So yet another prominent Democrat admits to being maritally unfaithful.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Is that honestly worse than starting a war without justification, or the many other sins of this administration (and Nixon, Reagan and Bush Sr.'s adminstrations, too).

I know we are all disappointed, but perspective, people, perspective.

[hopewell1985]

1. agree

your right

[book_worm]

2. Of course it isn't, but it's disappointing when you believe in somebody

and they lied.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. True, but look at the guy in my avatar.

After the initial sting of things, you can step back and say, "Despite his/her flaws, I still like what they stand for."

Let's not forget Martin Luther King was maritally unfaithful, too.

[babylonsister]

3. Yes. Here's a site that will help you all feel better:

http://www.republicanoffenders.com/

Having said that, I feel awful for Mrs. Edwards. And to be listening to Brad Blakeman critiquing it makes me want to :puke:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Another additition to the "Big Deal" shelf of non-news.

[katandmoon]

6. Here's my perspective: Edwards' inability to keep it in his pants and then his lying about it

Hurts Democrats by giving Republicans PRICELESS ammunition.

Anybody who thinks it doesn't and it won't, is not facing reality. My perspective is that Edwards (just like Bill Clinton before him) is a sleaze and a liar, and I am not going to help cover his ass by making excuses for him or delicately looking the other way. I'm absolutely disgusted with him and I really wonder how he could have possibly had the gall to run for president with this revelation hanging over his head. I also don't believe for an instant that he is not, as he claims, the baby's father.

[Tempest]

8. Sure it gives them ammunition

But only to the red meat party faithful.

The vast majority of Americans won't give it a second thought.

[katandmoon]

10. Oh, you mean like they haven't given Bill Clinton's behavior a thought?

[Tempest]

14. It didn't hurt Bill

When he was being impeached his approval rating was 73%.

[katandmoon]

16. It hurt him big time in my eyes

[Tempest]

17. Okay, I see... it's personal for you

You originally said it would hurt Democrats, in the plural.

And as far as your statement about not facing reality, history has proven otherwise.

[katandmoon]

18. BIll's cheating and lying and impeachment smoothed the way for Bush

[IdClaire]

11. ditto that...

I couldn't agree more. Did he think it wouldn't come out? I don't believe the baby isn't his either.

[Tempest]

7. It's not like he molested a minor or was corrupt

Like several prominent, and many other lesser Repugs have done.

[katandmoon]

12. That's not the point

[Tempest]

15. I don't see it hurting the Democrats

If you polled Americans, I'm willing to bet this wouldn't be in the top 10 things they think about.

Except by a small minority.

[European Socialist]

9. man bad

[LWolf]

13. Perspective

I'd like to avoid ranking behaviors that hurt people and reflect on personal integrity, whenever possible.

Of course it's not worse than many of the political sins, and crimes, committed by politicians and other power players that hurt masses of people.

Privately, dishonesty and infidelity hurt the families that it is perpetrated upon, and that hurt, while not as widespread, is just as deep. I don't minimize someone's pain because it's localized to them, and to their loved ones.

Publicly, infidelity and dishonesty on the part of politicians hurts their party and their nation. There are public consequences. Bill Clinton's impeachment, while ridiculous and unnecessary, damaged the credibility of the Democratic Party and helped achieve the selection in 2000, imo.

I don't divide personal and public when I'm evaluating a politician. A person who is untrustworthy is untrustworthy. If a person can't keep personal commitments, who is stupid enough to think that they'll keep political commitments?

Of course, it's not a good idea, in general, to trust a politician. Yet, I read every day on DU how many DUer's "trust" Obama. I think that trust is stupid. But for those who are more trusting than I...would you still trust him if you found out he engaged in lying to and cheating those closest to him?

Marital infidelity is a reality. It's a sorry, ugly reality. While I never saw Edwards as the liberal that many of his supporters did this time around, I was pleased with his seemingly positive shift away from center. I hoped it was genuine, and not just a political ploy.

Now we know that he was lying to, and cheating on, his wife during his campaign. That kind of lets the air out of any confidence that he was not also lying to his supporters. Maybe he wasn't, but I don't think it's a good idea to trust that because you like his political statements. We liked it when he denied the affair, too.

Monogamy is over-rated in our culture. Still, excusing cheats is, in my opinion, disrespectful of the victims.

Especially in this case. I think Elizabeth Edwards deserves better.