John Edwards Scandal: Bob McGovern,Mystery Man

Rielle Hunter's Mystery Man
--Besides John Edwards



Rielle Hunter, the mother of the John Edwards Love Child, that is finally starting to register on the national consciousness, has a mysterious friend.

No, besides John Edwards.

Bob McGovern was named in the latest round of Enquirer updates to the John Edwards Love Child Scandal as the person who drove both Rielle Hunter and John Edwards to their meeting in the Beverly Hilton. It was at this meeting that Edwards was cornered by the Enquirer's reporters and photographers and took sanctuary in a public men's room.

Click for over 45 DBKP stories on the John Edwards Scandal:

Simon Scowl, Deceiver [What About Bob?] has a complete piece on Mr. McGovern and asks some interesting questions.

McGovern, if you’re just joining us, is the gentleman who allegedly rented the rooms at the Beverly Hilton last week as a favor to John Edwards, Rielle Hunter, the baby girl who Edwards says isn’t his, and the veritable legion of National Enquirer reporters waiting outside. McGovern is also listed on the “board of directors” of Being Is Free (Hunter’s once-deleted, now-resurrected website), and may be the “Bob” who Hunter once described as her “savior, healer of all healers.”

Now, if you go to the Google cache of MargaretSweet.com, the site of some kind of astrologer or palm-reader or something, there’s a page called “Helpful Dudes.” But despite the plural, apparently there’s only one dude who Margaret Sweet considers helpful:

Scowl posits that Hunter may have been carrying Edwards' child, but it was McGovern she was really thinking about all the time. Simon has his reasons.

He also has a journalism project for the willing.

We found it an interesting read while waiting for the latest Edwards news--other than him running from reporters again.

With the Mainstream Media news blackout slowly ending, Bob may not be a mystery much longer.


by Mondoreb
image: Deceiver

John Edward ScandalEdwards Bolts from Reporters, Questions

Edwards Flees From Reporters 2nd Time in 10 Days
See, Johnny Run



It may be too late for John Edwards to try out for the 1000 meters at the Beijing Olympics, but he's certainly getting in some practice running from reporters.

Using a side area, usually reserved for the kitchen staff, John Edwards, fled from reporters, "at least some of whom wanted to question him about recent reports in the National Enquirer that alleged an inappropriate relationship with a former campaign videographer."

The Raleigh News & Observer account below (via PJ Gladnick at Newbusters):

About a dozen reporters and photojournalists attended a speech Edwards gave to an AARP Foundation symposium on poverty and aging in Washington. Afterward, he avoided most of the waiting reporters, at least some of whom wanted to question him about recent reports in the National Enquirer that alleged an inappropriate relationship with a former campaign videographer.

...
On Wednesday, Edwards apparently ducked out a side area used by the kitchen staff in the fourth-floor ballroom of Washington's historic Hotel Monaco. Edwards emerged from a lower-level handicap ramp near the rear of the hotel with two men. When approached by a Charlotte Observer reporter, Edwards said, "Can't do it now, I'm sorry" and quickly walked past.

Raleigh News & Observer: Facing questions, Edwards evades reporters
NewBusters: Cracks Emerging in MSM Wall of Silence on John Edwards Scandal

Gladnick updated his article above with the mention that Edwards' whole "Two Americas" Traveling-Poverty-Salvation Show was--just an gimmick?

UPDATE: In what could be seen as an indirect acknowledgement by Edwards that this alleged scandal might have destroyed his political future, comes this report titled, "Edwards ending college program," in today's Raleigh News & Observer:

Former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards is pulling the plug on a scholarship program he started at an Eastern North Carolina high school -- a program he once promised would be a model for the nation under an Edwards presidency.

Edwards' presidential hopes have evaporated. And he recently informed Greene County officials that he would end the pilot program at Greene Central High School.

To the suspicious mind of your humble correspondent, it looks like John Edwards' whole poverty tour shtick was just that...shtick. Once it looked like his scholarship program would serve him no purpose, Edwards ditched it immediately.

Say it ain't so.

Patterico has caught the LA Times in some blog post sleight-of-hand shenangigans, regarding the John Edwards/Reille Hunter rumors, as posted by Andrew Malcolm:

by Mondoreb

image: frugal yankee

MoveOn.org Attack Ad: Drilling for More Oil is "Gimmick"

New MoveOn.Org Video Ad
And Parodymoveon.org, attack, ad, drilling, america, oil, parody
Conservative Punk


The MoveOn.Org Attack Dog


The latest passive toned ad from Moveon.org, this time tackling the energy crisis and offshore drilling:



The Wilkow Majority decided it's parody time. This was a record turnaround too. Enjoy!

The parody of the attack ad is here: Parody of MoveOn.org attack ad

by Rizzuto
Source: Moveon.org's New Attack Ad
image: dbkp file

Minimum Wage Hike: Who Does it Really Benefit?

America Takes A Pay Cut
Red Planet Cartoons



Red Planet Cartoons takes a look at the increase in minimum wage in their latest.

From The Wall Street Journal: Bad Law, Worse Timing.

Most are not family heads making the minimum wage full-time all year. They are young single adults, teenagers living at home or spouses providing a second income. The average family income of a minimum-wage earner is $44,636, and 42% of these workers live with a parent or other relative. Only 15% of employees making the minimum wage are single earners with dependents. “A minimum wage increase today is a middle-class family entitlement,” says EPI Executive Director Rick Berman, “because that’s who’s working at the minimum wage in second and third jobs.”

Repeated studies have shown that minimum-wage increases are more likely to slow job creation than reduce poverty. A large share of the costs of these mandates are borne by the same low-income families the wage hike is supposed to help. Employers inevitably pass wage increases onto consumers as higher prices for goods and services, which erodes the spending power of all consumers but especially the poor. Employers also respond by hiring fewer unskilled workers, a disproportionate number of whom are teenagers and minorities.

Why would politicians vote for a minimum wage increase when it's been demonstrated, time-and-again that it hurts the very people it's supposed to help?

It's the ultimate liberal politician's wet dream.

It allows the liberal to proclaim that (s)he's helping the poor. It also fulfills the political need of "doing something"--whether that "something" is beneficial or not. Finally, it allows the liberal to feel good about themselves for being such a fine, outstanding person.

The facts be damned.

As a personal note: eons ago, while managing a fast food restaurant, the minimum wage was increased. That raised labor costs as well. Labor costs at our store were fixed as a percentage of sales the store did. The usual amount of money we had to work with for labor costs at that time, was roughly (if memory serves), $280 per week.

Though the minimum wage went up, the budget for labor costs did not. If the labor costs budget increased, then our prices had to increase, also. The upshot: we had to let one of our eight workers go and cut the hours of two others.

That is the real-life consequences of a rise in the minimum wage.

Red Planet also includes supporting links, for reference and convenience.

Raising the minimum wage: who does it really help?

Ask the politicians.

by Mondoreb
Source: America Takes a Pay Cut

Illegal Immigration Video: Postville, IA Rally Against Illegal Immigration

Blogs4Borders' weekly video blogburst features coverage from a rally in Postville, Iowa. The town has been transformed, culturally and demographically, by the influx of illegal immigrants in recent years.



The presidential candidates, politicians that they both are, were all over Iowa in January, when there were votes to be had. Now, it seems to take a rally by townspeople to get their ears 7 months later on a nagging concern.

The federal government's refusal to enforce the laws of the land.

by Mondoreb
Source: Blogs4Borders! 072808

John Edwards Love Child Scandal: Media Wants the Enquirer to Do Their Job

"We drew 'em a road map to the story. All they had to do was follow it and do a little basic reporting. We did it. Fox did it. They can, too--if they want to."
--David Perel, Editor-in-Chief, National Enquirer,
on the Mainstream Media failure to check out the John Edwards affair and cover-up


* David Perel on the National Enquirer's latest allegations in the John Edwards scandal [EDWARDS' HU$H MONEY TO MISTRESS], which involve hush money being funneled to Rielle Hunter, their baby and former Edwards Director of Finance, Andrew Young, who earlier claimed he was the father.

* When the pictures are coming out
* Whether there is a video of the whole Beverly Hilton episode
* Why the story is important




DBKP talked to David Perel today, and the National Enquirer's Editor-in-Chief had a little advice for slack-jawed competitors in the news biz who dismiss the story [John Edwards Love Child Scandal] because it appeared first in the Enquirer.

"Try doing a little basic reporting. Do the work. Prove us wrong."

A week after the National Enquirer's reporting team cornered John Edwards in a Beverly Hilton men's room, not a word about the growing scandal has appeared in the New York Times.

Nor on CNN, ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, or in the pages of Time or Newsweek.




Four days after Fox News confirmed the confrontation by interviewing a security guard at the Beverly Hilton, we're assured by the LA Times that their "Metro Desk is on it".

No word from the Times Metro Desk on what they've uncovered. To our knowledge, the memo that Times Blog Editor, Tony Pearce, circulated to his reporters not to mention the scandal on-line, hasn't been rescinded.

No Denial from Edwards

A trial lawyer--one who has built his fortune and spent his life suing others--is accused of fathering an illegitimate child while running for president. He's later caught in the Beverly Hilton visiting his mistress and their love child, then runs from the Enquirer's reporters.

All together: juicy lawsuit time.

If the story is false.

Yet, Edwards hasn't threatened to take action against the Enquirer. What does this say?

David Perel just chuckled at the question--then hinted at more to come.

"We have a little more up our sleeve."

Perez Hilton [Hu$h Little Mistre$$] , scooped the New York Times and CNN on this story--merely by mentioning it. He asks the same questions as DBKP:

Johnny boy has yet to make a comment about the shenanigans asserted by the Enquirer.

Why not?

What do y'all think????

The Photos

What about the lack of coverage by the respectable press, and one report that the Mainstream Media is waiting for photos from the Enquirer before they'll cover the story?

"I thought Gawker wrote it beautifully this morning."

He then read the following passage from Ryan Tate's piece, "Edwards Mistress' Hush Money: $15,000/Month"

Also via Radar (see prior link), the Washington Post and Huffington Post are anxiously awaiting pictures from the Enquirer's reporting, because it's not enough that Edwards isn't denying the affair or love child, Hunter isn't denying the affair or love child, a team of Enquirer reporters saw Edwards go in and out of the hotel to visit the love child and a security guard confirmed to Fox News that Edwards hid from the Enquirer team just like the tabloid said.

The publications are also hungry for photos even though pictures of Edwards in or near a hotel will prove precisely nothing scandalous, in and of themselves. Talk about missing the point.

As DBKP's LBG pointed out: "The MSM is waiting for the Enquirer to release photos to legitimize the story of an illegitimate baby."

We agree. The mainstream press wants the Enquirer to do all the heavy lifting on the story, then, after the photos are published, tag along for the ride.

Their reasoning seems to be: the story is in the Enquirer. The Enquirer's not credible, so the story's not credible. But, when the Enquirer publishes the photos (You mean, in the same Enquirer that's not credible?), then we'll decide that it's credible enough to run with.

Got that?

We asked Perel about the MSM's call for photos. How about it?

"We're on our schedule. Because we're the only ones that pursued the story, they can't get it anywhere else. We're on our schedule and no one else's. We've been leading the way on this. You want to see more? Go out and do your own reporting."

This was as Radar reported Perel saying yesterday [Where Are the John Edwards Photos?]

"But no one will dictate the time-table for when we release our unpublished material. We've been setting the agenda, and will continue doing so."

Today, he added, "We drew 'em a road map to the story. All they had to do was follow it and do a little basic reporting. We did it. Fox did it. They can, too--if they want to."

What about rumors that the Enquirer is in possession of video footage of Edwards running from the Enquirer's reporters and hiding in the bathroom at the Beverly Hilton?

Perel thought about it and chuckled again.

"Hmmmm. We...we're not done. That's all I'm saying. We'll see."

Which would provide the MSM with at least one other excuse for not covering the story.

Maybe they're waiting for the movie.

Why hasn't Edwards denied the Enquirer's allegations since December, when the tabloid named Rielle Hunter as the mother of their love child?

Perel didn't hesitate.

"He can't."

Finally, what do you say to those who say that Edwards is no longer running for public office, so this is "not news"?

"He's in the running for vice-president. He's been mentioned as a cabinet member in a possible Barack Obama administration. His name is floating around as a candidate for Attorney General. This isn't news?

"He's on the road, making speeches and appearances. He held three press conferences last week. He's in the public eye."

As Perel told us last week, "He's someone who could be first in line for the presidency."

That sounded like a good argument to us--but then, we're not part of the Mainstream Media.

David Perel told us to be be ready and promised "there's more to come."

The Buzz

Silence of the Damned

Even though viewers of NBC News have not heard a word of this story, Don Surber reminded us that certain NBC viewers have: those who watch Jay Leno. Leno has been referencing the Edwards scandal on the Tonight Show.

"About the same number of people watch the Tonight Show, 6 million, as watch NBC News."

One would think it newsworthy that Edwards has issued no denials at all since October 2007. Even then, his denial was 1 part denial, 3 parts deflection.

His latest reaction was no denial--he stopped himself in mid-denial to attack the Enquirer instead of answering a Houston reporter's question.

In this, the mainstream press has allowed John "Master of Deflection" Edwards not only a free pass, but also free popcorn and soda as well.

Tim Worstall asks the question, [John Edwards Hush Money] "Isn't this interesting?:

Rielle Hunter is apparently receiving $15,000 a month in hush money via a rich friend of John Edwards.

No, no, of course there's no connection with any story about an affair or a love child. Must be just delayed payments for those movies she made, yes?

Meanwhile the MSM scrambles for excuses of not only failing to investigate and report the Edwards affair, but why they won't let others write about it.

"Today, Simon from Bloggasm, reports that he spoke with Tony Pierce, the LA Times blog editor to ask him about that email [asking LATimes bloggers to refrain writing about the Edwards affair.]."

A nice summary of the Bloggasm piece is presented by Susan Duclos of Wake Up America! [Bloggasm, LA Times Blog Editor, the National Enquirer and John Edwards]

[Edwards Mistress Getting $15,000 a Month to Keep Quiet]

We still can't figure out why the photos are so important, since they won't confirm anything Fox News hasn't already, but the absurdity with which this scandal is playing out in the media is matched only by the absurdity of the scandal itself, so I guess the nonsensical nature of it all is kind of fitting.




Simon Scowl, at Deceiver [Wanna See Rielle Hunter’s Old Site?] has an interesting post of Hunter's old website.

I haven’t started exploring it yet, but in light of current alleged events, the main page alone is a gold mine. Is there any irony to be found in any of those link headers? Hmmmm, could be:

He then lists the link headers with comments on a site he notes disappeared, then was put back up: "Looks like there are two Americas: the America where not-John-Edwards’-babymama Rielle Hunter has erased her web site from existence, and the America where someone else has put it right back up."

Finally, in the debate taking place at Wikipedia [Talk: Wikipedia] on when and how to include information of the scandal on the on-line encyclopedia's "John Edwards" entry, this point stood out:

Allowing the North Carolina local NBC affiliate and the state's own "paper of record," The Charlotte Observer, to break the story in this new way will allow for measured consent on the part of other MSM outlets to develop. When the "home town boys" run with a story that shames one of their own, the national media will follow.

by Mondoreb
image: National Enquirer

John Edwards Scandal: Baby Named, Hush Money Paid

It's a Girl!




The National Enquirer turned up the heat on a scandal the Mainstream press has refused to investigate.

The Enquirer's latest salvo in the on-going "John Edwards Love Child Scandal" will a report that Rielle Hunter, the mother of Edwards' love child, is being paid $15,000 a month in "hush money".

The money is being funneled to Hunter by a wealthy colleague who was closely tied to the Edwards’ campaign. This same man is also shoveling cash to Edwards’ pal and former aide Andrew Young – who tried to take the heat off the ex-Senator by claiming he is the father of Rielle’s baby.

And The ENQUIRER is also exclusively revealing that Rielle’s baby is a girl named Frances Quinn Hunter and was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

“A super-rich pal – who was closely involved with the campaign finances – is helping John. It’s likely this man doesn’t know all the dirty details of John’s extramarital affair, but is acting out of loyalty and is not asking a lot of questions – only writing the checks,” revealed a source very close to the situation.

One other revelation in the latest update is that Edwards is also reportedly "shoveling cash to Edwards’ pal and former aide Andrew Young – who tried to take the heat off the ex-Senator by claiming he is the father of Rielle’s baby."

The results of the National Enquirer's year-long investigation, which had seven reporters assigned to the story, are revealed on the tabloid's website.

The Enquirer's latest update also reminds readers of last week's confrontation between Edwards and the Enquirer's reporters as he left the Beverly Hilton at 2:40 in the morning.

"Edwards, 55, was confronted by ENQUIRER reporters, but refused to answer questions and instead hid in a public men’s restroom until security escorted him off hotel grounds."

The mainstream press has maintained a remarkable 'cone of silence' around the Edwards' story. The excuses heard are usually along the lines of "It's the Enquirer"--which doesn't address the issue of why no Mainstream Media reporters have asked Edwards any questions about the affair.

It also doesn't address the issue of why major "news" organization didn't report the independent corroboration of FoxNews, who last week interviewed one of the security guards at the Beverly Hilton and confirmed Edwards' running from the Enquirer's reporters.

The news blackout began to be slowly lifted in the last week, as Slate, The Times, Independent, and a few American newspapers reported the Edwards-reporters standoff in the Beverly Hilton.

Hush money and back-channel payments made by political figures in any cover-up schemes usually get any reporter's blood hot for more info.

We'll see if the latest news excites any interest in the MSM.

by Mondoreb

UPDATE #1: 10:50 EDT July 30 2008:

Ryan Tate, of Gawker, makes several good points in Edwards Mistress' Hush Money: $15,000/Month:

There's been no confirmation of any of this yet from reputable newspapers, like the one that told us about the secret scientist who knew where Saddam Hussein hid his chemical and biological weapons, or from the one that said Puff Daddy was in on the plot to gun down Tupac Shakur. So, gosh, who knows if it can be trusted! But if you still want some salacious details on this hush money stuff — or word from Radar on how the mistress is trying to negotiate her share of this feeding frenzy — it's yours after the jump.

Exactly. The new MSM motto seems to be--at least on the John Edwards story: "We won't give our readers any scandal news on John Edwards or do any investigations, but if the Enquirer does it for us and publishes the pictures, then we'll tell you about it."

As Tate points out, "The publications are also hungry for photos even though pictures of Edwards in or near a hotel will prove precisely nothing scandalous, in and of themselves. Talk about missing the point."

Liberal media?... What liberal media?
The The National Enquirer has scooped the liberal media... again.

Verily, verily: it is that bad and it's so sad.

UPDATE #4: 13:00 EDT July 30 2008:

Gawker's Alex Pareene--who's written several good commentaries on the convoluted contortions of most of the major news outlets in the story have underwent--in email yesterday called the non-coverage by the mainstream press, "bizarre".

"..it's bizarre and also not too surprising to see everyone remain so quiet on a story just because they don't want it to be true."

Pareene also made a prediction of sorts--with a sigh:

"That'll change soon, I'm sure. Once GMA or Today pays Rielle enough for an on-screen interview (or someone tracks down John's child support money) we'll get some coverage and a LOT of self-flagellating media "oh no culture of scandal" moaning."

by Mondoreb

John Edwards Scandal: Baby Named, Hush Money Paid

It's a Girl!




The National Enquirer turned up the heat on a scandal the Mainstream press has refused to investigate.

The Enquirer's latest salvo in the on-going "John Edwards Love Child Scandal" will a report that Rielle Hunter, the mother of Edwards' love child, is being paid $15,000 a month in "hush money".

The money is being funneled to Hunter by a wealthy colleague who was closely tied to the Edwards’ campaign. This same man is also shoveling cash to Edwards’ pal and former aide Andrew Young – who tried to take the heat off the ex-Senator by claiming he is the father of Rielle’s baby.

And The ENQUIRER is also exclusively revealing that Rielle’s baby is a girl named Frances Quinn Hunter and was born at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

“A super-rich pal – who was closely involved with the campaign finances – is helping John. It’s likely this man doesn’t know all the dirty details of John’s extramarital affair, but is acting out of loyalty and is not asking a lot of questions – only writing the checks,” revealed a source very close to the situation.

One other revelation in the latest update is that Edwards is also reportedly "shoveling cash to Edwards’ pal and former aide Andrew Young – who tried to take the heat off the ex-Senator by claiming he is the father of Rielle’s baby."

The results of the National Enquirer's year-long investigation, which had seven reporters assigned to the story, are revealed on the tabloid's website.

The Enquirer's latest update also reminds readers of last week's confrontation between Edwards and the Enquirer's reporters as he left the Beverly Hilton at 2:40 in the morning.

"Edwards, 55, was confronted by ENQUIRER reporters, but refused to answer questions and instead hid in a public men’s restroom until security escorted him off hotel grounds."

The mainstream press has maintained a remarkable 'cone of silence' around the Edwards' story. The excuses heard are usually along the lines of "It's the Enquirer"--which doesn't address the issue of why no Mainstream Media reporters have asked Edwards any questions about the affair.

It also doesn't address the issue of why major "news" organization didn't report the independent corroboration of FoxNews, who last week interviewed one of the security guards at the Beverly Hilton and confirmed Edwards' running from the Enquirer's reporters.

The news blackout began to be slowly lifted in the last week, as Slate, The Times, Independent, and a few American newspapers reported the Edwards-reporters standoff in the Beverly Hilton.

Hush money and back-channel payments made by political figures in any cover-up schemes usually get any reporter's blood hot for more info.

We'll see if the latest news excites any interest in the MSM.

by Mondoreb

UPDATE #1: 10:50 EDT July 30 2008:

Ryan Tate, of Gawker, makes several good points in Edwards Mistress' Hush Money: $15,000/Month:

There's been no confirmation of any of this yet from reputable newspapers, like the one that told us about the secret scientist who knew where Saddam Hussein hid his chemical and biological weapons, or from the one that said Puff Daddy was in on the plot to gun down Tupac Shakur. So, gosh, who knows if it can be trusted! But if you still want some salacious details on this hush money stuff — or word from Radar on how the mistress is trying to negotiate her share of this feeding frenzy — it's yours after the jump.

Exactly. The new MSM motto seems to be--at least on the John Edwards story: "We won't give our readers any scandal news on John Edwards or do any investigations, but if the Enquirer does it for us and publishes the pictures, then we'll tell you about it."

As Tate points out, "The publications are also hungry for photos even though pictures of Edwards in or near a hotel will prove precisely nothing scandalous, in and of themselves. Talk about missing the point."

Trench Pro Wrestling Report: WWE Storylines are Poor

Who Writes this Stuff?



In case you haven't noticed, I haven't written a wrestling post in a few weeks. There's a reason for that. It's become clear to me that it's one of those times in wrestling history again that I'm embarrassed to be a wrestling fan.

While it's true that a true wrestling fan's wrestler is the RAW Champion in CM Punk, he's being booked as horribly as Rey Mysterio was when he was Smackdown champion. It's only a matter of time before either Batista or John Cena is champion again.

Here's the problem: WWE is insulting the fan's intelligence. I know intelligence and wrestling fan is kind of an oxymoron, but stay with me.

I can only suspend my disbelief in wrestling so far.

Take Kane for example. His latest gimmick is carrying around a thing in a bag asking people if he's alive or dead. If that happened in relative real life, he would have been committed for his own good. I kind of feel sorry for Kane because of all the crappy storylines he's been saddled with.

Over on Smackdown, HHH just happened to have a hidden camera in Edge's hotel room at the precise moment Edge cheated on Vickie. Not to mention the fact that the camera's quality was just as good as a regular HD TV camera. And who doesn't want to hold their wedding reception during the taping of Smackdown.

I know I harp on this every time, but this is why I still miss the original ECW. There were no weddings, no wrestlers rising from the dead into the sky, no voodoo curses making people vomit on camera. Just good fashioned mayhem and violence. Storylines were simple and revolved solely around title shots, competition, and hatred. One of the best feuds of all time if not the best was Tommy Dreamer vs. Raven and all it revolved around was the fact that they hated each other.

Nobody respected the fans more than ECW. They gave the fans what they wanted instead of telling them what they should want.

The straw that broke the camel's back was this past Friday night when the WWE went in the opposite direction and got too realistic. In a promo, MVP was cutting on Jeff Hardy: the real life tragedy of Hardy's home burning down with his dog inside was used as part of a storyline. I'm all for realism but using a wrestler's personal tragedy is taking it too far.

I turned it off at that point.

So is it too much WWE to ask for a little balance?

I'll probably still watch wrestling.

But only to tell you what's wrong with it.

by Trench Reynolds

John Edwards Scandal: Wikipedia Editor Defends Policies

William Beutler, an editor at Wikipedia, gives a cool, calm defense of Wikipedia editorial policies and how they affect the "John Edwards" entry in John Edwards Among the Wikipedians.

Yesterday's John Edwards Love Child Scandal: Debate at Wikipedia Rages mentioned the sometimes-heated debate at the on-line reference source over whether to include any mention of the "Love Child Scandal" or "Rielle Hunter" on Edwards' Wikipedia page. The debate can be followed at Talk: John Edwards

Beutler sets up what's happened to this point.

More than 26,000 words (!)* have been expended on the discussion page associated with the John Edwards encyclopedia entry since the National Enquirer posted a story claiming he was seen leaving a hotel room rented for Rielle Hunter (last week), the woman with whom they have alleged he fathered a child out of wedlock (last year). So far, there is no mention of this story in the article — let alone the existence of Ms. Hunter — and because it has been temporarily locked (see above), it doesn’t appear that anyone will. Not just yet, anyway.

I’ve now read about half the debate, which is the whole extent of it before new people start showing up and re-arguing old points. Based on my own knowledge of how Wikipedia works and what I’ve seen in the press, I’ve come to the conclusion that, even though it sure looks like Edwards’ goose is cooked, Wikipedia’s editors are currently doing the responsible thing by keeping it out of the article.

Getting to the defense of what some--including DBKP--have characterized as foot-dragging, Beutler explains:
"There are two reasons to proceed with caution, in addition to the truth remaining at large. One is Wikipedia’s strict guidelines for biographies of living persons and the other is that Wikipedia is a reference site, not a news site."

Patrick Ruffini, among others, is unimpressed. In a comment on the Beutler post, he noted: "If Edwards were a Republican, the National Enquirer scandal would be the first line of his Wikipedia entry, and anyone attempting to take it down would be immediately edited out."

By far, the most valid point made here is that Wikipedia is not a news site. It has no deadline to meet when including updates to already-published information. As Beutler pointed out, there's no deadlines to meet.

If this same strict standard is applied to all Wikipedia entries, then “What’s the rush?” is a good defense to charges of editorial bias and selective foot-dragging.

It will be something for Wiki-watchers to look for in the future.

All-in-all, a good defense of one side in a heated on-line debate.

DBKP will continue to follow the debate.

by Mondoreb

Culture Watch 25: Continued Good News in Iraq

CULTURE WATCH, Volume 25
by Nancy Morgan
Right Bias
July 28, 2008




Last week was 'All Obama, All The Time' as the media reported endlessly on the 'historic' trip Obama made to Iraq and Europe.

Before jetting off, however, he removed the American flag from his campaign jet. For more on his 'historic' visit, just click on any TV, any channel, anywhere in the world.


GOOD NEWS:

Exhibiting a firm grasp of the obvious, the Associated Press has (finally) reported "The US is now winning the war that two years ago seemed lost." I guess that makes it official. We've won in Iraq.

Oil exports through Iraq's northern pipeline rose more than tenfold over the past year.

In yet another sign of progress, 62 tribes and 68 sheikhs have organized four private trucking companies to form the Iraqi Transportation Network. It appears the tribes in Iraq are starting to work together better than our very own congress. Now that insurgent attacks and sectarian bloodshed have ebbed, Iraq's government (thank-you, USA) is beginning to promote tourism. Want to sign up for an Iraq tour? At the very least, it will enhance your resume.

The good news is the Arctic may hold 90 billion barrels of oil, enough to supply US demand for oil for 12 years. The bad news is, the Democrats refuse to even allow a vote on tapping these resources.


MEDIA:

The New York Times refused to publish McCain's direct rebuttal to Obama's 'My Plan For Iraq' because it did not 'mirror' Obama's. The obvious bias of the Gray Lady was rewarded when their 2nd quarter profit dropped a whopping 82%.

The Times response was typically liberal - they raised the price of their newspaper .25 to $1.50 and proceeded to publish an article lamenting that there have been "4,000 U.S. Combat Deaths and Just A Handful of Images." Time to stick a fork into this once great paper - they're almost done.

A great video clip entitled Obama Love was released by the McCain campaign showing the continuing media love affair with Obama. "A gift from the world to us." Best watched on an empty stomach.



Again confirming the obvious, an analysis of federal records shows that political donations made by our impartial media favor Democrats by 100 to 1.


GOVERNMENT AT WORK:

With the eyes of the world focused on Obama, our government is quietly working on several measures that will appropriate ever more money and power to the federal government. The Senate will soon be debating the 'Global Poverty Act.' If enacted, this act will cost every man woman and child in the US $2,500 - all in the name of reducing poverty around the world.

Despite record high gas prices, lawmakers are considering a gas tax hike. They're also considering another economic stimulus package. This, after authorizing a housing bailout estimated to cost taxpayers $25 billion (rebutting Treasury's recent prediction that any housing bailout would be 'virtually cost-free.')

Congress is debating two bills that could give the feds unprecedented control over the way parents raise their kids. They're also holding hearings hoping to reverse the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy regarding gays in the military. Meanwhile, Rep. Dennis Kucinich's never ending quest to impeach George Bush got another hearing in the House Judiciary committee.

The feds were so busy doing the people's work that they had to drop their criminal probe of Al Sharpton.

Meanwhile, in 'Kindergarten Cops, Part 2,' Arnold signed legislation that will make California the first state to ban trans fats in bakeries and restaurants. Following Arnold's lead, the LA City Council proposed placing a one year moratorium on new fast food restaurants and while they were at it, the council did their bit to save the world by voting to ban plastic shopping bags from stores. Speaking of saving the world:


ECO-HYSTERIA:

There's a new global warming game that shows kids how to calculate their carbon footprint so they can "find out what age you should die so you don't use more than your fair share of Earth's resources."

Across the pond, the global warming agenda is becoming increasingly clear as population control is suggested as a solution to this faux crisis. Eco-crazies aren't deterred by the increasing number of scientists who challenge the man-made warming hypothesis, the most recent convert being a former global warming alarmist, the guy who created the model to measure Australia's compliance with Kyoto, who claims there is no evidence that carbon emissions cause global warming.

Penn & Teller have produced a great video which exposes the socialist roots to environmental hysteria.


CULTURE:

In a gay nightmare, a lesbian finds she is consigned to marriage, for life. Apparently her state doesn't recognize gay marriage and the state where she was wed limits divorces to residents.

In a surprise turnaround, actor Danny Glover, who plans an epic film on Haiti's hero Toussaint-Louverture, said he slaved to raise the money himself because financiers complained there were no white heroes. Where's the affirmative action?

S. Dakota Planned Parenthood closed its doors rather than comply with a new law requiring abortion practitioners to inform every woman that she is terminating the life of a human being.

Singapore is considering legalising kidney trading to meet the demand for kidney transplants and a new survey warns about the rising rates of HIV among Hispanics.

Nihilism is on the rise as one in three Muslim students in the UK say killing for religion is justified.

In Costa Rica, animal abuse is now considered art as an 'artist' is making headlines, publicly starving a dog to death as part of his 'exhibit'.


A Chinese laborer with only a high school education has made a submarine at home.


ESSENTIAL TRIVIA:

For all the women out there, good news. A new study has found that male lust is blind. Apparently even the plainest Jane can get their hormones raging. And for all the men out there, beware - researchers have also found that a regular diet containing even modest amounts of soy may reduce your sperm production by 50


IDIOT OF THE WEEK:

There's no tie this week. From the ranks of the terminally stupid, a convicted murderer who was executed last week chose to use his last words to implore everyone to vote for Obama. You can't make this stuff up. Poor Obama, another vote lost.


Before I sign off, I include a link to the article that swept the net last week. 'He Ventured Forth To Bring Light To The World' by Gerald Baker. One of the best articles I've ever read. Only trouble is, I couldn't figure out if it was truth or satire.


Till next week, keep smiling,

by Nancy Morgan

Nancy Morgan is a columnist and a news editor for RightBias.com
She lives in South Carolina, where she writes "Culture Watch" weekly.

Article may be reprinted with attribution. Bio available on request.

Trench Reynolds: DBKP This Week in Crime, vol. 25

July 20-July 26, 2008





I'm Trench Reynolds.

I blog about crime.

This is DBKP's This Week in Crime for July 20th-July 26th, 2008.

This week at craigscrimelist I posted a story about how proponents of the so called 'victimless crime' harassed a man who was actually trying to clean up craigslist.

I think the DBKP readers might get a kick from a link I posted at CrimeNe.ws about some Barack Obama supporters.

Things are still slow at News of Doom except for one story I posted about yet another woman who had her baby cut from her womb.

A story from MyCrimeSpace that DBKP readers may also find interesting is the latest legal wrangling in the upcoming trial of Lori Drew.

At TheTrenchcoat Chronicles I posted about the most recent shooting to take place at a college campus. Even during the summer this still happens.

And lastly at Bad Breeders, I know I mentioned it last week but the blogging continues about the disappearance of Caylee Marie Anthony. Especially with the weird things that her grandmother, Cindy Anthony, keeps saying to the press.

Remember, if you want to follow my sites the best way is to use Twitter, the RSS feed, or Netvibes. Considering how often I change things around these ways are the best ways to keep up with me.

That's it for this week. I'm Trench Reynolds for DBKP.

Remember that the evil you brew, is waiting outside to be paid by you.

by Trench Reynolds
image: Trench Network

Seattle Green Lake Spikes Mystery Solved

"I'm sorry. It was us."
--Seattle Parks Department spokesman, Dewey Potter on how sharpened steel spikes got into the Green Lake




The mystery of spikes in the pond [Spate of Hidden Sharpened Spikes Found in Lake, Parks] in Seattle has been solved.

The Seattle Parks Department put them there.

The mystery was solved with a quote reminiscent of Oliver Hazard Perry ("We have met the enemy and they are ours.") or Walt Kelly's Pogo ("We have met the enemy and it's us.").

Monday, a spokesman for the Seattle Parks Dept., Dewey Potter, said, "I'm sorry it was us."

The Parks Department says they were placed in the lake more than 20 years ago to hold down plastic sheeting in an attempt to control water plants.

The metal stakes originally had curved tops that rusted off, leaving sharp points.

Not exactly "alls well that ends well", but close enough.

The spikes that were found in various parks in the Netherlands, embedded in hidden pits?

Still no explanation on that.

by Mondoreb
image: Seattle Times - Sharpened Spikes at Green Lake
Sources:
* Seattle parks department responsible for spikes in lake
* Spikes in Seattle pond not malicious

PC in Britain: Police Often Take the Side of Lawbreakers

DBKP UK PC Roundup

Britain As Hell






Time once again for the DBKP United Kingdom weekly round up, where we explore the zany world of Political Correctness as a way of life.

The British started the week with the Police intimidating another elderly victim. it seems hardly a day can go by without the coppers deciding that criminals are far too dangerous for them, but slapping down the law abiding--and basically defenseless geriatrics--is just too much fun to pass on.

Grandmother arrested on race charges after telling rowdy Asian students to 'go home'

Now I know what you are thinking. Blurting out "Go home!" to a bunch of drunken Muslim thugs (The Koran apparently has multiple interpretations regarding drinking, but only Muslims are allowed to know what, when and how they apply) is criminally racist speech.

Or so the Police thought. The Crime:

After being woken for the third time in one night by a group of drunken and noisy students, Jo Calvert-Mindell was at her wits' end.

The former policewoman got dressed, went outside and shouted at them: 'Why can't you go back to where you come from and make some noise there? I bet your families and neighbours wouldn't put up with it.

She also reported the incident to police, who came and dispersed the eight students.

The 51-year-old grandmother was astonished when four months later she was arrested and accused of being a racist. It turned out that two Asians in the group had complained to the police

In April, Miss Calvert-Mindell, who has never been in trouble with the police before, was charged with using racially aggravated threatening words or behaviour under section 5 of the Public Order Act.

That is right. She wasn't telling them to go back to Pakistan. Just to go home.

But because they were Muslims ("Asian" in Brit PoliCeSpeak), she faced charges. It is important for all to know that freedom of speech is non-existent in Britain, and free thought is is disappearing, as well.

Speaking of Muslims:
Police told to warn criminals before setting canines on them - in case they are FRIGHTENED or ALLERGIC to dog hair

First, a little primer on British PoliCeSpeak. When the Brits talk about Muslims, the only time the word is used is in a positive reference. When it comes to the day-to-day anti-social, Sudden Muslim Grievance Syndrome, terrorism , misogyny, and intolerance that makes this 'religion' such a barrel of laughs, the Brits seem unable to utter the word "Muslim".

From the story:

Being chased by a police dog was never intended to be a pleasant experience.But now handlers are being extra careful to avoid upsetting criminals' sensibilities by giving them advance warning before dogs are set on them. Forces across Britain are being instructed to 'avoid offending' sufferers of cynophobia - the clinical name for a fear of canines - or those allergic to dog hair.The move comes amid fears that suspects whose medical conditions are triggered by dogs may file costly compensation bills against the force which authorised their use during arrests or raids on homes.

So how do we know this is about Muslims, and not the ordinary drug runner or crazy murderer on the run?

Because on July 6, 2008 the British police announced that police dogs would wear shoes when entering Muslim homes.

From Times On Line:

Police sniffer dogs will have to wear bootees when searching the homes of Muslims so as not to cause offence. Where Muslims object, officers will be obliged to use sniffer dogs only in exceptional cases. Where dogs are used, they will have to wear bootees with rubber soles. “We are trying to ensure that police forces are aware of sensitivities that people can have with the dogs to make sure they are not going against any religious or cultural element within people’s homes. It is being addressed and forces are working towards doing it,” Acpo said

But that bit of ass kissing was not good enough. So this week the Brits stooped lower.

Photographing thugs 'is assault', police tell householder snapping proof of anti-social behaviour

A householder who took photographs of hooded teenagers as evidence of their anti-social behaviour says he was told he was breaking the law after they called the police. David Green, 64, and his neighbours had been plagued by the youths from a nearby comprehensive school for months, and was advised by their headmaster to identify them so action could be taken. The youths were aged around 17; he said one threatened to kill him while another called the police on his mobile. And he claimed that a Police Community Support Officer sent to the scene promptly issued a warning that taking pictures of youths without permission was illegal, and could lead to a charge of assault.

Typical yobs

One of Mr Green's pictures shows two hooded teenagers, one making an obscene gesture towards the camera.

What about the thugs that were terrorizing and vandalizing the neighborhood? Don't ask. You could be arrested for anti-social thought. And the story helpfully points out that Mr Green's excessive use of the camera is not an isolated incident.

Last week, the Daily Mail reported that a father was told by a play equipment supervisor he was not allowed to take pictures of his own children on a slide.

British Police are sometimes willing to give a hand.

Police 'put half-naked rape victim in minicab and made her pay fare home'

Police allegedly marched a rape victim who had been found crying in the street at 1am to a cab firm, and then made her pay the fare home....instead of driving her to a hospital or a police station, the officers took her to a taxi firm close to Southwark Tube station. After it was found no one could collect her, the taxi firm agreed to take her home. The woman reported the incident, which took place on 4 July, the next day but investigators fear important forensic evidence may have been lost. A senior source said: 'It should have been clear that she may have been sexually assaulted. To top it off, they put her in a cab with another strange man.' Police think the woman may have been raped by an unlicensed taxi driver who dumped her in the street.

That story needs no comment.

It says everything one need know about British Police.



by pat
images:
* forbidden planet
* d-boner
* the sun
* guardian
Sources:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article4276489.ece
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036728/Photographing-thugs-assault-police-tell-householder-snapping-proof-anti-social-behaviour.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036892/Police-half-naked-rape-victim-minicab-pay-fare-home.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1036998/Police-warn-criminals-canine-phobia-setting-dogs--avoid-offence.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1038285/Grandmother-arrested-race-charges-telling-rowdy-Asian-students-home.html

John Edwards Love Child Scandal: Debate at Wikipedia Rages

"Rielle Hunter"
"John Edwards Scandal"

If searching for information on the John Edwards scandal,
Scratch Wikipedia from the list of places to look.





A free-for-all has been raging at Wikipedia over whether to include information of the latest John Edwards Love Child news in the on-line reference source. The battle is between those who want a mention of the scandal on the "John Edwards" entry and those, who for various reasons, don't. It involves such topics as "National Enqurier reliability", "left wing bias" and whether to include information that "Hundreds of media outlets have reported on".

The back-and-forth can be seen at Talk: John Edwards and is, in some places, a fascinating look at the human prejudicial baggage--on both sides--that each editor brings to the debate.

I don't want to spill the beans on which way the debate is going, but, as of the time of this post, Wikipedia's "John Edwards" entry has no mention of the scandal which has been bubbling on the Internet for the past 10 months.

Newsbusters, [Wikipedia Disallows Any Mention of Alleged John Edwards Scandal ] and others, have written about Wikipedia joining the mainstream press in their information blackout of the John Edwards scandal.

Wikipedia, which allowed verb tenses for their Tim Russert entry to be changed from present to past tense about a half hour before the official announcement of his death, is suddenly going ultra legal in its refusal to allow their John Edwards entry to be updated with mention of the alleged scandal which was reported in the National Enquirer with many of the details confirmed by Fox News. Suddenly Wikipedia has become a stickler for confirmation detail before the Edwards entry can be updated. To get an idea of how much Wikipedia is twisting itself into a pretzel to justify their refusal to update their John Edwards entry, one needs only to look at their pained, but comedically entertaining, discussions of this matter in their “Tabloid scandal accusations” section:

At the top of the John Edwards page is this notice:

This page is currently protected from editing until July 30, 2008 or until disputes have been resolved.

"This protection is not an endorsement of the current version. See the protection policy and protection log for more details. Please discuss any changes on the talk page; you may use the {{editprotected}} template to ask an administrator to make the edit if it is supported by consensus. You may also request that this page be unprotected."

We had made an earlier assumption that when Mainstream Media organizations were forced--by events beyond their control--to report on the John Edwards affair, that Wikipedia would be dragged along.

Kicking and screaming all the way, no doubt.

But, that hasn't happened.

To keep any information of the scandal from their users, the Stonewall-side of the Wiki debate depend on a circuitous defense of both hairs-splitting and angel-counting.

The Enquirer is not a reliable source. It's corroborated.

Well, not enough. Now the Times is reporting on it.

We're not a newspaper. We have to be sure. We have a lot of time on this.

There's no pictures. Well, we're going to wait.

As was noted, all fascinating stuff, if the reader is into behind-the-scenes looks at how policy is formed.

When the pictures emerge--both on-line and in the print editions of the Enquirer later this week--people searching for information on the affair will learn that Wikipedia, the reference source that made conventional encyclopedias outdated from the moment they were printed, is out-of-date itself. Wiki will then sadly join the MSM, where a small group who long to be gatekeepers of information for the rest of mankind, reside.

Wikipedia is at the top of the Internet reference mountain today. But, that position is not a given. A host of competing wikis have sprouted on the Internet recently. If Wikipedia thinks that they will always be Number One, regardless of policies which deny users information--controversial or not--they will learn a hard lesson.

They can ask about the lesson time they're at K-Mart, drink a Carling's Black Label beer or read the New York Times. All organizations which were, at one time, Number One in their respective fields.

by Mondoreb
image: dbkp file

John Edwards Love Child Scandal: The Video

The entire John Edwards Love Child Scandal, from October 2007 to July 2008 in three minutes.




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