of the lobbyist community.