Where The John Edwards Scandal Is Headed

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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Comments

[IsaacKuo]

Well, this last week sure proved I was wrong and you were right. Here I was thinking no one cares about the Edwards scandal and this week would be dominated by massive coverage of the Democratic Convention.

Oh boy, did I NOT call it! The media just couldn't stop going on and on about the Edwards scandal. And those mean old Republicans? They just kept hammering it home with talking point after talking point--Edwards Edwards Edwards!

And the TV ads! I'm just getting sick and tired of all those Republican attack ads slamming us on Edwards.

Okay, I admit defeat. You were right. I was wrong. It's going to be McCain/Palin in '08. And we can all thank Edwards for it. Too bad we didn't listen to your precient advise.

[MBryant]

The thing that drives me crazy, is why does the MSM finally listen to the National Enquirer about Edward's zipper and they won't listen to Greg Palast about election stealing or Vincent Bugliosi about lying about the Iraq war?

A little hanky panky in the White House draws impeachment but election theft, ingnoring congressional supbeonas, subvering some laws with signing statements and ignoring others firing Federal marshals and outing CIA operatives for political purposes, supressing evidence for planetary warming, illegal wiretaps and torture, illegal contracts and merceneries? Well these things just don't seem enough like high crimes and misdeeanors.

If it ain't a sex scandal, it's not only not news - it didn't happen.

Porn Nation.

[larmarch5]

Edward's behavior was sleazy. What I cannot fathom is that Elizabeth went along with the cover-up so he could run for Prez. Bottom line is there are consequences for the choices we make and character comes into play in how we accept responsibility for the consequences. Bear in mind that Ms. Hunter did not become pregnant by accident -- it was a deliberate decision to have unprotected sex. Ladies and gents, if you do not want to make a baby, do not leave protection up to your partner. Make it double or nothing. Better yet, at a certain age, make it a permanent decision.

[rmille1108]

For the baby someday to turn fully- engaged -teenager's sake, John Edwards better be real sure he is not the father; through testing; he will never be able to undue this historical televison-video account of him as he unclaims this child, and for that reason alone, if he is the daddy, he and his accomplices (wife, friend, mistress) need to get it right more sooner than later and communicate the facts in the most sensitive manner. How much more cruel can he (they) be? I can only hope for this child that she is truly unrelated to J.E..

[BlogAngel]

I have a different take on this. I think Edwards WILL MARRY Rielle. He's been with her for 2.5 years. She's not some teenage stripper - she's a woman in her 40's who previously had an 8-year marriage to a successful man. She has his child. His friends wouldn't be putting up some one-stop mistress in multi-million dollar homes and jetting her around the world to protect her. I think once Elizabeth passes or divorces John, he's planning to marry Rielle Hunter and people will have a different reaction to her after that. It will turn from "Bill and Monica" to "Brad and Angelina." She may not seem like the much-loved brilliant Elizabeth, but John made a statement in his ABC "confession" that most folks missed... a one-liner that made me think it hadn't been all that great between him and Elizabeth long before Rielle. Obviously Elizabeth wasn't the beautiful woman John married 30 years ago and looks are important to a guy who spends $400 on his haircut. Did we (the public) make up the whole fairy tale that Prince Charming would be devoted to a woman who's smart and good but very overweight and ill? I think he may admire Elizabeth but he loves Rielle. Yep, the way he handled this was tragic, dishonest and dumb. But I do believe he's going to marry Rielle and raise Francis Quinn. He may even make a comeback.

[Meah]

You can't be serious. You do not know much about human nature, do you? Your conclusion about Edwards ending up with Hunter is nonsense. Just you wait and see.....

[PensiveObserver]

I watched the spin the night the story broke. Loved how a very stern-faced Keith Olberman had the story #5, dutifully reported THE MAJOR STORY OF THE DAY, then immediately went back to Bush-bashing. But the most shameless was James Carville's spin to the effect, "Gee, are we really surprised that politicians have sex!" To reduce this to a story about sex is shameless and Carville knows it. It's about CHARACTER, and JUDGEMENT, and BETRAYING all those around you. And this man, John Edwards, was by many accounts a strong VP candidate or perhaps an AG. Unbelieveable. And yes, I agree with the article that Edwards is incapable of telling the the truth. This is going to be an unbelievably gory, slow-motion train wreck. Very sad.

[Beachrunner]

Bottom line: Edward's lust is going to cost him many, many millions (not to mention his reputation.)

You reap what you sow . . . . .

[Bademus]

It's true, it is a story. When the first rumblings were stirring I was in the yawn camp. But I admit now that it is a big story, not just a tryst but something current. The ramifications are many, especially for Elizabeth. But I keep going back to thinking what if? What if he were the nominee? How could someone run with that going on? He was supposed to have cared about us regular folks - he could have done incredible damage to the party. It's just slimy.

[Yasir]

I say the story is headed where it belongs forgotten and with emphasis on never having to mention it again ever.

[YouDisgustMe]

yawn....lol sorry i had to

[SeanOcali]

I hate to say I told you so. Of all the people I know who discuss politics, the more progressive ones wanted Edwards. Many tended to write off Obama supporters like myself as ignorant, assuming that we don't understand the concept of electability. Right back at ya.

[fnygy]

As a former Edwards supporter "disappointment" doesn't begin to describe my feelings. i agree with this blog - there's still a story here. Follow the money. The rest is personal. Other affairs? Immaterial - unless they too involve campaign and/or charity funds. Edwards' character is on full display in this one scandal - what will dragging other women into public view serve? Certainly not the public good.

[mojopo]

I don't care about Edwards or Hunter. Not my business. But... if Edwards looted the poorbox to fund his affair, then I say hang him high.

[pygmy60]

For pity's sake, who the heck cares??? Name a single US (or other country) leader other than Jimmy Carter who did not have sexual affairs - can't do it, can you? JFK? Ike? Reagan? Bill? Washington? Jefferson? If it's fidelity you really want in your leaders, better pick a woman president to have a slight chance. On this planet, alpha males all seem to demonstrate the same behavior and that behavior is NOT going home every night after work and being the loyal, faithful husband-father. It isn't a matter of being a good person, it is one of asserting a dominate male personality, and NO MALE runs for president without that personality. Even Jimmy Carter admitted to "lusting in his heart" although he apparently adhered to his strict religious values.

[RedSt8r]

Not about sex, fidelity, or religion - it's about betrayal of public trust.

The Edwards are liars. That's the story.

[RogerOThornhill]

Unless he converts and becomes a Republican -- in which case it's his personal business and we all need to stay out of it.
2nd headline: John Edwards, *Republican*, has sex with a woman!

I'm not suggesting Red State types are transparent, opportunistic types. that would be wrong.

John Edwards screwed up. His wife knew about it before it became a news story, but still decided to work through it.
How the H*** does that make her a liar?

[wayne64]

I agree with Lee!....I've been frustrated beyond belief with the" What's the big Deal" attitude among most of the media. It's not so much about the affair or the baby. It's more about the $115,000 or so from contributors that went to pay for a sex companion for John Edwards...That is the really big deal in this affair.

[FirstShirt]

Edwards is a trial lawyer. If the allegations weren't true he would be attacking already. And, if the meetings were innocent he would have faced down the NE reporter instead of running to the bathroom.

The possible misuse of federal campaign money is more problematic. That could have been a Martha Stewart moment he will regret.