What's up world??? Guess who's friggity first?!!!

ps. Why am I so firsty?

I'm glad he cleared everything up and calmed my fears that the affair was based on love. Stay classy, JE.

Surprise, plaintiff's lawyers are dirtbags!

Oh, 2. Come here, let me comfort you. One day, the last too shall be first.

-1

John was right all along: there are two Americas. There are those who cheat on their cancer-stricken wives and there are those who don't.

Oh, 1. Where are you, I desperate seek your comfort.

-2

Why he is visiting this woman and her baby early in the morning if it isn't his? Moreover, if the affair happened in 2006, why would he run for President in 2008 and embarass his wife? He also sounds hypocritical because he promoted his family like in contrast to Clinton's earlier in the race. He had to figure this would get out eventually.

This is a sad situation.

I would love to punch that dirtbag loser in the face. What a sad bastard this guy is.

I'm starting to feel better about Spitzer....... but he still resembles a monkey.

hey 1 and 2 -- get a room and fuck already. (that said, good job to #1 for including substantive comment along with the dorky first crap).

The following was Edwards' response to CBS News anchor Katie Couric's question about whether voters should care if a presidential candidate is faithful to his spouse:

"Of course. I mean, for a lot of Americans -- including the family that I grew up with, I mean, it's fundamental to how you judge people and human character -- whether you keep your word, whether you keep what is your ultimate word, which is that you love your spouse, and you'll stay with them. ... I think the most important qualities in a president in today's world are trustworthiness -- sincerity, honesty, strength of leadership. And -- and certainly that goes to a part of that."

Hypocritical based on running for president with an affair in the closet? How about hypocritical for running on the anti-poverty/two-Americas platform when he was second in wealth only to the Clintons? Where's the outrage over this? He's scum.

It makes the affair so much better that the affair happened when his wife's cancer was in remission.

are there any decent politicians left out there? disgusting

JE's response: "at least I'm no homo"

Amen, 13. I have thought JRE was a phony scumbag since the begining. I am a Dem too.

If you are worried about their being two Americas, then sell your 18,000 square foot house, asshole.

1, how is he risking his country and his party? Big deal, he banged some skank on the side. Has nothing to do with the country or the party and it happens all the time. Let's not forget JFK.

What?! A plaintiff's lawyer turned Democratic politician admits to gross moral turpitude? Shocking, indeed ... not that he's guilty of cheating on his cancer-striken wife, but that he admitted to any wrong-doing.

I wonder if his dying spouse will salvage her dignity and kick his sleezy ass out, or roll over like a good DNC lapdog like Silda Spitzer and Hillary Clinton...

uh - where are the libs, besides to his poor wife what did he really do wrong? there were two consenting (we hope) adults.... why is he all of a sudden not fit for public service

Is this worse, the same, or not as bad as John McCain leaving his crippled wife who stood by him during his POW years???

Hah. Not a good week for democrats. First Kwame Kilpatrick, now this...

Hah. Not a good week for democrats. First Kwame Kilpatrick, now this...

17: This isn't 1960. Unless he's a complete idiot, he knew the press would run this if it was discovered, which it was bound to be eventually. If he'd won the Dem nomination after lying about this affair for so long, John McCain would be our next President. And that is a risk America really can't afford to run.

20: Worse.

"It may cost him a prime-time speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention — though Edwards is still considering a convention appearance." (Politico).

Only Democrats would tolerate such madness. Disgusting.

His wife should divorce him, take half his estate and give donate it to the poor in her will. Maybe everyone will see that he doesn't care much about the poor either when he fights her for the divorce settlement.

So, it's apparently better to cheat on your dying wife when her cancer is in remission than when it's not.

I did *not* know that.

Another one bites the dust.

Did anyone else notice she has terrible hair? How can a man who invests so much time & money on his hair sleep with a woman with 80's hair?

The text on ATL is all screwy looking. Maybe y'all need to use a more standard font.

Southern Whites ain't got no class.

6, Ann Coulter?

Oh 11, do you want to join us?

-1

Hit the bricks, loser! I don't think we'd care half as much about this had JE not made such a big deal of his moral superiority over the years.

Agreed, 28. She's a nappy-headed ho.

Andrew Sullivan quoted this devastating take on Edwards by Bob Shrum, Kerry's chief strategist in '04:

"Kerry talked with several potential picks, including Gephardt and Edwards. He was comfortable after his conversations with Gephardt, but even queasier about Edwards after they met. Edwards had told Kerry he was going to share a story with him that he'd never told anyone else—that after his son Wade had been killed, he climbed onto the slab at the funeral home, laid there and hugged his body, and promised that he'd do all he could to make life better for people, to live up to Wade's ideals of service. Kerry was stunned, not moved, because, as he told me later, Edwards had recounted the same exact story to him, almost in the exact same words, a year or two before—and with the same preface, that he'd never shared the memory with anyone else. Kerry said he found it chilling, and he decided he couldn't pick Edwards unless he met with him again."

The affair was contrary to core beliefs? Can't be that core if he acted against them. This guy doesn't know how to apologize. He's minimizing his actions. These aren't real apologies, they are political statements.

35: I saw that a couple days ago too, 35. Made me very glad he isn't going to end up anywhere near the White House.

23: You're being a little too dramatic. You can't say for sure he would have lost the election because of this. Most people are very stupid and can't even remember what they ate for lunch. They would forget about this too in a few days. All Edwards would need to do is run a few campaign ads about McCain's first wife and even the playing field.

"Only Democrats would tolerate such madness. Disgusting."

So I take it McSame and Giuliani are not going to speak at the GOP convention? Wouldn't that also be disgusting?

38: I am skeptical. In this case, it wouldn't be the sex, it would be the lying. Having denied it for so long, the credibility hit these revelations represent really just demolishes his character.

Fortunately, we'll never know how it would have played out in practice.

That woman is a stone faced liar. He pulled out of her real early.

"John McCain would be our next President. And that is a risk America really can't afford to run."

Oh yes we can. Especially when the alternative is higher taxes. I worked hard to get where I am. I don't want my money taken to support those who haven't prepared for the new economy or took unreasonable economic risks with their houses. Be prudent, work hard, and you don't need any help.

JE is a clueless idiot to go about an affair this way.
Every Southern Democrat knows that what you need to do is get some state troopers to help you find women and set everything up, and then to help you keep it quiet.
A man this incompetent was never fit to be president.

42: Taxes will be the least of your worries when McCain takes us to war with Iran, Russia, and North Korea simultaneously.

We have never needed a level-headed, sensible Commander in Chief more than we do in this moment in history. And McCain is still fighting Vietnam in his mind, determined not to let the dominoes fall across the Muslim world. He doesn't even seem to understand the concept that diplomacy is almost always preferable armed conflict.

44 -- peace is not the highest value, justice is. As Margaret Thatcher said, "Whose peace? Poland’s? Bulgaria’s? The peace of the grave?" Until all people are free to choose their own government, none of us our. We are the strongest, most blessed nation on earth. We have an obligation to bring human rights to the world.

So Edwards came clean...when will b. hussein obama come clean and admit that he's a socialist? I'm thinking about quitting my BigLaw job, having a few kids, and sitting at home all day to wait for my government handout to come in the mail.

So Edwards came clean...when will b. hussein obama come clean and admit that he's a socialist? I'm thinking about quitting my BigLaw job, having a few kids, and sitting at home all day to wait for my government handout to come in the mail.

So Edwards came clean...when will b. hussein obama come clean and admit that he's a socialist? I'm thinking about quitting my BigLaw job, having a few kids, and sitting at home all day to wait for my government handout to come in the mail.

49th!!!

Who among us hasn't run for major political office partly on the basis of honesty and decency, while all the while having the classic I-cheated-on-my-terminally-ill-wife skeleton in his closet?

Let he who is without such sin cast the first stone...

44: Abstract obligations and high ideals are meaningless without the power to fulfill them. Ironically, the Iraq war has demonstrated nothing quite so clearly as that the United States is extraordinarily weak in important ways. That makes us more vulnerable to those who have the desire and means to do us harm.

Isolationism isn't the answer, but reckless foreign adventuring without any clear national interest at stake isn't something we can afford. Sorry, but the oppressed peoples of the world are going to have to work on liberating themselves.

34: she's not a ho, just a woman in need of a hair intervention. maybe she and some other infamous political sluts (monica, jennifer flowers, etc) can get together and serve as guinea pigs on next week's episode of "shear genius."

You're all missing the point. When someone (be it democrat like Kerry or republican like Craig) uses moral superiority as a method of distinguishing themselves from other candidates, it is incredibly hypocritical for them to then betray those same principles they so conveniently relied on earlier. That disgusts me. If you want to live in a world where someone's word means nothing (and maybe some of you do), so be it, but I for one wouldn't vote for John Edwards if my life depended on it.

51 I respectfully disagree. The problem in Iraq wasn't the invasion -- it was our attempt to install a government favorable to us, as opposed to a government reflecting the democratic will of the people. We should have overthrown Saddam, held an election, and left. We must make clear that all people, everywhere, have the inalienable human right to choose their leaders.

44: Obama has explicitly promised to raise taxes on the "rich" (i.e. you), while McCain has no plans to invade North Korea. The latter is just paranoid fantasy and/or scaremongering - the former is an explicit campaign promise.

But maybe you won't mind paying 60% of your salary to the government. No doubt you love your big firm job, and do it for the emotional satisfaction rather than the money.

This story never would have come out if Edwards won the nomination. He would have continued to deny it and the media would have continued to ignore it (as it has done for several weeks).

55: Who says I'm "the rich" named in Obama's plan? In fact, I am not.

McCain has declined to make much of his foreign policy program public, partly because it's hard to set out a platform for something that is crucially dependent on future developments, and partly because he would probably prefer that the American people not know that he has constantly criticized the Bush administration for being too soft on Russia, N. Korea, and Iran, and urged military action against the latter two. If you want to pretend that doesn't mean anything, fine, but that doesn't mean the rest of us have to ignore that the foreign policy vision he articulates would lead to more armed confrontation that the United States cannot afford.

I demand a poll to determine which John is a bigger slim ball: McCain or Edwards?

She's just a girl who claims that John is the one,
But the kid is not his son.

on the taxes, i'd like to note that i am a 1st year associate (granted at 160kish firm) and i happened to look at my paystub recently and being the head of my household w/ a non-working spouse, i get about 52c for each dollar I earn. WTF. somehow, paying an extra 10-15% of taxes and more beyond that on what few cents i have remaining on investment profits seems a lot more of an imminent risk than "simultaneous war with russia, n. korea, and iran". simultaneous? are you kidding me. and for the record-- if that were ever to happen, it would be because pansy peacenik liberals waited until the absolute last minute with their appeasement agenda and the three coordinated to take advantage of our inability to resist obama's siren song of "change."

ok, back to the reason i am posting: does ANYBODY believe john edwards is not the father of that child?

59, for 40 days and for a fortnight, the law was on her side.

How bout that National Enquirer? Take that NYT!

The guys in high school used to cheat on their dying wives all the time -- it was no big deal.

Are the people who support Obama the same people who make condescending remarks about every firm that doesn't start with the word "Wachtell" on this board? If so, I need someone to explain how an associate making 230k a year at their super-superior market paying law firm is supporting a guy who has 1) pledged to take the cap off of the social security tax, meaning we all get it in the ass; and 2) has pledged to repeal the Bush tax cuts which benefit individuals making in excess of 200k. I don't get it. Traditionally, big money and big business supported Republicans who let the rich keep more of their money. How all the wealthy lawyers on this board can therefore support Obama is beyond me. You really want to give half of your salary to the federal government?

Yes.

I heard he's a Moslum.

65 -- that's great. I don't. What does our government do? Bails out homeowners who should have never taken out mortgages. Bails out investment banks that have taken on too much risk. Funds health insurance for kids of people who have decided to buy cable and big TVs rather than health insurance. It's time to end bailouts and let people face the consequences of their decisions. I worked hard in high school to get into a great college and law school. I went to public school -- everyone there had the exact same opportunities I did. If they didn't take advantage of them, if they don't do the calculations on what they can afford, if they don't read loan documents, they have only themselves to blame.

Gentlemen from my university frequently galavanted across numerous continents with female companions who were not their wives. They did this in the attempt to secure ample extra-marital coitus on these sojourns. However, it was far from a conspicuous event.

~Fraternity Lothario

Why stop there 67?

- All the people who lost their jobs and retirement savings when Enron went under had only themselves to blame.
- All the people who lost their homes when Katrina obliterated New Orleans had only themselves to blame.
- All the people who decide to join the armed forces (rather than to become frat studs and big law jerks) and return from their service disabled without adequate health care and a civilian job, have only themselves to blame.

Right?

69,

How can you compare bailouts to Enron? The people who lost money on Enron had lying accountants to blame. R-tard.

" All the people who lost their jobs and retirement savings when Enron went under had only themselves to blame.
- All the people who lost their homes when Katrina obliterated New Orleans had only themselves to blame. "

69 -- Enron. First, you don't keep all of your retirement account in a company stock. I get my company stock, sell it ASAP, and invest in mutual funds. Second, your employer may go under at any time -- you always have to know what job you'd do next to put food on the table. Third, as 70 notes, Enron involved fraud -- the existing bailouts don't.

Katrina -- Those folks should have bought flood insurance. When I lived in a flood plain, I did.

69--
Are you really incapable of distinguishing between the Katrina victims and the people who bought houses they couldn't afford? It's a pretty simple line-drawing exercise. 65 was able to draw that line. He didn't cite to the Katrina victims. That's a pretty obvious straw man argument you are making and is in no way a legitimate retort to what 65 argued. Weak sauce.

So is it worse for your political career to get caught in an affair, or get caught with a prostitute? Thoughts please!

Some of these people who bought homes they couldn't "afford" were not aware of that fact. If you have something ailing you, you go to a doctor. A person who knows diddly about mortgages and the crazy legal language that comes along with it, probably hired someone to advise them. Some of these people were led to believe that they could afford something that in reality they could not. If the doctor you hired tells you something, you will probably listen. Same here. I am not saying they are blameless and "deserve" bailouts. All I'm saying is that there were/are (unless you are buying straight cash) far more parties involved. There is plenty of blame to go around. Just like with Katrina. Yes, the victims should have bought flood insurance (assuming they could afford it), but the Army corp of Engineers, the crooks, er politicians in Louisiana and Federal Government probably should have built much stronger levees 40 years ago. just my 8 cents.

Can't we all just get back to discussing the colossal douchebaggery of John Edwards?

Dick Cheney > John Edwards

And I'm not just talking about THAT picture.

74--
I'm failing to see a correlation between your discussion of the "plenty of blame to go around" in the mortgage mess and the justification for a federal government (i.e., taxpayer) bailout.
Let the blameful parties (homeowners, banks, mortgage companies, etc.) pay their due, not the innocent taxpayers.
That's all the so-called heartless right-wing a-holes are saying.

76 - as I said, I don't think that they deserve "bailouts", but previous commenters put the blame squarely on the shoulders of people who oftentimes didn't know any better and trusted people who were supposed to. I was merely responding to that. But getting back to the actual post - Edwards is the biggest douche in the universe. Hopefully we can agree on that one.

Sincerely,
74

This is what happens when you go to a shitty undergrad school and shitty law school. You become an ambulance chaser, marry a senior citizen because you can't get the cute girls, become a scumbag senator, crappy presidential candidate, and then father a child out of wedlock. What a douche bag.

This is what happens when you go to a shitty undergrad school and shitty law school. You become an ambulance chaser, marry a senior citizen because you can't get the cute girls, become a scumbag senator, crappy presidential candidate, and then father a child out of wedlock. What a douche bag. The moral of the story, kiddies, is to go to a top 20 law school and avoid becoming the next John Edwards.

John Edwards to 79:

I am now going to withdraw from my public career. I will then drive to my mansion in one of my several exotic sports cars after refuling it with diamonds. Next, I will toss you the keys to my car and tell you to be "easy on the brakes, chief." Finally, I will asuage my sorrow by doing the backstroke in my scrooge-mcduck style money bin.

Make sure you armorall the tires.

poster #78/79 made me laugh.

but yeah, John Edwards = gross

and this isn't political about McCain or Obama, except insofar as this shows that John Edwards is a big part of the Ted Stevens / Washington Beltway politics-as-usual. Edwards talks a big game, but at the end of the day he's a sleazeball looking out for himself, not the little guy.

but again, not about McCain or Obama, so everyone is advised to chill. :)

79 - Eliot Spitzer went to Havard Law. I guess that makes Harvard a shitty school too. Go back to Dook you socially-inept lepper.

74: Some of these people were trying to turn a quick buck.

Also, shame on the federal government and these financial institutions for trying to put low income people into houses. So bad.

#20, see, the difference is what McCain did is called "serial monogamy with an overlap for comfort" and that seems to be judged by a different standard. In other words, if you really follow thru with your promise to #2 to ditch #1 in favor of her, that somehow makes it OK. After a decent interval at least.

But maybe we need to go about this a different way. Let's conclusively identify BOTH of the politicians in DC who have not cheated on their spouses. Paint halos above their office doors. Then stop worrying about who the rest of them are sleeping with.

#84 : "the difference is what McCain did is called 'serial monogamy with an overlap for comfort'"

I believe the correct term is "serial POLYGAMY," (polygamy=the practice of having multiple spouses, thus serial polygamy is the practice of having multiple spouses, but separated temporally).

And people made fun of Romney being a member of church that used to practice polygamy--it is kind of ironic that he was the most morally upstanding presidential candidate on either side (married his high school sweetheart, been married for 30 years).

And no one talks about Obama's dad being a polygamist (not a serial polygamist, mind you, but a real polygamist, with multiple wives at the same time--Obama's mom was #2).

" previous commenters put the blame squarely on the shoulders of people who oftentimes didn't know any better and trusted people who were supposed to"

77, why didn't they know any better? Being a doctor requires special training. Reading loan documents requires literacy. Nothing I learned in law school increased my ability to understand loan documents (indeed, law school itself is useless, but that's another topic). How hard is it to read them and understand what your payment is now and what it is in the future? And it's accepted wisdom that you don't spend more than 30-35% of your gross income on housing. Don't even need any algebra to do the calculations.

Bottom line is this. High school isn't graded on a curve. Everyone, if they work hard enough, can get straight A's and make something of themselves. I did. Why should I subsidize those who didn't?

Guys from my high school with gambling problems used to borrow money from connected guys without fully appreciating what the repayment terms would be. Can we set up some kind of government bailout for them, so my tax money can help make sure those connected guys don't lose any money, and so the borrowers can sleep easy at night?

85 / 12:02 - Keep your pedantic, no sense of humor, drivel off of this site.

68: you are a faker and a piss poor one at that. Leave FL to those who know what they are doing.

Why do Democrats always have this mea culpa and admit it?

Every Republican is either gay or cheats on his wife, but they don't admit it--they are defiant
(See Larry Craig [has not admitted to being gay despite more than five men publicly stating that they have had sex with him in public restrooms; David Vitter (still in office despite sleeping with whores, as Eliot Spitzer did); Newt Gingrich; John McCain; Bob Livingston; Dan Burton; Henry Hyde; George HW Bush (Sr.); Arnold Schwarzenegger; Mark Foley)

guys from my high school would cheat on their terminally ill wives with a campaign staffer and father a love child while running as a morally superior douche all the time, it was no big deal

I think this Hunter lady is getting a bad rap. Now, I admit, I am only a rising 2L, so I'm new at this game. But I don't see the problem with a woman using her god given talents to get a leg up.

I know in my interviews I'm certainly going to wear a low-cut blouse, as oppose to cover up so I lose any advantage that being a woman may bring. I don't think there is anything worng with that.

Rising Rutgers 2L

Gentlemen at my preparatory academy frequently disclaimed bastards borne of their scrivener consorts, calumniating instead their higher minions who likewise coupled with the jade. It was not a conspicuous event.

~ Fraternity Lothario

(And 68, you are a terrible impostor. I merely am an impostor.)

I voted for Edwards in the primary. I can't tell you how pissed I am at him for this. I mean, come on.

That coug better have been freaking SPECTACULAR.

63: Do it. Go ahead. Do it.

If rumors are true about Richardson's appetite for company, this probably knocks him off the Veep list too.

Hey, he turned out to be the next Bill Clinton after all!

89 - half the republicans you name don't admit it b/c they actually didn't have an affair. Their wives probably didn't have cancer, either.

20 - wayyyyy worse. Are you f-ing stupid?

Part of what's bad about Edwards were the lies and hypocrisy, not just the action, which was bad enough in itself.

sanctimoneous too

97:
Who brainwashed you, Sean Hannity? Every single one of those Republicans has had documented affairs--

--John McCain has admitted to cheating on his first wife in the 1970s

--George Bush Sr. had a long time affair with Jennifer Fitzgerald

--Henry Hyde had an affair when he was 41 and famously referred to it as "youthful indiscretions"

--Dan Burton has a love child

--Bob Livingston gave up his appointed speakership b/c he had affairs

--And Newt Gingrich, Bob Foley and Arnold Schwarzenegger's affairs have garnered a lot of attention.

--Also, I forgot that Republican Congressman from New York who had a love child, Dick Morris (who has a love child) and Bob Barr.

This is not an isolated problem. Republicans have serious problems controlling themselves. The more conservative ones are mostly closeted gays, and others have tons of affairs. They just lie once they are caught and are not hounded about it by the media as much.

So 97: Name one of these people who did not have sex with a woman or man other than their wife when they were married. You can't because they all did.

The common denominator -- both parties include men.

100 -- I'm not 97, but I can name one -- George H.W. Bush. The allegations about Jennifer Fitzgerald are untrue -- just because you see it somewhere on the internet doesn't make it true.

Yay for John Edwards! Keep it real in 2008. Its about time.

Moralizing America. You kids are too educated to care who he sleeps with. How bout a little sexual freedom and privacy

79 you're a douche.

First of all, there is nothing wrong with sleeping with a whore, unless, of course, you are married. Second, what is the problem with a wealthy individual being anti-poverty? Just because one believes in getting rid of poverty, does not mean he should not reap the rewards of being successful. Why should JE have to sell his possessions in order to be against poverty?

102: Ask Edwards whether things you hear on the internet are true or not.

Two things I don't understand about Edwards:
He is young, rich and good looking, so:

1) why is he married to a woman who looks like she's 65. I know she's sick and I feel terrible, but....

2) Why can't these rich famous dudes find attractive women to cheat with? This paramour of his looks like a horse!

105: What's wrong with Edwards is not that he's wealthy and against poverty. Its that he's wealthy but trashes wealthy people in his speeches. His whole "two Americas" theme is about how rich people are evil and wasteful, while poor folks are hardworking and saintly. Meanwhile, he has 6 SUVs in the driveway of his 18,000 square foot house. Oh, and Elizabeth complains about their neighbor across the street who lives ina trailer because its so unsightly. Dirty hypocrites.

There's also the issue of pulling up the ladder. John Edwards made his millions, and got to keep most of it thanks to relatively low tax rates. But he now wants to tax the hell out of "rich" people ($200,000 and up). It easy to be for punitive taxes when your fortune is already in the bank. He's an utter jackarse.

This is what happens when your parents are hardworking millworkers. Seriously, very few people can shake where they came from.

If the $400 haircut didn't clue you in months and months ago that he's a douche, then God help you

Screw Elizabeth too. She knew he was having this affair even as he was publicly denying it -- while he was running for pres. Shows a lot of respect for the voters

91: pics?

I don't remember McCain saying anything about war Iran, Russia, and North Korea, but I do remember Obama announcing his intention to invade Pakistan. Meanwhile, Russia is invading and destroying Georgia as we speak. Where are the peace protesters? Where is Cindy Sheehan?

91, if you came into an interview with me wearing something skanky I'd dismiss you as low-class and feeble minded. might want to rethink your strategy.

91 - what do you mean by getting a leg up?

also its probably not the best idea - ala 112.

though from rutgers i dont know if it could really make things worse. you may get some horn-dog who will go for it, so maybe you should try the slutty route. hey you never know....

where are the libs. edwards and another adult agreed to what they did, and so whats wrong.

111 - yes where is sheehan and the rest of those loonies...

107 - maybe these unattractives do things that noone else can even think of....