John Edwards Scandal Hits the MSM with a Confession

Nick Gillespie | August 8, 2008

Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards has admitted having an affair with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter but denied being the father of her child, ABC News reported today.

Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff that despite the affair he did not love Hunter, 42, the network reported. It said that Edwards' wife, Elizabeth, learned of the affair in 2006.

ABC said it planned to broadcast an interview with the one-time Democratic presidential candidate tonight on Nightline.

Edwards denied he was the father of Hunter's baby girl, Frances Quinn, although he has not taken a paternity test.

Oddly, Edwards didn't mention the "two Americas" or his father's experience at a mill during his remarks. More here.

Gawker on the love-child here.

Just a few days ago, Hitsville's Bill Wyman had come up with "five separate angles the mainstream news outlets are missing with the John Edwards/Rielle Hunter scandal story."

Once the story hits the front pages, as it inevitably will, we're going to hear all the excuses as to why reputable news outlets couldn't find their way to telling their readers patently interesting news about a major political figure that was widely available on the web. This arrogance will help reinforce the perceptions in the audience that the media is not always looking out for their best interests and continue the move to alternative outlets. I'm as devoted a follower of the traditional media as can be, but this willful non-disclosure makes me want to scream.

Read all about those angles here.

Comments

|8.8.08 @ 4:28PM|#

Buh-bye, Mr. Edwards, thanks for playing. Please accept this coupon at Supercuts as a parting gift.

Jim Gannon|8.8.08 @ 4:44PM|#

Funny, he didn't mention his wife's cancer either. Probably just an oversight.

|8.8.08 @ 4:47PM|#

Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards has admitted having an affair with campaign videographer Rielle Hunter but denied being the father of her child, ABC News reported today.

Jerr-EE
Jerr-EE
Jerr-EE

Dagny T.|8.8.08 @ 4:51PM|#

The NYT finally threw a half-assed regurgitation of the ABC lede up on their site.

Interestingly, even the left-leaning NYT commenters showed a great deal of disappointment with the way this news was ignored for so long.

jasno|8.8.08 @ 4:51PM|#

Did the MSM really bury this or just think it was irrelevant - like John Edwards?

I mean, come on, we have 2 wars, the Olympics, a Presidential election(of which Edwards is really no longer a part of)... should the MSM have wasted time on this? Ok, ok, fine.. if he was a republican they'd probably be all over it, but they'd be wrong in that...

One good thing about Europe - people understand that the self important assholes that go into politics like to sleep around. No surprise. In fact, I think it's expected.

Episiarch|8.8.08 @ 4:55PM|#

Just once I'd like to see one of these affairs involve, you know, an actually hot chick.

Dagny T.|8.8.08 @ 4:55PM|#

Funny, he didn't mention his wife's cancer either. Probably just an oversight.

Actually, he was apparently careful to inform
Woodruff that he waited until she was in remission to start runnin' game.

Well, in THAT case...

Paul|8.8.08 @ 5:00PM|#

Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff that despite the affair he did not love Hunter,

Phew!

Colin|8.8.08 @ 5:06PM|#

Today is Christmas for Ann Coulter. :)

MSC|8.8.08 @ 5:13PM|#

I can't believe the made a run for the nomination.

Talk about an October surprise!

I wonder if Obama's vetting committee found this out while looking for VP choices. Or maybe that's why Edwards declined the option...

Cool Cal|8.8.08 @ 5:17PM|#

Alternative as its medium may be, I'd be curious as to whether the Huffington-Puff-Post was as quick to post this gem either.

|8.8.08 @ 5:32PM|#

This is no news! It is expected of a Democrat, a party of loose morals. First, Bill Clinton, then Edwards! For the Democrats, anything goes - homosexuality, extra-marital affairs, fornication...and the list goes on and on. If we stop to think about this, it is no mystery. Before people cry foul, it is wise to look at the facts. America's NUMEROUS problems stem from such moral values. Deny it, and you'll continue on the downward spiral. We need to get back to the basics. No other way out!

|8.8.08 @ 5:33PM|#

I so believed in this man. He has done so much good over the years. It is just sad that he allowed himself to lose control like this over another woman. And, if she has given birth to anyone's baby, it is evident she had no control either. Finally, something no one else mentioned....I feel so bad for Elizabeth. She has carried this in her heart for two years. She has not only suffered and will not survive cancer, but she also has suffered this betrayal from a man she dearly loves. That is evident in her standing by him. I feel sick. John Edwards should be ashamed, very, very ashamed.

|8.8.08 @ 5:36PM|#

I so believed in this man. He has done so much good over the years. It is just sad that he allowed himself to lose control like this over another woman. And, if she has given birth to anyone's baby, it is evident she had no control either. Finally, something no one else mentioned....I feel so bad for Elizabeth. She has carried this in her heart for two years. She has not only suffered and will not survive cancer, but she also has suffered this betrayal from a man she dearly loves. That is evident in her standing by him. I feel sick. John Edwards should be ashamed, very, very ashamed.

Bwahahahahahaha....ok who is the jokester?

|8.8.08 @ 5:38PM|#

This is no news! It is expected of a Democrat, a party of loose morals.

YEAH! Like Larry Craig (R-ID) and Mark Foley (R-FL)!

Thanks for playing Greg. You've won the Partisan Hack Award!

|8.8.08 @ 5:38PM|#

But seriously, Linda, if you're the real deal, you should be ashamed of yourself. How can any rational human have allowed themselves to buy into this utterly transparent fraud?

|8.8.08 @ 5:38PM|#

I think I might've been had..

|8.8.08 @ 5:40PM|#

On second thought, Linda, I missed Greg's post. You're less retarded than others, so you shouldn't feel that bad.

|8.8.08 @ 5:41PM|#

I think I might've been had..

Yup...I think so too.

|8.8.08 @ 5:49PM|#

I did not have sex kids with that woman, Miss Lewinsky Hunter.

wheeeeee

|8.8.08 @ 5:50PM|#

Hold the press! Doesn't this ugly cow bear a striking resemblance to the one that Prince Charles married, Camilla something or other?? John, you are not as smart as I thought especially when your wife is zillion times prettier than this, this...I can't find the words to describe her repulsiveness...sorry!

|8.8.08 @ 6:04PM|#

If infidelity in marriage while ones wife is sick is such a grave issue for voting Americans, then the Republicans ought to be looking for a new candidate. McCain is just a fine example of this kind of prior behavior. Look at the look on his face when asked about it...."would you like to get away:..

|8.8.08 @ 6:33PM|#

I think I might've been had..

Yup...I think so too.

In that case, well played Mr. Harper!

|8.9.08 @ 3:29AM|#

So pretty boy john edwards got caught doing a Mccain, ie screwing around on his wife.

He's going to get raked over the coals over it and deservedly so.

But it will also remind voters that john mccain cheated on his wife and can't run on "family values" since adultery isn't a family value.

not sure if this will hurt dems more than republicans ie a lot of them were adulters too, ie john mccain, rudy guiliani, newt gingrich, Rep. Henry Hyde, Rep. Bob Barr, Bob Dole etc.

and bringing it up constantly will also focus some voters on the difference that obama's hasn't cheated on his wife, and john mccain did.

Bruce Majors|8.9.08 @ 5:47AM|#

1) Do we smell Miss Hillary'sstink on this story? Did it break out of blogland to the "reporters" at CNN and MSNBC just in time to prevent Edwards from beeing a Veep?

2) Curious that Andrew Young pops up and claims to be the father...and to be having an affair with Rielle Hunter at the same time. Are we being fed this story now because there are even more stories? Maybe John Edwards had other affairs. Likewith a man. Like Mr. Young

*|8.9.08 @ 8:06PM|#

Thanks for playing Greg. You've won the Partisan Hack Award!

NO, NO, NO. That's just wrong! Everyone here knows that award rightfully belongs to Joe. How dare you try to steal his laurels! ;-)

*|8.9.08 @ 8:09PM|#

...can't run on "family values" since adultery isn't a family value.

Uh, do you live in this country? Have you checked out the typical family lately?

Virginia Harris|8.11.08 @ 5:28PM|#

Give the media a break!

This was a year when 7 out of 10 candidates had a known history of cheating on their spouses. The voters were yawning about it.

Betcha don't know which president had a love child while running for office, and that it actually helped women win the vote.

Most people are totally in the dark about HOW the suffragettes won.

But because they did, women have choices now. They can stay with a cheater like John Edwards, or walk out.

Now you can discover the sexy, shocking truth of how the suffragetts did it, and it's as easy as opening your e-mail.

"The Privilege of Voting" is a new e-mail series that follows eight great women from 1912 - 1920 to reveal ALL that happened to set the stage for women to win the vote.

Two beautiful and extremely powerful suffragettes -- Alice Paul and Emmeline Pankhurst are featured, along with Edith Wharton, Isadora Duncan, Alice Roosevelt and two gorgeous presidential mistresses.

Find out the HIGH price they paid for their political passion!

There is a ton of heartache, and a LOT of hot affairs on the rocky road to the ballot box.

Presented in a unique sequential e-mail series -- each exciting episode is a about 10 minutes -- perfect to enjoy during coffeebreaks, or anytime.

Subscribe free at

www.CoffeebreakReaders.com/tpovpage.html