John Edwards Affair: Edwards Claims He Was 99 Percent Honest About Affair

John Edwards has released this statement to the press.

In 2006, I made a serious error in judgment and conducted myself in a way that was disloyal to my family and to my core beliefs. I recognized my mistake and I told my wife that I had a liaison with another woman, and I asked for her forgiveness. Although I was honest in every painful detail with my family, I did not tell the public. When a supermarket tabloid told a version of the story, I used the fact that the story contained many falsities to deny it. But being 99 percent honest is no longer enough.

I was and am ashamed of my conduct and choices, and I had hoped that it would never become public. With my family, I took responsibility for my actions in 2006 and today I take full responsibility publicly. But that misconduct took place for a short period in 2006. It ended then. I am and have been willing to take any test necessary to establish the fact that I am not the father of any baby, and I am truly hopeful that a test will be done so this fact can be definitively established. I only know that the apparent father has said publicly that he is the father of the baby. I also have not been engaged in any activity of any description that requested, agreed to or supported payments of any kind to the woman or to the apparent father of the baby.

It is inadequate to say to the people who believed in me that I am sorry, as it is inadequate to say to the people who love me that I am sorry. In the course of several campaigns, I started to believe that I was special and became increasingly egocentric and narcissistic. If you want to beat me up — feel free. You cannot beat me up more than I have already beaten up myself. I have been stripped bare and will now work with everything I have to help my family and others who need my help.

I have given a complete interview on this matter and having done so, will have nothing more to say.

It may not be too early to observe that John Edwards has, with this statement, given the National Enquirer--and the small part of the Blogosphere who wrote about this when no one else did--a huge story for the foreseeable future.

by Mondoreb
image: National Enquirer
Source: Statement from Edwards on his affair

John Edwards Affair: Edwards Admits Affair with Rielle Hunter

In a coldly-calculated political move, John Edwards has now admitted that he had an affair, but did not father Rielle Hunter's daughter, Frances Quinn Hunter.

In an interview with ABC News Nightline admitted that he had an affair with Rielle Hunter and lied about it while campaigning for President.

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter's baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Just a few days after leading Democrats called for Edwards to deny the affair or risk losing a prime speaking spot at the Democrat National Convention, Edwards did not deny the affair--something he has not done since a November 29, 2007 interview.

The political calculus is: Edwards hopes that his admission of having an affair will allow the incident to blow over, allowing him to procede with his political career.

According to ABC News, which has refused to report on the event previously, "Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby's birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father."

The announcement may prove to raise more questions than it answered.

One question which immediately comes to mind: What was Edwards doing leaving the Bevrly Hilton at 2:40 in the morning, visiting a woman he says he did not love and her baby, which he says he did not father?

UPDATES to follow at DBKP.com

by Mondoreb

John Edwards Affair: WSJ Links Scandal Non-Coverage to MSM Financial Woes

John Edwards Gets "Kid Gloves" Mainstream Media Treatment




Tom Bemis, at the Wall Street Journal's MarketWatch [Media's self censorship is a bigger scandal than Edwards
Commentary: Is it any wonder that nobody buys newspapers any more?] comments on the media's non-coverage of the John Edwards Scandal, after noticing that "no major network or national daily paper is doing anything with the story.":

In February, the New York Times spilled barrels of ink, and clear-cut a forest to tell the world that -- hint, hint, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean? -- Sen. John McCain allegedly had had an affair. This was great stuff, until someone bothered to vet the story.

By those standards, the Enquirer's reporting on Edwards is Pulitzer grade stuff. (They have a picture.)

Although the Mainstream Media's non-coverage of Edwards has been described as a "kid gloves" treatment elsewhere*, Bemis's handling of the MSM is anything but.

The guy's up for a cabinet post at least, maybe even veep -- well, not any more.

But somehow, it's just not relevant that he won't answer questions about why he was hiding from a couple of trashy tabloid reporters in a bathroom at the Beverly Hills Hilton at 2:30 a.m.?

Enquiring minds want to know.

No wonder nobody bothers to buy newspapers anymore.

Exactly.

* Most recently by Gary Pearce, the Democratic strategist who ran Edwards’ 1998 Senate race. "“The big media has tried to be responsible and handle this with kid gloves, but it’s clearly getting ready to bust out." Among others using the phrase:
The John Edwards Love-Child Non-Story - mediabistro.com: FishbowlNY, John Edwards Update: The Silky Pony And His Foal - Right Wing News ... and Patterico’s Pontifications » John Edwards’ Love Child (Updated)


by Mondoreb
image: dkimages