Sleazebag's Lament: Edwards & the Useless Media

Does Edward's admission of having an affair suprise me? Not at all. I don't hold it against him. If there's anything sleazy about him, admission to this affair doesn't add to it. Further, he no longer holds a public office and is not considering or being considered for one. He's a private individual.
Many married people engage in some sort of affair at one time or another. Each gender scores points for doing it. It's far more pervasive than we may believe.

Shock and disbelief are inherent from our inherited puritan ethics. In Europe, this might hardly raise an eyebrow. Edwards discussed the affair with his family 2 years ago and they seemed to have struggled through it and survived. The people of this country should not judge or punish him any further.
Perhaps the dumbest thing that Edwards did was to admit the affair in a news interview. That only makes for fodder and ridicule from everyone that has an opinion (and that's just about everyone).
History shows that nearly everyone has a hidden skeleton or two lying around somewhere. It's more common than rare.
I don't think we are justified in casting stones on John Edwards. While we sat on our laurels in front of TVs and monitors. As we went about our daily biz, Edwards worked diligently for his community and as a representative for his constituency. How many of us have done that?
John Edwards may not be the most noble figure. He's a mere human. Humans have had affairs throughout history (or used courtesans). In no way should this admission shift any of our opinions. He's just human.

Thanks to the suffragettes

I admire Elizabeth Edwards for standing by her man. Thanks to the suffragettes, women have choices in their lives. She doesn't have to stay - she wants to stay.

Politicians will be politicians!

Betcha don't know which president had a love child while running for office, and how that helped women win the vote.

Most people are totally in the dark about HOW the suffragettes won.

Now finding out the sexy, shocking truth is as easy as opening your e-mail.

"The Privilege of Voting" is a new e-mail series that follows eight women from 1912 - 1920 to reveal ALL that happened to set the stage for women to win the vote.

Two beautiful and extremely powerful suffragettes -- Alice Paul and Emmeline Pankhurst are featured, along with Edith Wharton, Isadora Duncan, Alice Roosevelt and two gorgeous presidential mistresses.

There is a ton of heartache, and lots of hot affairs on the rocky road to the ballot box.

Presented in a unique sequential e-mail series that makes discovering history fast and FUN! Each exciting episode is a about 10 minutes - perfect to enjoy during coffeebreaks, or anytime.

Subscribe free at

www.CoffeebreakReaders.com/tpovpage.html

are you taking some kind of victory lap? you sound like those wingnuts

Thanks to the suffragettes

I admire Elizabeth Edwards for standing by her man. Thanks to the suffragettes, women have choices in their lives. She doesn't have to stay - she wants to stay.

Politicians will be politicians!

Betcha don't know which president had a love child while running for office, and how that helped women win the vote.

Most people are totally in the dark about HOW the suffragettes won.

Now finding out the sexy, shocking truth is as easy as opening your e-mail.

"The Privilege of Voting" is a new e-mail series that follows eight women from 1912 - 1920 to reveal ALL that happened to set the stage for women to win the vote.

Two beautiful and extremely powerful suffragettes -- Alice Paul and Emmeline Pankhurst are featured, along with Edith Wharton, Isadora Duncan, Alice Roosevelt and two gorgeous presidential mistresses.

There is a ton of heartache, and lots of hot affairs on the rocky road to the ballot box.

Presented in a unique sequential e-mail series that makes discovering history fast and FUN! Each exciting episode is a about 10 minutes - perfect to enjoy during coffeebreaks, or anytime.

Subscribe free at

www.CoffeebreakReaders.com/tpovpage.html

Why don't the Republicans realize that their candidate McCain did the same thing to HIS first wife. Ran around after she was injured in a car accident and then ran off with Rich Cindy? Mr. "honorable" was also involved in the Keating Scandal, and accepts disability payments when he seems to be "able" enough to run for President.

Why don't the Republicans realize that their candidate McCain did the same thing to HIS first wife. Ran around after she was injured in a car accident and then ran off with Rich Cindy? Mr. "honorable" was also involved in the Keating Scandal, and accepts disability payments when he seems to be "able" enough to run for President.

Why don't the Republicans realize that their own candidate McCain did the same thing to HIS first wife. Ran around after she was injured in a car accident and then ran off with Rich Cindy? Mr. "honorable" was also involved in the Keating Scandal, and accepts disability payments when he seems to be "able" enough to run for President.

"I admire Elizabeth Edwards for standing by her man. Thanks to the suffragettes, women have choices in their lives. She doesn't have to stay - she wants to stay."

Yeah, 'cause a dumpy, middle-aged woman with kids, who happens to have a potentially terminal illness, would really have the pick of the litter after a long and bitter divorce from her politician lawyer husband that she might or might not live to see the end of.

HOW CAN ANYONE TRUST OBAMA? HE HAS BASED HIS ENTIRE CAMPAIGN ON LIES.

I am truly sad to hear the news about Edwards. I have always admired the Edwards’ family.

David Bonior, Edwards’ campaign manager for his 2008 presidential bid, said he was disappointed and angry at Friday’s news.

Bonior replied: “You can’t lie in politics and expect to have people’s confidence.”

WHAT ABOUT ALL THE LIES OBAMA HAS TOLD TO DATE — YET HE’S THE DEMOCRATIC FRONT-RUNNER???

The DNC and biased media “selected” the LIAR Obama — he was not “elected” by the people.

I’m voting for John McCain in 2008.

Susan4:56PMAug 8th 2008

While I don't condone John Edwards' affair, it is nobody's business but his and his wife's. I am surprised at the number of people who think it is any of their business -- especially the Enquirer. Why did they think it was their place to follow him and harrass him and butt their nose into his personal life?

I do think this whole situation is very sad for John Edwards, his wife, and his children.
My husband passed away 3 years ago of secondary bone cancer, which is what Elizabeth Edwards has. It is where the cancer metastasized to the bones. It is an extremely painful way to go.

My husband lived 3 years with the cancer, was on chemo the whole 3 years, except for the last six months, when his neck had broken and he spent that 6 months in the hospital on a vent.

I was faithful to my husband but I do understand how the cancer absorbs your whole life and everybody around you. It is talked about every day. It just consumes everything.

So I guess, having been there, I can understand where somebody might feel so desperate to forget their troubles for just a little while and to feel alive once again. I don't know if that is what drove John Edwards or not. But having spent 3 years with a sick and dying spouse I can understand if somebody needed to forget just for a little while.

I am sure that John Edwards regrets what he did. But that is his personal life, and as such, it is none of our business.

I think we should go back to the good old days when we just minded our own business and didn't have to be told the details of everybody else's sex lives.

============================================================================

It is so true that if you haven't walked in someone's shoes, you can't possibly understand and should not judge. Years age I knew someone who's wife was slowly dying of cancer, and my friend...who loved his wife more than anything in the world...was so depressed that he made the mistake of having an affair. His wife eventually found out, and to his surprise said that she understood that he was deeply depressed and was trying to escape the pain, if only for a short time. She was a good woman with insight, and she knew in her heart that he only loved her. He ended the affair and stayed by his wife until the end and he did a great job of raising their two children alone, for years until he healed and finally met someone he could care for again. So people...don't be so judgmental as there but for the grace of God go any one of us

"Stand By Your Man" is the new theme song for women married to men in the democratic party - Clinton, Edwards,etc.

But for the grace of God.....Bulls**t!!! You praise her for staying with the lying, cheating creep? Another Hillary Clinton, the soul-less carpetbagger. Boys will be boys? If it's a personal matter why did he admit it to a reporter? And you wonder why America is going down the toilet? Trashy, slutty behavior is the norm, especially among the rich and famous. Decent,honest and faithful people are laughed at in this country. We were born with brains.....so we can BE judgemental. All you spineless twerps can go to hell.

LOL!!! POOR LIBS AND LIBERAL MEDIA COULD NOT HIDE THIS STORY ANY LONGER. ANOTHER GLARING EXAMPLE OF THE BIAS IN THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA!
POOR LIBS BOILING WITH ANGER RIGHT NOW!
LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ken Layne,

My understanding is that NEWSWEEK was the first to report the affair a number of years ago and the story just, well, died. Leave it to the National Enquirer to bring it back up. Edwards's angry denials reminded me of Shakespeare, "He doth protest too much."

ABC reported the story tonight, as did everyone in the media, and mentioned that one of his staff had paid hush-money. They maintained that Edwards was unaware of that fact. Aw, hell! Even the wealthy notice large expenditures. To say that he was in the dark is ridiculous.

I am going to be redundant, as it indirectly effected me. In 2004, I begrudgingly voted for Kerry/Edwards. (Bush/Cheney just was not an option.) I swore in 2008 I would not vote for a ticket I wasn't behind.

During this last campaign, Elizabeth Edwards took daily potshots at Sen. Clinton and John Edwards had gone from the insincere affable guy from 2004 to the insincere embittered candidate for president until he dropped out.

You are absolutely correct that the MSM ignored this story and it was largely an Internet affair, so to speak.

Maybe the reason why Elizabeth was so nasty to Hillary every single day on the campaign trail is because Hillary found a way to forgive Bill and Elizabeth never has forgiven John? Hillary said, when asked, that it was her faith that got her through.

You say:

"It's nice of Edwards to finally inform the God of Journalism that the New York Times and network anchors can now mention what lowly online writers like myself have been typing for weeks or months"

Even though your forte might be considered satire, there is always a great deal of truth in humor. You should be proud of yourself. I learned early on in this election cycle not to discount unfamiliar sources. I personally love The New York Times for certain information and Maureen Dowd. They suck when it comes to sports. I guess it isn't cerebral enough for them to cover adequately.

Wonkette is a great release for me and I always look forward to when you do a column for TPM.

I guess next is the obligatory paternity test, but that aside, the good news is John Edwards is now politically dead.

By the way, I am right back to 2004 with this election. Two candidates I don't believe in, although I am trying really hard to get and stay behind Obama. I will vote, it just may not be down party lines this time.

Keep up the good work and sorry I am humor-impaired today. Your assessment about why Edwards came clean on a Friday is dead-on. But, this will survive more than the weekend. I know Elizabeth has already weighed in on this, but I have yet to read it. The media has done an absolutely horrible job of vetting candidates. The only one they seem to have vetted, Hillary, has already been vetted to death over the years. I'm not sure if it is laziness, just sitting back and following the news or something more calculated. Either way, I'm not impressed. Enjoy your trek across the desert.

Sincerely and respectfully,

Mr. Clark

Wonker1:18AMAug 9th 2008

"I admire Elizabeth Edwards for standing by her man. Thanks to the suffragettes, women have choices in their lives. She doesn't have to stay - she wants to stay."

Yeah, 'cause a dumpy, middle-aged woman with kids, who happens to have a potentially terminal illness, would really have the pick of the litter after a long and bitter divorce from her politician lawyer husband that she might or might not live to see the end of.
__________________________________

With his money, Elizabeth's choices would be endless, in both men and cutting edge cancer treatments. She could most certainly live long enough to rub this bonehead's nose in it.

Of course, you won't see that follow up in the mainstream media either.

Splash,

Great point! Anyone of us could meet an untimely death tomorrow and it is probably our own imagination and fear of cancer that colors our view of what is in store for Elizabeth Edwards. She has a future. If she has forgiven her husband and moved on in that regard, I am happy for her. None of us really knows what we would do if it happened to us until it happens.

But, she alone will dictate her own future. The world is her oyster.

Sincerely and respectfully,

Mr. Clark

People don't seem to realize that Elizabeth Edwards is stuck with this prick, she has little choice, she is dying and her children need their father. If she throws him out what is she going to gain? Also, this man is a vain, petty, metrosexual, do you think he's going to give up sex while his wife is dying for the next 2 years?? Men don't do that, women do. (in most cases). It is a rare man who sticks around while his wife is dying. Especially a man like John Edwards, a sleazy trial lawyer.

Anyone that would run for any office while their spouse fights for their life, is a sorry butt anyway arent they ? Thats just idiotic. AND, had he stayed home with her as he should have and any one of us would have, this would have never happened. Man has more money than God and chose to enter a losing campaign while his wife fought cancer. I think thats enough said. You can NOT justify that decsion, regardless of who you are in the world. Bottom Line.

All the "Spin Doctors" have tried to expose the truth about John Edwards and his sex scandal, but nobody has found the truth yet. If John Edwards was disqualified because he had an affair, then Hillary would have been disqualified too. The media dug up this trash and they went too far. They dug up dirt on Edwards and that dirt hurt Hillary so they sat on it. Obama's people at ABC probably found out about it and Oprah decided to support someone completely new. Did Oprah endorse Barack Obama knowing Bill and Hillary and John Edwards would be disqualifed? Gives new meaning to the word "Change." Digging for this dirt changed everything. Hillary had no chance if Edwards sex scandal surfaced. With Hillary's chances diminishing is this their "Hail Mary?" Get the people angry at Obama because Edwards supported him and ignore the fact that they found this? That's dirty politics. She not inevitable.

Really, people's sexual or relational situations don't interest me as much as what they're going to do to me personally once they have the power. For example, will I get flowers and candy? Will I get a reach-around? Am I merely being used?

Edwards may not have sacrificed as much as SOME of us might have done in similar circumstances, but MOST of us are equally flawed in one way or another. My main concern is WHY NOW? Why are we being given this information NOW?

The media is indeed useless. They present this information to us now well after the fact of Edwards NOT winning the nomination. What does the media know about OBAMA or any other ANOINTED ONES? What information is the media withholding and why? Why not give it to us NOW? We'll even make do without the reach-around.