Mickey Kaus: John Edwards' Confession Is "Textbook PR Timing"

From the beginning Mickey Kaus was one of the few voices in the media to continually cover the Edwards affair story while almost every outlet remained quiet.

As the news broke that Edwards had confirmed his affair, Kaus, in a post entitled "Edwards: 'I Lied. It's Friday. Can I Go to Denver Now?'", noted both the "textbook PR timing" of his announcement and also the questions that remain about the Enquirer's coverage of Edwards' affair:

Look again at the Enquirer's photo of Edwards holding a baby in front of the Hilton's telltale drapes. Edwards is wearing a sweaty blue t-shirt. But the Enquirer reported that on the night they ambushed him, he was at least initially wearing a "blue dress shirt." One possible explanation for the discrepancy: he visited her and the baby at the hotel more than once, and the photo is from an earlier visit. ... Just speculating! ... But if you read the Enquirer's accompanying text closely, they don't say the photo was taken on the same day they ambushed him, only at the same hotel. ... If this theory is right, Edwards has even more explaining to do than it initially seems.

Read Kaus' detailed response to those who said the Edwards affair story shouldn't be pursued.

Read Kaus' roundup of mid-size papers that did choose to start lightly exploring the Edwards affair story days before it was confirmed.

Comments

[castlerider]

Who cares.

[erathwomen]

It doesn't look like him in the baby picture. It's a fuzzy picture and the guy resembles him at best. All he has to do is take a paternity test...

[anghiari]

How about giving Ms. Hunter the slightest amount of responsibility in this little liason? Perhaps Edwards was in that hotel room because she was threatening to let the cat out of the bag. I have a feeling the girl had a plan. Her family is now demanding Edwards' take a paternity suit? Her family perhaps should have taught the girl, that married men are out of bounds. Women at her age do not get pregnant unless they want to get pregnant...that's the other thing guys...you never know what the program is with a woman not your wife...all of a sudden sweetie pie is having babies by accident...men are so
stupid...for the guys who don't do this sort of thing (are there any?) explain to us mere mortals...why?
Do men really think they won't get caught...It is ultimately such a selfish selfish act... And as you beat up Mr. Edwards, please remember Bill Clinton lied under oath, had his law license revoked for 5 years and yet, he was out on the stump for his wife. Ain't America great? The man was having an affair with a girl that could have been his daughter. Yet Bill had the temerity to be aggrieved by the Vanity Fair story. These men have a sense of entitlement that is beyond belief. Now Bill wants to speak at the convention because?...its Bill and he wants to speak at the convention and what Bill wants...

[xargaw]

If the baby is not his child, what was he doing at the hotel supposedly 2 years after the affair has ended, and why is he holding the child? The explanation is full of holes.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

The best thing to come out of this, is that everyone is going to be talking about JMc's affair's now! This is the worst thing that could have happened to the Rep's! HA! LOL!

[LemonFreshScent]

Maybe mc.cain will cheat again to get more publicity.

[Boadicea]

My question:

If the affair was from 2006 and he didn't love her and it's over now, and if he's not the father of the baby, what is he doing sneaking into her hotel room in the wee hours of the night?

Just askin'

[StrategicThinker]

He said he was going to meet some guy who's last name was "MCGOVERN" about keeping the 2006 affair private, and the McGovern dude didn't tell him who else would be there.

[Ndw]

Well! I'm convinced! All sounds on the up & up, then!

[Gma11]

CNN stated he visited her in the same hotel a month earlier as well.

Now, I don't know the veracity of this statement . . .

[skyreader7]

It's a democratic conspiracy. Knowing that Obama was going on vacation and McCain would be getting too much publicity, Edwards sacrificed himself. Now, I suppose about Tuesday McCain's campaign will be complaining that the democrats are taking all the press.

[StrategicThinker]

You are intelligent. Clearly more intelligent than most people who post around here.

[erathwomen]

Oh god I hope not 'cos now he's ruined his shot at a cabinet position.

[Gma11]

The timing does take attention away from both McCain and Obama - at an opportune time for Obama - while he is on vacation but 20 days before the convention.