John Edwards admits to having an affair . . .
8 August 2008 by Stardust
. . . while his sick wife was battling cancer.
Yet another example of fine “Christian morals” and why we should have a Christian leader to set a moral example for all. (sarcasm) He looked like a nice family guy who loved his wife and someone who could really be trusted with that sweet baby face and talking about honesty and integrity, etc. Conservative Christians will start saying it’s the evil liberal influence, conveniently forgetting or excusing those Conservative adulterers who have sobbed their repentance on public television in the past.
Edwards admits to affair, denies fathering child
WASHINGTON - Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Friday admitted to an extramarital affair while his wife was battling cancer. He denied fathering the woman’s daughter.
Edwards told ABC News that he lied repeatedly about the affair with 42-year-old Rielle Hunter but said that he didn’t love her. He said he has not taken a paternity test but knows he isn’t the father because of the timing of the affair and the birth.A former Edwards campaign staffer claims he is the father, not Edwards.
Hunter’s daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter, was born on Feb. 27, 2008, and no father’s name is given on the birth certificate filed in California.
The National Enquirer first reported on the affair in October 2007, and Edwards denied it.
“The story is false,” he told reporters. “It’s completely untrue, ridiculous.”
Deja vu…being in the public spotlight, when will they ever learn?
The Enquirer carried another story last month, stating that its reporters had accosted Edwards in a Los Angeles hotel where he had met with Hunter after her child’s birth. Edwards called it “tabloid trash,” but he generally avoided reporters’ inquiries, as did his former top aides.
In the interview, scheduled to air on ABC News’ “Nightline,” Edwards said the tabloid was correct when it reported on his meeting with Hunter at the Beverly Hills Hotel last month.
*snip*
David Bonior, Edwards’ campaign manager for his 2008 presidential bid, said Friday he was disappointed and angry after hearing about Edwards’ confession.
“Thousands of friends of the senators and his supporters have put their faith and confidence in him and he’s let him down,” said Bonior, a former congressman from Michigan. “They’ve been betrayed by his action.”
Asked whether the affair would damage Edwards’ future aspirations in public service, Bonior replied: “You can’t lie in politics and expect to have people’s confidence.”
*snip*
“I want to see our party lead on the great moral issues — yes, me a Democrat using that word — the great moral issues that face our country,” Edwards tells the crowd. “If we want to live in a moral, honest just America and if we want to live in a moral and just world, we can’t wait for somebody else to do it. We have to do it.” [said Edwards back in 2006]
Is this latest revelation going to make it more difficult for the Democrats in this campaign?
8 August 2008, on 4:37 pm
While I like most of his politics, I think he is a selfish bastard for even trying to run for President. Did he really think that this was going to be kept quiet forever? Thank Dog he didn’t get enough votes to be the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. He would have basically handed the White House to McBush for another four years.
8 August 2008, on 4:48 pm
Thank Dog he didn’t get enough votes to be the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. He would have basically handed the White House to McBush for another four years.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. These people go into politics knowing how devastating these kinds of actions can be, not only for themselves but for the entire party, and yet they do it anyway. I will never, ever understand it.
And his wife was sick. This is not going to help the democrats at all in winning over conservative democrats, much less conservative republicans who hold family values as an important factor in determining who they vote for. This is an incredibly important voting year, but getting his jollies was more important. (He said he doesn’t love the one he was having the affair with so WTF!?)
8 August 2008, on 4:56 pm
Why does anyone care. I am divorced due to an affair, I certainly was not proud of that, but I realize I was not the first, nor will I be the last. If everyone in America told the truth about affairs, we would barely have enough families together to count. It doesn’t make a difference what nationality, what politics or any designation. Affairs will always happen, so get over it. It has happened from the WHITE House down to the local beauty salon. As the comments continue, I hope that people are honest about what they think of JOHN EDWARDS. As far as I can say, he is HUMAN.
don’t throw rocks at the GLASS HOUSE, it may be yours.
8 August 2008, on 5:02 pm
This is not going to help the democrats at all in winning over conservative democrats, much less conservative republicans who hold family values as an important factor in determining who they vote for.
I agree, but for some reason I think it would probably be a bad idea for McCain to make a big deal out of this, so maybe it won’t be as damaging as it could be?
8 August 2008, on 5:13 pm
John Collins, What’s with the CAPITAL LETTERS?
As for the GLASS HOUSE, my husband and I have been married for 33 years and though we have had our ups and downs, I can honestly say that the glass house is not mine. My husband is also human…and has stood by me. I am quite fortunate.
In my personal opinion, I think it was awful for him to have an affair, especially while his wife was sick and needed him most. I don’t know the details, but this gives the impression of a weak person and one who cannot be trusted. It may not be true and more complicated than that, but that is the impression it gives.
I understand what you are saying about “being human”, however lying repeatedly and cheating on his wife, lying to the press, etc. after running on “family values” and honesty and all that, people are going to look at that as someone who cannot be trusted. When one is in the public eye, they need to be squeaky clean, especially when trying to defeat “God’s party of family values”. This was just bad, bad timing.
Also, it shows that Christians do not have the monopoly on morals, they just have an imaginary friend to keep erasing their guilt.
8 August 2008, on 5:19 pm
I think it would probably be a bad idea for McCain to make a big deal out of this, so maybe it won’t be as damaging as it could be?
I agree that McLame most likely won’t be making a big deal out of this. AND after thinking about this, maybe it will actually be a good thing for Obama…unless he has some skeletons in his closet, as well? Who really knows.
8 August 2008, on 6:28 pm
Couple things. First, cheating in and of itself is really only the business of the parties involved- John, Elizabeth, and this Hunter woman or Bill, Hillary, and Monica. It certainly isn’t our business. I care about Bill Clinton getting a hummer in the Oval Office about as much as I care whether he shits regularly or suffers occasional bouts of constipation. Yeah, too much information but that’s my point.
It’s not the way I choose to do things when I’m in a committed relationship- and don’t give me that tired male party line about some biological imperative to stray. But it’s not my place to sit in judgment of someone else’s personal life. Do I think less of Clinton- or JFK for that matter, because they can’t keep it in their pants? Sure, as people, as men, and I wouldn’t let them near my wife and/or daughter(and I definitely wouldn’t let McCain near my daughter), but it really does nothing to my opinion of them as leaders or my confidence in them to do their job efficiently and intelligently.
That being said…
Second, cheating on one’s spouse while she’s fighting for her life is just cold. We’re talking Gingrich-ian levels of cold here:
“In 1981, Newt dumped his first wife, Jackie Battley, for Marianne, wife number 2, while Jackie was in the hospital undergoing cancer treatment. Marianne and Newt divorced in December, 1999 after Marianne found out about Newt’s long-running affair with Callista Bisek, his one-time congressional aide. Gingrich asked Marianne for the divorce by phoning her on Mother’s Day, 1999.” [Source: New York Post, July 18, 2000, Newt's Ex Wife Aiming to Pen Book by Bill Sanderson, available on lexis]
So, in this case, a peccadillo, which is neither here nor there, becomes, in view of the circumstances, something entirely different. On the other hand, Edwards has never really struck me as particularly vocal about his godbothery, focusing more on a (spot on)moral indignance over poverty and his Two Americas schtick. So, I’m not sure how he qualifies for inclusion here. Infidelity is the breaking of one’s word, religious or not.
8 August 2008, on 7:26 pm
Infidelity is the breaking of one’s word, religious or not.
I agree, however the fundies in my family are already having a field day with this blaming the evil liberal mentality and comparing it to the evil liberal adulterer Clinton. Whoever leaked this story probably are of the same mentality. The timing of this is not good since there are many voters who do make adultery and family values an important voting issue. (McCain also had an affair and divorced and remarried, but my fundie relatives aren’t bitching about that.)
My point of bringing religion into it is because that is what all of the candidates have been doing in this election to appease the evangelicals and cat-o-licks who believe that being Christian somehow makes one better than anyone else to have “Christian morals” and “Christian family values”. While Edwards was not as vocal about his faith as others, he would have had to come out with it just like with Obama to woo the god botherers who believe that god belief somehow makes you superior to those without god beliefs. This is just one more example amongst many that it does not.
I am really disappointed about this, because I viewed Edwards as one of the few who were honest and a true family guy, as Obama appears to be. Silly me for being so naive.
8 August 2008, on 9:18 pm
It is not the sex or the morals that concern me in these situations. It is the stupid, the incredible stupid. The stupid that defies description. Toss these idiots out of public life just for being stupid and let their families deal with the rest.
8 August 2008, on 9:22 pm
Well, at least we know who Obama won’t be choosing to be his running mate…
I’m disappointed, but not shocked. Infidelity happens frequently and politicians are no different than anyone else. I do think (looking back) that it was a dumb move for him to run for presidency, and we’re VERY fortunate he didn’t get further in the race, otherwise the White House would have been handed over to McCain (a href=”http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1024927/The-wife-John-McCain-callously-left-behind.html”>who is no better in my opinion).
Ah well. C’est la vie, is all I can say about that.
8 August 2008, on 9:30 pm
I’m really shocked and bothered by this. I know that I shouldn’t be. If it had been just about anyone else, I wouldn’t have been so surprised. I really like him, and he seems like a nice, honest guy. He and Chris Dodd were my favorites early on in the elections.
This kind of makes me worry about Obama. Because I feel (though not as strongly) about the same way in regards to him. It seems impossible for him to do something so stupid, but now I know that it’s not.
I’m having a hard time explaining this, but I hope I kinda got my point across…
8 August 2008, on 10:00 pm
It’s beyond stupid. Reckless for someone in their important positions. It’s like they let the little head do all the thinking for the big head.
Yes, Obama seems to have all the same “values” as Edwards claimed to have, and no, nothing is impossible. All we can do is hope.
8 August 2008, on 10:16 pm
Awww… I fail at html code.
Does this work?
8 August 2008, on 10:33 pm
Yes, Obama seems to have all the same “values” as Edwards claimed to have, and no, nothing is impossible. All we can do is hope.
I’m glad you understand. I was afraid that I sounded kinda weird.
Another thing that I didn’t post: I think that it takes a certain level of arrogance to carry on an affair. You have to be to believe that you won’t get caught. I honestly saw no arrogance at all in Edwards, I do see some in Obama, though.
9 August 2008, on 12:50 am
My overall response to the whole Edwards story is a feeling of sincere sadness. Sadness for his wife, evidently knowing, at least to some degree, about the affair throughout the whole campaign; and the inevitable shame that is now in play, and ruining what was really, in my opinion, one of the more admirable Democratic candidate’s careers.
Of course his children will also bear some of the brunt of his unfortunate disgrace.
I’m reminded, also, of that MSNBC program with Solidad O’Brian that focused on the “Faith” of the Democratic candidates sometime back. I couldn’t quite muster, at the time, the ‘courage’ to watch the complete…”barf in the mouth”…presentation; but Edwards’ segment, in which he was ‘confessing’ his “every day I’m a sinner” theme, was shown on one of the cable news shows today. Here’s the Edwards portion of that program. [Ugh!]
[Unlike some other, at least he 'believes in' Evolution!]
“Presidential Forum on Faith, Values & Poverty (1 of 6)”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsR-mDUvdoU
As has been noted by others, let’s hope…at least those who want to see the Dems win the election…that there aren’t any nasty skeletons on the verge of escaping from Obama’s Faith-base closet! I think McLame’s already reported ’shenanigans’, which go back to his first wife’s time period, will probably keep the Rethuglicans from hammering too self-righteously hard with some kind of, totally bogas…”moral superiority”…?
Tangentially, though…[shifting the comment 'mood' a bit]
I’m still waiting for that wonderfully juicy sex scandal RE the (murderous?) Chimpy and his faithful “Tonto” companion from his former Texas insanity ‘daze’…you know…
Condo-leech-ya (Kind-of-leech-ish?) Rice(-pussy).
Of course (gals…please don’t hit me!) there’s:
“Cunt-a-lesion” (and lots of other, face-slap-deserving, creative variations?)
Remember that little Freudian ’slip’ of the tongue when she actually referred to him as “my husband”?
No?
Well, I couldn’t find a YouTube with that; however…
[Yeah...I know, Stardust...this is all sort of off topic...but, hey, like it's Friday!]:
“Condi Is So In Love with George”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HawwG4lPoVE&feature=related
And…
“The Bush + Condi Sex Tape”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br8GB6EnP6o&feature=related
[Due to the 2 link per comment maximum(?)...See below ChuckA comments for some more lunacy?]
9 August 2008, on 10:34 am
My apology, Stardust, for turning this into a little Chimpy critique; but I recorded the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics last night…yeah…they showed “our 1st couple” in the stands; which made me think of so many factors RE the U.S. and China “evolution”.
By the way, I thought the opening was the most spectacular opening…EVER; an amazing display of a huge number of participants, combined with cutting edge technology. Definitely, y’all…see it, if you haven’t already. I wonder if it’ll show up on YouTube…or the NBC Site.
As promised above…for nothing more than some OT weekend laughs…
Here’s an old, much earlier in the “BushCo” years bit; and, as it turns out, kinda related to the above…ala China’s leader…”Hu”(?).
[Actually, a creative takeoff on the old Abbot & Costello baseball routine...["Who's on First?"]:
“Bush And Condi”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rJT5IpyAok&feature=related
AND…for you “hip-hoppers”?
“bush beatbox”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8egDbULSlM&feature=related
9 August 2008, on 10:47 am
In another direction…some other silly goodies:
“George Bush Idiot Quotes”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijz1CdUj5fg&feature=related
“George Bush = Idiot” [from 2006]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgPShicCCTA&feature=related
9 August 2008, on 11:08 am
OK, OK, GifSters…ONE more, final comment entry!
This one, from October 20, 2006, is definitely not in the silly mode…more of a reminder of all that’s led up to today’s situation; in spite of any possible Iraq situation improvement. I think Trump’s assessment still stands up pretty well to any more current scrutinizing assessment…
“Donald Trump On President George W. Bush”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdxFn8FfauU&feature=related
The World has been witnessing the inept machinations of this lying (relative speaking) idiot American President for almost 8 agonizing years!
We’ll see what Vincent Bugliosi’s murder charges amount to…next year? On that note…
“Hearing on Limits of Executive Power: Vincent Bugliosi”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDAFozFn4kU
Now I ask you, dear GifSters…Is the American public, actually, so incredibly stupid as to want a similar “McLame-Brand Idiot” continuation?
[I'm almost afraid to hear the answer to that.]
Happy weekend, everyone!
9 August 2008, on 1:17 pm
As I watched a bit of the amazingly complicated and precise show of the Olympics opening ceremony last night at a friend’s home he made the comment, “It’s amazing what you can conqeur with a military dictatorship.”
9 August 2008, on 1:24 pm
Whoops, freudian slip:
“It’s amazing what you can accomplish…”
9 August 2008, on 3:13 pm
Edwards cheats on his wife. His fighting-a-battle-with-death-cancer-ridden-wife. That obviously makes him not only Presidential material, but a True Christian as well. /snark
I’m disappointed for Elizabeth’s sake. She has enough on her mind, without having to deal with a lying, adultering, weak husband. Kudos to her for being gracious throughout this whole ordeal.
ChuckA- Your first two Bush/Condi Youtubes naturally led me to the Hu’s On First episode, and I thought of you while watching it, and wondered if you had seen it yet. I thought it was priceless.
The opening ceremonies in China were awesome. I wasn’t going to watch, but turned it on for a few minutes and couldn’t take my eyes off it. The artistry, the majesty, the synchronicity, the enormity and the beauty of the undertaking were all just phenomenal. And the best part was that there was no fawning to Christianity. It did occur to me that perhaps the people were so disciplined because they could be taken out and shot if they got something wrong, but I think in the end, that the Chinese are just very determined and proud and talented people who wanted to put on a kick-ass show. And that, they did.
9 August 2008, on 3:53 pm
Edwards denies the baby is his. He says it can’t be because it looks too much like Obama.
The difference between Democratic politicians and Republican politicians is that Democratic politicians have their affairs with the opposite sex.
9 August 2008, on 4:08 pm
The difference between Democratic politicians and Republican politicians is that Democratic politicians have their affairs with the opposite sex.
tada. Good one.
9 August 2008, on 9:51 pm
The Aristocrats!!!
9 August 2008, on 11:21 pm
The Aristocrats!
10 August 2008, on 12:13 pm
Hello to Atheist Jew…
Thanks for stopping by again…and inadvertently reminding me, after I revisited your Site, just how ‘enlightening’ it is.
What!…Canada should be ever so proud to have you as a citizen?
One ‘happy bi-product’ result was the discovery of that nicely done YouTube series about Evolution…or is it…(anti-)Creationism:
It’s that 18 part “Made Easy Series”; which (as AJ recommends?), is something useful for linking any family or friends to; as a nice way of explaining the Scientific Method etc.
[After a brief sampling...IMO...it's really excellently done.]
Anyway, GifSters…
Here’s the Main page link (for possibly adding to your Favs?):
“potholer54’s Videos”:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=potholer54
And while I’m at this “archival shtick”; Here’s an update to an all-time GifS favorite…
“Pat Condell’s complete YouTube page”…
(currently, 44 videos…which are in nice chronological order, starting with the most recent]:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=patcondell&p=r
10 August 2008, on 2:57 pm
Minor correction:
“It’s that16 part “Made Easy Series”…”
10 August 2008, on 5:26 pm
Not meaning to play devil’s advocate here, but I recall from reading the statements of both Mr. and Mrs. Edwards that the affair happened, from beginning to end, in 2006, and her cancer diagnosis was not until 2007. Mrs. Edwards even stated that her husband informed her of the affair in ‘06, and it was very painful, but in fact her cancer diagnosis in ‘07 actually played a role in healing their wounds and being the supportive spouses they needed to be. I’m really surprised no one on this comment board has mentioned this yet. Or is it simply assumed that both John and Elizabeth Edwards are lying to the public?
Because if that’s the case, then why demonize John and deify Elizabeth? That’s just lame. Either they’re telling the truth and he wasn’t having an affair while she actually was being treated for cancer, and they sorted their troubles out and this is their business alone, OR… they’re both lying to the public.
Thoughts, anyone?
paz
10 August 2008, on 5:35 pm
Not meaning to play devil’s advocate here, but I recall from reading the statements of both Mr. and Mrs. Edwards that the affair happened, from beginning to end, in 2006, and her cancer diagnosis was not until 2007.
Paz, no one on this board had said anything like that because Elizabeth Edwards has been battling cancer since 2004. This latest reoccurrence is the SECOND round with cancer. Elizabeth had undergone chemotherapy, surgery and radiation between 2004 and 2005 to get rid of her first breast tumor, which was about the size of a half-dollar.
Edwards did lie repeatedly. No matter what appearances they are trying to make to the public now, the fact is that he is a cheater, liar, and lied and cheated on his wife and family, and the American people his friends and colleagues. He did this unthinkingly without any consideration of what it would do to his family and his party. He admitted he didn’t love the other woman, but just couldn’t keep his willy in his pants. Elizabeth is just being a good little wifey to try to protect his career or it’s because Jeebus tells her to stand by her man no matter how crappy he is to her.
In a recent news interview John Edwards said “In 2006, I told Elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness.” I guess it’s great to have a magical sky daddy to do crap and get magical forgiveness and one who tells your wife to obey. I have had friends whose husbands have cheated on them and they were “pretty boys” too, and they don’t cheat just one time. It’s repeated. If they have done it once…and especially an affair where they have had several encounters, they have done it again. He’s only been caught once (so far). I can’t understand people making excuses for him whether his wife was ill or not.
10 August 2008, on 10:17 pm
If we gave every politician who had an affair the boot, Washington would be seriously understaffed! That being said, while we were married, my first husband had a baby, but not with me! I know it hurts. I dumped him, and moved on. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.
Not so easy to dump these politicians though.
10 August 2008, on 10:39 pm
Don’t necessarily have to dump them, but we don’t have to make excuses for their lying and cheating either. And when needing to woo the religious right, as so many think we must do, then this was just not helping the Democratic party any. Many, many people are disillusioned with politics right now and this is just one more thing to make people even more cynical and think what the hell does it matter if they are all the same. And makes one look at these promises of change and shake our heads and mutter “yeah, right.”
12 August 2008, on 6:49 pm
I do agree that sexual activity should be irrelevant in leadership matters - I too don’t really care how any government official is getting their jollies as long as it doesn’t involve public funding, time, or property; lack of adult consent; or outright crime - but unfortunately our present reality here in the US is that it is. Democrats are under magnifying glasses Republicans simply are not, partly because of how the Repubs have shanghaied almost all of our governmental processes, but also because the Repubs by and large control the mainstream media.
If you’re a Democrat, especially one in the public eye, and you “slip up” in any way, shape, or form, don’t expect equal treatment in the press and by extension the court of majority public opinion to your Repub peer slipping up in exactly the same way or even worse. You’re going to be raked over the coals while they get a slap on the wrist. Any non-Repub who doesn’t get that at this point simply hasn’t been paying attention, or has been living in some sort of insulated little world of their own. Yes, it’s unfair, but it’s the state of current affairs. If you’re truly committed to changing that, you’re going to have to work thrice as hard and keep your nose three times as clean as your Repub equivalents.
And because the Religious Right have in turn shanghaied the GOP, sex matters. Any sex that isn’t the plain-old-vanilla-with-your-spouse-of-the-opposite-gender variety. If they can conceivably use it against you, they will.
So on the level of bringing about much-needed progress in this country, and countering the destructive forces of theocracy and its kissing cousin corporatocracy, Edwards has acted blindly, selfishly. And what he did to his wife was far beyond not cool, and normally just their business, but not in these Big Voyeur times.
12 August 2008, on 10:31 pm
Yeah, Eve…
“Nice carpentry work!”
(i.e…You nailed it?)
15 August 2008, on 4:17 pm
If you’re truly committed to changing that, you’re going to have to work thrice as hard and keep your nose three times as clean as your Repub equivalents.
Exactly