Edwards Admits to Affair, Denies Fathering Child

[spicedogs]

 

The Associated Press
Friday, August 8, 2008; 3:06 PM

 

WASHINGTON -- Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is admitting to an extramarital affair but denies fathering the woman's daughter.

Edwards tells ABC News that he lied repeatedly about the affair with a 42-year-old woman but says that he didn't love her. He says he has not taken a paternity test but knows he isn't the father because of the timing of the affair and the birth.

ABC says a former Edwards campaign staffer claims he is the father, not Edwards.

Edwards was a top contender for the Democratic nomination for president. He placed second in the Iowa caucuses last January but dropped out of the race a few weeks later.

Edwards, a former senator from North Carolina, was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004. 

SOURCE:  Washington Post


  

Comments

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

Geez. That's disgusting. When did this affair take place? If that staffer takes a paternity test and finds out it's not his, then Edwards better agree to take it!

I feel bad for Elizabeth.

[divka.livejournal.com]

All I can say is "ugh." >(

[saintofbodom.livejournal.com]

That's just wrong. Ick. I hate to say it, but I feel for the woman's child. Not knowing who to call daddy must really, really be hard to deal with.

And, yes, he'd sure as heck better agree to take the paternity test if the other man's isn't a match.

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

On the news tonight, they said he did say he'd be willing to take any tests necessary.

[shalimar77777.livejournal.com]

Meh...I'll believe it when I see it. It's one thing to say you'll do something and another to do it. If he's so certain that it's not his, he should've already taken a test because he has nothing to worry about.

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

Tell me about it! And why was he visiting the baby last month, if he doesn't think it's his?

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Me thinks he may be guilty.

[shalimar77777.livejournal.com]

IAWTC X 100,000,000,000,000

He's acting really shady about this whole thing. And of course, drop the news during the Olympic opening ceremonies AND on a Friday, so no one notices, right? Pfft!

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

Did he drop the news or did it come out because of the Enquirer?

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

Guilty as charged!

[shalimar77777.livejournal.com]

Yeah, and on top of visiting the baby, I saw pics where he was holding it! WTF? Now, the Enquirer isn't the most reliable rag in the world, but if they're running this they've done their homework and had about a million lawyers check this out. They don't want to get sued.

AND...supposedly they have bank records of him sending this woman $15,000 a month! $15,000 a month for a fling he supposedly didn't love? Uh, I don't think so!

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

Since when does the Enquirer give a rat's ass?

Maybe he felt guilty? But, yeah, it sounds like he was keeping a love nest or paying for the baby he claims isn't his.

[shalimar77777.livejournal.com]

I think they've been following this for a while...

There are a few things that bother me about this whole thing.

#1: He had this in the background and he still went forward, took the money from his donors, and ran for president.

#2 He seems to keep trying to frame it that his wife's cancer was in remission when he did it.

#3 You guys know my politics, but more than anything this is about hypocrisy. I think that anyone that stands up, regardless of political party, and pretends to be some sort of saint/bulletproof person has to pay the price for being a liar and a cheat. That includes Larry Craig, Bill Bennett, etc.

I didn't even really have a problem with Bill Clinton's affair, just the way he handled it. Could've been done better.

See, I'm not a partisan hack! XD

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

It's called, "I'll give you money and you will shut up, bitch."

[shalimar77777.livejournal.com]

ROFLMAO!

Where can I find a man like that? XD

[cdsdame.livejournal.com]

Good grief, don't marriage vows mean ANYTHING ANYMORE? Sheesh.

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

I know! Makes me so disgusted!

[shalimar77777.livejournal.com]

Nothing to say except that I don't buy that the baby isn't his. And yes, it's pretty damn low to cheat on your wife who has possibly terminal cancer. :(

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

Supposedly it was when his wife was in remission, but that really isn't the point.

[spicedogs.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, his wife is in remission. So it is OK to have an affair. Honestly.

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

That's what I was saying. Pathetic.

[mythicfeline.livejournal.com]

Sadly, this has gone on since the founding fathers chased their slave girls around the plantation. We are just now beginning to make an issue of public officials fooling around. You need only go back to the [mostly male] press keeping shut about JFK's affairs in the White House to know things were different as little as 40 years ago.

This will never change. I think the only reason we aren't hearing about this with McCain or Obama is because for one, it's been partially covered with McCain. And two these guys have got their operations stitched up tight, especially now. It's possible they are flying straight, but Edwards' statement hit on a valid point, even if it sounds like BS. When you have people around you telling you you are wonderful, you begin to believe the hype and begin to believe you can do whatever you wish. And sadly with some men, it's not hard for some girl or woman to nail them. It's their biology and unless there is some sort of evolutionary change, rare is the man in such circumstances who will resist an offer to act on his urges if he thinks he can get away with it. In that sense you feel sort of sorry for the pathetic saps. Because they never think about the possibility someone might get pregnant or someone might get a disease until it's too late.

Sometimes we suffer from the overabundance of information. John Edwards' affair will affect my life by about 0%. It's the stuff I hear about the people right around me that disturb me.

[katje0711.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is very true.

I totally hear what you are saying about the male gender. It is sad they don't think of the consequences of their actions.

I really don't care one way or the other about Edwards, either. I just hate hypocrites.

[mooncove.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with MythicFeline. And, BTW, that picture of "him" with a baby may very well not be him. It's so blurry, you can't tell who it is, and he says it couldn't have been taken during his meeting with Ms. Hunter because that's not what he was wearing. If you want to hear the whole story in his words, here is the Nightline interview he did last night:

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=5546322

Personally, I believe him, but even if he's lying (again), I couldn't care less about politicians' private sex lives as long as they're not persecuting other people for doing the same thing. And I don't blame them for lying about it; I would cuz it's nobody else's business. (I do want my campaign contribution back though!)

[mrslinus17.livejournal.com]

As disgusting as wrong as this is, I can't balme it all on him. Sure, he is an adult and should know better, but men can't cheat if women don't let them.