Funny thing about anger. We all have episodes of it, unfortunately not always in private. We all know it’s part of the human condition. Yet, when we witness someone else losing their temper in public, we tend to judge them harshly: “what a loose canon,” “what a hothead,” “gee, he/she has a real anger problem.”

We all have certain buttons that are easier to push than others. Often, the media (and our significant other) is adept at pushing them. New York Governor David Paterson is a recent example.

In an angry rant during a radio interview last week, Paterson seemed to say that his political problems and the media’s attacks of him were due to racism. “The next victim on the list—and you can see it coming—is President Barack Obama, who did nothing more than try to reform a health care system,” he said.

The reaction wasn’t good, even from other African Americans. The President’s aides were so upset that Paterson had dragged Obama into the issue that they sent him an angry message.

Yesterday Paterson took it all back, claiming that what he said wasn’t what he really meant. The root of the problem, he said, was anger at something else (kind of like when you have a bad day at work and you come home and yell at your husband or the kids).

Paterson says what he was really upset about was the accusation by a local TV reporter that he was a bad parent because he let his underage daughter (who in reality is 21) stay out late clubbing.

Major button pushing for a person who views himself as, and prides himself as, a good father. But then you cool down (and get scolded by the President) and realize your mistakes: Letting anger prevail over reason and criticizing the media. Bad combination.

Maybe if I met him in person and could look into his eyes when I talked to him, I might believe that Michael Vick really regretted what he did to animals. Watching his 60 Minutes interview with James Brown, I didn’t.

Vick said all of the right things. His demeanor shouted something different. He wasn’t feeling—or believing— what he was saying. He was simply mouthing the words his media coaches told him to say during extensive training.

Yes, Vick has done his time for the crime. He’ll cooperate with the Humane Society and say he feels guilty for what he’s done. But in his heart of hearts I don’t think Michael really thinks he did anything wrong.  I belive he would still be fighting and killing dogs if he could get away with it.

Prison was just an inconvenience on his way back to a multi-million dollar contract.

Good thing John Edwards didn’t become president of the U.S. The guy obviously can’t strategize his way out of a paper bag, let alone run a country.

Common PR sense says when you’ve done something bad, spill the beans—all of the beans—at once. Don’t let bad news come out in drabs and dribbles. Get it out, aplogize if necessary, take your lumps, let the story die.

Stupidly, John Edwards has done just the opposite. Last year he went on national TV to admit his affair with Rielle Hunter. But in that interview with ABCs Bob Woodruff, Edwards vehemently denied being the father of Hunter’s baby girl. He said it just wasn’t possible.

Now reports say, after taking a DNA test, Edwards is about to admit that in fact he is the father. Once again, we’ll have days of stories about the slimy ex-senator and how he’s betrayed his cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth.

And once again, Edwards’ arrogance and/or cowardice has come back to bite him. He believed—or desperately hoped—his elaborate cover-up would work. It didn’t. And now he may be accused of not only sleazy behavior but also criminal actions: breaking campaign finance laws by paying hush money to Hunter and one of his aides.

Elizabeth Edwards deserves better.