Edwards Took Mistress on 2006 Presidential Announcement Tour

Washington Post:

Well, you gotta give him one thing: the man has chutzpah.

Photographs distributed by wire services and posted online by technology blogger Robert Scoble show that former North Carolina senator John Edwards took his mistress Rielle Hunter with him on the plane during his late 2006 presidential campaign announcement tour. As can be seen in this Dec. 28, 2006 photo (that's Hunter in the jeans and jester hat, as can be seen more clearly in this side-profile photo), Hunter stood off to the side of the national press corps filming Edwards as the former Democratic vice presidential nominee announced his second bid for the presidency in New Orleans.

Here she is drinking from a cup as Edwards is interviewed by the press. More photos of her at Edwards's presidential campaign kickoff can be found here and here, where she's shown laughing with Edwards's young staffers.

Writes Scoble on his Flickr site under a photo of Hunter he uploaded Dec. 30, 2006, "I was hanging out with John Edwards and crew as he announced he was running for President of the United States. This photo was taken in New Orleans as Edwards gave press interviews on the lawn of a house that was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[dgscol]

One must wonder the rational John Edwards had. I have heard speculation that he was threatened, and for that reason wanted to be disqualified.

Threats are flying around Washington, and people often feel they come from the right, but not necessarily. Today when the Arkansas politicaian was shot it was done by a person who lost a job.

I guess if the economy continues to deteriorate, there will be more violence.

[roshni]

Could you people give this a rest?
Five front page stories about Edwards today!
Phelps won 10 gold medals. Why don't you write a few more stories on that?

[Ndw]

I direct your attention to the Phelps pages...

But since you're here, telling us we shouldn't be here, one might sense your own interests lie in what other people are doing, in what others are reading, rather than in what supposedly interests you.

[singlemalt]

We're still not done with this story?

His affair may have gone on a little longer than he previously stated--who cares!
He's done politically. He's over.

Meanwhile, back at White House...they're happy because while we're obsessed with the Edwards affair they don't have to take the heat for all of the laws they're breaking.

[Destin]

Ummm, what's the obsession with Edwards in the media?? As Edwards said, the affair began and ended in 2006. So DUH, a blind man could have seen that she'd be hanging around Edwards during his 2006 travels. DUH!!!

I mean, doesn't anyone in the media have a brain??

[dutchess2]

Not to even mention the MET because she was to follow him around and do some video of him...

While no one's looking, our new AG has announced there will be no prosecutions for any Justice staff involved in the firing of States attorneys...

Cause no one's looking...

[gage]

No. They met and began an affair earlier that year. Months later, she was hired by his PAC, apparently to make it easier for them to be together. Nice use of PAC money.

[eman]

OMG !!! AN EX- POLITICIAN HAD AN AFFAIR TWO YEARS AGO !!!! STOP THE PRESSES!!

[Trittydi]

Hunter is a predator. What a selfish delusional bit**.
*

[BlueandGreen]

Can you imagine being Elizabeth Edwards and having to deal with this public humilitation, on top of cancer? I just find it unbelievably sad and disappointing. John, why did you have to go and act so ... Republican? Little tin gods and their woodies ... pitiful.

[gage]

When's the last time a Republican primary candidate took his mistress along on the campaign?

[cariintexas]

didn't MC Cains staff have to pull Vicki Iseman back from Mc Cain?

[MNmommy]

What the heck was he thinking?

[schicklett3]

I find it all laughable!
That John Edwards gave up 30 years of good works, and reputation, for this smarmy piece of white trash is laughable.
Bad judgement, John, bad judgement.

[Ndw]

I've been wishing some devoted Edwards fan would actually LIST those good works. I've been hearing some 'good works' that looked suspiciously like political ploys, but I have yet to see it listed other than to term him a 'champion of the poor.' I assume there's something more than a lot of 2 Americas speeches, but I don't see it. He won cases, for big money - those don't count, as he had much to gain, & I personally think his victories used questionable tactics. So... if someone out there is truly a fan, what DID he do, anyway?

[ashabot]

I don't care about Edward's sex life, or anyone elses. I just marvel at the guy's monumental self-centeredness but that's what you get when you let the little brain do the thinking.

[RedSt8r]

So what's Liz's excuse?

[ObamaLover]

i guess that's how she earned $114K plus $15K/month hush money.

[brabra]

CHALLENGE ANY REPUBLICAN TO TELL ME WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS BETWEEN WHAT JOHN EDWARDS DID AND WHAT MCCAIN DID. MCCAIN CHEATED ON HIS FIRST WIFE WITH "Barbie Doll"CINDY AND HE DIVORCED HIS FIRST WIFE TO MARRY "Barbie Doll"CINDY. HE LEFT HIS WIFE AFTER SHE WAS BADLY INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT. IF EDWARDS HAS A PROBLEM WITH HIS FUTURE POLITICAL CAREER, SHOULDN'T MCCAIN HAVE THAT SAME PROBLEM? NO TO MCCAIN IN 2008.

[petey64]

You obviously just don't get it, McCain never ever pimped his wife and family out there like Breck boy has and no one is excusing what happened in either scenario, it's just that the Breck boy put his wife out there as the cornerstone of his life when in fact it was something very much different.

[RedSt8r]

So I guess the answer to your question...

"IF EDWARDS HAS A PROBLEM WITH HIS FUTURE POLITICAL CAREER, SHOULDN'T MCCAIN HAVE THAT SAME PROBLEM?"

would be... no.

p.s. Could you please hit the Caps Lock button. Thank you.

[Ndw]

I don't like to agree with anyone who quotes Rush Limbaugh (or Dowd now, I guess) - but ... yep.

[cariintexas]

And you know all of this "wonderful stuff" about Mc Cain how? He did worse than pimp her out, he left her and their 3 children high and dry.

[wendy82551]

Have you ever seen a picture of McCain on the campaign trail WITHOUT Cindy handing him the mic, looking a little like a Stockholm Syndrome victim?

I don't know how I feel about politicians and affairs. I think character matters; I'm not sure how a sexual escapade reflects character. But for Edwards, the lying and hypocrisy are DEFINITELY character clues. As for McCain, I don't know how anyone can read about what he did to his first wife and NOT think that he's a worthless piece of cow doo doo. This is the man who says that he cares about more about his country than himself. But Ross Perot, who ended up paying for McCain's first wife medical bills, said of McCain, he cares about no one BUT himself. So he's a liar and a hypocrite. It counts for something.

[BigLib]

What a hypocrite.

Trots out his sick wife to help his campaign. Tells tales of his dead son to garner sympathy. Uses wounded veterans to promote himself.

What a hero of the Left.

[1differentdrummer]

Get off the prudish nonsense. What part of the Edwards' marital relationship is our business? Get your nose out of what goes on in personal relationships, whether it's politicians or celebrities.

[murz]

And articles here about John Edwards are important because.......? Has the Huffington Post turned into the National Enquirer?

[debwarot]

It sure seems that way this morning. Kinda sad, isn't it?

[murz]

debwarot-- glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks so. And yes it is kinda sad.

[TimmySlagle]

"are important because.......?"

-Because he was a speculated Obama nominee for Attorney General or Supreme Court

-Because he squandered campagin donations, on keeping a mistress

-Because the mainstream media completely ignored a story that was blatantly in front of them for YEARS

[murz]

>-Because the mainstream media completely ignored a story that was blatantly in front of them for YEARS<

Cheers to the MSM.

[aubrey8]

what if edwards had been the nominee....that would of been a train wreck. What the hell was he thinking.....

[TimmySlagle]

He never had a prayer of winning.

He was only staying in the race, to spoil Hillary's chances, and gain favor with Obama.

[barbwiregrrl]

What if I was tall...thin and blonde....get over it there is no What if...there is only

THERE IS and there is no IS there in this story.

[cariintexas]

Thinking he would never get caught. It's odd to me, a woman ,why when these things happens, the OTHER WOMAN is rarely mentioned but the men are trashed, rightfully so, but it takes two to tango. Hunter knew who she wanted, went after him and to Hell with Elizabeth and those three beautiful children.