Hiding the Scumbag

So, John Edwards had a brief affair with a woman who is over forty, and it's a scandal. Elizabeth Edwards was ill at the time, and so John is especially naughty for being so callous, and yes I gave money to his campaign, but then, I never thought adultery was a big deal in the abstract, because, as we all know, I am a liberal, and I think denying people healthcare, swindling the taxpayer, starting an unnecessary war by forging documents and lying, and stealing the oil belonging to other nations is a lot worse than adultery. If every working person in America were to be free to join a union and if we had mastered that global warming thing, then I could start worrying about adultery, and be glad of it.

So, John McCain had a lengthy affair with a young rich woman, left his wife for her when she was crippled from a car accident, and went on to live off the new wife, for decades, and it's not a scandal. Why is that? Why is a misstep, followed by anger and reconciliation, a scandal, while actual bona fide betrayal followed by abandonment (and, let's say, a parasitic lifestyle) is just one of those things?

It is said that the first Mrs. McCain has forgiven her former husband. It is said Elizabeth Edwards has forgiven her current husband.

I know, I know, the National Enquirer never went after McCain. Why is that? When there seemed to be a bit of a smoking gun about John McCain and a lobbyist earlier this year, The National Enquirer didn't touch it. The lobbyist was disappeared, the New York Times dropped the story, and shhh. NO scandal. Why is that? Wouldn't I, as a citizen, rather my president slept with a filmmaker than a lobbyist?

Is it just that John Edwards is cuter than John McCain? Is it just that the idea of McCain getting it on makes the press squirm, and so they don't touch that story? Or do they really have a pro-Republican bias that shows up over and over and over? The press seems to be saying, go ahead, Republicans, trash the country, bankrupt the country, drive the country into a economic, moral, ethical, and military abyss. We don't care. We aren't going to hold you responsible for anything, including marital abandonment and cruelty.

Comments

[Boadicea]

Jane, we don't want the National Enquirer to go after John McCain until October. There are already rumors that Republicans plan to replace him - let's not give them an excuse. Let's wait.

It's good that the Edwards story broke now, before he's selected as VP, or for a cabinet post. Better now than later when it might have cost us the election. And I think Edwards angered the NE by calling them liars, scumbags, etc, when they first broke the story of the affair and they don't like being called names. (Sam here only hinted at the affair in the very first piece questioning the whole mess.)

And I doubt this affair was "brief." She was still involved in the campaign after 2006. He's even now still sneaking into hotel rooms late at night to meet her (and the baby) without Elizabeth's knowledge.

Surely we aren't all THAT naive.

It's easier to get evidence and force a confession when the affair is still ongoing.

[yooper2]

SPOT ON! Sad but very true.

[CanadianAmerican]

Because... guess who OWNS the media? Same people who own everything. Same people who don't really appreciate progressive taxes, laws constraining their profiteering, etc.

[mesut]

I'm amazed that John Edwards was the Friday spin cycle when McCain was out making silly mistakes yet again. It's funny the media puts priorities in assback order. The media is screaming because they missed the story and yet they miss John McCain's idiotic foolishness daily

[crazylikeafox]

McCain's woman weakness.

Left: He is against abortion and against funding birth control.

Right: He cheated on his crippled wife and left her.

What stupid woman on either side would vote for McCain?

[dawlishgal]

It is almost humorous that McCain tries to paint Obama as the "elitist" when it was McCain who met his 1/2 his age mistress, later his wife, at a *cocktail party in Hawaii.* How many of the Hell's Angels in Sturgis met their mistresses, later their wives, at cocktail parties in Hawaii.

People who believe the Rovian bullcrap that McCain is pushing have got to be the dumbest and/or laziest on the face of the earth (unless they are among the richest, because with McCain as president,, it will be rerun of Bush where the middle class and the poor get screwed. Again).

[sufi66]

The owners of most media outlets are usually conservative businessmen devoted to conservative advertising money. That's the whole reason why certain things are covered or not-- unless I'm missing something else which I would love to have explained to me.

[RRK70]

Why should this hurt the Democrats any more than Giulianis's history of sorted relationships? The media assume that Edwards career is over, but somehow McCain, Huckabee, Giuliani get a free pass?

Look at prostitution: when a democrat like Spitzer is busted, he alone bears the guilt. When a Republican is busted for prostitution like Vitter, the prostitutes involved are prosecuted.

The question is not whether there is a double standard, but rather why?

[kjg25171]

This is a great post. But what good does it do? What can we do to get the damn MSM to cover McCain's peccadillos with the fervor that they are covering John Edwards'-the non-candidate?

[LeonBNJ]

Too bad the National Enquirer doesn't go after the REAL scandals of Politicans such as taking campaign contributions to help big business, voting for war in Iraq, and so on.

[Rog49Thomas]

The "technical" term for a man in similar situation is "the john".

How ironic that both first names fit.

[Rog49Thomas]

Jane

The answer is quite simple.

There are two different standards of morality.

One for you and me.

And one for the other "special" folk.

[larry278]

It looks like there is an organized effort to destroy Edwards as a politician. His progressive beliefs are a threat to America's establishment, or whatever is called an establishment in 2008 & whomever is part of the establishment.

[jbatch]

I am tired of this. What can we DO. Why don't we organize. Why don't we boycott the press; threaten to boycott advertisers for "media outlets" -- broadcast and print -- which refuse to cover issues and cover each party equitably.

Why don't we say, if you advertise in McClatchy papers or Olbermann, we'll buy your stuff.

We've got to DO something. This can't go on.

[sufi66]

There is nothing to be done except encourage people to think for themselves.

Which is why McCain could get elected.

[Gma11]

Excellent observation.

[Mapleave]

Thank you! John Edwards does not deserve a pass. Neither does John McCain. Yet McCain is granted a daily pass on substantial factual errors and lies(Obama taxes, true veterans voting reord,war/surge, elite charges and very concerning cognitive lapses). Not to mention his long history of dubious moral and ethical matters.
Those Sedona bribe bbqs and comfy seats aboard the "straight" talk express must be really, really good.
Where IS Vicki Iseman?

[minnehot]

NYT's 'dropped the story' on McCain? What the heck are you talking about? The Times never had a story, they had a fictional piece of sh*t that should never had seen the light of day. Yet another new low in the storied tradition of NYT's fiction passing itself off as 'news'.

The Edwards story, which was REAL, the Times ignored. Why the different treatment?