The Trickle Up Effect of the John Edwards Love Child Scandal

David Perel, editor of the National Enquirer, told us yesterday that he thought the mainstream media was simply too lazy (and also, lacking the resources) to report on the John Edwards love child story. You know, the same way they let the Enquirer break tons of O.J. Simpson news, or that Patrick Swayze had Stage 754 cancer. But while the cable news channels and the country's most respected newspaper continue to ignore the oft-named potential vice presidential candidate's possible philandering, the press in Edwards' home state of North Carolina isn't sitting quiet.

Even if Edwards is no longer a senator, and thus, supposedly, a private citizen, he's still a news story to the place where Dirty Dancing was filmed.

"I can tell you that we're looking into it," says Dan Barkin, senior editor at the Charlotte News & Observer. (Barkin's running the newsroom this week while executive editor John Drescher is on vacation. "I don't know how much I can say beyond that. It's something we're looking at and trying to determine what's there."

So it's fair to say the News & Observer doesn't feel Edwards, as a non-candidate and non-officeholder, should be allowed to conduct his personal life away from the view of reporters? "I think obviously that might be a decision that an editor in Des Moines might make, but not here," he says. "[Edwards] remains a very newsworthy guy because of who he's been in this state and where we are. That's not rocket science to figure that out."

[Portfolio]

Jul 25, 2008 · posted by david · Link · 22 Responses
Comments (22)

No. 1 hms says:

Bet he's off Obama's short list for VP.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 9:56 am
No. 2 KTT says:

Keep reading how everyone should lay off of him because his wife is dying. Okay two things here-shouldn't he have thought of not cheating because his wife was dying? He didn't care about her so why should the press show him any mercy given that he's shown her none? Secondly? If this was a GOP candidate the press would be all over him.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 10:06 am
No. 3 Paul says:

And really - UNPROTECTED SEX???!!! How freaking stupid is that one? So much for his health care plan…..

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 10:49 am
No. 4 mary says:

If this proves to be true - and we'll know there is something to this story if he hides out from the press - he is toast. Done. How do you recover from this? His wife is dying - I hope she lives another 50 years (she's a fantastic human being) - but it's hard to recover from cheating on a beloved and dying woman. How does the public erase that from their mind? The VP spot is over. It will never happen now. Even attorney general may be out of the question… If the story is true he asked a friend to take the blame for him - even THAT shows a lack of character. When McCain was accused of cheating back a few months ago - he came out ahead of the story - had a press conference and said it wasn't true. Private citizen or not - Edwards would be doing that now if he were innocent.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 12:29 pm
No. 5 Hypocrite Edwards says:

This guy is a sleeeeeeezy phony. His wife has
cancer, and he’s out dip-sticking with some
trashy looking blonde?? Maybe Liz should
slap Johnny-Boy with a PI lawsuit…you know,
emotional distress, public humiliation, mental
abuse and the like. But she’s probably known
what he’s like for a long, long time.
Why rock the boat when the hull is bursting
at the seams with ca$h?

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 1:20 pm
No. 6 webmaster of OJTalk.com says:

You kill a couple people and the world flips out…

Watch OJ Skate Again in VEGAS in September 2008, stay on top of the case ar http://www.OJTalk.com

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 1:42 pm
No. 7 Winston Taylor says:

As a former Hillary Clinton supporter, I'm so happy that I didn't vote for John Edwards, and even happier that I'm voting for John McCain instead of Barrack Obama. Republican politicians might well have a tendency to go after young men but at least that doesn't result in more babies for this already over-populated world. John McCain is probably too tired to make new babies, whereas with Barrack you never know. That's why this former Hillary supporter is now confirmed vote for John McCain.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 2:56 pm
No. 8 COCO CHANNEL says:

Winston Taylor - Get a life you Repuke scum!!

McCain cheated on his wife too with that fug skeletor looking stepford wife-adulterer.

John Edwards needs a beating for this! His wife is gorgeous compared to this trailer park looking whore!

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 3:51 pm
No. 9 Ken says:

Be nice, park looking whores are people too. One day you may look sleezier than she does. She doesn't look any different than Britney, but she's (Britney) young and famous so the media and idiots like you track every move she (Britney makes). It after all is just a matter of makeup, dumb ass.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 4:19 pm
No. 10 Ken says:

Since there is so much propane coming out of your mouths, I have a program for you. I am contacting people to buy energy credits for my personal propane reclamation program. In essence it works like this: If you purchase energy credits, I won't expel any personal propane, but you can flagellate all you want. The ultimate objective of propane reclamation is ecosystem restoration, including restoration of natural vegetation, hydrology, and wildlife habitats. In honor of and to help promote the program, participants are encouraged to wear green briefs or boxer shorts.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 4:22 pm
No. 11 Jenn says:

While I'll wait until there is actual proof of his indiscretions, we all know if he were a Republican he'd have been crucified and tried and convicted already in the court of the liberal media, without an ounce of proof.

I mean remember Foley? Guy didn't break a single law and his carer ended.

Because Edwards is a lefty, he's going to get all the help in the world burying this story.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 6:51 pm
No. 12 Lynn says:

The pictures of the woman JE is allegedly having the affair looks like Camilla Parker Bowles for goodness sake. Is he that desperate?!!!! JE can kiss any future political career goodbye.

Teddy Kennedy has been a long time Senator but was never president because Chappaquiddick never left that generations minds.

There's fire in this smokey story.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 9:25 pm
No. 13 Lynn says:

@Jenn: I disagree. Clinton is a Democrat and they fried him over Monica Lewinsky. Both parties go crazy after each other for a crumb of dirt.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 9:26 pm
No. 14 susan says:

Most Tarheels sniffed out the phony "populist" Edwards long ago; was it the 20K plus square foot house or the beach house on an NC island that forbade others to enter? Carolinians did not re-elect him for senator nor did they vote for the ticket on which he was VP candidate because they smelled a rat. Sadly, his wife Elisabeth seems to be a truly substantial woman, fighting for her life AND for the man she loves. All of North Carolina supports Mrs. Edwards and her children. They are the real victims of his hypocrisy!

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 9:37 pm
No. 15 Newsgirl says:

If the names of those involved were not revealed this would sound like a replay of the Newt Gingrich or John McCain stories.

Posted: Jul 25, 2008 at 10:21 pm
No. 16 Nannygoat says:

We won't be seeing you anymore Mr. Edwards. Bet your kids are proud!

Posted: Jul 26, 2008 at 5:31 am
No. 17 md74 says:

Hey Jossip -Dirty Dancing was filmed in Virginia - at Mountain Lake. http://www.mountainlakehotel.com/

Posted: Jul 26, 2008 at 9:15 am
No. 18 Petes2cents says:

Is John Edward's private life that important ? Is this story a Republican Smear Campaign ? Politics and the media are are just brutal. Amazingly, as things were going so well for Barack Obama, all of a sudden this story hits the wire. Conspiracy or Fact ?

petes2cents.com

Posted: Jul 26, 2008 at 7:42 pm
No. 19 Linda Hoyt says:

Edwards doesn't deserve protecting. But, his wife does. She doesn't deserve this. This is happening to her, not him. Yes, shame on him, but more than that, shame on us for adding to her pain.

Mrs. Edwards always put her own feelings aside, to help her husband, and this is how she is repaid. Shameful.

But, who knows? She loves him, and maybe she knows all about it, and doesn't care? Perhaps she is sick and encourages him to live life to the fullest—find someone and go on?

Posted: Jul 28, 2008 at 12:01 am
No. 20 Linda Hoyt says:

Here is a video of Edwards shaming all of us, asking us if we could "look our children in the eye tonight"…can he look ALL of his children in the eye, and tell them what he has done?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTjMsqxj64

Posted: Jul 28, 2008 at 12:14 am
No. 21 Linda Hoyt says:

I hardly think what John McCain did, 30 years ago, compares to Edwards cheating on his wife, who has been a support to him for those same 30 years, and could now use some support herself as she fights cancer.

Yeah, McCain's first wife had injuries from a car wreck…well he had and still has injuries from a plane crash and torture. They were on an even playing field. She had a job at the white house. She wasn't at home suffering through chemo, while he played around.

McCain, spent half of his first marriage, in a prison camp, fighting for his life. When he got back, they both had changed. They tried to work it out, but could not. Happens every day in America. Yes, she was faithful and didn't deserve him cheating on her. But, since McCain was her second husband she had been through this before, and all the blame can not be layed at his feet.

He has been married to the same woman for 30 years now. I think we can forgive him, like his first wife did.

Posted: Jul 28, 2008 at 12:32 am
No. 22 Hypocrite Edwards says:

Edwards was spotted coming out of church
last Sunday. He was carrying Bill Clinton's
bible, and he was wearing Ted Kennedy's
neck brace.

Posted: Jul 29, 2008 at 9:44 pm
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