Edwards May Admit to Paternity of Child

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Congressional Quarterly

"The story of the spectacular rise and fall of John Edwards, with its sordid can't-look-away dimensions, is moving slowly but deliberately to its conclusion here in North Carolina," the New York Times reports.

While Edwards "remains largely secluded at his 100-acre estate," he is said to be "moving toward an abrupt reversal in his public posture; associates said in interviews that he is considering declaring that he is the father of Ms. Hunter's 19-month-old daughter, something that he once flatly asserted in a television interview was not possible."

However, friends of Mr. Edwards and his wife Elizabeth "say she has resisted the idea of her husband's claiming paternity" and "has yet to be brought around."

Also buried in the story is a revelation taken from Edwards aid Andrew Young's book proposal: "He wrote that Mr. Edwards once calmed an anxious Ms. Hunter by promising her that after his wife died, he would marry her in a rooftop ceremony in New York with an appearance by the Dave Matthews Band."

Read more: http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/09/19/edwards_may_admit_to_paternity_of_child.html

[w4rma]

1. It sounds like John Edwards is/was in love with the woman.

Love can mess up anyone's life.

[BlooInBloo]

6. (facepalm)

[WriteDown]

7. Its amazing how people always fall in love with the blondes

in the lowcut tops and not their wives battling cancer .

[w4rma]

10. *shrug* I'm not debating the ethics, I'm only commenting on the psychology. (nt)

[WriteDown]

11. I'm doubful it was "love"

I imagine Elizabeth just wasn't "fun" anymore. She must've been a real drag always needing chemo and whining about cancer.

[w4rma]

12. If all Edwards wanted was sex he has the money to buy all the prostitutes he wants.

No. The most likely reason that Edwards went through all the hoops he went through to see this woman was because he fell in love with her.

[WriteDown]

14. That is a rationalization if I've ever heard one....

and a poor one. Generally, you don't abandon the mother of your new infant son that you love. You abandon the old biddy with cancer that's been holding you back. Got to follow your heart.

[w4rma]

15. Your sarcasm is masking the point you're trying to make. Please rewrite to make it understandable.

It doesn't sound like John Edwards has abandoned either woman, privately.

[WriteDown]

16. He wouldn't be living with his wife in his 100 acre estate

if he had followed his heart and wanted to be with the one he loved. He would have thrown out the old hag and her sucklings and brought in the new model to come live with him.

[cali]

33. as if he'd be able to throw her out even if he wanted to

[JeanGrey]

88. Don't kid yourself. Edwards doesn't "love" her.

[JeanGrey]

27. Look I doubt Edwards knows what love is. Reille was standing

in wait for John. Surely you don't think she just "bumped" into him, do you? ROTFLMAO

[NYCGirl]

121. And she forced him into having sex with her, right?

:eyes:

[shimmergal]

43. I Doubt it.

At best she probably offered non-stop admiration and a refuge from all the pressure he was dealing with. No matter how much he loved Elizabeth (and I hope he still does), dealing with a loved one's long-term fatal illness is a lot of stress.

It may have felt like "love" to him, but most any determined single woman can fake the above qualities.

As a former Edwards supporter and loyal Democrat I hate to say this, but I give a lot more credence to Gov. Sanford's having fallen in love.

[msallied]

81. I agree completely.

Even with the Sanford part.

[JeanGrey]

87. Er, no. It wasn't "love" he felt. And please let us not start

making excuses about Elizabeth's illness, it is unsavory and disgusting.

[sunnybrook]

92. it could have happened long before the big C

I strongly doubt that everything was just perfect, and then her cancer was no longer fun.

[Hepburn]

26. Yes...being faithful to a horribly ill spouse is sooooo boring...

...fuck him.

[scot]

95. Amen.

There's a rock somewhere that he desperately needs to crawl under.

[Chemisse]

9. It's ironic that being in love

Is the only reasonable excuse he has for his horrid behavior.

And yet his being in love has to be far more painful to Elizabeth than if he just did it for kicks.

[w4rma]

13. Agreed. :( (nt)

[Raine]

22. Oh hell

this marrying her on a roof top with the Dave Matthews band playing sounds like the kind ofbullshit a guy hands out to get into a gal's pants and nothing more.

[Quantess]

46. He wasn't that in love with her.

He lied to her, made promises he never intended to keep, denied paternity of his child, and treated her like crap.

[AngryAmish]

56. What a pantload

ooh, his precious feelings. He is in luuuuuvvvveee!

He has a wife and kids. Only shitheads throw all of that away because of "love". If not a shithead, a person who is emotionally retarded to the age of sixteen.

Real people don't leave their families.

He was a grownup. He had responsibilities. He threw it all away.

Then he treats his new family like crap.

the sum of his actions is that he is a bad person.

[Skittles]

67. so, say someone is just really, really unhappy in their marriage

they're stuck, no matter what?

[AngryAmish]

70. In this nation we have things known as divorces

But when a person is in a marriage and there are children involved then things are different.

But that is not the case here.

[JeanGrey]

90. Yes, we do. Amazing that we forget this, isn't it?

Imagine how happy his teenage daughter will be watching John romp with that new baby that contributed to the downfall of how her mother was treated. Just lovely. Way to go John.

[No Elephants]

106. Did he leave? Was he honest? Or did he try to have it every which way?

How many men whose wives are getting treated for terminal cancer are happy?

[JeanGrey]

89. Actually, they don't do it for better reasons. Why should they?

Edwards, let's face it, has his cake and eats it too, right?

[snooper2]

80. more like a fuck buddy...

nt...

[peacebird]

2. same story has already been posted at least twice earlier today...

[fujiyama]

3. I can't believe some still drink Edwards kool aid around here...

He promised to marry her after his wife died. What a douchebag.

I always felt he was way too slick, but I feel stupid for almost getting suckered in. Almost.

[WriteDown]

8. I wonder what song Dave was going to perform at the wedding. nt

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

58. I can't believe that everything he and his wife contributed to society is demolished,...

,...by the likes of extreme judgmentalism.

What is sick about this media culture is its THIRST FOR THE WORST, dismissing the all the best efforts of people.

It is a sickness with no end other than defeat.

[No Elephants]

107. Why is anything Elizabeth contributed demolished?.

[aronbehar]

4. Where did tha "Blue dog" stuff come from

It's like it was made up to explain why some democrats weren't really democrats

[w4rma]

5. Yellow Dog Democrats call ourselves this because we say we'll vote for a Yellow Dog on the ticket if

there is a "D" next to the name. Blue Dog Democrats are Yellow Dog Democrats who say that they are being "choked blue" by progressives in the Democratic Party.

[Generator]

21. They;re being choked blue?

As fucking if. If that's true-the reason for the cutsie nom du fake Dem-then I despise them even more.

[postulater]

17. At this point nobody but the families really cares. n/t

[I yet value liberty.]

37. Concur. I am not sanguine about the epithet "white trash", however....

There is no protagonist in this sordid tale. The dying wife may be the worse. Which is worse, to profit of the infirmity of others, or to exploit your own?

[DavidDvorkin]

18. Why am I supposed to care?

I was a strong supporter of Edwards during the primary, both last year and in 2004. Now I just want him to disappear.

[Critters2]

20. +1 nt

[DollyM]

32. I know how you feel . . .

I was a supporter of John Edwards for president too. Now I am so glad he didn't make it to the White House. Elizabeth needs to send him packing, NOW! She is way to classy for him.

[MaineDem]

19. He really threw away a great opportunity

He could have been in the cabinet...or President... if he had kept it in his pants. How stupid!!!

[proteus_lives]

23. Stupid prick should just get it over with.

His career is done. Do this and then disappear from the national stage.

[Botany]

24. Dear John Edwards

I am not a rich man so please giver back the $100.00 I gave to your campaign.

[MilesColtrane]

25. Ma Ma Where's my Pa?

Thank God, not in the White House, Ha Ha Ha

[underpants]

28. Ex-aide says Edwards fathered mistress’ child (MSNBC)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32928719/ns/politics-more_politics

updated 21 minutes ago

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - A man who once claimed to have fathered the child of John Edwards' mistress says in a book proposal the former presidential candidate is the real father and that he and Edwards worked with his campaign finance chairman to hide that secret, according to a newspaper report published online Saturday.

The New York Times said the book proposal by former Edwards aide Andrew Young states he helped facilitate the affair between Edwards and Rielle Hunter. According to the newspaper, Young wrote that Edwards once told Hunter they would wed after Edwards' wife, who has cancer, died.

Edwards told Hunter that the ceremony would be held on a rooftop in New York and the Dave Matthews Bands would make an appearance, the newspaper said, citing its examination of the book proposal.

[Bette Noir]

29. I hope the part about the promise of the rooftop wedding isn't true.

That's too much like something a Republican would do.

[davidpdx]

30. The whole thing is sad

I thought Edwards was an ok guy before this, so I was shocked that he treated his wife like shit.

The truth is going to come out about the kid though and who her daddy is. It has to be like being stabbed twice in the back for Elizabeth Edwards.

[swilton]

31. John Edwards is a complex political figure

My mind has yet to be made up about the man. His program for health care reform was stronger than Barak Obama's. Yet how much would he have followed through on this reform if he was elected? After all the man, like Obama, had very limited time in the Senate; he would more than likely still be an unknown if Kerry hadn't picked him as a running mate. One of the strongest references to his character was when he appologized for voting for the Iraq War - unlike Hillary Clinton...Who knows whether or not this was for political expediency.

As for his filandering. I'm not certain that this would be an issue were he not in the puritanical US. It's very common for European politicians to have mistresses.

There is also the question of 'love' and 'attraction' - I also think that romantic love is a commercial enterprise in the US and many -myself included- are guilty of associating sexual attraction with romantic love...Who knows what Edwards true feelings are - Finally, I would rather have a filanderer who was able to initiate and pass political reform than some straight-laced, tea-sipping Puritan that really didn't give a rat's about the public welfare.

[cali]

34. Look to his record in the Senate.

It was a lousy one. then there was the excuse for working for a sleazy hedgefund. And don't forget how he attacked Dean for Dean's support for healthcare reform back in 2004. The creep made money off of Katrina victims. Nothing but an opportunistic phony piece of shit. Oh, and it's philanderer.

[shimmergal]

45. The philandering is such a big deal

because of Elizabeth Edwards' health, not just 'cause John had a mistress.

We roundly condemned Newt and John McCain for abandoning first wives because of their health issues. It says some unpleasant things about a man's (or in fact a woman's) character if they can't stay with a spouse during a low point in the other person's life.

But even so, both Newt's and McCain's wives eventually recovered.

Who knows how much he would have followed thru on his policies? I don't know, but at least he knew you couldn't trust the corporations, from his previous work.

[24601]

53. Make that a complex Ex-Political figure n/t

[Raine]

65. It's not the philandering it's betraying a woman

who is fighting a terminal disease! :-( I don't think even in the more sophisticated Europe this would be accepted and just sluffed off. Anyway in Europe both parties are agreeable to such an arangement, doesn't seem like Elizabeth was open to it ... that makes it betrayal.

[question everything]

35. Whatever the outcome I would take with a grain of salt

"revelations" by someone in the market to sell a sensational book with a very limited window to reap profits.

[wordpix]

36. very sad for Elizabeth, who is a wonderful woman by all accounts

but many men led are led around by their dicks.

[condoleeza]

38. So, he's yet another lawyer who made his money chasing ambulances and apparently

he's not very deep but has a huge ego. At least he had the common sense to marry a woman of substance to be the mother of all but one of his "so far born" children. Looking like RFK can only get you so far and maybe he's not a complete waste, maybe he is feeling threatened by a dying wife who he knew has more substance, I don't know.

All I know is that he should never have even considered a run for President, but then many less qualified than him have actually succeeded. Time's are changing. Secrets are much more tough to keep secret.

[saracat]

120. "'chasing ambulances"?. You would have a different outlook if you needed a Plaintiff's Attorney.

Edwards clients had real reason to be thankful and they certainly appreciated him. The insurance companies and corporations did not.

[alp227]

39. If he is the father he may never run for public office again.

Think about it. The Chappaquiddick incident forever banished Edward M. Kennedy from running for President, especially after CBS News's Teddy special in 1978 where Roger Mudd repeatedly pressed Sen. Kennedy about it. Honestly, who wants to vote for a man who cheated on his wife and fathered an illegitimate child? (At least it wasn't true that Bill Clinton fathered a child from a black prostitute.)

And then there's Gary Hart. He dropped out of the 1988 Democratic primaries after the media revealed his extramarital affair with Donna Rice.

Would you think that Eliot Spitzer would win another gubernatorial election? Or California Assemblymember Mike Duvall? (Both are politicans who resigned after their cheating ways were revealed; Spitzer=D, Duvall=R) And now that Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) admitted he cheated with a campaign staffer, will that affect his 2012 campaign? What about Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) and his 2010 campaign? Are the voters of Louisiana still gonna remember his pimping and diaper-loving (is that really true?) ways?

If Edwards does want to reveal the paternity result, he should do so on Maury. Wonder if that'll get people to ditch work just to watch. :rofl:

[robcon]

40. John Edwards betrayed the Democratic party.... and our country.

He knew about the allegations that he was having an affair in late 2007, and he knew they were true.

He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination anyway - taking the chance that the allegations would not be confirmed.

If he had won the nomination, then the allegations were shown to be true...

WE'D BE TALKING ABOUT PRESIDENT JOHN McCAIN RIGHT NOW.

He betrayed us all - putting himself ahead of the country. He's scum, IMO.

[GreenStormCloud]

41. If the child is his, he should have admitted it from the start.

To deny your own children is despicable.

[Pharlo]

42. Is NC state law written in such a fashion that one spouse

can cut another spouse entirely out of the picture upon their death and leave everything to their children?

If not, Elizabeth Edwards may want to start looking into taking her spouse to the cleaners in divorce court to make SURE Ms. Reile and her progeny don't get a substantial portion of what John and Elizabeth worked for so many years to acquire. If I were Elizabeth Edwards, my first priority would be my children. Particularly in light of the alleged upcoming wedding upon her demise. If I were Elizabeth, I would be out for blood right about now.

But, that's me.

[mainer]

84. I totally agree

It's the first thing that I thought of, since I have several friends who've been cut out of their inheritances after their fathers died, and their stepmothers got everything.

In one particularly enraging case, all the family's money came from the first wife's wealth. Then she died, the husband remarried, and his second wife -- who married him when he was in his 70's and already a little demented -- got it all. The first wife's kids got nothing. And the money was from THEIR mother!

[UndertheOcean]

44. " an anxious Ms. Hunter by promising her that after his wife died, he would marry her in a rooftop"

If true then he is a prick , and asshole , and an evil monster.

[saracat]

47. The real monster is Reille Hunter who deliberately got herself pregnant at the age of 43 in order

secure the lifestyle of money and influence she felt she was entitled to without working for it.What Edwards did was horrific but RH was willing to use whatever means necessary in order to attain wealth without work. She did not so much give birth to a child but a means to an end. Ironic despite previous marriages and many "relationships" she never gave birth before.

And I find the alleged "rooftop wedding" scenario and suspiciously similar to the absurd rantings of her blog and in her interviews.

[LisaL]

49. Yea well it's not like she hunted him down and forced him.

How very convenient to blame her for all of it, but it takes two to tango.

[saracat]

50. True enough. He is much to blame but she is certainly not the

mother of the year and had a lot to gain from this little adventure.

[JI7]

52. says a lot about Edwards that he would have an affair with someone like that

and he still isn't admitting being the father. it's not about Rielle anymore, there is a baby involved. good fathers don't deny their children.

also Edwards was the one who was married and committed not Rielle who i think is disgusting.

[saracat]

54. Says a lot about any man that that goes to prostitute ! But women who create babies

as instruments of gain are in a separate category.Neither of these people are blameless.Unfortunately in this case John was an actual"John". I am very sorry for the child.She was victimized before she was even conceived!And who knows if this is even Rielle's baby? Her eggs would have been a bit old. Whatever It is likely no one will ever know the real story behind her birth.It would be nice if a good family would adopt her.

[Garbo 2004]

60. Oh good grief, now we're in "birther" territory? There's a birth cert for the child, listing mother.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/100/story/100081.html

[saracat]

61. Hey. I didn't even say she didn't give birth.Plenty of older women

use donor eggs! And their names are on the birth certificate as well. "Birther" territory indeed.

[avaistheone1]

62. True. Good point.

Unusally good fertility at 43 if they were her eggs.

[saracat]

64. She was either 43 or 44 which strikes me as odd for a first child

since she had been married and had relationships before.And most of the women we hear about giving birth at those ages have surrogate eggs.and that is another reason, because of the different technology available as to why parentage can be uncertain.

Look at the questions being raised about Michael Jackson's children. Birth just isn't that simple anymore.

[cali]

68. it's not that odd. Personally, I've known several women who had

their first child in their early forties. Face it, the likelihood is that it's Edwards' kid. Why you're still trying to act as an apologist for him is puzzling.

[avaistheone1]

96. Actually medically it is very odd. Considering the facts...

A woman's fertility declines steadily after reaching peak levels between ages 18 and 25. From then to age 35 the average woman's fertility drops by about one half and thereafter declines more rapidly. By age 40 the average fertility rate is 15% of that found at age 25. The down slope continues until it reaches very low levels (1% or less per month chance of pregnancy) at age 44 and beyond.

Studies looking at normal human fertility are of two basic types: epidemiological reviews of population data and direct observational analyses. The most common of the latter type are studies of groups of women who have stopped contraception in hopes of becoming pregnant or those women undergoing artificial insemination with donor sperm. The results of all these studies cluster around a 35% per month chance of pregnancy as the maximum of human fertility, seen in women between 18 and 25 years of age. By age 40 the chance of fertility declines to about 5% per month.
Most of the observational type studies were limited to women less than age 42 so the rate of decline of fertility beyond that point was not looked at. For that information we must turn to epidemiological studies and the in vitro fertilization data.

The most famous contribution to the study of human fertility by epidemiology is that of Tietze who published his analysis of the Hutterites in 1957. This homogeneous religious sect of the Dakotas and Montana was studied in detail by Eaton in the 1950s. The Hutterites' avoidance of all birth control methods and communal living made them the most fertile group ever studied. Tietze's analysis of Eaton's data showed that only 5 of 209 women (2.4%) were childless. A further 11% were infertile after age 34 and only 13% had pregnancies at or beyond age 45. This can be taken as a glimpse of human fertility at its absolute maximum.

http://www.donorivf.com/agefactor.html

[JI7]

99. from what you posted it shows that woman can/do get pregnant in their 40s

nobody is saying it's as easy as when they are younger. but it's not so unusual.

[LisaL]

102. Fertility drops doesn't mean fertility stops.

For instance Sarah Palin gave birth to her child at 44.

[cali]

75. you're kidding right?

motherhood at 43 is hardly unusual. not even close.

[blogslut]

71. That's one hell of a stretch

But then, considering... well, I'm not surprised.

Maybe you're not aware of this but when DNA samples are taken in order to determine paternity, the mother's DNA is tested as well.

[Garbo 2004]

77. & older women also give birth without donor eggs. DNA testing establishes maternity & paternity.

And if as you suggest the baby was the means to a life of ease, then DNA testing is a requirement. Unlikely Hunter will forgo seeking child support or some settlement with Edwards, especially if her goal was as you suggest. Edwards may have been dumb enough to get involved with her, but not dumb enough to support a child without DNA to prove his paternity. And paternity tests take DNA from both mother and suspected father to match with child's DNA.

You suggest Hunter knocked herself up with a donor egg without Edwards direct involvement so she could get him to support her for life? So she used just any old sperm available? Or maybe she secretly got hold of Edwards sperm, saved it and used that for IVF with donor eggs? And "no one would ever know" although DNA paternity tests utilize both the mother's and father's DNA?

But we're not in "birther" territory at all....OK.

[JI7]

94. Elizabeth Edwards was even older and it was her own eggs

[saracat]

97. Elizabeth has never stated whether her two youngest are from

her own eggs. She has efused to answer. there was an article awhile back by a fertility specialist that idicated it was extremely unlikely.

[lakercub]

119. I would stop with the egg arguments

if I were you. There isn't the slightest bit of evidence for that claim at this point. Any claims like these need strong evidence...not "it's harder for older women to have children." Plenty of women have unaided pregnancies in their 40's. Is it harder? Yes. Is it impossible? Not even close. While it isn't as common, it's not so uncommon as to be automatically suspicious. If real evidence comes out to support that claim...great...feeding frenzy (not for me, I don't care where the egg came from, only that Edwards screwed around on his sick wife while running for president). Until then...it's a non-starter.

Let us leave wild conjecture to the side and deal with what we know. Without evidence, everything else is just hot air. Democrats should stick to the evidence-based world as much as humanly possible.

What we know: John Edwards is disgusting as is Rielle Hunter. They are rotten people and we sure are lucky he didn't get the nomination. I don't need to know anymore after this. From here on out it's none of my business. It's between the family and Hunter. They can fight it out among themselves. I have all the information I need to know that John Edwards will never get my vote for anything and I will be forever thankful we dodged the bullet of his nomination.

[karynnj]

76. "instrument of pain"????

She's a BABY. Maybe you should blame JOHN for not having safe sex. Elizabeth's immune system was likely impacted from chemo and the fact that Edwards didn't even think that he could expose her to something harmful makes this worse.

As to age, I know people who had perfectly lovely children after 43. (In fact, Elizabeth Edwards has two beautiful, intelligent children conceived with even older eggs.)

[saracat]

98. I said "gain", not "pain". It is possible this child was created to

make money for the mother.Of course she is a baby. She is an innocent victim and I have never said otherwise.Rielle Hunter on the other hand, is NOT.And I do not believe that Hunter is any kind of victim, or an innocent women in "love" with a heartless man. The birth of this child was meant to be "useful" to her.And it was, and may continue to be.She got a lot of money .

[karynnj]

104. That was an inadvertent typo!

I don't buy that the motive was the money she could get. I think, she like Lewinsky, idiotically thought she was a possible replacement wife. In fact, Edwards gave her more reason to think so than Clinton ever gave Monica. This was not a moment of weakness one night stand, but a long term relationship over about a year before the baby was conceived. During all that time, if it were money she wanted, she had the means to blackmail JRE (or go to the media). I have no idea if she wanted a baby with Edwards, but if she did, I assume the reason was more complex than just money.

Hunter is, of course, not a victim. She intentionally got involved with a married man and had a baby. I agree that having that baby has brought her money, but I would bet she was hoping it would make her the second Mrs. Edwards. She is sleazy beyond words, but so is the man who had an extended affair with her while his wife was dealing with cancer and caring for young kids and while he was running to be President.

[saracat]

112. I actually agree with you. But whether she was throwing the dice to make herself

the second Mrs.Edwards, or just guarantee herself a lifetime of financial gain, I have no idea. I just don't think this woman needs to be let off the hook because Edwards was a sleaze.

The fact is none of us know the real story here, and Reille Hunter being "defended" for her actions by many is sickening.

As for blackmail, who knows? She may not have gone to the media till after the payday, Fred Baron, died.I don't know the motiviations of anyone in this but the image of her turning that baby's face to the camera's when she dragged her to court was digusting.What she has publicly stated about Elizabeth is disgusting. And I don't see any reason to assume that two wrongs make a right.

[karynnj]

117. I don't think anyone lets her off a hook

The reason it seems Edwards gets far more of the criticism is that more was expected of him. I never supported him, but I never thought that he was capable of doing something like this.

(To change the dimension - how would a teacher react to two kids failing an exam - one of whom was a straight A student the other always struggled to pass.)

[sendero]

105. If I as a man...

.... said what you are saying I'd be drummed off of DU with multiple hissy fits.

How do you know what her motivation was?

Fact is whether she "pursued" Edwards whether she intentionally got pregnant without his consent, the bottom line is he cheated on his ill wife and is therefore an ASSHOLE.

[saracat]

114. I never claimed to know. I am merely offering possibilities. If women and men

are supposed to be equal, and I ardently believe they are, equal responsibility needs to be taken. Edwards was reprehansible but that in no way excuses Hunter or makes her a victim.

The fact that he was an asshole doesn't make her less of a rotten human being.

[LisaL]

78. I sincerely doubt she convinced Edwards to participate in

some sort of fertility treatments in order for her to have a child. By the way, I think that child resembles Edwards, she got the same round face. Regardless, DNA testing should clear it all right up.

[avaistheone1]

63. It sounds like she did target him.

She no angel either in any of this.

[LisaL]

79. I doubt she is so irresistable that Edwards just couldn't possibly

refuse.

[Raine]

66. She may not have hunted him down but

she did pursue him. Not excusing him cause he is the scum of the Earth but a person of good character with morals does not pursue a married person with young children whose spouse has terminal cancer. The blame goes to BOTH.

[LisaL]

82. What did she have to lose? She wasn't married, she had no

children. While he had everything to lose by having an affair. He has wife and children. And never mind
he decided to run for president.

[saracat]

100. So that negates any of her responsibility? It is okay for single women to cheat with

married men? I think John was a louse for what he did but RH is just as bad.

[LisaL]

103. Did I say that? My point is he should have been smarter than this,

considering how much he had to lose. What did she have to lose?

[saracat]

113. I agree with you there.

[saracat]

101. Amen.

[cali]

69. no, the real scumbag is johnny boy. HE is the one that broke his vows

and yeah, after what's been revealed to date, there's nothing so slimy and low that I'd put beneath fuckwad johnny. RH is an unsavory character. He's worse by leaps and bounds.

[mainer]

73. she has a blog? Do you have the link?

She disgusts me more and more.

[JeanGrey]

91. Of course she did. But let's not give Johnny a pass.

She had to know he'd be dumb enough to fall for it.

[rvablue]

109. Can you please direct me to the links of these "interviews" she has given since this affair came to

light?

Because I don't remember her doing any. Maybe you are referring to some personal conversations she had with a Newsweek reporter who chose to publish them later on, but sorry, that is not an "interview." It's called semi-unethical behavior on the part of the reporter.

All I can remember are both John and Elizabeth going on TV and denying the paternity of a young child.

And frankly, this comment is straight out of 1950. I suppose this Reille Hunter is some type of sorceress, as she was able to enchant John Edwards so completely that he not only destroyed his family life for a roll in the hay, but could have potentially delivered us a "VP Palin."

If it went down as you describe, maybe Hunter should run for office. If her powers to get people to do something they do not want to do is so all powerful, maybe she could get some Republicans to vote "yes" on health care reform.

RH is no saint, not even close, IMO. But Edwards is wholly responsible for his behavior. To blame it entirely on the woman, regardless of her motives or immorality, is simply ridiculous and totally old-fashioned.

[naaman fletcher]

48. He nees to be a man:

If it is yours admit to it, if it's not yours then say it isn't yours. Whatever it is, do it RIGHT NOW.

[Blandocyte]

51. Edwards, methinks you are an ass.

Keep it in your effing pants.

[Mz Pip]

55. This should be a private matter

at this point. Do it or don't but please get off the stage. I really am tired of all your drama.

[Pavulon]

59. The only public part should cover funds. If he paid her public money to

ride the disco stick or to keep quiet that is a public criminal manner.

[Canuckistanian]

57. Who. Cares. n/t

[robcon]

72. I care. I think Edwards should be exposed for the scum he is.

He almost gave us John McCain as president.

[Canuckistanian]

83. But why? He's OUT of public life. He's NOT coming back

His own WIFE has forgiven him and they're BOTH moving on together.

Why is there so much hatred for the man?

[robcon]

93. He did a detestable thing. The hatred is real. The disgust is real.

btw, his wife has not taken him back.

[Nye Bevan]

74. Just go away John

you lying, selfish narcissist.

If you had become the Democratic nominee then Sarah Palin might well have been VP of the United States.

Oh, and could you please give back donations from DUers that you spent on hush money for your mistress?

[Zoeisright]

85. Who. Cares.

Not. Me.

[Xenotime]

86. He should just come out with it so he can run for office again.

[rvablue]

110. Run for what office? County clerk? n/t

[karynnj]

118. If they would have him.

He is a NC resident and posters from NC have said he could not win Governor or Senate. I am not sure there is anywhere in the country he could win.

[LibDemAlways]

108. He should have owned up to his paternity immediately. He added

insult to injury when he claimed on national tv that the child couldn't possibly be his. Trying to get his friend Andrew Young to take responsibility was also a shitful thing to so.

Someday that little girl will understand the circumstances of her birth, and what she learns about her father's character isn't going to be pretty.

[Christa]

111. He betrayed millions of people

His wife, his mistress, all his children and the people of the USA.

He is scum, in my eyes.

[gauguin57]

115. Day late. Dollar short.

Ick.

[gauguin57]

116. Frankly, I don't give a foink what Sir Skeeze and his 2nd Squeeze feel or don't feel for each other.

I only care how the children are doing, and about Elizabeth's health.

[IrishBuckeye]

122. John Edwards is the scum of the earth asshole

He denied his own child saying it wasn't his to protect his own ass. He truly is a bottom feeder. I feel sorry for the child who has a father who is such a coward. Wonder what the child will feel when he see's the old videos and reads the dated articles about his father who denied him for over a year while knowing that he was truly the father. Poor kid.