John Edwards -- yes, that John -- starts his PR rehab tonight

John Edwards -- remember him? -- tiptoes back into the public spotlight tonight.

Well, not actually a spotlight. His appearance and remarks at Indiana University are closed to all cameras and media. We'll see how long it takes someone to Twitter from inside.

This could be the first move in the attempted public relations rehab of the man who was once a senator, was once his Democratic Party's candidate for vice president and, this election season, was given a shot at the top nomination -- until Democrats actually started voting.

After months of dismissing as trash the tabloid reports of an extramarital affair with a campaign videographer named Rielle Hunter while his wife was fighting cancer, Edwards admitted in an ABC interview on an early August Friday night that, well, yes, he did have that fling.

But it was short. He confessed to his wife awhile back. And he wasn't the father of the woman's child.

Edwards went into seclusion. He and his wife, Elizabeth, skipped the Democratic National Convention in Denver as potential distractions. She emerged only in September to continue her work against breast cancer.

Now, according to CNN, Edwards has another speech scheduled in San Francisco tomorrow and an on-stage debate at an upcoming bankers convention with Karl Rove, the Svengali-like political mastermind blamed for many heinous things, including the John Kerry-Edwards ticket's defeat in 2004.

Although sex scandals have doomed the political careers of many politicians such as Gary Hart and Bob Livingston, Americans may be becoming somewhat immune to such personal betrayals.

Although a certain ex-president has not had to run for reelection, Bill Clinton's humanitarian work S.M. (Since Monica) seems to have caused many to move on when thinking of him. A multimillionaire, he now commands a small fortune for every speech and didn't hurt the crowd count while campaigning for his wife, Hillary, in last winter's Democratic primary season, although she did lose the nomination.

What do you think? Can this John pull it off?

-- Andrew Malcolm

To receive automatic cellphone alerts for each new Ticket item, go here to register for free.

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[Brady Westwater]

Not until he acknowledges his child.

[Cassandra Washington]

Amazing in these economic times that Indiana University can justify paying a speaking fee to John Edwards. Same for the banker's association. Are these the banks that we are bailing out? And yet they pay speaker's fees to Edwards and Karl Rove? Makes no sense to me.

[Lee Stranahan]

The problem Edwards has is that there are still a lot of loose ends including a baby and there are media outlets who have material about Edwards that hasn't come out yet. If he had told the truth when this broke, I think a comeback would be possible. But until then, no.

[Qui a bu boira]

Sexual permissiveness and moral decay run in this guy's blood.He back"s gay marriage....no? watch the bum
run back to sexy Rielle the minute his poor wife looses her heroic fight with cancer. As hard reality takes it's toll
his socialist credo will find echo strictjy with the leftist
lunatic fringe.

[Jeff]

John Edwards' political career is over.

He betrayed his supporters by trying to cover up this
scandal through lie after lie over a period of months.

He failed to make any impression in the primaries even without this scandal and could not be elected dogcatcher in his home state of North Carolina.

[Erik from Northridge]

Mr. Edwards,

Stay with your wife and take care of her --- only her.

We out here in the other parts of the country don't want you. You've disgraced yourself and humiliated your wife. You are a joke.

I pity anyone who would once again look to you as a leader.

[sandy]

Can he pull it off?
No.

[kvenido]

i think John Edwards is a creep and a liar and worst of all, UTTERLY lacking in shame for what he has done to his wife--i hope he rots

[John Seale]

Although he didn't get many votes, his talking points on health care and education merit attention.

[What?]

For recreating one's political relevance see former Senator, Nobel prize winner Al Gore. DO something regardless of the political ramifications. Some blamed Gore for the 2000 election fiasco. If he wins his home state's 11 electoral votes Florida is irrelevant. But he realized that after Bush won he had to DO SOMETHING to reinvent himself. We NEED John Edward's ideas and positive energy to help us hold onto this amazing momentum. He needs to demonstrate his commitment and dedication to the American cause and show us his truth...

[Mike]

I am a student at Indiana University and I attended the lecture tonight. I think he can pull off a comeback if he chooses to, but I am not sure that he will. He was asked the question directly tonight and he essentially dodged it. The Senator has strong beliefs in what he does. He cares about helping others and giving them the chance to live out their dreams -- it's the American way. In the end you need to judge a man by his true worth not his indiscretions.

[Dano]

"Useless, useless"

- John Wilkes Booth

[bgfred]

I'd rather he just went away... and stayed there.

[SteveMDFP]

Edwards moral stumble was barely relevant when he was campaigning. It isnow personal and utterly irrelevant as long as he isn't in public office.

Salacious gossip (founded or not) has no place in responsible public dialogue.

[Jeff Balla]

"This John" as compared to John Kerry? Or "this John", as in a term for someone who has an affair, like Spitzer?

[Tito]

Edwards cannot "pull it off" because he has no compelling ideas, only a single cynical speech about two Americas. That and his anchorman looks are all he ever had to offer. Any examination of him will quickly reveal a rather creepy egoist with a tenuous relationship with the truth.

[primarywatcher]

Not even the coat tails of Obama's magnificent, historic win are going to save this guy. We're still reeling from the assault of GOP ignorance and moral righteousness to be at peace with John Edwards deceitful actions. Way tooo soon, John. Your timing reveals yet again your impenetrable, deluded self-serving ego. Remember: it's not the "affair" that pissed us off, it was the bold faced lies you spoke, knowing full well they may jeopardized a profoundly crucial campaign for the Presidency.

[Letalis Maximus, Esq.]

Mike:

Congrats on being a student at Indiana University. I hope, however, that you are still a Freshman or Sophomore. I would hate to think that a Junior, a Senior, or God forbid, a Graduate Student at a major university still labors under unfortunate delusion that John Edwards (or any other politician) really cares about anything other than himself and his own political viability. Except maybe getting rich, and Edwards already is that.

[sparkleon]

Who is without sin, let them cast the first stone! I don't think there are any who should/could cast that stone. Do not judge lest ye be judged.

Take a good long look at all the good John Edwards has brought to the forefront about poverty, sinking wages for the middle class, and then tell me he doesn't care. Elizabeth is moving on, and so should we.

[CharleneW]

The revelations of Edwards' affair while his wife was fighting cancer were deeply deeply disturbing to me. We vote in our politicians / leaders hopefully based on a sense of trust in their avowed policies and promises to deliver on them. If Edwards was willing to abdicate his vows to his wife during the gravest of times, it is an enormous stretch for me to believe that he would take his promises to the electorate more seriously than his promise to his wife.
So he would never receive my vote again. On the other hand, I think we should refrain from villifying him. I am sure his relationship with his children and his wife has suffered permanent damage. His career has probably suffered permanent damage. He has been exposed and shamed publicly and his long term reputation strongly damaged. I am sure that the effects of his actions will be carried with him for the duration of his life. Trust me it will be a long road back to gaining any respect, and it would surprise me if he could reestablish his political career.

[Foghorn Leghorn]

Who cares? He's irrelevant. Basically a pretty boy who is all form and no substance.

[joe the marriage counselor]

GO AWAY EDWARDS

[john b]

Of course he can pull off a political comeback. He's a member of the party that allows anything in one's past (and I mean ANYTHING), as long as he can be useful in the future and toes the party line. Anyone who brings up past indiscretions is just wallowing in distactions and not forward looking enough.
Were he a Republican, he'd have no shot at assistant dog catcher in Podunk.

[Rock]

Are you kidding me LAT? You are the guys who buried this story for the past year and wouldn't even cover his rendevous with Reile when he was in town this summer. And the editorial staff said he was off limits because he was out of the public eye then (Lat bloggers were told specifially he was off limits) - but you talk about him now because the election is over.

He's a liar. He's a PI attorney who made his millions lying. And you covered for him.

It's not his kid? Are you crazy? Where has journalism gone?

[Cherubim]

Senator John has been a modern day Paul Revere. I remember his July 2007 Coopers Union speech where he tried, oh so gently, to prepare us for what has happened, the collapse of our nation's financial institutions. John Edwards, proposed the following solutions:

“First, I will create a Family Savings and Credit Commission to make sure that financial services treat families safely....It will deal with all financial services ...It will ban the most abusive terms and make sure consumers understand the others....pass strong national laws protecting us against the worst abuses in credit markets predatory mortgages, abusive credit card terms, and payday loans with interest rates of 300 percent or higher.

Finally, I will help create alternatives to abusive lenders. I will help working families build up a cushion by matching their savings and bringing bank accounts to the 56 million without them. And I will support non-profit groups offering affordable, short-term loans. We need a new era of responsible lenders who see families as long-term investments, not quick bucks.
All across the economy, we need to do the same thing take on the special interests and put Washington back on the side of regular families. "

John Edwards (unlike many of the others who are now trying to scratch and claw their way into a Presidential Cabinet post) has over the last two years shown that he understands the problems that lay ahead for this country, and he would be an intelligent and competent addition to President Obama's Administration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJlKE_BLAUM

http://www.johnedwards.com/news/speeches/20070621-reduce-debt

[Cherubim]

Well, John Edwards has gone down to New Orleans, already, several times and rolled up his sleeves and helped out. I believe, now, it is time for others like Paulson, and his friends on Wall Street, to whom he is giving billions of U.S. taxpayers' money, to go down and help out.
They can all fly over and float down using their "golden parachutes". Also the AIG Insurance company,
the US Auto Executives, and all of the other "secret people" getting the US government bailout should join John Edwards in New Orleans. Go to this url address and see John Edwards helping out in New Orleans:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DaofQCkbA8