Tabloid's claims threaten Edwards' role at party's convention

[Cheney Killed Bambi]

Former Sen. John Edwards has a deadline to save his spot on the national stage.

With two weeks to go before their national convention, a number of Democrats are saying that Edwards needs to publicly address National Enquirer stories that have alleged he had an affair with a campaign worker and fathered her baby.

If Edwards fails to clear up the story in short order, he risks party officials deciding not to have him speak or, if they do, creating a distraction from a week focused on Barack Obama accepting the nomination.

"If there is not an explanation that’s satisfactory, acceptable and meets high moral standards, the answer is 'no,' he would not be a prime candidate to make a major address to the convention," said Don Fowler, a former Democratic National Committee chair.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/104/story/46637.html

[Double T]

1. I thought philandering was a prerequisite for taking the stage at the DNC national convention.

Do the tabloids expect US to 'change' our ways?

[Beregond2]

2. I try to picture the process whereby a normal human

being chooses to publish a story like this about a man whose wife has cancer...but I fail.

[Egalitariat]

12. His wife's cancer should give him media immunity?****

nm

[Beregond2]

24. What a person does or doesn't do sexually has nothing to do with

their public life, and should be off-limits. It was true for Clinton, and it's true for anyone. The fact thathis wife is dealing with cancer just makes this all the more reprehensible.

[Egalitariat]

25. I disagree. The fact that a man will cheat on his sick wife speaks to his character

And character has everything to do with public life.

If he and his wife are swingers, and he's got her permission spread his seed around, then that would be different.

[DavidDvorkin]

3. He already denied the story, didn't he?

What more is he supposed to do to "clear it up"?

[MonkeyFunk]

4. I think he denied the rumors last year

I don't think he's addressed the current incarnation.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[hendo]

6. its too bad that ignorant rednecks are a swing vote this year

They actually read the National Inquirer and believe it to be the truth.

[ColbertWatcher]

7. Mission Accomplished, GOP-controlled media. (Assholes) n/t

[Hannah Bell]

8. wAy to neutralize the populism.

[DaLittle Kitty]

9. PRECISELY!

:puke:

[underpants]

11. DING!

spot on

[SammyWinstonJack]

26. Exactly!

x(

[myhawgoff]

10. John is the best Attorney

in the country. If these claims were false, he would sue the poo poo out of the NE. Instead he just states it's tabloid trash. That ought to tell you something.

To quote the most Reverand Write, John was Ridin' Dirty!

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[myhawgoff]

16. Just Because

he's not currently a praticing attorney does not mean he cannot sue. Hey, I'm not even an attorney and I can sue someone. Obviously if the story was a hoax, he would be all over the NE.

He'll come clean in time, just be patient.

[alarimer]

17. Well the Globe has a love child story on Obama.

You must believe that too, since it is as credible as the Enquirer. :sarcasm:

[cali]

19. way to evade my point. You claimed he's the best attorney in the country

I pointed out how absurd your claim was. Duh. He's not even a practicing attorney. And yes, of course he can sue, but sorry, most targets of scandal stories, no matter how bogus, don't sue.

[myhawgoff]

22. Some do, some don't

If some rag prints a story about you fathering a child and having an affair outside your marriage and you are one of the most touted attorneys in the country of course you would at least demand a retraction.

The NE has been burnt a few times (Kate Hudson and Carol Burnett come to mind). Believe me if this story were a lie John would be on the Enquirer like ugly on an ape.

[KharmaTrain]

13. A Non-Story Gets Even More Irrelevant

But it runs wild here on DU. Ya gotta wonder some day who your "friends" are.

If there was any real smoke this story, it'd be covered 24/7 on the corporate media. They can't get enough of a scandal involving sex and a famous person. If there was legs to this mess, surely Faux would have done a Prime Time special by now, all the tabloids would go wild and the pundits would interject this into anything and everything they cover.

But I guess some here need to help spread the noise. Hell, I've got a great rumor...I heard Barack Obama fathered two black children!!! Let's see that one become an issue.

[cobalt1999]

15. So now the Democratic leadership is acting like this is important?

No one beyond the people directly involved should even care. The media shouldn't care. The Democrats shouldn't care. The voters shouldn't care.

When did trifles and personal moral behavior become more important than real issues?

[alarimer]

18. They are a bunch of spineless weasels.

But we already knew that. They are afraid to stand up for anything.

[cobalt1999]

20. I don't expect them to stand up anymore.

Standing up would be chastising the media for even discussing such a topic.

Instead, by treating it as something important, they are actually ENCOURAGING this type of reporting in the future.

[RB TexLa]

21. No one gives a shit how many children he has or who he's had them with

I don't know anyone who cares if this story is true or not.

[TexasObserver]

23. I've always liked John, and had high hopes for him, but he has to address this.

DNA simple enough. Either he's the father or not. His lack of response hurts him.