BFD!

I ALWAYS thought he was a phony. I just didn't realize how much of a phony he was. Although the timeline is not quite clear yet, it certainly looks like he sought the nomination KNOWING that he could have had a big problem with this affair.

And how would that have worked out for all us who are practically deranged over eight years of Bush.

What a complete utter jerk.

Glad he didn't come out and endorse Obama early!

I think Edwards should have used the moment to break the news like this:

The National Enquirer has alleged that I have had an extramarital affair.

Sadly, I must say that it is true. The fact that other politicians who have come before me (whispers "John McCain" under his breath) have also succumbed to temptation while server long hours away from home, ("John McCain" cough cough), that doesn't excuse me from this unpardonable behavior. ("John McCain").

Yes, its his and Elizabeth's private affair , but if you repeatedly lie, even about this, you are unfit to be Attorney General of the United States. And, even if it is not morally disqualifying as I'm sure most of you will argue, President Obama should not spend one ounce of precious political capital trying to push an Edwards' nomination through a Srenate that will not confirm him. I cannot beleive there is not a single pro-consumer, pro small investor, pro- equal rights, pro- civil liberties Democratic lawyer who would not serve equally well as an untainted Edwards would have, and who, unlike him, will be confirmable easily.

If only it had been a gay affair Edwards could have defected to the Republicans . . .

This is more important than the Russian invasion of Georgia.

As a former Edwards supporter I feel quite relieved that we lost that one. Something else here that us former supporters should consider and that is there were fair indications out there that he was indeed having an affair with "that woman" last winter. That video of him relaxing and joking with her that he posted on his own web site should have rung the alarm bells. I know I ignored that but others pointed out that there was something fishy going on.

I happen to believe that ones private sex life should not be the publics business, but I am afraid that we should just admit that that is not true for our candidates for President. The rest of the country does not play by our rules.

Clinton committed adultery, Edwards committed adultery, McCain committed adultery. Congrats to Barack and Michelle, the last ones standing.

Edwards spent most of the period after the 2004 election until his withdrawal this past Spring from the Presidential campaign. After more than three years of running AGAINST his own Senate record the least of my concerns is if he was getting "nekkid" with a woman who was not his wife.

He'll have to deal with Elizabeth, not me. I am disappointed, but such is life.

Do we, and does the nation, have no more important or pressing business than this? This tawdry affair is now going to dominate the media for at least a couple of days because it is sooo much easier for us to talk about personal behavior and to chew on it as opposed to giving some serious thought about the massive problems our nation faces. After all, there are only a few million people who will lose their homes in the coming year to the mortgage crisis, Russian troops are fighting on Georgian soil today and there is a movement afoot to impeach Musharaff in Pakistan that could lead to that nuclear power becoming destabilized (just to mention a couple of uninteresting and only mildly newsworthy items).

Whether it is Edwards or any other "public figure" this is private business that is none of ours. America must grow up and move beyond this trivia. "He lied as a Presidential candidate." BFD! Didn't we resolve the idiocy of this sort of thing when, like most people Clinton lied about his affair with Monica Lewinsky? What a bunch of meaningless crap this is!

Had our media and culture always been driven by such empty and shallow subject matter Jefferson, FDR, JFK and God only knows how many others would never have become the great figures and leaders they were. Is it wise in a time that is producing fewer such figures to maintain public floggings and professional decapitations for this sort of commonplace behavior which breaks no law and rarely, becomes "newsworthy" for people in professions other than politics or entertainment? Craig, Vittert, Foley and Spitzer's situations all were very different than this run of the mill infidelity. If Edwards were not a politician he could have had a thousand such affairs and it wouldn't get even the slightest rise out of any editor anywhere. Just because he is a public figure doesn't mean that this is of any public importance whatsoever.

Perhaps if this culture of gossip must be, then we should start demanding that the media relentlessly hound television and high profile NYT, LAT, and Washington Post reporters' private lives particularly as it pertains to their sexual life and their extramarital affairs? And why not? They are public figures after all aren;t they? Why shouldn't we know every tawdry detail of their sex lives and every personal indiscretion and mistake in their marriages?

This is sickening stuff. It's tawdry and sad for the Edwards', but it is even more so and says far more about us and our shallow, hypocritical, bankrupt, vapid culture than anything else as far as I'm concerned.

The writer of this blog post isn't "quite sure what to make of" Edwards' affair.

But those in the left were damn "sure" to make fun of Larry Craig for rubbing his feet against another man's.

They sure knew what to make of David Vitter's infidelity scandal.

Let's crack jokes about Edwards. How's that?

This is "disappointing" to say the least. You can say whatever you like about this being a private matter but it isn't when it relates to someone who might have been one of only two people running to be president and the only one running with any sense of America as something to build upon rather than scavenge and dismantle. If Edwards had been the Democratic nominee in all likelihood this news would give the presidency to the wacko McCain and further the damage to America a Republican president represents.

Edwards was by far my favorite choice for president. I never cared for Obama (hope a dope) and I saw Clinton as more of Clinton - Republican lite. But in fact Edwards was as much a snake oil salesman as Obama. I remember when he and his wife announced that she had cancer and that they had decided together that he would continue to run for president. I could understand his continuing to run but I was sickened by what looked to me as his attempt to use her personal tragedy as a boost for his then failing campaign. Consider now that he was cheating on his wife and obviously cheating on his supporters in trying to get their support, through his wife.

Much as with Eliot Spitzer, we can't be easy on these people that hold our hopes for a better and fairer future in their hands and in our support. We deserve better consideration. It's not just between them and their significant others. When they ask for our support then we deserve to have that support be safe and not open to petty disaster. If an airplane pilot crashes a plane because he has periodic blackouts that he kept hidden, should we accept that? If not, then why accept a known potential (and likely) political disaster as none of our business? If they're weak then they shouldn't deceive us. When they do we should discard them as quickly as possible. That the Republicans can do these sexual hypocrisies is a problem with the control of the public dialog, something which Democrats don't seem to care to deal with. Certainly not on the level Republicans do.

I'm disappointed but still sure that he, of the Democratic hopefuls, would have made the best president.

Also, his sex life is none of our business.

And, finally... if the guy was going to have an affair, having it with the woman who was the inspiration for Allison Poole in both Jay McInerney and Bret Easton Ellis novels is, well... that's pretty cool.

We shouldn't be quick to judge someone whom we haven't gone thru their life's experiences and the circumstances he was in.
Let's face it, the male sex drive is harder to control than the female sex drive. There's more "sex scandals" concerning men than women, right?

This has nothing to do with his ability to help people. He's done a lot of good in his life.
Personally I think one's sexual escapades is no one's business outside of the family.
So let's not smear his and his lovely wife's life.
Let's dwell on solving our problems.
I hope he still speaks at the convention.
He's a good man - His hair proves it!! (a little humor)

Dick Cheney and the CIA fabricated documents to justify the invasion of Iraq.

Cheney proposed that Navy Seals pose as Iranians and attack the US Navy to justify war with Iran

The republicans have poured $3,000,000,000,000.00 down the drain that is Iraq. Up to 1,200,000 people have died since the US invasion.

Edwards who?

Unfortunately, in this country, people cannot separate a politician's private life from his public life. Europeans are light years ahead in their ability to do this. Just read the Vanity Fair piece on Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, and you will struck by the fact that what happened in France politically could never happen here.
I do not condone Edwards' behavior, and believe that he should have been smart enough to realize that it would be a huge scandal. But in an ideal world, it should be between him and his wife and family. This country unfortunately is far too puritanical
in its thinking.
And truly, as stated in the post above, the multitude of atrocities committed by this administration- from torture, war, the destruction of the environment, the lies and scandals too numerous to count- deserve far more attention than a politician and his extramarital affair.

What does it say that America is tonight so convulsed about Edwards? Prurience rules.

Olbermann reported tonight that Suskind's book says there is a torture dungeon in the White House.

Why is everyone so convulsed in this paroxysm about Edwards? We've been rescued from any impulse to take him seriously. By the National Enquirer. Who'd have thunk?

I'm amazed that after reading 200+ comments that no one is disturbed that Edwards could very well be the father of this kid, yet if he is, then he is essentially abandoning this kid -- trying to claim he isn't the dad! There are too many unanswered questions --- if he's not the dad, then why is his friend giving her $15k per month and why was she paid $100,000+ for a very amateurish video job that any student could've done better for far cheaper? Yes, I know he denies being the father, but he has been denying this affair for over a year. Sorry, but I won't believe him until the paternity test is in.

If he is indeed the father, then I will lose ALL respect for him!! There are too many men getting women pregnant and then abandoning these women leaving them to raise their kids as single moms. Politicians should take their leadership roles more seriously. Yes, everyone makes mistakes, but one needs to be able to take responsibility for them when they happen. I don't really care about the affair, but I DO care about IF he is shirking his parental duties by denying that he is the dad.

I was never an Edwards supporter (I was and still am a Hillary supporter), but I find it unbelievable that he ran for POTUS knowing & denying his secret and thinking that it would've never been discovered under the microscopic scrutiny of a presidential campaign had he been the nominee. Edwards is plenty young enough to have run in 4-8 years. He could've taken some time off to deal with this personal matter with his family and run again when he was ready for the job. Obviously patience is not one of his virtues ;-)

Oh sure. Edwards is telling the truth THIS time.

Look people, at some point there will have to be a clarity around role models and heroes. Either hide their flaws, or accept the idea that there is no person that can be torn down in some way. That requires the killing of idealism.

Take your pick.

I liked Edwards until I watched the interview.

Then the key question for me was

"Why isn't your wife Elizabeth here with you."

(the interview took place in their home so it would not have been inconvenient). Nowhere in his reply does he convey solicitude for her. It's about HIM.

"I don't need somebody - uh I don't need a shield." I thought he should say "I would not want to put her through this ordeal [or more correctly, ] this shame"

Instead he implicates her in the deception. She knew when he announced for president that there was this cloud hanging over the campaign, at least that's his story.

In Mrs. Edwards' response to the interview she does stand by him but she uses the term "shame."

There is shame for his supporters too, not so much for the affair but for being so stupid.

Time to scamper out of the rabbit hole folks! Prurient interests in the frailities of great people has it backwards. The point should be that there is no messiah-like person, and that even the greatest have feet of clay like the rest of us. Suspicion should be had of those who present themselves as without such foibles, as they feel justified in throwing stones.