Imelda Bows Out

Bye-bye, Mrs. Marcos. The indicted former First Lady and owner of more shoes than Gucci ended her second bid for the presidency of the Philippines Wednesday. Somehow, Imelda neglected to list her graft conviction, her possible 12 years in jail and her meager 2 percent standing in the polls among the reasons for her withdrawal. Instead, a crowd of 100 Marcos diehards heard, it was to save the Filipino people from the ultimate injustice of a possible bloody election -- a far cry from Imeldas initial vow to bring dignity, decency and leadership back to the presidency.

Of course, next months vote -- like all elections in the Philippines -- does face the threat of rampant fraud, possible violence and cancellation, but Imeldas withdrawal does nothing to change that. Rather, it deprives Filipinos of one of the more colorful of their 11 presidential candidates, someone who told reporters earlier this month that if you know how rich you are, you are not rich. She will be missed, but not by the Philippine prison service.