ABC News has managed to orchestrate a sit down interview with Senator and former Vice Presidential nominee John Edwards today in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where the man finally comes clean about rumors concerning an extramarital affair that have been plaguing him for the past couple of months. Excerpts from this interview will air tonight on ABC on World News with Charles Gibson and in full on Nightline at 11:35PM ET. Um, wow:
John Edwards repeatedly lied during his Presidential campaign about an extramarital affair with a novice filmmaker, the former Senator admitted to ABC News today. n 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. 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. A former campaign aide, Andrew Young, has said he was the father of the child. According to friends of Hunter, Edwards met her at a New York city bar in 2006. His political action committee later paid her $114,000 to produce campaign website documentaries despite her lack of experience. Edwards said the affair began during the campaign after she was hired. Hunter traveled with Edwards around the country and to Africa. Edwards said his wife, Elizabeth, and others in his family became aware of the affair in 2006. Edwards made a point of telling Woodruff that his wife’s cancer was in remission when he began the affair with Hunter. Elizabeth Edwards has since been diagnosed with an incurable form of the disease. When the National Enquirer first reported the alleged Edwards-Hunter affair last October 11, Edwards, his campaign staff and Hunter vociferously denounced the report. “The story is false, it’s completely untrue, it’s ridiculous,” Edwards told reporters then. He repeated his denials just two weeks ago. Edwards today admitted the National Enquirer was correct when it reported he had visited Hunter at the Beverly Hills Hilton last month. The former Senator said his wife had not known about the meeting.
Well, I guess score one for The National Enquirer. And isn’t this just the crappiest news? I mean, you know that people aren’t perfect (and politicians are among the most imperfect people on Earth) but sometimes you just want to believe the best in people. This deffo changes my perspectives on John Edwards. And without a paternity test, how can he really be sure that he’s not the father? Blah. This is one confessional interview that I’m really not all that interested in watching … I think I’ve heard enough :(
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*For the record, his affair was before his wife was diagnosed with cancer.
Paz — as stated in the article, “Edwards made a point of telling Woodruff that his wife’s cancer was in remission when he began the affair with Hunter.” She had breast cancer surgery back in 2004.
Any way you look at it, he is a scumbag liar — whether his wife was diagnosed the first time, the second time, or the TENTH time
As a democrat, I was never a huge fan of Mr. Edwards but am obviously less-so now… and convinced that the term “honest politician” is an oxymoron. Why the hell can’t these guys keep it in their pants?!?!?!?!?
-@wundersmack:
I’m not excusing what he did, I was just stating that anyone is capable of doing selfish things and arrogantly believing they can get away with it. He’s no more scummy or dishonest than most of the politicians out here, he just wasn’t smart enoug not to get caught with his hands in the cookie jar. If anything he’s proven himself to be a poor long-term thinker and a horrible liar.
At least he admits it – gotta give him that. But it still sucks. He was one of the few Dems I actually liked. Why can’t politicians keep it in their pants?!
Wow – no one quick to judge here. I’m glad we’re all personal observers in their marriage that we assign blame so quickly.
Yes, he cheated. Yes, his wife had previously gone through a health scare (and unfortunately, would be going through another).
Americans are uptight when it comes to morality. It sucks that his marriage isn’t going well enough – but there are always *two* in a marriage. Unless he’s a serial cheater/cad like our friend Bill Clinton – it’s not necessarily an example of his lack of morality. Just an example of poor judgement and a bad patch in a relationship (or just plain bad relationship – people do grow apart – and it’s harder to divorce when you have kids and/or in politics).
It doesn’t change that he probably would have been an amazing president (liked alot of his political views) and possibly a great vice-president if that was the possible future.
Why is it that 49% of the people thought that a cocaine snorting fun drunk was better than a man who protects the environment and was one of the political leaders that created the internet. And that a president was on trail for having an affair, when one who lied to the senate, the UN and the american people is not? There are people DYING because of those lies – and Osama Bin Laden has his feet up right now watching the olympics.
Personally I would still like to see John Edwards as presidents regardless of who he sleeps beside, He reminds me of someone who lead the US to several years of prosperity and made good foreign decisions.