It's not that he cheated on his wife. I'm too jaded to be worried about some stupid guy that can't keep it in his pants. The fact that a powerful politician cheated on his wife is not a big surprise. Hell, McCain left his sick wife for his mistress after all. It's not like it means anything anymore.
It's not that this reflects poorly on the Democratic party. Again, look at the Republican nominee's personal life. People who hate Democrats will still hate democrats. Democrats themselves won't care.
It's the fact that the Friggin NATIONAL ENQUIRER actually broke the story. The NATIONAL ENQUIRER. A trash magazine with a history of creating fake news, editing photos to match their fake stories, and running rumors as facts. And it wasn't even from good journalism, either. I can almost imagine how this went down.
*A writer for NE is hanging out and sees John Edwards, alone, at a hotel. He sees him talking to a woman, and the two walk off together. His mind gets an idea for a story. He figures out she is Rielle Hunter, the flighty but otherwise known videographer that was working on a Edwards documentary. Well, on the surface he has a legitimate reason to meet with her. But hey, she is a bottle blonde and pretty enough to make good tabloid fodder. So let's play What if for a minute. Politician...pretty blonde...hotel...AFFAIR!"
So he runs with it and, since NE doesn't actually CARE about verifying its sources, they run it. Thing is, this time it was actually right.
HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?
You know what this means now, don't you? It means we have to now listen to idiots quote National Enquirer and Sun Magazines as news sources now. Because they got one story right out of ten thousand, now every loon that ever bought a tabloid because it had a picture of a celebrity in an embarassing position on the cover will think these are legitimate news sources. THIS is what ticks me off. This story has validated the trailer-park trash crowds obsession with trash magazines. And now the next time an article appears with a title OBAMA IS LOVE CHILD OF BAT BOY AND MODEL or MCCAIN PLEDGES TO HELP MARTIANS RECLAIM ANCIENT SPACESHIP IN IRAN they are going to take this as FACT. And there will be no arguing with them, because when you point out that nobody else is covering these stories they will say "Yeah, well where was the New York Times when National Enquirer broke the Edwards story, huh?"
And this is what ticks me off the most...
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I just hate all politicians... I am angry over the whole state of our government...
THE END!
Same old story.... it's not the crime/offense that nails ya', it's the cover up.
Forget Edwards, it’s the New York Times that has been caught with its liberal pants down. It is indeed a sad day when accurate reporting is found in the Enquirer and false inaccurate journalism is found in the New York Times. They really need to rename their paper to the Democratic Party’s Fairy Tale Daily Rag. I might even compare them to the Weekly World News, but that would be an insult to the Weekly World News.
And you do know that the NYT endorsed McCain for the Republican nomination (And Clinton, NOT Obama, for the Democratic nom). So it is a bit disingenuous to imply the NYT is a liberal fairy tale rag when they have generally been pretty keen on McCain.
I just love how Republicons jump on this with all their "family values" crap. Maybe Edwards should have done the McCain and dumped his sick wife to trade up for one younger, hotter, and with a fatter wallet.
Not being used & humiliated by this blankadee blank.
Please read Invisible Hand to see how things could be arranged otherwise.
Actually, and I am only mentioning it because I read it in a blog by a mainstream paper that interviewed some NE staff, the NE never got a pick and made any affair allegations on their own. The whole thing started when a source approached the NE, supposedly after trying to go mainstream with it.
Seems the NE was the only one that would listen, take the story seriously and ran with it.
And I don't doubt it because the NE was STILL the only staff to pursue the story after they broke it earlier. Every other mainstream paper didnt even bother giving the story any credit or space.
McCain made it public when he wrote about it. And just like reporting about private lives is all for money, writing about your own private life for that book deal is all for money......so the point really doesn't hold any water in this case.
He's talking about the alleged affair that McCain had with an attractive female lobbyist. Nothing was proved, and he's right, it was just sloppy reporting on the NYT's part.
A similar situation happened with Rev. Jessie Jackson, no coverage there. This has nothing to do with “endorsements.” It does have a deliberate bias about tarring and feathering Republicans and whitewashing Democrats, if necessary by simple omission.
Where was the "whitewashing" of Elliot Spitzer? Where was the "whitewashing of Bill Clinton"? Where was the "whitewashing" of James McGreevey? Those were all front page stories.
That's all Republican victimization BS. That's just the myth of the liberal media.
What pissed me off royally when it all broke was how close we came to a McCain presidency due to Edward's lie.
I’m not going to push the myth of the liberal media. I’m pushing the fact that the New York Times has fallen from great heights to the liberal equivalent of the New York Post. Perhaps I’m a bit biased but when I was going through high school in the late 70’s the New York Times was what libraries kept (even in microfiche for the older copies) as the historical journal of current events. If you wanted to check your facts you searched the archive of the New York Times. This is no longer the case today.
You don't destroy someone's life with rumors.
What about the woman who let her hoo-hoo excape the sanctity of her panties? ;-)
I agree with you that this doesn't speak very well of this country's fourth estate, but how long have we all been howling about the abysmal state of the media? This is but the latest, in an unending parade of abysmal failures by the "free press" in this country. It's no wonder the nation has gotten so completely screwed sideways.
"No Julie, I’m talking about the so called affair with a lobbyist that was placed on the front pages of the New York Times."
Actually, the story with that story was completely obliterated by the allegation of his having an affair with the lobbyist, which makes it feasible to assume that the sex allegation was thrown in intentionally, to throw the public off the REAL story, which was that he was ONCE AGAIN accepting freebie, illegal gifts from lobbyists, merely a few years after narrowly escaping a prison sentence for diong the exact same thing.
How mightily convenient that the "liberal" NYT so "carelessly" placed that allegation about an illicit affair into that story.
What I can't figure out at this point is how the "right" still considers the NYT to be a "liberal paper" when they were absolutely critical in selling the lies that misled us into Iraq, and currently have under their hire one of the most extremist rightwing neocon hack pundits in the history of this nation.
As for this article, don't blame the messenger. Edwards is where all your anger should be directed.
We agree! Takes two to tango... tired of hearing women whine about men unable to keep it in their pants. It's not like she was raped.
I don't who you're talking about, but I can only guess that NYT's is trying to save itself because their liberal slant is not selling papers. Truth would be good... and you get that with balance.
My heart still goes out for the wife. As if trying to beat cancer isn't enough to lay on ones shoulders.
I still find it rather repungent, that any media outlet, be it a newpaper or magazine, can still find that being in someones bedroom is news worthy. I guess as long as people continue to read this crap it will still be printed weather its truth or not.
1. Edwards isn't a candidate any more. Print the sleaze against current guys first!
2. Liberals, as a rule, cut a person some slack for being human. It's the impossible standard of lifetime fidelity that Republicans insist on, but frequently honor in the breach, that causes their foibles to be so prominently featured in the media.
“Isn't it wonderful what people will do for money?”, I don’t think Edwards was doing it for money. Oh, that right the woman in question got paid by the Edwards for president campaign PAC (political action committee).
LL,
If the old Persian saying “he who is my enemy’s enemy is my friend” then the levitating statuette in your car must be pulsating with laughter. Because he has bestowed on the only woman the world has watched get screwed twice by philandering men a prime time platform to praise his brilliance and skills as a politician.
I now know what is causing you statuette to levitate; it is the lack of major news media reporting because it would bring the statuette back to earth.
Not a single major news media station or paper had done their homework (the source went to NE last) so the primary would stay competitive through Iowa and beyond. If this 2006 story had broken before Iowa then it would have been a two person race and by the numbers there would have been a different winner.
Lynn a.,
It is the crap like this that is the tell tale of the politicians. If a politician is willing to betray his family for personal pleasure then why would you think he wouldn’t betray the rest of us who he doesn’t know, if a politician would us his position (in this case PAC money to keep his pleasure close) why should we think he would care one wit about our money, if he would so easily pontificate (see his past comments about others doing what he did) and to be so self involved that he would use that to justify his actions then why should we believe he would think one thing about the rest of us.
Now what is more amazing, and I truly don’t believe that BO has any interest in personal pleasure (would like to think his wife would kick him to the curb), that people would be so loyal they would not want more than a word and a smile (that seems to be all Edwards was/is) before giving up all their doubts of politicians.
Julie Ann D.,
Blame the messenger if you want, hang on to your loyalty at all cost if you must, but remember “dream in one hand and defecate in the other” and see which one gets full first.
For me it is bit o skepticism and “trust but verify”.
Jeanne B.,
No one is holding anyone to another for a lifetime of fidelity, it is about betrayal. If these guys are so self absorbed then end the marriage and go satisfy their personal pleasures shamefully trying to hide it. Aside from all of the health risks, emotional stress, and simple breaking of trust that they do to their spouse, what do you think this does to the children? You seem to feel that they have no personal responsibilities once they start getting easy access to free sex.
I guess I am not a “liberal” because I actually believe that people should be true to their word. I believe that my marriage vows and the bringing children mean a responsibility to sacrifice for the wellbeing of my family.
Yay!
As for infidelity....short of a moral compass whose needle never varies --"how you gonna keep em down on the farm after the've seen gay Paris"!
Now you are making a big deal out of junk news, leave it alone!
No, they don't.
It is not too much to expect that in our country of 300+ million we can find 537 people who can manage not to cheat on their spouse.
Until we start holding these people to a higher standard, they will continue to cheat and disappoint us.
-Cambios
Blogging about Online Gaming and Virtual Worlds:
http://www.muckbeast.com
First of all, genius, what you "called" was that Edwards had fathered a bastard child. It appears that he has not. Secondly, you've been wrong with virtually every comment you've ever posted here, except that Edwards may have had an affair. Congrats. You finally got one right. I can see why you're peeing all over yourself about it, but get a grip. It's not as if you're suddenly some grand wizard of brilliant prognostication. You're still an ignorant, foolish partisan hack that remains utterly clueless about 99.99999999% of the world that exists around you.
And, here's a little clue for you, in the bizarre, highly unlikely case that you happen to accidently get something else right in the next several years...pretend that you've been there before. You make yourself look even more ridiculous than usual with all of your absurd self-masturbatory back slapping.
You see anybody else around here that is proven right going on and on about it on every thread that they post on? No. Most of us are USED to being right. I realize that it's probably a rather odd feeling for you, but seriously, it's far more impressive when you act like you've been there before.
"I don't who you're talking about, but I can only guess that NYT's is trying to save itself because their liberal slant is not selling papers. Truth would be good... and you get that with balance"
First of all, how was the NYT a "liberal rag" when it was busy selling an illegal war in Iraq, while ignoring the facts at hand at the time? Remember anyone named "Judith Miller?" Run a google on her sometime.
The rabid, lunatic element wingnut that's currently in employee at the paper is none other than PNAC member and warmongering chickenhawk Bill Kristol, who, much like yourself, has never been right about anything in his meaningless life. It's laughable to even pretend that the NYT has hired this idiot in an attempt to rescue their heavily damaged credibility, especially when you recall that the damage to their credibility has come while carrying water for the most corrupt, dishonest white house in US history.
Why on Earth would that make you fit into any stereotype? Liberal, conservative, etc? That sounds like the hallmark of simply trying to be a good human being.
Personally, I'd rather have someone who might falter in his marriage vow as president than one who winds up killing several hundred thousands and laying to waste entire nations. Maybe the world would be better off today had Bush released some of his stress hormones with an afternoon delight in the Oval Office rather than plunging the world into a more hellish place for a great many people.
“Edwards had fathered a bastard child. It appears that he has not.,” All we really know is that the honest and forthright Mr. Edwards has denied it and the mother (who by all accounts is being paid $15,000/month) to move out of the state is not interested in finding out.
Bent :.,
I simply don’t fit Jeanne’s stereotype for a liberal.
Will clear something up for me? Is it that you feel the US President should have a different level of personal responsibilities from all others or that all men should not be held responsible for fidelity, honesty, loyalty, etc. to his family?
I am most concern that Julie Ann has become so jaded that she accepts this infidelity to one’s family, because we get what we accept.
Just as oral sex in our schools has mushroomed in our middle and high schools in the last decade, since a previous President said that it isn’t “sex”. I expect that any semblance of responsibility to the family will disappear if we accept the infidelity as a common and appropriate practice.
Oh Clark, I love it when you talk dirty and tough! I didn't know you like water sports, ooooh baby!
But seriously, it is sad what has happened to him and what he perhaps wished to do. But hey, maybe this way he'll get some balls, and come back swinging with some humph behind his ideals.
This would probably be why I used the term "appears" as a qualifier.
"Edwards lied and denied the affair until je got caught and had to admit it."
REALLY? Is THAT what happened? Thanks for the update! Wow! I didn't know that before!
"Why should we believe him now."
You shouldn't.
"Some people are suggesting Edwards may have used campign donations to pay her off. This should be investigated and if proven true Edwards should go to prison.
Idiotic.
Gosh, I wonder why none of the wacky wingnuts are discussing John McCain's marital transgressions? Seems like the perfect opportunity to carry on that discussion, donut?
McCain's supporters have been unnaturally quiet about this.
I wonder why?
I wonder why? "
I just cannot imagine. Like I said, it seems like the perfect opportunity for them to discuss McCain's infidelity. You'd think they'd WANT to get that out there, wouldn't you? Otherwise, they just make themselves look like raging hypocrites to condemn Edwards for the same thing.
You're not the only one ! Hey look ---> John Edwards wins F**K-Up of the Year
What Ticks Me Off About the Whole John Edwards Thing... He endangered the entire countries future because of his dishonesty. Imagine if this revelation and subsequent admission had come after Edwards had been the Democrat candidate coming out of the convention. The American public would not have brought themselves to listen to any policy speeches or debates on the pressing issues of our time. They would only see a man who cheated on his wife, asking them to trust him as President.
Imagine if that had occurred, would Edwards have stepped down from being the nominated democrat candidate? Who would run?
I've been discussing Edwards infidelity since last December. John McCain's is from 30 years ago, not really relavant to current events.
Exactly... and he was also on the VP short list. Imagine if Obama chose him as his running mate. This is why Edwards needs to be discussed from now until November. We've got to hammer these dishonest dimocrats.
yeah -- wishful thinking, moonbat. Edwards is still lying and this is why the story will drag on and we will get McCain in office.
Oh -- I was right about Bush in 2000, Bush in 2004, and unlike you, I've never made the idiotic claim that 911 was an inside job... basically Clark, everything has gone MY WAY these past 8 years and all you moonbats have been left to cry about it. Don't hate the player, hate the game.
Of course it's relevant. And it's why the McCain campaign has backed off this like it was radioactive. McCain is the nominee, Edwards isn't. The McCain camp is at least smart enough to know that any comment on their part will be construed as hypocrisy.
Edwards PAID Rielle Hunter $114,000 to document his campaign... they traveled the world together. How convenient! Did you see the video footage? It was worthless (short of showing Edwards flirting with his paid lover). Criminal charges ARE IN FACT coming soon.
Lets' see now...one of the cheating John's is running for office, the other is not, and never will again...which story is REALLY meaningful to today? Oh, of course, whichever one lambasts the democrat...silly me. Never mind the simple facts at hand! Facts don't mean shit! What matters is that democrats be smeared always, and forever, and that whackadoole wingnuts be sheltered and protected from criticism and scrutiny!
Yeah Donny...we libs are the moonbats...
"and he was also on the VP short list"
I've asked for this before and you failed to produce it. I'd let it go, but since you insist upon regurgitating this lie, let's see your documentation that has him on a short list, shall we?
"Oh -- I was right about Bush in 2000, Bush in 2004"
You predicted that he would steal both elections? Wow! Can you prove that? That's pretty impressive! I figured he'd steal the second, after what he proved in stealing the first, but I really had no idea he'd find a way to get the supreme court to actually overstep their constitutional boundaries and overturn a state's right to run their own elections, and NO WAY would I ever believe that republiSCUMS would go along with that federal ursurping of power. Gotta see your proof on this, dood.
"I've never made the idiotic claim that 911 was an inside job"
That's right. You believe the idiotic claim that, for one day and one day only, the laws of physics were suspended, just so that the buildings could be toppled in such a way that would fit into the ridiculous, disproven official conspiracy theory. That gives you a WHOLE bunch of credibility.
"everything has gone MY WAY these past 8 years"
Uh...I hate to be the one to break this to you, Capt. Delusion, but 80% of the population is pretty pissed off at the way you've fucked this country up. Sorry. Might wanna keep that last name a secret.
"Dimocrats in charge"
Sorry, but your boys were in charge during the worst attack on US soil since Pearl Harbor, not dems. Nice try, though.
Perhaps if John Edwards does run for office or is offered a government position you could bring it back into the news cycle.
Wait a minute...isn't this what you wingnut bush cult worshipping freaks had to say about Rev. Wright, and every other BS story that you invented to smear Obama with, too? I'm gonna have a blast rubbing this idiotic claim of yours in your face in the next week or so, as this non-story fades away.
I can even predict when and why it will fade away. It'll begin to disappear the moment democrats begin to tie it to McCain's sleazy marital infidelities. That's the moment that you whack job wingnut kooks will begin to realize that it's a non-story.
Pity the poor little feller...this is all he's got.
Johnny Edwards is dead politically. I would have like to see him at Att Gen. He would have reamed the Repubs for 4 long years and it would have been a delight to see. But there are others who will pursue that most necessary and American of tasks in about 6 months from now. Edwards is a pitiful fool with a nice haircut, but nothing more.
Do you still cruise the men's rooms in airports????
Seen President Gore or President Kerry? Didn't think so. Keep dreaming moonbats... maybe one day you will pick a candidate that can win.
"Edwards is a pitiful fool with a nice haircut, but nothing more." Yeah... tell that to Don S... that's his boy!
Obama concerned about Georgia
This is presidential material? That had to make even you moonbats cringe.
Thank you.
And some of the responses to my article really prove the point. People are now going to clinge to every rumor, innuendo, and implied possibility to justify whatever point they want to make. Ans when asked for evidence, they will site conspiracy-theorist blogs, trash magazines, and faux news websites.
The good thing about the kind of talk radio you listen to it that only you zombies listen to it. It doesn't convert anyone, and anyone who hasn't had the Republican brain removal operation can't stand it: it's so painful it makes our ears bleed. So you wingnut louffa boys weren't going to vote for Obama anyway, it's no loss.
And while you can hope that the Edwards story stays in the cycle in mainstream media, where most of America lives, every time it's mentioned, someone will riposte with "what about John McCain? "
I can't wait.
Guess what, loonie toon? Reichwing, extremist, whacko nutjob radio isn't mainstream. It's extremist loonie toon fringe. This explains a WHOLE lot about you now, doesn't it?
In the REAL world, Rev. Wright, Rezko, Ayles have all vanished from relavance, as all kookie kook whacko wingnut bullshit eventually does. Sorry. You keep on listening to the loonie toon stations though, if it makes you feel better, mmmmK?
"Bush on Russia/Georgia issue.... and clearly, Russia got the message.
Thank you.
Don H., Aug 12, 2008, 4:37pm EDT "
So, you're now on the record "calling" that this latest Bush-crafted world crisis is over then, right?
Drop the pee pee donny.
Now I really question you knowledge and understanding inspite of Lois's prodestations, "as all kookie kook whacko wingnut bullshit eventually does."
If you were half way worldwise you would realize who the Real Wingnuts are. They life in Hockeytown USA and are currently paying homage to Lord Stanley's Cup as it traversus the globe. Go Wings!!!
You people don't get it. I based my belief on the plausibility based on the things that were KNOWN AS TRUE at that point. Nothing passed the smell test... and I was proven correct.
It's been accepted by just about everyone but you Clark... of course, there is no 'list' that has been made available, so I can't prove it. But let's just say it's plausible.
Guess what, genius? You don't get to make up your own set of "facts." Create your own little bubble world reality, if you must, but you cannot invent your own "facts" and expect rational, thinking, non-brain-damaged persons to accept them.
Edwards was NEVER on a VP short list, sparky. He was on a LONG list, and very near the bottom at that.
Whatever it is that you're smoking, huffing, injecting, etc., you might want to consider seeking help. Addiction can be a very ugly thing, and can destroy lives, but it's a disease, and it can be conquered.
"But let's just say it's plausible. "
It's plausible that you're not a delusional nutcase. It's plausible that Bush isn't a serial liar and criminal. It's plausible that the republican party actually has an idea, and that they aren't completely inept at governance. It's plausible tha crushing republican debt is a good thing for the longterm future of this country. It's plausible that Cheney didn't send anthrax to key democratic politicians. It's plausible that three high-rise, steel-framed buildings did something that no other high-rise, steel-framed buildings in the history of modern man did, nor have done since...defied the very laws of physics. It's plausible that monkeys will fly out of my butt today. It's plausible that somebody actually takes you seriously on anything that you say. It's plausible that not all republicans are closeted homosexuals and/or pedophiles.
Not terribly likely, mind you, but feasibly plausible, if one uses their imagination and turns away from logic and reality-based facts.
But really, Don. You just prove the point of my article.
Prove it moonbat.
The problem, Don, is not me... it is Edwards. He should have come clean (about the story, not inside of Rielle).
Hanging head in disgust...
Boy, that was awfully tough, shitstain...
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/06/27/the-vice-president-list.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91461541
Thanks for playing though, loser! You keep right on obsessing over this non-story about Edwards! It's rather clear that you have nothing to run with except this, so enjoy it! The rest of America will discuss real issues of the day.
And then I found this combo, which is almost as funny to me:
Until we start holding these people to a higher standard, they will continue to cheat and disappoint us.
-Cambios
Blogging about Online Gaming and Virtual Worlds:
http://www.muckbeast.com
It’s crying wolf all over again.
As soon as you prove that was the sole premise for going into Iraq. And 911 was NEVER a premise.
Because he was a democrat candidate. What was known as FACT back in December when I pushed the story was that Rielle Hunter 'allegedly' had an affair with John Edwards. She was definitely pregnant and Andrew Young was the father according to Edwards. Add to that the fact that Andrews was married with kids and Rielle Hunter had reecently moved in Andrew Young's gated community... how convenient. Anyways, it was obvious to any fool that there was a cover up and it all pointed back to Edwards. And look how it turned out. Enough said.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1816620,00.html
Thanks for playing.
Please concede or shut your pie hole. YOU NEVER CONCEDE... EVER.