By Bill Trott
(Reuters) – Edwin Edwards, the corruption-tainted, quick-witted former governor of Louisiana who served four terms until he went to prison in 2002, died on Monday at age 93.
He was known for his brash confidence and colorful style. Here are eight quotes by and about Edwards:
* During a successful election campaign for governor in 1983, he boasted, “The only way I can lose this election is if I’m caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy.”
* In the 2000 trial that resulted in his corruption conviction, a prosecutor asked Edwards if he was lying on the stand.
“No,” Edwards responded, “and if I were, you’ve got to assume I wouldn’t be telling you.”
* A Louisiana voter once explained why she would vote for Edwards by saying: “He’s crooked but he’s an honest crook.”
* A rival for the governor’s job had a reputation for being deliberate and Edwards described him as being so slow that “he takes an hour and a half to watch ’60 Minutes.'”
* Commenting on Louisiana’s economic downturn during the 1983 campaign, Edwards told voters that if they did not re-elect him “there’ll be nothing left to steal.”
* After being convicted, Edwards said: “I have lived 72 years of my life within the system and I will live the rest of my life within the system.”
* When Edwards ran for a congressional seat in 2014 after finishing his prison sentence, Republican opponent Garret Graves said, “To do opposition research on someone like Edwards would be a complete waste of time and money. He admits to everything.”
* After losing that 2014 election, a reporter asked Edwards about his future. “I’m going home to get some sleep,” he said. When pressed about his long-term plans, Edwards responded, “Well, I’ll wake up and have breakfast.”
(Compiled by Bill Trott; Editing by Alistair Bell)
