John Edwards in trouble again? - Page 2

Beestie · 05-07-2009, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

Heard Elizabeth Edwards on NPR today. Classy lady but why she put up with it knowing all along from before the time he started his run for the presidency and just outright pretending like there was no issue is beyond me.

Same reason Hillary did. Same reason they all do. Its a price they are willing to pay.

sugarpop · 05-09-2009, 08:13 AM

You never know the inner workings or agreements people make in relationships, especially long term relationships. He really just shouldn't have gotten caught.

Part of the problem though is the press. When they find out these things, they just can't let it go, and these kinds of things really should be private. It isn't really news. At least not in my opinion. Sex should be offlimits, unless it involves illegal sex (like with a minor or prostitute), OR unless it's some person spewing hatred of homosexuals and trying to block legislation that would give them equal rights, but they are caught having sex with a person of the same sex. THAT would be fair game.

Shawnee123 · 05-09-2009, 08:55 AM

Well, it certainly sells books, as Beestie pointed out:

article about Hillary's book, 2003

article about Elizabeth's book, 2009

The press makes it public then they hop on for the books sales. You can hardly point fingers at the press and public if the involved parties are riding that wave as well.

classicman · 05-09-2009, 10:09 AM

Pop - so you don't think it shows anything about the character of the person?

sugarpop · 05-10-2009, 06:07 AM

Not really. I think it shows something about a certain aspect of character in the person, but certainly not the most important aspects I would look for in a president. Personally, I think most men will cheat at some time in their life. Probably most women too. I do not necessarily think it's a fatal character flaw, because I don't really believe most people are meant to be completely monogamous for their whole life. Many couples know this, and they make agreements about what is acceptable and what isn't.

Having said that, I have no idea about the relationships you are discussing here. Maybe they had agreements, maybe they didn't. But even if they didn't, do you really think it should be up to the press to break a story about infidelity? Because honestly, I don't see how that would bear on someone's ability to do their job. And, if the wife didn't know and the husband was a scumbag for lying to her and cheating on her and not telling her about it, then the only thing that would come out of that action is it would cause an awful lot of pain and embarrassment to an innocent person(s). A person who, btw, at the time the story broke, was going through a very difficult time fighting cancer. I think it was extremely poor judgement and taste to break that story the way they did. Of course, it also shows poor judgement on his part to carry on an affair while he was running an election.

Many other cultures have a lot more openness and understanding about this stuff. They have mistresses, the women sometimes have a lover. I don't see how that has anything to do with being president, regardless of if the president is a man or a woman. Many of our presidents in the past have had lovers outside of their marriage. I do think they should be careful about it.

I think it is a much more dangerous character flaw to lie to the American people, and to the world, in order to start a war with a country that had nothing to do with attacking us. I think it is a much more dangerous character flaw to lose your moral compass and do things that you know in your heart are wrong, immoral and unethical, and then hide them from the people, and then pretend you don't know anything about it when really you do. I think it is a much worse character flaw to not listen, to not try to see things from another perspective, to have to always be right.

I could go on, but I'm kinda out of it right now. I hope this all makes sense.

classicman · 05-10-2009, 02:45 PM

After the "Not Really" I was kinda done. Someone who cannot make a commitment and stand by it has no business leading our country - and there are plenty of them doing just that, unfortunately.

Undertoad · 05-10-2009, 03:09 PM

ABC News blog: Staffers planned to sabotage Edwards' campaign

Quote:

But by late December, early January of last year, several people in his inner circle began to think the rumors were true.

Several of them had gotten together and devised a "doomsday" strategy of sorts.

Basically, if it looked like Edwards was going to win the Democratic Party nomination, they were going to sabotage his campaign, several former Edwards' staffers have told me.

They said they were Democrats first, and if it looked like Edwards as going to become the nominee, they were going to bring down the campaign.

They're like - now that we're on the campaign, and we get to know the guy, turns out he's an asshole.

OK, but as long as we're making major campaign money, it's all good. We stay in, and hold the election pat with O in the lead and us swiping votes from Hillary; and if Johnny gets 35% somehow, we pull a leg out from under the table and let it come crashing down.

He shouldn't have been President, should never have been considered for it, and this proves it beyond the shadow of a doubt. Think about it: he couldn't even convince his own campaign team that he was the right guy for the job.

sugarpop · 05-12-2009, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Undertoad

ABC News blog: Staffers planned to sabotage Edwards' campaign

They're like - now that we're on the campaign, and we get to know the guy, turns out he's an asshole.

OK, but as long as we're making major campaign money, it's all good. We stay in, and hold the election pat with O in the lead and us swiping votes from Hillary; and if Johnny gets 35% somehow, we pull a leg out from under the table and let it come crashing down.

He shouldn't have been President, should never have been considered for it, and this proves it beyond the shadow of a doubt. Think about it: he couldn't even convince his own campaign team that he was the right guy for the job.

Good for them. They are right, he shouldn't have been running a campaign while having an affiar. Not in THIS country. That was majorly stupid on his part.

sugarpop · 05-12-2009, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by classicman

After the "Not Really" I was kinda done. Someone who cannot make a commitment and stand by it has no business leading our country - and there are plenty of them doing just that, unfortunately.

So you think having an affair is worse than lying to the world in order to create a unnecessary war?

classicman · 05-12-2009, 11:49 AM

No I do not.

Are you really that dense?

classicman · 05-12-2009, 11:54 AM

Sugar, You have an interesting take on the Edwards staffers who were going to wait until something happened before doing the right thing...
Why did they continue to work for him?
Why did they continue to take money & donations of time and effort from other people?
Why did they maintain the lie for him?
Why is all that ok in any way shape or form?

Pie · 05-12-2009, 11:58 AM

Because they wanted Obama to win. They were suckering $$ and votes from the other non-black candidate.

classicman · 05-12-2009, 12:16 PM

Oh - well then I guess its ok then - not.

classicman · 09-22-2009, 01:46 PM

Ahhh - The truth shall set you free...

Quote:

Former Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards talked a campaign aide into claiming he fathered a child born to Edwards' onetime mistress, sources familiar with the issue said Monday.
Edwards admitted to his affair with Rielle Hunter in August 2008 after months of denials, but said he could not have been the father of Hunter's daughter, who was born the previous February. Former Edwards staffer Andrew Young has said he was the girl's father -- but has recanted and says he made it because he believed in Edwards, lawyers and others familiar with the matter told CNN.

Young was married with children when he claimed to have fathered Hunter's child. He never signed any affidavits or legal papers, however, and reversed his claim after Edwards, as one of the sources put it, dropped Young "like a hot potato."

The news comes as a grand jury in Edwards' home state of North Carolina is investigating payments made to Hunter -- who had been hired as a campaign videographer -- by the former senator's campaign and supporters. Hunter was photographed entering the courthouse where the grand jury was meeting in August.
Edwards paid Hunter's production company $114,000 for a series of videos featuring him before and during his 2008 campaign. He said in May that he believed "that no funds from my campaign were used improperly."

Sunny Hostin, a former federal prosecutor, told CNN that if Edwards willfully failed to report payments to his mistress that could be considered campaign contributions, he could face felony charges that carry prison terms of up to five years.

classicman · 01-21-2010, 10:48 PM

Quote:

RALEIGH, N.C. — Confirming what practically everyone already suspected, John Edwards confessed Thursday he fathered the baby born to his ex-mistress – an admission that came just ahead of a bombshell book by a top aide to the former Democratic presidential candidate.

Edwards had long denied the girl, Frances Quinn Hunter, was his, even after he admitted cheating on his wife with the child's mother, Rielle Hunter. Hunter had been hired before Edwards' 2008 White House campaign to shoot behind-the-scenes video of him.

"I am Quinn's father," the 56-year-old former North Carolina senator said in a statement. "It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me."

The confession came ahead of the Feb. 2 release of a book by former Edwards aide Andrew Young that is expected to describe how Edwards worked to hide his paternity with Young's help.

"Get a doctor to fake the DNA results," Young quoted the candidate as saying. "And he asked me ... to steal a diaper from the baby so he could secretly do a DNA test to find out if this (was) indeed his child."

The scandal may not be over: Federal prosecutors in North Carolina are investigating Edwards' campaign finances, apparently with regard to Hunter, whose video production firm was paid at least $100,000 in 2006 alone.

Link
Finally, now throw the bastard in prison. (The father not the daughter.) Start sending them to jail - the rest will eventually get the message.

05-09-2009, 08:55 AM	#18
Shawnee123 Why, you're a regular Alfred E Einstein, ain't ya? Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 21,206	Well, it certainly sells books, as Beestie pointed out: article about Hillary's book, 2003 article about Elizabeth's book, 2009 The press makes it public then they hop on for the books sales. You can hardly point fingers at the press and public if the involved parties are riding that wave as well. __________________ A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones who need the advice. --Bill Cosby

05-09-2009, 10:09 AM	#19
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Pop - so you don't think it shows anything about the character of the person? __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

05-10-2009, 02:45 PM	#21
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	After the "Not Really" I was kinda done. Someone who cannot make a commitment and stand by it has no business leading our country - and there are plenty of them doing just that, unfortunately. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

05-12-2009, 11:49 AM	#25
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	No I do not. Are you really that dense? __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

05-12-2009, 11:54 AM	#26
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Sugar, You have an interesting take on the Edwards staffers who were going to wait until something happened before doing the right thing... Why did they continue to work for him? Why did they continue to take money & donations of time and effort from other people? Why did they maintain the lie for him? Why is all that ok in any way shape or form? __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

05-09-2009, 08:13 AM	#17
sugarpop Professor Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: the edge of the abyss Posts: 1,947	You never know the inner workings or agreements people make in relationships, especially long term relationships. He really just shouldn't have gotten caught. Part of the problem though is the press. When they find out these things, they just can't let it go, and these kinds of things really should be private. It isn't really news. At least not in my opinion. Sex should be offlimits, unless it involves illegal sex (like with a minor or prostitute), OR unless it's some person spewing hatred of homosexuals and trying to block legislation that would give them equal rights, but they are caught having sex with a person of the same sex. THAT would be fair game.

05-10-2009, 06:07 AM	#20
sugarpop Professor Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: the edge of the abyss Posts: 1,947	Not really. I think it shows something about a certain aspect of character in the person, but certainly not the most important aspects I would look for in a president. Personally, I think most men will cheat at some time in their life. Probably most women too. I do not necessarily think it's a fatal character flaw, because I don't really believe most people are meant to be completely monogamous for their whole life. Many couples know this, and they make agreements about what is acceptable and what isn't. Having said that, I have no idea about the relationships you are discussing here. Maybe they had agreements, maybe they didn't. But even if they didn't, do you really think it should be up to the press to break a story about infidelity? Because honestly, I don't see how that would bear on someone's ability to do their job. And, if the wife didn't know and the husband was a scumbag for lying to her and cheating on her and not telling her about it, then the only thing that would come out of that action is it would cause an awful lot of pain and embarrassment to an innocent person(s). A person who, btw, at the time the story broke, was going through a very difficult time fighting cancer. I think it was extremely poor judgement and taste to break that story the way they did. Of course, it also shows poor judgement on his part to carry on an affair while he was running an election. Many other cultures have a lot more openness and understanding about this stuff. They have mistresses, the women sometimes have a lover. I don't see how that has anything to do with being president, regardless of if the president is a man or a woman. Many of our presidents in the past have had lovers outside of their marriage. I do think they should be careful about it. I think it is a much more dangerous character flaw to lie to the American people, and to the world, in order to start a war with a country that had nothing to do with attacking us. I think it is a much more dangerous character flaw to lose your moral compass and do things that you know in your heart are wrong, immoral and unethical, and then hide them from the people, and then pretend you don't know anything about it when really you do. I think it is a much worse character flaw to not listen, to not try to see things from another perspective, to have to always be right. I could go on, but I'm kinda out of it right now. I hope this all makes sense.

05-12-2009, 11:58 AM	#27
Pie Gone and done Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 4,808	Because they wanted Obama to win. They were suckering $$ and votes from the other non-black candidate. __________________ per·son \ˈpər-sən\ (noun) - an ephemeral collection of small, irrational decisions The fun thing about evolution (and science in general) is that it happens whether you believe in it or not.

05-12-2009, 12:16 PM	#28
classicman barely disguised asshole, keeper of all that is holy. Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 23,401	Oh - well then I guess its ok then - not. __________________ "like strapping a pillow on a bull in a china shop" Bullitt

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