John Edwards Admits Affair

[InspirationMoonwalks]

Well, I'll be damned! The Enquirer was right for once...well, partially, at least....(I would've posted this in the Election thread, but since Edwards is no longer a candidate and this is its own separate story, I felt it needed its own thread):


Source: ABC News

Edwards Admits Sexual Affair; Lied as Presidential Candidate
In ABC News Interview, Edwards Says He Cheated, but Did Not Father Child


John Edwards repeatedly lied during his Presidential campaign about an extramarital affair with a novice filmmaker, the former Senator admitted to ABC News today.

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter's baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby's birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father.

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5441195&page=1


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And what's even sadder is that this is probably the most press coverage Edwards has ever gotten, at least since he ran with Kerry in '04. During the primaries, he was but a third wheel in the Clinton/Obama drama..funny how NOW, they are suddenly interested? :cryptic Could it have anything to do with the fact that the Clinton/Obama drama has died down and the media is looking for someething else to provide the friction? :glare:

I mean, I think this, obviously, was a stupid mistake on Edwards' part and especially reprehensible after Elizabeth was diagnosed with cancer like that. :angry: BUT at the same time he's HUMAN...EVERYONE makes mistakes and its obviously something the Edwards' have since settled between them privately. What the hell does this have to do with anything politically?! He's not even RUNNING anymore for God's sake! And notice how the media fails to mention that John and Cindy McCain were seeing each other before the divorce from the first wife went through...

A poster on the DemocraticUnderground.com put it perfectly:

look at mccain! within a month of his divorce he was remarried. does anybody anywhere think that he didn't cheat on his wife? how's his political career? oh, yeah, rolling right along, candidate for the presidency. how about giuliani? his 3rd marriage already, and didn't he actually dump his last wife in a news conference? the hero of 911? anyone else, i know there must be.

this does not have to end edwards's career. oh, wait - he's a DEMOCRAT. it's over. there's no forgiveness for democrats no matter what. republicans - they can murder people, start stupid wars, waste the entire treasury of the country, violate the constitution, lie to congress and to the people, torture, rendition, lie, lie, lie! and it's okay. it's okay.

I think it's pretty safe to say that any hope of him being VP is, right or wrong, all but shot to hell at this point. Shame. Poor Elizabeth, too!


And in the mean time, there's a war, an economy going *further* down the toilet, etc....

 

[MJfan01']

that's a damn shame on his part. I feel sorry for his wife.

 

[Shannon]

Wow, I never even knew about this rumour, and now... this. :cryptic They looked like such a stable, strong couple, but then again, the sweetest harmony can have black secrets under the surface. Poor Elizabeth.

 

[R e a f u]

that's a damn shame on his part. I feel sorry for his wife.

Funny I was thinking to myself, his wife is aready fighting for her life with cancer, I can only imagine what kind of strain on her health, hearing that kind of news would put on the poor woman.

 

[InspirationMoonwalks]

Wow, I never even knew about this rumour, and now... this. :cryptic They looked like such a stable, strong couple, but then again, the sweetest harmony can have black secrets under the surface. Poor Elizabeth.

Beautifully said. To say I was shocked (and disappointed) when I heard about this would be an understatement. I still like Edwards, but it was wrong with a capital W what he did to Elizabeth, ESPECIALLY after she was diagnosed with cancer. And the more I think of it, the more it kinda irritates me that he went ahead with his campaign, KNOWING this was boiling underneath the surface. I mean, what if he had gotten the nomination?! (or even picked as VP?) The party would be in complete chaos at this moment! I'm glad I ended up supporting Obama!

Not that I think someone's personal life should matter in their politics. But the fact is..it does. So how he thought he could hide this long enough to be nominated or elected is beyond me.

But if him and Elizabeth have already worked this out between them, then that's their business. And I tend to believe he's sorry. Poor, poor lady. I admire her even more than I did before (which was already a lot..) after hearing this. She has to be one hell of a strong woman; enduring even half of what this lady has had to endure would've already killed most people..

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Edwards family.

I think what bothers me most about all this is the fact that now, tabloids like the Enquirer will get more credit in the mainstream, after having gotten this one (at least partially) correct...that irritates me to no end...

 

[Shannon]

Beautifully said. To say I was shocked (and disappointed) when I heard about this would be an understatement. I still like Edwards, but it was wrong with a capital W what he did to Elizabeth, ESPECIALLY after she was diagnosed with cancer. And the more I think of it, the more it kinda irritates me that he went ahead with his campaign, KNOWING this was boiling underneath the surface. I mean, what if he had gotten the nomination?! (or even picked as VP?) The party would be in complete chaos at this moment! I'm glad I ended up supporting Obama!

Not that I think someone's personal life should matter in their politics. But the fact is..it does. So how he thought he could hide this long enough to be nominated or elected is beyond me.

But if him and Elizabeth have already worked this out between them, then that's their business. And I tend to believe he's sorry. Poor, poor lady. I admire her even more than I did before (which was already a lot..) after hearing this. She has to be one hell of a strong woman; enduring even half of what this lady has had to endure would've already killed most people..

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Edwards family.

I think what bothers me most about all this is the fact that now, tabloids like the Enquirer will get more credit in the mainstream, after having gotten this one (at least partially) correct...that irritates me to no end...

Well put, Tara. I totally agree with everything you said. :8-26-03respect:

 

[danaluvsmj]

I would have never thought John Edwards would have an affair. It's very unfortunate, and while there's no excuse for what he did, he is only human. Look how many politicians have come out admitting they had affairs? He sure isn't the only one. Politics has a lot of temptations.

 

[mysteriousone]

Uh Oh...naughty boy!!! What's this I hear, he's only human? What a bloody joke! :lol You mean, we're not human if we don't have an affair when we're married? :blink: C'mon guys, it's got nothing to do with being human! That fact of the matter is, he should NOT have been fooling around on his wife...it's disgusting to say the least! :8-26-03ranting:

Mysti!

Ohh...I'm back! :lol :lol

 

[Shannon]

Uh Oh...naughty boy!!! What's this I hear, he's only human? What a bloody joke! :lol You mean, we're not human if we don't have an affair when we're married? :blink: C'mon guys, it's got nothing to do with being human! That fact of the matter is, he should NOT have been fooling around on his wife...it's disgusting to say the least! :8-26-03ranting:

Mysti!

Ohh...I'm back! :lol :lol

Finally you're back, hun. :wub: Welcome back.

And I gotta add... I can understand to an extent how people can fall into the trap of temptation and act out of it, but what Edwards did to his wife while she was fighting for her life can not be excused and honestly, I also think it says a lot about someone who can do such a thing. :cryptic

 

[InspirationMoonwalks]

Uh Oh...naughty boy!!! What's this I hear, he's only human? What a bloody joke! :lol You mean, we're not human if we don't have an affair when we're married? :blink: C'mon guys, it's got nothing to do with being human! That fact of the matter is, he should NOT have been fooling around on his wife...it's disgusting to say the least! :8-26-03ranting:

Mysti!

Ohh...I'm back! :lol :lol

Well, I can't speak for Dana, lol, but I think she was just trying to relate the fact that these people (politicians) are not perfect or unfalliable, that they CAN make mistakes without taking away from all the good things they've said or done politically. And it's sad that his career, at least right now, is more or less tarnished because of this, as he DID contribute a lot to the Democratic party for this election (like his strong stance on healthcare, against poverty, etc, etc). I mean Bill Clinton was arguably (some of his behavior during Hillary's campaign not withstanding:cryptic lol) one of the best presidents of recent years and he, of course, had an affair too. But it still irritates me that Edwards KNEW all this was boiling under the surface and went ahead with the campaign anyway. Thank GOD he wasn't the nominee or even picked for VP (as I had originally hoped). I guess everything works out for a reason!

BTW, have you guys heard what his mistress, Rielle Hunter (who worked on his campaign) told Newsweek about Elizabeth at the time? She said that she "gave off bad energy" and that she basically didn't think it was good for her to have as much of a presence as she did in his campaign. Yeah, now we all know WHY she didn't want her around...:angry:

BTW, it's great to see you back here, Mysti! :wub::8-26-03fruits_apple

 

[danaluvsmj]

I never said it was ok to cheat on your spouse, Mysti. You misread my post. Polititians are not perfect, and they can't be put on a pedestal. However, that shouldn't overshadow the good things they do for other people, like JFK, for example. Affairs are a private matter.

 

[mysteriousone]

Finally you're back, hun. :wub: Welcome back.

Thanks, Veronica! :wub:

And I gotta add... I can understand to an extent how people can fall into the trap of temptation and act out of it, but what Edwards did to his wife while she was fighting for her life can not be excused and honestly, I also think it says a lot about someone who can do such a thing. :cryptic

It speaks volumes about a persons character--in my opinion, John Edwards stooped way too low for my liking by having an affair whilst his wife was fighting for her life! So sad!

Well, I can't speak for Dana, lol, but I think she was just trying to relate the fact that these people (politicians) are not perfect or unfalliable, that they CAN make mistakes without taking away from all the good things they've said or done politically. And it's sad that his career, at least right now, is more or less tarnished because of this, as he DID contribute a lot to the Democratic party for this election (like his strong stance on healthcare, against poverty, etc, etc). I mean Bill Clinton was arguably (some of his behavior during Hillary's campaign not withstanding lol) one of the best presidents of recent years and he, of course, had an affair too. But it still irritates me that Edwards KNEW all this was boiling under the surface and went ahead with the campaign anyway. Thank GOD he wasn't the nominee or even picked for VP (as I had originally hoped). I guess everything works out for a reason!

BTW, have you guys heard what his mistress, Rielle Hunter (who worked on his campaign) told Newsweek about Elizabeth at the time? She said that she "gave off bad energy" and that she basically didn't think it was good for her to have as much of a presence as she did in his campaign. Yeah, now we all know WHY she didn't want her around...

BTW, it's great to see you back here, Mysti!

Thanks, Tara :wub:

I understand Politicians can make mistakes, but THIS KIND of mistake? The one John Edwards done? :blink: Personally I think because so many of them have gotten away with this sort of behaviour it's kind of become the bloody norm, lol! Know what I mean? Oh what the hell, so and so had an affair and when found out nothing happened apart from a slap on the hand and a fair bit of media attention--the Mrs will get over it, so will everyone else! Nothing as far as my work goes changes! Pffft...no wonder so many guys up there have affairs! It's no big deal, society thinks they're only human, all humans make THIS KIND of mistake...NOT SO!!! :uh_uh: I don't think it's sad John Edwards career has been tarnished--what did he expect? He should have thought about all this before having an affair! He knows right from wrong....and it's WRONG to have an affair, let alone one while your wife is battling cancer, jeeeezuz! And a strong stance on Healthcare, oh lord, what about his wife's, Health...one can only imagine what the poor woman is going through right now!

As for that hussy he had an affair with---what sort of woman does what she did? Get his wife out of the picture and you're all mine.....I'd like to b*tch slap her senseless! :mellow:

Hey and another thing, didn't I read somewhere about a DNA test? How old is her daughter? Is it possible she was having an affair with Edwards at the time her daughter was conceived? Fill me in please, Tara....

I never said it was ok to cheat on your spouse, Mysti. You misread my post. Polititians are not perfect, and they can't be put on a pedestal. However, that shouldn't overshadow the good things they do for other people, like JFK, for example. Affairs are a private matter.

Noooo, lol I didn't misread your post, Dana, I understood it perfectly! I know Politicians aren't perfect and I've never put anyone on a pedstal let alone politicians lol! When you are making decisions for your country it is important you set an example and be a good role model, someone for people to look up to especially the younger generation! Society looks at you as a PERSON as well and will take your private affairs into consideration! If John Edwards can lie to his wife, what makes you think he can't lie to his fellow countrymen? :wink:

Mysti!

 

[InspirationMoonwalks]

As for that hussy he had an affair with---what sort of woman does what she did? Get his wife out of the picture and you're all mine.....I'd like to b*tch slap her senseless! Hey and another thing, didn't I read somewhere about a DNA test? How old is her daughter? Is it possible she was having an affair with Edwards at the time her daughter was conceived? Fill me in please, Tara....

Ohh me, too, Mysti..me too. :angry: And this is going to come off as superficial and I fully admit it is, lol, but what in the HELL was John thinking? He had/(luckily for him STILL has) a strong, smart and though she's older than little Ms. Rielle, IMO, attractive woman in Elizabeth. Sure, like a lot of extramarital affairs, much of it was probably physical, but John's a smooth, handsome man..couldn't he have done better than THIS Camilla Parker Bowles lookalike?

:rollin


Okay, so she's OKAY looking and really, even if she looked like Angelina Jolie, it STILL wouldn't make it right (though I must say that Bill has a better taste in 'bimbos'...haha )

Oh and per her friends, she apparently STILL thinks she's gonna marry him and become "Mrs. Edwards" I guess she's either waiting for him to ditch Elizabeth or for her to drop dead..:cryptic Bitch.

About the baby, well Edwards claims she couldn't be his daughter because she was conceived AFTER the affair ended (which he claims was in '06) BUT Rielle was seen with him after that, as recently as 2007 on the campaign trail so, as much as I hate to say it, either Elizabeth wasn't mad enough at John to forbid him within a 100 feet of this woman or he did it behind her back anyway OR.....:zippedlips I mean, I WANT to believe him and he'd honestly be kinda stupid to lie even more than he already had, but time will tell, I guess? :idontknow I hear Rielle doesn't want a paternity test done on the baby, though...hmm..poor child. When she's old enough to comprehend all this...

Society looks at you as a PERSON as well and will take your private affairs into consideration! If John Edwards can lie to his wife, what makes you think he can't lie to his fellow countrymen?

That's true (and that's why it was STUPID of Edwards to carry on his campaign knowing that this was brewing under the surface and bound to come out sooner or later, therefore putting his party in grave danger of blowing an election we should, quite frankly, with the damage the Bush administration has done to his party and the country, WIN..) and it WAS messed up of him to lie to his supporters and everyone else like he did, but I still don't think that takes away from his politics, only his ability to effectively represent them, unfortunately. I mean, look at Bill Clinton or hell, even John McCain who is, of course, his party's nominee this year...and he MARRIED his mistress (not even three months after he divorced his first wife, soon after a horrible car accident, btw..) . So I guess it all depends on how they go about resolving it. I mean, I'm mad at/dissapointed in Edwards too, but there needs to be equality in this, you know? Not saying YOU'RE not, lol, I'm talking about the media, who seems to be tougher on Dems who cheat than Republicans...I mean, it's ALL wrong, no matter what party, but still..

 

[whisperAdmin]

That idiot. He put the entire party in danger b/c had he won the nomination, this would have all but certainly cost the democrats the presidency.

 

[InspirationMoonwalks]

That idiot. He put the entire party in danger b/c had he won the nomination, this would have all but certainly cost the democrats the presidency.

I was waiting to hear what you had to say on this, Whisper, as I know you supported him originally and all. :8-26-03fruits_apple

And..I agree. Hillary (or whoever came in second, which probably WOULD'VE been Hillary as I honestly don't think it would've been Edwards with Obama in the race, for a variety of reasons..) would probably be gearing up to claim the nomination right now had he been, which still probably could've worked out, but I think it would be hard to change horses in the middle of the stream like that for either side, esp. since the dynamic between the two candidates is pretty much set by this point in time, you know? It was selfish, not to mention STUPID of him to carry on with the campaign knowing all that. :angry:

BTW, I hear that Elizabeth authorized her brother and two of her best friends to speak to People magazine in their upcoming issue, about the aftermath of all this. If that is all to be believed, it would seem she's not really thrilled with how he's handled all this. I wouldn't be surprised if they still ended up splitting. Hope not, but wouldn't blame her.....poor woman..; while my respect for John has plummeted in all this, my respect and admiration for Elizabeth has only grown (and it was a lot to begin with). My heart goes out to her..