ABC News: John Edwards admits affair, denies paternity

ABC News is reporting that John Edwards confirmed that he indeed had an affair with videographer Rielle Hunter, but denied that he is the father of her baby -- the subject of recent allegations in the National Enquirer that have launched a broad debate over the media's responsibility in pursuing such stories.

In an interview with Bob Woodruff to air this evening, Edwards admits to having an affair with Hunter but says it began and ended while the cancer afflicting his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, was in remission. The disease has since flared anew.

ABC said that Edwards, who has not taken a paternity test, contended he could not be the father of Hunter's baby because the affair ended before the child's conception. A former aide, Andrew Young, has said that he is the father though a birth certificate apparently lists no father for the child.

It was unclear whether Edwards had been on Barack Obama's short list of vice presidential contenders, but his admission would seem to put a spike in that, not to mention any high-profile role at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 25-28 in Denver.

Added to the controversy: Edwards lied about the affair when the Enquirer first raised the issue in October. As The Ticket reported then, Edwards, then actively seeking the Democratic nomination, told reporters the story was "false" and "ridiculous."

Video of the news can be seen here.

-- Scott Martelle

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[GEAH]

So, the LA Times is scooped and humiliated by the National Enquirer. What a sad ending this is to a once-great paper.

[HowAboutSomeRealNews]

All we get are these phony, moronic, corrupt puppets as presidential candidates. There's a good reason for why the poop floats to the top but you won't be told why by the LA Times.

[TakeFive]

So did Tony Pierce be send out a new memo? Or are you just taking a risk here?

[Michael West]

I don't believe the Edwards affair is true, you right-wingers are so gulible! This story was NOT in the LA Times. You can't trust the Enquirer, or ABC News, Drudge, John Edwards, Fox News...
Sad ending to a once great paper- well put.

[J Rogers]

Wow... the LA Times is soooo brave!! Way to print a story 3 weeks after it was released and confirmed by multiple sources. What does it tell you that I as a lay-person find out about news before the LA Times does. Since when have allegations not been fit to print on a major politician?

I'm hoping soon they'll report on Bill Clinton's affair and impeachment proceedings... or are they waiting for a confession from him as well?

[Who doesn't]

So what? Who gives a crap if Edwards had an affair? John McCain did too. He left his wife who waited for him the whole time he was a POW and shacked up with Cindy back in 1979.

[rickwla]

Wow! This happens right in front of the noses of the LA Times and you get scooped by the National Enquirer and then ABC News? The Times even instructed its bloggers to avoid this story.

This is news. And it was news even if Edwards was no longer running for president because, when he was running for president, he knew he had this affair in his closet. What gall. What would have happened if he was the nominee with this story coming out?

Memo to the Times editors: That's why this is news and its important for you to have reported on it. The Times becomes more irrelevant every day.

[Dave F.]

I'm fascinated by how quick those leaving comments are to criticize the LAT for any and every story. What happened to waiting until something is confirmed. If they had reported earlier and it proved false, the comments would have complained about the paper being irresponsible.

Fascinating sport you guys play over in these parts. I'll start up the next round:

"The LA Times is once again behind the curve with this font usage. What is this they're using? Arial??? Preposterous and facetious of them don't you think?"

[frank]

Nobody better even say that this officals are like us, cause there not and shouldnt' be like us. We need nearly perfect people to run this country. Tha't why this country is the way it is because it's being run by average curupt, gay, cheating, greedy people. That's good that the media trys so hard to show us that these people we rely on to run our country are just stupid.

[Rafe]

Oh, so he says he "didn't love her." That makes everything perfectly OK, right?

[National Enquier]

We told you so!!! Be a little braver next time and report the truth!

Signed NE

[Dave F.]

I celebrate J. Rogers keen eye as a lay person getting this scoop 3 weeks ago. I am on the lower rung of lay persons that had not heard about this until now.

I'm disappointed in the Times and the 17 or other odd news feeds / broadcasts I do try to keep up with on a daily basis for not thrusting this into my face sooner since there is nothing else in the world to report on.

[Stephen Cole]

Now we know the reason for those $400 haircuts.

[michael ball]

Clinton had affairs also,but it didn't keep him from making
our country the most together it had been in many years.
An affair,though wrong,is nothing compared to the lies
and utterly complete corruption that this administration
has heaped upon this nation.Bush has weakened this
country in so many ways,its going to take many years
to recover from the corruption,and the embarrassment
he has made america to the rest of the world.

[MacBoBo]

Oh, so he says he "didn't love her." That makes everything perfectly OK, right?

---------------------------------------------------------

It just proves that he was doing it out of "duty" as opposed to doing it out of "love".

[Gene Tomlinson]

what do you expect from a newsaper who spends all it's time criticizing Republicans and LIONIZING LIBERALS.

So what's new? Of course the LAT dude has egg on his face, that's typical media. They always think they are smarter than anybody else.

I am sure Sam Zell has watched all this and is taking notes.

Gene Tomlinson

[Tim Jemal]

“Sadly, it comes as no surprise that Senator Edwards not only had an extramarital affair but lied about it. Having an affair is not the issue which the public disdains the most. It’s hypocrisy and lack of authenticity where private actions starkly belie public pronouncements.”

[diana]

wh y the American people play with their double morality who cares if he had an affair before
give me a break

[George P. Fillywick]

Who cares? We're at war, people are dying, the economy is faltering and we're at the end of 8 years of a failed neo-conservative agenda run amuck.

The last thing I'm worried about is where politicians put their privates.

[Spanky]

I see an Maury Povich episode in the works.... "You Are The Father!!!"

[B-Daddy]

The issue isn't "who cares?" Rightly or wrongly, millions of people care. The issue isn't the Times passing on what the Enquirer reported, absent corroboration. That was prudent. The issue is the total lack of business sense and journalistic competitive spirit which led the Times to not even investigate the truth of the Enquirer's reporting in the first place. And if the Times was investigating and came up with zilch, that is even more damning.

[DP Ludwig]

Seriously - why are Americans always so hung up on the private lives of public figures?

So Edwards had an affair? Big deal.

Move along, move along - there's nothing to see here.

[Dan]

"A former aide, Andrew Young, has said that he is the father" Actually, that is almost creepier than him admitting paternity. What - were he and his campaign workers passing her around like a wine bottle in a hobo jungle?

[willie]

What's the story here? Man cheats on wife? This is news? What Inquiring minds really want to know is has Paris Hilton has pulled ahead of the old wrinkly faced white haired guy in the presidential race?

[Henry]

How could he? I'm so disappointed in him- he's such a great man. By the way, critical commenters, I don't see you working to fight poverty. So sit back and enjoy your money- you worked so hard for it, and we all know that poor people never, ever work hard. Right?

[frank]

Too bad your lib bias blinded you to this story. Now your bias is the story.

[ann romero]

who cares?

who cares if he did and who cares if he lied about it.

i certainly don't care

puritans!!!!!!

[Tim_CA]

Don't Know why you'ld be "Fascinated" Dave F.......you apparently aren't a regular reader of this tired old anemic leftist rag.

Had this been a Republican VP hopeful, this story would have been page 1 "above the fold" since October.

Don't you remember how they tried to scuttle Schwartzenagger the day before the recall election (all unsubstantiated innuendo)? That little trick preceeded their biggest circulation drop in recent years.

Yep, the LAT is extremely fair - as long as their's a (D) next to your name.

Please keep shilling for the left LAT - it's worked so darn well for you!

[Bigtime]

HaHa!!! Nobama surrounds himself with winners ( Rezko, Ayers, Levine, Wright, Edwards, Moss, Meeks, Pfleger, Farrakhan, NOI, TUCC, etc) or should we call them cohorts. And his cult are having conniption fits over McCain mopping the floor with The One.

I love it.
Hillary 08!!!!!!!

[John W.]

So a guy has an affair... with a grown woman. That's boring. Makes him seem almost human. That's why republicans will always trump democrats for entertainment value. Republicans go for the adolescent boys working as congressional pages, or gay sex in airport men's rooms. Haha, now that's entertainment.

[basbleu]

The question is why should we care how someone
in office, running for a seat in the senate or the
House of Representatives let alone the President of
the United States carries on in his private life?

Because what better barometer to judge their
qualification of leadership than by the integrity,
honesty and ability to live up to their promises
and pledges in their private lives.

I somehow stand by the old black and white
judgement...I've never been partial to "gray".

[Virginia Harris]

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There are weddings and funerals, babies in peril, damsels in distress, war, peace, prohibition, broken hearts and lots of hot affairs on the rocky road to the ballot box.

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[Aldo]

Seriously - why are Americans always so hung up on the private lives of public figures?

I don't know. The Times launched a big investigative journalism campaign to dig up the dirty details of John McCain's divorce and splash them on the front page. Meanwhile I have yet to read anything in the Times on ACORN, which is a subject area that is both extremely relevent to this campaign and also target-rich.

[Edward Foss]

Oh, is it permissable to talk about this now? Thank you, thank you LA Times, what would we do without you?

[John H]

Once again, the Times tries to protect one of its "anointed" Democrat Party politicians, only to be JOLTED by the truth rising to the surface.

What the fascination for the Times towards the army of "lefties" that it holds so sacred?

If this had been a Republican, the Times would have cleared half the front page for it's swarm of in-depth reporting.

As is so often the case with the Times, it's preference for politically correct nonsense trumps aggressive reporting.

Who's surprised? I'm not.

[NinaK]

Nobody better even say that this officals are like us, cause there not and shouldnt' be like us. We need nearly perfect people to run this country. Tha't why this country is the way it is because it's being run by average curupt, gay, cheating, greedy people. That's good that the media trys so hard to show us that these people we rely on to run our country are just stupid.

Posted by: frank
-----------------------
Waiting for McCain and the Republicans to jump on this one! IF they dare! Carol, John McCain's first wife, was involved in a very bad accident while he was POW, she did not tell him about it. When he returned home, she had put on weight, was about 4-5 inches shorter, and still in a wheelchair; John decided she was no longer the beaty he married. He immediately started having affairs, not with one woman, but several!! He FINALLY settled on Cindi, Carol filed for divorce, but John McCain and Cindi could NOT wait for it to be final, they shacked up together and got their marriage license BEFORE THE DIVORCE WAS FINAL and married ONE MONTH AFTER THE DIVORCE became finalized. John McCain is now running for president and noone seems to want to condemn him for his actions, nor do they want to condemn Cindi McCain. Yes, this took place when they were younger, still it is PROOF of the cheating, lieing, and philandering man McCain was and probably still is, remember something came up about him not too long ago, and he denied it?? Did anyone delve more into the issue? You know, once a philanderer, always a philanderer, a leopard does NOT change its spots. If Edward's political career is over as a result of his affair with ONE woman, then McCain is NOT fit to be our president either and his political career should be over as well. Why should one be condemned and not the other?? They both committed the same "crime", except MCain committed it with SEVERAL WOMEN, he shacked up with Cindi, he and Cindi got their marriage license BEFORE John and Carol were actually divorced!! By the way, could this be considered a form of bigamy??

I am truely disappointed John Edwards engaged in such activity, whether or not his wife was in remision does not justify his actions. What is also very troubling is John Edwards was talking strongly about having morals and being a moral country. The fact that he denied his actions make things worse for him. Someone asked THE BIG QUESTION: What will would have happened IF John had won the party's presumptive nomination. One never knows. But then again, he is not the first philanderer to lie big time! Remember our former ACTUAL President and his: "I did not have sex with that woman...."? Yet that man was allowed to finish his 2d term when in reality he should have been impeached for lieing to the Grand Jury!.

I can just hear and see the condemnations of John Edwards, yet Clinton got away with it and John McCain has gotten away with it so far. We shall see. But my take is, if John Edward's political career is over, John McCain's and Bill Clinton's should also be over. Let's treat them ALL THE SAME WAY. After all, one was the president at the time of his affair and in the oval office no less; one is the pesumptive Republican nominee for president, and one was a candidate for president. What all three did was wrong!

[SAM]

So now you'll report the story? And I bet you'll ignore the lie that the child isn't his unless he admits to that, too?

How pathetic.

[Barbara]

Men typically say "who cares" when it comes to knowledge of affairs, whereas women take pause.

If you cannot trust someone, be it a spouse or the president, you cannot have relationship of substance.

It's the basics of morality that are behind the slow desecration of our country. Lying. Stealing. Cheating.

Until truth and trust take precedence, we are doomed.

[Al Ramirez]

All these politicians having affairs are pathetic and it is a matter of public scrutiney because it is evidence of their weak and corrupt characters.

The worst part is that they are all embarrassments because these alleged women would probably be noted as somewhat less than attractive. None are models or any one famous, they are just average ordinary campaign workers who were turned into groupies.

I agree with one of the earlier comments that if its an aide's baby then that's worse. It's just like Mirthala Salinas who is now preganant with someone else's baby even though I saw her with Mayor Tony in mid March at the Movies around the same time she supposedly got pregnant with someone else's baby.

If any of these woman were really good looking, sexy and powerful or empowered in their own right it may not be as scandelous. Its a scandle because Edwards, Tony Villar, Jesse Jacskson, all used their power to prey on woman who have obvious self esteem issues and these men have insecure egos.

The worse stories like James McGreevey of NJ having an affiar with a male aide, Mark Spitzer's Call Girl (although he paid for a really hot chick) and the other Republican's caught soliciting pages and men in public restrooms is only sicker but works on the same principal. If they could meet someone who's their equal they wouldn't have anything to do with these sick jerks.

I don't believe that people care if a politician is married or single. If the politican in question wants to date around - go ahead. I think the public would be OK with a playboy politician if they get the job done.

Why all this matters is because it shows if they can be fair and don't take advantage of weaker people. Seducing an insecure woman or gay assistant looking for attention and trying to be involved to help your cause is an abuse of power. Someone who abuses on the smallest scale will abuse on the largest of issues.

[Frank Dale]

What a pathetic excuse for a paper you have become. Happens in your backyard and you do not even report on it. You ought to go out of business - my guess is the end is closer than you believe. Simply a disgrace!

[DBCooper]

I'm not one to kick an organization when it's down.
Just kidding! The LA Slimes sucks.

[Aldo]

"By the way, critical commenters, I don't see you working to fight poverty."

You don't even know me. How do you know that I don't work to fight poverty?

I suppose that you pride yourself on "working" to fight poverty by agitating for the expansion of government programs. SEIU is spending $150 million this year to elect Barack Obama, so I know the public unions are not starving, but poverty is still with us.

[Ramsey El-Taieb]

Tim Jemal,

I agree with you entirely. Although, I am far more cynical. To expect the general public to uphold the integrity necessary for bringing forth the strongest of public servants requires a basic understanding of dignity. Many people including 9/10ths of our elected officials do not posses such an indelible quality. This clearly explains the candidates we have suffered in the last decade, including Ad-words, Scary, Douche, Obamanation and Mc'Aint. Shameless and SHAM full liars, repulsive and vile in their rhetorical posturing. I recoil in disgust from their sordid filth. Alas, this is part of the ebb and flow of such hypocrisy and idiocy, social recycling has to run its course.

[NinaK]

The woman involved seems to have been a "free-for-all sexual commodity in John Edwards' campaign team. She is one big "YUCK". Wait a minute, she wasn't for free, She made over $100,000 for FOUR ADs!! EXPENSIVE SERVICE!

[Robert Lewis]

Rielle Hunter of the John Edwards story: The $9,644 lawsuit and her ex-husband, an attorney, and the son of JonBenet Ramsey murder case District Attorne Alex Hunter

webofdeception.com

[john baguta]

John Edwards, Bill Clinton and many other politicians, religious and other public and private community leaders have proved beyond doubts that sex with one woman is not enough for most Americans.
For a change, can we accept the Islamic Sharia laws and allow men to marry up to four wives legally?

[Fleiter]

This paragon of virtue who is fighting to end poverty in America also ended the funding for a program that sent poor N.C. kids to college. I guess he's concerned that he's about to join the impoverished. His wife is about to take all the money that he earned running obstetricians out of business. I won't cry a tear.

[Shana McCarthy]

That's the trouble with men; they think with something other than their brain. Women are a lot smarter so when will the Democrats realize they made a hugh mistake in their nominee. Even tho Obama is not reported to have an affair, he's just like other male candidates: they think only of themselves, are egotistical, arrogant and self serving. This country will be far better off whenever we are smart enough to elect a female as president.

[NinaK]

John needs to do a paternity test. The little baby will turn into a young girl and then a teen ager, and then a young woman....eventually she will want and need to know who fathered her. Yes, a paternity test is in order either from John or his aide or better yet, from both. If this woman was so loose with her favors, maybe neither of these men is the daddy.

[john baguta]

Thanks GOD, Obama was about to announce him to be his running mate, now he left with Clinton alone.!!!!

[Storm4uar]

LOL....really do we care that another public figure had an affair. So, John Edwards will now know what Bill Clinton and Hillary went through. Really, Edwards is going to be ran through the ringer when we should also blame the female. It takes two to have an affair. Another point everyone keeps saying allowing gay marriage will be the down fall to marriage it looks like it is still the same old problem. MEN NOT BEING ABLE TO KEEP IT IN THEIR PANTS. Don't worry though the stats show women are quickly catching up on the cheating stats. Personnally, it is a private matter and as for my political leaders I don't vote for them because they are married and faithful I vote for them because they can run a government. To bad we really don't have any politicians that can do that. Instead the people that can do that choose to make money and stay our of politics except to arrange laws in their corporations favor.

[NinaK]

Men typically say "who cares" when it comes to knowledge of affairs, whereas women take pause.

If you cannot trust someone, be it a spouse or the president, you cannot have relationship of substance.

It's the basics of morality that are behind the slow desecration of our country. Lying. Stealing. Cheating.

Until truth and trust take precedence, we are doomed.

Posted by: Barbara
-----------------------
Barbara, please do not be so hard on the men; after all, it does take a WOMAN with whom to have the affair. That does not mean I condone affairs; however, I do feel both the man and the woman are guilty of having the affair. If Hunter was not married, she certainly was having an affair with a married man AND others men as well. What is wrong with these women that jump from one bed into another??

[David Almond]

Alas! A story most informed in L.A. new about via the net, but the L.A. Times and right in their own back yard. Will somebody revive the Los Angeles Herald please? In the words of the Joker in the first Batman movie, "This town needs an enema!"

[NinaK]

This paragon of virtue who is fighting to end poverty in America also ended the funding for a program that sent poor N.C. kids to college. I guess he's concerned that he's about to join the impoverished. His wife is about to take all the money that he earned running obstetricians out of business. I won't cry a tear.

Posted by: Fleiter
--------------------
Maybe he was/is being blackmailed by the woman??

[Rachel]

Edwards had an affair with someone on his campaign payroll, who may have gotten the job just to be his mistress. She had no video production experience, and he could have hired any number of professionals. So, besides the lying, the deception, and the poor judgment, he also misused campaign funds.

Or was he fighting poverty, one blond at a time?

[callie]

Well, hold on. It takes two to tangle. She knew she was getting involved with a married man.

[Ro]

Okay, so we visited Edwards' affair. Since he is no longer a candidate this is a private matter between he and his wife (does anyone smell the Clintonism stink involved with the "exposee" i.e. seek and destroy the enemy") Now why doesn't the press play fair and discuss the Clinton cover up dramas of White Water Gate; Travel Gate; Flowers Gate and Monica Gate, and so on and so forth. Somehow these had not been mentioned during the primaries. Or, don't you have the guts for fear they will destroy you? Read their biographies for heavens sake. The way poor Hill and Bill are written up you would think they were Joan of Arc and St. Thomas Moore combined.

[NinaK]

That's the trouble with men; they think with something other than their brain. Women are a lot smarter so when will the Democrats realize they made a hugh mistake in their nominee. Even tho Obama is not reported to have an affair, he's just like other male candidates: they think only of themselves, are egotistical, arrogant and self serving. This country will be far better off whenever we are smart enough to elect a female as president.

Posted by: Shana McCarthy
-----------------------------------
We will have a female president when we get a female candidate that is NOT egotistical, arrogant, and self-serving.|

[tolduso]

Sammy Z help! Please fire everyone at the times now. This rag of a newspaper is so openly in hip pockets of the progressive bowel movement it's pathetic. no need to consult the board sammy -- just do it!

[Rodney Lamprey]

Why couldn't Edwards just continue denying the story? Democrats are so weak, and always confessing. Why couln't he just lie like a Republican and keep everybody happy?

[Robert Lewis]

Rielle Hunter of the John Edwards story: The $9,644 lawsuit and her ex-husband, an attorney, and the son of JonBenet Ramsey murder case District Attorney Alex Hunter

webofdeception.com

[2lolo]

Shame on you!!!!!

[MS]

So, all the right-wing nutcases posting here don't care that McCain did exactly the same thing with his current wife?
Oh, I get it, it's only wrong when a Democrat does it. This is only going to serve to remind people about McCain cheating on *his* sick wife.

[Carla]

All the people bashing the LA Times here: this is not the only mainstream outlet to choose not to report this story. Most of the time papers, like the Enquirer, print stuff with NO corroboration. Is that what you prefer happen here? That the nation's biggest and best papers start reporting rumors without any proof? There is such a thing as libel and slander. What if it happened to be false? The damage from that would be incredible.

No one cares if you don't read the Times anymore. Find your power somewhere respectable. Pressing SEND is a false power, weaklings.

[Macy Baum]

There's more to this story than an extramarital affair. The Edwards campaign paid Rielle Hunter over $100,000 for her filmmaking services - even though she had no prior experience. This was a story worth investigating from day one, but the LA Times (and everyone else in the MSM) took John Edwards at his word rather than doing an independent investigation. Such journalistic malpractice would have never occurred if the cheater had an "R" after his name instead of a "D".

[greggie]

I cannot believe this guy was a bigg buxx trial lawyer. He tells stories that any idiot can see do not square with the truth.

There are THREE key FACTS that expose his current storyline as yet another Edwards lie.

FACT #1: Eye witnesses place Edwards in Ms. Hunter's Los Angeles Hotel 3 weeks ago, for several hors in the middle of the night. Edwards is caught slipping in through a side entrance to the hotel, and then attempting to sneak out hours later through a basement egress.

FACT #2: These same eye witnesses note that Ms. Hunter checked into the hotel with her newborn infant.

FACT #3: At the time of the recent hotel "visit," Edwards' wife's cancer was NOT in remission.

Now let's compare these three facts to the two parts of Edwars' latest "story:"

Edwards' allegation #1:The affair with Ms. Hunter ended long ago, when his wife's cancer was still in remission.

Edwards' allegation #2: The kid ain't mine.

If both of Edwards' allegations were true, then there would be NO REASON for Edwards to be sneaking in and out of Ms. Hunter's hotel in the middle of the night. There are only two reasons for a sneak visit of the duration reported by the witnesses who confronted Edwards as he was leaving the hotel:

Reason to visit #1. Edwards is still having an affair with Ms. Hunter; OR

Reason to visit #2: Edwards was spending "quality time" with his newborn child; OR

BOTH #1 and #2.

If #1 is true, Edwards is lying about the duration of his affair with Ms. Hunter.

If # 2 is true, Edwards is lying about the paternity of the newborn infant.

If Both #1 and #2 are true --- which seems likely due to the totally absurd circumstances surrounding Andrew Young's "confession" of paternity --- then Edwards is simply holding true to form. He believes --- like so many courtroom "giants" --- that he is "above the law" and "immune from the truth."

[Tim_CA]

Rachel had the line of the day...

"Or was he fighting poverty, one blonde at a time?"

LOL - Nicely Done!!

[sammy]

This won't be good for Republicans because it will renew discussion about McCain's affairs while his first wife was ill.

[Bill Whittinghill]

Just a thought on NinaK: With such a long infomercial for the DNC, obviously someone, including Nina, has begun to mount a defense for one of Obama's favorite dudes - Edwards. To quote Ann Coulter, " In his defense, Edwards had to do something to kill time between giving $50,000 speeches on poverty." I wonder if Edwards is going to send NinaK a check for her work on here. I hear there's an opening for a web-based photographer and writer. NinaK should apply - you never know what might happen!!

[BJ]

Keep Rockin'!

[PAUL]

Edwards picked a good day with the OLYMPICS and GEORGIA WAR are Headlined. The LA TIMES should HIRE those REPORTERS from the ENQUIRER and fire the POLITICAL HACKS it now employs.

[Rob Sessions]

The LA times rushes sexual harassment allegations against Arnold Schwarzenegger onto its front page on the eve of his election, but mysteriously fails to "confirm" or even investigate vastly more substantive allegations against Edwards in LAT's home territory. As editorial bias is doubtless impossible, what could explain this seeming paradox?

[Geoffrey]

Its obvious LA Times is not objective, might be leaning left? Placing this story as a side note illustrates how unimportant they consider this story . National Enquirer, now an investigative journalism paper.?..Oh my, a role reversal.

[sayitisntso]

Mom and dad always quoted the National Enquirer! We thought they were nuts, but, sheesh, now that the LA Times has put their seal of approval on the "scandal sheet," I guess, we should cancel the Times and subscribe to the Enquirer.

[Rick Baker]

The New York Times just conducted a poll, asking people why they don't seem to care what they say any more, and more to the point, why they won't pay a dime for their paper. This is a perfect example. A memo leaks in which you basically spiked a story because the target was one of your own. We all remember when you tried to save Davis and derail Arnold. Your political blinders will put all of you in the unemployment line.

[MaryJ]

The LA Slimes continues to demonstrate why nobody is interested in paying 50 cents for this cheap, laughably biased rag. It's as if your "reporters" have never heard of something called the Internet. You just can't, in this day and age, conspire to hide stories anymore just because they're unflattering to liberal Democrats, open borders shills, minorities or other left-wing worship objects. Deal with it.

[laguy]

Please cancel my subscription to your fine paper and apply the balance to the National Enquirer.

[WDW]

The Times is owned and edited for right wingers. I may as well get my news from the Register and the Press Enterprise. I have friends who are reporters with The Times, one with a Pulitzer. I have felt sorry for them for months now.

[Greg]

The affair ended in 2006 and he came clean to his family then, but in July 2008 he is seen with the woman he claims he didn't love and the child he didn't father. What sense does that make? Thank you National Enquirer for doing what no "legitimate" newspaper in the country would do nowadays, investigative reporting. I have a heavy heart for Elizabeth and the children. A man works his whole life for his reputation, and in one day its shot to hell. For what John Edwards did to all who believed in him, I wish you a lifetime of would of, could of, should of.

[Revengefrom Boise]

Smooth L.A.Times. How long did it take you to jump on Sen. Larry Craig from Idaho? O wait, he was a Republican, I forgot. Main Stream Media is so far behind in the electronic age. You still think you are a "MAIN" source.

[harris]

John Edwards: typical sleazy politician.

[MUNGO JERRY]

HEY, A STIFF SVANZ HAS NO CONSCIENCE, & GIVE JOHN HEALTHY CREDIT BECAUSE HE CAME CLEAN AND IS NOW OWNING UP AND TELLING TRUTH...PLUS IT AIN'T LIKE HE TAPPED HIS FOOT IN A TWIN CITY MENS' ROOM! HE RELIED ON A HOMO SAPIEN SNAPPING TURTLE, EAGER NO DOUBT FOR SOME POWER SVANZ. -MUNGO JERRY

[roy]

if i had a dollar for every "affair" everyone had in this country for just one month i'd be a multi-billionaire!

[radiohead]

More lies today from Edwards. If the affair ended in 2006, why was he in a hotel room with her at 2 AM this week ?

It's past time for women to withdraw from the Democratic Party and form their own Female Party. Women have been
kept in the kitchen by Republicans, and and used in the bedroom by Democrats. Not to mention the sexism displayed towards HC in the primaries.

[Sean L.]

Roy: Re: "if i had a dollar for every "affair" everyone had in this country for just one month i'd be a multi-billionaire!" W@W, what a revelation. Maybe if you did the math, you'd know this statement is ludicrous! I've been married for over 35 years and my wife also had 4th stage cancer. If I was to do what Edwards did, I'd be a POS like him. I supported him, and I'm greatly disappointed. My parents were married for 65 years and they didn't stray. My father had plenty of opportunity, especially since
he played professional baseball. Believe it or not, there are some men in the world that believe in the sanctity of marriage. My wife was my nurse in the VA for 10 months when I returned from Vietnam injured, and I consider her my love of my life and would never take her for granted! Shame on anyone who thinks all men are ruled by their little heads!

[Marty Stabler]

After pre-pub lawyedring by the Edwards/Obama/Clinton camps and all attempts by LA Times' reporters and editors to kill this story, it is amazing it actually made it to print. That is the real story.

[Girl with the bushy armpits]

Edwards always came accross as a big phony. And Kerry was stupid to pick the ambulance chasser and
paid the price.Edwards made a big splash with his endorsement of Obama who had been begging for it,ever
since Edwards dropped out. Just another example of the poor choices the freshman senator from Illinois is guilty of.Larry Craig was found guilty by a judge for a much
lesser offense and Edwards should be thrown in the
slammer for refusing to admit his paternity of an innocent
child and participating in group sex.

[Sean L.]

'MUNGO JERRY': This is worse then: "GIVE JOHN HEALTHY CREDIT BECAUSE HE CAME CLEAN AND IS NOW OWNING UP AND TELLING TRUTH...PLUS IT AIN'T LIKE HE TAPPED HIS FOOT IN A TWIN CITY MENS' ROOM!"--> His wife has terminal cancer and he has young children! There's no comparison!

[hinnis]

The L.A. Times was not scooped by the Enquirer. They, like just about all of the other mainstream media outlets, are reluctant to inform the American public about information which may be harmful to their darling Obama. If one of John McCain's chief advisers or aides was caught in the same situation, the media would have jumped on it long ago. Having said that, I feel sorry for both John Edwards and his wife. I'm sure this kind of publicity is the last thing they need right now.

[Duane]

Another 10,000 or 20,000 drop in LAT circulation. When will you guys learn?

(Learn what? About online? You're darned right. Our readership is soaring. Thanks for checking. And joining the growing crowd.)

[Rob]

So let me get this straight. John Edwards was banging one of his campaign staff while his wife (and mother of his daughters) was battling cancer. And to make matters worse he got her pregnant (or was it really another staffer?). Who do you believe the guy who's trying to protect his boss or the politician? I wonder how hard he tried to get her to abort the child. It looks like his campaign was destined to fail, nobody could keep their pants on. It's funny seeing all the people pointing fingers at the left or the right like it matters, they're all bought and paid for by the same big money folks. I never thought much of Edwards, he always came off as phony, but I guess I was wrong, he's an honest to God real deal politician. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!!!

[MaxLA]

Serious lack of judgement, says Edwards? Only serious lack of judgement I can see is that he got married to begin with.

One of these centuries we are going to realize that it is not the way of things for two human beings to be together for a lifetime. We just continue to say CONGRATS to marriage, CONGRATS to having child after child after child that just adds to the over population of the Earth... Why is the contract needed? Long live Leykis!!!!

And, the Enquirer got the story first cuz the Times does not hire paparazzi to follow people around and look into their personal life. KUDOS on that.

Read so much hate on these blogs, I feel sorry for a lot of people, life must stink to be so miserable... Tell ya what, move to Iraq and see what people really have to be miserable over.

[Evil Pundit]

I can't decide who comes off looking worse out of this affair -- John Edwards or the LA Times.

[andy burr]

please please please don't torture me anymore. I promicse I'll give you what you want. Just don't make me vote in this years election. I am afraid of what I might be voting for.

[primarywatcher]

Edwards career washed up? He wants to speak at the convention? Edwards, PROVE you're NOT the father! Prove you haven't lied, yet again.

[Joe]

"There's a gigantic gray area between good moral behavior and outright felonious activities. I call that the Weasel Zone and it's where most of life happens."

[Lynn E]

So how long was The Los Angeles Times going to report on this? They had to wait until John Edwards said it on TV? What about Larry Sinclair and Obama? While it is possible it is not true, what does it serve to have the mainstream press intentionally to ignore it? Even Monica Lewinsky and blue dress turned out to be true. What's up? I know newspapers are having a hard time but it seems they can't even see news right under their nose.

(Au contraire, Lynn. The LATimes -- in fact, this blog -- posted on this scandal the very night it broke last October. The link is in all today's items. Thanks for reading.)

[Lorraine]

This newspaper would like us all to believe John Edwards was just some hounded private citizen that they had no responsibility to the public to report ANY AND ALL news upon - anytime it happened. Not so. The LA Times knew John Edwards to be a national public figure. A NATIONAL PUBLIC FIGURE that just this very same year was an active AND SERIOUS candidate for the democratic office of President. And also up until today a serious - and the LA TIMES knew this too - candidate consideration by Mr. Obama as to vice president. The LA Times should have never engaged in ordering its reporters not to - pursue this legitimate news story. Ever. Shame on The LA Times AND John and Elizabeth Edwards. Oh what a tangled web they all weaved when first they practiced to deceive - John for cheating and liying about it, Elizabeth for joining in on the ongoing lie - and The LA Times for assisting in covering it all up - (as long as they could).....

[Jeff]

No one care if private citizen John Edwards had an affair.
The real issue is the betrayal of the Democratic Party by Edwards and his wife who lied throughout this campaign, and pretended to be the loving couple they certainly were not. Now why is it relevant whether her cancer was in remission? If Edwards had been on the ticket, he would have caused extreme damage in November. How can candidates be so obtuse and so selfish. If he intended to run even after this episode, he should at least have told the truth and tried to put it behind him. Neither Edwards nor his wife deserve any sympathy for this, and as far as their political careers, good riddance.

[vatodio]

Woolworth, Montgomery Ward, Bullocks, Broadway, Lucky,... all big names in their respective fields.

All of them history now. They were the victims of fierce competitive market place.

Soon LA Times will join the rank. Unfortunately, the paper is being demolished from within by its own liberal writers and editors.

I thought Sam Zell as a smart businessman, until he bought this crapshoot newspaper.
I doubt if he will ever recover his investment in LA Times, because the guys like Rutten think that their primary civic mission at the newspaper is to promote liberalizm. Makeing money selling the paper is secondary to them.

[A.Levine]

MAMA MIa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHO'S THE FATHER , CAN'T FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE,ALL THE TIME........... WHAT REALLY HURTS IS WHAT HE HAS DONE TO HIS LOVING WIFE, AND SHE STANDS BY HER MAN TOO,..........

[823077]

According to Mr.Edwards, Elizabeth was in remission when he was sneaking this tramp into the back door. We have another man who's wife waited for him to be released by the Viet Cong, only to be dropped like a hot potato when she was no longer perfect. A New York governor that makes a fool of himself and his wife and children and an ex-president that took advantage of a young girl his daughters age. Where are all the men in this country.. Certainly our politicians are a very weak example. This is the best of the best?

[Tarn_Helm]

The mainstream media "journalists," in both the print media and electronic media, should be fully aware by now that they are not trusted by the people to be objective or truthful.

These so-called journalists are really just cogs in a giant propaganda machine for the Lunatic "Liberal" Left wing made up of fools who never matured past their sophomore year of college.

Their brazen pandering and unabashed bias in favor of Barack Hussein Obama and his socialist agenda is, ironically, exactly what will cause McCain to win the presidential election in 2008.

[keith]

Another 10,000 or 20,000 drop in LAT circulation. When will you guys learn?

(Learn what? About online? You're darned right. Our readership is soaring. Thanks for checking. And joining the growing crowd.)

Posted by: Duane | August 08, 2008 at 07:16 PM

Yeah, I hear this msm is going into the grave all the time, but people ignore that a good part of not getting the paper anymore is just logging on. I get my coffee in the morning every day and log in to several of my favorite newspapers across the nation, actually a couple across the globe. If anything my perusal has gone way way up after tapping into the unlimited reach of the internet. The only print newspaper I still enjoy reading is the Wall Street Journal, not quite sure why, but I still prefer it in print rather than digital.

[kay]

Now we know what Edwards meant by "Two Americas".

[Bonnie Vineyard]

I am very disappointed in John Edwards. I have been an avid follower of everything I can read about his beautiful, compassionate wife Elizabeth Edwards and him. He has cheapened his image. I am sure his wife his heartbroken..then had to endure the cancer returning. I am sure so many more in politics are guilty of the same thing, but haven't been caught yet. This may be none of the public's business, as so many have stated. I disagree..When someone is wanitng our vote to run our country, and they are supposed to be all about honesty and integrity..then it BECOMES our business. Shame on John Edwards. I am wondering if the homely mistress was worth losing so much for? I'll bet not. Elizabeth Edwards is so filled with class and integrity. I have read her books, and she is worth so much more than what her husband has put her through. He has children also, and I am sure this has hurt them..especially Kate, the grown daughter who has been through so much pain already, losing her brother in the car accident several years ago.