Where The John Edwards Scandal Is Headed

As we head into the the Democratic convention, the scandal isn't over -- it's really just beginning. Don't blame the media, blame John Edwards.
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I've read the comments. I know what some of you think. Yawn. It's not a story. He's not a candidate. He confessed. Who cares? Let's just recap the what The Deceiver calls 'the non-story' so far.

A former Senator and vice-presidential candidate misused campaign contributions and money pledged to fight poverty so he could bring his mistress on the campaign trail with him during the presidential campaign where he was constantly making appearances with his widely admired cancer stricken wife then fathered the mistress's child sometime around the time he was getting a Father Of The Year Award and then asked his loyal aid who already has a wife and kids to falsely claim paternity while the fake dad and the mistress were funneled money so they could move to be near the mistress's psychic healer friend while the former candidate continued to meet the mistress and baby until he was caught by tabloid reporters and hid in the bathroom and then confessed on national TV a couple of weeks later but both he and his wife continued to lie during that interview and in subsequent statements.

And the press is supposed to yawn that story off?

As we head into the the Democratic convention, the Edwards scandal isn't over. It's really just beginning. Don't blame the media, blame John Edwards.

The story isn't over because the revelations and twists in the story aren't over. If John Edwards was more interested in helping the Democratic party then continuing the futility of his deception he could come out tomorrow, do a number of no holds barred interviews, tell the whole truth, allow Andrew Young and Rielle Hunter to come out of hiding and repay contributors from his considerable personal fortune. Everyone would appear on Larry King and Oprah and we might be really done with this some time in September.

Then John Edwards could go to work chopping wood and carrying water for a couple of years to reflect on his mistakes. Building houses full time with Habitat For Humanity would be a great start for his redemption. No speeches, no suits. Just let your hair get messy and hammer nails all day, John and then go home tired and be a good father at night.

That's a dream, of course. The reality is that we're heading into fresh territory and allegations in the next few weeks and John Edwards is unlikely to tell the truth until there's simply no other option. So instead of a responsible and swift end to this mess we'll get the Edwards Water Torture that reduces all politicians (especially idealistic ones) to same lying bastards that cynics always believed they are.

Cynicism is exactly what Republicans want when their opponent's message is 'hope'.

Here's my Edwards Scandal Future Lowlights Roadmap : My Predictions Of Tomorrow's News, Today!


It's His Baby:
It's the question everyone seems to want to know, so I'll skip right to it. Don't we all really know Quinn Hunter is his baby? If it's not his baby then why meet with Rielle Hunter three times in 2008 and lie about it? Edwards obviously has maintained a secret relationship with Hunter in 2008 where he's had contact with Hunter and the baby without Elizabeth's knowledge. Hunter's statement about not wanting a DNA test was sure convenient, too. Edwards has no credibility and this is the last thing he wants to admit but that sure seems like the endgame here.

The Other Meetings At The Beverly Hilton : Last week, I guessed that Edwards and Hunter met on March 20th, 2008. Turned out to be Rielle Hunter's birthday, too. Since then, there's video posted of Cenk from the Young Turks from back then discussing running into John Edwards. I checked the FEC filing from that period and the Beverly Hilton isn't anywhere on it.

Some Democrats Will Want Their Money Back : It's already becoming something people are talking about informally but it's just a matter of time before lawsuits start because it's becoming clear that Edwards used campaign money to take his girlfriend on the road with him. Times are hard and this could become a new and innovative economic stimulus plan for Democrats.

Some Democrats Will Remain In Denial : New information breaks on the front page of the New York Times last Friday and a DailyKos diarist writes about it. The response is largely pictures of kittens and recipes and people telling the writer to STFU; same basic response that I got when writing about Edwards before I was banned. Yes, I have a personal stake in this but it's also news. The L.A. Times ran a piece on the 'feud' between Kos and me. Markos lied about never having heard of me. His upcoming book has a 'review' blurb on Amazon by Elizabeth Edwards. I'm sure that's just a coincidence, though.

The Youngs Speak : Who's the most aggrieved woman in this mess? I vote for Cheri Young who really didn't do much to deserve a humiliating life on the lam except marry a guy who was so loyal and / or greedy that he took the fall for John Edwards.

Elizabeth Splits : Elizabeth Edwards helped her husband lie to press and public about his affair so it's hard to be shocked that he continued to lie to her about the affair, really. But how much can Elizabeth take? The People magazine story is step one in the almost inevitable process of Elizabeth Edwards having to make some kind of move away from John. Could be a separation, could be more statements about her shock and disappointment at new revelations. Either way, somethings got to give.

Rielle Talks : Somewhere out there, Rielle Hunter is holding on to a baby who's probably just about ready to starting crawling and holding on to secrets that have already begun crumbling. She has the real story to tell here and is the person most likely to be honest about everything, especially once she realizes that she and Edwards really don't have a future together.

John Edward's Ultimate Confession: What's John Edwards going to say, ultimately? I mean, really? He may end up an incoherent screaming mess like William H. Macy when the police finally catch up with him in Fargo or he may just curl up in a fetal position on Oprah's couch.

And the bonus, pointless, 'it's just sex' prediction...

The Other Other Woman : There are persistent rumors that Rielle Hunter wasn't Edward's first or only mistress. I know -- I'm rumor mongering but this is coming from multiple, independent sources. And do you really think this is first time John Edwards strayed?

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